PRO Act, Coronavirus, Voting Rights, Workers Rights, Refineries, Infrastructure, FISA, DOJ, UPS, Rush Limbaugh

Today's News for the Week Prior and Up to March 10, 2020

LIUNA endorses PRO Act
Source: Laborers’ International Union of North America
March 4, 2020
Read LIUNA's letter to Senator Bobby Scott (D-VA) voicing support for H.R. 2474, the Protecting Right to Organize (PRO Act). The right to join a union is critical to ensure workers receive fair pay and benefits and safe jobsites.
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Latta Supports Effort to Combat Coronavirus
Source: U.S. Representative Robert E. Latta (R OH, 5th)
March 4, 2020
Ensuring the American people are safe is the most important job of government. I am relieved House Democrats agreed to put politics aside in order to join House Republicans in providing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and our state and local response efforts the additional tools and supplies they need in order to safely respond to and better prepare for the spread of the coronavirus.
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U.S. Representative Lawrence Votes to Provide $8.3 Billion in Supplement Funding to Combat the Coronavirus
Source: U.S. Representative Brenda Lawrence (D-MI, 14th)
March 4, 2020
“It is of paramount importance that the federal government takes all steps necessary to proactively address the rise in Coronavirus cases in the United States,” stated Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence. “Following President Trump’s underwhelming supplemental funding request, I worked with my colleagues to provide $8.3 billion in new funding to address the Coronavirus, well over the administration’s $2.5 billion request. This is just a first step—I will continue to work with my local, state, and federal partners to ensure all health departments have the information they need to combat the spread of the Coronavirus.”
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Rep. Andy Levin Votes for $8.3 Billion to Combat Coronavirus
Source: U.S. Representative Andy Levin (D-MI, 9th)
March 4, 2020
“There’s a lot that federal, state and local health agencies can do to combat the coronavirus, but only if their efforts are fully funded,” Rep. Levin said. “Today, House Democrats acted quickly to pass a bill that would meet the challenges posed by COVID-19. The $8.3 billion we approved today will ensure that prevention, treatment and vaccine development happen swiftly using any resources necessary to keep families healthy and safe.
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LaMalfa Supports Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Package
Source: U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-CA, 1st)
March 5, 2020
“This package provides the funds necessary for the U.S. to address the virus at home and abroad, including assisting state and local health departments, making diagnostic tests more widely available, investing in the development of a vaccine, and reserving funds to prevent and respond to future diseases. While Americans’ risk of contracting the disease remains low, Congress has taken the right steps to provide for our country’s needs. The Administration has taken the appropriate steps responding to coronavirus so far; I‘m glad that we were able to get this package through.”
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CORONAVIRUS READINESS
Source: U.S. Representative Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL, 5th)
March 5, 2020
Congress cleared an $8.3 billion emergency spending package Thursday that's intended to bolster public health resources as the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country.
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Super Tuesday Minority Voters Were Latest Victims of the Voting Rights Act Gutting
Source: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
March 5, 2020
The calculated effort to suppress the minority vote during Super Tuesday is a danger to our democracy. In my home state of Texas, we heard from hundreds of minority Americans unable to vote due to too many people at too few polls and malfunctioning machines causing long lines. In California, we also saw how a lack of poll workers delayed lines for hours. This is on top of years of blatant attempts to reduce the number of polling sites in places where the Latino and African-American population is growing by the largest numbers through the gutting of the Voting Rights Act.
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Statement On Senate Passage Of The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental
Source: Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D - VT)
March 5, 2020
This week, Congress showed strong, decisive leadership in addressing the novel coronavirus. As Appropriators often do, and as members of Congress proved they are still capable of doing even in the most partisan times, we put our labels aside and came together for the American people.
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Rep. Susie Lee, House Pass Pay Raise, Workplace Protections for TSA Workers
Source: U.S. Representative Susie Lee (D-NV, 3rd)
March 5, 2020
This bill strengthens the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening workforce employees, or Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) workforce, by affording them the same worker rights, protections, and pay-scale guidelines as other federal workers under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. This bill will offer TSOs full collective bargaining rights, opportunities to effectively raise issues in dispute to an independent third party, and subjection to the General Services wage system.
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Lankford, Inhofe Applaud President’s Commitment to Save Blue-Collar Refinery Jobs
Source: Senator James Lankford (R-OK)
March 6, 2020
“We’re encouraged by the reports that the administration will appeal the Tenth Circuit’s decision on small refineries,” the Senators said. “Thousands of blue collar workers’ jobs are at stake if the ruling were to stand. We’re grateful for President Trump’s commitment to the hardworking men and women of small refineries, and look forward to working with the administration to ensure follow through on the President’s decision.”
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LAMB INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN NUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT
Source: U.S. Representative Connor Lamb (D-PA, 17th)
March 9, 2020
Representatives Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Dan Newhouse (WA-4) introduced H.R. 6097, the bipartisan Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act. This bill expands critical research programs at the Department of Energy for a broad range of commercial nuclear reactors, lowering the price of electricity and extending the lifespan of these critical assets. The legislation also encourages the development of new, advanced reactor designs and funds training programs for the next generation of engineers.
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Langevin Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Nation’s Infrastructure Workforce
Source: U.S. Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI, 2nd)
March 9, 2020
Congressional leaders on workforce development and transportation policy introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster the nation’s infrastructure workforce by prioritizing strategic long-term planning and investments in career and technical education (CTE) and on-the-job training. The Transportation Workforce Investment Act aims to create a robust workforce pipeline to meet the growing demand for skilled workers to maintain and upgrade the nation’s aging infrastructure. Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-chair of the Congressional CTE Caucus, was joined by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Members Troy Balderson (R-OH), Angie Craig (D-MN), and co-chair of the Building Trades Caucus, David McKinley (R-WV), in introducing the bill.
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Larson Calls for Infrastructure Package to Boost Economy
Source: U.S. Representative John B. Larson (D-CT, 1st)
March 9, 2020
“Industries across the United States are being impacted by the spread of the COVID-19. Now is the time for Congress to invest in a comprehensive infrastructure package to spur the economy and help support our small and medium-sized businesses across the country. This package must also include medical infrastructure funding to help the United States be more prepared for mass-infections like this. Our roads and bridges are crumbling and this funding is sorely needed. Investing in our infrastructure is one step that we can take to provide economic relief,” said Larson.
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Lee-Leahy Introduce Bipartisan FISA Reform Bill
Source: Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)
March 9, 2020
“Our Founding Fathers knew well the danger of a government with the power to snoop through the private communications of law-abiding Americans. They included the Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights to limit the government’s ability to spy on its citizens,” Sen. Lee said. “This bill brings much needed common sense reforms to our federal government’s foreign surveillance programs so that Americans’ civil liberties are not violated again.”
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Rep. Mike Levin Slams DOJ for Lack of Enforcement on Anti-Patient Brokering Law
Source: U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA, 49th)
March 9, 2020
U.S. Representative Mike Levin slammed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for failing to prosecute any cases under Section 8122 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, a sweeping measure to address our nation’s opioid crisis that also prohibits the abusive practice known as patient brokering in the addiction treatment and recovery industries. In response to Rep. Levin’s August 2019 letter requesting information on any Section 8122 cases, the DOJ notified Rep. Levin last month that they have not identified any cases. The DOJ also misstated that the statute was enacted less than one year ago, when it was actually enacted in October 2018.
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UPS Manager Continues Punishing Drivers for Prayer Meetings
Source: God Inspires
March 10, 2020
In spite of scrutiny, the United Parcel Service (UPS) Myrtle Beach, SC Center manager is now retaliating against employees who sought to voluntarily pray together before work, in the form of strict application of work “rules” and harassment, in response to attention over the prayer meetings.
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UPS Manager Continues Punishing Drivers for Prayer Meetings
Source: God Inspires
March 10, 2020
In spite of scrutiny, the United Parcel Service (UPS) Myrtle Beach, SC Center manager is now retaliating against employees who sought to voluntarily pray together before work, in the form of strict application of work “rules” and harassment, in response to attention over the prayer meetings.
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Silent Victory to a Loud Cause
Source: Shonda Ponder Enterprises
March 10, 2020
I HAVE a sense of pride. No one remembers me or my contribution. No one believes all I had experienced during that time. No one will ever know the sacrifices I made to launch those who were still here fighting the good fight for TRUTH, JUSTICE and LIBERTY FOR ALL. But, I know. And, I will stand proud and applaud that the fight is now bigger than ever. And when Rush Limbaugh received his Medal of Freedom at Trump's Speech, I was working at the Pitt Grill, listening to the speech, and I applauded with tears of joy in that silent restaurant in the middle of the night, having moved on to a new life.
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The Reason Donald Trump Rejected the Memo from the Democrats

On Twitter, Trump tweeted:

The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!

Following news reports that President Trump has blocked the release of the Democratic Memo refuting claims made in the so-called Nunes Memo, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY, 12th) released the following statement:

"After viewing both House Intelligence Committee memos, I can say, without a doubt, that not releasing the Democrats' memo is a great disservice to the American people. While I cannot comment on the details contained in the Democrats' memo because the President has refused to release it, I can say that it eviscerates Mr. Nunes' claims. This politicization of intelligence and quest to discredit the brave men and women of our intelligence and law enforcement communities must stop. Mr. Nunes' and President Trump's behavior are abhorrent and dangerous."

Reactions about the FISA MEMO

President Trump approved the release of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence memo. Below are reactions:

Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL, 20th)

“As the Former Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I am outraged that Republicans wrote a classified memo and then voted to make it public in order to undermine the Mueller investigation. The partisan memo is rife with misrepresentations and inaccuracies, and it was released for purely political reasons against the advice of the FBI and the Justice Department.

“Even more shocking is the fact that House Republicans on the Committee blocked a counter-memo on the same subject from being released, preventing any refutation of their partisan smear-campaign. Their decision to politicize the intelligence and selectively release information to drive a political narrative is extraordinarily reckless, and does a grave disservice to the brave men and women in our Intelligence Community. For weeks, social media accounts linked to Russian networks have saturated the airwaves calling for a release of the memo. I am stunned that Republicans actually fell for it.”

Jeb Hensarling (R-TX, 5th)

“Congress has the constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight over the Executive Branch, and our citizens have the right to be informed on these matters unless doing so would present a true threat to national security. The FBI and Justice Department should be held to the highest standards because of their immense power. We must zealously guard these institutions against being politicized. Evidence of inappropriate and potentially politicized actions by individuals entrusted to enforce and uphold the law should not be withheld from the American people. I look forward to this matter being thoroughly investigated and Congress doing what is necessary to correct any abuses."

Richard Hudson (R-NC, 8th)

“After I read the classified memo, I was very troubled and called for it to be declassified and made public. I’m pleased to see President Donald Trump agrees that the American people should see the facts and judge for themselves. This memo raises grave concerns. First and foremost, an American’s civil liberties may have been violated because it appears intelligence officials may have misled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to obtain a warrant. Secondly, our intelligence community should be impartial and isolated from politics. They must rely on facts – not unverified documents funded by a political party. Now that this information is public, we must continue to work to protect Americans’ civil liberties and make sure any bad actors are held accountable. This is about transparency, which is why I also support the release of the minority’s memo once it is scrubbed of any information that could pose a national security risk.”

Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th)

“This a dangerous and troubling time for our country. The Nunes memo is a misleading, partisan document – not an intelligence document. It is crafted to undermine any real oversight of this administration and to distract from mountains of evidence suggesting the Trump presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government. Even the president’s hand-picked FBI director has opposed the decision to release the memo.

“Donald Trump clearly wishes he was a dictator with no checks and balances. He is waging war against Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s independent investigation – and what are Republicans in Congress doing? Doubling down on the president’s apparent obstruction of justice and circling the wagons.

“It is critical that the Judiciary Committee hear from FBI Director Christopher Wray about this disturbing development. Now is the time for all Americans to stand up against this slide into authoritarianism, and to take action to defend against the unraveling of our democracy by the president and his accomplices in Congress.”

Evan Jenkins (R-WV, 3rd)

“I read the memo once it was made available to House members, and I called immediately for it to be made available to the American public. This is a matter of transparency and accountability, and Americans can now read the findings for themselves.”

Bill Johnson (R-OH, 6th)

I am glad the memo was released today. I read it, and last week called for it to be released. This is just one piece of information; I will be reading the House Democrats’ memo when it is available as well – and it should also be released to the public. I also look forward to reading the FBI Inspector General’s report when it is completed. There is still a lot of information yet to come forward before we get the full picture.

But, the bottom line is that manufactured work products produced from a political process should not be used to obtain warrants to conduct surveillance on American citizens. Using secret documents in a secret court must have the highest safeguards to protect both national security and civil liberties.

The declassified memo contains deeply disturbing allegations. It certainly does appear that the FBI and Department of Justice used a partisan campaign document to get a warrant to spy on a rival campaign, by omitting critical information from the court - like where the still unverified information came from.

Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D - ND)

“The goal of this memo is clear: distraction,” said Heitkamp. “It’s a distraction from a valid, important, and fact-based investigation into Russian interference in our election. It’s a distraction to try to turn the focus of this critical investigation into a smear campaign on law enforcement officers who have dedicated their lives to protecting our national security and keeping American families safe from criminals, terrorists, and other adversaries. And it’s a distraction to create a hyper-political food fight around a non-partisan and independent investigation. This memo is politics at its very worst.

“There is no question that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. That is fact. We know they have interfered in the elections of other countries as well, seeking to create distrust and disorder. Unfortunately, it becomes clearer every day that Russia’s goal of creating chaos and division in the U.S. and delegitimizing our most important institutions is succeeding. This memo is the latest example. It’s past time for Congress and the administration to enable the investigation to determine the facts about Russian interference in our election without political sideshows or pressure and follow the rule of law.”

Senator John Hoeven (R - ND)

“Our Constitution provides for a system of checks and balances between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. These checks are important so that the American people know what their government is doing on their behalf and to keep all branches of government accountable to the people. The memo provides this transparency to the people. The House Intel Committee followed the proper procedure necessary to release the memo, which included getting approval from the Administration after review by the National Security Council. Further, House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated that House Democrats could release their memo as well, provided they follow the steps necessary to do it.”

Note: Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement today regarding the memo, which included the following: “I am glad that this memo helps to provide greater transparency, and I reiterate my support for the similar release of the minority’s memo once it is properly scrubbed of all intelligence sources and methods.”

Reaction to FISA Vote

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act program was initially enacted with the focus of gathering intelligence on foreign actors but was expanded by the USA Patriot Act in 2001 to include surveillance of U.S. citizens.

Note from the editor:

I remember when the Patriot Act was first signed into law. I was one of the few who railed against it because of everything that is being railed against it today. I was attacked from all sides because it was shortly after 9-11 and people would rather give up freedom than security.

Benjamin Franklin once said "He who would give up essential liberty in order to gain a little temporary security deserves neither."

I have not changed my stance on this.

Rod Blum (R-IA, 1st)

“I respect the work of our intelligence community and law enforcement agencies to protect U.S. citizens from harm within the country and overseas, but I cannot support flagrant violations of the Fourth Amendment. I co-sponsored Congressman Amash’s proposed Amendment because I continue to be concerned about unauthorized government intrusion in private communications between U.S. citizens, and I believe this amendment would have addressed these underlying issues such as ensuring proper warrants are in place before obtaining information on U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, this amendment was not included in the final bill, and that is why I voted NO on continuing these unconstitutional surveillance practices.”

Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR, 1st)

“We all want the nation to be secure, but Americans’ privacy rights must not be sacrificed while protecting national security,” said Bonamici. “Our intelligence gathering infrastructure and the laws governing it need to strike a careful balance between national security and an individual’s right to privacy. This bill does not properly achieve that balance. It raises serious concerns about the potential for abusive warrantless searches that would undermine Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. I’m disappointed that the House did not agree to bipartisan reforms to address those concerns.

“In an increasingly connected world, it is critical that the American government respect the privacy rights of Americans while protecting national security. I cannot support reauthorization without stronger safeguards to prevent the unconstitutional collection and use of our private communications.”

Judy Chu (D-CA, 27th)

“FISA includes flaws that were written for a different time. That is why, for years, we have been calling for a fix that would protect our citizens from FISA abuses. The bill that passed the House today is not that fix. While this bill does add new warrant requirements for law enforcement, those requirements are for display only. In fact, the FBI acknowledges that they will almost never be forced to use a warrant under this law to access e-mail or phone calls. This creates a real risk that the private information of American citizens could be handed over to other agencies without having to follow due process. Further, the warrant provision is further weakened by an undefined ‘national security’ exemption so ambiguous that I worry the government will use it to allow a number of purely domestic searches. We must protect the rights and privacy of American citizens.” 

Tom Cole (R-OK, 4th)

“I am extremely pleased that the legislation extending section 702 authority, which is critical to our national security, has been adopted by the House and passed, with my support,” said Cole. “S. 139 allows the federal government to track foreign terrorists on foreign soil. These surveillance activities are crucial to protecting American citizens and our troops stationed abroad.”
 
“I am also satisfied that there are sufficient measures included in the legislation to protect the privacy of American citizens. We have not seen any abuse of section 702 authority by intelligence agencies and law enforcement in the past, and I am confident that they will continue to perform with the highest professional standards in the future.”
 
“The debate over the section 702 authority has been good and healthy. I believe Congress has struck the right balance between protecting civil liberties and protecting our nation’s safety and security in this year’s FISA reauthorization.”

Suzan Delbene (D-WA, 1st)

Our first priority must always be keeping Americans safe and I believe we can find a balance between respecting the Fourth Amendment and protecting our national security. This legislation fails to make the critical reforms needed to address the privacy concerns of Americans, which is why I oppose it.

Keith Ellison (D-MN, 5th)

“In the last several years, we’ve seen Americans' civil rights and civil liberties rolled back, and religious minorities, immigrants and communities of color targeted most acutely. By codifying a warrantless surveillance program into law, and giving the U.S. government access to millions of Americans’ private emails, text messages and phone calls, S. 139 further jeopardizes the privacy rights for those communities, including many within my own district.

We must stand our ground against this continued erosion of our constitutional rights. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to replace this bill with the USA RIGHTS Act, which reinstates essential Fourth Amendment protections."

Blake Farenthold (R-TX, 27th) 

“There are a lot of constitutional and ethical problems with this legislation. It is troubling that despite having a warrant requirement, the exceptions are so broad they eviscerate the rule,” said Congressman Farenthold. “Part of protecting the American people includes protecting their constitutional rights.”

John Faso (R-NY, 19th)

“Failure to extend the FISA Act would put our nation at risk, impacting our ability to investigate terrorist threats – even those which might be an immediate threat. In addition, FISA intelligence is frequently utilized to protect U.S. military forces and diplomatic missions from hostile action by terrorist networks. We cannot let our nation go unprotected against hostile terrorist entities. We must keep this authority, and I was proud to support this legislation today,” 

Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ, 4th)

"My first year in Congress was the first time I was faced with the decision to reauthorize sections of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act (FISA). This law, enacted in 1978, nominally allowed for the collection of foreign intelligence on foreign agents suspected of terroristic activities or espionage. That all sounds legitimate. In concept, this law was intended to allow surveillance and spying on non-citizens who posed a terrorist threat to our country.

"In practice, the law has been repeatedly abused to spy on American citizens. Notable abuses date back to 2002, and most recently, it was used as a political weapon against Donald Trump and his campaign. The reason it can be abused so easily is that the President can authorize spying without a court order. There is a process to get a warrant from a secret tribunal, or FISA court, but this process is merely a rubber stamp.  Out of 22,990 applications for permission to spy between 1979 and 2006, only five were denied. That is the definition of a rubber stamp.  That is not an independent check and balance.

"In 2015, I voted against the USA Freedom Act, which I initially supported as it would have forced the FISA court to be more transparent and curbed the abuses that are still occurring. However, as is often the case, after the House passed a strong bill, the Senate weakened it substantially and I therefore was forced to withdraw my support. The fact that the abuses increased after passage of this law demonstrates my concerns were valid. As I said at the time: 

'The original Freedom Act, of which I’m proud to have been an original cosponsor, would have prevented the federal government from unconstitutionally spying on innocent Americans, ended the bulk collection of private information and required the FISA court, which operates in secrecy, to become more transparent and operate like a real judicial court. These are necessary reforms demanded by Americans and our Constitution. Unfortunately, however, this legislation was changed at the last minute. Key reforms in the original bill were stripped or weakened to such an extent that I could not in good faith continue to support it. I am disappointed that the House accepted this watered down piece of trash, which was endorsed and pushed by the Obama administration and fails to remedy serious government abuses.'

"I am not happy to say I told you so."

"In 2011, I was told I should vote for FISA reauthorization because the government agents had learned their lesson and would never abuse their power again. And they said it again in 2012. And 2013, 2014 and on and on. You get the point. Nothing has changed. Indeed, under Obama (after the so-called reforms), the abuse of this law reached criminal proportions where FISA was weaponized as a political tool to harass, spy and undermine our election process and to (unsuccessfully) help the party in power remain in power through the election of Hillary Clinton. Such spying on U.S. citizens under color of law is illegal and can result in five years in jail. 

"I am not holding my breath for the Trump Department of Justice to convene a grand jury and start the indictment process against the Obama officials who violated the law and the civil rights of Donald Trump and his campaign staff. I can only do what is in my power to do, which is to say enough. 

"I, along with more than 40 of my colleagues, led by Michigan Representative Justin Amash, have championed practical, constitutionally-sound reforms to the FISA program that would allow our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to effectively carry out their mission to keep our country safe while also upholding the bedrock constitutional protections American citizens have been guaranteed since the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. Unfortunately these reforms were not incorporated into the most recent reauthorization bill.

"When I was sworn in as the Representative for Fourth Congressional District of Arizona, I took an oath to defend the Constitution. Allowing warrantless spying on American citizens is a violation of the Constitution. This is why I voted against FISA 702 Reauthorization."

Joseph P. Kennedy, 3rd (D-MA, 4th)

“Balancing the delicate scales of privacy and security for the American people is Congress’s most solemn responsibility. Reauthorizing this surveillance program provided an overdue opportunity to ensure that our intelligence community maintained the tools necessary to keep us safe, while guaranteeing the civil liberties of our citizens. Instead, the bill approved today only slightly improved the status quo and failed to make the meaningful reforms this program required.”

Related news:

FISA, Davidson's Push to Uphold Constitutional Rights