Congressman Cleaver Calls For Federal Facial Recognition Technology Testing Standards

Washington, D.C. - November 29, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II sent a letter to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), encouraging NIST to endorse industry standards and ethical best practices for the independent testing of demographic-based biases in facial recognition technology. NIST is a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In the letter to Dr. Walter Copan, NIST Director and U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, Congressman Cleaver wrote:

“Facial recognition is a powerful tool that is permeating American life, and yet, the propensity of the technology to misidentify individuals, particularly in regard to variances in skin-type and gender, is well-documented,” said Congressman Cleaver. “The potential for illegal discrimination and/or unfair practices resulting from such bias continues to concern lawmakers.”

Congressman Cleaver has been a prominent voice in growing calls for diversity and regulatory reform in the rapidly-expanding tech industry:

• In August 2018, Congressman Cleaver called on the Department of Justice to investigate law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technologies.

• In August 2018, following a year-long investigation into FinTech small business lending practices, Congressman Cleaver announced his findings and called for the implementations of industry-wide practices to prevent discriminatory lending.

• In May 2018, Congressman Cleaver sent a letter to Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, inquiring about the company’s “Rekognition” technology.

• In May 2018, with the support of Congresswomen Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Congressman Cleaver wrote a letter to Amazon expressing frustration at the company’s refusal to institute a “Rooney Rule” that would improve the board’s racial diversity.

• In February 2018, Congressman Cleaver urged cryptocurrency companies to do more in efforts to prevent extremists from using cryptocurrency to fund campaigns of hate and violence.

• In November 2017, along with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congressman Cleaver demanded the Internet Association—a trade association representing tech behemoths like Amazon, Facebook, and Google—address gender and racial biases among its members.

• In October 2017, in conjunction with Congresswomen Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congressman Cleaver penned a letter to Facebook Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, encouraging them to take immediate action to combat the racially divisive content on their platforms.

“As technology and the tech industry as a whole continue to evolve, it is imperative that standards are created to ensure that technology is being used responsibly and without the potential for discrimination. I look forward to the opportunity to work with NIST on formulating these recommended guidelines,” said Congressman Cleaver.

Read the full letter here.

Congresswoman Cheney Commends President Trump for INF Treaty Decision

Washington, D.C. - November 29, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Liz Cheney leads a group of House colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump thanking him for his decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty. Please find her statement and the letter below.

“Russia continues to violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a fact recognized by Administrations of both parties. Under these circumstances, the United States is the only nation limited by the requirements of this treaty. In today’s security environment, that is an indefensible situation. The security of our nation requires that we fully develop capabilities to deter or, if necessary, defeat our adversaries. President Trump deserves tremendous credit for recognizing that, after several years of Russian violations, the INF Treaty no longer serves the national security interests of our nation.”

View letter

Castro Statement on Cohen Guilty Plea

Washington, D.C. - November 29, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX, 20th), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, today released the following statement:

“Today’s guilty plea from Michael Cohen for lying to Congress about Moscow Trump Tower shows that his plea arrangement struck in August has indeed turned into cooperation. This news comes on top of Paul Manafort, former Trump Campaign Chairman, being caught lying to federal prosecutors as well as Roger Stone’s key tipster Jerome Corsi also admitting to lying to Congress. Altogether, these developments demonstrate the great lengths Trump allies were willing to go to protect the President.

“It’s critical we bring back Michael Cohen, and others who have potentially lied like Roger Stone before the Committee, in addition to accelerating the pace for Republican colleagues to release transcripts from our interviews. The House Intelligence Committee must also zero-in on whether the Russians have any financial leverage over President Trump, and we must build pressure across the board for Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to recuse himself from this investigation immediately.

“In just one week, we’ve see Michael Cohen plead guilty to lying to Congress, Jerome Corsi publically admit to lying to Congress, Paul Manafort caught for lying to Mueller, reports that Roger Stone and Julian Assange may have met right before a Wikileaks dump, the President provide written statements on the July 2016 Trump Tower meeting and Roger Stone’s Wikileaks knowledge, and Mueller zeroing in on late-night phone calls between Roger Stone and the President. Now more than ever, we need to protect Mueller from any potential firing. I urge House and Senate Republican leaders to bring legislation to protect Mueller to the floor immediately. We shouldn’t have to wait until January for Congress to protect U.S. national security, our democracy, and the rule of law.”

Congressman Cohen Will Reintroduce Constitutional Amendment to Limit the President’s Pardon Power

Washington, D.C. - November 29, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN, 9th), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, announced today his intention to reintroduce his constitutional amendment to limit the President’s pardon power when the new Congress convenes in January.

Last year, following the indictment of Paul Manafort, Congressman Cohen introduced H. J. Res. 120, a constitutional amendment that would prohibit presidents from pardoning themselves, as well as members of their family, their administration and campaign staff.

“President Trump’s overtures to his convicted former campaign chairman Paul Manafort pose a dangerous threat to the rule of law and are not what the Founders intended when they included the pardon power in the Constitution. The pardon power is supposed to serve justice, not thwart it. It was never meant to immunize presidents’ families and close advisors against laws the rest of us must obey. That’s what kings and dictators do, and if there is one thing the Founders made clear, it was that we don’t have kings in the United States of America.”

“Manafort is not the only convicted former Trump advisor facing serious questions about the legality of their conduct. Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, George Papadopoulos have all been convicted or pleaded guilty, and questions remain about the conduct of Roger Stone and even Trump’s son and son-in-law. We need to limit the scope of the pardon power to protect the rule of law.”

The amendment would apply to the current as well as future presidents.

Buchanan Outlines End-of-Year Priorities

Washington, D.C. - November 13, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Vern Buchanan today outlined his legislative priorities for the final four weeks of the 115th Congress – a list that includes environmental protection, retirement security and animal welfare.

“This is going to be a very active lame-duck session and I intend to fight for local priorities, including more funding for red tide research, helping start-up small businesses and banning the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption.

“These are all bipartisan measures with strong support,” said Buchanan, who was named one of the most bipartisan members of Congress this year by the non-partisan Lugar Center.

The 115th Congress has already been Buchanan's most successful session since he was first elected in 2006. Buchanan's 16th legislative initiative, designed to reduce opioid addiction, was recently signed by President Trump.

Specifically, Buchanan said he will work over the next four weeks to:

Reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The program, which expired September 30, is widely regarded as a critical tool for funding conservation efforts throughout the United States. Earlier this year, Buchanan led a bipartisan Florida delegation letter calling for the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Ensure retirement security. Buchanan will continue to push for Senate passage of his bill, the Retirement Security for American Workers Act, to make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement benefits to employees. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, up to 35 percent of private-sector workers over the age of 22 work for a company that doesn’t offer a retirement plan.

Fight red tide. Buchanan has called for passage of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act which provides more than $100 million to combat Harmful Algal Blooms like red tide. Earlier this year his proposal to increase funding for red tide research was signed into law.

Protect police and other first responders. Buchanan’s Thin Blue Line Act, which increases penalties on cop killers, passed the House with bipartisan support and now needs Senate approval. Ambush-style attacks on police have increased in recent years and contributed to 128 law enforcement fatalities last year alone.

Crack down on sanctuary cities. Two bills Buchanan cosponsored passed the U.S. House and need Senate approval – the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act and Kate’s Law. The bills would cut federal funds for sanctuary cities and toughen penalties against anyone who re-enters the country after being deported.

Protect dogs and cats. Buchanan’s bill the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act outlaws the slaughter of dogs and cats for the purpose of human consumption in the United States. Dogs and cats provide love and companionship to millions of people and should not be slaughtered and sold as food. The bill passed the House in September.

Help start-up businesses. Noting that only 50 percent of small businesses survive past their first five years, Buchanan’s legislation, the American Innovation Act, will help businesses stay afloat and grow by making it significantly less costly to start a new business. The bill passed the House and is pending in the Senate.

BROOKS APPLAUDS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ACTION TO REDUCE ASYLUM FRAUD AND SECURE OUR BORDERS

Washington, D.C. - November 13, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Friday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation Addressing Mass Migration Through the Southern Border of the United States [1] and Department of Homeland Security’s newly released asylum rule.

Congressman Brooks said, “Each year, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens furtively thumb their noses at America’s sovereignty by clandestinely violating our borders and laws. Now, Central American caravans openly and brazenly seek to do the same. This outrageous conduct cannot be, and should not be, tolerated by America. As a sovereign nation, the American people have every right to expect their government to secure our borders.”

Brooks continued, “Illegal immigration hurts American workers and taxpayers. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, illegal aliens are a net $116 billion annual cost to American taxpayers.[2] That’s $300 in additional taxes each man, woman and child in America is forced to pay for people whose first act on American soil is to violate American law.”

Brooks concluded, “Fraud and abuse plague America’s asylum system. Let me make this clear: no one has a right to demand asylum from any nation. Asylum and sanctuary is a discretionary benefit given by nations to those with clear justification.[3] Too often, illegal aliens are coached by attorneys to say ‘magic words’ that help them take advantage of America’s generosity. Their exploitation of America’s already generous immigration laws must stop! As such, I support President Trump’s steps to close asylum loopholes and stop the damage to America caused by illegal aliens’ wrongful conduct.”

Key information on illegal immigration and asylum:



• So far in FY18, 500,000 people apprehended attempting to cross the border, about 100,000 at checkpoints and 400,000 in the interior.[4]

• According to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, “[i]n recent weeks, United States officials have each day encountered an average of approximately 2,000 inadmissible aliens at the southern border.”[5]

• According to data provided by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, “[o]ver the past decade, the overall percentage of aliens subject to expedited removal and referred, as part of the initial screening process, for a credible-fear interview jumped from approximately 5% to above 40%, and the total number of credible-fear referrals for interviews increased from about 5,000 a year in Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2008 to about 97,000 in FY 2018.”[6]

• Last year, nearly half of the completed cases that involved aliens who claimed credible fear resulted in the alien failing to show up at a hearing or even to file an application for asylum. [7]

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-addressing-mass-migration-southern-border-united-states/

[2] Federation for Immigration Reform: “The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers”, by Matt O’Brien and Spencer Raley, September 27, 2017.

[3] See INA 208(b)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(1)(A) (the “Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General may grant asylum to an alien” who applies in accordance with the required procedures and meets the definition of a “refugee”);

[4] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Southwest Border Migration Fy2018;

[5] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/09/2018-24594/aliens-subject-to-a-bar-on-entry-under-certain-presidential-proclamations-procedures-for-protection;

[6] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/09/2018-24594/aliens-subject-to-a-bar-on-entry-under-certain-presidential-proclamations-procedures-for-protection; see also https://cis.org/sites/default/files/2018-09/EOIR_Credible%20Fear_USCIS%20Proceedings%20Table.pdf

[7] Id.

North Korea May be Continuing Ballistic Missile Program

Washington, D.C. - October 23, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator Edward J.Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after a new New York Times report reveals that North Korea may be continuing to expand its ballistic missile program. At a July 25 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Senator Markey to “fear not” when the Senator expressed serious concerns that President Donald Trump was being fooled by North Korea.

“President Trump is getting played by Kim Jong Un,” said Senator Markey. “We cannot have another summit with North Korea — not with President Trump, not with the Secretary of State — unless and until the Kim regime takes concrete, tangible actions to halt and roll back its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Without these verifiable steps, we can only assume that Kim Jong Un is not serious about denuclearization, only serious about stringing along a gullible American president.”

Israel Attacked by Rockets

Washington, D.C. - November 12, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY) has released the following statement after more than 200 rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip:

“The escalation in violence on the Israel-Gaza border is deeply disturbing, and I am relieved that Israel’s missile defense programs were able to avert civilian fatalities from this disgraceful terror attack. I urge calm so the situation does not further escalate, and I still remain hopeful for a long-term, peaceful solution to this tragic conflict. But the only way we will accomplish that is through negotiations that create conditions for safety and economic security – not through rocket attacks or any other acts of terrorism.”

Veterans Day and MORE NEWS

Happy Veterans Day

Senator Burr Statement on 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day

CORTEZ MASTO STATEMENT ON VETERANS DAY

Cotton Statement on Veterans Day

Sen. Cruz: ‘We Pause to Honor the Selfless Service and Unyielding Courage of the Men and Women of Our Armed Forces’

DUCKWORTH HONORS OUR NATION’S VETERANS AT CITY OF CHICAGO VETERANS DAY CEREMONY

Fischer Statement on Veterans Day 2018

Election

CORKER CONGRATULATES LEE, BLACKBURN ON ELECTION VICTORIES

Enzi statement on midterm election

More News from the Lawmakers

Congress Passes America’s Water Infrastructure Act

Bennet, Gardner Receive Update on Polio-Like Disease at Children’s Hospital Colorado

Cardin Calls on President Trump to Follow the Law and Withdraw His Latest Anti-Immigration Policy

Cassidy: Polish Natural Gas Deal Will Weaken Putin

Feinstein, Harris, Pelosi to Justice Department: Don’t Close Environmental Protections Office

Feinstein: Tools to Reduce Mass Shootings Available, Just Lacking Republican Leadership

CRAPO HONORS 16 IDAHO VETERANS & VOLUNTEERS WITH SPIRIT OF FREEDOM AWARD

Daines Announces $100,000 for Bridger Photonics in Bozeman

Durbin Calls For Investigation Into Trump Administration's Delay Of Notifying Lake County Residents About Cancer-Causing Pollution

Statements on Firing of AG Sessions

Booker Statement on Trump Firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
November 7, 2018
“Jeff Sessions’ firing at the hands of the President is an alarming development that brings us one step closer to a constitutional crisis. I’m concerned that President Trump made this decision based on his fear of being implicated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and frustration with Sessions’ recusal from that investigation."

Read more...

Boozman Statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Resignation
Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
November 7, 2018
“Jeff Sessions has served our country with integrity and distinction throughout his career as a U.S. Attorney, U.S. Senator for Alabama and as Attorney General in the Trump administration. I have always respected and admired his unwavering commitment to the rule of law. I thank Jeff for his decades of service to the nation, and particularly for his strong advocacy and leadership of the men and women of America’s law enforcement.”

Read more...

Casey Statement on Attorney General Sessions’ Forced Resignation
Senator Robert P.Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
November 7, 2018
“Pressuring and forcing Attorney General Sessions to resign is an unacceptable effort to interfere with the chain of command in the Russia investigation. This is part of President Trump’s pattern of obstructing Special Counsel Mueller’s independent investigation. He has attempted to fire, demand loyalty of and interfere with any official investigating Russia’s attack on our nation during the 2016 election. Now, President Trump is removing his own Attorney General in order to install a lapdog who will do what he has called for repeatedly- end or hamstring an independent investigation that is vital to our national security. Congress must immediately act to protect Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation from interference by this Administration.”

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Sen. Coons’ statement on AG Sessions’ forced resignation, appointment of Matthew Whitaker as Acting AG
Senator Christopher A .Coons (D - DE)
November 7, 2018
President Trump has repeatedly attacked both the Attorney General and the Department of Justice over the Mueller investigation,” said Senator Coons. “I am deeply concerned that President Trump, both in forcing Attorney General Sessions’ resignation and effectively stripping Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein of his authority to supervise the Mueller investigation, is now in position to easily interfere with or even end the Mueller investigation. That is a red line which President Trump has been warned not to cross by Republicans and Democrats alike for months.

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Cornyn Statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
November 7, 2018
“Attorney General Sessions has selflessly dedicated more than 40 years to serving the people of Alabama and the nation. As our country’s top law enforcement official, he has been integral in fighting the opioid epidemic, keeping violent criminals off our streets, and supporting victims. Those who know him understand his commitment to the rule of law, and his deep and abiding concern for our country.”

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Ernst Statement on New DoJ Leadership
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
November 7, 2018
“Jeff Sessions has always been a strong leader who has served our nation and the state of Alabama well, both in the United States Senate and as the U.S. Attorney General. He should be commended for prosecuting the largest number of violent offenders and firearm defendants in our nation’s history; taking on violent gangs like MS-13 and restoring immigration enforcement to the United States. He also has been on the forefront of the charge against our nation’s opioid epidemic, by increasing prosecutions and stopping illegal drugs at the border. Our nation owes him a debt of gratitude for his service and commitment to the rule of law.

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Feinstein, Nadler, Schiff, Cummings Send Letters to Top Officials Demanding Preservation of Records Following Firing of Attorney General Sessions
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
November 8, 2018
“Committees of the United States Congress are conducting investigations parallel to those of the Special Counsel’s office, and preservation of records is critical to ensure that we are able to do our work without interference or delay." the members wrote in their letters. "Committees will also be investigating Attorney General Sessions’ departure. We therefore ask that you immediately provide us with all orders, notices, and guidance regarding preservation of information related to these matters and investigations.”

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