Beyer and Wittman Introduce Bill To Protect Federal Workers, With Government Shutdown Looming Amid Budget Uncertainty

By Don Beyer (D-VA, 8th)



Washington, D.C. - December 21, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) has introduced bipartisan legislation to protect federal employees’ pay in the event of a government shutdown. The Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Act would guarantee back pay for all furloughed workers if Congress and the White House are unable to come to a funding agreement.

“We absolutely do not want to see a shutdown of the federal government, but if it comes we must act to protect federal workers from the consequences,” said Rep. Beyer. “If the government shuts down due to Congress’ failure to pass a budget, the effects on civil servants, who need to support their families, would be disastrous without this bill. We cannot allow that to happen.”
A shutdown would temporarily suspend paychecks for federal employees, and retroactive pay for federal workers must be approved by Congress. The Beyer-Wittman legislation would guarantee that no federal employees would lose pay if a government shutdown occurs.
"Federal employees should not suffer because Congress refuses to end its govern by crisis mentality," Rep. Wittman said. "Preparing the retroactive pay legislation sends a signal to our federal workers that they won't be forgotten in the unfortunate event of a shutdown. While this legislation minimizes the impacts of funding uncertainty, my focus remains on returning Congress to a regular schedule of budgeting and passing appropriations bills."
Together the two Virginia Congressmen represent nearly 120,000 federal employees.

“The National Treasury Employees Union applauds Rep. Beyer and Rep. Wittman for introducing this legislation,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “They recognize that frontline federal employees should not lose pay in the event of a shutdown of the federal government. These employees do not control the funding of the federal government and should not suffer when that funding runs out. I hope we do not get to the shutdown stage but I support this effort to protect the federal workforce.”

Funding for the federal government is set to expire at midnight on Friday, December 22.

"AFGE would like to thank Congressman Beyer (D-VA) and Congressman Wittman (R-VA) for introducing the ‘Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act,’” said American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox. “Federal employees are hardworking public servants who are dedicated to providing quality public services. Federal employees and their families should not be forced to go without pay when they are not allowed to do their jobs because Congress cannot pass a funding measure. Too many Americans—veterans, seniors, and other hardworking people rely on services provided by the federal government. In a government shutdown, it is the American people who pay the price.”

In addition to Reps. Beyer and Wittman, the bill has 25 bipartisan cosponsors. Text of the legislation can be viewed here.


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Companies Announce New Investments Following Tax Reform Passage

By Mike Bishop (R-MI, 8th)



Washington, D.C. - December 21, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Less than 24 hours following House and Senate passage of historic tax reform legislation, companies across America announced key investments in our nation’s workforce.

AT&T announced that as a direct result of tax reform, more than 200,000 U.S. employees will receive a $1,000 bonus. “This tax reform will drive economic growth and create good-paying jobs,” said AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. “In fact, we will increase our U.S. investment and pay a special bonus to our U.S. employees."

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg praised the tax bill as a critical driver of business, economic growth and innovation for the United States and Boeing. Muilenburg announced a $300 million investment to support corporate charitable giving, workforce development and infrastructure enhancements for Boeing employees.

Prompted by the tax plan, Wells Fargo also said it would be raising its minimum wage for employees to $15 an hour. The bank added that it would target $400 million in donations to community and nonprofit organizations next year.

Fifth Third Bancorp is also taking action as a result of the tax bill. They will pay more than 13,500 employees a bonus and raise the minimum wage for their workforce to $15. Senior managers and top executives are excluded from the special payments. "It is good for our communities, employees and Fifth Third Bank," said CEO Greg Carmichael in a statement.

According to Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, based on the passage of tax reform, the company will provide a $1,000 bonus to more than 100,000 non-executive employees, in addition to an infrastructure investment in excess of $50 billion over the next five years. As a result of these investments, Comcast estimates they will add thousands of new direct and indirect jobs.

Congressman Bishop said, “By passing this comprehensive tax reform package, we've delivered on our promise to provide relief for hardworking families at every income level, and this is just the beginning. This plan will deliver real changes to the lives of American families across the nation in the form of more jobs and bigger paychecks.”

To learn more Click HERE


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Family Research Council Praises the Pro-Family Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

By Family Research Council

Washington, D.C. - December 21, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The Congress took a major step forward in reforming America’s tax code as both chambers passed the final conference version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). This legislation is the first major overhaul of the country's tax code in over thirty years. The bill now goes to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. Family Research Council (FRC) commends Republican legislators in the House and Senate for advancing tax relief to millions of hardworking families.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:

“While the final product is missing components that would have made H.R. 1 an outstanding bill, Congress has finally accomplished something big for the American people: the largest overhaul of the U.S. tax code since Ronald Reagan.

“The doubling of the child tax credit to $2,000 will provide immediate relief for parents and will bolster the economy further as these children become taxpayers one day. Strong families are the cornerstone of our society and providing relief for families with children is a major win for working low-income and middle-class families.

“The bill alleviates many marriage penalties in the tax code, which should never have been added to the tax code in the first place. We have long advocated for our government to foster the best environment for children and penalizing marriage has made no sense. With this bill, many families will save thousands of dollars in their taxes next year simply due to the elimination of marriage penalties from nearly all of the income tax brackets.

“The bill also helps families by allowing parents to save for their children’s K-12 education at private and religious schools using tax-advantaged 529 education savings accounts.

“We are disappointed that Senate budget rules prevented this historic legislation from gutting the Johnson Amendment which has been used to stifle the free speech of non-profits and religious leaders on political matters and will continue to work with Congress to achieve this important goal. We are also disappointed the budget rules prevented recognition of unborn children as children in the tax code, and for excluding homeschooling families from benefiting from the expansion of 529 education savings accounts. One additional concern is that the increased standard deduction will create a disincentive for charitable giving.

“However, while not perfect, repealing the Obamacare individual mandate, expanding the child tax credit, removing most marriage penalties, expanding 529 plans for K-12 private schooling, lowering personal income tax rates, and lowering the tax burden on employers are a real benefit to the American family,” concluded Perkins.


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We Can Put Our Embassies Wherever We See Fit

By Shonda Ponder

The United Nations security Council demanded that Donald Trump rescind his December 6th decision to put the American Embassy in Jerusalem following a statement that proclaims that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel. And then the protests broke out around the world in opposition to Trump's decision.

When I saw this on the news, my first thought was, who are they to tell us where to put our embassies? Does the world think it can dictate how America makes its own decisions? Who gave them that idea? Of course, we all know who. What they need to realize, is that he  no longer represents our best interests. Trump is our president now, and Obama is not.

Nikki Haley, our ambassador to the UN, as they mulled over the resolution, stated that it was obvious that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel. Then, in so many words, she basically told the UN they had no right to tell us where to put our embassies.

I love our president for standing up to the UN. And I believe Nikki Haley is doing a fine job. Keep it up.

Sexual Harassment Remains Persistent Problem for Tipped Workers, Particularly Women of Color

By Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - MA)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 17 of their colleagues sent a letter to Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Victoria Lipnic requesting information on the commission's efforts to address sexual harassment in the food and hospitality industries, which have high numbers of tipped workers. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal workplace anti-discrimination laws and investigating discrimination charges that employees file with the commission. In fiscal year 2016 alone, the EEOC received close to 13,000 complaints involving sexual harassment.

"Women are coming forward to tell stories of the sexual harassment they have endured in jobs in Hollywood, in Congress, and in the news industry. But there are millions more women who work in jobs outside the limelight who fear coming forward because they can't afford to lose their jobs, " said Senator Warren. "The EEOC was created to protect workers, and we want to know what it is doing to make sure that workers all across this country are safe from sexual harassment.  We want the EEOC to do its job."

"Sexual harassment is pervasive throughout the United States, and it does not discriminate by industry. Yet EEOC data shows that the ‘accommodation and food services' industry-including restaurants and the hospitality industry-is particularly rife with harassment," wrote the senators. "Sexual harassment remains a persistent problem for American workers-particularly women and people of color."

From fiscal years 2005 to 2015, complaints from accommodation and food services workers accounted for 14.2% of all sexual harassment allegations filed with the EEOC. Over 60% of workers who rely on tips are women, and 40% are people of color. Data show that tipped workers are particularly susceptible to sexual harassment. Some evidence also suggests that tipped workers who are paid less than the minimum wage experience higher rates of sexual harassment than tipped workers paid the standard minimum wage.

To better understand the EEOC's ongoing efforts to address sexual harassment, the senators asked the EEOC to provide thorough answers on what the EEOC has done to identify, investigate, and limit sexual harassment in the workplace no later than January 5, 2018. 

Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Corey Booker (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) also signed the letter.

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Senator David Perdue: UN Report On Iran Validates U.S. Concerns

By Senator David Perdue (R-GA)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Armed Services Committee, comments on the United Nations report describing Iran’s repeat violations of UN resolutions, including weapons transfer and arming Houthi rebels in Yemen:

“President Trump and Ambassador Haley have been consistently calling Iran out for its nefarious behavior and this report validates their concerns. The UN’s acknowledgement of Iran’s destabilizing actions is also critical to global efforts to rein in Iran and hold them accountable. This report is another testament to Ambassador Haley’s leadership at the UN and the great job she is doing to defend America’s national security interests.”

Read the full report from the United Nations here.

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Dr. Rand Paul Applauds First Full-Scale Defense Department Audit

By Senator Rand Paul - (R - KY)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the Pentagon’s recent announcement of the first full-scale financial audit of the Department of Defense (DoD), with audits to be conducted annually going forward: 

“Our men and women on the frontlines deserve to know their funding is being used as intended and to the maximum possible effectiveness. Unfortunately, the department charged with carrying out our greatest constitutional responsibility has set the lowest possible standard for accountability. I applaud President Trump’s administration for changing this course, and I will keep working to ensure this is only the start of reform,” said Dr. Paul.

As part of a series on the DoD in 2013, Reuters stated that it had “found that the Pentagon is largely incapable of keeping track of its vast stores of weapons, ammunition and other supplies; thus it continues to spend money on new supplies it doesn’t need and on storing others long out of date.”  

Since his arrival in the U.S. Senate, Dr. Paul has been a leading voice for increasing fiscal responsibility at the DoD, including working with former Senator Tom Coburn to introduce the Audit the Pentagon Act, which he has continued to support in the 114th and 115th Congresses. 

Dr. Paul has also called attention to waste and mismanagement of funds at the DoD through his Waste Report, which has covered stories including millions of dollars in equipment and parts failing to reach their destination or going unaccounted for and a $6 million renovation of a Fort Belvoir dining facility that closed less than a year later.

You can read these Waste Reports HERE.

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Grassley Seeks Clarity on Justice Dept.’s Response to Political Texts

By Senator Chuck Grassley - (R - IA)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley sought additional background on text messages exchanged between two senior FBI employees and records of their communications with the current FBI Deputy Director.  One of the employees, Peter Strzok, played a critical role in the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official business and mishandling of classified information.  He also appears to be involved in helping to launch the FBI’s investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.

The text messages provided to Congressional investigators on the eve of testimony by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the special counsel’s investigation, appear to indicate that some officials took actions beyond expressing their political opinions.  One message by Strzok apparently referenced a discussion in the current deputy director’s office about the chances that candidate Donald Trump could be elected, saying “I’m afraid we can’t take that risk” and making a comparison to the need for an insurance policy. Another missive referenced a second phone used to “talk about hillary because it can’t be traced.”

In a letter Wednesday to Rosenstein, Grassley is seeking additional information, including when and how the department became aware of the politically-charged messages, and what steps are being taken to fully review the activities referenced in the messages and take any necessary disciplinary measures.

In October, Grassley sought an interview with Strzok as a part of his ongoing investigation into improper political influence or bias in the Justice Department or FBI. Grassley called on the FBI to turn over any documents related to Strzok’s work and communications following reports of the political messages.

Full text of the letter along with the press release can be found here

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Graham: Disappointed Trump Administration Treating Terrorists Like Common Criminals

By Senator Lindsey Graham  - (R - SC)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement on the Trump Administration not holding New York terror suspect Akayed Ullah as an enemy combatant for intelligence gathering purposes.

“I am incredibly disappointed to see the Trump Administration continue to treat terrorists as common criminals.  Giving Akayed Ullah a lawyer and putting him directly into the criminal justice system means we lose the ability to gather intelligence from a person who fits the profile of an enemy combatant. 

“We couldn’t possibly have gathered information on the multiple trips Ullah made to Bangladesh and other relevant activity in such a short period of time.  Now that he has a lawyer, there will be no more intelligence gathering and everything will have to be done through plea bargaining. 

“When it comes to the potential interrogation policies regarding terrorists, it is as if President Obama and his team never left.  How many more attacks will it take before the Trump Administration embraces the fact that we are fighting a war, not a crime? 

“The evidence against Ullah is so overwhelming, a first year law student could convict him.  Our primary goal for terror suspects like Ullah should be to gather intelligence to ensure we prevent and disrupt future attacks.  Only after all intelligence gathering is complete, should the suspect be turned over for trial.”

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After FCC Vote To Eliminate Net Neutrality Rules, Gillibrand Joins Colleagues To Introduce Senate Resolution To Reverse FCC Decision, Restore Net Neutrality

By Senator  Kirsten E.Gillibrand - (D - NY)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has announced that she is cosponsoring a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to restore the 2015 net neutrality rules that have kept the Internet open and free. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted yesterday on party lines to eliminate the net neutrality rules. The CRA resolution is sponsored by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and will be introduced when the new FCC rule is formally submitted to Congress.

“The FCC just voted to give the biggest corporations much more control over what people see on the Internet,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This was a shameful decision, and now that it has gone through, the biggest service providers could be able to decide which sites are fast and which sites are slow with little oversight. This is an attack on free speech, it’s a disturbing example of the corrupt relationship between corporations and the government, and I urge all of my colleagues to join this resolution and overturn this vote by the FCC.”

CRA resolutions allow Congress to overturn regulatory actions at federal agencies with a simple majority vote in both chambers. In accordance with the Congressional Review Act, the Senators will formally introduce the resolution once the rule is submitted to both houses of Congress and published in the federal register. Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA) plans to introduce a CRA resolution in the House of Representatives.

The other cosponsors of Senator Markey’s CRA resolution include Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Dick Durbin (D-IL).

A copy of the CRA resolution can be found HERE.

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