In a July 4th Announcement, Pro-Trump Law Professor Victor Williams Challenges Mark Warner in Virginia U.S Senate

Arlington, VA - July 8, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- On July 4, 2019, attorney and well-known Pro-Trump law professor Victor Williams formally announced his 2020 run for the U.S Senate from Virginia.

Branding his Senate campaign Victor for Williams, his website -- vw4v.com -- states "16 years of Mark 'Russia-Hoaxer' Warner is enough."

Prof. Williams was a very-early 2016 Donald Trump supporter. Williams founded and chairs "Law Professors for Trump" to fight for our 45th President, for America First policies, and for confirmation of Trump nominees.

Williams's group takes this fight to the media and to the federal courts. The independent association of law faculty is now advancing Trump's 2020 re-election.

Professor Williams chose beautiful Occoquan Regional Park, at the Leadership Institute's 49th Annual Conservative July 4th Soiree, for his campaign launch. Virginians from across the state attended the celebrated event.

Williams' early Senate campaign has already seen success. As he announced on July 4th, and as his website (vw4v.com), states its goal:

We seek to 'jumpstart' the GOP Senate nominee selection process to insure that Virginia Republicans have ample time to both raise funds for and unify around the strongest woman or man that emerges from the scrum."

Just four days after Williams' announcement, on July 8th, former congressman Scott Taylor did just that -- formally announcing his decision to run. Williams immediately praised Taylor for his "stellar service to our nation – both in the military and in Congress."

Williams welcomed Taylor to the race and expressed hope that other contenders would begin the race early, saying

"With Republicans unified and working together from the beginning, I know that Mark 'Russia-Hoaxer' Warner will be soundly defeated in November 2020."

At his own July 4th campaign launch, Williams stated that his early campaign launch was also the beginning of a historic effort to appeal to conservative-moderate Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents to reject Warner:

"Working together against Warner, Virginians of all (or no) partisan stripes, can send the DC swamp a populist message -- America First. Stand Proud with President Trump, or Stand Aside.

National Democrats Order Warner to "Jump," and He Responds "How Far Left?"

For years, Mark Warner has dutifully asked "how high?" anytime the national party ordered him to "jump." Now Warner asks: "how far left?"

And Virginians now respond: "16 years of Mark Warner is enough -- way too much!"

Williams is harshly critical of incumbent Warner for following national Democrats in their hard-left lurch to:

*Legalize and Encourage Late-Term Abortion and Post-Birth Infanticide;

*Raise Taxes and Kill Economic Growth with Regulations;

*Open the Southern Border to Mass Alien Inflows (an Invasion by any other name) and then give Illegal Aliens Free Health Care;

*Eliminate Medicare and Perhaps even Private Insurance with Socialist Insurance Schemes;

*Enact Parts of AOC's Green-New-Deal Fantasy that Immediately Kills Virginia's coal Industry;

*Strip-Away American History Memorials, Traditions, and Statutes. Threaten Constitutionally Guaranteed Rights (by restricting free speech, free religious exercise, and individual firearm possession).

Williams says that Warner betrays Virginia values and Virginia voters.

Warner has repeatedly embarrassed Virginia by his absurd anti-Trump slanders, and his partisan Russia-hoax investigations against President Trump, the Trump family and Administration associates.

Like so many elitists suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, Warner just cannot accept the truth. No Collusion. No Obstruction.

Instead, it was Mark Warner who was caught having extensive contacts with a Russian oligarch's lobbyist (March and April of 2017) to gin-up the hoax.

Williams's Senate campaign will explain how ongoing anti-Trump congressional investigations are unconstitutional. They "are just the latest shameful stage in the establishment crusade against disruptive Donald Trump and the 2016 American voters."

Prof. Victor Williams calls for all Virginians to "Stand Proud with President Trump" and defeat Mark 'Russia-Hoaxer' Warner.

Senate Debate Rule Change

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by: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Washington, D.C. - April 4, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the Republican Senate rule change to reduce post-cloture debate on many nominees from 30 hours to two hours:

“Changing the rules is not only unnecessary, but also is dangerous, especially when we are talking about lifetime appointments. Further, given this administration’s failure to properly vet its own nominees, the Senate should not restrict critical vetting and due diligence.

There is simply no need to limit debate on President Trump’s judicial nominees. In fact, President Trump’s judicial nominees have been confirmed at a record pace.

Through his first two years in office, President Trump had more circuit court nominees confirmed than any other President had at the same point in their tenure – 30 total. And that is on top of two Supreme Court Justices and 53 district court judges.

Further, the current administration’s circuit court nominees have been confirmed nearly twice as fast as President Obama’s – 256 days for President Obama’s nominees versus 139 days for President Trump’s nominees.

The rules change is also unnecessary because Senate Democrats are in no way obstructing confirmations. Senate Democrats have not required cloture votes on more than half of President Trump’s district court nominees.

On average, the Senate has used only three hours of floor time for debate on President Trump’s district court nominees.

In addition, a higher percentage of President Trump’s district court nominees have been confirmed by voice vote as compared to President Obama’s district court nominees – 49 percent versus 35 percent. In other words, Senate Democrats have not required the majority to hold roll call votes on nearly half of President Trump’s nominees to the federal district courts.

Finally, Democrats have worked with the Trump administration to identify qualified judicial nominees.

For example, Delaware’s two Democratic Senators – Senators Carper and Coons – worked with the White House to identify two qualified nominees to be judges on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

And Senators Durbin and Duckworth of Illinois worked with this administration to identify two highly qualified nominees to be judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Both of those nominees were confirmed unanimously.

In addition, we are right now in post-cloture time on the nomination of Roy Altman to the Southern District of Florida. Several Democrats voted for Mr. Altman in committee, and Democrats have not demanded a full 30 hours of debate time on Mr. Altman’s nomination.

Despite all of this, Republicans are nevertheless breaking the rules and pushing the Senate closer to a body that is governed simply by the whim of the majority.

All of this leads to an unmistakable conclusion – shortening debate time is unnecessary. It is a response to a non-existent problem, and it is simply a power grab meant to stack the courts at an even faster rate.

It is also important to stress why it is so dangerous to allow the Trump administration to stack the courts in this way, without adequate debate time.

We have seen this administration fill lifetime positions with young, inexperienced nominees who are often outside the legal mainstream. And we have seen them try to do this without properly vetting those same nominees, as in the case of Brett Talley, who failed to disclose to the Judiciary Committee nearly 15,000 online comments, including one in which he defended the founder of the KKK.

The Senate needs sufficient time to scrutinize the records of these nominees. Nominees like Matthew Kacsmaryk and Patrick Wyrick, who have led efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act.

Nominees like Brian Buescher, who has argued that states should go after women’s reproductive rights “bit by bit.”

And nominees like Wendy Vitter, who refused to acknowledge that Brown v. Board was correctly decided and who falsely claimed there is a connection between the use of contraceptive pills and the incidence of cancer.

Two hours is simply not enough time to scrutinize these nominees’ records, especially when so many of this administration’s judicial nominees fail to disclose materials to the Judiciary Committee.

In conclusion, Mr. President, all Senators – and not just those on the Judiciary Committee – need adequate time to review the records of these judicial nominees, who, if confirmed, will serve for life.

All Senators need adequate time to make an informed decision about whether these nominees are qualified to decide the fate of thousands of people’s lives. After all, the American people deserve to know that if they find themselves in a federal court, they will have an impartial, qualified, mainstream jurist who has earned the right to sit on the bench.

This decision to break the rules and reduce debate time on judicial nominees not only harms the institution of the Senate, but also harms the federal judiciary.”

Roy Moore's Victory Shows Voters Want an End to Business as Usual, says Family Research Council Action

Source: Family Research Council Action

Washington, D.C. - September 27, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Family Research Council Action offered congratulations to Roy Moore on his primary election as the next U.S. Senator from the state of Alabama.

FRC Action PAC, the political action committee connected with Family Research Council Action, endorsed Moore’s Senate candidacy.

Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

"Alabama voters are sending a clear and unmistakable message to Washington: ‘We want an end to business as usual.’ Roy Moore’s victory will echo throughout the country and help bring an end to the Senate’s trail of broken promises.

“Despite voters giving Republicans the majority in the House, the Senate and now control of the White House, almost every promise made to voters over the last seven years has been broken in the U.S. Senate.

“While Republicans in the House working with President Trump approved a measure to repeal Obamacare, it died in the Senate. The House approved a measure that would end taxpayer funding of abortion, and it died in the Senate. The House approved a measure that would repeal the onerous provision of Dodd-Frank that is choking our economy. And again, it is buried in the Senate.

“Judge Moore was elected because he is a promise keeper who will stand up for our Constitution. I congratulate Roy Moore and look forward to working with him on important issues in the U.S. Senate,” concluded Perkins.

Senate Votes to Sunset UAMF

Source: House Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA 13th)
Source: Senator Rand Paul (R - KY)

The U.S. Senate will hold a vote on U.S. Senator Rand Paul’s amendment to the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to sunset the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force.

This will mark the first Senate vote addressing an AUMF since 2002.

Senator Paul’s amendment would take effect six months after the 2018 NDAA becomes law, giving Congress time to hear from the American people and thoroughly debate granting any new, specific authority. You can read his amendment HERE.

Earlier today, Senator Paul spoke on the Senate floor to demand Congress take its constitutional responsibilities seriously and vote on his amendment.

“I rise today to oppose unauthorized, undeclared, and unconstitutional war,” said Senator Paul.

You can find Senator Paul’s remarks as prepared for delivery HERE, and you can find video of his full remarks on the floor HERE.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee released this statement on the Senate vote to table Senator Paul amendment to sunset the 2001 and 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF):

“For sixteen years, Congress has abdicated its fundamental constitutional responsibility to debate and vote on matters of war and peace. While young men and women risk their lives for this country, Congress has been unable to muster the courage to vote on our endless wars.

“Earlier this year, my amendment to repeal the 2001 AUMF was adopted in a bipartisan vote in the House Appropriations Committee. This amendment, which sunset the 2001 AUMF eight months after enactment, would have given Congress ample time to debate and vote on a new war authorization. But before it could reach the House Floor, Speaker Ryan and Republican House leadership stripped the amendment in the darkof night.

“And now, with the vote today to table Senator Paul’s amendment, Congress once again chose political convenience over our duty to the American people and service members.

“While this outcome is disappointing, we must and will keep fighting to get this blank check for war off the books. The constitution – and the American people – deserve no less.”

This would effectively stop Trump from using military force in the MiddleEast as he has said he would do, or release "fire and fury" on North Korea. If this gets passed, blame Congress, not Trump.

Warner Statement on Equifax Data Breach Affecting 143 million U.S. Consumers

Source: Senator Mark R.Warner (D - VA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a former technology executive, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, member of the Senate Banking Committee, and cofounder of the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement on the announcement from credit reporting firm Equifax that a data breach could have potentially affected 143 million consumers in the United States:

“The recent news that one of the largest credit reporting agencies and data brokers in the U.S. suffered a breach involving over 143 million Americans is profoundly troubling. While many have perhaps become accustomed to hearing of a new data breach every few weeks, the scope of this breach – involving Social Security Numbers, birth dates, addresses, and credit card numbers of nearly half the U.S. population – raises serious questions about whether Congress should not only create a uniform data breach notification standard, but also whether Congress needs to rethink data protection policies, so that enterprises such as Equifax have fewer incentives to collect large, centralized sets of highly sensitive data like SSNs and credit card information on millions of Americans. It is no exaggeration to suggest that a breach such as this – exposing highly sensitive personal and financial information central for identity management and access to credit– represents a real threat to the economic security of Americans.”

Sen. Warner has been a leader in calling for better consumer protections from data theft. In the aftermath of the Target breach that exposed the debit and credit card information of 40 million customers, Sen. Warner in 2014 chaired the first congressional hearing on protecting consumer data from the threat posed by hackers targeting retailers’ online systems. Sen. Warner also partnered with the National Retail Federation to establish an information sharing platform that allows the industry to better protect consumer financial information from data breaches.

Sen. Warner has been working to develop bipartisan legislation to create a comprehensive, nationwide and uniform data breach standard requiring timely consumer notification for breaches of financial data and other sensitive information.

Trump Administration Reviews Department of Education Guidelines on Campus Sexual Assault

Source: Senator Mark R.Warner (D - VA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Trump Administrations has announced that it is reviewing DOE's guidelines on campus sexual assault.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the below statement on the Trump Administration's review of Department of Education guidelines on campus sexual assault:

"The Trump Administration’s review of 2011 guidance about sexual assault enforcement responsibilities on college campuses and at K-12 schools under Title IX should be a red flag for those of us who care deeply about student safety. We should be vigilant in monitoring this process and look for opportunities to engage constructively when possible. Any reconsideration of the current guidance should prioritize the needs of survivors and facilitate improvements in how schools investigate, adjudicate and work to prevent sexual assaults. I hope Secretary DeVos recognizes the gravity of her responsibility: young people across the country are counting on her to get this right."

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Van Hollen and Toomey Call for Swift Passage of BRINK Act

Source: Senator Patrick J.Toomey (R - PA)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing this week on North Korea, where U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) discussed the urgent need to pass the bipartisan BRINK Act. At the hearing, experts agreed that secondary financial sanctions and fines, such as mandated by the BRINK Act, are necessary to exert maximum pressure on Kim Jong Un and his enablers and would impose penalties against financial institutions that support the North Korean regime. The hearing occurred on the heels of a test of a possible hydrogen bomb by North Korea-underscoring the need to act.

"There is bipartisan agreement-echoed by expert testimony-that the rapidly escalating situation in North Korea demands quick action from Congress," said Senator Van Hollen. "We must expand and enforce sanctions against Kim Jong Un's regime-and the BRINK Act would to do just that. This bill will put sharp enforcement teeth behind United Nations sanctions and send a clear message to anyone who has any business dealings with North Korean entities-you can do business with them or you can do business with the United States, but you can't do business with both."

"North Korea's nuclear weapons program poses a grave threat to the U.S. and our allies. Yet, we have not imposed the toughest possible sanctions against North Korea," said Senator Toomey. "In addition, there is ample evidence that North Korea is extensively evading existing sanctions. That is why Senator Van Hollen and I have introduced the BRINK Act, legislation that would expand and enforce tough sanctions against financial institutions and firms that are providing illicit support to Kim Jong Un's regime."

You can watch Senator Van Hollen's remarks and Senator Toomey's remarks from the Banking hearing.

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TESTER DEMANDS EQUIFAX CEO APPEAR BEFORE CONGRESS

Source: Senator Jon Tester (D - MT)



Big Sandy, MT - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- After Equifax announced that 143 million of its customers had their personal information compromised, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is demanding that the company’s CEO appear before his Senate Banking Committee.

In a letter to the consumer credit reporting agency’s CEO Richard Smith, Tester said he has grave concerns that millions of Americans had their names, Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s licenses, and birthdates put in jeopardy after a massive data breach at the company.

“I respectfully request that you voluntarily brief or testify before the entire Senate Banking Committee, on which I serve, so we can question you about these new developments of compromised information, how you plan on compensating harmed customers, and how you plan on securing individuals' personal data in the future,” Tester wrote.

Tester asked Smith why it took nearly six weeks to notify customers that their personal financial information had been compromised. He also raised concerns about how this will impact people’s credit.

“As you well know, what happened to consumers in July is unacceptable and has far-reaching impacts beyond a data breach,” Tester added. “I believe it is critically important that Equifax make their customers whole in a timely fashion.”

Tester has a long record of protecting consumers and holding corporate executives accountable. In 2016, Tester grilled Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf after it was announced the bank illegally opened over two million deposit and credit card accounts without customers’ knowledge or consent.

Tester’s letter to CEO Smith can be found HERE.

Shaheen’s Amendment That Repeals Global Gag Rule Added to Foreign Operations Funding Bill

Source: Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D - NH)



Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-NH) amendment to boost funds for international family planning and reproductive health programs received bipartisan support and was added to the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs annual appropriations bill that allocates federal dollars for programs directed by the US State Department.

“The global gag rule is a dangerous and ill-conceived policy that blocks millions of women and their families from receiving critical aid and assistance,” said Shaheen. “My amendment will preserve and restore funding levels for international organizations that help to prevent over fifty million unintended pregnancies around the world, and reduce the number of maternal deaths we see from those accessing unsafe abortions when the lack of family planning leaves them without options. I’m very pleased that this amendment was approved on a bipartisan basis and hope that Congress can continue to make progress to repeal this disastrous policy.”

Senator Shaheen’s amendment repeals the global gag rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy. The Mexico City Policy bans federal dollars from supporting foreign non-governmental groups that provide the full scope of family planning and maternal health services that include information about and referrals for abortions, even if these activities are funded with their own, non-US funds. By law, federal dollars are already prohibited from supporting abortions, however the Mexico City Policy goes further by banning foreign non-governmental organizations from providing information on or referrals for abortion services as part of delivering comprehensive women's healthcare. This includes a prohibition on care and counseling for those harmed by abortions. Senator Shaheen’s amendment allows these non-governmental groups to provide family planning services, preserves previous levels of funding for USAID family planning programs, and restores the United States’ contribution to the United Nations Populations Fund to 2017 funding levels.

Senator Shaheen is a leader on women’s reproductive rights and has been advocating to repeal the global gag rule since President Trump reinstated it through an executive order in January. She led a bipartisan group of Senators and introduced the Global HER Act to repeal the dangerous policy and ensure international organizations are able to provide women around the world with the necessary care they need. Senator Shaheen serves on the Appropriation’s Subcommittee on the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs and is also the only woman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sasse Questions FEMA's Denial of Relief to Churches

Source: Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Ben Sasse sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long, demanding answers regarding FEMA's decision to deny disaster relief funding to three churches seeking to rebuild their communities in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

"This policy discriminates against people of faith," wrote Sasse. "It sends the message that communities of worship aren’t welcome to participate fully in public life.... It reduces the facilities and volunteer time, talent, and effort available to support the broader community. And it is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s recent 7-2 ruling in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer.... In other words, it is unjust. It is unconstitutional. It is unreasonable. And it is impeding ongoing recovery efforts."

Full text of the letter can be found below:

September 08, 2017

Dear Administrator Long,

All across the country, Americans have been closely watching rescue and restoration efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, amazed at the uncomplaining resilience of Texans. While our hearts break for the families who have lost lives and homes, they also swell with pride in the volunteers, neighbors, and first responders who sprang to action. That’s what America is about, and that’s why it is particularly disturbing to hear reports that FEMA has denied three churches disaster funds to help rebuild their communities.

As Congress works to mobilize resources for those affected by this disaster, one of our duties is to exercise our oversight authority to ensure that taxpayer money is being spent efficiently and effectively. In the wake of Harvey’s devastation and in anticipation of future times of need—especially in light of the potential for catastrophic damage from Hurricane Irma—there is no room for discriminatory policies that hinder the tasks of recovery and rebuilding. That is why I am disturbed to learn of FEMA’s refusal to allow religious Americans equal access to disaster aid.

When disasters strike, it’s our churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious organizations that spring into action, offering crucial facilities, manpower, and numerous other forms of support to affected communities. For the victims of a disaster such as Harvey, so many of whom have lost their home or—worse yet—their loved ones, it’s these institutions that provide the helping hands to rebuild suddenly shattered lives.

Nevertheless, religious organizations are not themselves immune from the devastating effects of disasters. Indeed, some of the most inspiring stories we’ve heard in recent days involve communities of worship going the extra mile to help their neighbors even as they themselves have suffered catastrophic damage. But even as these communities inspire the nation by facing even the most difficult circumstances with a servant’s heart, FEMA categorically excludes institutions that use their facilities primarily for religious purposes from receiving recovery aid grants available to otherwise similarly situated non-profit organizations.[1] When facilities for stamp and coin collecting are eligible for aid,[2] but houses of worship aren’t, something has gone seriously wrong.

What are the consequences of this policy?

Obviously, this policy discriminates against people of faith. It sends the message that communities of worship aren’t welcome to participate fully in public life. It incentivizes these groups to focus their resources on the damage their own facilities sustained. It reduces the facilities and volunteer time, talent, and effort available to support the broader community. And it is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s recent 7-2 ruling in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, in which the Court held that the exclusion of a religious organization “from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution . . . and cannot stand.”[3]

In other words, it is unjust. It is unconstitutional. It is unreasonable. And it is impeding ongoing recovery efforts.

In light of this troubling policy, please provide answers to the following questions:

1. How long has FEMA maintained a policy[4] that religious organizations are ineligible for disaster recovery aid? Please provide a copy of every policy on religious organizations’ eligibility since the enactment of the Stafford Act.[5]

2. In the months since the Supreme Court’s decision in Trinity Lutheran, has FEMA taken any steps to reexamine this policy to ensure its compliance with the Court’s holding?

3. Will you commit to using any and all expedited authorities at your disposal to suspend or limit the application of the policy to ongoing recovery efforts?

4. Will you commit to a full revision of the policy to correct the legal, moral, and practical problems with the policy identified above?

In light of the need for expedited action, please respond in writing in the next 30 days. If you have any questions, please contact my staff at (202) 224-4224. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Ben Sasse
United States Senator


[1] Fed. Emergency Mgmt. Agency, Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, FP 104-009-2 at 12 (April 2017).

[2] Id. at 14.

[3] Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer, No. 15–577, slip op. at 15 (U.S. June 26, 2017).

[4] “Policy” here refers to the requirement that “[f]acilities established or primarily used for . . . religious . . . activities are not eligible” for financial assistance under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, supra note 1, at 12.

[5] Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. L. No. 100-707, 102 Stat. 4689 (1988).

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Legal Expert Urges Congress to Pass Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act

Source: Senator Rob Portman (R - OH)

Washington, D.C. - September 11, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) highlighted a new op-ed in The Hill from Mary Leary, law professor at The Catholic University of America, former Deputy Director for the Office of Legal Counsel at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and former director of the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse (NCPCA), detailing her support for the bipartisan Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. The legislation, widely supported by dozens of Ohio and national anti-human trafficking advocates and law enforcement, will narrowly amend the 1996 Communications Decency Act to help state and local prosecutors hold accountable companies like Backpage that knowingly facilitate the trafficking of women and children online. Courts, as well as district attorneys and 50 attorneys general from around the country, have long urged Congress to fix this law to protect trafficking victims.

“This legislation is a test for Congress,” says Leary in her op-ed. “Will it side with common sense and agree that federal law cannot give immunity to active partners of human traffickers, or will it side with corporations that want the CDA to be left untouched and perverted to afford them broader immunity than ever intended.”

Excerpts of the op-ed can be found below and the full op-ed can be found at this link.

In Bid to Amend Communications Decency Act, Congress Must Side with Trafficking Victims

Mary G. Leary

The Hill

September 7, 2017

The courts cry for help and Congress holds the protection of trafficking victims in its hands. Just two weeks ago a California Court dismissed the pimping charges against the owners of Backpage.com for its role in allegedly knowingly collaborating with human traffickers to sell women and children online for sex. In so doing, it joined an increasing list of courts asking Congress to amend the so-called Communications Decency Act (CDA), which they have interpreted to provide immunity for such companies.

In closing his opinion, Judge Lawrence Brown made this shocking statement: “Until Congress sees fit to amend the immunity law, the broad reach of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act even applies to those alleged to support the exploitation of others by human trafficking.” That’s right – immunity for collaborators of human trafficking.

This is yet another common sense appeal to Congress to make clear that companies who actively partner with human sex traffickers to sell victims online are not immune from liability. Judge Brown’s opinion joins a growing chorus of countless human trafficking victims, law enforcement, and a broad coalition of non-profit organizations to amend the CDA.

The good news is that Congress has begun to listen.

This summer, Congress has acted in a bipartisan way with two widely sponsored bills in each chamber. The Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 has more than 100 co-sponsors in the House and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 has nearly 30 co-sponsors in the Senate. These bipartisan legislative proposals demonstrate it is possible to draft a narrowly tailored, common-sense clarification to the CDA. The Senate bill, for example, provides for this simple proposition: a company that knowingly acts to assist human sex traffickers should not have immunity intended for Good Samaritan companies working in good faith to limit this material…

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Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017 Introduced

Source: Senator Martin Heinrich (D - NM)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) are leading efforts in the House and Senate to safeguard the private information—such as addresses and telephone numbers—of the young immigrants known as DREAMers to ensure that they are not targeted for deportation.

“Nearly a million DREAMers across the country have come out of the shadows because of the promise that DACA represented, including more than 7,000 from New Mexico. These are some of our brightest students and veterans who came forward based on the promise that our government would not deport them and provided personal information about themselves and their families. However, DREAMers across the country now face a harsh uncertainty about their future and are worried that the information they shared will be used against them. To do this would be an extraordinary and unprecedented breach of trust by our government,” said Heinrich. “That is why I introduced the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to safeguard DREAMers’ private information—such as addresses and telephone numbers. We must protect the personal information DACA applicants entrusted with the government and ensure that they are not unfairly targeted by President Trump for deportation.”

“DREAMers provided their personal information in exchange for protected status. No matter what one may think about the DACA program, it is wrong to use this information against DREAMers and Congress needs to prevent that from happening,” said O’Rourke.

Heinrich and O’Rourke introduced bicameral legislation to protect the confidentiality of information submitted in requests for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) from disclosure to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection for any purpose other than implementing the DACA Program, unless there are national security concerns or other limited exception.

A copy of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017 introduced by Heinrich and cosponsored by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is available here.

A copy of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017 introduced by O'Rourke and U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) is available here.

Child Protection Improvements Act Passes in the Senate Judiciary Committee

Source: Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R - UT)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The bipartisan Child Protection Improvements Act—which was introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)—passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This bill amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to establish a national criminal history background check system and criminal history review program for organizations that serve children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

Senator Hatch’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

Thank you, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein, for bringing the Child Protection Improvements Act before the Judiciary Committee today. I also want to thank Senator Franken for teaming up with me to introduce this important bill, as well as Senators Klobuchar, Kennedy, Sasse, and Blumenthal, who have all joined as cosponsors. The objective of this bipartisan bill is simple: to better protect the most vulnerable in our society—namely, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

The Child Protection Improvements Act amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to make permanent a pilot program originally created by the Adam Walsh Act. This program ensures that organizations that serve children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities have access to FBI fingerprint background checks for their employees, volunteers, and coaches. My hope is that this bill, which is broadly supported by youth-serving organizations and law enforcement groups, will save many lives and better protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Yesterday, a letter in support of S. 705 was sent to this Committee signed by twenty-eight youth-serving organizations, including the YMCA, the Girl Scouts of America, the Boys & Girls Club, and many more. I ask unanimous consent that this letter be placed in the record.

I encourage my colleagues on this Committee to join me in advancing this legislation to the Senate floor.

With that, I call up and offer my manager’s amendment ALB17605 to S. 705, the Child Protection Improvements Act. This amendment caps the cost of an FBI background check under this program “at the actual cost of the background check.”

Additionally, the amendment clarifies that for-profit organizations participating in this program may not pay less than the total sum of the costs of the FBI background check.

Bill Introduced To Cut Insurance Subsidies and Save Taxpayers $4 Billion

Source: Senator Jeff Flake (R - AZ)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today introduced a bipartisan bill to allow taxpayers to realize an estimated $3.9 billion in savings, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The bill targets federal subsidies supporting windfall profits for private crop insurance companies, while in no way impacting farmers’ ability to purchase reasonably priced crop insurance.

The bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to lower the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) rate of return from 14.5 percent to 9.6 percent. The SRA is an agreement negotiated between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the private insurance companies that determines the amount of taxpayer subsidies that will be paid to those private companies for participating in the federal crop insurance program, as well as the amount of risk shouldered by the federal government.

A reduction to 8.9 percent in the SRA rate of return was already included in the 2015 budget deal passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, but crop insurance advocates were able to have this change repealed those savings through an omnibus spending bill. Reducing the SRA rate of return to 9.6 percent will only impact the profits that crop insurers make, and it will have no impact on farmers’ crop insurance prices or the availability of crop insurance.

The bill also ends the provision prohibiting the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) from realizing significant taxpayer savings through regular renegotiations of the SRA. When the SRA was previously renegotiated in 2010, over $6 billion in taxpayer savings was found. Unfortunately, the 2014 farm bill prohibits the USDA from finding any additional savings that could reduce the federal deficit, and requires any savings that happen to be found be put back into the crop insurance program.

“With the national debt fast approaching an unprecedented $20 trillion, cutting wasteful federal subsidies to big insurance companies and saving the taxpayers almost $4 billion in the process just seems like common sense to me,” said Flake. “These much-needed reforms will, not only save taxpayers billions of dollars, but also maintain farmers’ access to crucial, affordable crop insurance.”

“The costs of the crop insurance program are skyrocketing unnecessarily,” said Shaheen. “We can ensure protections for farmers without putting taxpayers on the hook to guarantee enormous profits for insurance companies. This bipartisan legislation will not impact insurance options available to farmers and will save taxpayers billions of dollars.”

Background:

In July 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a study finding the crop insurance program’s target rate of return does not reflect market conditions. Read that full report here.

On Nov. 5, 2015, Flake and Shaheen introduced the Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform (AFFIRM) Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the crop insurance system. Read more on the bill here.

Legislation Introduced to Support Civic Participation and Strengthen Voting Rights

Source: Senator Tammy Ducksworth (D - IL)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Pre-Registration of Voters Everywhere (PROVE) Act today to expand voter registration efforts nationwide and increase American citizens’ participation in their democratic process. The PROVE Act would enable citizens who are 16 and older to preregister to be added to voter rolls when they turn 18. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) also introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives today.

“The right to vote is a founding tenet of our democracy, and the strength of our democracy depends upon the participation of the American people,” said Duckworth. “Yet, many Americans still face unnecessary barriers when it comes to casting their vote, and voter turnout continues to lag behind that of many other developed nations. We should be doing everything we can to make it easier – not harder – for Americans to access the ballot box. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to help young Americans become more civically engaged. By allowing Americans to pre-register at 16 years old, we have a chance to increase voter participation and strengthen voting rights for Americans across the country.”

Young people are already allowed to pre-register to vote in twenty states – including Illinois and Maryland – and the District of Columbia. The PROVE Act would nationalize this standard to increase civic participation among young Americans by reducing existing barriers many young people face when it comes to voting in federal elections.

“Too many people still face barriers in voting, and increasing participation in our democratic progress is something we should work toward – regardless of party or political background. The PROVE Act would do just that, ensuring that young people are pre-registered to vote and ready to head to the ballot box when they turn 18 years old,” said Van Hollen. “Maryland has been a national leader on this issue, and this legislation will help move the entire nation forward and ultimately strengthen our democracy.”

Duckworth has been a vocal advocate for strengthening voting rights in Illinois and across the country. In July, she helped introduce the Anti-Voter Suppression Act to repeal President Trump’s Executive Order establishing an “election integrity” commission to investigate widespread voter fraud. Duckworth has been a vocal critic of the commission’s actions, including its intrusive and illegal request for personally-identifiable information on every United States voter, which they temporarily halted amid a growing number of legal challenges.

The PROVE Act, which the Senators introduced during National Voter Registration Month, is endorsed by Common Cause, Fair Vote Action, Head Count, Project Vote and Rock the Vote.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Donnelly, Collins Reintroduce 40 Hours is Full Time Act

Source: Senator Joe Donnely (D - IN)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- To protect American workers, U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced the reintroduction of their Forty Hours is Full Time Act, which would change the definition of a “full-time employee” under the Affordable Care Act to someone who works an average of 40 hours per week.

Employers across our country continue to make decisions to cut employees’ hours due to how the health care law currently defines a “full-time employee” – as someone who works an average of 30 hours per week. Employers are making the law’s 30-hour standard part of their business planning, and as a result, employers nationwide are cutting their workers’ hours to 29 hours a week or fewer. The bipartisan legislation would help employees impacted by the current definition of a full-time worker and allow employers to better plan for the future by using the more commonly accepted definition of “full time”: someone who works 40 hours.

Donnelly said, “I believe that we can work together to fix issues with the health care law and improve our health care system. I have heard from part-time workers across many industries, like school cafeteria managers to grocery store employees to adjunct professors at colleges, that have seen their hours cut to comply with the health care law. In Indiana, common sense holds that a full-time employee is someone who works an average of 40 hours a week, and the health care law should reflect that. I’m proud to partner with my friend and colleague Senator Collins to reintroduce the Forty Hours is Full Time Act, and I am hopeful the Senate will consider this bipartisan bill soon.”

Collins said, “Our legislation is very straightforward and would remedy a serious flaw in the Affordable Care Act that is causing workers to have their hours reduced and their pay cut. The law creates a perverse incentive for businesses to cut their employees’ hours so they are no longer considered ‘full time.’ Our concerns are not hypothetical: thousands of employers across our country are cutting work hours or staffing levels as a result of the law. The employees affected by this rule aren’t limited to any one sector. In Maine, I have heard from school employees, restaurant staff, seasonal employees, home care nurses, municipal workers, and many more. Our goal is simple. We want to protect part-time workers from having their hours reduced and their paychecks cut because of the illogical definition of full-time work in this law.”

The Forty Hours is Full Time Act that was reintroduced this week is the same legislation that Collins and Donnelly first introduced in June 2013 and again in 2015.

BILL COSPONSORED BY CORTEZ MASTO TO EXTEND BANKRUPTCY JUDGESHIPS PASSES SENATE

Source: Senator Cathrine Cortez Masto (D - NV)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement on a bill she cosponsored to extend temporary bankruptcy judgeships. The Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2017 calls for a five-year extension for 14 temporary bankruptcy judgeships and will create four new bankruptcy judgeships. The bill passed the Senate and extends one of the temporary judgeships in Nevada for five years.

“An efficient bankruptcy court system is critical for individuals and corporations as they go through the challenges of seeking bankruptcy relief. This bill will help address the needs of Nevada’s court system by extending a temporary bankruptcy judgeship for five years, ensuring that we are helping bring justice to Nevadans swiftly and effectively. I am pleased that this bill received bipartisan support and I remain committed to improving our justice system to better serve Nevadans.”

Casey Statement on ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017

Source: Senator Robert P.Casey, Jr. (D - PA)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Bob Casey released the following statement following the House Judiciary Committee’s decision to advance H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017:

“Today, the House Judiciary Committee moved to gut the rights of people with disabilities to have equal access to restaurants, hotels, theaters, ball parks, web sites, and all places and services to which all non-disabled citizens have access. In 1990, Congress, through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), affirmed the civil rights of all people with disabilities to have access to all businesses and services offered to the public. Those offering services to the public have had 27 years to make their services accessible to all. H.R. 620 would further delay making services and settings accessible and remove the incentive to make businesses and other public entities accessible for people with disabilities. Good legislation would provide support to help businesses comply with the ADA. I stand with the over 250 disability groups that oppose this approach and will fight to protect the civil rights as enshrined in the ADA.”

Carper to Trump: Reinstate and Support Extreme Weather Resiliency Programs to Save Lives, Livelihoods and Taxpayer Dollars

Source: Thomas R. Carper (D - DE)

Washington, D.C. - September 9, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to support a number of recently revoked or suppressed initiatives designed to help our communities prepare for the growing threats posed by extreme weather events and climate change. Since taking office, President Trump has revoked several Obama-era executive orders promoting extreme weather resiliency and focused efforts on questioning climate science versus planning for the impacts of our changing climate.

“While our country debates how to address climate change, rising sea levels and extreme weather events are no longer a matter of debate, becoming the new norm and placing extreme burdens on the American people and economy,” Senator Carper wrote. “As seen most recently with Hurricane Harvey, the impacts of extreme weather events are devastating, resulting in lives lost and imposing long-term economic costs.”

The costs for communities to recover and rebuild from these events are adding up: For Hurricane Harvey alone, the Governor of Texas estimates a cost of up to $180 billion, which is more than the GDPs of Delaware, Maine and South Dakota combined, and more than the budget for the entire U.S. Navy. NOAA has reported that since 1980, the costs of extreme weather events in the United States has exceeded $1.2 trillion, and such events costing $1 billion or more have doubled (on average) in frequency over the past decade. For these reasons and more, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has listed climate change as one of the top fiscal risks facing our country.

Senator Carper continued, “With a little extra planning – combined with prudent, targeted investments – the federal government can help save lives, livelihoods and taxpayer dollars. These are a few examples of actions the federal government can take today to make our communities safer for tomorrow. The recent events in Houston and the impending impacts from Hurricane Irma are reminders that our country can no longer delay. We must better prepare our communities, making them more resilient in the face of a new climate reality. I stand ready to work with you and your Administration to address these issues.”

Specifically, Senator Carper urged President Trump to:

1. Reinstate and Fund Agency Actions on Climate Preparedness and Resiliency, which provided tools for American communities to “strengthen their resilience to extreme weather and prepare for other impacts of climate change,” including provisions to help communities hit by extreme weather events to rebuild smarter and stronger to withstand future events;

2. Reinstate the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which provided a flexible framework to establish a new flood risk management standard for federally funded projects;

3. Release the Fourth National Climate Assessment and Extend the Charter for the Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment, which helps communities understand and plan for the near-term and future risks of climate change;

4. Hold a Red Team/Blue Team Exercise on Climate Preparedness, Not on Climate Science, to assess our nation’s structural vulnerabilities to the expected impacts of climate change.

The text of the letter can be found below and in pdf form here.

CAPITO PRESSES FDA, GOVERNORS, MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT NEW PARTIAL FILL LAW IN BATTLE AGAINST NATIONAL OPIOID CRISIS

Source: Shelley Moore Capito - (R-WV)

Washington, D.C. - September 8, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, governors across the country and 11 national medical member organizations, urging them to utilize provisions of the Reducing Unused Medications Act in their efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. Introduced by Senators Capito and Warren, the bipartisan bill passed in 2016 as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. As a result of the senators’ work, federal law now allows prescriptions for Schedule II opioid medications, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, to be partially filled by pharmacists at the request of patients or doctors, reducing the number of unused painkillers in circulation.

Senator Capito also sent a separate letter to West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. In the letter, she asked Governor Justice to describe the status of partial fill implementation in the state, strategies for increasing awareness of the new policies among the general public and health care professionals and additional federal efforts that would help in limiting the amount of unused medications in homes.

“Encouraging prescribers to embrace the partial fill option for their patients can help to reduce the number of opioids left over in homes across the country,” the senators wrote to Commissioner Gottlieb. They requested that the FDA’s Opioid Policy Steering Committee “consider how the new partial fill law may help advance the FDA’s goals of better managing the risk of opioids and requiring greater prescriber education.”

In their letter to governors, the senators wrote, “As public officials work together to address the opioid epidemic, we must continue to build partnerships, take creative approaches, and look for every opportunity – big or small – to implement policies that prevent addiction and save lives.”

Additional letters were sent to the leaders of 11 national medical member organizations that play a critical role in reducing the number of unused medications that wind up in bathroom cabinets across the country. “We hope that you encourage your members to embrace partial filling options, which encourages honest conversations between patients and their doctors about their pain, as well as how much medication they feel comfortable having in the home,” the senators wrote.

The organizations included the National Community Pharmacists Association, the American Association Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the American Dental Education Association, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Pharmacists Association and the American Dental Association.

To read the letter to Governor Justice, click here.

To read the letter to Commissioner Gottlieb, click here.

To read the letters to governors, click here.

To read the letters to medical member organizations, click here.