Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided 10-5 to prohibit First Liberty Institute clients, Rowan County, NC, Commissioners, from opening commission meetings with an invocation by government officials. This decision comes three years after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that legislative meetings may open with a prayer given by local religious leaders even if all the prayer givers are of the same faith.
“While we are disappointed in the Fourth Circuit’s decision to ban invocations before legislative meetings contrary to Supreme Court precedent, we are encouraged that the split in the vote on the Fourth Circuit demonstrates the need for Supreme Court review on this issue,” said Mike Berry, Deputy General Counsel for First Liberty Institute.
First Liberty Institute is one of the law firms representing Rowan County in this matter and is also representing Jackson County, Michigan in a similar matter that is currently pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The Unpopular Truth
Saturday, July 22, 2017
U.S. Chamber Pens Open Letter on Tax Reform to Congress: ‘Failure is Not an Option’
Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue penned an open letter to all members of Congress demanding an end to the legislative gridlock that is holding progress hostage on critical issues like health care, tax reform, and infrastructure investment.
“In the upcoming cycle, in addition to looking for candidates who support free enterprise, we will be focusing on individuals with a demonstrated willingness to govern, which means reaching consensus so that legislation can be passed and enacted into law,” Donohue wrote. “Promises were made; promises must be kept.”
While the U.S. Chamber will continue to look for opportunities to improve access to affordable health care coverage and services, it is urging Congress to turn its attention to tax reform, which is a priority many in Congress share. Comprehensive tax reform will grow the economy and create jobs.
Donohue noted that true reform will “require compromise and give and take.” He added, “On issues requiring negotiation and compromise...there is a seeming inability to come together…And the problem isn’t just on the left, the right, or the center; it spans the political spectrum.”
The nation’s leading business group also said that it will evaluate 2018 congressional candidates based on their “support of the free enterprise system and their willingness to govern, as demonstrated by what role they played in helping enact the first major tax reform in 30 years.” The U.S. Chamber will also activate the business community, and its grassroots and national networks including state and local chambers of commerce, to hold their representatives accountable on this critical issue.
Donohue ended his open letter with stern words for lawmakers: “Members of Congress be warned: Failure is not an option.”
“In the upcoming cycle, in addition to looking for candidates who support free enterprise, we will be focusing on individuals with a demonstrated willingness to govern, which means reaching consensus so that legislation can be passed and enacted into law,” Donohue wrote. “Promises were made; promises must be kept.”
While the U.S. Chamber will continue to look for opportunities to improve access to affordable health care coverage and services, it is urging Congress to turn its attention to tax reform, which is a priority many in Congress share. Comprehensive tax reform will grow the economy and create jobs.
Donohue noted that true reform will “require compromise and give and take.” He added, “On issues requiring negotiation and compromise...there is a seeming inability to come together…And the problem isn’t just on the left, the right, or the center; it spans the political spectrum.”
The nation’s leading business group also said that it will evaluate 2018 congressional candidates based on their “support of the free enterprise system and their willingness to govern, as demonstrated by what role they played in helping enact the first major tax reform in 30 years.” The U.S. Chamber will also activate the business community, and its grassroots and national networks including state and local chambers of commerce, to hold their representatives accountable on this critical issue.
Donohue ended his open letter with stern words for lawmakers: “Members of Congress be warned: Failure is not an option.”
FCC Plan to Scuttle Open Internet Rule 'Disastrous' For the Future of the Internet, Experts Say
Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged the FCC to keep in place net neutrality rules, which are essential to prevent cable companies like Comcast and Verizon from controlling, censoring, and discriminating against their subscribers’ favorite Internet content.
In comments submitted today, EFF came out strongly in opposition to the FCC’s plan to reverse the agency’s 2015 open Internet rules, which were designed to guarantee that service providers treat everyone’s content equally. The reversal would send a clear signal that those providers can engage in data discrimination, such as blocking websites, slowing down Internet speeds for certain content—known as throttling—and charging subscribers fees to access movies, social media, and other entertainment content over “fast lanes.” Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T supply Internet service to millions of Americans, many of whom have no other alternatives for high-speed access. Given the lack of competition, the potential for abuse is very real.
EFF’s comments join those of many other user advocates, leading computer engineers, entrepreneurs, faith communities, libraries, educators, tech giants, and start-ups that are fighting for a free and open Internet. Last week those players gave the Internet a taste of what a world without net neutrality would look like by temporarily blocking and throttling their content. Such scenarios aren’t merely possible—they are likely, EFF said in its comments. Internet service providers (ISPs) have already demonstrated that they are willing to discriminate against competitors and block content for their own benefit, while harming the Internet experience of users.
“ISPs have incentives to shape Internet traffic and the FCC knows full well of instances where consumers have been harmed. AT&T blocked data sent by Apple’s FaceTime software, Comcast has interfered with Internet traffic generated by certain applications, and ISPs have rerouted users’ web searches to websites they didn’t request or expect,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Mitch Stoltz. “These are just some examples of ISPs controlling our Internet experience. Users pay them to connect to the Internet, not decide for them what they can see and do there.”
Nearly 200 computer scientists, network engineers, and Internet professionals also submitted comments today highlighting deep flaws in the FCC’s technical description of how the Internet works. The FCC is attempting to pass off its incorrect technical analysis to justify its plan to reclassify ISPs so they are not subject to net neutrality rules. The engineers’ submission—signed by such experts as Vint Cerf, co-designer of the Internet’s fundamental protocols; Mitch Kapor, a personal computer industry pioneer and EFF co-founder; and programmer Sarah Allen, who led the team that created Flash video—sets the record straight about how the Internet works and how rolling back net neutrality would have disastrous effects on Internet innovation.
“We are concerned that the FCC (or at least Chairman Pai and the authors of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) appears to lack a fundamental understanding of what the Internet’s technology promises to provide, how the Internet actually works, which entities in the Internet ecosystem provide which services, and what the similarities and differences are between the Internet and other telecommunications systems the FCC regulates as telecommunications services,” the letter said.
“It is clear to us that if the FCC were to reclassify broadband access service providers as information services, and thereby put the bright-line, light-touch rules from the Open Internet Order in jeopardy, the result could be a disastrous decrease in the overall value of the Internet.”
In comments submitted today, EFF came out strongly in opposition to the FCC’s plan to reverse the agency’s 2015 open Internet rules, which were designed to guarantee that service providers treat everyone’s content equally. The reversal would send a clear signal that those providers can engage in data discrimination, such as blocking websites, slowing down Internet speeds for certain content—known as throttling—and charging subscribers fees to access movies, social media, and other entertainment content over “fast lanes.” Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T supply Internet service to millions of Americans, many of whom have no other alternatives for high-speed access. Given the lack of competition, the potential for abuse is very real.
EFF’s comments join those of many other user advocates, leading computer engineers, entrepreneurs, faith communities, libraries, educators, tech giants, and start-ups that are fighting for a free and open Internet. Last week those players gave the Internet a taste of what a world without net neutrality would look like by temporarily blocking and throttling their content. Such scenarios aren’t merely possible—they are likely, EFF said in its comments. Internet service providers (ISPs) have already demonstrated that they are willing to discriminate against competitors and block content for their own benefit, while harming the Internet experience of users.
“ISPs have incentives to shape Internet traffic and the FCC knows full well of instances where consumers have been harmed. AT&T blocked data sent by Apple’s FaceTime software, Comcast has interfered with Internet traffic generated by certain applications, and ISPs have rerouted users’ web searches to websites they didn’t request or expect,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Mitch Stoltz. “These are just some examples of ISPs controlling our Internet experience. Users pay them to connect to the Internet, not decide for them what they can see and do there.”
Nearly 200 computer scientists, network engineers, and Internet professionals also submitted comments today highlighting deep flaws in the FCC’s technical description of how the Internet works. The FCC is attempting to pass off its incorrect technical analysis to justify its plan to reclassify ISPs so they are not subject to net neutrality rules. The engineers’ submission—signed by such experts as Vint Cerf, co-designer of the Internet’s fundamental protocols; Mitch Kapor, a personal computer industry pioneer and EFF co-founder; and programmer Sarah Allen, who led the team that created Flash video—sets the record straight about how the Internet works and how rolling back net neutrality would have disastrous effects on Internet innovation.
“We are concerned that the FCC (or at least Chairman Pai and the authors of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) appears to lack a fundamental understanding of what the Internet’s technology promises to provide, how the Internet actually works, which entities in the Internet ecosystem provide which services, and what the similarities and differences are between the Internet and other telecommunications systems the FCC regulates as telecommunications services,” the letter said.
“It is clear to us that if the FCC were to reclassify broadband access service providers as information services, and thereby put the bright-line, light-touch rules from the Open Internet Order in jeopardy, the result could be a disastrous decrease in the overall value of the Internet.”
Further delaying full implementation of the fiduciary rule will cost retirement savers $7.3 billion
EPI Policy Director Heidi Shierholz submitted a comment in response to a Department of Labor Request for Information about a potential delay in the full implementation of the conflict of interest rule, also known as the fiduciary rule.
The fiduciary rule protects working Americans by requiring financial professionals to act in their clients’ best interests when recommending investments to people saving for retirement. In her comment, Shierholz opposes any further delay in fully implementing the rule.
“Any delay will be enormously expensive to retirement savers—and not just during the period of the delay,” said Shierholz. “The losses that retirement savers experience from being steered towards higher-cost investment products during the delay would not be recovered, and would continue to compound.”
At the behest of financial services industry interests, the Trump administration has already acted to delay the rule, and is now working to weaken it and further delay key provisions. Shierholz estimates that the delays the Trump administration has already instituted will cost retirement savers $7.6 billion over the next 30 years. Each year of further delay will cost retirement savers an additional $7.3 billion dollars over the next 30 years.
“The only beneficiary of President Trump’s move to delay this rule is the financial services industry, which wants to continue to take advantage of retirement savers for as long as possible,” said Shierholz. “Working people trying to save for retirement need to be able to invest their hard earned savings without being fleeced.”
Before the rule went into partial effect in June, it was legal, in many cases, for financial salespeople to recommend higher-cost investment products that provide them with a higher commission but provide lower returns to their clients. If fully implemented and enforced, the fiduciary rule will eliminate the loopholes that made providing this kind of conflicted advice a widespread practice among financial advisers.
The Trump administration claims that delaying the rule will give it time to determine whether the rule would adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement advice. This is a thinly-veiled tactic to kill or weaken the rule and allow the financial industry to continue taking advantage of retirement savers.
“We have a retirement crisis in this country. We need an America where working people can get advice on how to invest what they’ve earned without being taken advantage of by the financial professionals they go to for help,” said Shierholz.
The fiduciary rule protects working Americans by requiring financial professionals to act in their clients’ best interests when recommending investments to people saving for retirement. In her comment, Shierholz opposes any further delay in fully implementing the rule.
“Any delay will be enormously expensive to retirement savers—and not just during the period of the delay,” said Shierholz. “The losses that retirement savers experience from being steered towards higher-cost investment products during the delay would not be recovered, and would continue to compound.”
At the behest of financial services industry interests, the Trump administration has already acted to delay the rule, and is now working to weaken it and further delay key provisions. Shierholz estimates that the delays the Trump administration has already instituted will cost retirement savers $7.6 billion over the next 30 years. Each year of further delay will cost retirement savers an additional $7.3 billion dollars over the next 30 years.
“The only beneficiary of President Trump’s move to delay this rule is the financial services industry, which wants to continue to take advantage of retirement savers for as long as possible,” said Shierholz. “Working people trying to save for retirement need to be able to invest their hard earned savings without being fleeced.”
Before the rule went into partial effect in June, it was legal, in many cases, for financial salespeople to recommend higher-cost investment products that provide them with a higher commission but provide lower returns to their clients. If fully implemented and enforced, the fiduciary rule will eliminate the loopholes that made providing this kind of conflicted advice a widespread practice among financial advisers.
The Trump administration claims that delaying the rule will give it time to determine whether the rule would adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement advice. This is a thinly-veiled tactic to kill or weaken the rule and allow the financial industry to continue taking advantage of retirement savers.
“We have a retirement crisis in this country. We need an America where working people can get advice on how to invest what they’ve earned without being taken advantage of by the financial professionals they go to for help,” said Shierholz.
Kamala Harris and Rand Paul Spearhead Senate Bail Reform Effort
Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced legislation to reform the country’s money bail system. The proposal – the first of its kind in the U.S. Senate – would provide grants to states to reform their bail system.
“We have a mass incarceration problem in this country, and it starts with our broken bail system,” said Michael Collins, Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “There are people held in jail without trial because they do not have the financial means to post bail. Many are charged with drug offenses, and are casualties of the racist war on drugs.”
The Harris-Paul bill would provide funds for states to replace money bail with pretrial assessments, provide for the presumption of release, ensure counsel, and guarantee a speedy trial for defendants.
Currently, around 60 percent of individuals in jail in the U.S. are pretrial detainees who have not been convicted of any crime. Such a system contradicts the ethos of “innocent until proven guilty,” and has an adverse impact on low-income families and communities of color. While some states have taken steps to reform their criminal justice system, more needs to be done.
Recently, New Jersey’s historic bail reform law has been the focus of national attention as other states grapple with reforming their broken bail systems. The Drug Policy Alliance led the campaign that overhauled New Jersey’s system and the reform resulted in cutting the state jail population by a third. The reform changed the system by 1) declaring non-monetary pretrial release the default option for the majority of defendants; (2) establishing a pretrial services agency in each county to monitor low-risk individuals who are released pending trial; (3) mandating the use of a validated risk assessment tool when evaluating individuals for release; (4) permitting the detention of truly dangerous individuals; and (5) guaranteeing timelines for speedy trial for those who are detained.
“We have a mass incarceration problem in this country, and it starts with our broken bail system,” said Michael Collins, Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “There are people held in jail without trial because they do not have the financial means to post bail. Many are charged with drug offenses, and are casualties of the racist war on drugs.”
The Harris-Paul bill would provide funds for states to replace money bail with pretrial assessments, provide for the presumption of release, ensure counsel, and guarantee a speedy trial for defendants.
Currently, around 60 percent of individuals in jail in the U.S. are pretrial detainees who have not been convicted of any crime. Such a system contradicts the ethos of “innocent until proven guilty,” and has an adverse impact on low-income families and communities of color. While some states have taken steps to reform their criminal justice system, more needs to be done.
Recently, New Jersey’s historic bail reform law has been the focus of national attention as other states grapple with reforming their broken bail systems. The Drug Policy Alliance led the campaign that overhauled New Jersey’s system and the reform resulted in cutting the state jail population by a third. The reform changed the system by 1) declaring non-monetary pretrial release the default option for the majority of defendants; (2) establishing a pretrial services agency in each county to monitor low-risk individuals who are released pending trial; (3) mandating the use of a validated risk assessment tool when evaluating individuals for release; (4) permitting the detention of truly dangerous individuals; and (5) guaranteeing timelines for speedy trial for those who are detained.
Court Ruling on E-Cigarettes Could Set Dangerous Precedent
Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled against a lawsuit brought by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA), and former CEI employee Gordon Cummings challenging a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation banning use of e-cigarettes on planes.
By a 2-to-1 majority, the appeals court said that DOT could ban e-cigarette use on planes under Congress’s 1987 no-smoking law for airlines. In a lengthy dissent, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg stated that this was an unjustified distortion of the statute’s meaning. Airlines already ban vaping on planes, but DOT nonetheless imposed its own regulatory ban as well, essentially freezing those airline policies in place.
Sam Kazman, CEI general counsel, made the following statement on the ruling:
“Today’s court ruling creates a dangerous new rule for interpreting the law. It allows the commonly-understood language of Congress’s 30-year old no-smoking statute to be stretched into a ban on e-cigarettes—even though e-cigarettes involve no combustion and produce no smoke. The detailed dissent by Judge Ginsburg on this point indicates the seriousness of this issue. The ruling also upholds a DOT ban that is regulatory showboating at its worst. That ban has no real effect, since airlines already ban vaping on their own. But DOT has been permitted to mangle the English language by stretching its statutory authority over smoking to encompass vaping. Vaping is an entirely different activity, and any risks to airline passengers are totally undemonstrated.
“One point that does stand out in the majority ruling is its criticism of the ‘Precautionary Principle’ as ‘literally paralyzing—forbidding inaction, stringent regulation, and everything in between’.”
CEI is considering whether to appeal the ruling.
The lawsuit, initially filed in April 2016, alleged that DOT has no authority to issue such a ban and that the agency is illegally rewriting congressional law.
By a 2-to-1 majority, the appeals court said that DOT could ban e-cigarette use on planes under Congress’s 1987 no-smoking law for airlines. In a lengthy dissent, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg stated that this was an unjustified distortion of the statute’s meaning. Airlines already ban vaping on planes, but DOT nonetheless imposed its own regulatory ban as well, essentially freezing those airline policies in place.
Sam Kazman, CEI general counsel, made the following statement on the ruling:
“Today’s court ruling creates a dangerous new rule for interpreting the law. It allows the commonly-understood language of Congress’s 30-year old no-smoking statute to be stretched into a ban on e-cigarettes—even though e-cigarettes involve no combustion and produce no smoke. The detailed dissent by Judge Ginsburg on this point indicates the seriousness of this issue. The ruling also upholds a DOT ban that is regulatory showboating at its worst. That ban has no real effect, since airlines already ban vaping on their own. But DOT has been permitted to mangle the English language by stretching its statutory authority over smoking to encompass vaping. Vaping is an entirely different activity, and any risks to airline passengers are totally undemonstrated.
“One point that does stand out in the majority ruling is its criticism of the ‘Precautionary Principle’ as ‘literally paralyzing—forbidding inaction, stringent regulation, and everything in between’.”
CEI is considering whether to appeal the ruling.
The lawsuit, initially filed in April 2016, alleged that DOT has no authority to issue such a ban and that the agency is illegally rewriting congressional law.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Cattlemen, Western Ranchers Applaud Adoption of Wild Horse and Burro Management Amendment
Washington, D.C. - July 21, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) have applauded the adoption of an amendment to the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill that would allow for humane euthanasia of wild horses and burros. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), would rein in burdensome regulations that failed to allow for proper management, the groups said.
“As a native of Utah, I’m very proud of the leadership that Congressman Stewart has exhibited,” PLC president and Utah rancher Dave Eliason said. “He has seen firsthand the destruction that the overpopulation of wild horses has had on our rangelands and truly understands the issues faced by ranchers in the west and deserves credit for his work on this important issue.”
NCBA President, Craig Uden, feels this is an important milestone for western ranchers.
“Horse and burro populations on BLM lands have long exceeded Appropriate Management Levels and are damaging to ecosystem health,” Uden said. “Their population has an average growth of over 20 percent each year, and it is imperative that Congress continue to take steps to mitigate this issue.”
Overpopulation of wild horses and burros negatively impacts native wildlife, rangeland ecosystems, and rangeland access. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses science to monitor rangeland vegetation, soils, water and wildlife habitat to determine appropriate management levels (AML) for wild horse and burros. The BLM estimates the current population of wild horse and burros exceeds 72,000, well above the maximum AML of 26,715.
Eliason emphasized that NCBA and PLC have long expressed concerns about wild horses and burros on federal land and will continue to support humane and ethical management practices of these animals.
"While this amendment does not solve the whole problem and there is still a great deal of work to do, the language would add one more tool to the toolbox and would provide the Bureau of Land Management more flexibility to manage this unsustainable population," Eliason said.
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Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
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Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
“As a native of Utah, I’m very proud of the leadership that Congressman Stewart has exhibited,” PLC president and Utah rancher Dave Eliason said. “He has seen firsthand the destruction that the overpopulation of wild horses has had on our rangelands and truly understands the issues faced by ranchers in the west and deserves credit for his work on this important issue.”
NCBA President, Craig Uden, feels this is an important milestone for western ranchers.
“Horse and burro populations on BLM lands have long exceeded Appropriate Management Levels and are damaging to ecosystem health,” Uden said. “Their population has an average growth of over 20 percent each year, and it is imperative that Congress continue to take steps to mitigate this issue.”
Overpopulation of wild horses and burros negatively impacts native wildlife, rangeland ecosystems, and rangeland access. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses science to monitor rangeland vegetation, soils, water and wildlife habitat to determine appropriate management levels (AML) for wild horse and burros. The BLM estimates the current population of wild horse and burros exceeds 72,000, well above the maximum AML of 26,715.
Eliason emphasized that NCBA and PLC have long expressed concerns about wild horses and burros on federal land and will continue to support humane and ethical management practices of these animals.
"While this amendment does not solve the whole problem and there is still a great deal of work to do, the language would add one more tool to the toolbox and would provide the Bureau of Land Management more flexibility to manage this unsustainable population," Eliason said.
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Events Announcements
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
ACTION ALERTS!
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Lawmakers to Trump: You Can’t Pass this Buck
Washington, D.C. - July 20, 2017 (The Ponder News) --A group of 36 Democratic lawmakers, led by Reps. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Mark Pocan (D-WI), called on President Trump to stop trying to pass the buck on the future of health care and instead explain his health care proposals and answer direct policy questions from members of Congress, just as President Obama did when the Affordable Care Act was developed.
This call for President Trump to attend a public congressional forum on health care comes in response to the President’s latest efforts to duck responsibility for the failure of the Republican health care bills and the future of health insurance markets, telling reporters on Tuesday: “We’re not going to own it. I’m not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it.”
In today’s letter, the members of Congress pointed out that assigning blame without engaging in tough policy choices is beneath the office of the President: “As the elected leader of our nation, we are concerned with your continued silence on this national health care debate. Short tweets and brief statements are not policy positions.”
“With more than twenty million Americans projected to lose their health insurance – a reality you recently described as “mean” – as a result of the bills under consideration to date, we respectfully request the opportunity to ask you questions about your vision and to discuss how we can move our country forward on a bipartisan basis, just as President Obama offered in 2010,” continued the lawmakers.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Trump:
Now that the Senate repeal effort has fallen short, we write to invite you to address the American people and their elected representatives in Congress to explain your vision for improving health care in this country.
On February 25, 2010, then-President Barack Obama held an extensive public discussion with members of Congress on how to improve our nation’s health care system. The Obama health care summit lasted seven hours, involved congressional leaders from both political parties, gave voice to opponents of the President’s proposal, and gave the American people a chance to hear directly from the country’s leaders about the policy recommendations that would ultimately impact their families and livelihoods. Just a few weeks before this well-televised event, President Obama appeared at the congressional Republican retreat to answer questions directly from members of Congress.
When the Affordable Care Act was crafted, congressional leaders held over 100 hours of hearings, considered a total of 239 bipartisan amendments, and allowed members of Congress and the public nearly five months to examine the text of the ACA before the bill was voted on in the House. During this time, members of Congress and President Obama held hundreds of town halls and health care-focused public events across the country.
As the elected leader of our nation, we are concerned with your continued silence on this national health care debate. Short tweets and brief statements are not policy positions. The American people, every one of whom will be impacted by changes to our health care laws currently under discussion, deserve to hear the specifics of your vision for a more affordable and better health care system.
With more than twenty million Americans projected to lose their health insurance – a reality you recently described as “mean” – as a result of the bills under consideration to date, we respectfully request the opportunity to ask you questions about your vision and to discuss how we can move our country forward on a bipartisan basis, just as President Obama offered in 2010. As Congress considers sweeping changes to our nation’s health care laws, it is important the Congress and the public have the opportunity to understand your views and how your policy choices will impact the nation.
Sincerely,
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Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
This call for President Trump to attend a public congressional forum on health care comes in response to the President’s latest efforts to duck responsibility for the failure of the Republican health care bills and the future of health insurance markets, telling reporters on Tuesday: “We’re not going to own it. I’m not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it.”
In today’s letter, the members of Congress pointed out that assigning blame without engaging in tough policy choices is beneath the office of the President: “As the elected leader of our nation, we are concerned with your continued silence on this national health care debate. Short tweets and brief statements are not policy positions.”
“With more than twenty million Americans projected to lose their health insurance – a reality you recently described as “mean” – as a result of the bills under consideration to date, we respectfully request the opportunity to ask you questions about your vision and to discuss how we can move our country forward on a bipartisan basis, just as President Obama offered in 2010,” continued the lawmakers.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Trump:
Now that the Senate repeal effort has fallen short, we write to invite you to address the American people and their elected representatives in Congress to explain your vision for improving health care in this country.
On February 25, 2010, then-President Barack Obama held an extensive public discussion with members of Congress on how to improve our nation’s health care system. The Obama health care summit lasted seven hours, involved congressional leaders from both political parties, gave voice to opponents of the President’s proposal, and gave the American people a chance to hear directly from the country’s leaders about the policy recommendations that would ultimately impact their families and livelihoods. Just a few weeks before this well-televised event, President Obama appeared at the congressional Republican retreat to answer questions directly from members of Congress.
When the Affordable Care Act was crafted, congressional leaders held over 100 hours of hearings, considered a total of 239 bipartisan amendments, and allowed members of Congress and the public nearly five months to examine the text of the ACA before the bill was voted on in the House. During this time, members of Congress and President Obama held hundreds of town halls and health care-focused public events across the country.
As the elected leader of our nation, we are concerned with your continued silence on this national health care debate. Short tweets and brief statements are not policy positions. The American people, every one of whom will be impacted by changes to our health care laws currently under discussion, deserve to hear the specifics of your vision for a more affordable and better health care system.
With more than twenty million Americans projected to lose their health insurance – a reality you recently described as “mean” – as a result of the bills under consideration to date, we respectfully request the opportunity to ask you questions about your vision and to discuss how we can move our country forward on a bipartisan basis, just as President Obama offered in 2010. As Congress considers sweeping changes to our nation’s health care laws, it is important the Congress and the public have the opportunity to understand your views and how your policy choices will impact the nation.
Sincerely,
=====
Events Announcements
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
ACTION ALERTS!
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
HUDSON: GOV. COOPER IS WRONG ON OFFSHORE ENERGY
Washington, D.C. - July 20, 2017 (The Ponder News) --U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, issued the following statement on Governor Roy Cooper’s announcement on offshore drilling:
“To put it simply, Governor Cooper is wrong. This is not an either-or situation. We can open North Carolina to energy exploration and development while protecting our beautiful coastal waters as well as our tourism and ocean industries.”
Rep. Hudson continued,“Norway is a prime example that offshore energy development can go hand in hand with a healthy environment. The fishing industry, the oil and gas industry, and the tourism industry have safely and successfully coexisted since 1971, with all industries being huge contributors to Norway’s economy. Despite Governor Cooper’s announcement, I will continue to work to get North Carolina into the energy business to unlock good-paying jobs and strengthen our energy security.”
On April 28, Rep. Hudson joined President Donald Trump at the signing of the America First Offshore Energy Executive Order. President Trump’s EO directs the Interior Department to review the current development plan on the Outer Continental Shelf for offshore oil and gas exploration with the goal to unleash American energy and thousands of jobs while maintaining strong environmental safeguards. This EO came shortly after Rep. Hudson sent a letter to President Trump on April 13 urging him to include all proposed Atlantic lease sales in future leasing plans by the Department of the Interior. To view the letter Rep. Hudson sent the administration, click here.
While there has been broad bipartisan support for oil and gas leasing off the southeastern Atlantic coast, the Obama Administration removed the Atlantic lease sale in March 2016. Rep. Hudson has continued to be on the front lines of advancing energy exploration and development in North Carolina. Last year, he introduced legislation to require the Obama Administration to make Atlantic lease sales off North Carolina’s coast available for offshore exploration and development.
In addition, he serves as Co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, a committee that works to advance policies that responsibly explore and expand energy production in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf as part of an all-of-the-above national energy strategy.
=====
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
“To put it simply, Governor Cooper is wrong. This is not an either-or situation. We can open North Carolina to energy exploration and development while protecting our beautiful coastal waters as well as our tourism and ocean industries.”
Rep. Hudson continued,“Norway is a prime example that offshore energy development can go hand in hand with a healthy environment. The fishing industry, the oil and gas industry, and the tourism industry have safely and successfully coexisted since 1971, with all industries being huge contributors to Norway’s economy. Despite Governor Cooper’s announcement, I will continue to work to get North Carolina into the energy business to unlock good-paying jobs and strengthen our energy security.”
On April 28, Rep. Hudson joined President Donald Trump at the signing of the America First Offshore Energy Executive Order. President Trump’s EO directs the Interior Department to review the current development plan on the Outer Continental Shelf for offshore oil and gas exploration with the goal to unleash American energy and thousands of jobs while maintaining strong environmental safeguards. This EO came shortly after Rep. Hudson sent a letter to President Trump on April 13 urging him to include all proposed Atlantic lease sales in future leasing plans by the Department of the Interior. To view the letter Rep. Hudson sent the administration, click here.
While there has been broad bipartisan support for oil and gas leasing off the southeastern Atlantic coast, the Obama Administration removed the Atlantic lease sale in March 2016. Rep. Hudson has continued to be on the front lines of advancing energy exploration and development in North Carolina. Last year, he introduced legislation to require the Obama Administration to make Atlantic lease sales off North Carolina’s coast available for offshore exploration and development.
In addition, he serves as Co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, a committee that works to advance policies that responsibly explore and expand energy production in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf as part of an all-of-the-above national energy strategy.
=====
Events Announcements
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
ACTION ALERTS!
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Charlie Gard Decision Imminent
Washington D.C. - July 20, 2017 (The Ponder News) --The case of Charlie Gard has gained international prominence as a baby’s life hangs in the balance between parents fighting for treatment and the medical and legal establishment in Britain saying they have no right to make decisions focused on helping their son.
Attorney Catherine Glenn Foster, President and CEO of Americans United for Life, traveled to Londonto stand with Charlie’s parents, Chris and Connie, to support their efforts and stand by their side. A veteran defender of the rights of people facing pressure to end life, she continues to talk with and support the family to aid their fight for their son.
A petition sponsored by AUL, now has more than 530,000 names and has drawn international attention since the parents presented it to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, asking that they be permitted to use funds raised to bring their child to the United States for treatment. After recent events in court, this is a possibility. Even now, world-renowned Dr. Michio Hirano, a professor of neurology at New York’s Columbia University Medical Center, is in London examining Charlie’s case. A final decision expected from the British court on Tuesday, July 25.
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Attorney Catherine Glenn Foster, President and CEO of Americans United for Life, traveled to Londonto stand with Charlie’s parents, Chris and Connie, to support their efforts and stand by their side. A veteran defender of the rights of people facing pressure to end life, she continues to talk with and support the family to aid their fight for their son.
A petition sponsored by AUL, now has more than 530,000 names and has drawn international attention since the parents presented it to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, asking that they be permitted to use funds raised to bring their child to the United States for treatment. After recent events in court, this is a possibility. Even now, world-renowned Dr. Michio Hirano, a professor of neurology at New York’s Columbia University Medical Center, is in London examining Charlie’s case. A final decision expected from the British court on Tuesday, July 25.
Events Announcements
Gun Rights Policy Conference September 29, 30, Oct 1. Click HERE for Information!
Overflowing with Thankfulness Conference (September 7-9) Click HERE For more information
ACTION ALERTS!
Urge your senators to push for a clean repeal of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, and ban any funding to abortion providers.
====
Are you considering Suicide? If you need help right now, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. -- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
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