Politically Direct
The new Congress began with something quite extraordinary, a reading of the U.S. Constitution.
One of the new rules imposed by the new GOP leaders is also quite extraordinary: The author of every bill must submit a “statement citing, as specifically as practicable, the power or powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact” it.
Just how many of our established federal programs or agencies are Constitutional? Continue reading “New Congress: Does it have the Stomach for real Reform?”
In 2010, the U.S. suffered through another 12 months of weak economic activity, record home foreclosures, high unemployment and financial uncertainty. Nevertheless, there were many seminal events that fell into the following categories.
The Good:
The November election gave Republicans a “do-over.” They will take back control of the House of Representatives in the 112 Congress. The new leaders have pledged to end earmarks, to cut runaway federal spending and bring the country back in line with the Constitution.
The Defeat of the $1.1 trillion Omnibus Spending Bill: This bill bypassed the normal budget process. It was loaded with pork and new projects that would have been difficult to cut or eliminate and it would have provided funding for some of the most onerous provisions of the unpopular health care law that the new Congress will try to eliminate.
The Defeat of the (bad) Dream Act: Another back-door amnesty bill.
The Bad:
Wall Street Reform: Imposed $19 billion in new taxes and fees on banks (which consumers will end up paying) and failed to address Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (a major cause of the housing meltdown).
The Food Safety Bill: It grows the government, increase food prices and drive small producers out of business without making our food any safer.
The extension of unemployment benefits: Why the rush to pass another 13 months of unemployment benefits with no work or job training requirements? While many people have had trouble finding work and need extra help, extending unemployment benefits in this manner will discourage many from taking “less than the perfect” jobs because they can now afford to wait. Also, many people, who can and would have retired, will be living on the public dole for three years now . . . because they can.
The Ugly:
ObamaCare: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a misnomer. Reliable studies show that this unpopular bill will drive up the costs and reduce the quality of our health care. The bill failed to address the primary reasons for our spiraling health care costs. It burdens providers and insurers with regulations that reduce consumer choice and eventually will drive everyone into a one-size fits all government program.
The recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to run Medicare and Medicaid: This man is enamored with the British health care system. He has made it clear that rationing is one of the ways that he will control costs.
The confirmation of Elena Kagan as a Supreme Court Justice: In her confirmation hearing, Kagan gave us proof that she believes the Constitution is nothing more than Silly Putty that can be twisted or bent into any shape desired by “progressive” justices. She believes even wrongly decided Supreme Court decisions trump the original intent of our founders. She pledged her support for the unconstitutional welfare state that has taken us the brink of financial collapse and refused to endorse the concept of “natural law” or “inalienable rights” contained in our charter, the Declaration of Independence. Nevertheless, the Senate confirmed her and she will be around to pervert our laws for the balance of her life.
The elimination of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: In passing the bill that allows homosexuals to serve openly in the military, the outgoing lame duck Congress overruled the objections of the majority of our service chiefs and put an additional burden on our military during a time of war. This was a cheap political payoff to the Democrats’ radical base. It puts our military and our country at risk.
The Extraordinary:
The tea-party movement motivated average citizens to rise up and take back the government. As a result, in the historic 2010 election, 58 incumbents were defeated and many more entrenched congressmen and senators chose to retire rather than face sure defeat at the hands of an angry electorate.
New Year’s Resolution:
While the results of the November election and the promises made by the incoming House Republican leaders and some of their Senate colleagues are encouraging, don’t be lulled into political inactivity. Clearly some lawmakers are committed to smaller, more efficient government. However, the majority will go along only if we hold their feet to the fire. Join a local tea-party group. Sign up to support one or more of the watchdog organizations like the National Taxpayers Union and Citizens Against Government Waste. Read and act on their e-mail alerts.
Bear in mind. Some lawmakers remain openly defiant when it comes to cutting the government down to size. They need to be defeated in their next election. Now is the time to begin looking for worthy challengers to support. The future of this country depends on it.
It’s that time of year. Every child knows that Santa is watching his or her every move. He’s making a list and checking it twice. He’s going to find out who has been naughty or nice.
This year, there is a new kind of Santa in every city and town across America. These Santas are not watching the children. These Santas are watching our lawmakers in Washington. They remember the unwanted present (Obamacare) that arrived last Christmas Eve and they are determined to do whatever it takes to return it. Continue reading “Angry Santas”
Everyone has a plan to cut the government down to size, reduce the deficit — and harder, much harder — eliminate the national debt. Here’s mine. It’s simple, short and sweet.
Pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and hand it off to the states for ratification. Anyone who fails to vote for this amendment is a moron and has no business serving in Congress. These people must be booted out of office, no ifs ands or buts. Individuals and families must live within their means and balance their budgets. Many states operate under balanced budget amendments. The necessary cuts must be made at the federal level until a balanced budget is reached. It’s the very least a citizen should expect of his or her elected representatives. Continue reading “Cutting the Federal Government down to Size”
If you are going to clean out a refrigerator, you start with the part that smells. In Washington, it’s pork, not in the frig, but on Capitol Hill. This pork, otherwise known as an “earmark,” is a project that is slipped into a bill by a lawmaker that circumvents the merit-based or competitive process and serves a narrow or special interest.
An infamous one that shows up almost every year is “wood utilization research.” We’re spending $4,841,000 on new ways to use wood (trees) this year. Has anyone heard of paper bags? I’ll give it to you for free and you can save taxpayers $4.8 million. That’s a perfectly good use for wood. However, many cities now are trying to ban paper bags in order to save trees! The irony of it all!
These projects add up. Citizens Against Government Waste has documented 109,952 of them worth $307.8 billion since 1991. Continue reading “What’s that smell coming from D.C.?”
Republicans have gained control of the House of Representatives. They now have the ability to cut the federal budget down to size and put us on the road to fiscal stability. This is their stated goal.
It doesn’t matter what kind of budget President Obama turns in. In doesn’t matter what the Senate does. Not a dime can be spent unless it is approved by the House of Representatives.
All the Republican-led House of Representatives has to do to control federal spending is put its collective foot down.
Bottom line: There can be no deficit spending next year, unless House Republican’s cave. Continue reading “Republicans, Can We Trust Them?”
Last week, comedian Stephen Colbert’s testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration was roundly criticized by the media and politicians of all political stripes as a joke. However, as it turned out, the joke was on Congress itself.
Colbert, a faux right-wing Republican commentator, was brought in by Chairman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) to ridicule her GOP colleagues and offer a little “star-power” to the Democrats’ effort to pass an amnesty bill and get more desperate, illiterate Mexican workers into the country, legally. These workers, who cannot speak English, then would be dependent on the left-wing Spanish language media that, come election time, can be expected to herd them into voting booths to, surprise, surprise, elect more Democrats. Continue reading “It’s Official: Congress is a Joke”
Our country is in big trouble. In June, the federal deficit, the amount of our annual overspending, topped the $1 trillion mark for the second straight year. We are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and, at the urging of the Obama Administration, Congress continues to spend, spend, spend.
When Obama took over, the national debt was $10.6 trillion. Now it’s over $13 trillion. By the end of next year it will be closer to $16 trillion.
We have reached the danger zone, and while most American’s are concerned, they cannot begin to understand the depth of the hole we have dug for ourselves.
Continue reading “America the Banrupt”
He won the Republican nomination for President. He hasn’t had a primary challenger for his Senate seat in two decades. He’s 10 to 12 points ahead in most polls. He’s a fat-cat senator sitting on a pile of dough (his own and that of those who benefit from his votes). So, why is John McCain running scarred?
The defeats of five-term Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, three-term Senator Robert Bennett in Utah, and fourteen-term Rep. Alan Mollohan in their party’s primaries.
Continue reading “McCain running Scared”
Congress has been so busy trying to ram a bill masquerading as health care reform down our throats that it hasn’t had time to take care of its primary responsibility, the federal budget.
The new fiscal year began on October first and, to date, the nation’s lawmakers have passed only one of the 12 appropriations bills that make up the federal budget. Continue reading “Outrage over Planet Washington”
Jane Chastain 