RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE
Vol. 4 – No. 2 April 2020
RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY NEWS
Rhea County Republican Party Executive Committee
Bitsy Gryder – Chairman Gary Drinkard – Vice Chairman
Judy Bancroft – Secretary Larry Pendergrass – Treasurer
Linda Pendergrass – Vice Treasurer
The Rhea County Republican Party Monthly Meeting
The scheduled meeting of the Rhea County Republican Party to be held on Thursday, 2 April 2020, at 7:00 PM, at the Rhea County Sheriff’s Training Center, 711 Eagle Drive, Evensville, TN, has been cancelled. Please see the May 2020 of The Rhea County Republican for additional news.
The Annual Reagan Day Dinner scheduled for April 4th has been postponed
The annual Reagan Day Dinner, which was scheduled to be held at the Rhea County High School Auditorium on April 4th, will be rescheduled at a later date and will be held at a different venue. Please see the May 2020 edition of The Rhea County Republican for updates.
Those wishing to receive refunds for tickets purchased please phone Laura Travis, at 423-240-8199.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Alexander Coolidge, a feature writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer interviewed Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen about the potential for food shortages amid the Wuhan pandemic. Mr. McMullen stated emphatically that there are no shortages of anything commonly found in food stores.
“We asked President Trump and vice president Pence to let people know there’s plenty of food and plenty of things in the supply chain,” McMullen told The Enquirer. “And as long as customers just buy what they need and don’t [hoard], there will be no problems at all – there’s plenty of food in the supply chain.”
McMullen urged the public to also remember that the grocery business deals in perishable goods and is set up to constantly ship and refill store shelves. Also, most companies own factories that produce everything from milk and dairy products to maple syrup and canned goods – all of those factories are working overtime and around the clock.
Minutes from the Previous Meeting of the Rhea County Republican Party
Chairperson Bitsy Gryder called the meeting to order on March 5th, at 7:00 pm.
Marvin Keener offered prayer and Joe Gryder led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Bitsy thanked Mable Varner for bringing refreshments.
Bitsy then welcomed candidates for the U. S. Senate and House and their representatives and invited them to speak:
- Josh Gapp, candidate for Senate, stated that he is a pathologist from Knoxville and also has experience in entrepreneurship and creating jobs. Dr. Gapp listed highlights of a plan which could replace Obamacare. His bottom line is less government, not more, and stopping the oppression of Marxism. To learn more, visit his website at www.joshgapp.com.
- Manny Sethi, candidate for Senate, was represented by Harris King. Dr. Sethi, a Harvard-educated trauma surgeon, was born and raised in east Tennessee. He created a non-profit organization called “Healthy Tennessee,” which promotes health education in all Tennessee counties. Ending the opioid epidemic by empowering local government and communities is one of his goals. To learn more, visit his website at www.drmannyforsenate.com.
- Doug Meyer, candidate for House of Representatives (TN-4th District), shared that he is a veteran living in Winchester, with family roots in Appalachia. He has a Master’s degree. His career was in law enforcement and he retired as a Chief of Police. Mr. Meyer spoke of some differences in views with the current Representative, Scott DeJarlais. He is a strong supporter of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Questions may be asked of him at his website www.dougmeyer2020.com.
- Randy Sharp, candidate for House of Representatives (TN-4th District), stated that he is originally from Rhea County. He has been a businessman, realtor, builder and landlord. He plans to speak more in the future regarding his policies.
The February Minutes were read by Judy Bancroft. A correction was noted that the Williamson County Reagan Day Dinner will be March 3rd, not April 3rd. A second correction changed the Treasurer’s “minutes” to Treasurer’s “report” in regards to the motion to accept it. Motion made by Joe Gryder, second by Sheila Larson, to accept the minutes as corrected. Motion carried.
The Executive Committee Minutes for February 29 were read by Judy Bancroft. Motion by Marvin Keener, second by Joe Gryder, to accept the minutes as read. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Joe Gryder, second by Kris Bancroft, to pay for a quarter-page ad in the Rhea Herald News to promote bidding for the Tennessee Smokies game-day party donated by Randy and Jenny Boyd. Motion carried.
The Treasurer’s Report was given by Larry Pendergrass, a copy of which is attached. Motion by Sheila Larson, second by Bob Larson, to accept the report as read. Motion carried.
The PAC Report was given by Jim Murphy.
Bitsy Gryder reported that Debbie Byrd and Glen Varner won their primary contests. Larry Pendergrass noted that there was a large Republican turn-out at the primary, and he expressed appreciation for everyone who volunteered to work at the election.
The Legislative Report was given by Kris Bancroft. He also congratulated Debbie Byrd on being chosen as Property Assessor of the Year for the State of Tennessee. Kris thanked everyone for their support of the Rhea County Republican newsletter for the past four years, helping it to reach a readership of over 400–from many locations. He encouraged subscribers to send comments and to consider the newsletter as a reader’s forum.
OLD BUSINESS:
Joe Gryder reported on the Reagan Day Dinner and said that plans are progressing well. The game-day party donated by Randy Boyd will be advertised in the Rhea Herald News for bidding. This notice will also be placed on our website, Facebook page and will be distributed by the Chamber of Commerce to its members. A notice for the Reagan Day Dinner will be requested for the front page of the newspaper.
Laura Travis reported that 198 tickets have been sold.
Marvin Keener reported that donations for the auctions are looking good. If anyone is associated with a business, please talk with him or with Ted Doss about possible auction donations. Bitsy Gryder stated that items under $600 will be placed in the silent auction to keep live-auction items at a minimum, to allow time for the speakers.
Marvin Keener plans to send out an e-mail to remind people to bring desserts.
NEW BUSINESS:
Bitsy stated that discussion of placing an ad in the Rhea County Fair catalog will be tabled until the next meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bitsy announced a dinner/dancing/auction event to be held on April 3rd in Williamson County. Go to www.williamsongop.org for more details.
The committee to plan the Chamber of Commerce luncheon will meet in May.
A group photo of the Executive Officers for our website will be taken after the meeting tonight.
OPEN DISCUSSION
A drawing was held for a Rhea County Republican Party mug, donated by Ted Doss. Josh Gapp was the winner.
Glen Varner provided the Joke of the Month.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm.
Executive Committee – 29 February 2020
Chairperson Bitsy Gryder opened the meeting at 12:42 pm and offered prayer.
In regards to the upcoming Reagan Day Dinner auction, Joe Gryder announced that Randy Boyd, owner of the Tennessee Smokies minor league baseball team, has donated a game-day “party” for up to twenty people in the stadium owner’s suite. The value of this donation is $900. A certificate was presented.
During discussion, it was noted that advertising this offer could also promote the Reagan Day Dinner, as well as raise money for the RCRP. The ads could include a list of the speakers for the Dinner.
A motion was made by Linda Pendergrass to run a ¼ page ad in the Rhea Herald News, costing $175, for the week-end of March 7th. Motion carried. Laura Travis read the aforementioned certificate and, after editing it slightly, will provide it to the newspaper for the ad. Laura will also provide the certificate for other advertising as described below.
Laura will contact our webmaster, Jennifer McKinney, to run the ad on our Facebook page. It will also be run on their own individual Facebook pages by Laura Travis, Larry Pendergrass and Kris Bancroft.
Kris Bancroft will contact the Dayton Chamber of Commerce to request that our ad be distributed by e-mail to their list of businesses.
Larry Pendergrass will promote the offer to the Rhea County High School booster clubs.
When interested parties respond to the ad, a bidding form will be e-mailed to them. They are to mail the completed forms to RCRP, P. O. Box 171, Evensville, TN 37332 by March 31st.
A motion was made by Gary Drinkard that the opening bid be $700. Motion carried.
Bids will be sealed. During the live auction at the Dinner, opportunity will be given to outbid the top sealed bid, starting at $100 higher than the top bid and continuing at $100 increments. If there are no bids for the $700 minimum, bids for lesser amounts will be accepted.
Joe reported that he has asked Marvin Keener to collect the other donated items and Ted Doss will be working with Marvin.
The meeting adjourned at 1:39 pm.
Judy Bancroft
Secretary
RANDOM THOUGHTS – Echoes from 1933
New York City Mayor Warren Wilhelm (who sometimes goes by the moniker Bill de Blasio) argues the best way to tackle the Wuhan virus pandemic is for the Federal government to take over “critical” private companies, and keep them running 24 hours a day. Appearing on CNN, Mr. de Blasio said: “The Federal government needs to take over the supply chain right now.”
Clearly, Mr. de Blasio is a man with a vision but I’m not too sure his vision is what’s needed in America. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nazi-party
EDITORIAL
The Globalists – those desirous of a one-world government – have shamed those who take pride in their country and especially those who are proud of their country’s ability to be self-sufficient. The Globalist remind us that to insist on being self-sufficient is PROTECTIONISM, and those who practice protectionism are backwards-thinking Neanderthals – uncouth and unenlightened paranoiacs, with a yen for walling ourselves off in some sort of hermit kingdom.
Where the United States is concerned, nothing has been further from the truth!
Had it not been for our forebear’s desire for self-sufficiency, the innovations that were born in the United States would never have existed. Our country could never have endured – and won – two world wars. The stellar advances in science, engineering, medicine, the arts and business that were the product of independent minds could never have existed in our time had it not been for a unified goal of independence that dwelt in the souls of those who came before us.
From the time the United States of America came into existence, our ancestors knew that having the ability to be fully self-sufficient is an essential component of freedom; no one can be fully free if they are dependent on others for any necessity of life.
Whether we are talking about a human or a country, one will ultimately find they are, at best, some sort of indentured servant unless they can subsist by virtue of their abilities. I think those who signed a certain letter to King George III, way back on the 4th of July, 1776 understood the necessity of self-sufficiency.
Sadly though, through the years, the United States of America has lost its ability to be self-sufficient.
There are many reasons why we are losing our self-sufficiency.
Some would say our newfound dependence came about through the desire of some individuals to enter into trade arrangements that deport those jobs that could – and should – be done by the American worker. Some would say deporting jobs was the fault of organized labor’s threatening strikes and demanding wages that priced themselves out of the market and, in many ways, threatened or caused direct harm to the American people. (Such was the case when John L. Lewis and 500,000 UMWA coal miners went on strike in 1943. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/07/11/you-cant-dig-coal-with-bayonets/). Others would blame our acquired dependence was caused by governmental bodies at all levels who taxed manufacturing to the point where corporations could no longer earn a profit unless they took their enterprise off shore.
There is plenty of blame to be shared, but it all boils down to this inescapable fact: The failure to protect and secure our ability to produce those components that are necessities of our independence will eventually cause us great harm.
The Wuhan virus is the diabolus ex machina that illustrates this point!
When the Wuhan virus found its way to our shores, the lack of our ability to produce crucial drugs to treat its symptoms was again, and more fully, revealed to the American public. We were reminded that China is the major supplier for all manner of drugs. https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/20/policymakers-worry-china-drug-exports-088126
Eighty percent of America’s “active pharmaceutical ingredients” are not made in the United States – they are mostly made in China. This includes 45% of the penicillin we use and nearly 100% of the ibuprofen in our medicine cabinets.
Our elected representatives were fully aware of this before the fact. In July 2019, Rosemary Gibson, author of “China Rx” testified before Congress and informed them that millions of Americans would die if our drug supply chain was interrupted.
There are many ways our supply chain might be “interrupted” and, most recently, China has hinted about doing just that!
But our dependence on China to provide the drugs necessary to treat the Wuhan virus – and almost every other health condition – is not the only major concern. Back in 2016, it was again brought to our attention that the United States is almost fully dependent on other countries – and especially China – to produce the electronics on which our military is totally dependent and, without which our daily lives would be severely impacted. These articles provide insight: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military-china/u-s-military-comes-to-grips-with-over-reliance-on-chinese-imports-idUSKCN1MC275 and https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-militarys-greatest-weakness-china-builds-huge-chunk-25966.
Matters have only gotten worse since these articles were written: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/20/policymakers-worry-china-drug-exports-088126 and https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/03/18/beijing_fears_covid-19_is_turning_point_for_china_globalization__142686.html?fbclid=IwAR3Vk4MD9wHyPQfzEtZONC3QgGt5ldojcN5PByM7gVAwI3lYXRAYNLDt_Sg
I submit that Protectionism is not only a very good thing, but an essential thing; not only would it produce millions of high-paying jobs, boost the overall economy, and secure our safety, it will help keep our country independent of foreign influences . . . and threats!
The United States must continue – and hasten – the repatriation of crucial industries back to our country. If we fail to do so, we may not survive the next cataclysmic event that comes our way. I urge you to make this matter the subject of the next letter you send to your elected representatives.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
To understand a person’s motives, it is necessary to examine their passions. People are driven by their passions.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Amid the enormous challenge presented by the Wuhan virus pandemic, President Trump has shown the world what a true Manager looks like. He has assembled an extraordinary team – mostly comprised of his appointees, which further proves his skills as a manager – with an incredible number of working parts that are minimizing the effects of the Wuhan virus.
But, predictably, the Democrats have fallen back on their tactics of never letting a crisis go to waste. In doing so, the Democrats have held Americans hostage, with the lives of many thousands hanging in the balance, by insisting on adding earmarks to the CARES Act. To be perfectly fair, the Republicans have, from time to time, also resorted to such tactics, which brings us to the question of the month:
Should Congress pass a “Clean Bill Act” that would require all bills to contain only language, provisions, and funding that is specific to the purpose of the bill, eliminating what are known as “earmarks,” as a means of preventing what is generally known as “pork barrel spending”?
Before you send me your answer, kindly take into consideration non-relevant items that were added into the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), S 3548 and HR 748, and the cost to the American taxpayer that is listed below.
As Demetri Antonis, a reader from Newport, KY observed, “the government is going to increase the national debt by $6000 per person and give every working person $1200 and almost no one bats an eye.” It is amazing that the ire of so many citizens – liberal and conservative alike – can be quelled for such a paltry sum.
Elaine Thomson, a reader from Durant, OK did the research on identifying the earmarks originally included in HR 748. As Elaine posted:
“I’m just curious is, everyone OK with the FAKE relief bill? It’s OUR MONEY! This bill was to give relief to American citizens . . . they give us pennies $1200. They are passing out money to illegal invaders to the tune of $300 million dollars. The Federal Reserve is reported to get 4 TRILLION of OUR MONEY. Other countries are getting OUR MONEY while they give us pennies – $25 MILLION for cleaning supplies (money laundering?) $435 Million for mental health, $10 MILLION for migrant farm workers. Do we need to continue to pay their wages, too?
“A relief Bill? It’s BS!
“Here are a FEW of Nancy demands and many went into the final bill. I’m telling you all now we have been played by both parties. NO ONE Republican [in the House of Representatives] refused to sign this Bill, they said they AGREED to a bill and they all signed it. Nancy’s stunt was a set up so it would look like Republicans had no choice but to sign. THEY HAD A CHOICE they give us enough money to SURVIVE one month! They are ALL crooks both sides of the aisle:
- $100,000,000 to NASA, because, who knows why
- $20,000,000,000 to the USPS, because why not
- $300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts
- $300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities because no one even knew that was a thing
- $15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training for when the GI Bill isn’t enough
- $435,000,000 for mental health support – that’s a lot of suicide hotlines!
- $30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund because that will keep bureaucrats employed
- $200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program
- $300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting NPR should be bought by the Dems
- $500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries. Who knows how we are going to use it?
- $720,000,000 to Social Security Admin but taxpayers will only get $200,000,000. The rest is for admin costs.
- $25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building. I kid you not, t’s on page 136.
- $7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries
- $35,000,000 to the JFK Center for performing Arts
- $25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives
- $3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA
- $315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs
- $95,000,000 for the Agency of International Development
- $300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance
- $300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance pg. 147
- $90,000,000 for the Peace Corp pg. 148
- $13,000,000 to Howard University pg. 121
- $9,000,000 Misc. Senate Expenses pg. 134
- $100,000,000 to Essential (?) Air Carriers pg. 162. This is of note because the Airlines are going to need billions in loans to keep them afloat. $100,000,000 is chump change.
- $40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families Act. This sounds like it’s direct payments for workers pg. 164
- $1,000,000,000 Airlines Recycle and Save Program pg. 163
- $25,000,000 to the FAA for administrative costs pg. 165
- $492,000,000 to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) pg. 167
- $526,000,000 Grants to Amtrak to remain available if needed through 2021 pg. 168. (What are the odds that doesn’t go unused?)
Hidden on page 174 the Secretary has 7 days to allocate the funds & notify Congress
- $25,000,000,000 for Transit Infrastructure pg. 169
- $3,000,000 Maritime Administration pg. 172
- $5,000,000 Salaries and Expensive Office of the Inspector General pg. 172
- No voter ID to get a ballot, & anonymous “ballot harvesting” pg. 650
- $2,500,000 Public and Indian Housing pg. 175
- $5,000,000 Community Planning and Development pg. 175
- $2,500,000 Office of Housing
- $1,500,000,000 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Office of Public and Indian Housing. 1,000,000,000 of which can be used as “additional administrative and other expenses” pg. 176
- $720,000,000 to the public housing fund pg. 177
- $100,000,000 for Community Block Grants for Native Americans pg. 183
- $250,000,000 for Housing Block Grants for Tribes pg. 182
- $130,000,000 for AIDS Housing pg. 185
- $20,000,000 of which goes to one time grantees whatever the hell that means pg. 186
- $15,000,000,000 for the Community Development Fund pg. 188
- Only $10,000,000 of which is set aside for infrastructure for fighting infectious disease pg. 191
- $5,000,000,000 in Homeless Assistance pg. 193
- $100,000,000,000 for Rental Assistance – pg. 198
- An additional $7,000,000 to enforce the Fair Housing Act – 203
- Paid Family Leave for Sickness is 2 paid work weeks pg. 213
- Emergency Family Leave Act now applies to all employers not just companies over 500 employees pg. 208 It guarantees paid leave to employees who have an in-law who gets sick pg. 209, it opens up leave for someone you are in a “committed relationship with” pg. 212
- $1,000,000,000 for more Obamaphones!
This shows me that they don’t really think this is a big deal. Business as usual. Use a crisis to rob us blind.
- $227,000,000 for grants to States for youth activities pg. 80
- $261,000,000 for grants to States for dislocated worker employment and training activities, including supportive services and needs-related payments; pg. 80, this includes $10,000,000 for Migrant and Seasonal
Farmworker programs. - $100,000,000 for Job Corps
- $15,000,000 for Program Administration
- $6,500,000, to the Wage and Hour Division
- $30,000,000, to OSHA
- $10,000,000 for Susan Harwood training grants
- $1,300,000,000, for Primary Health Care
- $75,000,000, for Student Aid Administration
- $9,500,000,000, for Higher Education”
[We are deeply indebted to Elaine Thomson for her excellent analysis of the original version of HR 748. – Editor]
Some of the lesser earmarks in the House version of the CARES Act included:
- Audits of election results
- Corporate diversity requirements
- Collective bargaining for Federal workers
- Expansion of wind/solar credits
- Publication of corporate pay statistics by race and race statistics for all corporate boards
- Cancellation of all current debts incurred by the US Postal Service
- Required early voting
- Required same-day voter registration
- Provisions on official time for union collective bargaining
- Full offset of airline emissions by 2025
- Publication and reporting of greenhouse gas statistics for individual flights
- Retirement plans for community newspaper employees
- Federal minimum wage of $15 per hour
- Permanent paid leave for certain employees
- Funding for a study to evaluate climate change mitigation efforts
I have not had an opportunity to determine whether these items were included in the final version that President Trump signed into law but I must assume they were.
Nonetheless, the House version of the CARES Act was passed and forwarded to the Senate. The Republicans were able to remove much of what Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues had superfluously added to HR 748 but the following items were left in the bill:
- $25M – Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, operations and maintenance
- $7.5M – Smithsonian
- $1.45B – additional defense working capital funds
- $275M – Federal Buildings fund
- $200M – for program management, $100M which must be spent on surveys and certifications programs
- $200M – Federal Communications Commission—salaries and expenses
- $75M – National Endowment for Humanities
- $75M – National Endowment for Arts
- $80M – FDA salary and expenses
- $13M – To Howard University
- $7M Gallaudet College
- $50M – Earmarked for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership
- $10M – Earmarked for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovations (Manufacturing USA).
Are all these spending items necessary to fight the Wuhan virus?
Finally, there’s this little pork cutlet, >$11,000,000,000 to fund a “relief package” for “international development.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/coronavirus-relief-package-contains-over-11-billion-international-development?fbclid=IwAR0uPmlgm6jCDZQgAPDUeViUgjvTBqg7p7HZYnIRvm6fHSDHTcRe_2Zql0M
That Mitch McConnell expressed his outrage on the Senate floor over Schumer’s welching on the agreement they’d made and that much might have been predictable. What wasn’t predictable was when the extraordinarily mild mannered and unflappable Susan Collins stood to speak. She called the Democrats tactics for what they are – “disgraceful.”
https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/23/susan-collins-unloads-senate-democrats-blocking-coronavirus-deal/
In lieu of a “Clean Bill Act” Congress has, from time to time, considered giving the President “Line Item Veto” power, which would allow the President to strike out any parts of a bill found to be “unnecessary.” While the Line Item Veto could reduce some irresponsible spending, it might also be used as a “political hammer” against the President’s enemies.
[Please email your responses to: pyrope84045@mypacks.net THANKS! – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Of the many ways the Wuhan virus caught the U.S. flatfooted is the lack of N-95 face masks that protect healthcare workers from becoming infected. It seems that after the Swine Flu epidemic of 2009, Mr. 0bama never saw fit to approve funding for the replacement of some 9 million masks that were in the Federal government inventory.
COMMENTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
Elected Representatives from all States and all levels of government are encouraged to share their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and announcements by emailing them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net . Your constituents want to hear from you! – Editor
[Following is a response to an email I sent to Dr. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th District) expressing my concerns with HR 5383 New Way Forward Act (Garcia, D-IL, 28 pages). For more information see the LEGILATIVE REPORT, in the April issue of The Rhea County Republican. – Editor]
Dear Mr. Bancroft,
Thank you for contacting me. It is good to hear from you and I’m pleased to respond.
Through my discussions with fellow Tennesseans, it is clear that fixing our broken immigration system is of the utmost important to constituents like yourself. I will continue to answer your requests by working with my House colleagues to strengthen our border first, enforce the Rule of Law, support a system that ensures our employers can verify temporary working status, and ensure humane policies. The system must reward immigrants who enter our country legally and punish those who do not.
As you may know, H.R. 5383, the New Way Forward Act, would upend the process for enforcing the immigration laws of the United States. Opponents of this legislation argue that it removes important protections for the safety of the American public, and ties the hands of the professional law enforcement officials who are on the job every day to protect law-abiding Tennesseans from dangerous criminal aliens.
H.R. 5383 has been referred to the House Committee on Judiciary for further review. You can be sure I will keep your views in mind as I monitor the progress of this legislation. I appreciate the opportunity to work for you in Congress. Please visit www.desjarlais.house.gov and feel free to contact me in the future with any concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Scott DesJarlais
Member of Congress
[On determining that HR 5383, the “New Way Forward Act,” would be passed in the House, I wrote letters to U.S. Senators Alexander (R-TN) and Blackburn (R-TN) urging that they vote against it. Following are the responses I received from Senators Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander.]
March 2, 2020
Dear Mr. Bancroft,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the New Way Forward Act (H.R.5383). I always appreciate hearing from Tennesseans.
In December 2019, Representative Jesus Garcia (D-IL) introduced H.R.5383. This bill would make several changes to weaken immigration enforcement, such as ending mandatory detention requirements for certain aliens, preventing state and local police from assisting federal immigration enforcement, and repealing criminal penalties for illegal entry or reentry. In addition, this legislation imposes limits on removal proceedings and permits illegal aliens convicted of certain crimes to stay in the United States.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments. I have serious concerns that H.R.5383 would severely undermine border security and the ability of law enforcement to protect our communities. H.R.5383 was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary in the House of Representatives. As a member of the Senate, you may be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation pass the House and come before the Senate.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. If you would like regular updates on my work for Tennessee, please sign up for my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Sincerely.
Marsha Blackburn
United States Senator
March 12, 2020
Dear Kris,
Thanks for getting in touch with me and letting me know what is on your mind regarding the New Way Forward Act. I appreciate your interest in this issue.
One of the best parts about our democracy is the ability of its citizens to freely express their opinions to their elected representatives, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me. Our government functions best when our citizens are engaged and informed.
Our immigration system is broken, and it is the constitutional responsibility of Congress and the president to fix it. Members of Congress must agree on a bipartisan proposal that not only secures our borders but also fixes our immigration system without abandoning all immigration enforcement. I stand by the president on border security and believe that Congress must continue to work with the president to secure the border.
I appreciate learning your thoughts about the New Way Forward Act. I will keep your comments in my mind as these issues are discussed and debated in Washington.
Sincerely,
Lamar
[Following is a letter I wrote to Senators Alexander and Blackburn, to express my concerns with Senator Lindsey Graham’s “EARN IT Act.” (See Legislative Report, below. – Editor]
Dear Senator _________:
I am writing regarding my concerns with S 3398, Senator Graham’s “EARN IT Act.”
Sec. 3 (b) informs us that the “purpose of the Commission is to develop recommended best practices that providers of interactive computer services may choose to implement to prevent, reduce, and respond to the online sexual exploitation of children, including the enticement, grooming, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse of children and the proliferation of online child sexual abuse material.”
As we have unfortunately learned from our experience with the Patriot Act, any incursion into the 4th Amendment could conceivably be used for other than proper purposes, and it probably will be in this case unless specific measures are added.
Therefore, I hope you will withdraw your support of this bill unless Section 3 (c) is added which would prescribe that any Member of the Commission who is found to have used the authority under this bill, and any individual who may compel a Member of the Commission to use their authority, for ANY purpose other than what is stated in the bill shall be deemed guilty of violating a citizen’s rights under the 4th Amendment and the minimum punishment for having done so shall be not less than ten years in prison without the possibility of parole and a fine of not less than $100,000 per count, and the monies gathered in fines shall be paid to the individual whose 4th Amendment rights had been violated.
Thank you. I look forward to receiving your response.
Sincerely,
Kris Bancroft
[Following is the response I received from Senator Blackburn, wherein I expressed my concerns about S. 3398, The EARN IT Act. As of press time I have not received a letter from Senator Alexander. – Editor]
March 19, 2020
Dear Mr. Bancroft,
Thank you for contacting me regarding S.3398, the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (EARN IT) Act. I always appreciate hearing from Tennesseans.
In March 2020, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the EARN IT Act. This bill would reform liability protections for internet companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and would establish a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention to recommend best practices related to identifying and reporting online child sexual exploitation.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments. The EARN IT Act was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation receive consideration by the full committee this year.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. If you would like regular updates on my work for Tennessee, please sign up for my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Marsha Blackburn
United States Senator
COMMENTS FROM READERS
Readers are encouraged to submit their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and announcements from their city, county, state, and country. Please share your ideas, thoughts, opinions, and announcements by emailing them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net . Your fellow Conservatives want to hear from you! – Editor
Justin Owens, President of The Beacon Center of Tennessee, has been a stalwart defender of Tennessee taxpayers and a leader in making our voices heard in Nashville. His most recent efforts have focused on protecting property owners from being repeatedly gouged by their local governments who continue to hike the taxes on their homes to cover their ridiculous spending boondoggles. Justin recently sent me the following email:
“We are thrilled that there is so much public support to create accountability around property taxes. Unfortunately, there was not enough time this session for some technical concerns about our bill to be addressed. We feel confident that this bill will pass next year with the support of the 91% of Tennesseans who want a say in large property tax hikes.
“In order to achieve property tax reform, we need an even bigger army of supporters to stand with us. Please forward this email to five people and ask them to sign the petition.”
Following is a link to the petition. I hope you’ll sign it and forward it to others, and I hope you’ll sign up for emails from The Beacon Center of Tennessee, TODAY!
https://www.beacontn.org/have-a-say-in-property-tax-increases/
Dr. John Droz Jr. a Physicist and reader from North Carolina provided this commentary for our consideration:
The leadership of Russia and China (both basically Communist countries), believe that the United States is a serious threat to them in at least six (6) major ways: 1 – our cohesive unity of purpose, 2 – our Judeo-Christian values, 3 – our democratic ideology, 4 – our technical prowess, 5 – our economic power, and 6 – our military might. In response, their plan is to undermine each of these — and the more the better. Their effort is not a simple six-step sequential series, but rather a multi-pronged campaign. Some current issues (e.g. immigration) actually span several of the above items. What’s very disconcerting is that the Communists have strong allies within our country — e.g. socialists, etc. who are effectively unwitting pawns of Communist ideology. Briefly, here is some of what the Russians and Chinese each appear to be doing (independently) about each of these six perceived threats:
1 – Our Cohesive Unity of Purpose: Even though our country was founded on protecting the rights of individuals, one of the main reasons the US has been successful, is that our diverse citizenry has worked together in tackling societal challenges. Our adversaries would like to separate us into various factions, so that we spend our time, energy and initiative on fighting with each other, instead of focusing our efforts on our real enemies (Communists). For example, it is in our opponents’ interest to have our legislative system bogged down from within: so they actively support obstructionism. As a case in point, the more time our politicians spend on investigating specious conspiracies, the less they will be paying attention to the real Russian and Chinese collusion going on. “United we stand, divided we fall” is more true than ever. Pay attention to those who are really sowing discontent and divisiveness (e.g. the media), as they are acting as anti-American agents.
2 – Our Judeo-Christian Values: From its inception, the United States has been firmly rooted on Judeo-Christian values. Well aware of this underpinning and its societal significance, our atheistic adversaries have been chipping away at this foundation. Today we have the lowest percentage of citizens attending church/synagogue in our history. As a substitute, a new secular theology is being promoted: environmentalism. For many this has literally become their new religion. Due to this (and other) reasons, the critically important family unit has been severely degraded. There is evidence that this decline in Judeo-Christian values leads to more gun violence, more drug use, etc. (BTW, the Communists are directly connected to the opioid/fentanyl epidemic.) This is death by a thousand stings.
3 – Our Democratic Ideology: The segment of our population most vulnerable to Communist propaganda is our children. As such, our sworn enemies have focused on seeing that our education system has gradually turned to producing sheeple (due to such pernicious efforts as rampant grade inflation, history revisionism, false equality standards). The resulting end-product is inculcated adults (citizens) with limited critical-thinking skills, who rarely have the capability of evaluating concepts beyond soundbites. Instead they have been indoctrinated with a Socialistic/Communistic entitlement mentality.
4 – Our Technical Prowess: Our Communist enemies have chosen three strategies here: a) wholesale stealing of our ideas and inventions, b) eroding our education system, and c) undermining our confidence in Science. The first has received a fair amount of press, and the second was just outlined (see #3). The Science aspect has hardly been mentioned, and it includes such efforts as corrupting the peer-review system, and encouraging scientists to abandon their professional obligations (e.g. of objectivity) by becoming overt advocates of political (often anti-American) agendas. Since almost every aspect of our lives is connected with Science (think climate change, and such platitudes as sustainability) the dire consequences to our society here are breathtakingly scary.
5 – Our Economic Power: It’s not apparent to most people, but the bedrock of our entire economic system is the electric grid. (The US electric grid has been called the top engineering marvel of our society in the last 100 years!) The grid has been successful as it has carefully integrated several electricity sources that are reliable, low-cost and plentiful. The Communist plan to subtly upset this applecart is to flood the grid with unreliable, much higher-cost sources of electricity. Wind energy is a Trojan horse designed to undermine our economy.
6 – Our Military Might: Russian and Chinese communists believe that if most of the prior items succeed, the military might issue will take care of itself. But just to make sure they are: a) building up their forces, and b) hindering our military where possible. A good example of the second tactic is that they are likely behind wind energy facilities being purposefully located near sensitive US military bases — so that their missions are undermined and their operational readiness is diminished. This has happened to an alarming extent. Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. We need to step back and not only see the disconcerting direction these key items are taking, but to also see that there appears to be a coordinated purpose behind these seemingly unrelated matters. Please see two superior short videos (here and here) that cover most of this ground. Where do we start here? How about the once honorable journalism profession making a commitment to be objective reporters of facts, not promoters of undeclared agendas?
Rocky Silverman, a reader from Seattle, WA remarked on an article appearing in The Times of Israel reporting that, among Jewish voters, Bernie Sanders would defeat President Trump by a margin of 65-30%.
First off, I believe these polls. Liberal Jewish Americans are just dumb, but that is an oversimplification of this phenomena. Liberal Jews have always placed their allegiance to Democrats. They are born and bred on the Democrat plantation, very similar to black Americans. It is not surprising that they hate the President so much they will ignore the antisemitism of the Democrat Party, and especially the secular Jewish character of Bernie Sanders, who would without a blink of the eye, throw them all into a shoah.
Many Jews also cling to their socialism orientation. They self-identify as Progressives, meaning socialists. They are quite content to align with Bernie and other left-leaning Democrats. If it was up to liberal Jews, Trump would be history; they hate him.
There is no lack of social causes that bother them about the President. The President is no a globalist. He values the individual, the family, this nation, and is a religious Christian. The President doesn’t believe the claims that climate change will destroy the world (especially in in eleven years), and the government needs to regulate and tax for it. All these issue and more are odious to liberal Jews.
I am betting they prefer Mike Bloomberg over Mr. Sanders. In the scheme of things, it just doesn’t matter. The President will be re-elected and Liberal leftist Jews will no doubt be disappointed.
Harrison Lapahie, a reader from Ship Rock, NM offered the following:
China has said that the U.S. Army had brought over the COVID-19 to Wuhan, and also that the COVID-19 is a biochemical weapon brought over by the U.S.A. to China. China has also said that U.S. President Trump brought over the COVID-19.
(Communist) China does not want to take responsibility that they caused it, and hid the problem for the first 2 months when the coronavirus started in China in December 2019. Information has leaked out from China that their Chinese doctors have been silenced or put in isolation concerning of what they know of the coronavirus.
America is dependent on medical drugs which comes from China. The majority of U.S. pharmaceuticals originates from (Communist) China. That needs to change! America should not depend on China for medical drugs. America should make it!
Clark Owen, a reader from Melbourne, IA offered the following:
Do you remember all those world-enders from the past and how they turned out? Here’s something to refresh your memory
2000 – Y2K is going to destroy EVERYTHING!
2001 – Anthrax is going to kill us all!
2002 – West Nile Virus is going to kill us all!
2003 – SARS is going to kill us all!
2005 – Bird Flu is going to kill us all!
2006 – Ecoli is going to kill us all!
2008 – The Financial Collapse is going to kill us all!
2009 – The Swine Flu is going to kill us all!
2012 – The Mayan Calendar says the world is going to end!
2013 – North Korea is going to start WW III!
2015 – ISIS is going to kill us all!
2016 – The Zika virus is going to kill us all!
2020 – The Corona Virus is going to kill us all!
The truth is, FEAR is what’s killing us. Turn off the TV, pray and trust God, and wash your hands.
RANDOM THOUGHTS – You know you’re in an alternate universe when . . .
On 3 March, the Supreme Court ruled that state governments may prosecute illegal aliens for identity theft crimes, including illegal aliens who use false Social Security numbers to unlawfully gain employment.
In a predicable 5-4 decision, a majority of justices on the nation’s highest court ruled that there is nothing in federal immigration law that forbids state prosecutors from going after undocumented aliens who used false or stolen identification.
The case revolved around interpretation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which makes it a federal crime to lie on employment authorization forms.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
The Legislative Report provides some of the more remarkable bills that have been introduced in Congress. Its purpose is to provide the reader with information about pending legislation that may prompt the reader to contact their representatives to express their views. The reader is encouraged to keep informed about all legislation so they may be aware of bills that effect our lives. Decide today that you will make your voice heard. If you remain silent, your representatives will never know your thoughts! – Editor
TENNESSEE –
HB 2727 (Sexton, R-25th District), SB 2715 (Gardenhire, R-10th District), introduced
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 12 and Title 49, relative to acquisition of goods and services by the state.
This bill would place additional restrictions on the bidding processes used by the State, especially in the way of lowering the amounts for non-competitive bids.
All requests of the procuring agency to procure goods or services through a noncompetitive contract must be contemporaneously filed with the fiscal review committee of the general assembly, comptroller of the treasury, and the chief procurement officer. For purposes of this section “noncompetitive contract” includes any procurement arrangement, including, but not limited to, a grant.
Ultimately, this bill will ensure more oversight in the way tax dollars are spent.
Governor Bill Lee announced that he is proposing legislation that would make Tennessee a “Constitutional Carry” state.
Governor Lee offered the following comments: “The 2nd Amendment is clear and concise and secures the freedom of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. I am pleased to announce Constitutional Carry legislation today that will protect the 2nd Amendment rights of Tennesseans, while also stiffening penalties on criminals who steal or illegally possess firearms. I appreciate Lt. Governor McNally and Speaker Sexton for helping to lead the way on this important issue.”
Governor Bill Lee has released Executive Order 14. This Executive Order temporarily relaxes criterion and standards on housing that serves those who may be quarantined while awaiting COVID 19 test results and for facilities that temporarily serve those who are being treated for COVID 19. Transportation restrictions (weight, height, lengths, and width) are temporarily relaxed for those commercial vehicles that transport equipment and personnel necessary to test for and treat COVID 19 patients.
Senate J. Res. 723 State Senator Ken Yager (R-Kingston), asking the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and other Federal entities to aggressively address the Asian Carp invasion on Tennessee waterways.
WASHINGTON DC –
S 3275 Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (Graham, R-SC, 24 pages).
This bill would protect fetuses from abortion in pregnancies more advanced than 24 weeks.
Last Action: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 – 44. Record Vote Number: 57.
Explanation: This bill is provisionally dead due to a failed vote for cloture on February 25, 2020. Cloture is required to move past a Senate filibuster or the threat of a filibuster and takes a 3/5ths vote. In practice, most bills must pass cloture to move forward in the Senate.
HR 5756 Resiliency Enhancement Act of 2020 (Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, 2 pages).
This bill expands the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to include provisions for restoring critical services (e.g. sewers, water lines, gas lines, etc.) following natural disasters that impact areas covered under the Office of Insular Affairs. Unfortunately, the bill does not prescribe means for more effective management of monies sent in the form of aid to U.S. Territories.
HR 5932 Ensuring Chinese Debt Transparency Act of 2020 (Hill, R-AR, 3 pages).
This bill would ensure greater transparency about the terms and conditions of financing provided by China to member states of the international financial institutions.
It requires the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Director at each international financial institution (as defined in section 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act) that it is the policy of the United States to use the voice and vote of the United States at the respective institution to seek to secure greater transparency with respect to the terms and conditions of financing provided by the Government of China to any member state of the respective institution that is a recipient of financing from the institution, consistent with the rules and principles of the Paris Club.
This bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
+HR 5931 Improving FHA Support for Small Dollar Mortgages Act of 2020 (Clay,
D-MO, 4 pages).
This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to report on barriers to making Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family mortgage insurance available for mortgages under $70,000. Specifically, HUD must report on policies, practices, and products used by the FHA and actions that will be taken to remove such barriers.
This bill passed in the House of Representatives on voice vote and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
If signed into law, this bill will make the path easier for first-time and low-income families to purchase a home.
HR 4351 Yes in My Backyard Act (Heck, D-WA, 6 pages).
This bill requires certain Community Development Block Grant program recipients to submit to the Department of Housing and Community Development information regarding their implementation of certain land-use policies (e.g., policies for reducing minimum lot size).
To understand the ramifications of this bill one must visualize the way houses are crowded together in many major cities. The small lots prevent horticulture that would beautify a home’s surroundings but there is more to consider.
Ultimately, the purpose of this bill is to enable the “walkability” of cities but it also sows the seeds of urban blight.
This bill passed in the House of Representatives along party lines and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
HR 6074 Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 (Lowey, D-NY, 12 pages).
This bill makes emergency supplemental appropriations – a total of ~$8 billion – for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.
This vote was taken under a House procedure called “suspension of the rules” which is typically used to pass non-controversial bills. Votes under suspension require a 2/3rds majority, which it received. The bill was then forwarded to the Senate, which also passed the bill under “suspension of the rules,” and was signed by President Trump on the same day.
HR 2486 FUTURE Act (Adams, D-NC, 14 pages).
Also known as the “Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act,” this bill would reauthorize mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities (and other minority-serving institutions). Among other funding provided under this act, an increase of $2.4 billion dollars would be made available to students attending these institutions.
HR 3598 FREED Act (Lamb, D-PA, 5 pages).
Also known as the “Federally Requiring Earned Education-debt Discharge for Vets act, this bill would discharge student loans of certain veterans. The amounts of the loans would be added to the national debt.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government. – James Madison
+ HR 6020 To require an evaluation by the Government Accountability Office of the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture. (Trahan, D-MA, 3 pages).
Baseball is rightfully known as “The American Pastime,” and most everyone enjoys a summer day at the ball field BUT, considering all the tasks that the Government Accounting Office has on its plate – tasks that would let the American taxpayer know where, when, and how their tax dollars are being used (or misused), it seems rather unimportant that GAO employees should have to drop what they’re doing to create a report on how minor league baseball has played a potentially important role in American culture. This seems like a project better suited to, perhaps, Sports Illustrated.
The bill passed by voice vote under a suspension of the rules!
+HR 6172 USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020 (Nadler, D-NY, 52 pages).
This bill would amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to prohibit the production of certain business records, and for other purposes.
That Adam Schiff (D-CA) is a cosponsor of this bill should tell the reader everything they might want to know. However, the bill has passed in the House, oddly enough with bipartisan support. Only members of the Freedom Caucus voted against it!
The bill potentially shreds a citizen’s rights under the 4th Amendment, and the language seems fashioned in a manner that it could facilitate forcing certain citizens, e.g. President Trump, to make available any and all personal records, with or without cause!
This bill has passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration. The Freedom Caucus unilaterally voted against passage (60 Republican Nays); ironically, 75 Democrats and 1 independent also voted against the bill.
+S 3191 Industries of the Future Act (Wicker, R-MS, 7 pages).
This bill increases the capacity of research and development programs of the Federal government that focus on industries of the future. Its intent is to keep the United States on the leading edge of technological advancement, which enables our country to maintain its status as a “producer nation” and keeps our country independent from the whims of other countries.
+S3332 No CORRUPTION Act (Rosen, D-NV, 3 pages).
This bill would amend Title 5, US Code, to provide for the halt in pension payments for Members of Congress sentenced for certain offenses, and for other purposes.
HR 1162 Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act (Napolitano, D-CA, 3 pages).
This bill is a companion bill to HR 3723 and, as written, would establish a Federal grant program to fund a water recycling project in the state of California to enable draught prevention that has harmed their agriculture industry over the past few years. It is critical to note that much of California’s water shortages have been the result of previous mismanagement by the State government and, as a result of this mismanagement, Congresswoman Napolitano is seeking help from the Federal government to ameliorate her state’s poor choices.
HR 3723 Desalination Development Act (Levin, D-CA, 10 pages).
This bill is a companion bill to HR 2262 and seeks Federal funding for the State of California to pay for desalination projects in that state. There is no indication in either of the bills that California intends to improve their natural water management strategies and techniques. NOTE: See also HR 4891 Western Water Security Act of 2019.
HR 5602 Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020 (Schneider, D-IL, 24 pages).
This bill authorizes dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity and require the Federal Government to take steps to prevent domestic terrorism.
This bill would significantly weaken individual rights under the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Amendments.
The veracity of statements and conclusions in this bill alone should disqualify it from being passed. However, the thrust of this bill is to change the definition of what is a “Hate Crime” to be further defined as being guilty of domestic terrorism.
S 3398 EARN IT Act of 2020 (Graham, R-SC, 36 pages).
The formal title of this bill is Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2020.
The stated purpose of this bill is to establish a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention. The specifics are elucidated in Section 3 –
(b) Purpose.—The purpose of the Commission is to develop recommended best practices that providers of interactive computer services may choose to implement to prevent, reduce, and respond to the online sexual exploitation of children, including the enticement, grooming, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse of children and the proliferation of online child sexual abuse material.
While it is true that any incursion into the 4th Amendment could conceivably be used for other than proper purposes, at this time the Federal government does not have the ability to read every email or text message that might be passing through the ether net.
That being the case, algorithms would be used if this bill were enacted.
Might those algorithms be changed in the future? Certainly. But, for now, we must ask a crucial question: What is an acceptable number of children we can permit to become sex slaves? Once that number is determined, we must make a decision: To what limits are we willing to go to protect children from becoming sex slaves?
Finally, what limitations might you place on this legislation to ensure its authority isn’t expanded? Perhaps the best way forward is to add specific, prominent, and succinct language as Paragraph “(c)” in Section 3.
HR 748 Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019 (Courtney, D-CT, 6 pages). The Senate version of this bill, S 684, was introduced by Heinrich (D-NM). The House version had 396 cosponsors!
You can tell it’s an election year, (some of) the Democrats are beginning to act like conservatives. (For that matter, some of the Republicans are starting to act like conservatives, too!)
After only ten years, the Democrats have finally figured out that Mr. 0bama’s “Cadillac Tax” on those who “liked their health insurance” and wanted to keep it was a form of extortion.
+
HR 3572 & S 2226 The Redistricting Reform Act (Lofgren, D-CA and Klobuchar (D-MN, respectively).
The purpose of this bill would prevent redrawing congressional districts for political purposes, e.g. to ensure that a candidate from a certain party or of a given race is elected.
If enacted, this bill would require all 50 states to adopt “independent” redistricting commissions. Specifically, the commissions would be comprised of 15 persons: five from the majority political party, five from the minority political party, and the remaining five would either have declared themselves “unaffiliated,” or affiliated with a third minority party.
The bill would also require that any redistricting plan the commission wants to enact must earn support from at least one member from each of those three groups. (Preventing a plan supported solely by the Republican and Libertarian parties but with zero Democratic support, for example.)
In the event that the redistricting commission still isn’t able to enact a plan by deadline, the legislation stipulates that redistricting would then go to a panel of three judges. It is unclear as to whether there are requirements on the political affiliations of those three judges.
While I am adamantly against gerrymandering and think there should be some means of preventing it (e.g. requiring all districts to have 6 or fewer boundaries and that those boundaries must have at least two corners at 90 degrees, I look at this bill and ask myself: What could possibly go wrong?
+
S 3548 and HR 748 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act. (McConnell, R-KY, >1,000 pages, and Courtney, D-CT, 1119 pages, respectively.)
This bill addresses economic impacts of, and otherwise responds to, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The bill authorizes emergency loans to distressed businesses, including air carriers, and suspends certain aviation excise taxes, and provides: relief tax relief and grants to both large corporations and small businesses; allocates funding for healthcare; allocates funding for schools, and funds numerous “pet projects” of the more influential Members of the House of Representatives and Senators.
With respect to small businesses, the bill:
- establishes, and provides funding for, forgivable bridge loans; and
- provides additional funding for grants and technical assistance.
The bill also provides funding for $1,200 tax rebates to individuals, with additional $500 payments per qualifying child. The rebate begins phasing out when incomes exceed $75,000 (or $150,000 for joint filers).
The bill establishes limits on requirements for employers to provide paid leave.
With respect to taxes, the bill:
- establishes special rules for certain tax-favored withdrawals from retirement plans;
- delays due dates for employer payroll taxes and estimated tax payments for corporations, and;
- revises other provisions, including those related to losses, charitable deductions, and business interest.
With respect to health care, the bill:
- provides additional funding for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19;
- limits liability for volunteer health care professionals;
- prioritizes Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of certain drugs;
- allows emergency use of certain diagnostic tests that are not approved by the FDA;
- expands health-insurance coverage for diagnostic testing and requires coverage for preventative services and vaccines;
- revises other provisions, including those regarding the medical supply chain, the national stockpile, the health care workforce, the Healthy Start program, telehealth services, nutrition services, Medicare, and Medicaid.
With respect to education, the bill:
- temporarily suspends payments for federal student loans; and
- otherwise revises provisions related to campus-based aid, supplemental educational-opportunity grants, federal work-study, subsidized loans, Pell grants, and foreign institutions.
The bill also authorizes the Department of the Treasury to temporarily guarantee money-market funds, which is a major gift to the mega banks.
According to Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), some of Nancy Pelosi’s pork projects were taken out but not all. See the feature Question of the Month (above) for a listing of some of the “pork” the Democrats AND Republicans signed on to.
The initial price tag is stated to be $2,200,000,000,000. Divided among all 300,000,000 citizens, we are each on the hook for $6,000 but, hey, we’re going to get a $1,200 check, someday, maybe.
In other words, we have to cough up $4,800 to get that $1,200 check.
This bill passed in the Senate, but changes were made and so it has been sent back to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The House accepted the changes and passed the bill. It was then taken by courier to the White House, where President Trump signed it into law.
There are two crucial items relative to the CARES Act to consider at this point:
- The cost will ultimately cost the taxpayers northward of $6,200,000,000,000 before it’s all said and done, that will run the national debt up to about $30,000,000,000,000.
- The bill was passed by Voice Vote, therefore; NO Member of the House or Senator is on the record for having voted for it!
Just over the horizon . . .
HR 2214 NO BAN Act (Chu, D-CA) National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants
RANDOM THOUGHTS
It is a patriot’s duty to protect his country from its government. – Thomas Paine
LAGNIAPPE
Douglas Gibbs, a constitutional scholar if one ever existed, wrote a paper entitled “Twenty-five Myths about the Constitution of the United States. In this segment, he addressed the “General Welfare” clause enables the Federal government to take any action it deems necessary.
The politicians in Washington often argue that the General Welfare Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives the federal government a free pass to do pretty much anything they want. They especially think this to be true when it comes to entitlement programs (after all, isn’t the word welfare in the clause?), or public works policies.
In James Madison’s explanation of his veto of a public works bill in 1817, it is apparent that one of the arguments Congress used in their desire to use federal funding for roads and boatways is that these shovel-ready projects were needed for the general welfare of the nation. They argued the projects would create jobs, provide a roadway and boatway system better suited for commerce and the transport of military equipment and personnel, and better enable the citizens to freely travel. To the Congress of 1817, the general welfare of the nation was obviously the right encouragement they needed to make sure such projects happened.
Madison disagreed. The President agreed that improving transportation was indeed a good idea, but argued that not only did the federal government not have the authority for such an undertaking, but that their definition of the General Welfare Clause was not in line with the original intent of that clause.
In Federalist 41, James Madison explains that the General Welfare was specifically of the Republic, linked to raising revenue and providing for the common defense, and only applies to authorities granted to the federal government by the Constitution. In other words, the General Welfare does not grant powers to the federal government, but was a term meant to be an explanation as to why the federal government must have the power to tax, pay debts, and provide for the common defense. . . for the purpose of the General Welfare of the Republic.
If it was meant that the General Welfare Clause was to give the federal government the power to provide, say, entitlements to individuals, then would it not have instead said “Individual Welfare,” or “Specific Welfare?”
The Founding Fathers never intended for the federal government to replace charity. Charity is a voluntary decision, the government transfer of wealth through taxation and entitlement programs is not. Government entitlement programs are by force, and are used as a tool for re-election.
The term “General Welfare” was used in the Articles of Confederation as well. The Articles of Confederation was a weak document that gave the federal government little power. In that document, General Welfare was meant to be a restraint. The term was meant to be used to benefit “generally” all Americans, not pick and choose by criteria created by the government who got to receive a gift from the treasury.
Favoring some citizens over others, as entitlement programs tend to do, generates a dangerous power play that enables elected leaders to trade promised money from the treasury for votes, as the politicians do with entitlement program participants. The politicians literally buy their way into power by promising to give people money from the richer taxpayers.
The Constitution mentions General Welfare because the federal government was to be expected to promote the General Welfare, not provide it.
The politicians in Washington often argue that the General Welfare Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives the federal government a free pass to do pretty much anything they want. They especially think this to be true when it comes to entitlement programs (after all, isn’t the word welfare in the clause?), or public works policies. But, to fully understand what the framers had in mind, we have to go back a very long way! James Madison vetoed a public works project back around 1817(?), that was a proposal to build roads and shipping canals. One of the arguments Congress used to secure federal funding for roads and canals is that these projects were needed for the general welfare of the nation. They argued the projects would create jobs, provide a roads and canal systems (essential to interstate trade and commerce) and facilitate the rapid deployment of military equipment and personnel, and better enable the citizens to freely travel. The viewpoint of Congress back then, the general welfare of the nation was obviously the right encouragement they needed to make sure such projects happened. However, Madison didn’t see it that way. While he agreed that improving transportation was indeed a good idea, he argued that not only did the federal government not have the authority for such an undertaking, but that their definition of the General Welfare Clause was not in line with the original intent of that clause.
Going back to Federalist 41, James Madison explained that the General Welfare was specifically of the Republic, linked to raising revenue and providing for the common defense, and only applies to authorities granted to the federal government by the Constitution. In other words, the General Welfare does not grant powers to the federal government, but was a term meant to be an explanation as to why the federal government must have the power to tax, pay debts, and provide for the common defense. . . for the purpose of the General Welfare of the Republic.
Where the socialists get it wrong on “promoting the general welfare” is the terms the Founding Fathers used to describe their intentions. If the General Welfare Clause was to give the federal government the power to provide, say, entitlements to individuals, then wouldn’t they have written “promote the Individual Welfare,” or “Specific Welfare?”
Taking their words at face value, the Founding Fathers never intended for the federal government to replace charity. Charity is a voluntary decision, the government transfer of wealth through taxation and entitlement programs is not. Government entitlement programs are by force, and are used as a tool for re-election.
The term “General Welfare” was used in the Articles of Confederation as well. The Articles of Confederation was a weak document that gave the federal government little power. In that document, General Welfare was meant to be a restraint. The term was meant to be used to benefit “generally” all Americans, not pick and choose by criteria created by the government who got to receive a gift from the treasury.
Favoring some citizens over others, as entitlement programs tend to do, generates a dangerous power play that enables elected leaders to trade promised money from the treasury for votes, as the politicians do with entitlement program participants. The politicians literally buy their way into power by promising to give people money from the richer taxpayers.
The Constitution mentions General Welfare because the federal government was to be expected to promote the General Welfare, not provide it.
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
President Donald Trump
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington D.C. 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 |
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 40 – Suite 2 Washington D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 244-4944 Fax: (202) 228-3398 |
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn
357 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3344 Fax: (202) 228-0566 To contact visit website: |
U.S Representative Dr. Scott DesJarlais
2301 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6831 Fax: (202) 226-5172 |
Governor Bill Lee
Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-2001 Fax: (615) 532-9711 |
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
https://www.speaker.gov/contact Link above provides all methods of contact.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact
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State Representative Ron Travis
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-3 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1450
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State Senator Ken Yager
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-19 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1449 Fax: (615) 253-0237 |