Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Old Post Office Hotel, Immigrant Detention, Coronavirus, Progressive Campaign Ads, SNAP, FISA Reform, Vaping, USMCA, Mid-East Peace

Today's News for January 29, 2020



CHAIR DEFAZIO STATEMENT FROM HEARING ON GSA OUTLEASES AND THE TRUMP OLD POST OFFICE HOTEL
Source: U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR, 4th)
January 29, 2020
The GSA’s own internal watchdog, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), concluded that GSA failed to consider the Emoluments Clauses when evaluating this lease.
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Immigrant rights advocates across the country demand Sheriff Horton reinstate the Etowah Visitation Project
Source: Detention Watch Network
January 29, 2020
The Etowah Visitation Project coordinators volunteer visits to people detained in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama. Visitation can be a lifeline for people inside detention, particularly those detained at Etowah who are kept indoors 24/7 with no access to outdoor recreation.
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USMCA TRADE DEAL A BIG WIN FOR U.S. FARMERS, MANUFACTURERS AND ECONOMY, SAYS REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS
Source: U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th)
January 29, 2020
The USMCA solidifies the partnership among the United States’ closest trading partners, increasing our country’s negotiating position with others, explained the Congressman. “There’s no doubt this trade deal increased pressure on China to sign a Phase One deal with the United States,” said Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04), a member of the House Armed Services and Agriculture Committees. “It requires more auto parts be made in North America, a change that will continue the U.S. manufacturing resurgence.”
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Deutch Statement on Administration's Plan for Peace between Israel and Palestinians
Source: U.S. Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL, 21st)
January 28, 2020
“As a proud pro-Israel Member of Congress, I have consistently expressed my support for a two-state solution, to be negotiated directly between Israel and the Palestinians, that ensures Israel’s security and establishes a viable Palestinian state.”
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DeLauro Statement on U.S. Response to Wuhan Coronavirus
Source: U.S. Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT, 3rd)
January 27, 2020
“The latest data on the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus in China and the United States is troubling. Given China’s disappointing record on food and medicine safety, our federal government must be proactive in combatting this virus and transparent in providing available information in real-time. The CDC has more than $100 million in a rapid response fund due to my Appropriations Subcommittee’s funding bill, and I am committed to working with our government’s public health officials to provide additional resources if necessary. I will also be reintroducing the Public Health Emergency Fund Act, which would provide $5 billion to our woefully underfunded public health emergency fund.”
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Democracy for America launches $50,000 social media campaign ahead of Iowa Caucus
Source: Democracy for America
January 24, 2020
Democracy for America launches an independent expenditure campaign expected to spend $50,000 in Iowa ahead of the caucuses. Our campaign will target Iowa Democratic voters who have expressed support for Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders campaigns to ensure that a progressive candidate wins the Iowa Caucus.
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DelBene, Schrier Call on Trump Administration to End Attack on 700,000 SNAP Recipients
Source: U.S. Representative Suzan Delbene (D-WA, 1st)
January 24, 2020
“I have long been a supporter of SNAP, which helps those in need across the U.S. gain access to nutritious food and supports a basic standard of living,” said DelBene. “The Trump Administration’s new rule would take vital nutrition assistance from those who need it most. Today’s event was important for those of us working to right these wrongs in D.C. to help us understand the true human impact that this rule and others like it will have on our communities. The 68,000 Washingtonians who would lose their benefits are not just a statistic, they are people struggling to get by. This rule will only make things worse for them.”
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Demand Progress Endorses FISA Reform Bill
Source: Demand Progress
January 23, 2020
Senators Daines (R-MT) and Wyden (D-OR) and Representatives Lofgren (D-CA), Jayapal (D-WA), and Davidson (R-OH) announced the Safeguarding Americans’ Private Records Act. The legislation significantly reforms a number of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities, in particular Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. Section 215 was the legal authority unlawfully relied on by the government to justify the National Security Agency’s bulk telephone metadata dragnet, first revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013. That dragnet and its successor, the Call Detail Records program, have never been shown to offer intelligence value, and the successor was terminated after it acquired an unknown amount of information unlawfully.
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Lawmakers call on administration to ban flavored vaping products
Source: U.S. Representative Diana Degette (D-CO, 1st)
January 23, 2020
More than 50 members of Congress – led by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) called on the Trump administration to issue new rules banning the sale of flavored nicotine products that experts say have led to the nation’s teen-vaping epidemic.
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Bill to Stop Pirate Broadcasters Signed into Law

U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced that his bipartisan Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act was signed into law by President Trump.

“Honored to have gotten this important bipartisan bill signed into law on behalf of Montana local radio and rural broadcasters,” Daines said. “Thankful to President Trump for taking action to stop illegal pirate radio operations and hold them accountable to the law.”

Daines’ legislation:

  • Gives teeth to existing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action to reduce pirate radio broadcasters.
  • Defines Pirate Radio broadcasting as unlicensed transmission in the AM/FM frequencies
  • Allows for enforcement sweeps, creates a database and reporting requirements, and sets a fine of not more than $100,000 per day with a maximum fine of $2 Million.

  • Background:

  • In early January, Daines announced that his bipartisan Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act passed through both chambers of Congress with overwhelming support and was headed to the President’s desk.
  • On April 29th, 2019, Daines introduced S.1228, the PIRATE Act with Senator Peters (D-MI).
  • On May 15th, 2019, The PIRATE Act Passed the Senate Commerce Committee by voice vote.
  • Identical legislation (H.R.583) was introduced in the U.S. House earlier in 2019.
  • Saturday, January 25, 2020

    TRUMP CHAMPIONS PRO-LIFE CAUSE

    Washington, D.C. - January 25, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- The Trump administration moved to inhibit California from expanding abortion access to its citizens. Since 2014, California has required employers and insurance companies to include abortion as a covered benefit. Until today, California’s law has been federally permitted, but the administration has reversed course, threatening to withhold California’s federal funds over the state’s law. This announcement comes on the same day that President Donald Trump becomes the first sitting U.S. president to address the anti-abortion March for Life crowd in person.

    the Trump Administration took action against a 2014 California policy forcing all insurance providers to include elective abortion in all health insurance policies sold in the state. According to a letter from the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS OCS) to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, California has 30 days to notify the Office whether it intends to continue enforcing its abortion coverage mandate, "or will instead agree to take corrective actions to come into compliance with the law." Failure to comply jeopardizes billions of dollars in federal funds that flow to California each year.

    A little over five years ago, Life Legal Defense Foundation filed two complaints with the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS OCS). The complaints, filed on behalf of a number of California churches and residents, protested the decision by the Director of California's Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) to mandate that all health insurance policies sold in California had to provide coverage for elective abortions.

    As today's letter from the HHS-OCR explains, the DMHC decision was the direct result of lobbying by abortion advocates, who had been outraged to learn that some religious employers had been able to secure, with DMHC approval, health coverage for their employees that did not include elective abortion. As the letter explains, "Abortion providers and advocacy groups, including Planned Parenthood. . . . pressured DMHC to not only reverse its decision to allow the coverage changes, but also to make elective abortion coverage mandatory for all health care plans falling under DMHC's jurisdiction."

    DMHC responded to the "pressure campaign" by sending letters to the seven California health service plan insurers, ordering them to include coverage for abortion "without exclusion or limitation" in every plan they offered. This move "forced over 28,000 people out of plans that up until that time had chosen not to cover elective abortions."

    As explained in Life Legal's complaints to the HHS-OCR, California's actions violate the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits various sources of federal money from going to any state or local government that discriminates against any health care entity "on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions."

    Under the Obama administration, those complaints languished for over a year and half, before we finally received a response, claiming that no violation was found.

    However, under President Trump, the issue was re-examined, and today the Office of Civil Rights notified California of its determination that California's abortion mandate is in violation of the Weldon Amendment, and that the state must correct its policy if it is to continue to receive funds under several federal appropriations bills

    "Abortion advocates will claim that Trump is jeopardizing the well-being of California residents by threatening to withhold these federal funds," said Life Legal's Vice President for Legal Affairs Catherine Short, who filed the complaints in 2014. "In fact, it is pro-abortion extremists in the state government who have decided that their highest priority is to force every man, woman, and child, every employer and employee, every church and school in California to be complicit in taking the lives of the most innocent and vulnerable among us."

    Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented on President Trump’s decision to address the March for Life crowd by saying, "Other presidents have offered their support to the pro-life cause, but only President Donald Trump has decided to participate in the March for Life. His pro-life record, coupled with his record in defense of religious liberty, makes him the most important Christian voice in the United States. No president, including President Ronald Reagan, can match his stellar achievements on these twin issues.

    By contrast, we have the likes of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, both of whom have endorsed infanticide: there are no penalties for doctors who intentionally allow an innocent baby to die if he or she survives a botched abortion. However, First Prize goes to California Governor Gavin Newsom: he out-Hitlerized both men.

    Earlier this month, Newsom said he wants to stop euthanizing animals. “We want to be a no-kill state.” Yet last year he issued a California Proclamation on Reproductive Freedom, one part of which was designed to welcome “women to California to fully exercise their reproductive rights.” In other words, his enthusiasm for killing the least among us is so passionate that he extended an open invitation to pregnant women across the United States to have their babies killed in his home state.

    It will surprise no one to learn that Newsom is also a proponent of assisted suicide. Indeed, he likes it so much that he boasts of his role in assisting a person to commit suicide in 2002. That person was his mother. [At that time assisted suicide was a felony in California—he put her down in San Francisco.]

    It’s too bad Mr. “No-Kill State” Newsom didn’t think of his mother the way he thinks of hamsters.

    These are sick times. Kudos to President Trump for standing up for the most defenseless human beings. He looks positively angelic next to these monsters."

    Jamille Fields Allsbrook, director of women’s health and rights at the Center for American Progress, stated, "Today’s announcement is just the latest move in the administration’s unending effort to take away access to reproductive health care, including abortion, and ultimately to control women’s bodily autonomy. This rollback comes days after the Trump administration took the unprecedented step toward allowing Texas to use federal funds to discriminate against trusted family planning providers—including but not limited to Planned Parenthood—undermining patients’ access to sexual and reproductive health care. Today’s announcement also comes a month after the administration finalized a rule that is aimed at forcing insurers to drop abortion coverage by imposing unnecessary, onerous administrative requirements on insurers and consumers. These three actions are among many this administration has taken over the course of the past three years to target reproductive health care."

    Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) had a message for all those who attended the March for Life: “To all who march today, thank you. Thank you for every sacrifice you made in order to march for the most important issue of our day. Thank you for giving your time and for braving the cold to stand as a voice for the voiceless and to hear from one of the most pro-life leaders in our nation’s history, President Trump. Do not worry when the national liberal media writes you off and says you can’t make a difference. They wrote him off too.”

    Last year, Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise appearance and the president also gave a message of support for the cause to attendees via a live video feed. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and George W. Bush all addressed the March for Life but their remarks were pre-taped or they were aired via a live video call.


    Friday, January 24, 2020

    NEW DOT INITIATIVES TO PROTECT ROADSIDE FIRST RESPONDERS

    by U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL, 17th)

    Washington, D.C. - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), have applauded new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) initiatives designed to help avoid traffic accidents and save the lives of first responders rushing to aid in emergencies. The new initiatives closely mirror legislation Bustos, Durbin and Duckworth introduced last year that would establish a new national safety priority within an existing federal grant program to increase public awareness of “Move Over” laws and encourage implementation of life-saving digital alert technology. This technology is also referred to as V2X, or “vehicle-to-everything” communications systems, which can communicate with smartphones and other vehicles to alert passengers of an approaching emergency responder vehicle.

    DOT’s announcement of these initiatives follows funding for a $5 million pilot program as part of a year-end bill that Bustos helped pass after Durbin secured language in the legislation. The pilot program would test and deploy these digital alert technologies to protect law enforcement, first responders, roadside crews, and others while on the job.

    “We need to bring an end to the preventable tragedies we have seen along our roads and highways,” said Bustos. “That’s why I partnered with Senators Durbin and Duckworth to introduce legislation that brings awareness to our ‘Move Over’ laws and implements crash avoidance technology, and I’m pleased the Department of Transportation is taking initiatives to help address this issue. As the wife of a sheriff, I’m grateful for the work our first responders do every day and will continue to work to keep them safe.”

    “We saw heartbreaking roadside accidents in Illinois last year, and we need to reverse the alarming rise in first responder roadside deaths,” Durbin said. “The initiatives announced by DOT are a helpful step forward that will provide states with resources to better enforce ‘Move Over’ laws and help keep our first responders safe.”

    “One year ago this week, Illinois State Trooper Christopher Lambert was killed after being struck by a vehicle while assisting at a multi-vehicle crash. Trooper Lambert’s death and others like it reflect a troubling increase in first responder deaths that demands action,” said Duckworth. “I’m glad DOT is investing in new life-saving technologies like the First Responder Safety Technology Pilot Program, and I’ll continue to work with Senator Durbin and Representative Bustos to increase awareness of ‘Move Over’ laws and protect our first responders.”

    In April 2019, Durbin paid tribute to three Illinois State Troopers who were killed after being struck by vehicles on the sides of roads and highways last year. Durbin honored Illinois State Troopers Brooke Jones-Story, Jerry Ellis, and Chris Lambert, and recognized the efforts of Lucy Kuelper, the daughter of an Illinois State Trooper who created a Facebook page to raise awareness about move over laws.

    The Protecting Roadside First Responders Act, introduced by Bustos, Durbin and Duckworth last year, would establish move over law education and compliance as a national highway safety priority under existing NHTSA programs. This would allow states to apply for grant funding to execute move over law awareness campaigns, and to equip vehicles with digital alert and crash avoidance technology.

    The digital alert technology, which is the focus of DOT’s new initiatives, is currently deployed by some localities around the country. This technology sends a real-time, audible, hands-free warning to motorists via navigation apps on their smartphone or their in-vehicle navigation system; notifying the driver when they are approaching an emergency responder vehicle. Deploying the technology only requires a small, inexpensive transponder to be added to emergency vehicles.

    As of the Members’ introduction of the Protecting Roadside First Responders Act, 17 Illinois State Police (ISP) squad cars had been struck as a result of drivers failing to move over—twice as many as in 2018. Several suffered serious injuries and three of these incidents were fatal.

    At least 37 auto-related first-responder deaths were recorded nationwide in 2019, of which 14 were officers struck by vehicles. Studies show more than 70 percent of Americans are unaware of Move Over laws like Scott’s Law in Illinois. All 50 states have Move Over laws.

    Illinois’ move over law, called “Scott’s Law” was first enacted in 2002 to require motorists to slow down, and when possible, move over for all emergency vehicles with their lights on. It was later expanded in 2017 to include all pulled-over vehicles with their hazard lights on. The law is named after Chicago Fire Department Lt. Scott Gillen, who was killed in 2000 on the Bishop Ford Freeway. In July 2019, Governor Pritzker signed a bill expanding upon the law, which increases the fines for violators and charges them an additional $250 fee to establish a fund for education and enforcement of the law.

    The Protecting Roadside First Responders Act would also:

  • Require NHTSA to promulgate rules mandating crash avoidance technology on all new motor vehicles, within two years, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warnings, and lane departure warnings.
  • Require all federal fleet vehicles to have crash avoidance technology (automatic emergency braking, forward collision warnings, and lane departure warnings) within five years.
  • Require all federal fleet vehicles used for emergency response activities to be equipped with digital alert technology within five years.
  • Require research on the efficacy of Move Over laws and related public awareness campaigns as well as recommendations on how to improve these efforts to prevent roadside deaths.

  • Senator Burr Applauds Department of Transportation’s Proposed Rulemaking of Service Animals on Flights

    by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

    Washington, D.C. - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- the Department of Transportation announced its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation of service animals on aircraft.

    Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), who led efforts to strengthen the standards of service animals on aircraft, welcomed the Department of Transportation’s announcement.

    “When individuals are trying to bring any variety of animals on flights by fraudulently claiming disability needs, we have a problem,” said Senator Burr. “It isn’t fair to passengers, airlines, or those who do require properly trained service animals. It’s time we enact commonsense regulations that protect the ability of individuals and veterans with disabilities to travel with their trained service animals. I’ve been working to create stricter guidelines for service animals on airlines, and I applaud the Department of Transportation for taking steps to ensure our nation’s air transportation system is safer and more accessible.”

    Background:

    On April 24, 2018, Senator Burr introduced legislation to better align the definition of a “service animal” under the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) with the definition under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), establish a criminal penalty for making misrepresentations about service animals, and require federal agencies to establish a standard of service animal behavior training for animals on aircraft.

    During consideration of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act in October 2018, Senator Burr negotiated the inclusion of an amendment to require the FAA to establish rulemaking to define the term “service animal” for air transportation and develop minimum standards for service and emotional support animals carried on airplanes.

    As a result of this successful negotiation, the Department of Transportation announced it is seeking public comment on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on traveling by air with service animals. Specifically, the proposed rulemaking:

  • Aligns the definition of a service animal with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition.
  • Does not require airlines to recognize “emotional support animals” as “service animals.” Airlines would be permitted to treat “emotional support animals,” which do not have the proper training for qualified individuals with disabilities, as pets.
  • Allows airlines to only transport dogs as service animals rather than accommodating miniature horses, peacocks, cats, rabbits, birds, and other service animals that airlines are currently required to transport.


  • Despite Slow Growth in 2019, Ohio’s Job Market Trends in Positive Direction

    by Buckeye Institute

    Columbus, OH - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- Andrew J. Kidd, Ph.D., an economist with The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center, commented on newly released employment data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

    “Ohio ended 2019 with 10,400 new private-sector jobs, and the state’s unemployment rate held at near record lows at 4.2 percent. The year also ended with two consecutive months of above-average job growth for the decade, marking a positive trend for Ohio’s job market and one to watch throughout 2020.

    “December’s job growth was spread across a number of industries and sectors. Construction recovered some of the losses it experienced in 2019, adding 3,400 jobs—the largest job growth in any sector in December. This growth is critical as employer demand for skilled trade workers is high, and preparing workers for the industry will attract more businesses and workers to Ohio. The professional and tech services sector—which added 2,200 jobs in December—ended the year up 15,500 jobs, the highest growth of any sector in 2019. This growth in professional and tech services illustrates Ohio’s continued shift from its manufacturing roots (down 1,700 jobs in 2019) to a more service-oriented economy. The administrative and support services sector lost 2,200 jobs in December, which was a nationwide trend as automated services and technology replaced executive assistants and other support staff.

    “With annual revisions and updates due in March, it remains to be seen how Ohio faired in 2019, yet, job growth continued its long-term trend of lagging below the national average and growth in 2019 was hampered by trade tensions and recession concerns. To reverse this long-term trend, there are reforms policymakers can adopt that will spur job growth. Ohio desperately needs municipal and local tax reform and should eliminate its personal income and commercial activity taxes. Recent changes to job training programs, and the announcement of the Industry Sector Partnership Grant will provide workers the in-demand skills needed to fill thousands of job openings in the state. And enacting universal occupational licensing reciprocity will make Ohio more attractive to employees and employers by making it easier for licensed professionals to continue their careers in Ohio.”

    Buchanan Asks Gov to Protect Florida Panther

    by U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL, 16th)

    Washington, D.C. - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Vern Buchanan today urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to consider protecting the endangered Florida Panther when drafting construction plans for the new Heartland Parkway.

    In a letter to DeSantis, Buchanan said the 140-mile proposed highway from Polk to Collier Counties will run directly into the habitat of the panther. Construction is expected to begin by 2022.

    The greatest threat to the endangered animal is being run over by cars. Four panthers already have been killed in collisions so far this year.

    Buchanan urged DeSantis to instruct his state Department of Transportation to devise ways to avoid fatal disruptions to the panther’s habitat. One of the best ways to protect the animal would be to create over-passes or under-passes, a type of wildlife corridor, that provide a safe way for the animals to navigate a highway.

    “Modernizing our infrastructure to deal with continued population growth is important, but so is ensuring the survival of an endangered species that also happens to be the Florida state animal,” Buchanan said, noting there are fewer than 250 of these magnificent creatures alive today. “We don’t get a second chance once a species becomes extinct.”

    According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 23 of the 27 panther deaths last year were caused by vehicle collisions.

    Buchanan is a leading advocate in Congress for protecting endangered species. He introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act in 2019 to designate National Wildlife Corridors on federal lands and establish a grant program for states localities and private landowners to support wildlife. Buchanan’s bill would protect many iconic species of Florida wildlife, including the manatee, alligator and Florida panther.

    Read the full text of the letter below:

    Dear Governor DeSantis,

    As you work on drafting construction plans for the new Heartland Parkway, I ask that you consider safeguards to avoid disrupting the habitat of the endangered Florida panther. Specifically, the 140-mile proposed highway is expected to run from Polk County to Collier County, through the heart of some of the last remaining panther habitat.

    While Florida’s official state animal once roamed the entire Southeast, there are currently fewer than 250 of these big cats alive today. Tragically, 23 of the 27 panther deaths last year were caused by vehicle collisions, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. There have already been a staggering four deaths in just the first two weeks of the new year.

    The panther was one of the original 14 mammals named to the federal endangered species list in 1967. Despite this classification, a critical habitat has never been established for the Florida panther even though one is required by the Endangered Species Act. “Without a sufficient protected habitat, there is no viable recovery,” according to the executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a national non-profit alliance consisting of scientists, law enforcement officers and land managers.

    And while several hurdles remain for the survival and full recovery of these beautiful creatures, it is clear that the greatest threats to their survival is the loss of habitat and vehicle collisions. According to the National Wildlife Federation, construction causes habitat loss and highways pose a significant threat to panthers attempting to cross. I was very disturbed to see a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently warn that “This project would have very serious impacts on the Florida panther.” That is why it is important that you take this into consideration and plan accordingly as you construct the state’s largest highway expansion in more than half a century.

    Modernizing our infrastructure to deal with continued population growth is important, but so is ensuring the survival of an endangered species that also happens to be the Florida state animal. We don’t get a second chance once a species becomes extinct. One of the best ways to protect the animal would be to create over-passes or under-passes that provide a safe way for the animals to navigate a highway.

    That’s why I introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act in Congress to designate National Wildlife Corridors on federal lands and establish a grant program for states, localities and private landowners to support wildlife. My bill would protect many iconic species of Florida wildlife, including the manatee, alligator and Florida panther.

    While the panther population has grown since 1967, the species still has progress to make. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2008 recovery plan states that removing protections for panthers would require two viable, self-sustaining populations of at least 240 individuals that have existed for at least twelve years.

    Florida panthers have become our iconic symbol for the wilderness and beauty of Florida. We must do everything possible to protect this treasured species. That’s why I’m asking you to instruct the Florida Department of Transportation to devise ways to avoid fatal disruptions to the panther’s habitat.

    Brown Blasts President Trump’s Shameful Comments Regarding Servicemembers Who Experience Head Trauma in the Line of Duty

    by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

    Washington, D.C. - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement after President Trump recently downplayed head trauma suffered by servicemembers in the line of duty, by saying "I heard that they had headaches. And a couple of other things – but I would say and I can report it is not very serious."

    “It is shameful that President Trump would downplay the hidden conditions that so many of our combat servicemembers experience in conflict zones,” said Brown. “We have a duty to provide care and benefits for those who answer the call to duty for the combat injuries they suffered, seen or unseen.”

    Brown, Cisneros, Escobar, Sherrill and 27 Lawmakers Demand Answers on Diverted Military Funds for Border Wall Construction

    by U.S. Representative Anthony Brown (D-MD, 4th)

    Washington, D.C. - January 24, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- House Armed Services Committee Vice Chair Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and 27 lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper about the administration’s plan to divert billions of dollars in military funds to the construction of additional fencing and barriers along the U.S.- Mexico border.

    Last year, a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of more than 300 Senators and Representatives voted to terminate the Administration’s unjustified national emergency declaration. Available data and Department of Defense officials both confirm that there is no significant national security threat at America’s southwest border. Congress has met the President’s request for additional funds over the last three budget cycles by appropriating $4.5 billion for barriers and fencing. Nevertheless in FY19, the Administration diverted $6.1 billion of Department of Defense funding for border wall construction and is reportedly redirecting an additional $7.2 billion in FY20.

    “Despite the significant resources appropriated by Congress for border security, the Administration still decided to circumvent Congress,” the lawmakers wrote. “The military construction projects being delayed or cancelled will only add to the over $116 billion maintenance backlog of projects, directly impacting our military readiness and the well-being of our military families.”

    Many of the projects impacted by this decision would have improved the quality of life for military service members and their families. Updating classrooms, clinics and other facilities used by troops and their loved ones is important to both morale and safety. The lawmakers asked the Department of Defense to reconsider its decision which would cause lasting harm to the United States’ ability to build and sustain readiness, meet the security challenges and honor the sacrifices of our armed forces and their families.

    “Military families are paying the price for President Trump’s ineffective vanity project,” said Congressman Anthony Brown. “In cancelling hundreds of projects across the country, including child care centers in my district, the Trump Administration is failing to live up to the promises we make to our troops and their families. Mexico isn’t paying for this wall, the burden is falling on these brave families.”

    “It’s outrageous that the President is stealing money from our troops and military families, again, for his ineffective, wasteful wall. We currently face a diverse array of threats around the world and, as a former Navy supply officer, I know that our military commanders are fighting for this funding in order to face those threats. We cannot take money away from our military leaders to pay for a vanity project that does nothing for our security,” said Congressman Gil Cisneros. “Despite Congress having the power of the purse, the Administration has continued to turn a blind eye to the roles and responsibilities laid out in our Constitution. Their actions only jeopardize our military readiness and take resources away from our troops serving our nation.”
    “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have worked closely and carefully with military leaders to ensure appropriate resourcing for our military. It is simply unacceptable that the President would then rob these resources for a second time to carry out a campaign promise, particularly from funds allocated for critical military construction projects that would improve conditions for military families at bases around the country and abroad,” said Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. “Military families deserve better from their Commander in Chief.”

    “I firmly believe we can secure our borders without stripping funds from programs critical to military readiness and military families,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. “Congress passed record-level funding for border security in a bipartisan vote last year, and this plan to divert necessary military funding undermines the safety and mission of our armed forces.”

    Signers include; Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Andre Carson (IN-07), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Deb Haaland (NM-01), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), James McGovern (MA-02), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Filemon Vela (TX-34) and Peter Welch (VT-AL).

    Read the full letter below.

    Dear Secretary Esper:

    We write to express our continued and deepening concern regarding reports that the Administration is once more planning to divert billions of dollars of military funds to the construction of additional fencing and other barriers on the southwest border.

    There is clearly no requirement for the use of military resources to construct a border wall. The Administration’s use of the national emergency declaration and the military to address the humanitarian situation does not properly reflect the current environment. The number of apprehensions over the last two years remains lower than any two years of the George W. Bush administration. In addition, the number of apprehensions and individuals deemed ‘inadmissible’ has decreased by 30% in the first three months of Fiscal Year 2020. These data points do not justify the declaration of a national emergency or the use of military funding for the construction of a border wall. Members of Congress agree in a bipartisan and bicameral manner, with more than 300 Senators and Representatives voting last year to terminate the emergency.

    Department of Defense military and civilian leaders share this perspective and agree there is not a national security threat on the border. Last year at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Department of Defense witnesses confirmed the lack of a significant threat when they stated they were “not aware of any terrorist threat” on the southwest border. Additionally, the witnesses stated the forces deployed to the border were “engineers and cops”. Their testimony makes it clear that managing the border is better suited for the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, and humanitarian aid workers, not the Department of Defense.

    Despite these assessments from senior defense leaders, the administration continues to wastefully and irresponsibly reallocate defense funds to the border wall even as Congress has dramatically increased funding for border security. In the decade prior to the 2016 election, Congress appropriated nearly $2.5 billion to the Department of Homeland Security to construct primary barriers on the southwest border. In the past three budget cycles, Congress has met the President’s request for additional funds by appropriating $4.5 billion for barriers and fencing, a funding rate six times higher than the average of the previous ten years.

    Despite the significant resources appropriated by Congress for border security, the Administration still decided to circumvent Congress and allocate $6.1 billion of Department of Defense funding for border wall construction. Our understanding is that a significant portion of the previously reprogrammed funds still remain unobligated, to include at least $1.8 billion in military construction funds that were diverted to border wall construction. Yet, it is being reported that the Department of Defense will be ordered to redirect an additional $7.2 billion towards construction of the wall. This would bring the total amount of Department of Defense funding to a total of $13.3 billion in transfers - more than the full unit acquisition cost of a Ford-class aircraft carrier, the entire research and development cost for the Columbia class of submarines, or the $10.6 billion to purchase 98 F-35s in FY2020. The military construction projects being delayed or cancelled will only add to the over $116 billion maintenance backlog of projects, directly impacting our military readiness and the well-being of our military families.

    These actions come as we continue to face diverse, complex, and pressing security threats around the globe while trying to modernize our military and restore readiness. The lack of a strategy for the Middle East has led us to significantly heightened tensions with Iran, China and Russia continue to attempt to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model, North Korea remains an agitator in the Pacific, and we continue to support our allies and partners in the fight against terrorism. We acknowledge that balancing the Department's resources across these competing requirements is a difficult task, which leaves us more confounded how the Department can reallocate resources towards a border wall that lacks a clear defense-related requirement.

    These actions further run counter to the bipartisan budget agreements in Congress that have allowed us to begin recovering the readiness lost during sequestration. Over the last three years, Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to address the threats our nation faces by significantly increasing defense funding, providing greater budget certainty for the Department of Defense, and honoring the commitment we make to our service members: that they are as well trained and equipped as possible to confront our adversaries. Much as the impact from sequestration compounded in each subsequent year, a decision by the administration to once more cancel military construction projects requested by the Department of Defense, and authorized and appropriated by Congress, will cause a lasting detriment to our ability to build and sustain readiness, meet the security challenges we face, and to honor our promises to our armed forces and their families.

    For all the above reasons we strongly urge you to reconsider before making any decision to redirect Department of Defense resources for the construction of additional border wall. We hope you take into consideration how such a move would impact our ability to modernize our military, restore and sustain readiness, and execute the National Defense Strategy. In the event that FY2020 Department of Defense funds are transferred to construct primary fencing or other barriers on the southwest border, we request the following:

    1. For each barrier project pursued using Military Construction funding:

    a. a DD1391,

    b. a detailed explanation for how the proposed border wall project directly supports the use of U.S. armed forces operating at the site of proposed construction in accordance with section 2808 of title 10, United States Code,

    c. the planned date for obligating the funds, and

    d. the dates of contract award, construction start, and construction complete.

    2. A full list of the installations which are delayed, modified, or cancelled due to the transfer of the funds.

    3. The impact on the volume and seizure of narcotics along the southwest border at and between the ports of entry due to transfer of funds for the proposed barrier projects.

    4. The amount of FY2019 funds transferred for barrier construction which were obligated as of January 1, 2020.

    5. The projected spend plan for the funds transferred in FY2019.

    We look forward to continuing to work with you to strengthen our national defense, to support our warfighters, and to ensure we are realizing the most value from each taxpayer dollar appropriated to the Department of Defense.

    Sincerely,

    Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04)

    Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39)

    Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

    Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08)

    Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    Congressman Tony Cardenas (CA-29)

    Congressman Andre Carson (IN-07)

    Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20)

    Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)

    Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)

    Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)

    Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01)

    Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05)

    Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)

    Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02)

    Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)

    Congressman Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03)

    Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02)

    Congressman James McGovern (MA-02)

    Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06)

    Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01)

    Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL)

    Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08)

    Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

    Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09)

    Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14)

    Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03)

    Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51)

    Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34)

    Congressman Peter Welch (VT-AL)