RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE
Vol. 3 – No. 3
May 2019
REPORT ON THE REAGAN DAY DINNER – APRIL 13, 2019
The Reagan Day Dinner for 2019 was held at the Rhea County High School Auditorium.
Tennessee Speaker of the House, Glen Casada, was our keynote speaker, who provided updates on events at the Capital which have fostered enormous economic growth and opportunities for all Tennesseans.
Congressman Scott DesJarlais honored us with his presence and spoke about the current status of his activities, his work in helping to rebuild our military that was greatly depleted during the 0bama regime, advancing President Trump’s agenda, and the challenges in dealing with the single-minded Democrats whose only focus is to “get Trump,” and creating divisiveness.
We were also joined by State Representative Ron Travis, Rhea County Executive George Thacker, Dayton City Mayor Gary Louallen, and several City and County Commissioners.
LeBron Purser once again lent is skills serving as our emcee.
The Rhea County High School ROTC presented the colors and Isabella Urani performed our National Anthem. (The Rhea County High School ROTC also sat up the tables for the event and they did an excellent job! We are truly grateful for their diligent work on our behalf.)
As always, it was a treat for Mayor Thacker to provide some musical entertainment to help kick off the festivities. His toe-tapping rendition of “Rocky Top” was enjoyed by all.
Evelyn Hawkins catered the dinner and several volunteers provided desserts. No one left hungry.
Ticket sales eclipsed last year’s numbers with some 295 tickets being sold. The Rhea County Republican Party wishes to thank everyone who purchased a ticket for this, our only fund-raiser of the year. THANK YOU to everyone who joined us and thanks to everyone who gave of their time and talent to make this happen.
MAY MEETING OF THE RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
The May 2019 meeting of the Rhea County Republican Party will be held on May 2nd, at 7:00PM, at the Sheriff’s Training Center, 711 Eagle Drive, Evensville, TN. We look forward to seeing you there! (Bring a friend.)
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
A government report issued earlier this month informs us that Social Security will be bankrupt in 2035 and that Medicare will go broke in 2028. What will you tell your representatives about what you think should be done to shore up Social Security and Medicare? Please share your thoughts with other readers by emailing them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net . Thank you.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Quote from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “They Had To Amend the Constitution to make sure FDR Didn’t Get Re-Elected.” Does this illustrate a need to improve the way US History and Civics are taught in public schools?
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain. – Dr. Merrily Salyer, Washington, DC.
COMMENTS FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVES
[Representatives from all states are invited to share their comments with our readers. Please email them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net Thank you! – Editor]
State Representative Bruce Griffey (R, Dist. 75), offers the following:
I was proud to stand with Andy Holt today and co-sponsor House Bill 1274, which would require the Attorney General to defend any local education agency or local education employees such as local school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, etc. against any lawsuit arising out of the adoption of any policy requiring students, faculty, and staff utilize the restroom, locker room, or other facility that corresponds to that individual’s biological sex. I, for one, do not want my 14 or 16 year old daughters having to undress in the locker room or the use the restroom in the company of anyone who is biologically a teenage boy or man even if he identifies as a woman! After extended and lively debate this afternoon, this bill fortunately passed out of the House Judiciary Committee!
Representative Mark Green (R-TN, 7th District), offers the following:
“103,000 migrants were apprehended at the border this month, nearly twice as much as the same time last year. CBP is reporting they’ve caught people from over 50 countries — including Egypt, Bangladesh and China.
“A top official at CBP says: ‘We’ve arrived at the breaking point.’
“When will the rest of Congress listen and take our hardworking border experts seriously? As the president has said, we can very easily close the legal loopholes that attract the endless caravans! Congress must fix the Flores settlement and our asylum laws as well as provide more funding so we can build the wall faster. This has to stop.
“I applaud the president’s leadership on this issue.”
Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th District), offers the following statement after Attorney General William Barr released Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel report to the public:
“This investigation has been a political one from the start, which makes it all the more remarkable that a team of mostly Hillary Clinton supporters could produce no evidence for her claim that Donald Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. There was no obstruction. The truth about the President’s victory is that he and Republicans have a positive vision for our country’s future. Tennesseans want a growing economy, national security, and justice. We want to know more about the Clinton Campaign’s and the Obama Administration’s abuse of intelligence agencies to harm a political opponent. I’m working to make sure it never happens again.”
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
[Readers from all countries and states are invited to share their comments, ideas, and opinions. Please email your comments to pyrope84045@mypacks.net – Editor]
Betsy Gorisch, a reader from Knox County, TN writes:
“The entire student loan debacle has been a scam for years–arguably for decades. Even if it did not begin as one, it became one very quickly. The colleges and universities are the ones who have benefitted from it more than anyone else–except arguably the government, which now has legions of effectively indentured servants at its disposal as a result.
“Tuitions began rising back at the beginning of the loan mess, and have since gone through the roof. The quality of the education the schools provide has declined commensurately. Academic-institution administrations have swollen to the point of being abscesses on the body of higher education, and it is all funded by student debts that, as I said, amount to imposing indentured servitude on its borrowers.
“For starters, then, we might want to consider forcing the education institutions who have profited in such magnitude to subsidize some of the burden of many students and graduates who now have, thanks to those very institutions, virtually unmarketable skills. I understand the anger people harbor towards people such as Elizabeth Warren. But the fact is that she is at least mentioning a very real problem–and of course, while she does not mention this herself, it is a problem of which she is a part.
“A great many people are outraged about Warren’s student-loan idea. But here’s the thing: We are not looking at a bunch of free-loading slackers who want “free-stuff” handouts from the government (i.e., of course, taxpayers). That is not what the student-loan debacle IS.
“A friend of mine has pointed out that the student loan lending racket is virtually all artificial. This condition results from both the federal subsidy and the fact that student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. No one pays any attention to rational economics in this mess. All the incentives are against doing so—and they are incentives that the government has created. It is a transfer of wealth from the young students (who, being in their late teens and early 20s, neither have any real-world understanding of the situation’s economics nor are able to guarantee their own future incomes as being sufficient to repay) to the university administrators and their cohorts and, ultimately, to the government. Again, it is a form of indentured servitude, and it is destroying young people’s lives before they have a chance to gain any rational understanding of what they are being suckered into.
“There is nothing ordinary about student loans. They comprise enslavement that is marketed as temporary and affordable. From the beginning, their marketing has been a snake-oil sale—because hey, who could be against helping young people improve their own futures?”
Gerald McAllister, a reader from DeFuniak Springs, FL writes:
“President Trump campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. He got elected partly because of this promise. I thought for sure Congress would help him make good on his promise because the Republicans finally had majorities in the House and Senate, but for two years they failed to move the ball across the goal line. I think this was the main reason why the Republicans lost their majority in the House.
“I don’t know about the rest of your readers but I was very sad when I saw the Republicans failing to support him and I spent a while trying to figure it all out. Then, just the other day, I read an article in Forbes Magazine (by Michela Tindera) that helped me understand what was going on behind the scenes.
“According to the article, the drug companies have contributed great amounts of money (bribes) to politicians over the years and that money has bought a lot of favors from those people who are supposed to be looking out for our best interests. Those “contributions” have caused our politicians to pick the winners and losers and to turn their heads when drug prices skyrocket.
“I guess they think we’re pretty dumb (because we keep electing them), but we’re smart enough to know that when a drug made to treat hepatitis costs over $1000 dollars in the USA sells for $4.00 in India, something is very wrong.” [Mr. McAllister is apparently speaking about “Sovaldi,” which is manufactured by Gilead Sciences, and mentioned in this article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-drug-price-sofosbuvir-sovaldi-india-us-20160104-story.html – Editor.]
“It’s no wonder that insurance costs have gone up so much over the years because our insurance shells out the money for these drugs and they’re in business to make a profit, too!
“I wish I could tell you it’s only the Democrats who are getting rich off the drug companies but it’s not. From the article I read, drug companies like AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, and Sanofi have contributed $1.6 million to 27 out of 28 current members of the Senate Finance Committee. The six Senators who have received the most money from these drug companies are Mike Crapo, Rob Portman, Johnny Isakson, Tim Scott, and Tom Carper.
“So long as the money keeps flowing to the politicians in Washington DC, I don’t think we’re ever going to see real healthcare reform. Here’s a link to the article if you want to read it.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2019/02/26/these-senators-received-the-biggest-checks-from-pharma-companies-testifying-drug-pricing-abbvie-sanofi-merck-pfizer/
Diane Bederman, a reader from Toronto, Canada, author and producer of The Bederman Blog and a book worthy of your reading “Back to the Ethic,” that was featured as Book of the Month in a previous edition of The Rhea County Republican offers the following:
“Remember the blacklist of the McCarthy era? You couldn’t get a job in Hollywood if you had a whiff of communism around you.
“Let me take you back to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 during the committee’s investigation of Communist influences in the motion picture industry. People like James Dalton Trumbo, along with the other members of the Hollywood Ten and hundreds of other industry professionals, were subsequently blacklisted by that industry.
“Artists were barred from work on the basis of their membership, alleged membership in, or sympathy with the Communist Party USA, or their refusal to assist investigations into the party’s activities. Even during the period of its strictest enforcement, from the late 1940s through to the late 1950s, the blacklist was rarely made explicit or verifiable, but it directly damaged the careers of scores of individuals working in the film industry.
“And the media helped to make their lives miserable. In those days it was Hedda Hopper, with 35 million followers in print and on radio. That was a big following and she was the guru of the time. If she didn’t like you: bye bye.
“And she had no love of Communists or Communism.
“In competition with older columnist Louella Parsons, celebrity gossip was a must-read. Bob Hope said: ‘Their columns were the first thing we looked at every morning to see what was going on.’
“With one scathing sentence, Hopper gleefully ruined careers and marriages with a clear conscience. She smeared public and private life with politics and celebrity.
Hopper called herself ‘the bitch of the world.’
“It was said she earned $200,000 a year, as well as accepting luxurious gifts from the studios.
“The McCarthy years are looked back upon as a dark era in American history. So many lives ruined in a “witch hunt.”
“Think of the movies not made, the stories not shared, the voices silenced.
“Sound familiar? It should. Same thing is happening, today. Politicians and professors to media; working together to attack people on the right. From MSNBC, CNN, CBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Toronto Star, the Guardian. The 21st century edition of Hedda Hopper-but far worse in scope because of social media like Facebook and Twitter which promote left wing ideology all over the world.
“They have helped to silence people like Jordan Peterson, Tommy Robinson, Lauren Southern, Candace Owens, Diamond and Silk, Ben Shapiro, Milos Yiannopoulos, Jamie Glazov, Robert Spencer and Judge Jeanine. This is modern day black listing-for the crime of being Conservative.
Add ‘deboosting” to the censoring and more Conservative voices are held back, in the shadows.
“Today, if you are not a left-wing liberal you will not get work in Hollywood, again. You can’t be a professor in the Progressive universities. You probably can’t get work in main stream media. You certainly won’t have much of a life on campus.
“The silencing of diverse voices reaches such a level that The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order protecting speech on campus. Frightening that this is necessary.”
Lisa Schiffren, a reader from Bronx, New York offers the following:
“I almost feel sorry for my liberal acquaintances, who never read conservative sources, and may, legitimately, just be finding out that their hero, President Obama, had his underling run a coup. Well, an attempted coup. It failed because Admiral Mike Rogers spilled the beans about what Comey, McCabe, Strozk, Brennan, Loretta Lynch, Samantha Powers, Susan Rice — the whole gang, were doing, and that Trump Tower was wiretapped, right after the election. Trump has known this since November, 2016. The rest of us have known it since sometime in early 2017.
“We hope you find the story interesting. We hope you are patriotic enough to understand that your team committed sedition, and be revolted. But no, we do not expect any of that. We expect you to keep on whining about Trump’s manners, and playing at being some kind of noble ‘resistance.’ Because ‘Orange Man Bad.’
“And if you were to wonder why they attempted to destroy a duly elected president, it is simple: Any president would shortly come to know the full extent of Obama’s abuse of office in service of Iran and his other pet projects, as well as his corruption of our nation’s intelligence services, under Brennan and Clapper; and Hillary’s total corruption, including taking scads of money from, yes, ‘the Russians.’”
RANDOM THOUGHTS
If the border had been secured when our government first realized we had an illegal alien problem we wouldn’t have to “Press 1 for English” now.
EDITORIAL
Time passes swiftly; the 2020 election will be here before we know it. All our representatives in the House will be up for election or reelection and we will also have to decide whom we shall support in the Senate. We the People have work to do!
Now is the time when we must evaluate, and then decide, whether we will work to support our current legislators, or work toward replacing them.
In the 4th District of Tennessee, we are fortunate to have Scott DesJarlais, one of the most conservative representatives in the House working for us, but Tennesseans will have to decide whom we wish to replace our Senior Senator, Lamar Alexander.
Many of the Tennesseans I’ve heard from have expressed their preference for Mark Green (US Congressman from the 7th District) to step into Alexander’s seat in the Senate, but he is yet to announce his candidacy, so those folks will need to have other candidates in mind should he decline the opportunity to run for the Senate.
And so it goes with everyone reading this. What then should we be looking for? Who is the ideal candidate? Perhaps it serves us well to define our ideal candidate.
The conservatives I’ve heard from seem to be looking for a candidate who would adhere to our Constitution, has respect for the rule of law, and is a staunch supporter of free market capitalism – all those things that have served to Make America Great.
But, how do we know who’s who?
It takes work! We have to gather information by way of research into the candidates’ past and compare what they’ve said and done with what they’re saying and doing today. One way to do this is by reading anything and everything they’ve published. It also means taking time to attend town hall meetings and other functions they attend and asking them direct questions while refusing to accept anything less than direct answers.
Some notes on attending town hall meetings: When you go to a town hall meeting ask questions of the candidate(s). Make your questions germane (i.e., you wouldn’t ask a mayoral candidate about how they’re going to decrease the national debt), and make your questions both concise and direct. Be sure to stand when you ask your question and remain standing until you get a meaningful and direct answer. Sometimes, candidates are prone to shifting the narrative away from your question. If that happens, respond with “Yes, but what about [your question].” If you still don’t get a meaningful answer, ask your question again . . . and again, until the question is answered.
Many readers in “Blue” states and districts aren’t as fortunate as those of us who reside in “Red” zones. Your choice(s) may not embody all the qualities you may be hoping for but you will nonetheless have to make a decision at some point because, generally speaking, the worst conservative is better than the best liberal. Here’s where it pays to have those conversations with other conservatives and sign up to serve on the team that gets behind the best of all possible candidates.
Regardless of where we live, we can certainly locate our local our county, regional, or state Republican Party and attend their meeting. There is information to be gleaned from doing so, and information is what we all must have to make solid and informed decisions.
Electing as many conservatives as possible to every open seat in government is the goal. Without powerful conservative majorities at all levels of government it becomes challenging to advance the Conservative Cause, and that my friends is what it’s really all about!
So that other readers may become better equipped to win the struggle for a conservative government, I would like to solicit your comments so I can share them with other readers. Please let us know what works, what doesn’t work, and what you’ve learned – your comments are priceless! Pyrope84045@mypacks.net
ON THE HOME FRONT
RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bitsy Gryder – Chairman Gary Drinkard – Vice Chairman
Laura Travis – Secretary Larry Pendergrass – Treasurer
Linda Pendergrass – Vice Treasurer
MINUTES FROM THE APRIL MEETING
The April meeting of the Rhea County Republican Party was held on April 4th. The meeting was called to order by Bitsy Gryder at 7:00 p.m.
Kris Bancroft led us in prayer. Joe Gryder led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Old Business:
Laura Travis read the January minutes. The minutes were approved as read, motion by Joe Gryder, seconded by Jim Murphy. Motion carried.
Laura Travis read the February minutes. The minutes were approved as read, motion by Joe Gryder, seconded by Donna Taylor. Motion carried.
Laura reported that all of our requirements to the state GOP have been completed regarding the reorganization. Thank-you was given to Marvin Keener and Gary Drinkard for their assistance in our reorganization meeting held in February.
Larry Pendergrass read the treasurer’s report. The report was approved as read, motion by Donna Taylor, seconded by Joe Gryder. Motion carried.
Larry Pendergrass also reported that he has paid expenses without knowing what they were for. Requested in the future that he be notified in advance to expect a bill.
Jim Murphy read the PAC report. The report was approved as read, motion by Joe Gryder, seconded by Tom Taylor. Motion carried.
Announcements:
Bitsy Gryder asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to bring refreshments to the meetings. It was agreed that if anyone chooses to do so they are welcome.
Guests were recognized: Tim and JoDeen Downey, guests of Kris Bancroft.
Brock Harris informed us that former President George W. Bush is the guest speaker at the Athens Chamber of Commerce banquet on June 22, 2019. You can find information and tickets on their website. Tickets are believed to be $55 each.
Kris Bancroft provided the Legislative Report.
Joe Gryder updated on the Reagan Day plans. The programs were in draft getting ready to print. Points discussed were: ROTC; George Thacker to play harmonica; Evelyn Hawkins catering; Head table guests identified; Donna Taylor decorating; Mary Drinkard desserts; Randy Ellis is our auctioneer; Marvin Keener is getting live auction items, and ; menu (steak, lasagna, salad, green beans).
Laura Travis updated on the ticket sales. Up to about 190 Laura updated that the Republican of the Year is underway.
New Business:
Bitsy Gryder asked if we were interested in participating in the Strawberry Festival. It was decided for us NOT to sponsor in the event. Motion by Donna Taylor, seconded by Joe Gryder, motion carried.
A discussion was held regarding updating our current party by-laws. It was decided for us to submit them to the state GOP as is to meet the deadline of April 15. Noted they could be amended at any time. Motion by Gary Drinkard, seconded by Joe Gryder. Motion carried.
A committee was formed to review the current by-laws and update them as necessary. The timeline was to have comments ready at the June meeting, and submit them to the state GOP in July. The committee members are: Gary Drinkard, Tom Taylor, Ted Engel, and Laura Travis.
Closing:
Bitsy Gryder gave the joke of the month. Joe Gryder moved to adjourn.
UNEMPLOYMENT IN RHEA COUNTY REMAINS HIGH
The unemployment figures across Tennessee’s 95 counties were released last month. Things are not looking good. At 5.6%, Rhea County continues to have among the highest unemployment in the state, followed closely by Hancock and Lake Counties at 5.8% and 5.9%, respectively. To put these figures in their proper context, unemployment in 80 of Tennessee’s 95 counties is less than 5%. Unemployment in Williamson County is lowest at only 2.2% and the figures for Davidson and Rutherford counties are at 2.2% and 2.3%, respectively. There is some hope for Rhea County, however, as we expect to see 400 new jobs at the new Nokian Tyres plant that is scheduled to open soon.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking. Theodore Rubin
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
The purpose of the legislative report is to inform the reader about legislation that is currently under consideration which may have significant impact on our lives. Readers are encouraged to analyze each bill’s content and become cognizant of what our representatives are proposing and (hopefully) become engaged in the process of offering their opinions – in support of or against – such legislation. They won’t know what you think unless you tell them! – Editor
In Tennessee
HB 0947 / S 0803 Provides a new investment in school safety to better protect teachers and students through school resource officers and other safety measures. The House Bill is now headed to Calendar & Rules Committee. (Lamberth & Johnson) As introduced, requires, instead of authorizes, the Tennessee school safety center to establish school safety grants to assist LEAs in funding programs that address school safety; establishes requirements for school safety grant applications and eligibility; requires the Tennessee school safety center to reserve funds for, and give priority in awarding school safety grants to, LEAs with schools that did not have a full-time school resource officer during the 2018-2019 school year. – Amends TCA Section 49-1-1004 and Section 49-6-4302.
HB 949 Known as the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) Act. (Lamberth) This bill expands vocational and technical training opportunities for our students. The measure now heads to the Finance, Ways, & Means Committee for a vote.
HB 952 AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-202; Title 49, Chapter 11; Section 49-3-201; Section 49-3-302 and Section 49-3-318, relative to education. (Lamberth) This bill increases Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities for Tennessee students so they are better prepared to meet the demands of 21st Century Workforce.
HB 753
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, relative to telehealth. (Smith)
This bill seeks to improve healthcare access in rural Tennessee communities through the use of Telemedicine.
HB 1239 AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12 and Title 50, relative to employment expands E-verify in Tennessee has passed. Following is a link to the text: https://legiscan.com/TN/text/HB1239/2019
In Washington DC
HR 1681 The Ballot Fairness Act of 2019 (Amash, R-MI, text not available), To require States to impose the same ballot access rules on all candidates in a general congressional election held in the State without regard to whether or not the candidates are nominees of a political party, and to require States to use a ballot for a general congressional election that requires a specific vote for a candidate for the office involved.
The Ballot Fairness Act makes two major changes to congressional elections in an aim to incentivize third-party votes, or at least allow more potential for them.
First, the bill would require all congressional candidates from any party to meet the same requirements in order to be listed on a ballot. Currently, many states automatically include the Democrat and Republican candidates for a congressional seat, but any third-party challenger has to meet certain additional requirements such as accumulating a certain number of signatures.
Second, the bill would eliminate straight-ticket voting, in which marking a single box at the top of either the “Democratic” or “Republican” column casts all your votes for the same party in every election held that day. The idea is that removing this option would encourage more people to vote for different parties for different races, or perhaps even third-parties.
Congress has the constitutional ability to regulate congressional elections, though not any other kind of elections, such as gubernatorial races, for example.
HR 77 Injunctive Authority Clarification Act of 2019 (Biggs, R-AZ, 2 pages). This bill addresses the question of whether a single judge at the lowest level of federal court be able to strike down a law applying to all 327 million Americans.
There are three levels of federal courts, where constitutional challenges to laws, executive orders, and agency regulations are considered. While few dispute the Supreme Court (the highest level) right to strike something down as unconstitutional, the surging practice of judges on district courts (the lowest level) doing the same is proving increasingly controversial.
Left-leaning judges have struck down a number of Trump Administration rules and executive orders, including a ban on travelers coming to America from seven countries, removal of federal money from sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement, and a reinstatement of a ban on transgender service members in the military.
For example, while a San Francisco judge ruled Trump’s sanctuary city policy unconstitutional, they didn’t only prevent it from being enforced in San Francisco, but _every _sanctuary city in America — including some who hadn’t even sued over its legality in the first place.
The practice has gone the other way ideologically, too. Conservative judges at the district court level struck down Obama-era rules from the Education Department about bathrooms for transgender students and from the Labor Department expanding overtime pay.
The Injunctive Authority Clarification Act would prevent any district court judge from issuing a nationwide injunction and striking down a law across the whole country. Only a circuit court or the Supreme Court would be able to do so.
Supporters argue that concentration of power in the hands of a single judge also promotes gamesmanship by plaintiffs. When they know that the first judge to hear a case might have the final word on an issue, plaintiffs steer cases to specific circuits, specific districts and even specific judges in the hopes of finding a receptive audience. Indeed, Trump wasn’t wrong when he accused his critics of ‘judge shopping’ for nationwide injunctions.”
Opponents counter that nationwide injunctions are often necessary, as the best means to effectively address a nationwide issue in that sometimes such injunctions are essential to avoid injury to the thousands of people affected by government action who cannot quickly file suit themselves. An example cited by the opponents was the travel ban litigation. In some cases, they say, anything short of a nationwide injunction is simply impractical. When a district court is asked to pass on the validity of an agency rule with nationwide effects — such as one affecting the air or water — it would be extremely difficult to enjoin application of the rule to some plaintiffs but not others.”
S 771 A Bill to Amend Section 21 of the Small Business Act to Require Cyber Certification for Small Business Development Center Counsellors, and for other purposes. (Rubio, R-FL, 4 pages). This bill provides training in cyber security tactics for small businesses whose computer systems may be hacked. S 771 (Rubio, R-FL, 1 page), requires small business owners to prepare a report to the Small Business Administration, showing they have complied with the requirements thereof.
HR 7 The Paycheck Fairness Act (DeLauro, D- CT, 32 pages). To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.
The bill passed in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
HR 1593 CLASS Act of 2019 (Payne, D-NJ, 6 pages). This bill amends Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Title 6, US Code 341 et seq.) to place protection against “terrorist” attacks in public schools under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security, as opposed to permitting each State to develop their own security measures. The bill has passed in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
H Res 271 Condemning the Trump Administration’s Legal Campaign to Take Away American’s Healthcare. (Allred, D-TX, 7 pages). That it is the sense of the House of invalidation of the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and later the invalidation of the entire ACA, are an unacceptable assault on the health care of the American people; and, (2) the Department of Justice should (A) protect individuals with pre-existing conditions, seniors struggling with high prescription drug costs, and the millions of people in the United States who newly gained health insurance coverage since 2014; (B) cease any and all efforts to destroy Americans’ access to affordable health care; and, (C) reverse its position in Texas v. United States, No. 19–10011 (5th Cir.). The resolution passed.
[In other words, Mr. Allred and the Democrats don’t want 0bamacare to be repealed even though it is a dismal failure; their obvious goal of implementing socialized medicine in the United States is unrelenting. – Editor]
S 311 & HR 962 The Born Alive Act of 2019. (Sasse, R-NE & Wagner, R-MO). The bill ensures that babies who survive abortions receive immediate, lifesaving care — just as any other baby would.
Supporters argue that the bill protects children who are already born, even if they’re only mere seconds old — and is thus a completely different issue than abortion rights, which deal with children not yet born.
Opponents counter that this bill, while it sounds well-intentioned, is actually intended as a precursor to repealing Roe v. Wade. They also say the bill is based on a falsehood that the practice of killing fetuses (or letting them die) after surviving an abortion attempt is widespread — or even really existent at all.
[Nancy Pelosi has, thus far, blocked HR 962 from being voted on in the House of Representatives. – Editor]
S Res 50 A resolution improving procedures for the consideration of nominations in the Senate. (Lankford, R-OK) This resolution would shorten the amount of time for debate prior to confirmation votes on presidential nominations. There is currently allotted thirty hours to debate each nomination and, as a result of this amount of time being allotted, there are approximately 1,300 nominees who have yet to be voted on. This causes not only a great deal of inconvenience for each nominee, but it also hinders the progress in those offices and agencies who cannot operate or function without the presence of persons in those key positions.
[This is generally known as the “Nuclear Option,” a procedural strategy originating during the time when Harry Reid (D-NV) was in office. – Editor]
S 151 “TRACED” Act – Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act. (Thune, R-SD, 16 pages) This bill amends Section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 (Title 47 US Code), by imposing financial penalties on those who are found guilty of making systematic and wide-spread unsolicited phone calls. This bill is currently under review in several committees.
S 512 Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2019. (Klobuchar, D-MN, 6 pages) This bill establishes an advisory office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection, for the purpose of advising the Federal Trade Commission on the prevention of fraud targeting senior citizens, and to assist the Commission in the areas of oversight, consumer education, and ways to file complaints.
HR 1585 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019. (Bass, D-CA, 170 pages) This bill makes wide-ranging modifications to the original legislation, primarily in the areas of firearms confiscation; according to the rules that would be imposed on passage of this bill, any individual may make a claim, whether or not substantiated, that they feel in some way “threatened” by another individual and that would be enough to cause law enforcement to confiscate the firearms owned or possessed by the individual against whom the claim has been made. The legislation would also make the process of reclaiming one’s property exhaustively complex – if not impossible. This bill passed in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration. Thirty-three Republicans voted with the Democrats!
[All freedoms are lost incrementally. – Editor]
H Res 281 Providing for the consideration of the bill (HR 1585) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for other purposes. (Scanlon, D-PA, 3 pages) This resolution calls for a suspension of the House rules inasmuch to require: That at any time after adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1585) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116–9 modified by the amendment printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. All points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
[The resolution passed via some serious wrangling in the way of the House of Representative’s version of Harry Reid’s “nuclear option.” – Editor]
HR 1644 Save the Internet Act of 2019. (Doyle, D-PA, 10 pages) This bill would appoint a panel of five unelected bureaucrats who would be in charge of setting prices, sanctioning new investments, and dictating how all Americans use the internet. The Federal Communications Commission – not the free market – would have unprecedented power to control the internet. This sort of centralized control and overregulation would stifle innovation, limit consumer choice, and ultimately put the United States at a global disadvantage.
Rural communities—which already have higher costs and fewer options—would suffer most. Many rural areas are served by smaller Internet Service Providers, who just simply cannot bear the costs of burdensome regulations like the big boys could. So they would be forced to pass along the added expense to consumers, resulting in higher prices for worse service.
Those taxes and fees that are nearly impossible to understand on your phone and cable bills? Those would go up. Democrats want to recategorize the Internet under current law so that your home internet and phone data plan could both be taxed, just like your cable bill.
This bill would not stop content bias and it would not protect users’ data or privacy.
The Republicans plan would keep the internet tax free – permanently – and encourage competition so that broadband can be made available in rural communities. The Republicans approach would crack down on companies that block sites or throttle speeds.
The bill passed in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
HR 1759 BRIDGE for Workers Act. (Murphy, D-FL, 3 pages). To amend title III of the Social Security Act to extend reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all claimants for unemployment compensation, and for other purposes. The bill passed in the House of Representatives and has been forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
[In other words, this bill would enable persons to collect unemployment indefinitely. – Editor]
HR 1704 Championing American Businesses Through Diplomacy Act of 2019. (McCaul, R-TX, 12 pages) This bill would establish in the Department of State an Assistant Secretary of State who shall be responsible for matters pertaining to international economics and business matters in the conduct of foreign policy. With the assistance of other relevant officials and the private sector, this Assistant Secretary shall establish as part of the standard training provided for economic and commercial officers of the Foreign Service, chiefs of mission, and deputy chiefs of mission, training on matters related to economic and commercial diplomacy, with particular attention to market access and other elements of an enabling framework for United States businesses, commercial advocacy, and United States foreign economic policy, in addition to awareness about the support of the United States Government available to United States businesses, including support provided by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Trade and Development Agency, the Department of the Treasury, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
S 383 USE IT Act. (Barrasso, R-WY, 32 pages) A bill to support carbon dioxide utilization and direct air capture research, to facilitate the permitting and development of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration projects and carbon dioxide pipelines, and for other purposes.
This bill would encourage the development of new technologies by requiring the Secretary of the Department of Energy to establish a program to provide financial awards on a competitive basis for direct air capture from media in which the concentration of carbon dioxide is dilute.
HR 1957 Taxpayer First Act of 2019 (Lewis, D-GA, 98 pages) This bill modifies requirements for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding its organizational structure, customer service, enforcement procedures, management of information technology, and use of electronic systems.
The bill includes provisions that:
- establish the IRS Independent Office of Appeals to resolve federal tax controversies without litigation;
- require the IRS to develop a comprehensive customer service strategy;
- continue the IRS Free File Program;
- exempt certain low-income taxpayers from payments required to submit an offer-in-compromise;
- modify tax enforcement procedures that address issues such as the seizure of property, issuing a summons, joint liability, referral for private debt collection, and contacting third parties;
- establish requirements for responding to Taxpayer Advocate Directives;
- permanently authorize the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program;
- modify procedures for whistle-blowers;
- establish requirements for cybersecurity and identify protection;
- prohibit the rehiring of certain IRS employees who were removed for misconduct;
- allow the IRS to require additional taxpayers to file returns electronically; and
- increase the penalty for failing to file a return.
- The bill requires the IRS Commissioner to appoint a Chief Information Officer, modifies the requirements for managing information technology, and authorizes streamlined critical pay authority for certain IRS information technology positions.
- The bill also requires the IRS to implement
- an Internet platform for Form 1099 filings,
- a fully automated program for disclosing taxpayer information for third-party income verification using the Internet, and
- uniform standards and procedures for the acceptance of electronic signatures.
HR 1004 Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act. (Ciciline, D-RI, 3 pages) This bill would prohibit the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities in Venezuela without approval from Congress, or via the War Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.)
[It should be noted at this time, China, Russia, and Iran have landed forces in Venezuela, and both China and Russia have “embassies” in Cuba that are providing various forms of “assistance” to both the Castro and Maduro regimes. The activities by China, Russia, and Iran are either encroachments or direct violation of the Monroe Doctrine. – Editor]
HR 9 Climate Action Now Act. (Castor, D-FL, 10 pages). To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.
[After President Trump’s withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accord – a ruse that compelled the United States to be the major funder to an accord that sapped our nation’s sovereignty and harmed our economy, Representative Castor seeks to force our country back into the trap set by the European Union. – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Truth is the new “hate speech.”
LAGNIAPPE
[The following article on the topic of declaring national emergencies was written by Scott DesJarlais (R-TN 4th District) and appeared in The Federalist. I think you will gain much and enjoy reading it. – Editor]
Since the National Emergencies Act became law in 1976, U.S. presidents have declared more than 50 emergencies. More than 30 are ongoing. In the past, presidents of both parties have used their emergency powers to reallocate funds, reassign government employees, and build infrastructure to protect Americans from terrorist attacks, weapons of mass destruction, and drug cartels. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/funds-available-address-national-emergency-border/?utm_source=2018+House+GOP+Staff+List&utm_campaign=713fb68f52-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_31_08_56_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a8407dc016-713fb68f52-147393985
Our country has been in a continuous state of emergency for nearly four decades, not that Congress ever noticed. Not once has Congress reviewed a single declaration in a timely manner, as the law requires. Not a single time have members, who routinely vote to fund all sorts of unauthorized, constitutionally questionable federal programs, voted to terminate one of these declarations. https://www.lawfareblog.com/emergencies-without-end-primer-federal-states-emergency
Congress originally granted presidents broad authority to declare emergencies undefined in legislation because emergencies are unpredictable by nature. As our Founding Fathers understood, Congress should forever deliberate over a possible military action could leave our country defenseless in the face of immediate danger.
Also, constitutionally speaking, the presidency has inherent power to direct the military, the main purpose of which is to defend U.S territory. If foreign adversaries were to suddenly attack Texas or California, is there any doubt the commander in chief should have the power to act without committee hearings first?
Finally, Congress has never voted to disapprove an emergency declaration, because the most political branch of government prefers to delay or deny its responsibilities and grouse later. After promising again and again to stop illegal immigration, cartel violence, and the drug epidemic, and failing to close any legal loophole or the porous border, members are complaining that Donald Trump is now taking action.
Like millions of Americans across the political spectrum, who elected the outsider to the White House, he took our long-stated positions seriously. The difference is that President Trump, rather than searching for excuses, is finally doing something about our country’s number one national security threat, with little help from establishment Washington.
Sadly, high-paid professionals who make their living in The Swamp see economic opportunity in an endless pool of foreign labor and potential amnesty for illegal aliens, while heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs from Mexico are killings tens of thousands of mostly working- and middle-class Americans every year. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/DIR-032-18%202018%20NDTA%20final%20low%20resolution.pdf
International cartels and other violent gangs, such as MS-13, that control the flow of drugs and human beings into the United States have murdered many more. In Mexico itself, the Sinola Cartel, Los Zetas, and others have probably claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, but the full scope of slaughter across Central and South America is difficult to quantify. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41576.pdf
Despite misleading media coverage, it has become clear that foreign adversaries really are attacking our southern border. China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, to name a few determined enemies, have joined forces to spread their malign influence across the region, threatening our allies and Americans’ safety here at home. The rol e of the Chinese drug manufacturers, supplying Mexican cartels with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid many times more powerful than heroin, and responsible for an increasing number of overdose deaths, is just one example. https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/pa5nbk/how-the-sinaloa-cartel-is-using-chinese-chemicals-to-fuel-americas-opioid-crisis
The communist state’s tolerance for narco-trafficking could be a part of the larger strategy that defense experts have described to the House Armed Services Committee, on which I serve. For instance, China supports the socialist Maduro regime in Venezuela. U.S. prosecutors have indicted its leaders on serious drug trafficking charges. Cuba, also a communist dictatorship, is a Caribbean drug depot, and enforcer for the regime. So are Cuban-funded terrorists organizations FARC and ELN. https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/23/in-venezuelas-toxic-brew-failed-narco-state-meets-iran-backed-terrorism/ and https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-cuba-helped-make-venezuela-a-mafia-state
Russian and Iranian forces, including Iran’s infamous Revolutionary Guard Corps, are assisting Nicholas Maduro’s crackdown on dissent. This wide-reaching network of drug traffickers, human smugglers, terrorists, corrupt governments, and left-wing radicals extends to America’s doorstep. In one notorious plot, Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah hired a cartel hitman to assassinate a foreign ambassador in Washington. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/12/iran-mexico-drug-informant-hitman
The connection between the Islamic Republic and Mexican cartels is even more insidious. A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation revealed that they conspire to traffic drugs and arms, and launder the proceeds to wreak more havoc. Profits from human smuggling, otherwise known as illegal immigration, fill cartel coffers. https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/
Reports that Venezuela and Cuba have helped to organize recent migrant caravans should be reason enough to secure the southern border. That sophisticated cartels aligned with the world’s worst dictators and terrorists have corrupted top levels of the Mexican government should close the case to build more border barriers. Yet, willful ignorance pervades most media coverage, reflecting the liberal open-borders agenda, really a collection of crass commercial and political interests dressed up as a utopian fantasy. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-caravan-to-nowhere-1540250858 and https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/el-chapo-trial-highlights-how-mexico-graft-impedes-drug-war-n966346
With all due respect to a few of my colleagues, Congress has already appropriated substantial funding in previous legislation, permitted its reallocation on frequent occasions, and granted the president authority to do so in case of an emergency like the one we confront at the southern border. The partisan debate over whether a wall will work ended when nearly every congressional Democrat voted to send the president $1.4 billion for construction costs.
All that remains is to finish the job, a foreign concept in Washington. The absence of tanks and artillery along the Rio Grande should comfort no one. Nor should the methodical pace at which our adversaries have advanced in Latin America, nor Congress’ reluctance to act. We have a president, for moments like this that call for decisive action in the interest of national security.
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
B40B 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 |
| State Representative Ron Travis
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-3 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1450 |
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 |
