National Blog - page 76
This Week in Congress: E-Verify, Spending, and Opioids
The big event this week is the vote on an immigration “reform” bill containing the mandatory E-Verify National ID scheme. As of right now, the vote is expected on Thursday. Call your U.S. Representative at (202)-225-3121 and tell them to vote [...]
This Week in Congress: NDAA Update
Yesterday, the motion to move to final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the Senate by a vote of 81-15. This means that Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) will not be able to offer their amendments [...]
This Week in Congress Part Two: NDAA, Farm Bill, and Opioids
This Week in Congress Part Two: NDAA, Farm Bill, and Opioids The U.S. Senate continues work on the NDAA. The big question remains if Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee will be able to offer amendments forbidding the government from indefinitely [...]
Trump/Kim Meeting Shows Value of Policy Over Politics
When President Reagan met with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland, on October 11, 1987, it helped put into motion events that would dramatically change the global system. A line of communication was fully opened with an enemy of decades and [...]
This Week in Congress Update: Rescissions and NDAA
Today, the House will vote on H.R. 3, legislation implementing President Trump’s proposed rescissions. Rescissions are where Congress reduces spending by adopting the President’s request for taking back unspent money from federal agencies and [...]
Why Can't We Sue the TSA For Assault?
When I was in Congress and had to regularly fly between DC and Texas, I was routinely subjected to invasive “pat-downs” (physical assaults) by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). One time, exasperated with the constant insults [...]
You Get What You Paid For: Lobbyists Edition
Yesterday, the Senate defeated a motion that would table Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act prohibiting the indefinite detention of American citizens. This clears the way for a roll-call vote on the [...]
This Week in Congress: NDAA and Opioids
The big news in the Senate this week is consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Yesterday, cloture was invoked by a vote of 92-4. That vote is here. Since cloture was invoked it is possible that Senator Lindsey Graham [...]
This Week in Congress Wrap-up
Yesterday, after a special conference meeting on immigration, House Speaker Paul Ryan announced House leadership would begin drafting compromise legislation that would address both the concerns of “moderates” who want permanent legal status [...]
Classic Ron Paul: End the Raid on Social Security
Social Security will have to draw from its reserve funds for the first time since 1982 to pay for benefits. The Government will also have to draw from the Medicare trust fund. According to the Social Security trustees, the Social Security trust [...]