Liberty Maven

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

However, the bill also included a provision to cover-up the prisoner abuse crime we told you about last week.

This cover-up provision couldn’t have passed on its own merits. That’s why the Congressional leadership attached it to the completely unrelated DHS funding bill.

We must force Congress to stop combining unrelated legislation into one bill. Protest what they did with the cover-up measure and tell your representatives to introduce and pass DownsizeDC.org’s One Subject At A Time Act (OSTA).

Here’s what I wrote in my personal comments . . .

The Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 2892) is a perfect example of why we need OSTA. The prisoner abuse cover-up law it contained had absolutely nothing to do with the funding or activities of the DHS (Department of Homeland Security).

Those opposed to the cover-up measure had an ethical responsibility to oppose the bill as a whole. There was no urgency to pass this bill. Congress could have funded the DHS at current levels with a continuing resolution. That’s why I think a vote for H.R. 2892 was really a vote for the prisoner abuse cover-up.

Those who voted for this bill failed in their duty to uphold the law. Those who failed to protest the inclusion of the cover-up bill in unrelated legislation are likewise guilty. But it gets worse . . .

Jameel Jaffer notes that this law also paves the way for my government to hide nearly everything related to military activities during the Bush years.

I also believe this cover-up will put our troops in greater peril than if the photographic evidence of prisoner abuse was revealed. America’s enemies will say that . . .

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Our own James Wilson has analyzed this issue on our blog.

The good news is that President Obama isn’t going to Copenhagen to sign a treaty, but he may sign a proposal that could lead to a treaty at a later date. The Copenhagen proposal is designed to create an international scheme to control carbon emissions (and the entire world economy in the bargain).

President Obama wants to have the “cap and trade” (cap and tax) bill passed before he goes to Copenhagen.

Our goal should be to send him to Denmark empty-handed.

Cap and trade should be defeated because . . .

• It hasn’t worked in Europe
• It probably isn’t the best way to control carbon emissions, assuming you believe that’s important
• The climate models that supposedly justify cap and trade have been consistently wrong

Cap and trade needs 60 votes to come to the floor in the Senate. If we can stop that from happening now then there’s no way that 67 Senators will come together later to ratify a treaty for the same purpose, especially if that treaty cedes American sovereignty to international organizations.

We must defeat cap and trade. We must send Obama to Denmark empty-handed.

Please send Congress a letter opposing cap and trade.

You can use my letter to Congress as a guide . . .

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Please send Congress a letter objecting to any further funding for REAL ID.

You can copy what I said in my letter to Congress . . .

I’m upset that Congress just appropriated $60 million for the REAL ID national identification scheme. I’ve asked you repeatedly to repeal REAL ID, and replace it with nothing. I’m repeating my request today.

I do not want a centralized national ID system. It lays the foundation for a police state, and will do little or nothing to improve security. Instead, it will subject me to increased risk of identity theft, and eventually entangle me in new Congressional schemes to do things like control my health care decisions.

I also object because the REAL ID Act was passed under false pretenses. It was rejected three times by the U.S. Senate, and was only enacted because it was added to a larger bill containing funding for disaster relief and Iraq. REAL ID never could have passed on its own merits, but now that we have it, we can’t seem to get rid of it. But you, as my representative, can do something about this . . .

Please introduce legislation to repeal REAL ID and replace it with nothing. I’m paying close attention to how you represent me.

END OF SAMPLE LETTER

You can send your letter to Congress here.

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Even so, we must keep asking such questions. The more we ask, the more nervous Congress will become. Eventually, they will be forced to either answer our questions or admit publicly that they don’t care what the Constitution says.

We believe Congress’s refusal to answer our questions underscores the need for the Enumerated Powers Act (EPA). We urge you to demand that Congress pass this bill.

Since we last resported on the EPA in September, the House has increased the number of co-sponsors from 48 to 52, and the Senate increased its co-sponsor list from 21 to 22.

You can find House co-sponsors of the EPA here.

And co-sponsors of the Senate version are here.

If any of your House or Senate representatives has co-sponsored the bill, send them your congratulations and urge those who haven’t to do so.

In my personal comments, I also asked more questions . . .

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Send Congress another letter telling them to break the Federal Reserve’s monopoly control over your money.

My sample letter to Congress gives you three new facts you can use for this purpose . . .

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Your constant pressure can make a difference, as evidenced by this email we just received from DC Downsizer Nick Hasulak . . .

“I’ve used the Educate the Powerful system to send probably over 30 messages to Senator Boxer regarding HR 1207/S604 (the Audit the Fed bill). As recently as August 27th, her response was basically “I’ll keep your opinions in mind”. Finally today, October 8th, I received an email stating that she had signed on as a co-sponsor to S604! It’s extremely gratifying to win this victory even if it is small! Knowing her past record, I know this change is due to nothing but constant pressure from the People. DownsizeDC works!”

The Audit the Fed bill currently has . . .

• 30 co-sponsors in the Senate (up by 3 since our last report)
• 301 co-sponsors in the House (up by 11 since our last report)

The Audit the Fed bill already has a substantial majority in the House. Can we achieve the same thing in the Senate? Here’s the letter I sent to my elected representatives to try and make this happen . . .

“Thank you to Representative Giffords and Senator McCain for co-sponsoring the Audit the Fed bill. I hope Senator Kyl will see fit to join them soon.”

• Check to see if your House Rep. is a co-sponsor here
• Check to see if one or both of your Senators is a co-sponsor here

Then, send your letter to Congress here.

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

• Several safeguards found in the JUSTICE Act are not in the new bill
• The Committee defeated amendments requiring evidence that targets of business records requests and National Security Letters must have some connection to terrorism or espionage.

But hope is not lost . . .

• The Senate Judiciary’s bill (S. 1692) hasn’t yet passed the full Senate
• In 2006, almost two-thirds of House Democrats, including now-Speaker Pelosi, voted AGAINST the PATRIOT renewal
• The voters did not punish these Democrats for their votes; in fact, later that year Democrats won control of Congress

The Obama Administration generally wants the continuation of the Bush status quo on civil liberties. We must encourage Congress to listen to the people instead of the President. If House Democrats show some backbone, they could exercise leverage by . . . Read More »

D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

You should ask Congress to give you the same option for your own transactions. Otherwise, you risk losing everything you’ve worked for.

Send another letter to Congress asking them to repeal the legal tender law that forces you to do business ONLY in Federal Reserve Notes. In your personal comments use the latest news about countries dropping the dollar for oil transactions.

Here’s what I wrote in my letter to Congress . . .

Several countries are making plans to stop using Federal Reserve Notes for oil purchases. I want the same freedom for my personal transactions.

The Fed has nearly doubled the money supply since last Fall. This will cut the future value of my savings in half and send my cost of living through the roof. Add to that . . .

* The $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare
* Your big bailout schemes,
* Your so-called stimulus package,
* Your cap and trade boondoggle,
* Your disastrous healthcare plans, and the result is . . .

I see no hope for the dollar. You guys have ruined our currency, and I WANT OUT.

If foreigners can stop using Federal Reserve Notes, I should have the same freedom. Why should foreigners have more right to control their own economic destiny than I do?

Many in Washington claim they want to protect the Fed’s independence. What about my independence? I just want you to repeal the legal tender law so I can use forms of money other than Federal Reserve Notes (like gold and silver for instance). Doing this would also moderate the Fed’s behavior. If they want me to keep using Federal Reserve Notes then they’ll have to stop their legalized counterfeiting activities.

Please represent me. Break the Federal Reserve’s money monopoly. Give me the same right that foreigners have.

You can send your own letter to Congress using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

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D o w n s i z e r – D i s p a t c h

Quote of the Day: “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” — Anthony Robbins

Now that the concept of requiring Congress to read the bills has caught on, it’s being seriously debated.

Some are pretending that they have THE objection that demonstrates how “silly” it is to require members of Congress to pause and read their bills. They write things like,

“Would you also require the legislator to understand the bill? Or is mere reading, with no comprehension, enough? And if comprehension is required, how much comprehension is required, and how would you test that?”

This clever questioner is asking a question to which he already knows the answer. But it has nothing to do with a well-designed law to Read the Bills.

Would this questioner oppose the Constitution because…

* Politicians don’t like to be constrained by it?
* Incumbents have too much important work to do and that document gets in the way?

Sometimes people try to sound clever, and manage to do so, by half. But we should instead ask a better question.

Can we rely on the good nature and intelligence of persons handed the immense power to legislate the lives of others?

No, we can’t. This is not an attack against politicians. No human being can understand all the details they’re called upon to understand. Others will have to help them with details. So let’s ask an even better question:

“Should well-informed citizens be able to help Congress understand the bills, or should Congress only listen to lobbyists?”

Members of the media, watchdog groups, and YOU should be able to view the bill and see what they’re up to — before they get to vote.

DownsizeDC.org’s Read the Bills Act (RTBA) allows citizens to express not only their opinion on how Congress should vote on a bill, but why. RTBA requires . . .

1. A seven day waiting period before a bill is voted on
2. Posting the bill online for every Internet user to read

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