Source: House Representative Ted Budd (R-NC, 13th)
Washington, D.C. - September 1, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Ted Budd (NC-13) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s speech discussing his tax reform plan:
“President Trump’s speech today laid out an optimistic vision of what our country can accomplish when we put more money back in the pockets of American families. Over the past few years, North Carolina has seen first hand what is possible when you lower rates and simplify the tax code. I look forward to working with President Trump to deliver on the promise of cutting taxes for the American people”.
Source: House Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL, 16th)
Washington, D.C. - September 1, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan today announced that he will be offering amendments to prohibit horse slaughter, combat red tide and protect endangered species as part of a government funding bill to be considered by Congress next week.
Buchanan submitted the three amendments to the House Rules Committee, which will decide Tuesday whether to allow the measures to be brought to the House floor for a vote.
“Banning the slaughter of horses, curbing harmful red tide and funding the Endangered Species Act are important issues to the people in my district and the rest of Florida,” Buchanan said. “It's time for Congress to end partisan gridlock and pass common-sense policies.”
Specifically, Buchanan offered the following amendments to H.R. 3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018:
Buchanan Horse Slaughter Amendment – Prevents the reopening of horse slaughter facilities in the United States by prohibiting federal funding for health and safety inspections which is required by law at all meat processing plants. Buchanan is also the sponsor of the SAFE Act to permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. as well as the export of live horses to Mexican and Canadian Slaughterhouses.
Buchanan Red Tide Amendment – Increases funding for NOAA’s National Ocean Service by $8 million to detect, respond to and develop new and innovative technologies to mitigate the impacts of red tide. Red tide, caused by Karenia brevis algae, is a toxic bacteria that has lingered along Suncoast shores on and off for several months now, killing thousands of fish and discouraging potential visitors from taking in some of the country’s best beaches.
Buchanan Endangered Species Amendment – Restores $3,393,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for new species listings under the Endangered Species Act. The FWS is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving and protecting fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Two of Florida's most iconic animals, the panther (endangered) and the manatee (threatened), have been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1976.
Buchanan, the co-chair of Florida's congressional delegation, has long placed a priority on combating red tide and cracking down on animal cruelty. He has successfully fought for red tide research and was recently honored as the U.S. Humane Society's Legislator of the Year for his leadership on animal welfare issues.
Source: House Representative Diane Black (R-TN, 6th)
Washington, D.C. - September 1, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06), Chairman of the House Budget Committee and member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement in support of President Trump’s remarks on tax reform:
“I applaud President Trump’s commitment to tackling tax reform and bringing relief to Tennessee families suffering under the heavy hand of government. In order for our free-market economy to thrive, we must get the government out of the way and create a tax code that works for all Americans, and our budget does just that,” said Congressman Diane Black. “Passing our budget resolution is the first step to finally delivering on our promise to provide a tax code built for growth—growth of paychecks, American business, and our economy. We have an ambitious game plan, and we're ready to work with the Trump Administration to score a victory for the American people.”
President Trump has pledged $1000000 of his own money towards the victims of hurricane Harvey. The greatness of this is exemplified in the fact that he refuses to take pay for being president of the United States of America from the taxpayers. And yet throughout all this the Democrats are still demonizing him.
The mayor of Houston is going to have a lot to answer for. Two days before hurricane Harvey hit the coast of Texas governor Greg Abbott already knew the hurricane was coming. In order to get ready for it, he requested that Trump declare a National Emergency for Texas. Coast Guard was routed to the scene, as Trump signed the Declaration the day before Harvey hit. National Guard was also dispatched. I believe that my Governor and my President both did an exemplary job in the preparation for Hurricane Harvey.
The governor warned all of Texas that the hurricane was on its way and to prepare for it by following the directions of their local authorities. The mayor of Houston, however, decided that there wasn't anything really to worry about. After all no one knows what the weather is really going to be like, right? He told the people of Houston not to panic and to stay in their homes. Therefore, the City of Houston was fully unprepared for what happened.
I hope that the people of Houston have learned their lesson, and when election year comes around again they vote this mayor out. I am wholly surprised if that's the least they do to him.
Two oil refineries in Houston were shut down, and one of them blew up, causing a gas Panic throughout Texas. On Thursday, a lot of gas stations in Dallas have run out of gas, and gas stations in the Northern parts of Texas were bracing for the worst as lines of cars decided to stock up on their gas while there was still time.
The nation of Israel also donated money towards the Harvey clean up.
Finally, the people of Houston and throughout Texas have shown heroic strength of character. Some of them in the midst of losing everything themselves, were seen out on the waters in boats helping with the rescue mission. Everyone was helping one another. It was a sight to behold, and I am proud of the example that the people of the State of Texas set for the nation.
In the meantime, the mainstream media and the Democrats are relentless in their attacks of Trump throughout all of this. You would think that they could find something better to do, or to focus on, in the midst of all the turmoil. Instead of helping they are standing on the sidelines booing everyone who's trying to do something productive. One can only hope that when election year comes around again the people speak with their votes about how unappreciated and inappropriate this is.
On the heels of hurricane Harvey, hurricane Irma makes its way towards the coast. With one disaster after another I doubt Houstonians or any of the coastal Texas cities can be any more prepared than they are now. Let's keep them all in prayer.
In the northeastern part of Texas where I live, we rarely ever see the devastating effects of hurricanes that hit the coast. However, we feel the pain of our fellow Texans as we hustle about seeking what we can donate to help the cause. The problems that the southern part of Texas is facing is a problem for the whole state and we are acting accordingly.
In Texas there is only one skin color: Texan. You either are, or you ain't. And, if you ain't, we don't want your divisive philosophy here.
Our hearts go out to all who are affected. This is what makes me proud to be a Texan. We're a big state with big hearts!
Sam Houston is known to have said, when Texas became part of the United States, “Texas doesn't need the United States. But, the United States needs Texas.” With the spirit that has been alive during the past week, I venture to say that Texas has shown the United States what unity and pride is all about.
We’ve already seen gas prices steadily rise due to the temporary shutdown of a number of oil and gas refineries in South Texas areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Now, gas stations across North Texas are reportedly expected to run out of gas over the Labor Day weekend.
Washington, D.C. - August 31, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued the following statement following President Trump’s speech on tax reform:
"I applaud President Trump for laying out principles for tax reform that include simplifying the tax code, cutting rates, and producing economic growth. In 2013, North Carolina passed historic tax reform based on these principles, which has helped create more than 300,000 jobs and turned North Carolina’s economy into one of the fastest growing in the entire nation. I look forward to working closely with the President and Congressional leaders to fulfill our promises to deliver tax relief to hardworking families and business owners that will provide them with an even better chance to achieve the American Dream."
Washington, D.C. - August 31, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- As North Korea continues its unacceptable provocations, U.S. Senators Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) continue to push for increased sanctions on both North Korea and China designed to crack down on the rogue regime’s weapons program. Sasse and Donnelly sent a letter today to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlining recent findings on North Korean sanctions and outlining key questions for future full committee hearings. Sasse and Donnelly serve as Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance.
Building on a May subcommittee hearing, Sasse and Donnelly encouraged the Banking Committee to push the Administration on its options to expand sanctions and highlight the additional tools available to punish North Korea and those who assist in their illegal activity.
Sasse and Donnelly said in their letter, in part, “As you plan the Banking Committee’s schedule for the coming months, we welcome your consideration of a full committee hearing on sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)…On May 10, 2017, the Banking Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance held a hearing on ‘Secondary Sanctions against Chinese Institutions: Assessing Their Utility for Constraining North Korea.’
“…there is a strong consensus that the level of pressure necessary to get the Kim regime to the table, let alone reach an agreement, will be extraordinarily high and must be coupled with a full court diplomatic effort with our allies and with China directly to persuade China to engage more directly with the DPRK. It is our shared belief that the current multilateral sanctions may be insufficient to achieve this goal, even after the progress made at the United Nations in August. Continued U.S. engagement and leadership will therefore be critical in the months ahead and must include a comprehensive effort to ensure rigorous enforcement of all U.S. and multilateral sanctions.
“…Finally, and most importantly, our witnesses stressed that increasing sanctions pressure on the DPRK to the level necessary to force negotiations requires a deliberate, forceful, and coordinated diplomatic effort by the United States coupled with tough sanctions enforcement.”
Washington, D.C. - August 31, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement praising President Trump’s push on tax reform in Missouri, saying that simplifying our tax code would create more jobs and increase wages for American families:
“Tax reform is about more jobs and better wages for American families, and I commend the president for making the case about how simplifying our complicated, burdensome, and outdated tax code would benefit our country. Our current tax code encourages U.S. companies to take jobs and investments overseas, and that is unacceptable. I’m focused on ensuring that this reform effort encourages more investment in America, brings jobs home, and gives American workers a competitive advantage. I have been working closely with my colleagues in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the administration on this effort, and I’m committed to getting this done for Ohio and the American people in order to help grow our economy, create more jobs, and increase wages.”
Washington, D.C. - August 31, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) has announced that he has cosponsored two bills to increase transparency in campaign finance and reduce the influence of special interests in Congressional elections. The Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act will require outside groups that spend over $10,000 on election advertising, including super PACs, to disclose their donors and source of funding within 24 hours. Peters is also cosponsoring the Fair Elections Now Act which would establish citizen-funded elections to better strengthen small donors and grassroots voices. Peters previously cosponsored both bills in the 114th Congress.
“For too long, our campaign finance system has given big corporations the ability to spend millions of dollars on federal elections – silencing the voices of Michigan middle class families in the process,” said Senator Peters. “It should be Michiganders deciding who represents them, not corporations looking to buy influence. I’m proud to cosponsor these commonsense bills that will help increase transparency and give power back to the American people in our elections.”
The DISCLOSE Act would require any covered organization that spends $10,000 or more on election ads to file a disclosure report with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) within 24 hours, and to file a new report for each additional $10,000 or more spent. The disclosure report must include the sources of all donations of $10,000 or more that the organization received during that election cycle. The legislation additionally would direct the FEC and U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to share information to identify and prevent foreign election spending. The DISCLOSE Act is supported by a number of campaign finance reform stakeholders, including Public Citizen, the federation of Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), Brennan Center, League of Women Voters, People For the American Way, Center for Responsive Politics, and the Sunlight Foundation.
The Fair Elections Now Act amends the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971 to establish a voluntary method for financing Senate campaigns. The legislation would provide qualified candidates for Congress with grants, matching funds, and vouchers from the Fair Elections Fund - which would be established by the legislation - to replace campaign fundraising that largely relies on large donors and special interests. In return, participating candidates would agree to limit their campaign spending to the amounts raised from small dollar donors plus the amounts provided from the Fund.
