This is a great article...
By George F. Will
Thursday, December 30, 2010;
Cowlitz County in Washington state is across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., which promotes mass transit and urban density and is a green reproach to the rest of us. Recently, Cowlitz did something that might make Portland wonder whether shrinking its carbon footprint matters. Cowlitz approved construction of a coal export terminal from which millions of tons of U.S. coal could be shipped to Asia annually.
Both Oregon and Washington are curtailing the coal-fired generation of electricity, but the future looks to greens as black as coal. The future looks a lot like the past.
Historian William Rosen (who wrote "The Most Powerful Idea in the World," about the invention of the steam engine) says coal was Europe's answer to the 12th-century "wood crisis," when Christians leveled much forestation to destroy sanctuaries for pagan worship and to open up farmland. Population increase meant more wooden carts, houses and ships, so wood became an expensive way to heat dwellings or cook. By 1230, England had felled so many trees it was importing most of its timber and was turning to coal.
"It was not until the 1600s," Rosen writes, "that English miners found their way down to the level of the water table and started needing a means to get at the coal below it." In time, steam engines were invented to pump out water and lift out coal. The engines were fired by coal.
Today, about half of America's and the world's electricity is generated by coal, the substance that, since it fueled the Industrial Revolution, has been a crucial source of energy. Over the past eight years, it has been the world's fastest-growing source of fuel. The New York Times recently reported (" Booming China Is Buying Up World's Coal," Nov. 22) about China's ravenous appetite for coal, which is one reason coal's price has doubled in five years.
Half of the 6 billion tons of coal burned globally each year is burned in China. A spokesman for the Sierra Club, which in recent years has helped to block construction of 139 proposed coal-fired plants in America, says, "This is undermining everything we've accomplished." America, say environmentalists, is exporting global warming.
Can something really be exported if it supposedly affects the entire planet? Never mind. America has partners in this crime against nature, if such it is. One Australian company proposes to build the Cowlitz facility; another has signed a $60 billion contract to supply Chinese power plants with Australian coal.
The Times says ships - all burning hydrocarbons - hauled about 690 million tons of thermal coal this year, up from 385 million in 2001. China, which imported about 150 million tons this year, was a net exporter of coal until 2009, sending abroad its low-grade coal and importing higher-grade, low-sulfur coal from, for example, the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Because much of China's enormous coal reserves is inland, far from coastal factories, it is sometimes more economical to import American and Australian coal.
Writing in the Atlantic on China's appetite for coal and possible aptitude for using the old fuel in new, cleaner ways, James Fallows quotes a Chinese official saying that the country's transportation system is the only serious limit on how fast power companies increase their use of coal. One reason China is building light-rail systems is to get passenger traffic out of the way of coal trains.
Fallows reports that 15 years from now China expects that 350 million people will be living in cities that do not exist yet. This will require adding to China's electrical system a capacity almost as large as America's current capacity. The United States, China, Russia and India have 40 percent of the world's population and 60 percent of its coal.
A climate scientist told Fallows that stabilizing the carbon-dioxide concentration in the atmosphere would require the world to reduce its emissions to Kenya's level - for America, a 96 percent reduction. Nations with hundreds of millions of people in poverty would, Fallows says, have to "forgo the energy-intensive path toward wealth that the United States has traveled for so many years."
In his new political science treatise (" Don't Vote - It Just Encourages the Bastards"), P.J. O'Rourke says, "There are 1.3 billion people in China, and they all want a Buick." So "go tell 1.3 billion Chinese they can never have a Buick." If the future belongs to electric cars, those in China may run on energy currently stored beneath Wyoming and Montana.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Victory In The House
-- Congress to read the Constitution!
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org
Thursday, December 23, 2010
You did it!
Gun Owners of America asked you to get behind our effort to push Congress to read the Constitution on the floor of the House and Senate.
House Speaker Designate John Boehner announced that the clerk of the House of Representatives will read the Constitution aloud at the start of the new Congress.
"This is a great victory for all Americans who care about limited government, individual liberty and the Constitution," said John Velleco, GOA's Director of Federal Affairs. "Maybe Congress is finally getting the message that the oath they take to support and defend our most important founding document is still relevant in the 21st century. Reading it is a good first step, but now we must get Congress to abide by the real contract with America."
At about 4,400 words, it is one of the shortest written Constitutions in the world and will only take about an hour to read. In contrast, the ObamaCare bill weighs in at around 180,000 words and was never read at all by those voting for its passage.
The overwhelming reponse to GOA's petition, found at www.readtheusconstitution.org, shows that Americans want Congress to follow the Constitution.
"We will enjoy watching Nancy Pelosi's face when the clerk reads the Constitution, since it may be the first time she's ever heard it read. And hopefully the clerk will read it nice and slowly to let the words sink in," said Velleco.
There is no word yet from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid if the Senate will follow the House's lead, so GOA is still urging people to visit the website and sign the petition.
The current oath that all members of Congress take reads:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org
Thursday, December 23, 2010
You did it!
Gun Owners of America asked you to get behind our effort to push Congress to read the Constitution on the floor of the House and Senate.
House Speaker Designate John Boehner announced that the clerk of the House of Representatives will read the Constitution aloud at the start of the new Congress.
"This is a great victory for all Americans who care about limited government, individual liberty and the Constitution," said John Velleco, GOA's Director of Federal Affairs. "Maybe Congress is finally getting the message that the oath they take to support and defend our most important founding document is still relevant in the 21st century. Reading it is a good first step, but now we must get Congress to abide by the real contract with America."
At about 4,400 words, it is one of the shortest written Constitutions in the world and will only take about an hour to read. In contrast, the ObamaCare bill weighs in at around 180,000 words and was never read at all by those voting for its passage.
The overwhelming reponse to GOA's petition, found at www.readtheusconstitution.org, shows that Americans want Congress to follow the Constitution.
"We will enjoy watching Nancy Pelosi's face when the clerk reads the Constitution, since it may be the first time she's ever heard it read. And hopefully the clerk will read it nice and slowly to let the words sink in," said Velleco.
There is no word yet from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid if the Senate will follow the House's lead, so GOA is still urging people to visit the website and sign the petition.
The current oath that all members of Congress take reads:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
Friday, December 17, 2010
Rogers Welcomes New Chief of Staff
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) welcomed Michael R. Higdon as his new Chief of staff as Rogers’ veteran, Will Smith, will be serving in a new role on the Appropriations Committee.
“I am pleased to announce that at the start of the new Congress, Michael Higdon will be serving as my Chief of Staff and Will Smith will be serving as the Deputy Staff Director of the Appropriations Committee,” said Rogers. “Both Michael and Will have worked for many years in my office and I have found them to be trusted advisors who have sacrificed so much to serve the people of Kentucky’s Fifth District. I know that Will will be missed by many in Kentucky, but I am pleased that he will continue to work with me on the Appropriations Committee.”
Will Smith hails from Beattyville, Kentucky and has served Congressman Rogers for over 12 years. Serving as his Chief of Staff for the past 8 years, Smith now joins the Appropriations Committee has Deputy Staff Director.
Michael R. Higdon has served as Rogers’ chief liaison to the Appropriations Committee and Legislative Director overseeing the congressman’s expansive legislative portfolio. Higdon joined the Rogers’ staff in 2002 after serving a series of legislative terms with Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and former Congressman Ron Packard (R-CA). Higdon is an eleven-year veteran of Capitol Hill and a graduate of Lafayette College. He and his wife Jamie, currently residing in the District of Columbia, are active in their local church and will continue to make frequent trips to Kentucky to visit family.
“I am pleased to announce that at the start of the new Congress, Michael Higdon will be serving as my Chief of Staff and Will Smith will be serving as the Deputy Staff Director of the Appropriations Committee,” said Rogers. “Both Michael and Will have worked for many years in my office and I have found them to be trusted advisors who have sacrificed so much to serve the people of Kentucky’s Fifth District. I know that Will will be missed by many in Kentucky, but I am pleased that he will continue to work with me on the Appropriations Committee.”
Will Smith hails from Beattyville, Kentucky and has served Congressman Rogers for over 12 years. Serving as his Chief of Staff for the past 8 years, Smith now joins the Appropriations Committee has Deputy Staff Director.
Michael R. Higdon has served as Rogers’ chief liaison to the Appropriations Committee and Legislative Director overseeing the congressman’s expansive legislative portfolio. Higdon joined the Rogers’ staff in 2002 after serving a series of legislative terms with Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and former Congressman Ron Packard (R-CA). Higdon is an eleven-year veteran of Capitol Hill and a graduate of Lafayette College. He and his wife Jamie, currently residing in the District of Columbia, are active in their local church and will continue to make frequent trips to Kentucky to visit family.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The cost of terrorism
The 1,924 page Omnibus Bill with 6,000 earmarks involving members of both parties has hidden costs. Not that it needed them coming in at $1.1 Trillion. No, the hidden costs I refer to are the costs of putting the bill together. How long does it take to construct such a thing?
Realizing the great speed and efficiency utilized by federal bureaucrats to do anything makes the cost many times what a private company would have spent to produce the document. Trying to imagine the nonsensical federal method of putting together a document of that size would have caused Einstein to create a new theory, the theory of “Non Relativity.”
How many hours did it take to get the information accumulated prior to the beginning of the assembly process for the first rough draft? How many people from the legislative offices involved did it take to process the requests for the earmarks? How many people from all the different legislative offices had to work on getting their particular earmark worded just right as to satisfy the law? How much in materials was spent bringing the first rough draft together?
Once that first rough draft was assembled, how much time was spent proof reading it to make sure it was right before sending it to be assembled for review by Senator Reid and his staff? Who read the final draft? How long did they spend reading it? How many fact checkers were used in the process from start to finish?
Considering the salary of the average person working on this bill, complete with federal benefits, and you’ve got a sizeable expense, not included in the $1.1 Trillion dollars the bill will cost if passed. This is all at the expense of the American Taxpayer even if the bill is not passed, voted on, or ends up being vetoed by the president in a political move to try to help his chances for a second term.
The above observations would be considered just, “Well, that’s the way things get done in Washington,” were it not for the current sentiment of the nation as was demonstrated in the mid term election. Americans don’t like the way things have been done in Washington, and their vote was resounding.
Still, Senator Reid, the Democrats, and the Republicans who would take advantage of the American Taxpayer, think it acceptable to spend this kind of money just on the construction of the bill. Were it a helpful, much needed bill it would be different. That it has six thousand earmarks tells volumes about its validity as a thoughtful, helpful bill.
Our own outgoing senator, Jim Bunning, a Republican, had a sizeable earmark in this mess himself. Does he still not realize who it was that won the election to fill his seat in the senate, or which group backed that candidate?
It seems to be an attitude of, “We the chosen” instead of “We The People.” This bill had to be in the works for a long while in order to get it ready for the lame duck session. It was most likely in the works as the election results were being made known in the 2010 mid terms. The results that are sending many Democrats home for doing the same thing Senator Reid and his cohorts continue to do.
The money spent on preparing this monstrosity is insult enough to a populous which has expressed its overwhelming desire to end these very practices. The actions of the Democrats and Republicans involved should not be forgiven, nor should they ever be forgotten. They are the actions of those who are “Financial Terrorists” of no less status than an enemy who would steal our liberty by spilling our blood.
Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
Realizing the great speed and efficiency utilized by federal bureaucrats to do anything makes the cost many times what a private company would have spent to produce the document. Trying to imagine the nonsensical federal method of putting together a document of that size would have caused Einstein to create a new theory, the theory of “Non Relativity.”
How many hours did it take to get the information accumulated prior to the beginning of the assembly process for the first rough draft? How many people from the legislative offices involved did it take to process the requests for the earmarks? How many people from all the different legislative offices had to work on getting their particular earmark worded just right as to satisfy the law? How much in materials was spent bringing the first rough draft together?
Once that first rough draft was assembled, how much time was spent proof reading it to make sure it was right before sending it to be assembled for review by Senator Reid and his staff? Who read the final draft? How long did they spend reading it? How many fact checkers were used in the process from start to finish?
Considering the salary of the average person working on this bill, complete with federal benefits, and you’ve got a sizeable expense, not included in the $1.1 Trillion dollars the bill will cost if passed. This is all at the expense of the American Taxpayer even if the bill is not passed, voted on, or ends up being vetoed by the president in a political move to try to help his chances for a second term.
The above observations would be considered just, “Well, that’s the way things get done in Washington,” were it not for the current sentiment of the nation as was demonstrated in the mid term election. Americans don’t like the way things have been done in Washington, and their vote was resounding.
Still, Senator Reid, the Democrats, and the Republicans who would take advantage of the American Taxpayer, think it acceptable to spend this kind of money just on the construction of the bill. Were it a helpful, much needed bill it would be different. That it has six thousand earmarks tells volumes about its validity as a thoughtful, helpful bill.
Our own outgoing senator, Jim Bunning, a Republican, had a sizeable earmark in this mess himself. Does he still not realize who it was that won the election to fill his seat in the senate, or which group backed that candidate?
It seems to be an attitude of, “We the chosen” instead of “We The People.” This bill had to be in the works for a long while in order to get it ready for the lame duck session. It was most likely in the works as the election results were being made known in the 2010 mid terms. The results that are sending many Democrats home for doing the same thing Senator Reid and his cohorts continue to do.
The money spent on preparing this monstrosity is insult enough to a populous which has expressed its overwhelming desire to end these very practices. The actions of the Democrats and Republicans involved should not be forgiven, nor should they ever be forgotten. They are the actions of those who are “Financial Terrorists” of no less status than an enemy who would steal our liberty by spilling our blood.
Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
Monday, December 13, 2010
Virginia AG Wins Court Challenge To ObamaCare
-- Ken Cuccinelli also Supports GOA's "Read the Constitution" Petition
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
December 13, 2010
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli won a major victory today when a federal judge in Richmond ruled ObamaCare's individual mandate unconstitutional.
Of course, this battle over the anti-gun national heath care law -- which could allow the government to disarm many gun owners based on medical records -- is not over. Twenty other states, led by Florida, also have legal challenges to ObamaCare, and this issue is guaranteed to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Certainly, the decision in Richmond is good news for the Constitution and good news for all Americans.
Attorney General Cuccinelli also recently backed GOA's effort to get the Congress to read the U.S. Constitution at the start of the new session in January. We could hope that had the 111th Congress read the Constitution, there would have been no ObamaCare.
If you have not already signed the petition, please do so at http://readtheusconstitution.org (and encourage others to so as well). Below is the text of a letter that Ken Cuccinelli released last week:
-----------------------
Dear Friend of Liberty,
My friends at Gun Owners of America (GOA) have a great idea to begin the 112th Congress: Read the Constitution!
Not just read it privately, but have it read out loud on the floor of the U.S. House and Senate.
In January, all Members of Congress will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Yet every day in Washington, that document is ignored by those same people.
Ours was intended to be a government of limited, enumerated powers. But by disregarding the law of this land, Congress is reaching into the every aspect of American life. This must stop, and the first step is to remind the politicians about that document that they swore to defend.
It is time to restore constitutional fidelity, and to put the federal government back under the restraints laid out for it by the Founding Fathers.
I hope you will join with GOA and hundreds of thousands of like-minded Americans and sign the petition urging the Congress to read the Constitution in January, before it takes up even one piece of legislation.
You can read and sign the petition at www.readtheusconstitution.org.
Sincerely,
Ken Cuccinelli, II
Attorney General of Virginia
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
December 13, 2010
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli won a major victory today when a federal judge in Richmond ruled ObamaCare's individual mandate unconstitutional.
Of course, this battle over the anti-gun national heath care law -- which could allow the government to disarm many gun owners based on medical records -- is not over. Twenty other states, led by Florida, also have legal challenges to ObamaCare, and this issue is guaranteed to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Certainly, the decision in Richmond is good news for the Constitution and good news for all Americans.
Attorney General Cuccinelli also recently backed GOA's effort to get the Congress to read the U.S. Constitution at the start of the new session in January. We could hope that had the 111th Congress read the Constitution, there would have been no ObamaCare.
If you have not already signed the petition, please do so at http://readtheusconstitution.org (and encourage others to so as well). Below is the text of a letter that Ken Cuccinelli released last week:
-----------------------
Dear Friend of Liberty,
My friends at Gun Owners of America (GOA) have a great idea to begin the 112th Congress: Read the Constitution!
Not just read it privately, but have it read out loud on the floor of the U.S. House and Senate.
In January, all Members of Congress will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Yet every day in Washington, that document is ignored by those same people.
Ours was intended to be a government of limited, enumerated powers. But by disregarding the law of this land, Congress is reaching into the every aspect of American life. This must stop, and the first step is to remind the politicians about that document that they swore to defend.
It is time to restore constitutional fidelity, and to put the federal government back under the restraints laid out for it by the Founding Fathers.
I hope you will join with GOA and hundreds of thousands of like-minded Americans and sign the petition urging the Congress to read the Constitution in January, before it takes up even one piece of legislation.
You can read and sign the petition at www.readtheusconstitution.org.
Sincerely,
Ken Cuccinelli, II
Attorney General of Virginia
Friday, December 10, 2010
GOA Year in Review: 2010
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm
"I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment…." -- Erick Erickson of RedState.com, June 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Your membership in -- and activism with -- Gun Owners of America has made a world of difference over the past several months.
The past couple of years were supposed to be the worst on record, as far as gun rights are concerned. With the election of Barack Hussein Obama, Americans went rushing to gun stores and generated a buying spree that created shortages of firearms and ammunition around the country.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were in charge of the legislative branch, and with the election of Obama, everyone was bracing themselves for the worst.
But even with the deck stacked against us, Gun Owners of America began working with friendly congressmen to get good legislation passed... and to defeat most of the anti-gun bills that were thrown our way.
What follows here is a record of what ALL OF US were able to accomplish by working together. As you read about the amazing success that gun rights activists achieved, please also consider joining Gun Owners of America if you have not yet renewed your membership for next year.
For your convenience, you can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to update your membership.
We thank you for your support, which makes this e-mail and web service possible.
And now for this year's highlights. The following paragraphs review some of the major achievements that we accomplished together in 2010.
January
* The year begins with GOA taking the offensive in the battle against the anti-gun ObamaCare legislation. While both houses of Congress have passed different versions of the bill, the fight against this legislation is far from over. A conference committee will most likely have to iron out differences between the two bills and then send the finalized version to each chamber for another vote.
* Gun Owners of America gets involved in the Scott Brown race in Massachusetts. Even though a month earlier, Brown was about 30 points down in his run for the U.S. Senate, GOA is hoping that a win in the Bay State will kill ObamaCare for the year.
After all, replacing the late Sen. Ted Kennedy with someone who opposes ObamaCare will give Republicans the exact number of votes to filibuster the health care bill. Amazingly, Brown pulls off a dramatic come-from-behind win, and political pundits are declaring ObamaCare is now on life-support -- if not dead for the year.
* In a case where GOA has submitted an amicus brief, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of free speech rights in the Citizens United case. The Court ruled unconstitutional huge portions of the McCain-Feingold law, which means that GOA will have greater freedom to hold legislators accountable for their anti-gun voting records.
* GOA begins rallying the grassroots in several different states to pass Firearms Freedom Act legislation. These laws stipulate that a firearm which is made in a state -- and stays in the state -- is immune from federal gun laws that rely on the Interstate Commerce Clause for their justification.
February - March
* GOA continues its campaign to enact good Firearms Freedom Acts (FFAs). Of special note, GOA works with the sponsor of the Wyoming bill to put "teeth" in his bill, thus making it the toughest FFA in the nation. The Wyoming act criminalizes any federal official who attempts to impose a federal gun ban in contravention to The Cowboy State’s law.
* The National Parks gun ban finally expires! GOA worked with Senator John Ensign (R-NV) to get a repeal added as an amendment to a must-pass bill in 2009. This effort succeeded, and the repeal of the Reagan-era gun ban takes effect on February 22.
* The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a very important gun-related case known as McDonald v. Chicago. As Gun Owners of America submits a hard-hitting amicus brief in this case, USA Today asks Gun Owners to submit the Opposing View editorial taking aim at Chicago’s gun ban.
* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cajoles enough "Blue Dog" Democrats to walk the political plank and vote for ObamaCare. Because the House voted for an identical version of the legislation that passed in the Senate last year, Congressional leaders can send the anti-gun bill straight to the President's desk, thus avoiding a Senate filibuster (now that Scott Brown is in the Senate).
GOA was able to gain modest protections for gun owners in ObamaCare. Nevertheless, GOA is committed to repealing this law at the federal level.
* In Virginia, GOA works to successfully pass anti-ObamaCare legislation in the state that will prevent citizens in the Old Dominion from being forced to comply with the insidious federal mandates in the new anti-gun health care law. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signs the legislation.
April - May
* One of GOA's top priorities is getting permitless carry passed in states around the country. To this end, GOA helps lobby for new legislation in Arizona (allowing concealed carry on one’s person) and in Virginia (allowing concealed carry in one’s car or boat) -- without having to jump through government hoops. Both bills are signed by the respective governors of each state.
* GOA begins a fierce lobbying campaign against Elena Kagan as the next Justice for the U.S. Supreme Court. Of special note, GOA targets Senator Jon Kyl in his home state of Arizona. Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, goes on record saying that Republicans will probably not filibuster Kagan's nomination.
* By the end of the state legislative season, several states have passed Firearms Freedom Act laws, including Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
June - July (Part One)
* The Supreme Court hands down the McDonald decision, stating that Fourteenth Amendment applies the right to keep and bear arms (in the Second Amendment) to all 50 states. GOA uses this opportunity to discuss the impact of the McDonald decision in dozens upon dozens of media outlets.
* Gun Owners of America is the only national gun group on Capitol Hill lobbying to defeat the DISCLOSE Act, which would hinder our ability to expose congressmen’s records around election time. As the first battle is fought in the House, DISCLOSE narrowly passes by a mere seven votes.
* Erick Erickson of RedState.com thanks GOA for taking a strong stand against DISCLOSE, stating: "I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment, not a weak little girl of an organization protecting itself while throwing everyone else under the bus."
June - July (Part Two)
* The fight against DISCLOSE moves to the Senate, where GOA marshals the grassroots to inundate Senate offices with opposition to the bill. Thankfully, there are enough votes to filibuster the anti-free speech legislation, as it dies on a party line vote. (Scott Brown's earlier victory is now paying tremendous dividends.)
Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) congratulates GOA for its hard work against the bill, saying that, "Gun Owners of America has been one of the key players in opposing the DISCLOSE Act."
* GOA attorney Bill Olson testifies before Congress against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, telling Senators that, "If [Kagan] were to go on the Court, with what we know about her now, she could be the most anti-gun justice on that Court."
August
* The U.S. Senate debates the nomination of Elena Kagan. Senator John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, uses GOA testimony to underscore the problems with Kagan: "After reviewing Ms. Kagan’s record and testimony at her confirmation hearing, the Gun Owners of America concluded that, 'The available evidence portrays her as a forceful advocate of restrictive gun laws and driven by political considerations rather than rule of law.'"
* The Senate votes 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. While this was very disappointing, it is important to note that we got more votes against Kagan than we have ever gotten against a Supreme Court Justice that we've opposed -- more than we garnered against Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg. (On Justice Gingsburg's nomination, there were only three negative votes.)
Bottom line: we gained tremendous ground in our fight against Kagan. There were Senators who voted against Kagan in August who had never before voted against a Supreme Court Justice. And by the way, Senator Kyl was one of the Senators who supported the filibuster against her (see "April - May").
September - November
* GOA’s Political Victory Fund has been busy all year long, working to get good candidates elected. Some of the more notable highlights include knocking off long-time compromisers such as Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah, while helping many good candidates get their party’s nomination -- like Kentucky's Rand Paul in May and Florida's Marco Rubio in August.
* In October, GOA publishes its biannual Congressional Voter Guide. For 20 years, GOA has been the only gun group publishing an open-source national rating for gun owners to use. Our rating has been so devastating in smoking out the anti-gun bias of phony politicians that the Brady Campaign even took us before an administrative court three years ago to try and silence us. They lost.
* On November 2, scores of candidates backed by Gun Owners of America won tremendous victories. In many cases, GOA was the ONLY national pro-gun organization to actively oppose Nancy Pelosi's "Blue Dogs" Democrats. Our aggressive opposition to these Representatives -- who are mistakenly considered to be somewhat conservative -- was well worth the effort as Pelosi was reduced to minority status.
December
* GOA, having spearheaded the victorious lobbying campaign against the Amtrak gun ban, celebrates its demise this month. The repeal language was authored by Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. The Wicker language takes effect December 15, 2010, and enforces a policy similar to airlines, so that firearms can be transported in checked bags on the trains so long as they are declared and carried in a prescribed manner.
Stand with Gun Owners of America!
As you can see, your activism helped us to accomplish many great things this year. And this should encourage you and anyone you know who is concerned about Second Amendment rights.
SO PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO YOUR PRO-GUN FRIENDS AND FAMILY. We are going to be fighting a lot of battles in the next Congress, and it's good for gun owners all across the country to go into these skirmishes with a reminder that we can accomplish much together (and that we have done so in the past).
As you know, we were able to get two gun bans repealed this past year -- the National Parks ban and the one on Amtrak trains. Now we are going to be lobbying to shut down the BATFE (or to put a straitjacket on them, at a minimum); to liberalize concealed carry (so good people aren't registered like sex offenders before exercising their rights); to block UN gun control; to pass Firearms Freedom Acts (which allow states to imprison any federal official who tries to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws); and much, much more.
Thanks for standing with us. You can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to make sure that your support remains current.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still Shopping For Christmas?
If you're like most Americans, you still have a few people left to buy for. Stay tuned... next week we'll tell you about an exciting Gift Membership promotion. You can get your holiday shopping done while defending the Second Amendment!
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm
"I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment…." -- Erick Erickson of RedState.com, June 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Your membership in -- and activism with -- Gun Owners of America has made a world of difference over the past several months.
The past couple of years were supposed to be the worst on record, as far as gun rights are concerned. With the election of Barack Hussein Obama, Americans went rushing to gun stores and generated a buying spree that created shortages of firearms and ammunition around the country.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were in charge of the legislative branch, and with the election of Obama, everyone was bracing themselves for the worst.
But even with the deck stacked against us, Gun Owners of America began working with friendly congressmen to get good legislation passed... and to defeat most of the anti-gun bills that were thrown our way.
What follows here is a record of what ALL OF US were able to accomplish by working together. As you read about the amazing success that gun rights activists achieved, please also consider joining Gun Owners of America if you have not yet renewed your membership for next year.
For your convenience, you can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to update your membership.
We thank you for your support, which makes this e-mail and web service possible.
And now for this year's highlights. The following paragraphs review some of the major achievements that we accomplished together in 2010.
January
* The year begins with GOA taking the offensive in the battle against the anti-gun ObamaCare legislation. While both houses of Congress have passed different versions of the bill, the fight against this legislation is far from over. A conference committee will most likely have to iron out differences between the two bills and then send the finalized version to each chamber for another vote.
* Gun Owners of America gets involved in the Scott Brown race in Massachusetts. Even though a month earlier, Brown was about 30 points down in his run for the U.S. Senate, GOA is hoping that a win in the Bay State will kill ObamaCare for the year.
After all, replacing the late Sen. Ted Kennedy with someone who opposes ObamaCare will give Republicans the exact number of votes to filibuster the health care bill. Amazingly, Brown pulls off a dramatic come-from-behind win, and political pundits are declaring ObamaCare is now on life-support -- if not dead for the year.
* In a case where GOA has submitted an amicus brief, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of free speech rights in the Citizens United case. The Court ruled unconstitutional huge portions of the McCain-Feingold law, which means that GOA will have greater freedom to hold legislators accountable for their anti-gun voting records.
* GOA begins rallying the grassroots in several different states to pass Firearms Freedom Act legislation. These laws stipulate that a firearm which is made in a state -- and stays in the state -- is immune from federal gun laws that rely on the Interstate Commerce Clause for their justification.
February - March
* GOA continues its campaign to enact good Firearms Freedom Acts (FFAs). Of special note, GOA works with the sponsor of the Wyoming bill to put "teeth" in his bill, thus making it the toughest FFA in the nation. The Wyoming act criminalizes any federal official who attempts to impose a federal gun ban in contravention to The Cowboy State’s law.
* The National Parks gun ban finally expires! GOA worked with Senator John Ensign (R-NV) to get a repeal added as an amendment to a must-pass bill in 2009. This effort succeeded, and the repeal of the Reagan-era gun ban takes effect on February 22.
* The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a very important gun-related case known as McDonald v. Chicago. As Gun Owners of America submits a hard-hitting amicus brief in this case, USA Today asks Gun Owners to submit the Opposing View editorial taking aim at Chicago’s gun ban.
* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cajoles enough "Blue Dog" Democrats to walk the political plank and vote for ObamaCare. Because the House voted for an identical version of the legislation that passed in the Senate last year, Congressional leaders can send the anti-gun bill straight to the President's desk, thus avoiding a Senate filibuster (now that Scott Brown is in the Senate).
GOA was able to gain modest protections for gun owners in ObamaCare. Nevertheless, GOA is committed to repealing this law at the federal level.
* In Virginia, GOA works to successfully pass anti-ObamaCare legislation in the state that will prevent citizens in the Old Dominion from being forced to comply with the insidious federal mandates in the new anti-gun health care law. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signs the legislation.
April - May
* One of GOA's top priorities is getting permitless carry passed in states around the country. To this end, GOA helps lobby for new legislation in Arizona (allowing concealed carry on one’s person) and in Virginia (allowing concealed carry in one’s car or boat) -- without having to jump through government hoops. Both bills are signed by the respective governors of each state.
* GOA begins a fierce lobbying campaign against Elena Kagan as the next Justice for the U.S. Supreme Court. Of special note, GOA targets Senator Jon Kyl in his home state of Arizona. Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, goes on record saying that Republicans will probably not filibuster Kagan's nomination.
* By the end of the state legislative season, several states have passed Firearms Freedom Act laws, including Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
June - July (Part One)
* The Supreme Court hands down the McDonald decision, stating that Fourteenth Amendment applies the right to keep and bear arms (in the Second Amendment) to all 50 states. GOA uses this opportunity to discuss the impact of the McDonald decision in dozens upon dozens of media outlets.
* Gun Owners of America is the only national gun group on Capitol Hill lobbying to defeat the DISCLOSE Act, which would hinder our ability to expose congressmen’s records around election time. As the first battle is fought in the House, DISCLOSE narrowly passes by a mere seven votes.
* Erick Erickson of RedState.com thanks GOA for taking a strong stand against DISCLOSE, stating: "I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment, not a weak little girl of an organization protecting itself while throwing everyone else under the bus."
June - July (Part Two)
* The fight against DISCLOSE moves to the Senate, where GOA marshals the grassroots to inundate Senate offices with opposition to the bill. Thankfully, there are enough votes to filibuster the anti-free speech legislation, as it dies on a party line vote. (Scott Brown's earlier victory is now paying tremendous dividends.)
Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) congratulates GOA for its hard work against the bill, saying that, "Gun Owners of America has been one of the key players in opposing the DISCLOSE Act."
* GOA attorney Bill Olson testifies before Congress against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, telling Senators that, "If [Kagan] were to go on the Court, with what we know about her now, she could be the most anti-gun justice on that Court."
August
* The U.S. Senate debates the nomination of Elena Kagan. Senator John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, uses GOA testimony to underscore the problems with Kagan: "After reviewing Ms. Kagan’s record and testimony at her confirmation hearing, the Gun Owners of America concluded that, 'The available evidence portrays her as a forceful advocate of restrictive gun laws and driven by political considerations rather than rule of law.'"
* The Senate votes 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. While this was very disappointing, it is important to note that we got more votes against Kagan than we have ever gotten against a Supreme Court Justice that we've opposed -- more than we garnered against Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg. (On Justice Gingsburg's nomination, there were only three negative votes.)
Bottom line: we gained tremendous ground in our fight against Kagan. There were Senators who voted against Kagan in August who had never before voted against a Supreme Court Justice. And by the way, Senator Kyl was one of the Senators who supported the filibuster against her (see "April - May").
September - November
* GOA’s Political Victory Fund has been busy all year long, working to get good candidates elected. Some of the more notable highlights include knocking off long-time compromisers such as Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah, while helping many good candidates get their party’s nomination -- like Kentucky's Rand Paul in May and Florida's Marco Rubio in August.
* In October, GOA publishes its biannual Congressional Voter Guide. For 20 years, GOA has been the only gun group publishing an open-source national rating for gun owners to use. Our rating has been so devastating in smoking out the anti-gun bias of phony politicians that the Brady Campaign even took us before an administrative court three years ago to try and silence us. They lost.
* On November 2, scores of candidates backed by Gun Owners of America won tremendous victories. In many cases, GOA was the ONLY national pro-gun organization to actively oppose Nancy Pelosi's "Blue Dogs" Democrats. Our aggressive opposition to these Representatives -- who are mistakenly considered to be somewhat conservative -- was well worth the effort as Pelosi was reduced to minority status.
December
* GOA, having spearheaded the victorious lobbying campaign against the Amtrak gun ban, celebrates its demise this month. The repeal language was authored by Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. The Wicker language takes effect December 15, 2010, and enforces a policy similar to airlines, so that firearms can be transported in checked bags on the trains so long as they are declared and carried in a prescribed manner.
Stand with Gun Owners of America!
As you can see, your activism helped us to accomplish many great things this year. And this should encourage you and anyone you know who is concerned about Second Amendment rights.
SO PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO YOUR PRO-GUN FRIENDS AND FAMILY. We are going to be fighting a lot of battles in the next Congress, and it's good for gun owners all across the country to go into these skirmishes with a reminder that we can accomplish much together (and that we have done so in the past).
As you know, we were able to get two gun bans repealed this past year -- the National Parks ban and the one on Amtrak trains. Now we are going to be lobbying to shut down the BATFE (or to put a straitjacket on them, at a minimum); to liberalize concealed carry (so good people aren't registered like sex offenders before exercising their rights); to block UN gun control; to pass Firearms Freedom Acts (which allow states to imprison any federal official who tries to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws); and much, much more.
Thanks for standing with us. You can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to make sure that your support remains current.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still Shopping For Christmas?
If you're like most Americans, you still have a few people left to buy for. Stay tuned... next week we'll tell you about an exciting Gift Membership promotion. You can get your holiday shopping done while defending the Second Amendment!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Rogers’ Radio Actuality on Being Elected Appropriations Chairman
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) on the GOP Conference electing him as the incoming Appropriations Chairman for the 112th Congress:
“Hello. This is Congressman Hal Rogers. I am honored by the Republican Conference’s decision to elect me as their Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. It is truly humbling to receive the confidence of my colleagues and I am ready to get to work so that together we can move our country forward. We are facing unprecedented times and the American people are giving us a unique opportunity to start reining in government and getting our economy back on track. My Republican colleagues and I are listening and we will fight to rein in spending, implement rigorous oversight and work together to change the culture on Capitol Hill. There is no room for failure, our nation’s security depends on us getting this right and finding a new way forward.”
“Hello. This is Congressman Hal Rogers. I am honored by the Republican Conference’s decision to elect me as their Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. It is truly humbling to receive the confidence of my colleagues and I am ready to get to work so that together we can move our country forward. We are facing unprecedented times and the American people are giving us a unique opportunity to start reining in government and getting our economy back on track. My Republican colleagues and I are listening and we will fight to rein in spending, implement rigorous oversight and work together to change the culture on Capitol Hill. There is no room for failure, our nation’s security depends on us getting this right and finding a new way forward.”
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Statement by Congressman Hal Rogers
WASHINGTON, DC.— U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) issued the following statement today after the Republican Steering Committee meeting:
“I am humbled and thrilled with the Steering Committee’s decision, and look forward to the honor and responsibility of leading the Appropriations Committee next year if the full GOP Conference approves the recommendation tomorrow. There is no doubt that we have a tough and demanding chore ahead of us. The nation is in a fiscal crisis, and hard decisions are coming. I look forward to working with Leadership and my Republican colleagues in fighting for serious reforms of the Committee, bringing fiscal sanity back to our budgeting process, performing vigorous oversight of the failed job-creation policies of the Obama Administration and moving our nation forward.”
“I am humbled and thrilled with the Steering Committee’s decision, and look forward to the honor and responsibility of leading the Appropriations Committee next year if the full GOP Conference approves the recommendation tomorrow. There is no doubt that we have a tough and demanding chore ahead of us. The nation is in a fiscal crisis, and hard decisions are coming. I look forward to working with Leadership and my Republican colleagues in fighting for serious reforms of the Committee, bringing fiscal sanity back to our budgeting process, performing vigorous oversight of the failed job-creation policies of the Obama Administration and moving our nation forward.”
Saturday, December 4, 2010
GOA to Congress: Read the Constitution!
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org
Thursday, December 2, 2010
In January, the new Congress will be sworn in, and each member will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Judging by how often Congress operates outside the bounds of the Constitution, one wonders if the members actually ever read our most important founding document.
If there is a mandate for the Congress coming out of the 2010 elections, it is that the Constitution must be made relevant again. And what better way to begin the One Hundred Twelfth Congress than to have read aloud, in both the House and Senate, the Constitution in its entirety.
The House and Senate will waste hours congratulating sports teams, naming post offices, and various other meaningless tasks. Even worse, it will spend much more time doing things for which it has absolutely no constitutional authority.
The purpose of this petition is clear and obvious. The Congress must be reminded that this is a nation of laws, and there is a law that governs what the Congress is empowered to do -- either to justify their actions or to demonstrate when they are unlawfully operating beyond their bounds, no matter how well-intentioned.
If you believe that the Constitution matters in the 21st century, and if you agree that it would be time well spent for the Congress to read the Constitution, then please SIGN THE PETITION.
Obviously, in petitioning our government, the people must speak with numbers on their side. Just like it's only one vote per person at the ballot box, but each vote counts and any vote can make the difference, so it is that every signature on this petition counts. So please help get the word out. Spread the petition effort far and wide -- family, friends, churches, gun clubs, Facebook, e-mail lists, internet forums, your own website or blog, radio shows... whatever you think might result in even one additional signature. Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org
Thursday, December 2, 2010
In January, the new Congress will be sworn in, and each member will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Judging by how often Congress operates outside the bounds of the Constitution, one wonders if the members actually ever read our most important founding document.
If there is a mandate for the Congress coming out of the 2010 elections, it is that the Constitution must be made relevant again. And what better way to begin the One Hundred Twelfth Congress than to have read aloud, in both the House and Senate, the Constitution in its entirety.
The House and Senate will waste hours congratulating sports teams, naming post offices, and various other meaningless tasks. Even worse, it will spend much more time doing things for which it has absolutely no constitutional authority.
The purpose of this petition is clear and obvious. The Congress must be reminded that this is a nation of laws, and there is a law that governs what the Congress is empowered to do -- either to justify their actions or to demonstrate when they are unlawfully operating beyond their bounds, no matter how well-intentioned.
If you believe that the Constitution matters in the 21st century, and if you agree that it would be time well spent for the Congress to read the Constitution, then please SIGN THE PETITION.
Obviously, in petitioning our government, the people must speak with numbers on their side. Just like it's only one vote per person at the ballot box, but each vote counts and any vote can make the difference, so it is that every signature on this petition counts. So please help get the word out. Spread the petition effort far and wide -- family, friends, churches, gun clubs, Facebook, e-mail lists, internet forums, your own website or blog, radio shows... whatever you think might result in even one additional signature. Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Rogers: Grab a Shovel and Start Digging Out of Debt
By Rep. Hal Rogers
Special to Roll Call
Dec. 1, 2010, 12:23 p.m.
Any casual analysis of our federal budget picture should raise our financial security threat level to red. We’re borrowing roughly 42 cents out of every dollar, and the future liabilities we’ve shouldered on our children are in the trillions.
Continuing down this path, where debt rapidly subsumes an ever-growing chunk of our economy, is clearly unsustainable — even under the rosiest of budget projections.
Aside from the threat of economic stagnation, many in the national security sphere, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have suggested that a failure by the U.S. government to tighten its purse strings could have severe implications for our nation’s defense.
While a lot of finger-pointing and revisionist history has surrounded the debate over how we’ve reached this point of no return, the bottom line is that reining in out-of-control spending is our government’s principal financial problem and the most significant challenge before us today. The White House economic team members, save for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, have packed their bags along with their liberal economic theories and thankfully left town.
However, not before they sold America a failed stimulus bill that never delivered on job creation, supported efforts led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to increase energy bills, and throttled through an irresponsible big-government health care package that neither lowers the cost of health care nor reduces the deficit.
If we continue with their economic plan, Congressional Budget Office estimates federal debt will reach a whopping $20 trillion by 2020, nearly 90 percent of the economy. By that point, the United States will be spending more than $1 billion per day just to cover interest payments, crowding out spending for vital programs such as defense and homeland security.
While the average American family would be hard-pressed to justify charging 90 percent of its income on a credit card, why is the administration holding our country to a recklessly lower standard, tossing our coveted AAA credit rating into the balance and threatening to send our economy into a tailspin?
It is painfully clear that folks in Washington need to get their hands dirty. It’s time to grab a big shovel with a sharp blade to start digging ourselves out of this nearly $14 trillion mess.
Through my role on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve already committed to working with the Budget Committee and the authorizing committees to drop our discretionary spending back down to fiscal 2008 levels — before the TARP and stimulus bills outrageously inflated the baseline of government programs. This action alone will result in $100 billion in savings and restore some sanity to annual discretionary budgeting. But a sweeping reduction in spending is the easy part.
We’ve got to go line-by-line and take an ax to programs that we simply can’t afford.
It will take toughness and resolve, but I believe there are savings to be found in every agency or department budget, however sacrosanct they may be perceived to be.
Earlier this year, for example, I proposed a modest, but targeted, $100 million reduction in Department of Homeland Security spending. Many in my own party criticized me for taking this approach. The past 12 months have obviously seen no shortage of serious terrorist activity, from the Fort Hood massacre to the failed Times Square bombing.
Our subcommittee receives regular intelligence briefings regarding the growing risk of Islamic terrorism and the sweeping drug violence along our southwest border. But my cost-cutting amendment would have had no substantive impact on our ability to keep the homeland secure.
It would have instead reduced bloated DHS policy shops and redundant public relations offices and cut funds for duplicative programs already flush with unspent stimulus dollars and previous year carryover funds. Not surprisingly, the majority rejected my amendment on a party-line vote.
Five months ago, we couldn’t find 0.23 percent savings in a $44 billion security spending bill for nonsecurity items, but this is about to change. With a new mandate from the American people, simple but disciplined amendments like these will be given top priority. Savings must be found in the unlikeliest of places in order for our country to regain its financial footing.
As I said earlier, this isn’t simply a financial concern, but a very real security threat to our nation. Because of our enormous foreign-held debt, our ability to prepare for and respond to national emergencies, and our ability to equip, empower and maintain a top-notch military are increasingly at risk.
Leaving our children with a more dangerous world and fewer resources to protect themselves is irresponsibility of the highest degree.
To the 112th Congress, I say grab a shovel.
Rep. Hal Rogers (R) represents Kentucky’s 5th district and currently serves as the ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Special to Roll Call
Dec. 1, 2010, 12:23 p.m.
Any casual analysis of our federal budget picture should raise our financial security threat level to red. We’re borrowing roughly 42 cents out of every dollar, and the future liabilities we’ve shouldered on our children are in the trillions.
Continuing down this path, where debt rapidly subsumes an ever-growing chunk of our economy, is clearly unsustainable — even under the rosiest of budget projections.
Aside from the threat of economic stagnation, many in the national security sphere, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have suggested that a failure by the U.S. government to tighten its purse strings could have severe implications for our nation’s defense.
While a lot of finger-pointing and revisionist history has surrounded the debate over how we’ve reached this point of no return, the bottom line is that reining in out-of-control spending is our government’s principal financial problem and the most significant challenge before us today. The White House economic team members, save for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, have packed their bags along with their liberal economic theories and thankfully left town.
However, not before they sold America a failed stimulus bill that never delivered on job creation, supported efforts led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to increase energy bills, and throttled through an irresponsible big-government health care package that neither lowers the cost of health care nor reduces the deficit.
If we continue with their economic plan, Congressional Budget Office estimates federal debt will reach a whopping $20 trillion by 2020, nearly 90 percent of the economy. By that point, the United States will be spending more than $1 billion per day just to cover interest payments, crowding out spending for vital programs such as defense and homeland security.
While the average American family would be hard-pressed to justify charging 90 percent of its income on a credit card, why is the administration holding our country to a recklessly lower standard, tossing our coveted AAA credit rating into the balance and threatening to send our economy into a tailspin?
It is painfully clear that folks in Washington need to get their hands dirty. It’s time to grab a big shovel with a sharp blade to start digging ourselves out of this nearly $14 trillion mess.
Through my role on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve already committed to working with the Budget Committee and the authorizing committees to drop our discretionary spending back down to fiscal 2008 levels — before the TARP and stimulus bills outrageously inflated the baseline of government programs. This action alone will result in $100 billion in savings and restore some sanity to annual discretionary budgeting. But a sweeping reduction in spending is the easy part.
We’ve got to go line-by-line and take an ax to programs that we simply can’t afford.
It will take toughness and resolve, but I believe there are savings to be found in every agency or department budget, however sacrosanct they may be perceived to be.
Earlier this year, for example, I proposed a modest, but targeted, $100 million reduction in Department of Homeland Security spending. Many in my own party criticized me for taking this approach. The past 12 months have obviously seen no shortage of serious terrorist activity, from the Fort Hood massacre to the failed Times Square bombing.
Our subcommittee receives regular intelligence briefings regarding the growing risk of Islamic terrorism and the sweeping drug violence along our southwest border. But my cost-cutting amendment would have had no substantive impact on our ability to keep the homeland secure.
It would have instead reduced bloated DHS policy shops and redundant public relations offices and cut funds for duplicative programs already flush with unspent stimulus dollars and previous year carryover funds. Not surprisingly, the majority rejected my amendment on a party-line vote.
Five months ago, we couldn’t find 0.23 percent savings in a $44 billion security spending bill for nonsecurity items, but this is about to change. With a new mandate from the American people, simple but disciplined amendments like these will be given top priority. Savings must be found in the unlikeliest of places in order for our country to regain its financial footing.
As I said earlier, this isn’t simply a financial concern, but a very real security threat to our nation. Because of our enormous foreign-held debt, our ability to prepare for and respond to national emergencies, and our ability to equip, empower and maintain a top-notch military are increasingly at risk.
Leaving our children with a more dangerous world and fewer resources to protect themselves is irresponsibility of the highest degree.
To the 112th Congress, I say grab a shovel.
Rep. Hal Rogers (R) represents Kentucky’s 5th district and currently serves as the ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Sad Truth Of Cookie
He was known in town simply as Cookie, and this is a brief version of why he had to leave town.
Cookie was an African American man that lived in Hazard at the old Hazard Fire Department. He was mentally retarded, could not read or write, and was often the brunt of many jokes.
He carried an old garbage can lid that he used as a steering wheel to drive an imaginary police cruiser. He loved to eat onions like most would eat an apple.
Also he was never around Pick Rose in the 1960's and the man he always referred to as daddy was Fire Chief Shorty Sizemore.
In about 1969 due to a situation involving abuse of Cookie by the son of a former city official. The order was handed to certain firemen to take his B**** A** to the county line,leave him, and make certain he didn't come back.
His family in Letcher County was also sent word, " If you want to keep him alive make sure he stays out of Hazard."
The last reports of Cookie's where abouts was from Lexington Kentucky.... the report has not been confirmed at this time, but supposedly Cookie was killed when hit by a car some years later.
Cookie was an African American man that lived in Hazard at the old Hazard Fire Department. He was mentally retarded, could not read or write, and was often the brunt of many jokes.
He carried an old garbage can lid that he used as a steering wheel to drive an imaginary police cruiser. He loved to eat onions like most would eat an apple.
Also he was never around Pick Rose in the 1960's and the man he always referred to as daddy was Fire Chief Shorty Sizemore.
In about 1969 due to a situation involving abuse of Cookie by the son of a former city official. The order was handed to certain firemen to take his B**** A** to the county line,leave him, and make certain he didn't come back.
His family in Letcher County was also sent word, " If you want to keep him alive make sure he stays out of Hazard."
The last reports of Cookie's where abouts was from Lexington Kentucky.... the report has not been confirmed at this time, but supposedly Cookie was killed when hit by a car some years later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)