Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Transportation and Freight Infrastructure

Today's News from the Lawmakers





AFP: Tax Hikes are the Wrong Way to Fund Roads and Bridges
Source: Americans for Prosperity
May 1, 2019
“If Congress wants to find money to modernize our roads and bridges, we encourage them to look to their own pockets – Americans have been filling them up for years. Instead of proposing a $2 trillion catch-all ‘infrastructure’ bill and asking hard-working Americans to fund it by paying more at the pump, Washington lawmakers should cut the red tape and stop wasting the tax dollars we give them.”

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Congresswoman Schakowsky To Amtrak, Trump: Invest In Our Rail Infrastructure and Employees
Source: Jan Schakowsky (D-IL, 9th)
May 1, 2019
“Rail service has a long history of spurring innovation and growth in our great nation. And once again, it has a potential to spur commerce and expansion. Instead of seizing on that opportunity, Amtrak executives and the Trump Administration are seeking drastic cuts that eliminate jobs and set the stage for even more reduction in rail service. And the rail service that does remain will see a drastic loss in quality, with the elimination of food service and even replacing some segments with bus service. President Trump promised to invest $1 trillion in our nation’s infrastructure, and yet every budget he has proposed has actually cut Federal infrastructure spending. We need robust, long-term investment in our rail systems, both for the Chicago area and our nation,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky.

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Chemical Distributors Advocate for Transportation Policy and Continued Chemical Facility Security Measures on Capitol Hill
Source: The Ponder News
May 1, 2019
More than 90 members of the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) are meeting with Congressional representatives and regulatory officials today in Washington, D.C. Chemical distributors—who process, formulate, blend, re-package, warehouse, transport, and market chemical products that are essential to our daily lives—will advocate for legislation addressing the nation's truck driver shortage, for a fully-operational U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to usher in needed freight rail reform, and for reauthorization of a critical anti-terrorism program that keeps our nation secure.

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Chemical Distributors Advocate for Transportation Policy and Continued Chemical Facility Security Measures on Capitol Hill


by: National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD)

Arlington, VA - May 1, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- More than 90 members of the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) are meeting with Congressional representatives and regulatory officials today in Washington, D.C. Chemical distributors—who process, formulate, blend, re-package, warehouse, transport, and market chemical products that are essential to our daily lives—will advocate for legislation addressing the nation's truck driver shortage, for a fully-operational U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to usher in needed freight rail reform, and for reauthorization of a critical anti-terrorism program that keeps our nation secure.

"In passing the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act (DRIVE-Safe Act), Congress would be a step closer to solving the growing truck driver shortage by expanding the age for interstate drivers to 18 years old," said NACD President Eric R. Byer. "Recent estimates indicate motor carriers are lacking 50,000 truck drivers—a number only expected to increase. In 2017, chemical distributor fleets and their third-party logistics partners traveled over 415 million miles delivering products. Across the board, industries and consumers are feeling the crunch of rising truck freight costs. It's crucial that Congress takes action."

During their time on Capitol Hill, NACD members will connect with policy makers and influencers on issues impacting chemical distributors across the country. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), original co-sponsor of the DRIVE-Safe Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, will provide insights on the legislative playing field. The Cook Political Report's Amy Walter will also share her analysis on upcoming trends shaping policy issues.

In addition to advocating for the DRIVE-Safe Act and its two-step apprenticeship program that would give younger drivers a chance to enter the industry safely while keeping freight moving, NACD members will also revisit the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), the program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to identify and regulate high-risk chemical facilities to protect against security threats. Though CFATS was successfully renewed through April 18, 2020, the program still needs a multi-year reauthorization to allow the industry to make long-term facility investments to safeguard the nation's chemical security.

Finally, attendees will continue to advocate for a full, five-member STB. As one of the only agencies with federal oversight of freight rail, NACD members will encourage Congress to nominate and confirm STB members who will make decisions based on economic realities and founded on free market solutions.

NACD members will also have the opportunity to sit down with regulators to explain how their small businesses are impacted by federal regulations, from environmental policy to trade concerns to the truck driver shortage. They will meet with Alexandra Dunn of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Brenda Smith of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Ray Martinez of the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Auction of firearms for noted outdoorsman's estate draws over 1,000 bidders



by: Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company

Columbia City, IN - May 1, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- For decades, Dwight "Boob" Goble was widely known as a legendary marksman, trapshooter and collector of fine firearms. So when Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company offered more than 375 firearms from the Goble estate's collection, the response was beyond enthusiastic.

"Mr. Goble, who died in January, was well known and loved among shooters, outdoorsmen and collectors throughout the area, and we had a huge inventory, including rare guns and vintage ammunition, with more than 1,000 bidders in all for each of the two days," said Schrader agent Phil Wolfe, who managed the event near Columbia City.

"We had 765 registered bidders online for the simulcast bidding, and the online bidders purchased 38 percent of the inventory. We had buyers in at least 25 different states, as well as one in Netherlands, who bought a Winchester 1890 12-gauge pump. Everything sold, and believe it or not, there is a lot more to come as we continue to take this collection to auction," said Wolfe.

One highlight didn't even involve the sale of a firearm, but rather a rare Daisy BB gun. "A double barrel Daisy with the original box went for $800, which is just remarkable. We also had a very rare 4-gauge shotgun, and others from L.C. Smith, Parker Brothers and others," said Wolfe.

Mental Health

Today's News from the Lawmakers





CCHR Condemns FDA's Approval of Electricity-Zapping for 'ADHD' Kids
Source: The Ponder News
May 1, 2019
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a device to zap a low-level electrical pulse through the forehead of 7-12 year olds as treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).[1] But the mental health watchdog, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), says with concern that some psychiatrists have now turned to the FDA to approve a device that "electro-shocks children into docility."

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FDA permits marketing of first medical device for treatment of ADHD
Source: The Ponder News
April 22, 2019
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has permitted marketing of the first medical device to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The prescription-only device, called the Monarch external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) System, is indicated for patients ages 7 to12 years old who are not currently taking prescription ADHD medication and is the first non-drug treatment for ADHD granted marketing authorization by the FDA.

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CCHR Condemns FDA's Approval of Electricity-Zapping for 'ADHD' Kids



by: Citizens Commission on Human Rights

Los Angeles, CA - May 1, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a device to zap a low-level electrical pulse through the forehead of 7-12 year olds as treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).[1] But the mental health watchdog, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), says with concern that some psychiatrists have now turned to the FDA to approve a device that "electro-shocks children into docility."

The Monarch eTNS System device costs around $1,000, according to CNN. A patch placed on the forehead uses a 9-volt lithium battery stimulation that creates a "tingling sensation" on the skin between the eyebrows.[2] Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International says, "With no FDA regulation of psychiatry,[3] this latest practice of zapping a lack of focus could send a wrong message to children. There are psychiatrists that would have them believe that electricity pulsing through their brain while they sleep may help control impulsive behavior." And pediatric neurologist, Dr. Fred Baughman advises parents that there is no proof that "ADHD" behavior has a medical or neurobiological cause.[4]

Recently, the FDA also cleared the usage of electroshock treatment—up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain—for adolescents aged 13 and above with "bipolar" disorder.[5] Yet according to the FD&C Act, the "FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine."[6] As such, "How psychiatrists administer electroshock is a free-for-all license for potentially committing 'mental euthanasia' on anyone they please, including children," Eastgate adds. She called on people to sign CCHR's petition to ban ECT

Freedom of Information requests CCHR filed in seven U.S. states reveal that psychiatrists are electroshocking kids aged five and younger.[7]

It is common for psychiatrists to say they don't know how ECT "works." In a petition to the FDA Commissioner in 2016, Constitutional attorney, Jonathon Emord noted, "How ECT 'works' and even if it works is highly disputed."[8]

Nor are there clinical studies proving safety and efficacy of ECT devices, Emord says.[9] Likewise, the exact mechanism of the Monarch eTNS System and its long term effects is unknown.[10]

As Forbes pointed out: "There are nearly a dozen neurostimulation devices on the market that claim to improve cognitive function by allowing you to zap your brain with a small electrical current. But just because you can now do this at home doesn't mean it's a good idea. ECT uses electrical current in the range of 600-1000 milliamps.... But you're welcome to zap your brain with a much lighter touch of roughly 1-2 milliamps from the comfort of your couch for anywhere between $99 and $800 dollars. That is, if you don't mind leaving the state of your brain up to chance."[11]

The marketing hype fed parents for this new device is likely to go something like this, Eastgate says: The "zapping" ADHD device is a "noninvasive treatment" and less risky than cocaine-like amphetamines or stimulants currently prescribed to treat "ADHD." This avoids drug side effects like anorexia, poor growth and cardiovascular problems.[12]

Jessica Baron, writing in Forbes noted, "While it's true that the [neurostimulation] electrodes don't penetrate your head, they must produce enough current to reach the brain in order to have any effect at all. Calling these products 'noninvasive' is merely a marketing technique and a misleading one if you ask me."[13]

Researchers do not understand the effects of long-term use of brain stimulation, but say that no brain region exists in isolation. Modulating one brain area may impact on other areas.[14]

Nick J. Davis Ph.D. from the Department of Psychology, Swansea University in the UK, explains that because the brain continues to develop until the age of 20, stimulation in children and adolescents would have a stronger impact.[15]

Davis said there is evidence that enhancing one aspect of cognition may be detrimental to other cognitive faculties. "There is also the worrying possibility that electrical stimulation of the skull may induce or inhibit bone growth, an issue of particular importance in children whose cranial bones are not yet fused. This latter possibility has not been explored in human volunteers in brain stimulation experiments," Davis wrote in 2014.[16]

Davis pleaded for "calm and caution" when opting for stimulation device use in children because serious effects of transcranial stimulation include seizure, mood changes or induction of hyper- or hypo-mania.

It's a "calm and caution" the FDA ignores, Eastgate alleges. The studies of the current ADHD device have been small—about 60 children, using the device or a placebo each night for four weeks only. [17] However, Carlos Peña, Ph.D., Director, Division of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said: "This new device offers a safe, non-drug option for treatment of ADHD in pediatric patients."[18]

Dr. Peña also said that the FDA's Final Order on the ECT device classification provides information on its "safe and effective use" of ECT devices.[19]

Yet he was part of an FDA hearing in 2014 investigating the practice of aversive conditioning electrical devices to modify undesirable behavior.[20] In that case, the FDA recommended the device be banned, saying it subjected residents at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts to "an unreasonable and substantial risk to public health."[21] For almost three decades the Center has been zapping its special-needs residents with a custom-designed electric shock machine that delivers charges of up to 41 milliamps—10 times the amperage used in most stun guns—to their legs, arms, hands, feet, fingers or torsos via electrodes on the skin.[22] In 2013, Juan Mendez, the UN's former special rapporteur on torture, concluded that the rights of students "subjected to electric shocks and physical means of restraints have been violated under the UN convention against torture."[23]

CCHR says ongoing dangerous decisions by the FDA warrant a Congressional investigation into children and others potentially being put at substantial health and mental risk.

“We do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there is no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction.”— National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus Statement

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Budget

Today's News about Budget Issues





'The American people have to live within their means, so should the leaders of our nation'
Source: Chip Roy (R-TX, 21st)
April 29, 2019
Only in Washington is it considered appropriate to endlessly lift one’s borrowing limit without even a hint of shame or a plan to stop it. We should not raise the debt ceiling without a deal to spend less than the current caps and put us on a path to a balanced budget.

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Immigration

Today's News from the Lawmakers





Pascrell Applauds McAllister Decision
Source: Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ, 9th)
April 26, 2019
“The decision by the Homeland Security Department to allow Mr. McAllister to remain in America is terrific news. Mr. McAllister and his family have set roots in our community. America is where he belongs. I thank Secretary McAleenan for granting a stay. Common sense and human dignity prevailed in his decision. We have fought for decades and will continue to fight and use this time to work towards a permanent resolution for this case.”

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Trump to allow Malachy McAllister to stay
Source: Irish Central
April 26, 2019
Kevin McAleenan, President Trump’s newly-appointed acting secretary of Homeland Security, has granted a request from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to stay the deportation of McAllister, the Washington Examiner reports.

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Native Americans


Today's News about Native Americans





CONGRESSMAN DAVID SCHWEIKERT SUPPORTS TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN OPPORTUNITY ZONE REGULATIONS
Source: David Schweikert (R-AZ, 6th)
April 29, 2019
“I am pleased to see tribal lands will be included in the economic success opportunity zones will bring to local communities. Tribal communities have long supported local businesses by leasing their land to community members. Now, they will be able participate in the benefits that opportunity zones provide. Thank you to the IRS and Treasury for working to include tribal communities during the comment period for these zones.” said Congressman David Schweikert

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Law Enforcement

Today's News from the Lawmakers





Reschenthaler, Dean Introduce Bill to Support Law Enforcement Officers, Improve Mental Health Care
Source: Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA, 14th)
April 29, 2019
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities,” said Reschenthaler. “These men and women routinely endure extremely stressful situations, yet the federal government does little to address the consequences of this taxing work. This stress can cause high blood pressure and post-traumatic stress disorder, and has resulted in a suicide rate that is 50 percent higher than the national average. I am proud to work with Congresswoman Dean to fix this wrong and support police officers and their families.”

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Farmers

Today's News about Farmers





PETERSON STATEMENT ON USDA’S DECISION TO EXTEND DEADLINE FOR THE MARKET FACILITATION PROGRAM
Source: Collin C. Peterson (D-MN, 7th)
April 29, 2019
“In my district and across the Midwest, it’s easy to see that weather and other conditions have prevented many farmers from getting their 2018 crop out of the ground. Many of them have raised their concerns with me and this extension is something I’ve been pushing USDA to do. As we’re looking at another round of snow in some parts of Minnesota, this gives those folks more time to finish and certify their harvest from 2018. While these payments are welcome, the Administration needs to stop pretending that the trade bailout will somehow make up for the long-term losses with trade partners like China.”

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