Cassidy-Graham is the beginning of the end for Obamacare, failure could lead to single payer

Source: Americans for Limited Government

Fairfax, VA - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in support of the Cassidy-Graham legislation:

“For anyone arguing that the Cassidy-Graham bill is not good enough and needs to be better, we agree, it’s not perfect. It’s not close to perfect. But it is the only bill that repeals individual and employer mandates, block grants funding to states and offers waivers for Obamacare regulations that has any chance of passing this year.

“Failure to pass legislation that repeals Obamacare mandates and taxes to reduce health care costs will be a catastrophe politically, as the recent McLaughlin & Associates poll shows, with 66 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of Independents saying they are less likely to reelect their Congressman who opposes such legislation.

“Politics aside, the 6.5 million Americans who had to pay the individual mandate, under this bill will no longer be subjected to a tax, and their costs will go down, saving $3 billion based upon 2016 IRS figures. Those who live in states that apply for waivers from Obamacare regulations stand a chance of having their costs go down. And job seekers will no longer be discriminated against for seeking full-time employment because of the employer mandate, will see their incomes rise.

“So, anyone who would sacrifice the granting of regulatory relief for the states, and the destruction of two of the main pillars of Obamacare on the altar of perfection is making a huge mistake. Passage of the Cassidy-Graham bill is the beginning of the end for Obamacare. Failure would legitimize the push for single payer as the only alternative to Obamacare for the vast majority of Americans who do not pay attention to policy nuances. The only thing most people will know is that Republicans failed to keep their promise to replace Obamacare and they can’t be trusted on health care moving forward. That would be a recipe for disaster.”

AFGE responds to ruling in OPM data breach lawsuit

Source: American Federation of Government Employees

Washington, D.C. - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- American Federation of Government Employees released the following statement:

“Two years ago, nearly 22 million current and former federal employees, job applicants, and their family members had their most personal and sensitive information stolen from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in one of the largest cyberattacks in U.S. history. Everyone affected deserves to see that justice is served, and that’s why the American Federation of Government Employees was the first organization to sue the federal government over the data breach.

“AFGE brought in the California law firm of Girard Gibbs, one of the nation’s leading firms in the developing area of data breach law. The firm did a great job on behalf of our members. The judge’s unfortunate decision to dismiss AFGE’s case reflects an unduly narrow view of the rights of data breach victims. OPM failed to keep our most private and sensitive information from getting into the hands of Chinese hackers. We are deeply disappointed by the judge’s ruling in favor of OPM.

“AFGE is seriously evaluating all options to challenge this decision and will continue to fight on behalf of the millions of current, future, and retired federal employees and their family members whose lives were forever disrupted by this unprecedented data breach.”

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

Man Shoots Kansas IRS Agent

Source: American Federation of Teachers

Washington, D.C. - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Statement by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Lisa Ochs, president of the Kansas Organization of State Employees and president of AFT-Kansas; and Robert Choromanski, executive director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, on the shooting of Kansas Department of Revenue agent Cortney Holloway allegedly by a man facing a warrant for unpaid taxes:

“Every employee has a right to work in a safe, secure environment. Some public employees experience an almost constant sense of vulnerability and fear, such as those entrusted with collecting unpaid taxes and seizing property to pay a tax lien. Kansas state agencies are housed in both public and privately owned buildings, and security or other protective measures vary from building to building. And public employees who work in the field can be especially vulnerable. Employees’ fears turned into reality this week when tax agent Cortney Holloway was shot multiple times in his office, allegedly by a disgruntled man facing a warrant for nearly $200,000 in unpaid taxes. Adequate security measures, not currently used in the privately owned building housing the Department of Revenue, might have prevented this tragedy.

“We call on the state to immediately prepare a vulnerability review/threat assessment for every state government building—public or privately owned—and fieldwork environment to ensure that all employees and others are properly protected. This ultimately could provide a uniform set of security policies that include installation of metal detectors and having armed security guards. A possible model would be the review process for identifying and assessing the safety, security and preparedness of Kansas school buildings and grounds. We also request on-site active shooter training for all public employees.

“KOSE members have complained to management that they fear for their safety, but nothing was done. Something must be done. Our goal is to ensure there is adequate security and protection for state employees and everyone who visits state facilities. We send our thoughts and prayers for Cortney Holloway’s full recovery and for the people who witnessed the unspeakable violence in their workplace.”

ACLU RESPONDS TO BROKEN POLICE CULTURE THAT RESULTED IN KILLING OF MAGDIEL SANCHEZ

Source: American Civil Liberties Union

Washington, D.C. - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- In response to the news that the Oklahoma City Police Department has killed a deaf man who did not respond to officer commands, the ACLU of Oklahoma released the following statement:

The following is attributable to Allie Shinn, Director of External Affairs:

“We are incredibly saddened and disturbed by the news that an Oklahoma City police officer shot and killed Magdiel Sanchez, a deaf man confronted on his own porch.

“Police have an obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide reasonable modifications in their interactions with people with disabilities. The neighbors put the police on notice that they were dealing with someone who had a disability.

“Merely failing to follow commands is an unacceptable defense for the use of lethal force. We have allowed a dangerous culture of 'us vs. them' to fester among our law enforcement professionals. This killing speaks directly to a warrior culture in which the very people police officers are sworn to protect come to be viewed as the enemy. This culture assumes that an officer’s command, regardless of validity, is more important and more valuable than a human life.

“We as a society must consider whether or not our officers are truly equipped and qualified to serve as a protective force. Evidence is mounting daily that too often many of our officers are more interested in power than in protection.

“Magdiel Sanchez was shot at his own home, without having committed any crime, and in front of neighbors who knew he was deaf trying to communicate to the police that what they were about to do was wrong. Magdiel Sanchez should be alive today.”

ABA Legal Fact Check examines the limits on presidential executive orders

Source: American Bar Association

Washington, D.C. - September 21, 2017  (The Ponder News) --  The American Bar Association updated its new web-based ABA Legal Fact Check today by exploring the limits on presidential executive orders.

On Oct. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s revised Executive Order No. 13780, known as the travel ban. ABA Legal Fact Check looks at the history of these orders, and how they largely went unchecked by the courts until 1952 after President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 10340, which placed all U.S. steel mills under federal control during the Korean War. Later that year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer that President Truman had overstepped his authority because he attempted to make law rather than clarify an existing piece of legislation. In that decision, Justice Robert Jackson, in a concurring opinion, put forth a three-part test to judge the possible overreach of presidential power that is still relied upon by courts today.

ABA Legal Fact Check, debuted last month and is the first fact check website focusing exclusively on legal matters. The project is one of several initiatives launched by Hilarie Bass, who became ABA president on Aug. 15 at the close of the ABA Annual Meeting in New York.

ABA Legal Fact Check seeks to help the public find dependable answers and explanations to swirling and sometimes confusing legal questions. The URL for the new site is www.abalegalfactcheck.com.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

Workers to Congress: Delayed National Security Investigations Threaten Jobs, U.S. Defense

Source: Alliance for American Manufacturing

Washington, D.C. - September 21, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- America's military is under attack by steel and aluminum imports that threaten to wipe out jobs, put U.S. manufacturers out of business, and make national defense more dependent on potential adversaries to equip our troops – if a stalled national security investigation does not conclude.

That was the message delivered by dozens of steelworkers to Members of Congress Tuesday as they descended on Capitol Hill, calling for action to shore up the beleaguered domestic steel and aluminum industries.

The purpose of the Trump administration’s delayed investigations, each known as a Section 232, is to determine the effect of steel and aluminum imports on national security. President Trump promised to unveil the findings of the two separate investigations by the end of June but still hasn’t taken action. Meanwhile, steel imports are up more than 21 percent since the investigations were announced, and China’s steel output continues to grow.

“We’re pretty much at a make or break point now,” said steelworker Calvin Croftcheck, a 40-year industry veteran and chief safety inspector for U.S. Steel. “If we don’t get some relief quickly, and if it’s not substantial relief, that’s not going to help us any.”

Croftcheck was among workers who came to Capitol Hill from steelmaking facilities in eight states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Michigan.

The workers were there to press the importance of the outstanding investigations. A surge of steel and aluminum imports, often heavily subsidized and produced by state-owned enterprises in China and Russia, are among the chief causes behind American plant closures and thousands of layoffs in recent years. This instability puts the reliable supply of these important commodities under tremendous strain, and raises national security concerns. Steel and aluminum are crucial inputs in numerous military platforms and public infrastructures, from battleships and troop carriers to our domestic electric grid.

“We’ve seen an increase in the amount of imports since President Trump made these promises, and lacking the actual action by President Trump, this is actually hurting us,” said Cliff Tobey, a worker at U.S. Steel’s Keetac mining facility on the Minnesota Iron Range. “I really do hope the president stands by his word and does it relatively quickly, because we’re actually seeing an increase (in imports), and that’s not good for the steel industry in the United States.”

In their meetings, the workers urged lawmakers to support President Trump’s investigations and, if necessary, pressure him to follow through on his promises.

"President Trump won industrial states last year by promising a new path on trade and said he'd look out for America's steelworkers," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing and former member of President Trump's Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. “But his delay in action on steel and aluminum has actually made matters worse for these workers and their communities – to say nothing about the serious national security implications created by this ambiguity. The president needs to act now on these investigations.”

New PSAs focus on the importance of adopting teenagers from foster care

Source: Administration for Children and Families

New public service advertisements (PSA’s) launched today by the Children’s Bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in partnership with the Ad Council, AdoptUSKids and KBS, highlights the importance of adopting teens from foster care and emphasizes that adoptive and potential adoptive parents do not have to be a perfect parent in order to adopt youth from foster care.

Older children in foster care, particularly teenagers, have a hard time being adopted from foster care. Of the estimated 428,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system, 112,000 youth are currently waiting for adoptive families. Youth between the ages of 15 to 18 years old currently represent 43 percent of all children actively photo listed on AdoptUSKids.org, and only five percent of all children adopted in 2015 were between the ages of 15 to 18 years old.

“All of us – and that includes teens in foster care who are waiting to be adopted – need and want families to support us and to give us the connections, relationships, and sense of belonging that are so critical to our well-being,” said Jerry Milner, associate commissioner at the Children’s Bureau, and the acting commissioner for the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.”

The PSA’s features the theme of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting… A Teenager” to recognize that being there for a teenager is the most important role that an adoptive parent can play as well encouraging the adoption of teens from foster care.

“The parents and families who adopt older teens from foster care enrich their own lives while providing an incredible impact on the lives of the adopted children and teens at a time when it is needed most,” said Milner. “We are proud to sponsor the Adoption from Foster Care campaign to encourage adoptions of teens nationwide.”

KBS collaborated with the authors and illustrator of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” on the PSA’s, which includes TV, out-of-home, print and digital materials. The PSA’s features videos of well-intentioned moms and dads attempting to give new parents of teens step-by-step parenting tutorials in the What to Expect When You’re Expecting tone – namely how to wake up your teen and how to teen-proof your home. The print, digital and out-of-home creative parodies the original book cover and illustrations by humorously showing common scenarios parents can expect when adopting a teen, such as confusing text messages, binge-watching and prom proposals.

“We’re excited to infuse this very successful campaign with the cultural relevance of What to Expect When You're Expecting,” said Michele Kunken, Executive Creative Director at KBS. “We were really lucky that the authors of What to Expect When You’re Expecting were so passionate about this cause and were willing to partner with us. We’re hoping this new take on the ‘Perfect Parent’ campaign will bring AdoptUSKids even more awareness and lead to even more adoptions from foster care.”

The Children’s Bureau provides funding to AdoptUSKids to raise public awareness about the need for families for children in foster care, and assist states, territories and tribes to recruit and retain foster and adoptive families and connect them with children. Since the initial launch of the campaign in 2004, the campaign has received more than $565 million in donated media support across television, radio, print, out-of-home and digital media.

The PSAs direct audiences to visit AdoptUSKids.org or to call 1-888-200-4005 (English) or 1-877-236-7831 (Spanish) to receive information about the foster care system and the adoption process.

“The many thousands of teens in foster care are there at no fault of their own and are just as in need of family as anyone,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “This project has already helped more than 28,000 youth find their forever families and experience the many milestones teens first encounter. We hope that this new work inspires prospective parents to consider adopting teens from foster care and become the pillar of stability and love every teen needs.”

Pro-life centers ask court to halt law that forces them to promote abortion

Source: Alliance Defending Freedom

The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, together with Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor’s “A Place for Women” pregnancy care center, filed suit on July 12 to challenge the new law, Senate Bill 501, which went into effect the previous day.

“No one should be forced to provide free advertising for the abortion industry, least of all pro-life centers that exist to help women choose life for their babies,” said Connelly. “Freedom of speech also means the freedom to not express views that violate your conscience. Yet, under this law, the state is forcing pro-life centers and doctors to, in effect, provide free advertising for the abortion industry. Because of the First Amendment’s protections, courts have repeatedly rejected these types of laws as unconstitutional, and accordingly we are asking the court in this case to halt enforcement of this law while our case moves forward.”

SB 501 requires pro-life pregnancy care centers to direct women to a state agency that provides abortion referrals and funding. Specifically, the law requires the centers to post large signs or provide notices which advertise that the “state of Hawaii provides free or low-cost access to comprehensive planning services,” including abortion-inducing drugs. The law also forces the centers to include both a website address and phone number for accessing these services. ADF attorneys point out that the centers are subject to the law regardless of whether they offer free ultrasounds and other prenatal care to women, making the law even more egregious for the centers that don’t provide medical services.

Other courts have invalidated or mostly invalidated similar laws in Austin, Texas; Montgomery County, Maryland; Baltimore; and New York City. Additionally, ADF attorneys are representing NIFLA in a case out of California that the U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering for review.

The lawsuit, Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor v. Chin, asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii to halt the enforcement of SB 501 and declare it unconstitutional under the U.S. and Hawaii constitutions. It also asks the court to require Hawaii to return federal funds it received which were conditioned on the state’s commitment not to force pro-life pregnancy centers to make abortion referrals. On Sept. 11, Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor additionally filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with regard to the funding violation.

James Hochberg of Honolulu is among the nearly 3,200 attorneys allied with ADF and serves as local counsel for NIFLA and Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor.

Americans Against Double Taxation

Americans Against Double Taxation, a coalition comprised of state and local government organizations, education and other public service providers, and housing organizations, has come together to launch a robust campaign to preserve the state and local tax deduction (SALT) in any comprehensive tax reform proposal. The coalition, which successfully preserved SALT in the tax reform package signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, today sent a letter to the leadership of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to urge them to ensure that Americans can continue claiming this vital deduction.



Find out more about them by clicking HERE

Statements about Trump's UN Speech

Not too many House Representatives weighed in on their thoughts after the President spoke at the United Nations. I guess most of them were left speechless by the audacity the President showed the world by stating loud and clear that America's priorities were for America FIRST. Below are all the statements I could find so far:

House Representative Tom Cole (R-OK, 4th)

“President Trump’s speech was clearly one of the best and most consequential speeches of his presidency thus far. He gave a spirited defense of American values and interests to the UN, and he put America first.”

“In addition, he sent a direct, blunt and clear message that unambiguously called out North Korea, Iran and Venezuela for activities at odds with the best interests of the civilized world. In doing so, President Trump made it clear that America continues to lead and uphold the international order. He was also quick to remind other countries to do their part in reigning in rogue nations and terrorist organizations.”

“Make no mistake about it, this speech was a major statement defining America’s role on the international stage. I believe historians will look back on this speech as a defining moment in the Trump presidency. It asserted and redefined America’s role as the leader of the free world.”

House Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL, 6th)

“President Trump’s speech before the UN General Assembly was a tour de force. Trump directly addressed key foreign policy issues and laid out an agenda rooted in America's national interests.

Trump forthrightly condemned those who threaten global security, including the Rocket Man’s suicide mission in North Korea and Iran’s malevolent nuclear ambitions. His speech also empowered those fighting for freedom and democracy in places such as Venezuela and Cuba by acknowledging their courageous struggle against socialist governments.

President Trump bluntly challenged the UN to live up to its mission – something that is sorely needed given the utter fecklessness that the UN has characteristically displayed when confronting serious global problems.”

House Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th)

"I'm heartened to see President Trump reasserting American values and strength. The days of apologizing for our country's greatness and leading role in the world are over. The United States will protect itself and our allies and hold the United Nations to the same promise."

House Representative Daniel Donovan (R-NY, 11th)

“President Trump delivered a forceful and inspired vision for a peaceful and prosperous world order based on sovereignty and mutual interest. President Trump emphasized his commitment to putting America first, and called on world leaders to do the same in their own countries. He’s right to meet provocations from rogue regimes with strength, especially after years of ‘strategic patience’ haven’t stopped Kim Jong-Un.

“International progress comes from the productivity and innovation of the world’s diverse people. They should all be free to pursue their interests within their own countries – countries that respect one another’s sovereign rights to seek peace and prosperity.

“I wholeheartedly support President Trump’s vision. America has been the greatest force for good in history based on the principles he embraced in this morning’s speech.”

House Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, (R PA, 8th)

“I appreciate the President’s strong address to the United Nations today in New York. He was right to call out regimes in North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela; each of these regimes have subjugated their own people and continue to make threats and acts against world order and peace. The UN must help align an international coalition against these states and their leaders. The President also highlighted the importance of reforming the UN to carry out its noble mission of promoting freedom, cooperation and human rights. This is crucial, and something Ambassador Haley has been an outspoken advocate for. I support that endeavor wholeheartedly. I will continue working with both parties in Congress and on the Foreign Affairs Committee to advance an American foreign policy that promotes peace and stability for all people.”

House Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ, 7th)

“President Trump once again delivered an embarrassing performance with the whole world watching. But more than his various cringe-worthy statements, it was his continuing failure to project the kind of calm, steady leadership that the international community has come to expect from American presidents that was most alarming.

“As a veteran, Trump’s speech only served to heighten my grave concerns that he could steer the United States into war through bluster or sheer incompetence.

“At the United Nations, the President implied that he would pull out of the Iran Deal, despite the fact that the agreement has unquestionably slowed or stopped Iranian progress toward a nuclear weapon. Scrapping the deal would isolate us from the world community, encourage Iran to seek a nuclear breakout, and prime the Middle East for a massive conflict. Without the deal, Trump is choosing a nuclear Iran, a war with Iran, or both.

“The President also fundamentally misunderstands what a war with North Korea would entail. There is no ‘winning’ a war with Pyongyang. Destruction of the North is within our power, but doing so would mean the deaths of millions of South Koreans, Japanese, and yes, American troops and civilians in South Korea and perhaps farther away. It could – and likely would – mean war with China. That is no ‘victory.’

“Simply put, every time President Trump opens his mouth, America’s leadership and global standing diminishes.”

It is becoming more and more apparent how unpatriotic and against America's best interest Democrats are.
Just listen every time they open their mouth.

House Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA, 33rd)

“President Trump’s speech to the United Nations will be remembered not for rallying the international community around our common challenges, but instead for threatening another nation with annihilation. Let us be clear: the issue is not whether the U.S. is capable of destroying North Korea, but rather whether we are willing to allow South Korea, Japan, and potentially Guam to be destroyed in the process—along with hundreds of thousands of American lives."

“Name-calling and brash rhetoric make America neither great nor safe. I am also disappointed that President Trump failed to include a single mention of climate change, which poses an existential threat to America and the world.”

North Korea is about to Nuke us, ISIS is taking over the world, people are being kidnapped and sold for sex slaves and people are dying because they are Christian, and this man is focused on climate change. Is there any doubt that the Democrats have the wrong priorities?

House Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN, 4th)

“President Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations today betrayed America’s values and abandoned our nation’s legacy of global leadership. The world witnessed a provocative, unstable demagogue threaten to start a conflict that would risk nuclear war and imperil millions of lives.

“President Trump’s dangerous rhetoric, coming from a man with the nuclear codes, is a global threat that puts every American at risk. I strongly condemn both his speech and the foundation of ignorance in which it was rooted.”

Thank God it doesn't matter what the Democrats think about Trump. What matters is what the UN thinks about Trump's speech.

House Representative David Price (D-NC, 4th)

“President Trump’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly served only to further alienate the United States from its allies, and to sow doubts among our adversaries and rivals as to our steadfastness and resolve. In an incoherent series of brash threats, the President called on the international community to ‘totally destroy’ a nuclear-armed North Korea, while undermining the international effort to restrain Iran’s nuclear program. Furthermore, the President failed even to mention serious concerns like climate change, cyber-warfare, and heightened tensions with Russia. The President’s hypocritical threats and childish name-calling do nothing to advance American interests or project American strength. Instead, they send a clear signal of incoherence and incompetence.”

Really? I thought he was quite clear and coherent. The only people alienated are those who wish to take away our sovereignty. We will work with anyone to preserve their sovereignty, is it too much to ask for them to do the same? AMERICANS SHOULD BE FOR AMERICA FIRST.

House Representative Todd Rokita (R-IN, 4th)

“President Trump has shown our world tremendous leadership since taking office. His speech to the United Nation’s General Assembly showed a strong, and clear stance in regards to North Korea, Iran and the threats they pose to the United States and the world. As a Member of Congress during this Administration and President Obama’s, I can confidently say that this is a night and day difference from President Obama’s stance eight years ago.”

“President Trump reminded the rest of the world that we have fought for them, and we have lost American lives because of this fight. We continue to support our allies and the rest of the world. But, the American people must always come first just like the citizens of each other country should come first for their government. This is the way to achieve peace and I am proud to stand with President Trump to work towards this goal.”

“Our great friend and ally, the State of Israel, was also in the audience for the President’s speech. Israel is represented by another great leader, Prime Minister Netanyahu.”