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How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 21)

Mike Miller — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:03:12 +0000

Wow, this one is a doozy! A ton of new bills were introduced in Congress on Friday: 188 in total. For those who haven’t read this series of articles from the beginning, there are a few things to keep in mind…

When taking a look at the list below, keep in mind that the U.S. Constitution, which created our Federal Government, clearly enumerated 18 specific functions that it is given. For all other things, the 9th and 10th amendment make it clear that the individual states have the power. Note that it states in the Constitution that it is the Supreme Law of the Land, which can be usurped by no other. This means that all opinions to the contrary made by the Supreme Court are technically invalid. Throughout the past couple of hundred hears the Supreme Court has rule one way or another on some “interpretation” of the Constitution, but in fact no interpretation is necessary, as the intention of the founding fathers are quite clear. For example, if the “general welfare” clause or the “interstate commerce” clause was intended to be used as a catch-all for any arbitrary piece of legislation, then the 10th amendments which reads:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

would be completely meaningless. So simple logic, in addition to the writings of Madison and other founding fathers, dictates the notion that the Federal Government was set up to have very little power, and that these United States are intended to be a loose federation of sovereign states.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.
– 16 Am. Jur. Sec. 177 late 2d, Sec 256

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government [as always, my commentary will appear in red]:

HR1892 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 102 North Main Street in Cedarville, Ohio, as the “William ‘Brent” Turner Post Office’.
HR1929 – To establish the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Investigative Commission to investigate the policies and practices engaged in by officers and directors at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac responsible for making the decisions that led to the enterprises’ financial instability and the subsequent Federal conservatorship of such enterprises. [Keep in mind that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been basically nationalized, which is, of course, unconstitutional.]
HR1925 – To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
HR1924 – To amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response to, crimes in Indian country, and for other purposes.
HR1922 – To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold at least 1 public hearing before issuance of a permit affecting public or private land use in a locality.
HR1921 – To establish an Office of Public Advocate within the Department of Justice to provide services and guidance to citizens in dealing with concerns involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and for other purposes. [Fantastic! Create another layer of bureaucracy to help people deal with bureaucracy...]
HR1978 – To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to improve the ability of State and local governments to prevent the abduction of children by family members, and for other purposes.
HR1977 – To require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study drywall imported from China in 2004 through 2007, and for other purposes.
HR332 – Providing that the House of Representatives will focus on removing barriers to a prosperous economy and therefore renew the dream. [Reading the full text of the bill it all sounds nice, but it's really nothing more than platitudes. Nothing will come of this. It's not recommending anything concrete.]
HR1971 – To provide for the elimination of duties on certain comforter shells
HR1970 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exempt unsanctioned State-licensed retail pharmacies from the surety bond requirement under the Medicare Program for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).
HR1969 – To promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam. [Oh god. Oh god, no! Haven't we gotten ourselves into enough jams with this interventionist crap?]

HR1968 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the limitation on capital losses to $10,500 and to index such limitation to inflation.
HR326 – Expressing support for designation of the week of April 13, 2009, through April 17, 2009, as “Protect Your Pharmacy Week”, and for other purposes.
HR1966 – To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to cyberbullying
HR1964 – To address HIV/AIDS in the African-American community, and for other purposes.
HR1962 – To authorize the Space Shuttle to be flown from 2010 through 2015, and to authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for this purpose. [Ron Paul might even vote for this one, because he's supported NASA in the past. But I maintain the the existence of NASA is unconstitutional, and the private sector would be able to perform these tasks more efficiently and more inexpensively.]
HR1961 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the availability of the saver’s credit, to make the credit refundable, and to make Federal matching contributions into the retirement savings of the taxpayer.
HR1957 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a higher education tuition credit in place of existing education tax incentives.
HR1956 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an offset against income tax refunds to pay for State judicial debts that are past-due.
HR1955 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income amounts received on the sale of animals which are raised and sold as part of an educational program.
HR1954 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make higher education more affordable by providing a full tax deduction for higher education expenses and interest on student loans.
HR1952 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for amounts contributed to charitable organizations which provide elementary or secondary school scholarships and for contributions of, and for, instructional materials and materials for extracurricular activities.
HR322 – Expressing support for the designation of July 25, 2009 as “National Day of the Cowboy”
HR1951 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for tuition and related expenses for public and nonpublic elementary and secondary education.
HR330 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of the Navy should name an appropriate Navy ship in honor of Marine Corps General Clifton B. Cates of Tiptonville, Tennessee.
HR329 – Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic accident of the steamboat ship SS Sultana
HR328 – Expressing the sense of Congress that all Americans should recognize National Military Appreciation Month with appropriate programs and activities.
HR327 – Honoring the humble service of Edward Cardinal Egan as Archbishop of the New York Archdiocese and congratulating Archbishop Timothy Dolan on his appointment by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to succeed Cardinal Egan.
HR1945 – To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation in the State of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.
HR325 – Expressing support for designation of a “Free Enterprise Education Week” to encourage elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and small and large businesses to educate students about free enterprise.
HR319 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should take all necessary steps to expeditiously deploy a missile defense system in Europe that will help provide such a defense to United States allies in Europe while enhancing United States defenses against missile attacks.
HCR99 – Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Early Educator Worthy Wage Day
HR321 – Congratulating the boys’ basketball team at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, California, for winning the State championship.
HR320 – Honoring the Life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin
HR331 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Month
HR1935 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the treatment of partnership interests held by partners providing services.
HR1933 – To direct the Attorney General to make an annual grant to the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center to assist law enforcement agencies in the rapid recovery of missing children, and for other purposes.
HR1932 – To increase the number of well-trained mental health service professionals (including those based in schools) providing clinical mental health care to children and adolescents, and for other purposes.
HR1931 – To improve the treatment of juveniles with mental health or substance abuse disorders by establishing new grant programs for increased training, technical assistance, and coordination of service providers, and for other purposes.
HR1930 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a loan repayment program for faculty members at programs of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry to alleviate faculty shortages.
HR1873 – To amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 with respect to juveniles who have committed offenses, and for other purposes.
HR1928 – To increase home healthcare services, particularly for underserved and at-risk populations, by assisting visiting nurse associations and other non-profit home health agencies to improve training and workforce development for home healthcare nurses, promoting and facilitating academic-practice collaborations, and enhancing recruitment and retention of home healthcare nurses.
HR1927 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide comprehensive cancer patient treatment education under the Medicare Program and to provide for research to improve cancer symptom management.
HR1926 – To authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a Global Warming Education Program.
HR1869 – To require the President to call a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition [What? The Congress is going to require the the president do something? How is that possible? And on top of that, what they want to require of him is blatantly unconstitutional!]
HR1923 – To require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to make video recordings of the examination and testing of firearms and ammunition, and for other purposes.
HR1920 – To prohibit United States funding for the 2009 United Nations Durban Review Conference (”Durban II Conference”) or any other activity relating to the planning, preparation, or implementation of a follow-up meeting to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (’Durban I Conference’) in Durban, South Africa. [Bills like this make me want to vomit. Of course I agree with the intent of the bill, but doesn't the Constitution already prohibit the US from funding such things? Ugh.]
HR324 – Expressing support for designation of April 2009 as “Jazz Appreciation Month” and April 25, 2009, as “Willis Conover Day”, and honoring the global impact of jazz music.
HR1979 – For the relief of Mary Cole, Decontee Cole, Emmanuel Cole, Anna Cole, Yon Deh Cole, and Emmanuel Cole, Jr.
HR1976 – To authorize grants for nongovernmental organizations that use independently produced documentary films to promote better understanding of the United States abroad and better understanding of global perspectives and other countries in the United States.
HR1975 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 West Percy Street in Indianola, Mississippi, as the “Minnie Cox Post Office Building”.
HR1974 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the depreciation classification of motorsports entertainment complexes.
HR1912 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax for qualified conservation contributions which include National Scenic Trails.
HR1911 – To amend the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to require funding to help award recipients defray the costs of data collection requirements initiated pursuant to such Act, and for other purposes.
HR1907 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to use consumer information maintained by retailers to improve recalls of food, and for other purposes.
HR1905 – To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change adaptation planning and response program, and for other purposes.
HR1904 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individual taxpayers to designate a portion of income taxes to fund the improvement of barriers at the United States border, and for other purposes.
HR1903 – To provide incentives for the residential housing market
HR1901 – To provide for a comprehensive study by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to assess the water management, needs, and conservation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System.
HR1900 – To provide for emergency deployments of United States Border Patrol agents and to increase the number of DEA and ATF agents along the international border of the United States to increase resources to identify and eliminate illicit sources of firearms into Mexico for use by violent drug trafficking organizations and for other lawful activities and for other purposes. [This really about gun control and the war on drugs.]
HR1899 – To extend Federal recognition to the Muscogee Nation of Florida
HR1898 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under the Medicare Program for consultations regarding orders for life sustaining treatment and to provide grants for the development and expansion of programs for such orders.
HR1897 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes.
HR1896 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that installment sales treatment shall not fail to apply to property acquired for conservation purposes by a State or local government or certain tax-exempt organizations merely because purchase funds are held in a sinking or similar fund pursuant to State law.
HR1895 – To provide driver safety grants to States with graduated driver licensing laws that meet certain minimum requirements.
HR1894 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and increase utilization of, bone mass measurement benefits under the Medicare part B program.
HR1893 – To prohibit any person which sells to or otherwise disposes of any asset through a public-private investment program, including the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, from purchasing or otherwise acquiring any other asset from or through such programs, and for other purposes.
S-826 – A bill to promote renewable energy, and for other purposes
S-827 – A bill to establish a program to reunite bondholders with matured unredeemed United States savings bonds.
S-828 – A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide loan guarantees for projects to construct renewable fuel pipelines, and for other purposes.
SCR17 – A concurrent resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of a bust of Sojourner Truth.
SR100 – A resolution expressing the support of the Senate for the establishment of an Urban Youth Sport Initiative in partnership with the United States Olympic Committee.
HCR96 – Recognizing the importance of autism awareness, supporting efforts to increase funding for research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.
HCR98 – Recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change.
S-781 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for collegiate housing and infrastructure grants.
S-782 – A bill to provide for the establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System.
S-783 – A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf in the Mid-Atlantic and North Atlantic planning areas.
S-784 – A bill to provide for the recognition of certain Native communities and the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes.
S-785 – A bill to establish a grant program to encourage retooling of entities in the timber industry in Alaska, and for other purposes.
S-786 – A bill to authorize a grant program to provide for expanded access to mainstream financial institutions.
S-787 – A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over waters of the United States.
S-789 – A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation in the State of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.
S-790 – A bill to improve access to health care services in rural, frontier, and urban undeserved areas in the United States by addressing the supply of health professionals and the distribution of health professionals to areas of need.
S-791 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out programs and activities to improve highway safety.
S-792 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the National Program of Cancer Registries by expanding data collection and allowing data sharing for public health objectives, while preserving the confidentiality of patients, and for other purposes.
S-793 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.
S-795 – A bill to amend the Social Security Act to enhance the social security of the Nation by ensuring adequate public-private infrastructure and to resolve to prevent, detect, treat, intervene in, and prosecute elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and for other purposes.
S-796 – A bill to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes.
S-797 – A bill to amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response to, crimes in Indian country, and for other purposes.
S-798 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend existing elective tax treatment for Alaska Native Settlement Trusts.
S-799 – A bill to designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States.
S-802 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Indian tribes to transfer the credit for electricity produced from renewable resources.
S-803 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes.
S-804 – A bill to amend subpart 2 of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish incentives for States to extend the minimum length of the school year to 200 full days by 2014, and for other purposes.
S-805 – A bill to provide for a comprehensive study by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to assess the water management, needs, and conservation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System.
S-808 – A bill to amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act, and for other purposes.
S-809 – A bill to establish a program to provide tuition assistance to individuals who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn. [People out of work are probably busy trying to find another job, anyway.]
S-810 – A bill to establish 4 regional institutes as centers of excellence for research, planning, and related efforts to assess and prepare for the impacts of climate change on ocean and coastal areas and for other purposes.
HR1880 – To establish a system of regulation and supervision for insurers, insurance agencies, and insurance producers chartered or licensed under Federal law that ensures the stability and financial integrity of those insurers, agencies, and producers and that protects policyholders and other consumers served by such insurers, agencies, or producers.
HR1881 – To enhance the transportation security functions of the Department of Homeland Security by providing for an enhanced personnel system for employees of the Transportation Security Administration, and for other purposes.
HR1882 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to provide safeguards for credit card holders whose accounts were, or are about to be, terminated for inactivity, and for other purposes.
HR1883 – To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a demonstration grants program to provide for certain patient coordination, outreach, and assistance services to reduce barriers to receiving health care and improve health care outcomes.
HR1884 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of optometrists in the National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs, and for other purposes.
HR1886 – To authorize democratic, economic, and social development assistance for Pakistan, to authorize security assistance for Pakistan, and for other purposes.
HR1888 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax to vehicle fleet operators for purchasing tires made from recycled rubber.
HR1889 – To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reserve funding for American Samoa, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
HR1890 – To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to increase the percentage of State revolving loan funds reserved for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
S-811 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote mental and behavioral health services for underserved populations.
S-812 – Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act: to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the special rule for contributions of qualified conservation contributions.
S-813 – A bill to amend the National Labor Relations Act to apply the protections of the Act to teaching and research assistants.
S-814 – A bill to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of land held by the Bureau of Prisons of the Department of Justice in Miami Dade County, Florida, to facilitate the construction of a new educational facility that includes a secure parking area for the Bureau of Prisons, and for other purposes.
S-817 – A bill to establish a Salmon Stronghold Partnership program to conserve wild Pacific salmon and for other purposes.
S-818 – A bill to reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001, and for other purposes.
S-819 (also HR1878) – A bill to provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
S-820 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the automobile assistance allowance for veterans, and for other purposes.
S-822 – A bill to support the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, and for other purposes.
S-823 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a 5-year carryback of operating losses, and for other purposes.
S-824 – A bill to establish a Jobs Creation Coordinator in the Department of Commerce to ensure that agencies in the Department use resources in a manner that maximizes the maintenance and creation of jobs in the United States, and for other purposes.
HR1906 – To permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of the State of California, and for other purposes.
HR1908 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for property certified by the Environmental Protection Agency under the WaterSense program.
HR1913 – To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.
HR1914 – To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide for the suspension of each provision of the Act during periods of drought with respect to Federal and State agencies that manage Federal river basins that are located in each region affected by the drought.
HR1915 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for expanded coverage of paramedic intercept services under the Medicare Program.
HR1916 – To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to provide for a revised schedule of price increases for the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, popularly known as the “Duck Stamp”, and for other purposes.
HR1917 – To establish the Centennial Historic District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.
HR1871 – To designate certain counties in the State of Arizona as high-intensity drug trafficking areas.
HR1874 – To provide Federal contracting preferences for, and a reduction in the rate of income tax imposed on, Patriot corporations, and for other purposes.
HR1876 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the incorporation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles in military construction projects carried out in the United States or overseas, to require a specific goal regarding the use of renewable energy sources on all military installations, and for other purposes.
HR1877 – To amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act, and for other purposes.
HR1938 – To amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Public Health Service Act to set standards for medical diagnostic equipment and to establish a program for promoting good health, disease prevention, and wellness and for the prevention of secondary conditions for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes.
HR1939 – To direct the Attorney General to establish a system of background checks for employers and employees of the electronic life safety and security system installation and monitoring industry, and for other purposes.
HR1940 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Wellness Trust
HR1941 – To allow for additional flights beyond the perimeter restriction applicable to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
HR1944 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the subpart F exemption for active financing income.
HR1887 – To establish a Presidential Commission on Women, and for other purposes [WTF?]
HR1946 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to address health workforce shortages
HR1947 – To regulate certain deferred prosecution agreements and nonprosecution agreements in Federal criminal cases.
HCR95 – Recognizing the importance of the Department of Agriculture Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges.
HR1949 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for elementary and secondary school teachers.
HR1950 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for professional school personnel in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 through 12.

Each bill introduced takes countless hours to be drafted, typed up, disseminated, put through the various stages of the process, all costing time and money. So even if the bill seems minor, such as SR85 (”Congratulating…”), it costs you money. Do you want your tax dollars being spent on this stuff?

Please take a couple of minutes out of your day to contact your representatives via telephone simply to tell them that you support or oppose a particular bill. It’ll most likely take you less than two minutes, and it’s so very important that we stand up to our increasingly tyrannical government.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 20)

Mike Miller — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:08:01 +0000

Yesterday in Congress, sixty-five new bills were introduced. Due to recent controversy, and for those who start reading this series of articles in the middle, I will include the following boilerplate information in every article.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government:

S-759 – A bill to amend the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to reauthorize a provision relating to additional contract authority for States with Indian reservations.
S-760 – A bill to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the “National World War I Memorial”.
S-761 – A bill to establish the World War I Centennial Commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.
S-762 – A bill to promote fire safe communities and for other purposes.
S-763 – A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to authorize temporary mortgage and rental payments.
S-764 – A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to increase the maximum amount of assistance to individuals and households.
S-769 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and increase utilization of, bone mass measurement benefits under the Medicare part B program.

S-774 – A bill to enhance the energy security of the United States by diversifying energy sources for onroad transport, increasing the supply of energy resources, and strengthening energy infrastructure, and for other purposes.
HR1840 – To ensure States receive adoption incentive payments for fiscal year 2008 in accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
HR1840 – To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Small Business Administration’s entrepreneurial development programs, and for other purposes.
S-770 (also HR1850) – A bill to amend titles V, XVIII, and XIX of the Social Security Act to promote cessation of tobacco use under the Medicare program, the Medicaid program, and the maternal and child health services block grant program.
S-771 (also HR1860) – A bill to provide certain counties with the ability to receive television broadcast signals of their choice.
HR1855 – To promote industry growth and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes.
HR1856 – To reauthorize the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
S-776 – A bill to assist in creating substantive culture change in long-term residential care by establishing a small house nursing home loan program to provide for the establishment, renovation, and construction of small house nursing homes.
S-777 – A bill to promote industry growth and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes.
S-779 – A bill to amend titles 23 and 49, United States Code, to modify provisions relating to the length and weight limitations for vehicles operating on Federal-aid highways, and for other purposes.
S-780 – A bill to amend the Andean Trade Preference Act to add Paraguay to the list of countries that are eligible to be designated as beneficiary countries and ATPDEA beneficiary countries.
HR1863 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a tax on the amount of wages in excess of the contribution and benefit base, and for other purposes.
SR97 – A resolution designating June 1, 2009, as “Collector Car Appreciation Day” and recognizing that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States.
HR317 – Recognizing the region from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbia, Missouri, as the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, and for other purposes.
S-767 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants or contracts for prescription drug education and outreach for healthcare providers and their patients.
HR313 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Works Week, and for other purposes
HR314 – Honoring and saluting Hillerich & Bradsby Co. on the 125th anniversary of the Louisville Slugger.
S-768 – A bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldiers from the United States who were prisoners of war at Bataan during World War II.
HR318 – Recognizing July 2009 as “Energy Independence Month” and encouraging awareness and promoting education on energy independence in the United States.
HR1834 – To amend the Small Business Act to expand and improve the assistance provided to Indian tribe members, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, and for other purposes.
HR1835 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage alternative energy investments and job creation.
HR1837 – To amend the Andean Trade Preference Act to add Paraguay to the list of countries that are eligible to be designated as beneficiary countries and ATPDEA beneficiary countries.
HR1838 – To amend the Small Business Act to modify certain provisions relating to women’s business centers, and for other purposes.
HR1839 – To amend the Small Business Act to improve SCORE, and for other purposes
HR1841 – To amend the Clean Air Act to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury emissions, and for other purposes
HR1843 – To provide a mechanism for a determination on the merits of the claims brought by survivors and descendants of the victims of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Race Riot of 1921 but who were denied that determination.
HR1844 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of comprehensive cancer care planning under the Medicare Program and to improve the care furnished to individuals diagnosed with cancer by establishing a Medicare hospice care demonstration program and grants programs for cancer palliative care and symptom management programs, provider education, and related research.
HR1845 – To amend the Small Business Act to modernize Small Business Development Centers, and for other purposes.
HR1846 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish additional payday loan disclosure requirements and preempt certain State laws, and for other purposes.
HR1847 – To require the inclusion of coal-derived fuel at certain volumes in aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel.
HR1848 – To provide funding for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation for mortgage foreclosure mitigation activities.
HR1849 – To designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial, to establish the World War I centennial commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.
HR1852 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4282 Beach Street in Akron, Ohio, as the “Akron Veterans Memorial Post Office”.
HR1853 – To clarify the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir, and for other purposes.
HR1854 – To amend the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to modify an environmental infrastructure project for Big Bear Lake, California.
HR1859 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants or contracts for prescription drug education and outreach for healthcare providers and their patients.
HR315 – Supporting the goals and ideals of Alcohol Awareness Month.
HR1862 – To cap the emissions of greenhouse gases through a requirement to purchase carbon permits, to distribute the proceeds of such purchases to eligible individuals, and for other purposes.

Each bill introduced takes countless hours to be drafted, typed up, disseminated, put through the various stages of the process, all costing time and money. So even if the bill seems innocuous, such congratulatory ones, it costs you money. Do you want your tax dollars being spent on this stuff?

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 19)

Mike Miller — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:32:41 +0000

Yesterday in Congress, fifty-four new bills were introduced. Due to recent controversy, and for those who start reading this series of articles in the middle, I will include the following boilerplate information in every article.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government [as always, my commentary will appear in red]:

S-753 – A bill to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of children’s food and beverage containers composed of bisphenol A, and for other purposes. [What's the purpose of this? There's already S-593. See my comments here about this issue.]
S-754 – A bill to provide for increased Federal oversight of methadone treatment/
HR308 – Honoring the life, legacy, and memory of Pedro Pablo Zamora y Diaz, an extraordinary educator and activist, and a pioneer in the battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
HR309 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that North Korea should immediately stop any hostile rhetoric and activity towards the Republic of Korea and engage in mutual dialogue to enhance inter-Korean relations.
HR310 – Honoring the life of Coach Kay Yow in remembrance of her passing, and recognizing her dedication to the sport of basketball, her commitment to women and women’s health, and her contributions to the State of North Carolina.

S-755 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Cancer Institute to make grants for the discovery and validation of biomarkers for use in risk stratification for, and the early detection and screening of, ovarian cancer.
S-756 – A bill to provide for prostate cancer imaging research and education
S-757 – A bill to amend the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to expand the category of individuals eligible for compensation, to improve the procedures for providing compensation, and to improve transparency, and for other purposes.
SCR15 – A concurrent resolution commending the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Arkansas National Guard upon its completion of a second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
HR1806 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives to encourage investment in the expansion of freight rail infrastructure capacity and to enhance modal tax equity.
HR1807 – To provide distance learning to potential and existing entrepreneurs, and for other purposes.
HR1808 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for consumer rebates for purchases of certain new passenger motor vehicles.
HR1809 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the geographical coverage of TRICARE Prime to include Puerto Rico and Guam.
HR1810 – To open Federal Bureau of Land Management and National Forest lands to leasing for exploration, development, and production of oil shale resources, and for other purposes.
HR1811 – To authorize the President to review and approve oil and gas exploration, development, and production projects under existing Federal oil and gas leases, both onshore and offshore, and to limit administrative and judicial proceedings with respect to such projects, upon finding that such a project complies with all applicable Federal laws, and for other purposes. [The Congress is authorizing the president to do something? What gives either of them the right to do it in the first place? Certainly not the supreme law of the land, the Constitution.]
HR1812 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce the recovery periods for certain energy production and distribution facilities.
HR1813 – To terminate or provide for suspension of the application of Federal laws that restrict exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or oil shale, to facilitate the construction of new crude oil refineries, and for other purposes.
HR1814 – To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to extend the discretionary spending limits through fiscal year 2014, to extend paygo for direct spending, and for other purposes. [What a travesty. It's considered tyranny when a controlling body can remove limits on themselves.]
HR1815 – To clarify the applicability of certain provisions in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, and for other purposes.
HR1816 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Cancer Institute to make grants for the discovery and validation of biomarkers for use in risk stratification for, and the early detection and screening of, ovarian cancer.
HR1819 – To amend the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 to extend the interoperable emergency communications grant program through fiscal year 2012.
HR1820 – To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the “Cesar E. Chavez Post Office”.
HR1821 – To amend chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, to increase vocational rehabilitation and employment assistance, and for other purposes.
HR1822 – To prohibit discrimination against the unborn on the basis of sex or race, and for other purposes. [As if a law could prevent discrimination!]
HR1824 – To provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes.
HR1828 – To amend the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to expand the category of individuals eligible for compensation, to improve the procedures for providing compensation, and to improve transparency, and for other purposes.
HR1829 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize physical therapists to evaluate and treat Medicare beneficiaries without a requirement for a physician referral, and for other purposes.
HR1832 – To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the increase in premium costs for beneficiaries under the Medicare prescription drug program to no more than the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, and to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
HJR42 – Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to parental rights. [Well now, this one sounds interesting. I like the overall intent of this Constitutional amendment, but I'm not so sure about the qualification noted in Section 2, which I'm sure would be used for any violation of the intent of this amendment. Anyway, since when are any of our rights respected?]
HR311 – Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of Red Cross Month.
HR302 – Honoring and recognizing the life and achievements of John Hope Franklin, one of the Nation’s most distinguished scholars.
SR92 – A resolution honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez
SR93 – A bill supporting the mission and goals of 2009 National Crime Victim’s Rights Week, to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States, and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984.
HR1817 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the “John S. Wilder Post Office Building”.
HR1827 – To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for the establishment of a flexibility incentive grant program.
S-745 – A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Magna Water District water reuse and groundwater recharge project, and for other purposes.
S-746 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri. [It's one thing to support our veterans, but if you look at the deluge of constant bills introduced every day in support of veteran's benefits and services, it's clear it's getting out of control. At some point, enough is enough...]
S-748 – A bill to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the “Cesar E. Chavez Post Office”.
S-749 – A bill to improve and expand geographic literacy among kindergarten through grade 12 students in the United States by improving professional development programs for kindergarten through grade 12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education.
S-750 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to attract and retain trained health care professionals and direct care workers dedicated to providing quality care to the growing population of older Americans.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 18)

Mike Miller — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:22:08 +0000

Yesterday in Congress, fifty-one new bills were introduced. Due to recent controversy, and for those who start reading this series of articles in the middle, I will include the following boilerplate information in every article.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government [as always, my commentary will appear in red]:

HCR89 – Supporting the goals and objectives of the Prague Conference on Holocaust Era Assets.
HCR86 – Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of a bust of Sojourner Truth.
HCR87 – Observing the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide and calling on all responsible nations to uphold the principles of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
HR298 – Congratulating the on-premise sign industry for its contributions to the success of small businesses.
HR299 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that public servants should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the Nation during Public Service Recognition Week, May 4 through 10, 2009, and throughout the year.
HR300 – Congratulating Camp Dudley YMCA of Westport, New York, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.
HR301 – Honoring the life of Dr.John Hope Franklin

HR1774 – To incorporate smart grid capability into the Energy Star Program, to reduce peak electric demand, to reauthorize energy efficiency public information program to include Smart Grid information, and for other purposes.
HR1775 – To provide support to develop career and technical education programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy.
HR1776 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the development of quality measures for inpatient hospital services, to implement a performance-based payment methodology for the provision of such services under the Medicare Program, and for other purposes.
HR1778 – To provide for the establishment of national energy and environmental building retrofit policies for both residential and commercial buildings, and for other purposes.
HR1779 – To provide for resources for the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, and for other purposes.
HR1780 – To amend the Clean Air Act to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions through transportation efficiency.
HR1781 – To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a sustainability workforce training and education program.
HR1782 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to protect consumers from certain practices in connection with the origination of consumer credit transactions secured by the consumer’s principal dwelling, and for other purposes.
HR1783 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage investment in certain industries by providing an exclusion from tax on certain gains.
HR1784 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage the purchase of residential property by providing an exclusion from tax on certain gains.
HR1785 – To expedite adjudication of employer petitions for aliens of extraordinary artistic ability.
HR1786 – To establish a Best-in-Class Appliances Deployment Program
HR1787 – To amend the Clean Air Act regarding transportation fuels and establishment of a low carbon fuel standard.
HR1789 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives to encourage investment in the expansion of freight rail infrastructure capacity and to enhance modal tax equity.
HR1790 – To reduce global greenhouse gas emissions resulting from land conversion and deforestation in developing countries, to provide incentives for developing countries to increase forest carbon stocks, and for other purposes.
HR1791 – To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize certain aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree from a United States institution of higher education in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics to be admitted for permanent residence and to be exempted from the numerical limitations on H-1B nonimmigrants.
HR1792 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide recruitment and retention incentives for volunteer emergency service workers.
HR1794 – To provide incentives to reduce dependence on foreign oil
HR1795 – To provide for the establishment of an Offsets Integrity Advisory Board, and for other purposes.
HR1796 – To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to require residential carbon monoxide detectors to meet the applicable ANSI/UL standard by treating that standard as a consumer product safety rule, to encourage States to require the installation of such detectors in homes, and for other purposes.
HR1797 – To reform certain provisions of section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to make compliance with that section more efficient, with the goal of maintaining United States capital market global competitiveness. [The only appropriate "reform" for this heinous law would be to repeal it.]
HR1799 – To amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to vehicle weight limitations applicable to the Interstate System, and for other purposes.
HR1801 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a 70 percent tax on certain compensation received from certain companies receiving Federal bailout funds.
HR297 – Recognizing May 25, 2009, as National Missing Children’s Day
S-735 – A bill to ensure States receive adoption payments for fiscal year 2008 in accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
S-737 – A bill to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to conduct research, development, and demonstration to make biofuels more compatible with small nonroad engines, and for other purposes.
S-738 – A bill to amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to assure meaningful disclosures of the terms of rental-purchase agreements, including disclosures of all costs to consumers under such agreements, to provide certain substantive rights to consumers under such agreements, and for other purposes.
S-739 – A bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study drywall imported from China in 2004 through 2007, and for other purposes.
S-740 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the homebuyer tax credit, and for other purposes. [All these "tax credits" may sound good, but tinking with an unethical looting operation isn't the best solution. Plus, things like this are simply designed to control the way you act, and usually have disastrous consequences.]
S-742 – A bill to expand the boundary of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, to redesignate the unit as a National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
S-743 – A bill to require air carriers to provide training for flight attendants and gate attendants regarding serving alcohol, recognizing intoxicated passengers, and dealing with disruptive passengers, and for other purposes.
SR90 – A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Fifth Summit of the Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17, 18, and 19, 2009.
SR91 – A resolution calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to take action on issues relating to drywall imported from China.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 17)

Mike Miller — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:23:33 +0000

Yesterday in Congress, a whopping seventy-eight new bills were introduced. Due to recent controversy, and for those who start reading this series of articles in the middle, I will include the following boilerplate information in every article.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Only due to politician’s greed and overwhelming desire for power does the Constitution get relegated to the trash heap.

So, despite the noble intentions of many of these bills, it doesn’t mean they are legal.

Of the bills introduced yesterday, these are ones that are clearly not legitimate functions of the Federal Government [as always, my commentary will appear in red]:

HR293 – Commending Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils for breaking the National Hockey League all time regular season wins record. [I'm glad our "public servants" have nothing more important to do...]
SR86 – A resolution designating April 18, 2009, as “National Auctioneers Day” [Are you kidding me?]
SR87 – A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that public servants should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the Nation during Public Service Recognition Week, May 4 through 10, 2009. [Oh, that is rich!]
HR1728 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to reform consumer mortgage practices and provide accountability for such practices, to provide certain minimum standards for consumer mortgage loans, and for other purposes. [There is already way too much red time when buying a house. Whatever happened to caveat emptor?]
HR1729 – To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide for the treatment of institutions of higher education as voter registration agencies.
HR1730 – To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 with respect to electric vehicle infrastructure.
HR1731 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to require any creditor who transfers, sells, or conveys certain residential mortgage loans to third parties to retain an economic interest in a material portion of the credit risk for any such loan, and for other purposes.
HR1732 – To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for standards for energy efficient outdoor lighting.

HR1735 – To amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the direct payment of attorney fees to the attorney representing a prevailing party in certain Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income claims, and for other purposes.
HR1736 – To provide for the establishment of a committee to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals.
HR1738 – To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the city of Downey, California, regional wastewater treatment and reclamation facility projects.
HR1740 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase awareness of the risks of breast cancer in young women and provide support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer.
HR1742 – To establish a program to deploy and integrate plug-in electric drive vehicles in multiple regions.
HR1743 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the renewable energy credit, and for other purposes.
HR1744 – To amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to assure meaningful disclosures of the terms of rental-purchase agreements, including disclosures of all costs to consumers under such agreements, to provide certain substantive rights to consumers under such agreements, and for other purposes.
HR1745 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide liability protections for volunteer practitioners at health centers under section 330 of such Act.
HR1746 – To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to reauthorize the pre-disaster mitigation program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
HR1747 – To authorize appropriations for the design, acquisition, and construction of a combined buoy tender-icebreaker to replace icebreaking capacity on the Great Lakes.
HR1748 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to enhance the investigation and prosecution of mortgage fraud and financial institution fraud, and for other purposes.
HR1749 – To provide assistance to owners of manufactured homes constructed prior to 1976 to purchase Energy Star qualified manufactured homes.
HR1751 (also S-729) – To amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit States to determine State residency for higher education purposes and to authorize the cancellation of removal and adjustment of status of certain alien students who are long-term United States residents and who entered the United States as children, and for other purposes.
HR1754 – To create a systemic risk monitor for the financial system of the United States, to oversee financial regulatory activities of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
HR1755 – To award grants to States to establish, enhance, or expand high-quality preschool programs for children ages 3 through 5 in rural areas.
HR1756 – To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Microloan program, and for other purposes.
HR1760 – To mitigate the effects of black carbon emissions in the United States and throughout the world.
HR1764 – To require that amounts of assistance provided to financial institutions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program of the Secretary of the Treasury that are returned be used only for assistance for homeowners in accordance with the Making Home Affordable Program of the Secretary.
HR1765 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to payment for the furnishing of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) in a patient’s home for the treatment of primary immune deficiency diseases and to cover certain disposable pumps as durable medical equipment in place of non-disposable pumps under the Medicare Program.
HR1766 – To amend title 40, United States Code, to authorize the use of Federal supply schedules for the acquisition of environmentally preferable “green” commodities and services and certain other related items by State and local governments.
HCR84 – Supporting the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month
HR1768 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for replacing an automobile with a more fuel-efficient automobile.
HR1769 – To expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes.
HR1770 (also S-723) – To amend the National Dam Safety Program Act to establish a program to provide grant assistance to States for the rehabilitation and repair of deficient dams.
HR1771 – To reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
HR1773 – Valerie Plame Wilson Compensation Act
HCR83 – Expressing the sense of Congress that a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the Navy, either the aircraft carrier designated as CVN-79 or the aircraft carrier designated as CVN-80, should be named the U.S.S. Barry M. Goldwater.
HR1727 – To establish guidelines and incentives for States to establish criminal arsonist and criminal bomber registries and to require the Attorney General to establish a national criminal arsonist and criminal bomber registry program, and for other purposes.
HR1750 – To provide for the use of information in the National Directory of New Hires in enforcing sex offender registration laws.
HR1757 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage increased access to alternative fuels.
HR1758 – To provide for the establishment of a commission to stimulate and engage in an informed, national, and public dialogue about how to ensure that each student in the United States receives an equitable education that enables the student to achieve his or her maximum academic potential.
HR1759 – To distribute emission allowances under a domestic cap-and-trade program to facilities in certain domestic energy-intensive industrial sectors and subsectors to prevent an increase in greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing facilities located in countries without commensurate greenhouse gas regulation, and for other purposes.
S-712 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the Medicare program for beneficiaries residing in rural areas.
S-714 – A bill to establish the National Criminal Justice Commission
S-715 – A bill to establish a pilot program to provide for the preservation and rehabilitation of historic lighthouses.
S-716 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to preserve care for ventilator-dependent patients.
S-718 – A bill to amend the Legal Services Corporation Act to meet special needs of eligible clients, provide for technology grants, improve corporate practices of the Legal Services Corporation, and for other purposes.
S-719 – A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to notify surface estate owners in cases in which the leasing of Federal minerals underlying the land are to be used for oil and gas development.
S-721 – A bill to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Ricer and Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes.
S-723 – A bill to prohibit the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of novelty lighters, and for other purposes.
S-726 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the licensing of biosimilar and biogeneric biological products, and for other purposes.
S-727 – A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain conduct relating to the use of horses for human consumption.
S-733 – A bill to ensure the continued and future availability of life saving trauma health care in the United States and to prevent further trauma center closures and downgrades by assisting trauma centers with uncompensated care costs, core mission services, and emergency needs.
S-717 – A bill to modernize cancer research, increase access to preventative cancer services, provide cancer treatment and survivorship initiatives, and for other purposes.
HR1761 – To amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to restrict the use of TARP funds for domestic purposes.
HR288 – Recognizing the importance of park and recreation facilities and expressing support for the designation of the month of July as “National Park and Recreation Month”.
HR290 – Honoring the lives, and mourning the loss, of Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege, members of the Oakland Police Department in California who were brutally slain in the line of duty.
HR291 – Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day.
HR292 – Congratulating the on-premise sign industry for its contributions to the success of small businesses on the occasion of its 63rd Annual International Sign Expo.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 14)

Mike Miller — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:28:53 +0000

Continuing our series on taking a look at the many bills that are introduced into Congress each day, yesterday was relatively light compared to previous days, with thirty-two new bills introduced. The following are some that were obviously unconstitutional, or just plain asinine:

SR81 – A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day.
HCR77 (also SCR12) – Recognizing and honoring the signing by President Abraham Lincoln of the legislation authorizing the establishment of collegiate programs at Gallaudet University. [What? A Congress in 2009 is giddy over some legislation from the mid 1800's?]
HR274 – Expressing support for designation of March as National Nutrition Month
HR1676 – To prevent tobacco smuggling, to ensure the collection of all tobacco taxes, and for other purposes. [The only reason people are smuggling tobacco products is because of the outrageous taxes on them. Repeal all taxes and the black market will disappear. Simple!]
HR1675 – To amend section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to improve the program under such section for supportive housing for persons with disabilities.
HR1674 – To amend the National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act to allow for the treatment of the nonprofit corporation affiliate of the Bank as a community development financial institution for purposes of the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994.
HR1673 – To amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 with respect to bonus payments. [Add this one to the seven or eight other bills to do the same thing...]
HR1672 (also S-668) – To reauthorize the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act to promote the protection of the resources of the Northwest Straits, and for other purposes.
HR1671 – To understand and comprehensively address the oral health problems associated with methamphetamine use.
HR1670 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide individuals with disabilities and older Americans with equal access to community-based attendant services and supports, and for other purposes.
HR1669 – To require the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a market for municipal securities, to require cooperation between the Secretary and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in addressing the municipal securities market situation including through the establishment of municipal securities funding facilities, and for other purposes. [The concept of municipal securities is unconstitutional, as well as the Federal Reserve Act (which created the Federal Reserve)...]
HR1666 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish an auction and revenue collection mechanism for a carbon market that ensures price stability with environmental integrity.
HR1664 – To amend the executive compensation provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards.

HR1663 – To require State and local law enforcement agencies to determine the immigration status of all individuals arrested by such agencies for a felony, to require such agencies to report to the Secretary of Homeland Security when they have arrested for a felony an alien unlawfully present in the United States, to require mandatory Federal detention of such individuals pending removal in cases where they are not otherwise detained, and for other purposes.
HR1662 – To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require child care providers to provide to parents information regarding whether such providers carry current liability insurance.
HR1661 – To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individuals who may have been exposed to formaldehyde in a travel trailer have an opportunity to register for such registry and receive medical treatment for such exposure, and for other purposes.
HR1660 – To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide a special rule for the period of admission of H-2A nonimmigrants employed as dairy workers and sheepherders, and for other purposes. [Sheepherders? Are you kidding me?]
S-671 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under part B of the Medicare program, and for other purposes.
S-670 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to encourage States to provide pregnant women enrolled in the Medicaid program with access to comprehensive tobacco cessation services.
S-669 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.
S-667 – A bill to amend the Agricultural Adjustment Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from basing minimum prices for Class I milk on the distance or transportation costs from any location that is not within a marketing area, except under certain circumstances, and for other purposes.
S-666 – A bill to prohibit products that contain dry ultra-filtered milk products, milk protein concentrate, or casein from being labeled as domestic natural cheese, and for other purposes.
S-665 – A bill to allow modified bloc voting by cooperative associations of milk producers in connection with a referendum on Federal milk marketing order reform.
S-664 – A bill to create a systemic risk monitor for the financial system of the United States, to oversee financial regulatory activities of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

How is Congress spending its time — and your money? (Part 13)

Mike Miller — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:17:40 +0000

The debauchery on Capitol Hill continues unabated, with an amazing ninety-three new bills introduced yesterday in Congress, many of which attempt to do the same thing. How many of these bills do you think are Constitutional? (Answer: very few). Here are some of the worst:

HR1652 – To require institutions receiving certain assistance from the Troubled Asset Relief Program or the Federal Reserve to have employee bonus payment plans approved in advance of the payments being made. [Each member of Congress must operate in a bubble, and/or they're all hoping for the "credit" if their bill is passed. This is at least the fifth bill on this subject in the past three days!]
HR1656 – To require TARP payments to be conditioned on the top 10 highest wage earners at a company having repaid any bonuses received during the previous 5 fiscal years. [Six! Ok, let's review. We have HR1542 by Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY], HR1572 by Rep. Michael Thompson [D-CA], HR1582 by Rep. Steven LaTourette [R-OH], HR1603 by Rep. Charles Wilson [D-OH], HR1652 by Rep. Christopher Murphy [D-CT], and now this one from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R-CA]. Are these people working in a vacuum? Could the process be any more inefficient?]
HR1650 – To enhance the oversight authority of the Comptroller General of the United States with respect to expenditures under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. [Yet another TARP regulation bill. The full text of the bill is not currently available, so I couldn't tell if it specifically mentions employee bonuses so I could add it to the list above. Why don't these people just come out and admit that this TARP garbage is immoral an unconstitutional in the first place?]
S-651 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose an excise tax on excessive bonuses paid by, and received from, companies receiving Federal emergency economic assistance, to limit the amount of nonqualified deferred compensation that employees of such companies may defer from taxation, and for other purposes. [Number 7, by Sen. Max Baucus [D-MT]…]
HR1649 – To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to reduce the size of core curriculum classes in public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
HR1645 (also S-638) – To provide grants to promote financial and economic literacy. [While I think it's critical that people become more financially and economically literate, government should certainly not be the teacher, or else we'll end up with more Keynesian nitwits that have destroyed our economy to date. Rather, people can take Chris Martenson's Crash Course for free, and read books like Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson and Tom Woods' Meltdown.]
HR1643 (also S-648) – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a prospective payment system instead of the reasonable cost-based reimbursement method for Medicare-covered services provided by Federally qualified health centers and to expand the scope of such covered services to account for expansions in the scope of services provided by Federally qualified health centers since the inclusion of such services for coverage under the Medicare Program.
HR1642 – To provide loans and grants for fire sprinkler retrofitting in nursing facilities.
HR1641 – To amend the National Trails System Act to provide for a study of the Cascadia Marine Trail.
HR1640 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to protect consumers from usury, and for other purposes. [Caveat emptor. The process of buying a home would be much quicker and hassle-free if not for the myriad of regulations and bureaucratic red-tape imposed by the federal, state, and local governments.]

HR1608 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish a national usury rate for consumer credit transactions, and for other purposes.
HR1639 – To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend Federal reimbursement of emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens. [So Rep. Gabrielle Giffords [D-AZ] wants us all to pay for health care services for those who are in this country illegally. What do you think of that?]
HR1637 – To amend the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit universal defaults on credit card accounts, and for other purposes.
HR1636 – To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act with respect to the qualification of the director of food services of a Medicare skilled nursing facility or a Medicaid nursing facility.
HR1635 – To authorize alternatives analysis and preliminary engineering for new Metrorail capital projects in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. [So farmers in Kansas will be forced to help pay for commuter transit in Virginia?]
HR1634 – To amend title 23, United States Code, to extend the period during which States may allow low emission and energy-efficient vehicles to use high occupancy vehicle facilities.
HR1629 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide penalty free distributions and loans from certain retirement plans for the purchase and refinancing of principal residences.
HR1628 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit hardship loans from certain individual retirement plans. [Sounds like a good idea, but why should the government tell you what you can and cannot do with your own money in the first place?]
HR1625 (also S-654) – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to cover physician services delivered by podiatric physicians to ensure access by Medicaid beneficiaries to appropriate quality foot and ankle care.
HR1623 – To protect children from sexual exploitation by mandating reporting requirements for convicted sex traffickers and other sex offenders against minors intending to engage in international travel, providing advance notice of intended travel by high risk sex offenders outside the United States to the government of the country of destination, preventing entry into the United States by any foreign sex offender against a minor, and for other purposes.
HR1622 – To provide for a program of research, development, and demonstration on natural gas vehicles.
HR1621 – To withhold Federal funds from schools that permit or require the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance or the national anthem in a language other than English. [So let's get this straight: The feds confiscate money from the citizens of a state, and then agree to give some back for specific purposes (schooling, in this case). But the local school officials cannot run the school way it deems best for those living in the community; instead, the Feds try to dictate how things will be run by threatening to not give the state their own money back. What a racket!]
HR1619 – To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions for children in group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets.
HR1616 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to permit States the option to provide Medicaid coverage for low-income individuals infected with HIV.
HR1615 – To amend section 435(o) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 regarding the definition of economic hardship.
HR1614 (also S-652) – To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to community health coalitions to assist in the development of integrated health care delivery, and for other purposes.
HR1612 – To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide service-learning opportunities on public lands, help restore the nation’s natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources, train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts, and promote the value of public service.
HR1611 – To amend the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 to repeal a provision prohibiting the use of funds for a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program to allow Mexican-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the United States and Mexico.
HR1610 – To amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to limit the annual percentage rate of interest that may be charged by recipients of financial assistance under such Act with respect to consumer credit card accounts, and for other purposes.
HR1609 – To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Administrator of the Internal Revenue Service to verify income for purposes of determining the eligibility of persons for certain Department of Agriculture payments and benefits, and for other purposes.
HR1607 – To provide for and promote the economic development of Indian tribes by furnishing the necessary capital, financial services, and technical assistance to Indian-owned business enterprises, to stimulate the development of the private sector of Indian tribal economies, and for other purposes.
HR1606 – To establish a new automobile voucher program.
HR1605 – To seek the establishment of and contributions to an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, and for other purposes.
HR1604 – To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to allow all eligible voters to vote by mail in Federal elections. [Each state has absolute jurisdiction over how its elections are handled. And then there's the argument that voting by mail is a very bad idea.]
HR273 – Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy.
HR271 – Recognizing the need to support the development and enforcement of a well-informed national long-term care strategy to solve the problems of cost, quality, and access to long-term care in the home and community, and the imperativeness of including long-term care in the comprehensive health care reform agenda.
HR270 – Recognizing the establishment of Hunters for the Hungry programs across the United States and the contributions of those programs efforts to decrease hunger and help feed those in need.
HR269 – Supporting the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
HR268 – Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of Earth Hour 2009.
HR267 – Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, expressing appreciation to Iranian-Americans for their contributions to society, and wishing Iranian-Americans and the people of Iran a prosperous new year.
HR266 – Celebrating 90 years of United States-Polish diplomatic relations, during which Poland has proven to be an exceptionally strong partner to the United States in advancing freedom around the world.
S-655 – A bill to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to ensure adequate funding for conservation and restoration of wildlife, and for other purposes.
S-662 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for reimbursement of certified midwife services and to provide for more equitable reimbursement rates for certified nurse-midwife services.
S-661 – A bill to strengthen American manufacturing through improved industrial energy efficiency, and for other purposes.
S-660 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to pain care
S-659 – A bill to improve the teaching and learning of American history and civics. [Unless this bill specifically dismantles the entire Department of Education, it is worthless.]
S-656 – A bill to provide for the adjustment of status of certain nationals of Liberia to that of lawful permanent residents.
S-649 – A bill to require an inventory of radio spectrum bands managed by the national telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.
SR79 – A resolution honoring the life of Paul M. Weyrich and expressing the condolences of the Senate on his passing.
S-647 – A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to improve the transparency of information on skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities and to clarify and improve the targeting of the enforcement of requirements with respect to such facilities.
S-646 – A bill to amend section 435(o) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 regarding the definition of economic hardship.
S-643 – A bill to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions for children in group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets.
S-641 – A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to prevent the abuse of dehydroepiandrosterone, and for other purposes.
S-639 – A bill to amend the definition of commercial motor vehicle in section 31101 of title 49, United States Code, to exclude certain farm vehicles, and for other purposes.
SCR11 – A concurrent resolution condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and reaffirming the support of Congress for the mandate of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Ant-Semitism, and for other purposes.

If you don’t know who your Senators are, or how to contact them, click here to found out.

If you don’t know who your Representatives are, or how to contact them, click here to find out.

Ron Paul Shows Some Outrage (The Gaza Slaughter – Epilogue)

Jake Towne — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:53:27 +0000

Congress votes (again) 390-5 to wholeheartedly condemn Hamas and support Israeli military aggression. “This is not in the interest of the United States; it’s not in the interests of Israel either.” – Ron Paul

by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published Sunday, January 11, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article5782.html

WASHINGTON, DC – The House voted on Friday January 9^th to pass House Resolution 34 which can be summed up with this short excerpt: The United States “calls on all nations to lay blame both for the breaking of the calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas.”

Um, I don’t think this will find much support from the peoples of “all nations.” Now, the firing of Hamas’ highly inaccurate rockets into civilian areas is to be condemned. However, let us put things into some perspective here:

The Human Rights Watch reports that for 3 years from 2004-2007, ten (10) Israelis civilians were killed and zero (0) soldiers. Hamas rockets also killed two (2) Palestinian civilians as well. This latest attack was set off by the deaths of three (3) Israeli civilians and one (1) IDF soldier per the AP. So for 4 years, we have roughly (probably a few more) fourteen (14) Israelis dead and a couple Palestinians (most likely by mistake) by Hamas.

In retaliation, the Israelis have killed, at last count 828 Palestinians and wounded another 3,340 just in the latest attacks. Of the dead, it is fair to say that many are not from Hamas, and the claim is 235 children dead, 92 women dead, 62 elderly people dead, four local journalists dead and 12 medics dead per CNN.

This is a major case of overkill, and if one compares the Palestinian dead on a per capita percentage basis, it would be like 177,500 Americans dying over the last couple weeks, which is quite a bit larger than 9/11 (under 3000) and our Iraq-Afghanistan campaigns (about 5000).

Ron Paul repeated the same message as he did in a similar vote in 2008, where he was outvoted 404-1 as I wrote about in Part 5. This time around, four (4) Democrats voted with Paul, notably including Dennis Kucinich. Read this Raw Story article and watch the video, Ron Paul started losing his cool near the end of his 2-minute statement.

Speaking for myself, I probably would have echoed Dr. Paul, but I might have also added this:

As a country born in a righteous-but-bloody revolution of its own against the British, and the wrongful aggressor in the genocide and near-extermination of the indigenous Native American Indian population, America does not condone violence, murder, theft, and rape in any form where peaceful revolution remains a viable option. We believe in the right to self-determination and open, armed rebellion only as a response to onerous, oppressive force, both physical and economical.

In order to disentangle ourselves from this conflict, America should withdraw all government-sponsored military and foreign aid from not only Israel, Palestine, and Hamas, but the rest of the world, especially in light of our current economic situation.

Individual American citizens are encouraged to provide humanitarian aid to the oppressed civilian populations around the world since surely they are unarmed innocents and losers in these conflicts.

Some may even, like Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff and former investment banker Rahm Emanuel, chose to fight on one side or the other. In Rahm’s case, he served as a mechanic for the IDF even though he never served a single day as an American serviceman. However, these individual decisions must not and cannot have any bearing whatsoever on the direction we will take.

America has always been a home for the oppressed as is engraved on our Statue of Liberty:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!“

To all Americans, if you believe this should still hold true today, contact your State legislature as an immigration decision of this type is certainly not a proper decision for your federal government to make as outlined in the Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 1. Perhaps our great country can make room for some of the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians, if they would be willing to leave their ancient lands, which have been defiled by so much killing and destruction for so many years. (poem source and photo)

Hey, that last bit was just a wild idea, I get them all the time, it’s an affliction of free thinkers.

Now, what do you think of it? I live in China, so don’t say we don’t have any room! We can even use our brand-new, government-paid, KBR-built “detention and processing” concentration camps! Heck, KBR even stated they were built in “the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the US, or to support the rapid development of new programs.” I bet there is even a little miniature Statue of Liberty at the gates of each one…. or will it say “Arbeit Macht Frei” instead?

Join the rEVOLution! Why? Well, our version of camping involves tents, some Smores, and star-gazing!

Jake, the Champion of the Constitution [Reach the Author Here!]

PS Try this article! The Top Nolan Chart Articles of 2008

www.CampaignForLiberty.com

www.YALiberty.org

endthefedusa.ning.com

Israeli Conscientious Objectors – The Shministim (The Gaza Slaughter PART 1/6)
Published: January 1, 2009
This series is dedicated to your self-respect. Modern slavery still exists. Just look at Israel – prisons inside and outside Gaza. America, is this what you really want?

Israel Military Bulldozes & Kills American Protester in Gaza (The Gaza Slaughter 2/6)
Published: January 3, 2009
More news you do not hear too much about – the story of Rachel Corrie. Comments are even more welcome than usual!

Israel Military Kills American Protester – An Economic Perspective (The Gaza Slaughter 3/6)
Published: January 3, 2009
As George Bush’s recent comment reveals the usual lack of brain activity in our highest officials, can Austrian economics shed any more light on the Middle East conflict, Rachel Corrie’s death, and even the Shministim?

Cynthia McKinney and the Israeli Attacks on the Dignity and USS Liberty (The Gaza Slaughter 4/6)
Published: January 4, 2009
The recent episode of Cynthia McKinney’s defenseless ship getting rammed by the Israeli Navy reminds me of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty some forty years ago. The story of the men on board the USS Liberty is one that every American should be fully aware of when discussing the Middle East and Israel. And who are the real heroes?

Ron Paul and I Stand Alone on Gaza and Israel (The Gaza Slaughter 5/6)
Published: January 4, 2009
Although outvoted last year in the House by a vote of 404-1 on the Gaza situation, Ron Paul declared America’s tacit blessing for other nations to start violence preemptive wars as intolerable. I agreed in an article on Kosovo where our embassy was attacked. But did you know some Israeli IDF soldiers agree with us?

Deceptions: A Short Essay on Labeling (The Gaza Slaughter PART 6/6)
Published: January 5, 2009
Some thoughts on how labels are used in conversation by human beings and in propaganda by governments, the media and other groups or individuals. If I may be so crass as to quote Shakespeare in Hamlet, “Words, words, words.”

___________________________________________________________________________

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

As always, unlike the NFL, the author grants full permission to allow any accounts of, rebroadcasts, retransmissions, repostings in part or full of this article to your blog or anywhere else in order to promote the Restoration of our Republic.

Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. Veritas vincit. Truth never perishes. Truth hates delay. Truth conquers.

Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito. Do not give in to evil but proceed ever more boldly against it.

“The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Nolan Chart Facebook Group Page Created

Summary of Articles and Bibliography for Jake, the Champion of the Constitution (1/1/2009)

Real ID, Redux?

Mike Miller — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:37:33 +0000

We’ve dicussed the various threats that a national ID card would pose to our civil liberties, mostly with respect to the Real ID Act. With Obama heading into the White House, the Democrat-heavy Congress has been busy introducing 350 new bills, one of which is a secure Social Security card (as reported by Jim Harper at the Cato Institute. Isn’t the Real ID bad enough?

The Ron Paul Paul-O-Meter: BJ Lawson Rated

Marc Gallagher — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:48:24 +0000

When I heard William “BJ” Lawson speak for the first time in person I said to myself, “This is the Ron Paul Republican who can win”. Then I checked out his opponent David Price and immediately thought, “I know Lawson can win.” At first glance, the problem is the heavily Democratic North Carolina district he is in, but if you dig a bit deeper, Lawson is the perfect candidate for a district of this kind. He is not your normal present day Republican. Lawson has the ability to attract those on all sides of the political spectrum much like Ron Paul did during his own campaign.

Below you will discover the Liberty Maven rankings for BJ Lawson on the Paul-O-Meter, where candidates and current lawmakers can be rated on how closely they are in line with Dr. Ron Paul on the issues. To learn about the Paul-O-Meter methodology please see this article. You may also assign your own rankings or request a candidate be added to the system.

Continue reading to see if BJ Lawson truly deserves the moniker “Ron Paul Jr.”

Liberty-based Voting Record – Lawson does not have a voting record; therefore per guidelines the score is a 3. Score: 3
The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy – Lawson supports instituting competing currencies, and badmouths the Federal Reserve any chance he gets. He doesn’t advocate abolishing it, like Ron Paul, but does advocate more transparency and accountability. Score: 4
Foreign Policy and Iraq – Lawson is a non-interventionist and advocates a safe and immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Score: 5
Taxes – Supports efforts to transition to a point when income taxes are unnecessary. Supports some flavor of consumption tax, but has concerns about the Fair Tax. Score: 4
Government Spending – Lawson supports a balanced budget amendment and ending deficit spending. Score: 5
Privacy and Civil Liberties – Lawson says “no thanks” to the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, Real ID, and FISA just like Ron Paul. Score: 5
Immigration – Lawson is against amnesty for illegal aliens and points out that we need to end the welfare/economic incentives that encourage illegal immigration. Score: 5
Gun Control and Second Amendment – Lawson is very close to Ron Paul here. He supports the 2nd Amendment and concealed carry laws, but is not completely explicit on ancillary gun control issues like trigger locks, background checks, and waiting periods. Score: 4
Internet Regulation – Lawson does not support federally regulating Internet gambling. Lawson has stated that he supports Net Neutrality which is not something Ron Paul supports because he views it as more regulation. Score: 2
Adherence To The Constitution – Lawson calls the Constitution the “rule book” for our country. Score: 5
Religion vs. Public Policy – Lawson rarely, if ever, invokes religion in his rhetoric and policy positions. Score: 5
Environment – Lawson advocates utilizing the court system and property rights as a defense for the environment just like Ron Paul. However, he also favors a Carbon tax which Ron Paul does not support. Score: 4
Energy Policy – Lawson supports drilling wherever necessary and also recognizes that it isn’t the only solution. He does not speak out against Nuclear power and suggests we use all means to obtain more energy. Score: 5
U.S. Sovereignty – Lawson does not seem to ever mention the NAU, but does mention protecting U.S. sovereignty. That is not good enough to score points though due to the stringent guidelines for this item. UPDATE: We received word from the Lawson campaign that he is 100% opposed to the NAU, therefore we update his score. Score:5
War On Drugs – Lawson advocates ending the war on drugs, leaving drug regulation to the states, and pardoning non-violent drug offenders just like Paul. Score: 5
Education – Lawson advocates getting rid of the Department of Education and advocates more choice and home schooling. Score: 5
Welfare Programs – Lawson advocates gracefully reducing welfare programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He also advocates ending corporate welfare. Score: 5
Abortion – Lawson is pro-life and will leave the decision of legalizing or prohibiting abortion to the states per the Constitution. Score: 5
Health Care – Lawson is a Ron Paul twin on health care. He is against any nationalized plan and advocates free market approaches and returning medical decisions back to doctors and patients rather than health insurance companies. Score: 5
Ability To Spread The Liberty Message – Lawson hands out pocket Constitutions during his campaign events. He is a very visible candidate campaigning throughout his district in North Carolina. There is no questioning his dedication to the liberty message. Score: 5

William “BJ” Lawson’s final Paul-O-Meter Score: 91 out of 99 possible points.

It is hardly surprising that Lawson achieved such a high score. It is certainly safe to say that BJ Lawson can be honestly called “Ron Paul Jr.”. There were a handful of issues where Lawson could score higher, but the information was either not out there or was too difficult to find. NOTE: We have updated Lawson’s score by +5 (giving him a 91 instead of an 86) because his campaign has informed us that he is 100% against the NAU.

Lawson is a Ron Paul supporter’s best bet to get a liberty-loving Constitutionalist into Congress. We should all pretend we live within Lawson’s district and do everything in our power to help get him elected.

If you disagree with our ratings or would like to rate other candidates and lawmakers feel free to do so on the Paul-O-Meter site. All current representatives (both Senate and House) are in the system, as well as many user-submitted candidates running for office throughout America. Each candidate now also has their very own Paul-O-Meter rating page that can be linked to from all around the web.

The Ron Paul-O-Meter: Under Sarah Palin’s Lipstick

Marc Gallagher — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:39:27 +0000

Sarah Palin In The Land Of McCain's Oz

It is now time to rate the vice presidential candidates on the Paul-O-Meter. We start with John McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin. The perfect strategic pick for McCain, Palin has little history. She’s been Governor of Alaska for less than two years, but now that McCain’s handlers are pulling Palin’s puppet strings it is difficult to see a difference between the two.

Here we examine Palin on 20 issues to see how she stacks up to Ron Paul. Hopefully this will help some see the lips through the lipstick.

If you’d like to see more ratings or rate Palin or any other candidate or lawmaker head on over to Paul-O-Meter.com and explore the possibilities.

If you want to delve into the question of whether Palin truly is similar to Ron Paul read onward.

Liberty-based Voting Record – Palin is a bit wishy washy on her liberty voting record. She supported the infamous “Bridge To Nowhere” first and then changed her position when it became the popular thing to do. She does to a certain extent try to follow the Constitution, for instance she refused to sign a bill from the Alaskan state legislature stating that the Real ID will not be funded in Alaska. She let the signing period expire which ended up making the law pass. So she didn’t exactly stand up for liberty in that case. Score: 3
The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy – Palin hasn’t mentioned this issue thus far. She seems to be taking the same position as McCain so it is hard to tell where she stands on the issue. In any case, she is certainly not like Ron Paul who calls for abolishing the Fed and legalizing competing currencies. Score: 0
Foreign Policy and Iraq – Palin has stated several times her support of going into Iraq before even being chosen as VP. She now has adopted John McCain’s foreign policy of intervention, the polar opposite of Ron Paul. Score: 0
Taxes – She supported lowering taxes in Alaska, but did raise the sales tax. As VP she’s taken John McCain’s promise to lower taxes on businesses to promote job growth. This is tinkering from a Ron Paul perspective. She does not support repealing the 16th amendment nor a consumption tax. Score: 1
Government Spending – She was a champion of curbing spending in Alaska and is continuing the same lines as VP. She hasn’t mentioned reducing the national debt, but has echoed John McCain on earmark reform. Score: 2
Privacy and Civil Liberties – Palin is not quite a friend to Privacy and Civil Liberties. She created “FBI Day” in Alaska to “support fighting global crime”. No word from her on FISA or the Patriot Act. Similar to Ron Paul, she has stated that she doesn’t support hate crime. Because she allowed Alaska to vote to not fund the Real ID she deserves at least a point or two. Score: 2
Immigration – It’s very difficult to find Palin’s stance on immigration. According to Laura Ingraham though who talked with Palin, she disagrees with McCain on “comprehensive immigration reform” which supports amnesty. If true, she is more like Ron Paul on illegal immigration than John McCain. Score: 3
Gun Control and Second Amendment – She is a large advocate of the Second amendment and supporting the repeal of the DC gun ban. Score: 5
Internet Regulation – Palin hasn’t stated anything publicly about internet regulation specifically. There is conjecture that she may support Net Neutrality based on other legislative actions, but that is unreliable. She has promised to not expand “gambling” in Alaska saying it is harmful to society so it is certainly probably she would be for UIGEA which virtually bans online gambling. Given the lack of information we must guess at the score. Score: 2
Adherence To The Constitution – She has voted against her own personal views in Alaska because the bill was unconstitutional. At least with respect to Alaska and her view on gun rights she seems to be a Constitutionalist. Her statements on privacy and civil liberties, though, call into question her stance on the Fourth Amendment. Score: 3
Religion vs. Public Policy – Palin publicly declared that U.S. involvement in the Iraq war was the “will of God”. She also has injected religion into her speeches and statements quite regularly. This is quite opposite to Ron Paul. Score: 0
Environment – She has spoken out against John McCain’s “cap and trade” proposal. She has voted against endangered species legislation in Alaska. She seems to be closer to Ron Paul on this issue than John McCain. Score: 4
Energy Policy – She is a strong advocate for drilling in ANWR and off the U.S. coastlines. She seems to be right in line with Ron Paul here. Score: 5
U.S. Sovereignty – Palin doesn’t seem to have ever mentioned the NAU nor the threat to U.S. Sovereignty. Score: 0
War On Drugs – Palin is a drug warrior like McCain. She doesn’t support legalizing medical marijuana. Score: 0
Education – She doesn’t support abolishing the Department of Education, but she does support school choice and home schooling. Score: 3
Welfare Programs – Palin supports Social Security reform, but is quite short on specifics. It seems she refuses to give a straight answer on this topic. Score: 0
Abortion – She is a mirror of Ron Paul on the abortion issue. Score: 5
Health Care – She seems to echo Ron Paul on health care. She supports competition and putting decisions back in the hands of doctors, not bureaucrats. Score: 5
Ability To Spread The Liberty Message – Palin doesn’t have a liberty message on most topics, revealing that her being a “libertarian” is a complete misnomer. Therefore she doesn’t deserve much of a score here. Score: 1

Sarah Palin’s final Paul-O-Meter Score: 44 out of 99 points.

Those that call Palin “libertarian leaning” are simply mischaracterizing her positions. She’s no libertarian, leaning or otherwise. She is a low fat neo-conservative. She always supported the Iraq War. She is a drug warrior. Obama’s much criticized statement that John McCain in choosing Palin was trying to put “lipstick on a pig” therefore has another meaning. McCain is trying to put “libertarianism” on a “neo-conservative”.

Hopefully, the mindless masses will see what’s behind McCain’s curtain before the end of the movie.

Bob Barr on CNN with Lou Dobbs [Video]

Marc Gallagher — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:38:31 +0000

Bob Barr appeared on CNN this evening with Lou Dobbs. Dobbs asked Barr about some of Dobbs’ own favorite topics including illegal immigration. Barr didn’t disappoint and continues to get major media interviews. What was especially pleasing is that Dobbs didn’t ask about the “spoiler” role. Enjoy it below.