Showing posts with label National Security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Security. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

National Security, Substance Abuse, Drug Cartel, Space, Big Pharma, Military, Climate Agreement, Caregivers,

The Senators requested an unclassified assessment on threats to U.S. national security resulting from escaped ISIS prisoners
Source: Senator Benjamin L.Cardin (D - MD)
November 5, 2019
In their letter to Acting Director of National Intelligence Admiral Joseph Maguire, Senators Collins and Warner requested that he produce an unclassified assessment with a classified annex regarding how the escape of ISIS detainees in Syria could impact the security of the United States and our allies following the pullback of U.S. troops and subsequent incursion by Turkey. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Senator Warner is the Vice Chairman of the Committee.

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CORTEZ MASTO, ROSEN APPLAUD GRANT FUNDING FOR YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
Source: Senator Cathrine Cortez Masto - (D - NV)
November 5, 2019
“Educating our youth about the dangers of substance abuse is an important step towards ensuring the health and safety of Nevada’s communities. We’re especially thankful for federal funding programs like Drug-Free Communities that promote collaboration with local agencies and coalitions, and we’ll continue to fight to get our kids the resources they need to make healthy choices and stop substance abuse before it starts.”

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Sen. Cramer Delivers Floor Remarks on the Death of North Dakotans in Mexico Last Night
Source: Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
November 5, 2019
“What this family has experienced is the personification of evil in the form of this Mexican drug cartel. But we serve a God who personifies pure good, and the greatest response to pure evil is pure good,” said Senator Cramer. “I want to express as much as anything to those grieving that today their burden is our burden too.”

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Sen. Cruz: To Maintain U.S. Leadership in Space, We Must Inspire the Future Workforce
Source: Senator Ted Cruz (R - TX)
November 5, 2019
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, led a hearing with educators and industry leaders on the importance of hands-on learning opportunities for students in developing America's future space workforce. During his introductory remarks, Sen. Cruz highlighted the historic accomplishments of NASA during the Apollo Program and the crucial role a skilled, diverse workforce played, and the importance of inspiring children of all ages and background to become involved in science, technology, engineering, and math:

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Durbin: NAFTA 2.0 Is A Trojan Horse Giveaway To Big Pharma
Source: Senator Richard J. Durbin (D - IL)
November 5, 2019
“For all the President's talk, this provision in this trade agreement is a Trojan horse giveaway to Big Pharma at the expense of American patients,” Durbin said. “I guess we shouldn't be surprised, but I'll say this: if Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, are listening to the people they represent back home about the cost of prescription drugs, they won't fall for this new pharma fleece.”

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Ernst Blasts Democrats for Blocking Military Funding
Source: Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
November 5, 2019
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, blasted her Democratic colleagues who blocked a measure simply allowing a debate on defense funding. On the floor of the Senate, she called on Democrats to put politics aside and to uphold one of the most important duties of the oath of office—and provide our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to do their jobs.

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Feinstein, Cardin, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Urging President Trump to Keep the United States in the Paris Climate Agreement
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
November 5, 2019
Monday, November 4 is the first day President Donald Trump can formalize his threat to withdraw the United States from this historic international agreement. Parties to the Paris Agreement pledged to reduce carbon pollution in an amount and manner determined by each nation that puts the world on a strong trajectory to address climate change.

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(See Also:
Heinrich Statement On Administration’s Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement

Gillibrand Unveils Bipartisan Legislation To Support Family Caregivers
Source: Senator Kirsten E.Gillibrand (D-NY)
November 5, 2019
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand unveiled the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act, legislation that would support family caregivers by helping to alleviate some of the financial challenges they may face. Family caregivers are family members who take care of a loved one that has a medical or behavioral condition or disability. Gillibrand’s new push comes after hosting roundtables and meetings across New York with older adults and disability rights advocates and hearing directly from them about their specific needs. According to the most recently available data, there are 2.6 million unpaid caregivers throughout New York State.

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At Homeland Security Hearing, Harris Questions FBI Director on Rudy Giuliani, Foreign Election Interference, Witness Intimidation
Source: Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)
November 5, 2019
U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, on Tuesday questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray about potential threats to the United States, including foreign interference in U.S elections, witness intimidation in ongoing investigations, and Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer. Wray could not say if the FBI has told the president whether Giuliani is a potential counterintelligence threat or whether Giuliani holds any security clearance of any kind.

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Senator Hassan Addresses Foreign & Domestic Terrorist Threats, Ransomware Attacks at Homeland Security Committee Hearing
Source: Senator Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)
November 5, 2019
Senator Maggie Hassan questioned several of the nation’s top security officials about the rising threats of ISIS affiliates, growing domestic terrorism threats, and cybersecurity during the Senate Homeland Security Committee annual Threats to the Homeland hearing. Senator Hassan and other members of the Committee questioned FBI Director Chris Wray, Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis David Glawe, and National Counterterrorism Center Acting Director Russell Travers.

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Saturday, June 29, 2019

Introducing Center for Security Policy

Led by Frank Gaffney, a former Reagan Pentagon official and aide to Senator Scoop Jackson, the Reagan national security veterans turned the Center into a unique, non-partisan, educational public policy organization with a single overarching mission: To secure freedom for American citizens of today and tomorrow.

Learn more by visiting their website

Check out their latest post:



Latest News Reports Remind Us of the Jihadist Threat on the Southern Border
June 28, 2019
This week in the news, three stories surfaced from different news agencies which illustrate that the threat from jihad through Latin America persists:

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Friday, September 22, 2017

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.”

Monday, July 31, 2017

REP. BACON AND HOUSE COLLEAGUES URGE PRESIDENT TO EXCLUDE TINPLATE STEEL AND ALUMINUM FROM NATIONAL SECURITY TRADE INVESTIGATION

Washington, D.C. - July 28, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- This week, Congressman Don Bacon (NE02) along with 22 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to exclude tinplate steel and aluminum for food packaging in any import restrictions initiated under, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. This investigation was launched to determine whether steel and aluminum imports threaten or impair our national security.

“As a retired brigadier general who served nearly 30 years in the Air Force, I share the President’s strong commitment to ensuring both America’s security and a level playing field for American manufacturing” said Congressman Bacon. “However, if the investigation does not exclude tinplate steel and aluminum, primary components used in the domestic manufacturing of food packaging, we are concerned it could negatively affect U.S. food processers and increase food prices for consumers.”

Given that tinplate steel makes up approximately 60 percent of the cost of the can, even a tariff as low as 5 percent on imported tinplate steel would increase the cost of goods by $0.042 each. This cost would inevitably get passed on to consumers who in many cases are the most economically vulnerable. This would be unacceptable. Additionally, Congressman Bacon is concerned that the broad scope of the Section 232 investigations may impact aluminum as well.

“The domestic canned food supply chain and flexible packaging industry generates more than $100 billion in total economic activity in the U.S. and employs tens of thousands of American workers,” added Congressman Bacon. “This industry provides some of the safest, most affordable food available to consumers today. We will continue to keep pressing for what we believe is right for America and our constituents.”

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Lindsey Lohan, Free Speech, Media Trust, National Security, Gorsuch, Terrorist Awarded, Planned Parenthood, Charlie Gard

Hollywood Starlet Defends POTUS, Urges Americans to Trust Trump
The Constitution
July 5, 2017

While Lindsay Lohan may not be in the prime of her career currently, she still ranks as one of the larger stars to come out in support of Trump. Hollywood has been busy with their demeaning of The Donald, or outright silence on the subject, thanks to the massive liberal slant of both California and of the movie industry. Now that Lohan has come out of the closet, so to speak, perhaps we will find ourselves with a renewed support of the President in Tinsel Town.
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Stop Promoting Violence As Protected Speech
The Dana Show
July 5, 2017

The left is ouWhen I made my spot-on NRA ad wherein I condemned violence, I was specifically referring to the violence in Tweeted examples below... The left is outraged that I, or anyone, would condemn these violent acts because in reality, they sanction them.
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PBS Poll: More Americans Trust Trump Than the Media; 'Horrible Trend'
Newsbusters
July 5, 2017

Monday's PBS NewsHour spotlighted the low trust in the news media, according to the results of their latest poll. Only 30 percent of those surveyed by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist trust the press "a good deal" or "a great amount." The Trump administration scored seven points better in the same poll. Guest Stuart Rothenberg bemoaned the "horrible trend" towards distrust of the media over the past several decades. NPR's Tamara Keith underlined that "these numbers are part of a very long trend of institutions losing trust from the American people; and that...puts America at risk."
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Trump nat sec strategy to 'translate MAGA into foreign policy'
Conservative Review
July 6, 2017

President Trump will release a National Security Strategy (NSS) document likely by year’s end, one that will be based on the newly formed concept of “principled realism,” senior Trump administration officials tell Conservative Review.
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Gorsuch already making conservative mark on Supreme Court, amid Kennedy rumors
Fox News
July 06, 2017

The newest member of the Supreme Court already is making his mark after just three months on the job, effectively restoring a conservative tilt to the bench in decision after decision – amid mounting speculation over whether President Trump could soon have the chance to pick a second justice
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What Canada just AWARDED this jihadist who murdered a U.S. soldier DISGUSTS me
Allen West
July 06, 2017

As reported by CBC.ca, “Alberta PC Leader Jason Kenney and some other conservative politicians are lambasting the federal government over its move to apologize to Omar Khadr and pay him a settlement of $10.5 million [Canadian].
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Franks: If Senate Strips Planned Parenthood Defunding From Health Bill, It Will Blow It to 'Smithereens'
CNS News
July 5, 2017

On Twitter last Friday, House Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) warned that if the Senate takes the "pro-life components out of" the health care bill, it will blow the bill "to smithereens" in the House. Franks' remarks came several days after he signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that the defunding of Planned Parenthood in the bill was essentially non-negotiable.
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'Don't give up... miracles do happen' Mother of 'Italian Charlie Gard' says son, 9, given up for dead as a baby has a happy life of painting and chess
Daily Mail
July 5, 2017

The mum of an Italian boy with a condition similar to Charlie Guard has told his parents:' Don't give up – miracles happen.'
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Some good news worth sharing...

Injury Kept Him From Desert Storm. Years Later, Vet Consumed by Guilt. But Stranger Hands Over Letter
Liftable
July 4, 2017

When Hayley Williams’ father, John Williams, came home injured from a military training exercise before Desert Storm, their life changed dramatically. In addition to the physical and emotional struggles John Williams was experiencing, the family feared they would not be able to afford Hayley’s university tuition.
Read what happens next...