Governor Bobby Jindal Calls On Obama Administration To Get In The War To Stop Oil

GRAND ISLE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal viewed firsthand a massive and heavy oil slick that is roughly three miles off the coast of Grand Isle where local leaders have been waiting weeks for federal officials to issue a permit to narrow passes and block oil from coming into Louisiana’s wetlands.

Governor Jindal called on federal officials to immediately issue authorization for the project so work can begin to stop more heavy oil from hitting Louisiana’s coast.

Governor Jindal said, “We saw waves of very heavy bands of oil that are just a few miles off our coast. We know the slick is heading our way and we need to do everything to fight the oil off our coast. Our coastal leaders have a plan to battle the spill, but we have been waiting for weeks now for federal officials to issue a permit and approve the plan.

“Over a month ago, the towns of Grand Isle and Lafitte, together with Jefferson Parish have been asking for a permit to narrow the five eastern Barataria Passes and to establish active sorbent and removal operations on barges. So far, two passes have been approved for barges – Pass Abel and Four-Bayou Pass. The federal government still has not approved rock or other measures necessary to direct the surface and subsurface oil to the vacuum barges. There are tons of rocks just sitting there waiting to be deployed.

“Once again, federal agencies that have done little while 2,300 square miles of wetlands disappear now tell us that they have delayed the rock approval because they are worried about ‘protecting our coast.’ The federal agencies are saying rocks in the water would cause more damage than the oil that is coming our way. Only someone in Washington would be arguing about that. This defies logic and common sense.

“We now know that a large quantity of oil is moving toward our coastline as we speak. Contractors were ready to begin placing rock this weekend and they still stand ready to begin immediately placing the rock upon getting the emergency authorization from the Army Corps of Engineers. We are again calling on the Corps to grant emergency authorization immediately so this work can begin. Requests for minor details or additional analyses can be handled after a permit is issued – but we need to get to work on protecting this coast.

“Over three weeks ago, The Mayor of Grand Isle and I talked to the President about this plan and we are still fighting to get approval to use the rocks. This is a war against the oil down here. We don’t need more talking. We need more action. If the federal government believes this is a war, they need decide if they're in the war to win it or not.

“Thankfully, the Mayor of Grand Isle and leaders in Jefferson have refused to take no for an answer when it comes to protecting their land – and we will continue to fight alongside them in this battle against federal red tape and the oil that threatens the future of our land and our people.”

DREDGING/SAND-BERM UPDATE

Governor Jindal said, “To date, the cutterhead dredge CALIFORNIA has dredged over 595,000 cubic yards of material for our berm on the northern Chandeleur Islands. On the west side of the river, 240,000 cubic yards of material has been moved to date.

“The CALIFORNIA has been shut down for six days because the Corps and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made us move the dredge. The Corps of Engineers refuses to beneficially use the millions of cubic yards of material they dredge annually from our rivers and navigation channels – and this was one of the federal agencies that shut us down.

“U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – the agency that manages and owns the Chandeleur Islands as they have disappeared to just a fraction of their original size – is now saying that they are concerned that creating more land out there and helping to restore our coastal wetlands could cause ‘additional erosion.’

“There was oil on these islands over the weekend and we know our newly created sand berm has already stopped small volumes of oil from getting into our wetlands. Unfortunately, just south of the sand berms, this oil has already gone past what is left of the deteriorating island chain and is now heading toward our wetlands.

“We are just six days after the Corps and U.S. Fish shut us down and our fears have been confirmed. Oil is in the northern islands and will continue to contaminate our fisheries, kill our wetlands and threaten our way of life here in Louisiana.

“We need more urgency from the federal response. We need them to put the red tape aside. We need to them to really treat this oil spill like a war. You don’t wait for studies and weeks and weeks for federal permits in the middle of a war. You do what you need to do as quickly as possible to protect your land and your people.

“That is what we are doing on the front lines here every day here in Louisiana and we need the federal government to join us. We absolutely will not be held back. We will not let our people and our land suffer while we wait on the federal government to realize that we need more resources and effort put into this response.”

UPDATE ON ADDITIONAL COASTAL PROTECTION INITIATIVES

*
Louisiana National Guardsmen continue construction operations to install approximately 8.5 miles of HESCO barrier on the shoreline of Cameron Parish. Crews have stretched over 6 miles of wall to provide an initial protection to the coast. Approximately 4.2 miles is completely filled.
* There are currently 34 vacuum barge systems operating or in the stages of deploying to operate to collect oil.
* At Pelican and Scofield Islands – 8 gaps on Pelican Island are complete. The National Guard continues helicopter operations on Scofield Island to complete two out of the six remaining gaps there. To date, over 10,900 sandbags have been dropped on Scofield Island – and a total of more than 27 million pounds of sand in total as part of sand-fill operations.
* In support of Jefferson Parish and Grand Isle, the Louisiana National Guard has completed all 8.1 miles of Tiger Dam in Grand Isle. ###

TEXT CREDIT: Office of the Governor || PO Box 94004, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 || Contact the Governor

PHOTO CREDIT: CNN

Breaking News Update the Federal budget has been cancelled. TEXT VIDEO

It's Funny Because It's True.

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

VIDEO: OBAMA IN JANUARY 2010

OBAMA: Like any cash strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need, and sacrifice what we don’t. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.

TEXT ON SCREEN: BREAKING NEWS ALERT
We interrupt Washington’s regularly scheduled promise-making to bring you this important breaking news update.

REPORTER:

Good afternoon. We've just received word that the Federal budget has been cancelled.

Are you sure? Cancelled???

Yes, it's confirmed: the House of Representatives budget for fiscal year 2011 has been cancelled.

The cause we’re told is Washington Democrats’ out-of-control spending spree.

So we're here outside the Capitol right now awaiting word from those Washington Democrats, presumably an apology for the betrayal of hard-working American taxpayers.

We're trying to get a sense of the fallout from this decision.

But bear with us; nothing like this has ever happened before in the modern era.

Ah, here, here we go -- This budget failure means:

MORE wasteful Washington spending

MORE wasteful Washington spending paid for by borrowing from our kids and grandkids

MORE wasteful Washington spending paid for by borrowing from our kids and grandkids AND raising taxes on middle-class families

This budget failure also means

NO plan to create jobs.

NO plan to create small business jobs

NO leadership on the economy

NO leadership, period.

A staggering list. Alright…

Well again, we’re awaiting an apology from Washington Democrats, but for now, stay tuned for a word from our sponsor.

This broadcast has been brought to you by House Republicans, who have better solutions to cut spending now and make Washington DC live within our means. Making the tough choices, just like every small business, family, and family farm does every day.

To learn more, visit GOP.GOV.

Note: This video is based on a document from Republican Leader John Boehner available here. ###

Contact Matt Lloyd or Mary Vought at (202) 226-9000 or matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov>

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) Supreme Court Decision a Victory for American People, Constitution

A Jamaican friend of mine, after reading about a shooting in our town, asked me why we allowed so many guns in our country. i told him we'd rather shoot each other occasionally than have the government be the only ones to have guns, he accepted the explanation without question.

WASHINGTON (DC) House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the following statement following the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments.

“The Supreme Court’s decision today reinforces the power and vitality of our Constitution as a bulwark against the encroachment by government on our fundamental rights, including the right to keep and bear arms. As Americans, the protection of our Constitutional rights shouldn’t depend on which state or which city we reside in. Today’s decision reflects what the Supreme Court and the legal system is supposed to be all about: strictly interpreting the words of the Constitution, not bending them or deviating them for ideological or political ends.

“I am disappointed that President Obama’s first appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Sotomayor, joined the dissent in trampling this important right today, after previously claiming to understand the right the court upheld in the Heller case. I hope that as the Senate reviews the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, Senators will be sure to discern exactly where she stands on the plain words of the Constitution.”

----------------------------------------------

The Supreme Court ruled today in a 5-to-4 decision that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws,

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPTS IN PDF FORMAT:

• 6/28/10 - Decision McDonald v. Chicago
• SCOTUS Transcript of Oral Arguments in McDonald v. Chicago

• Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.
• in dissented: Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

References: Eric Cantor || Republican Whip

McDonald v. Chicago Decision highlights the importance of Supreme Court nominations FULL TEXT

The Supreme Court ruled today in a 5-to-4 decision that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws,

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPTS IN PDF FORMAT:

• 6/28/10 - Decision McDonald v. Chicago
• SCOTUS Transcript of Oral Arguments in McDonald v. Chicago

• Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.
• in dissented: Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ruling on McDonald v. Chicago, extended the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms to all fifty states:

"In its ruling today, the Supreme Court has affirmed a fundamental point of federalism: No state has the right to legislate away the blood-bought Constitutional right of every law-abiding American to protect their person, their family, and their liberty.

“This decision is a victory for the Second Amendment, but as a 5 to 4 ruling among the justices it also sends a warning. The Supreme Court is closely divided and at least four of its members would not extend a basic constitutional right to all fifty states. For that reason alone, the nomination and confirmation of any Supreme Court Justice requires careful deliberation to ensure that the members of the high court will protect the rights handed down by our Founding Fathers.” ###

Contact Matt Lloyd or Mary Vought at (202) 226-9000 or matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov

Vice President Biden Calls Store Manager Who Asks Him To Lower Taxes A "Smartass" VIDEO

You knew that's how it is, but it's nice to hear from the horses, well again you know, you want lower taxes? Your a smartass

VP Biden: what do we owe you?

manager: don't worry it's on us. Lower our taxes and we’ll call it even.

VP Biden: Why don’t you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time? Say something nice?

VIDEO CREDIT: rcpvideo

Reporters caught on live mic mocking Sarah Palin speech TEXT TRANSCRIPT VIDEO

Yeah, i know the press and progressives are in conspiracy to remake the country in their own elitist, socialist image. No but seriously i'm sure they're going to give us a fair shake this time, just like last time.

Open live mic remarks after Sarah Palin's speech at CSU Stanislaus in Turlock - 25 June 2010

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT OF THE OPEN MIC REMARKS:

What's your problem?
Oh my god I feel like I just stepped off of a roller coaster! Go round and round and up and down and shit flying out of everywhere and standing. Remember when you had to write a report as a college student and you just tried to jam in as many quotes as possible? You know, from as many random things you could get, you know, that's what I got.
I got she didn't ever finish a statement.
Right.
(?)
Did she make a statement? Cause I didn't catch that either.
I think she said, "Hi" and "Thanks".
To think she could even quote Kennedy.
Twice.
Hey, I'm really sorry the cam, the feed died.
No, no, yeah. Pfft.
Yeah, after 8 hours.
It just shut off.
You guys have a tough job; I don't know how you're going to make a story out of that.
Well... that's the story.
(??)
Thanks.
All right guys.
Now I know the dumbness doesn't come from just soundbites.
(???)learn a whole new (??)
Well____, you weren't the only one who had problems.
(???) speech therapy.
Tech talk.
The end.

Sarah Palin finished her speech at CSU Stanislaus, but some journalists and technicians didn't realize that the microphone was open and slammed the speech! An unforgettable moment. Fortunately I caught the complete remarks.

TEXT and VIDEO CREDIT: PalinPalooza

Dodd-Frank Act, Fannie Mae Freddie Mac The Ship Be Sinking VIDEO

If this was fiction no one would believe it, to far fetched. The same people who aided and abetted our downward spiral now seek to finish the job. Barney Frank's, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee key roll in the Freddie Fannie collapse is outlined below. Chris Dodd Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is a life long politician. In the words of the philosopher "The Ship Be Sinking"¹

Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. BACHUS, REPUBLICANS BLOCKED FROM BRINGING UP FANNIE/FREDDIE REFORM BY CHAIRMAN FRANK. Summary Of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform And Consumer Protection Act, and FULL TEXT in PDF FORMAT H. R. 4173

WASHINGTON (June 23)– Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) today said Chairman Barney Frank’s outright ban on consideration of amendments to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the failed government controlled housing enterprises, is an abandonment of congressional responsibility and the direct result of Democrats controlling negotiations on a financial regulatory bill to protect their taxpayer-funded bailouts.

Bachus, who is Ranking Member on the Committee, today was blocked from bringing up reform proposals during a House-Senate conference on the regulatory bill.

“Without the ability to even debate how to end the unlimited bailouts for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, meaningful GSE reform, which should have been our top priority in this conference, will never come,” said Bachus, who is a conferee on the bill. “Instead, we have focused on other matters, many that are unrelated to the financial crisis, and allowed the GSEs to bleed more than $146 billion of taxpayer dollars without any plan to staunch the losses.

“Just like their lack of a budget, this is a complete abdication of their congressional responsibility. Thanks to the cameras, now the public knows what the Democrats look like when they protect government bailouts over the interests of taxpayers,’ Bachus said.

Under Bachus’ leadership, Republicans on the Financial Services Committee have consistently offered legislation and proposals to end the growing taxpayer bailout of the housing finance entities, which are considered one of the root causes of the financial crisis.

Barney Frank Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Oct. 6, 2004 "I don't see anything in this report that raises safety and soundness problems" Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam that caused our Economic Crisis.

At a 2004 hearing see Democrat after Democrat covering up and attacking the regulations to protect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (their Cash Cows) that are now destroying our economy because the Democrats let them cheat.



Barney Frank in 2005: What Housing Bubble? Courtesy of www.verumserum.com. A speech by Barney Frank on the House Floor in 2005 where he refutes any concern about a housing industry bubble and advocates for the government to continuing expanding home ownership.



Barney Frank Rewrites History April 20, 2009 Says the Poor Should Not Own Homes.

Excerpt from an interview given by Barney Frank on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS on April 20, 2009, where Rep. Frank astonishingly claims that conservatives are to blame for the housing collapse, and that he has been in favor of rental housing for low-income earners all along.

FOOTNOTES ¹ Urban Dictionary: The Ship Be Sinking

VIDEO CREDITS: Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam. NakedEmperorNews

What Housing Bubble? morgenr

Barney Frank Rewrites History, morgenr

TEXT CREDITS: Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6)

The Justice Department’s assault on individual rights and civil liberties

Dr. Ron Paul

Dr. Paul says it all about the continuing erosion of American civil liberties, no one is innocent. "We have met the enemy... and he is us" Statement of Congressman Ron Paul United States House of Representatives Statement on H. Res. 1422 June 24, 2010.

Madam Speaker, the House of Representatives recently considered H.RES. 1422, honoring the 140th anniversary of the Department of Justice. I voted against this resolution because of the Justice Department’s history of violating individual rights.

It is the Justice Department that leads the ongoing violations of the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments in the name of the “war on drugs.” It is Justice Department agents who perform warrantless wiretap, and “sneak-and-peak” searches under the misnamed PATRIOT Act. It is the Justice Department that prosecutes American citizens for violating unconstitutional federal regulations even in cases where no reasonable person could have known their actions violated federal law.

Some like to pretend that the Justice Department’s assault on liberties is a modern phenomenon, or that abuses of liberties are only carried out by one political party. However, history shows that the unconstitutional usurpations of power and abuse of rights goes back at least almost a hundred years to the “Progressive” era and that Justice Departments of both parties have disregard the Constitution and violated individual liberties.

During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson’s Justice Department imprisoned people who dared to speak out against the war. Following the war, the progressive assault on the First Amendment continued with the infamous “Palmer raids,” named for Wilson’s Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Just as President Wilson’s policies of foreign interventionism and domestic welfare served as a model for future presidents, Attorney General Palmer’s assaults on civil liberties served as a model for future attorney generals of both parties. Think of Robert Kennedy authorizing the wiretapping of Martin Luther King, Jr, John Mitchell’s role in the abuses of civil liberties by Nixon Administration, Ed Meese’s assault on the First Amendment with his “pornography commission,” Janet Reno’s role in the murder of innocent men, women and children at Waco, and the steady erosion of our rights over the past decade. In addition, it is the attorney general and the Justice Department that defend and justify violations of constitutional liberties by the president and the other federal bureaucracies.

Many civil libertarians were hopeful the new administration would be more sympathetic to civil liberties than was the prior administration. But the current administration has disregarded campaign promises to restore respect for civil liberates and has continued, and in many cases expanded, the anti-freedom policies of its predecessors. For instance, the current administration is supporting renewal of the policies of warrantless wiretapping, and other PATRIOT Act provisions. The administration, despite promising to be more open and transparent, is also continuing to use the claim of "state secrets" to shield potentially embarrassing information from Americans. According to the New York Times, the current administration is even outdoing its predecessors in the prosecution of government whistleblowers. It is little wonder that the head of the American Civil Liberties Union recently said he is disgusted with the administration’s record on civil liberties.

Of course, Madam Speaker, Congress bears ultimate responsibility for the Justice Department’s actions, as it is Congress that passes the unconstitutional laws the Justice Department enforces. Congress also fails to perform effective oversight of the Justice Department. Instead of honoring the Justice Department, Congress should begin to repeal unconstitutional laws and start exercising congressional oversight of executive branch agencies that menace our freedoms.

Congressman Ron Paul Washington, DC 203 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone Number: (202) 225-2831

Time For Budget Solutions, Not State Rock Debate PODCAST VIDEO

SACRAMENTO - With less than five days until the end of the fiscal year, Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick, of Carlsbad, calls on Sacramento Democrats to stop wasting time on trivial and symbolic acts and instead focus on passing a responsible budget.

MP3 PODCAST for DOWNLOAD time for budget solutions, not state rock debate - garrick's assembly republican weekly address

Time For Budget Solutions, Not State Rock Debate - Garrick's Assembly Republican Weekly Address

Hello. I'm Martin Garrick with this week's radio address from the State Capitol.

With less than five days until the end of the fiscal year, and California in a downward financial spiral, you would think the Legislature's sole focus would be on the state's budget. You expect your representatives to be working around the clock on a bipartisan solution to close our $19.1 billion dollar budget deficit. Or passing urgent legislation to get our struggling economy back on track and get people back to work. Unfortunately, you would be wrong.

In fact, you would be shocked to learn what Democrats were actually debating this week. Instead of going through the budget line by line to find budget savings, Democrats this week held hearings about a plan to get rid of the state's rock. It's currently serpentine, which apparently can be bad for your health according to one Democrat Senator.

The Legislature also declared June 14 through the 20th as "California Golf Week,"... after the week had already passed. This is a sad reminder that it's not just budgets that don't get passed on time at the State Capitol.

Finally, Democrats introduced a bill this week to criminalize "gate crashing" at the Oscars and other black-tie award ceremonies. While Hollywood party crashers might be really annoying to some, should this really be an urgent priority with 2.3 million people out of work?

There is a reason why politicians miss budget deadlines in Sacramento. And it's not because the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote for budgets and tax increases. It's because Democrats refuse to get serious about cutting wasteful spending and reforming state government.

Republicans stand behind the Governor's blueprint for a balanced budget. It will close the $19.1 billion dollar deficit responsibly - by setting priorities and reducing spending, without raising taxes. Meanwhile Assembly and Senate Democrat Leaders continue to fight with each other. They can't even agree on their costly schemes to tax and spend. But they seem determined to borrow from your children's future to protect government jobs.

The people have already spoken. They want a budget that lives within its means. They want measures that help the private sector create jobs. They don't want any more borrowing. They don't want any more taxes. And they don't want their elected representatives wasting time on trivial and symbolic acts in the face of a serious fiscal crisis.

This is Martin Garrick. Thank you for listening.

6/25/2010 Seth Unger (916) 319-2074

Liberal Activist Compares US Border Patrol to the KKK VIDEO

The liberal agenda for the balkanization of the United States has never been clearer, as intolerance, divisiveness and demonization of those who represent a different view are cheered.

Community activist Elena Herrada speaking at the US Social Form in Detroit, MI on June 23, 2010

Linda McMahon Regular Job VIDEO

We see Linda taking some flack for her background in general and this new TV ad in particular. That brings an important issue to the fore. Linda McMahon has had a JOB, has met a payroll, has built something and created real jobs for real people, not government hand-outs administered by bureaucrats. We're sorry that some may find her family business too coarse but we prefer real world experience to life long politicians with only theoretical knowledge.

“People create jobs, not governments.”

Washington got the stimulus dead wrong. In a matter of months, Washington spent trillions of dollars and ran it all through government bureaucracy. Instead of creating new private sector jobs, we got more job losses, bigger government and more debt — more than $12 trillion in federal debt that will cause long-term harm to the economy.

I believe government’s role in economic recovery must be to help create an environment where small businesses can succeed and grow. Small businesses have historically created 70% of new jobs — jobs that are self-sustaining and have a multiplier effect. Government jobs don’t do that. To grow, small businesses need a reduced tax burden and predictability so that they can plan and make investments. The economy is trying to recover, but Washington won’t let it. It is spending too much and creating tax and regulatory uncertainty that is paralyzing small businesses and stifling job creation.

It’s time for Washington to take an honest assessment, recognize these economic policies are failing and change course. We need to stop government growth and deficit spending. Smaller government will decrease the tax burden on small businesses and it will help reduce debilitating federal regulations that make it difficult to impossible for small businesses to plan for the future, expand and create jobs.

Read Linda's plan in PDF Format, Preserving the American Dream: A Plan to Put Connecticut Back to Work.

TEXT CREDIT: Linda McMahon for Senate 2010 Contact 860-244-2010, info@linda2010.com 973 Farmington Ave | West Hartford, CT 06107 PO Box 271386 | West Hartford, CT 06127

VIDEO CREDIT: LindaMcMahon2010

Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 06/25/10

Video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted. Podcast of the address: Download MP3 for PODCAST

Washington (Jun 25) In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says Washington Democrats’ unprecedented decision to cancel this year’s budget will wreak havoc on our economy and make it even harder to put people back to work. The House Budget Committee’s top Republican, Ryan says Democrats’ plan to continue their out-of-control ‘stimulus’ spending spree and raise taxes on middle-class families is a “recipe for disaster.” He also challenges President Obama and Washington Democrats to stop running out the clock and “make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.”

With economists saying immediate fiscal discipline is needed to create jobs, Ryan notes that Republicans have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts that could be implemented right now. Rep. Ryan is in his sixth term representing the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. President Obama will visit Southeast Wisconsin next week to discuss the economy. Text of the address follows; Full Text Transcript of the address follows;

Uploaded on June 25, 2010 by republicanconference

“Hello – I’m Paul Ryan – I work for the people of Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District and I serve as the top Republican on the House Budget Committee. Yes, Congress does have a budget committee, but I’m afraid it hasn’t been very busy this year. “In fact, this week the House Majority Leader announced that Democrats are canceling this year’s budget.

Instead of reining in out-of-control spending that has pushed our national debt past $13 trillion, Democrats have made clear their intention to raise taxes on middle-class families to fuel their continued spending spree.

“Talk about a recipe for disaster: Democrats are offering no budget, no priorities, and no restraints – yet all their taxing, borrowing, and spending continues unchecked.

“With this budget failure – a first in the modern era – Democrats are missing a critical opportunity to provide the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create private-sector jobs and boost our economy. This unprecedented budget collapse also sends a clear signal to American families struggling to meet their own budgets that Washington still doesn’t recognize the severity of its spending problem.

“Democrats say their decision is about what’s best for the future of our country. It’s not. With the political season upon us, Democratic leaders believe it’s better to take a pass than to pass a budget. While Americans ask ‘where are the jobs?,’ they seem content to simply run out the clock and let their borrowing binge continue to drain resources from our economy.

“The debt is on track to exceed the size of our entire economy in the next 18 months. We have run out of road to kick the can down. If this is really about the future of our country, then leaders should make the tough choices they promised they would, put moral obligation before political expedience, and focus on what’s in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election.

“This is a time to make tough choices, not run from them. To that end, Republicans on the Budget Committee have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts we would implement right now to make Washington do more with less and help small businesses put people back to work. These are specific, common-sense ideas, such as canceling unspent TARP bailout funds and ‘stimulus’ money, that would help us focus on creating more jobs, not more debt. We also propose reducing federal employment and freezing government pay. Instead of growing government, we need to restart the engine of economic growth.

“Of course, this is just a starting point. Much more needs to be done to set our nation on a sustainable economic course. We need to start reining in unnecessary spending now so that we can boost the economy and work together to address our nation’s long term fiscal challenges.

“It is our shared responsibility to take on the challenges before us to make sure that our kids and our grandkids have a better life. Let’s begin this important work today. Let’s make certain we do not simply retreat to the same failed policies. Let’s make the tough, forward-looking choices that will restore the promise and prosperity of this exceptional nation - and let’s do it together.

“Thanks for listening.”

The House Republican Conference - Digital Communications visual.media@mail.house.gov 202-225-5439

Letter from Governor Janice K. Brewer to President Barack Obama VIDEO

Three weeks ago. June the 3d, President Obama in an Oval Office meeting promised Governor Brewer to present details on border security matters within two weeks. I guess it's just not a priority like the President's Department of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis telling people You Have the Right to Be Paid Fairly Whether Documented or Not.

June 23, 2010

The Honorable Barack Obama The President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Thank you for the opportunity to visit with you in person during my recent trip to Washington, D.C. As you know, the issue of border security is foremost in the thoughts of many Arizonans and Americans alike, and I appreciated the chance to personally relate to you my concerns and outline my proposed solutions.

Mr. President, the need for action to secure Arizona's border could not be clearer. Recently, my office received a number of calls from constituents concerned at reports of new sign postings in interior counties of Arizona warning residents not to access federal lands due to criminal activity associated with the border. These warnings signal to some that we have handed over portions of our border areas to illegal immigrants and drug traffickers. This is unacceptable. Instead of warning Americans to stay out of parts of our own country, we ought to be warning international lawbreakers that they will be detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We ought to be establishing measures to ensure that illegal traffic of any sort is kept to an absolute minimum, and that Americans are safe and secure within our own borders.

President Barack Obama meets with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer in the Oval Office, June 3, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

When we visited, you committed to present details, within two weeks of our meeting, regarding your plans to commit National Guard troops to the Arizona border and expend $500 million in additional funds on border security matters. You also discussed sending members of your senior staff to Arizona to discuss your plans. While I am pleased the 28th has been set for a meeting time and we have reviewed a copy of the Department of Homeland Security's "Southwest Border Next Steps" Press Release,

I am still awaiting details on National Guard deployments and how the proposed additional border security funding will specifically affect Arizona (and the other Border States). As I mentioned to you on June 3rd, it is very difficult to have much of a dialogue without specific details regarding your proposals. I strongly urge you to request your staff provide us with missing details of your proposals prior to the meeting on the 28th.

While we await the specific details of your border security plans, I wanted to take the time to reemphasize some of what I shared with you and respond further to some of what we discussed. In essence, I have proposed a four-point Border Surge strategy, as outlined in my recent letter to Senator Charles Schumer, summarized as follows:

FULL TEXT IN PDF FORMAT: Letter from Governor Janice K. Brewer to President Barack Obama

Governor Chris Christie Unedited interview with the N.J. governor VIDEO

Governor Chris Christie Unedited interview with the N.J. governor.

DISCLOSE Act Passes House 219 to 206 Will “Shred Our Constitution for Raw, Ugly, Partisan Gain” Roll Call Vote

What now seems to be a daily erosion of civil liberties continues.

Uploaded on March 20, 2010 by House GOP Leader All rights reserved.

GOP Leader: “With this misguided bill, Democrats would restrict free speech and violate the First Amendment." H R 5175 RECORDED VOTE 24-Jun-2010 4:29 PM QUESTION: On Passage BILL TITLE: Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act or the DISCLOSE Act FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 391

Washington (Jun 24) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the Democrats’ unconstitutional bill designed to silence their political opponents:

“The First Amendment says ‘Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.’ It’s first for a reason. Freedom of speech is the basis of our democracy. The purpose of this bill, plain and simple, is to allow Democrats to use their Majority in this House to silence their political opponents. This is a backroom deal to shred our Constitution for raw, ugly, partisan gain.

“With this misguided bill, Democrats would restrict free speech and violate the First Amendment. But not for everyone. This bill would muzzle small businesses but protect labor unions. It allows the Humane Society to speak freely, but not the Farm Bureau. It would protect the AARP’s rights, but not 60-Plus. And lastly it would protect the National Rifle Association but not the National Right to Life. The NRA is carved out and gets a special deal in this bill. The NRA is all about protecting the Second Amendment, but apparently its leaders don’t care about protecting the First Amendment. That’s very disappointing.

“Since the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the First Amendment, Democrats have maintained their bill would ‘apply equally across the board’ to corporations, labor unions and advocacy organizations alike. Instead, they produced a bill full of loopholes designed to help their friends while silencing their political opponents. We in this House take an oath to ‘preserve, protect, and defend our Constitution.’ A vote for this bill violates that oath.”

TEXT CREDIT: House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) H-204 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-4000 F (202) 225-5117

Americans Target IRS ObamaCare Enforcers

I know this is a priority issue for most Americans, lets spend billions to hire more IRS agents, it'll end the war, economic recession, global warming, illegal immigration and the leak. If only we we'd been in time to save Al Gore's marriage. Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement in support of this week’s YouCut vote to save $5 to $10 billion by prohibiting new funding to the IRS for the purpose of enforcing the unconstitutional individual mandate in ObamaCare.

“Spending $10 billion to hire thousands of new IRS agents is not health care reform,” said Chairman Price. “It’s just an expansion of government power. How Democrats can equate health care reform with a more powerful IRS is a mystery. If ObamaCare was actually good for patients, they would not need an unconstitutional mandate enforced by a horde of new tax agents.

“The American people have cast more than one million YouCut votes in the last six weeks. And if not for the intense opposition of House Democrats, the winning initiatives could have already saved $100 billion. The Democrats’ failure to support common sense spending cuts goes hand-in-hand with their failure to budget. They cannot tackle a $1.5 trillion deficit if they balk at the first few steps.”

Note: According to the Congressional Budget Office, over the next ten years the IRS will require between $5 billion and $10 billion in funding to implement ObamaCare. ###

Republican Study Committee (RSC) - The Caucus of House Conservatives: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6.24.2010

Bobby Jindal federal judge’s ruling to grant an immediate injunction on President Obama’s deepwater drilling moratorium was welcome news.VIDEO

The Governor reiterated his support for the court’s ruling yesterday to lift the moratorium and also noted that for the first time BP said today they will not be paying for any moratorium-related losses.

Governor Jindal said, “The federal judge’s ruling yesterday to grant an immediate injunction on President Obama’s deepwater drilling moratorium was welcome news. We absolutely agree with the judge’s conclusion that the Administration’s six-month, or longer, shut down of deepwater drilling was ‘arbitrary and capricious.’

“Not only does the moratorium threaten thousands of direct jobs in our state, it also jeopardizes many other industries that supply our oil and gas industry and the entire communities that depend on them. It is also deeply concerning that the President’s moratorium was enacted against the judgment of the Department of the Interior’s own expert advisors and scientists.

“The Administration now says that they will immediately appeal the ruling. They just don’t seem to understand that you can’t just turn a switch on and off with these rigs. When they leave our coast to produce oil in other parts of the country or the world, the jobs that support them go too. We absolutely do not want another spill or one more drop of oil on our coast or in our water, but thousands of Louisianians should not have to lose their jobs because the federal government can’t adequately do their job of ensuring drilling is done safely.

“The federal government has an entire agency dedicated to monitoring safe drilling. It shouldn’t take them six-months or longer to ensure safety measures are in place and their laws and regulations are being followed. Instead of an arbitrary moratorium, the Administration should listen to their own experts and enact the specific recommended steps from their own experts to ensure proper oversight and safe drilling.

“As Judge Feldman stated in his preliminary injunction ruling yesterday, ‘…the Secretary’s determination that a six-month moratorium on issuance of new permits and on drilling by the thirty-three rigs is necessary does not seem to be fact-specific and refuses to take into measure the safety records of those others in the Gulf. There is no evidence presented indicating that the Secretary balanced the concern for environmental safety with the policy of making leases available for development. There is no suggestion that the Secretary considered any alternatives: for example, an individualized suspension of activities on target rigs until they reached compliance with the new federal regulations said to be recommended for immediate implementation.’”

The Governor added, “The Commission that was supposed to study the moratorium for the President for six months now says they won’t have their first meeting until mid-July and they won’t finish their report until next year.

“I want to be very clear on this point. Each month that the work of the Commission is delayed means another month that thousands of Louisiana people won’t be able to work. Each month that the work of the Commission is delayed, we expect additional energy companies to move existing deepwater rigs to other parts of the world and/or to plan new deepwater drilling capacity for other parts of the world in lieu of the Gulf – further extending and expanding job losses in Louisiana. Each month that the work of the Commission is delayed will result in the loss of approximately $65 to 135 million in Louisiana wages.

“Moreover, the $100 million set aside by BP to offset the wage losses of deepwater rig workers will cover only a few weeks of lost wages for those workers – and these funds will do nothing to offset the hundreds of millions in wage losses for workers in support industries that count on deepwater drilling activity for their livelihood. Today, BP told us for the first time that they will not pay for moratorium-related losses above the $100 million.”

TEXT CREDIT: Office of the Governor || PO Box 94004, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 || Contact the Governor||

VIDEO CREDIT: BobbyJindal2007

Gov. Jindal to Feds: No Time for More Studies, Act Now & Restart Dredging Operations so LA Can Win this War against the Oil Spill

NEW ORLEANS – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal called on the federal government to immediately restart dredging operations at the Chandeleur Islands after the federal government ordered the operations there to shut down last night. The Governor landed on the sand-berms today at the Chandeleur Islands today to highlight the progress already made in the state’s dredging project to block the oil from hitting Louisiana’s coast.

Governor Jindal called the federal government’s decision to shut down dredging absurd and requested they immediately allow contractors to get back to work building sand-berms to protect the state’s coastline.

Governor Jindal said, “We got word yesterday that federal officials were going to shut down our dredging operations on the North Chandeleur Islands and those operations were indeed stopped under the federal government’s command at 6PM last night.

“Our request here today is simple. We are again calling on the federal government to allow us to continue these dredging operations as we mobilize pipe for another two miles – which will take around just seven more days. Getting this pipe in place without stopping the dredging operations will allow us a seamless transition as we move the dredge to a new borrow site. After this pipe is in place, our dredger can disconnect and move to the next site where it can then resume dredging operations in just one day.

“We have told Col. Lee of the Army Corps of Engineers and every federal agency that we are in an emergency situation here. This is a disaster for our state. Days count. Hours count. We cannot wait for more conference calls and meetings for discussions. We need to adapt to the situation on the ground and continue our dredging operations for as long as possible until we can move to the next borrow site and continue to create sand boom.

To date, more than 690,000 cubic yards of material have been transported for the eastern and western reaches of the sand berm project on the North Chandeleur Islands. This includes approximately 90,000 cubic yards on the western side. A total of 5,000 feet of sand berm has been created at the site. The state has also dredged over 2.5 miles on East Grand Terre.

The Governor added, “We have jumped through every hoop that the federal government has placed in front of us since this spill started. On May 2, we submitted our initial boom plan to the Incident Command Post since there was not a plan. When BP and the Coast Guard were unable to provide the appropriate boom resources, we began developing innovative solutions like Tiger Dams, air-dropping sand bags, Hesco baskets, opening all freshwater diversions, vacuum barges and many other alternatives.

“On May 11th, we submitted a proposal to the regulatory agencies, BP and the Coast Guard to approve our sand berms. It took almost a month for the federal government to approve the plan and make BP pay for the work. Meanwhile, we had millions of gallons of oil covering our wetlands, killing our wildlife and forcing our people out of work.”

At a press conference following the tour of the dredging site, the Governor highlighted a picture of the Chandeleur Islands from 2001 to 2005 that shows the erosion of the area. Governor Jindal noted that The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service own these islands and they are supposed to be a wildlife refuge.

Governor Jindal said, “People used to live on these islands. It was a fishing community and even had some farming. From the mid-90s until recently, the islands lost up to 300 feet per year under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management. Now, this same agency has concerns that we are not being sensitive to the islands by wanting to continue to dredge for seven more days to ensure a smooth transition? They have not invested a penny in this area and are allowing it to erode at extraordinary rates. Meanwhile, they invest millions in other refuges in other parts of the country.

“Louisiana's coast is one our most important resources. That is why we are fighting so hard to protect our wetlands, protect our fisheries and birds and to protect our way of life from this oil spill – with these sand booms.

“We have said from the beginning that we would backfill any dredging that would adversely affect these islands. That commitment still stands. Shutting down dredging operations while oil continues to hit our shores and the oil continues to flow into the Gulf is absolutely absurd. We need to act now.

“The area where the state was dredging remains within the area permitted by the federal government. When the dredging contractor began operations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service voiced objections to the location of the dredge. In an effort to prevent delay to the project, we worked out an agreement that would provide for backfilling the dredge site and the movement of the dredge vessel to a new location. The state remains committed to moving the dredge to another location within the permitted area and backfilling the first dredge site.”

TEXT and PHOTO CREDIT: Office of the Governor || PO Box 94004, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 || Contact the Governor||

John McCain’s remarks with Lieberman and Graham regarding President Obama’s decision to appoint General Petraeus commander in Afghanistan VIDEO

“We applaud the decision of the President of the United States to ask General Petraeus to go serve again in defense of our nation. We think there is no one more qualified or more outstanding leader than General Petraeus to achieve a successful conclusion of the Afghan conflict. We praise the service of General McChrystal and thank him for his service to our nation and wish him well, every success in the future. We are confident that General Petraeus' leadership will have a very positive effect on the situation in the region.”

“We know there's tough sledding ahead. … The concern that we have is, and the issue that will be raised in General Petraeus' confirmation hearings is, exactly what is meant by ‘withdrawal in the middle of 2011,’ whether that is ‘etched in stone’ as the President's spokesperson … stated or whether it will be conditions based. Obviously, we feel strongly it needs to be condition based because if you tell the enemy when you are leaving, then obviously it has an adverse effect on your ability to succeed. So that is a major concern and there's a great deal of ambiguity about that issue. I'm convinced that we can succeed in Afghanistan with the leadership and the talent of the young men and women who are serving, but we have to send the message that we will do whatever is necessary in order to achieve success. ... The withdrawal of U.S. troops must be based on conditions at the time, not on an arbitrary date.” – Senator John McCain

TEXT CREDIT: United States Senator John McCain United States Senate, 241 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20510, Main: (202) 224-2235, Fax: (202) 228-2862

VIDEO CREDIT: SenatorJohnMcCain

Howard P. “Buck” McKeon's Statement on President Obama's decision to relieve General Stanley McChrystal

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), the Ranking Member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement in response to the President’s decision to relieve General Stanley McChrystal of command in Afghanistan and replace him with General David Petraeus, the current commander of U.S. Central Command:

“We are at a critical time in our Afghanistan campaign with our troops engaged in tough fighting throughout the country. While the current situation is unfortunate, our focus must remain on the mission at hand: defeating al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and their extremist allies.

“The counterinsurgency strategy our troops are implementing in Afghanistan remains strong. I believe the appointment of General Petraeus will ensure continuity in this effort. In Iraq, he proved that a counterinsurgency campaign can work and is well prepared to do the same in Afghanistan.

“Now is the time for the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to exert stronger leadership over the course of the war. By focusing more on the effort, everybody—from the top commanders and diplomats to the warfighters and civilian professionals in the field—will know that he is engaged and singularly focused on winning.

“I encourage the President to recommit his entire Afghanistan-Pakistan team to the seriousness of purpose at hand. This will allow the President to reassure our troops and diplomats, and their families, that he has a cohesive team committed to providing the time and resources they need to win in Afghanistan.

“Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank General McChrystal for his decades-long service to our country and for his counsel to Congress on both Iraq and Afghanistan.” ###

TEXT and PHOTO CREDIT: June 23, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lindsey Mask Washington, D.C. Office Congressman Howard P. Buck McKeon U.S. House of Representatives 2184 Rayburn HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 ph: (202) 225-1956 fax: (202) 226-0683

Obama’s Chicago Network VIDEO

Lite summer fare Youtube mashup from the Republican National Committee.

Obama’s Chicago Network brings the hottest, most drama-filled political intrigue to a national audience. President Obama brought to the White House both seasoned actors of the Chicago Way Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett, and David Axelrod, and fresh new faces Robert Gibbs and Jim Messina. Together they’re bringing Chicago-style politics to the biggest stars in DC. You may be sitting at home, but thanks to Obama’s Chicago Network, you’ll feel like you’re watching from the Wrigley bleachers eating a hot dog…except this dog gives you indigestion.

Paid for by the Republican National Committee Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. www.GOP.com

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Statement on New U.S. Military Leadership in Afghanistan

Uploaded on December 3, 2009 by House GOP Leader © All rights reserved.

"Every one of you carries a marshal's baton in his knapsack; It is up to you to bring it out". - Napoleon Washington (Jun 23) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the leadership changes for the U.S. military in Afghanistan announced today:

“Our fight in Afghanistan is critical to the security of the American people, and nothing should distract us from our goal of defeating al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Islamic terrorists and denying them safe haven in the region. Afghanistan is a tough operating environment, and our military, intelligence, and civilian personnel are doing a tremendous job. We need to focus our efforts on supporting their efforts and providing them with all the resources they need, and that means Congress should pass its troop funding bill without any further delay. House Republicans stand ready to work with the President to ensure our troops have all the resources and support from Congress they need to complete their mission successfully.

“I have great respect for General McChrystal and the job he’s done in Afghanistan and elsewhere in service of our country, but I respect the decision of our Commander-in-Chief. I thank General McChrystal for the sacrifices and enormous contributions he has made on behalf of our country. General Petraeus has also dedicated his career to this country and he deserves great credit for his leadership in helping to stabilize Iraq and bring it to a critical transition point this summer. I believe he is the right person take over this command.”

TEXT CREDIT: House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) H-204 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-4000 F (202) 225-5117

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Issues Statement on McChrystal Profile VIDEO

Gates on McChrystal 22 June 2010. Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a statement June 22 regarding GEN Stanley McChrystal's comments in a Rolling Stone magazine story.

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued a statement today regarding a profile article on Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Here is the secretary’s statement:

"I read with concern the profile piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal in the upcoming edition of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. I believe that Gen. McChrystal made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment in this case. We are fighting a war against al Qaeda and its extremist allies, who directly threaten the United States, Afghanistan, and our friends and allies around the world. Going forward, we must pursue this mission with a unity of purpose. Our troops and coalition partners are making extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our security, and our singular focus must be on supporting them and succeeding in Afghanistan without such distractions. Gen. McChrystal has apologized to me and is similarly reaching out to others named in this article to apologize to them as well. I have recalled Gen. McChrystal to Washington to discuss this in person."

From a Defense Department News Release.

Steny Hoyer : ‘No’ to a Budget, ‘Yes’ to Middle Class Tax Hikes

It’s clear from the harsh partisan rhetoric that President Obama, his administration and Democratic leaders in both houses have run out of excuses for their broken promises

Uploaded on November 5, 2009 by House GOP Leader © All rights reserved.

Washington (Jun 22) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released the following statement on House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s budget speech this morning: “In his speech today, Majority Leader Hoyer admits that House Democrats will not do a budget this year, for the first time in modern history. He also admits that he supports raising taxes on the middle class to pay for more government spending.

“That is the ideology of Washington Democrats: just keep spending taxpayers’ money - with no plan, no discipline, and no accountability. Every American knows that our country is going through tough times. Unemployment is near ten percent nationwide. In my home state of Ohio, it’s even higher. Every American family also knows what Washington Democrats can’t seem to grasp: in tough times it’s more important - not less - to have a budget, to set priorities, and to live within your means.

“As the Obama Administration’s Office of Management and Budget Director flees the rising tide of red ink, it’s time to be honest with the American people. To tell them how much their federal government is spending, how much it owes, and how big a bite it will take out of their paychecks this year and in years to come. Struggling small business owners can’t save, invest, and hire if Washington Democrats won’t even tell them how much they’ll owe in taxes next year.

“Economists have told us a fiscally-responsible budget will help create jobs, and the American people know they’re right. House Republicans have offered better solutions to cut spending now, and impose real spending caps in the future. We know that higher taxes, higher deficits, and more debt are not the answer. That’s why the Majority Leader is dead wrong about the future of this country, and what we need to do - right now - to make sure the American dream is alive and well for our kids and grandkids.”

NOTE: On June 10, a group of more than 100 economists sent a letter saying that failing to offer a budget this year would, “mark a massive missed opportunity to help our economy grow and create private-sector jobs.” House Republican Leader Boehner gave a copy of that letter to President Obama at the White House.

TEXT CREDIT: House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) H-204 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-4000 F (202) 225-5117

Steny Hoyer Permanent Middle Class Tax Cuts Too Expensive VIDEO

The other shoe drops for desperate Dems. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced that the House will not pass a budget blueprint this year.

Leader: House Won’t Pass Budget Resolution Boozman says ‘failure to govern’

Since the implementation of current budget rules in 1974, the House of Representatives has never failed to pass a budget resolution – until now. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) today announced that the House of Representatives will not pass a budget blueprint this year.

This “is a failure by the Majority to govern at its most basic level,” U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) said in a speech on the House Floor. During his remarks, Boozman said Washington needs to make difficult financial decisions just like hardworking Arkansas families are forced to do.

The following is a transcript of Boozman’s comments:

Mr. Speaker when hardworking Arkansans receive their paychecks they are forced to make difficult decisions about their finances and how they spend their money. Arkansas families are forced to tighten their belts in this economic climate and change their spending habits and they expect Washington to do the same.

It is the job of Congress to be responsible stewards of taxpayer money, but not passing a budget is far from responsible, it is a failure by the Majority to govern at its most basic level.

The level of discretionary increases and spending in the past year is unsustainable. Failing to produce a budget only places future burdens on our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We need fiscal discipline and a balanced budget that controls the national debt, does not raise taxes and achieves lower deficits. Not passing a budget for the first time in modern history demonstrates how out of touch Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer are with the American people and shows the lack of leadership. We owe it to the American people to do better.

I yield back the balance of my time.

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) Washington D.C. Office: 1519 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4301 Fax: (202) 225-5713

VIDEO CREDIT: BoozmanPressOffice

Federal judge grants injunction, blocks Obama administration's drilling moratorium

Martin Leach-Cross Feldman federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana granted the motion for preliminary injunction, blocking the offshore drilling moratorium imposed by President Barack Obama's administration after BP Gulf oil spill.

This case asks whether the federal government’s imposition of a general moratorium on deepwater drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico was imposed contrary to law. Before the Court is the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction. For the following reasons, the motion is GRANTED.

The plaintiffs in this case provide a myriad of services to support offshore oil and gas drilling, exploration, and production activities in the Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf.1 They challenge the six-month moratorium on offshore drilling operations of new and currently permitted deepwater wells that was imposed on May 28, 2010 by the Department of the Interior and the Minerals Management Service.

FULL TEXT IN PDF FORMAT, Gulf Oil Spill Moratorium Decision (Hornbeck v. Salazar CA 10-1663)

Martin Leach-Cross Feldman (born 1934) is a United States federal judge.

Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a B.A. from Tulane University in 1955. He received a J.D. from Tulane Law School in 1957. He was in the United States Army Reserve Captain, JAG Corps from 1957 to 1963. He was a law clerk, Hon. John Minor Wisdom, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit from 1957 to 1959. He was in private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1959 to 1983.

Feldman is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Feldman was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 9, 1983, to a seat vacated by Jack M. Gordon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 4, 1983, and received his commission on October 5, 1983. Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
Feldman, Martin Leach-Cross

Senator George LeMieux Avoid Reliance on Russians; Add Shuttle Flights

Of all the "missteps" that the President has taken, we find the discontinuation of the manned space program to be the most revealing of his methods and motives. WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) today issued the following statement in response to comments by former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn in support of additional Space Shuttle flights.

Senator LeMieux said:

"I fully support Senator John Glenn's call for additional Shuttle flights. Relying solely on the Russians for access to space is irresponsible. President Obama's ill-conceived plans for NASA will cost Florida thousands of jobs while dismantling a critical workforce and national capability. I look forward to working with Senator Glenn and other leaders in space exploration to correct the Obama Administration's misguided plans to outsource human space exploration to the Russians." ###

June 21, 2010 United States Senate, 356 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Main: (202) 224-3041, Toll free: (866) 630-7106 Fax: (202) 228-5171, TTY: (407) 254-5548

Secretary of State Beth Chapman Pleased with Recount Process in Alabama Republican gubernatorial primary election

former state Senator Bradley Byrne • 1 June 2010: Received 28% in the primary. Proceeds to 13 July runoff. state Representative Robert J. Bentley • 1 June 2010: Received 25% in the primary. Proceeds to 13 July runoff.

MONTGOMERY, AL – Secretary of State Beth Chapman was pleased, but not at all surprised, to hear that last week’s recount from the unprecedented Republican gubernatorial primary election resulted in virtually no change in the original vote count from June 1. “It’s good to know the democratic process is still safe and secure in Alabama,” Chapman said. “Every legally qualified vote in the Republican primary election for governor was counted. Then they were recounted, proving the system was sound and accurate from the start.” “This unprecedented situation was properly managed and is solid confirmation that the integrity of the ballot box is still intact in Alabama,” Chapman continued.

According to Chapman, the voting machines used in Alabama are 99.9% accurate and all of them must count 10 million marked ballots without a single error in order to be certified for use in an election.

“I am grateful to the Republican Party and the election officials in all 67 counties for the excellent job they did with the recount,” Chapman said. “It is reassuring that the numbers show two clear first and second place winners once again and we can now move forward with the runoff election to be held on July 13th.”

Chapman certified the ballots on June 11th and because of the timely certification the run-off ballots will be printed and sent to absentee voters without any undue delay. ###

For more information, visit Secretary of State Beth Chapman’s Web Site: www.sos.alabama.gov/

Pelosi’s Deficit Desires Hold us Hostage but "The Times They Are A-changin'"

Speaker Pelosi hasn't got the message "Don't block at the doorway Don't block up the hall" she must feel "The chance won't come again" she is tough and resourceful but "The Times They Are A-changin'"

Washington, Jun 21 - Congress’ inability to find a permanent fix to the scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements is forcing an increasing number of physicians to stop participating in Medicare.

Yet on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would prevent the House from voting on a fully paid-for bill to delay the reimbursement cut unless the Senate first passes legislation that would create tens of billions of dollars in new debt. Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement in response.

“Seniors’ access to health care is being held hostage to the Democrats’ deficit spending addiction,” said Chairman Price. “Every year, more and more physicians leave Medicare because the reimbursements do not cover their costs. A 21 percent cut will turn this steady flow into a deluge. Unlike Washington, doctors’ offices cannot operate with enormous annual deficits. Slashing Medicare reimbursement rates will make it incredibly difficult for seniors to get the care they need. We owe it to every generation to find a permanent and fiscally responsible solution to the Medicare reimbursement crisis. The American people are tired of politicians looking for leverage when they should be providing leadership.” ###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6.21.2010 House Republican Study Committee 424 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 226-9717 Fax: (202) 226-1633

John Koster Rick Larsen's Anti-Palin Rant an Amazing Display of Hypocrisy

Arlington, WA. - In an amazing display of hypocrisy and hyperbole, Rick Larsen's anti-Sarah Palin rant in a press release on Tuesday may have provided voters with a preview of how the 5 term incumbent intends to conduct his campaign against John Koster for Washington's 2nd Congressional district.

Larsen referred to Palin's supporters as "radicals" targeting Democrats across the country, and criticized Koster for "opening his campaign war chest to a potential landslide of out-of-state contributions that will fund his campaign to eliminate the help seniors are getting to pay for prescription drugs, privatize Social Security, and protect the lax regulations that led to the BP oil spill."

Larsen did not mention that 65% of his campaign war chest ($736,671 as of March 31) has come from political action committees (including $1000 from BP), nearly all of whom list addresses from out of state. In comparison, Koster raised $168,717 (as of March 31) with 97% coming from individual donors from Washington State.

"It appears to me that Rick Larsen is suffering from a case of Washington D.C. beltway hypocrisy and arrogance," said Larry Stickney, Koster's campaign manager. "The symptoms include condemning your opponent for doing something you are doing, and then expecting to get away with it because you're an entrenched incumbent with special privileges."

"If Rick Larsen has a problem with the Koster campaign picking up a few bucks from out of state, he should return the hundreds of thousands he has received from the Washington D.C. PAC's and special interests from around the country," Stickney continued.

"For Larsen to beat up on Sarah Palin for endorsing John Koster and call her supporters 'radicals' and insinuate that they want to mistreat senior citizens and protect polluters is laughable."

"This is the same Rick Larsen who ignores the will of his constituents and votes yes for government run health care, yes for the budget busting $787 billion stimulus package, yes for the economy stifling cap-and-trade legislation, yes to increase the national debt limit by $1.9 trillion, and yes on funding the anti-American disaster ACORN. All in all, he's voted 98% of the time with Nancy Pelosi, earned a "0% rating from the American Conservative Union , and received an "F" from the National Taxpayers Union. Who's the radical?"

TEXT and PHOTO CREDIT: Koster for Congress

Kevin Costner Testifies Before Senate Small Business Committee VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT

It looks like at D plus 2 months 1 or 2 of Kevin's machines have finally hit the waters of the gulf, the lack of urgency on the parts of the Obama Administration and BP borders on the unbelievable, interesting answer, american entrepreneurship.

Ocean Therapy Solutions Founding Partner Kevin Costner told lawmakers on capitol hill that now is the time to require safeguards, like OTS centrifuge machines, for a safe and clean oil industry. "I would ask this committee to consider the multi-dimensional role that this technology can play in safeguarding the water and putting people back to work," he told members of the Senate Small Business Committee. "When there is a spill anywhere, we suffer everywhere. Our machine represents a common ground. Common sense. And the absolute reality that we can and must protect those resources we share."

SMALL BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMITTEE UNITED STATES SENATE TESTIMONY

Kevin Costner Founder, CINC Co-Founder / Partner, Ocean Therapy Solutions, WestPac Resources.

RELATED:

• BP Gulf Oil Cleanup Solution VIDEO, UPDATE 06/09/10
• Kevin Costner House Energy and Environment Subcommittee
• Kevin Costner House Energy and Environment Subcommittee FULL VIDEO 3 hours, 14 minutes

Madam Chairwoman, Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me.

We're here today because there are now some 60,000 barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf.

We're here today because a carefully crafted plan designed by the oil industry and rubber stamped by MMS, claimed it could handle spills of up to 250,000 barrels a day, but turned out not to be a plan at all.

We're all here.

And now the whole world is watching as America fumbles its way through the greatest environmental disaster in history. And I find myself here because 17 years ago I thought I could play a part in this recurring nightmare. I have come here with a technology that was developed for this very moment we find ourselves in, as a people, as a nation, as a neighbor to every country that shares the precious Gulf of Mexico.

I am a private entrepreneur, a dreamer if you will, who saw a problem and committed to a big idea. I took a technology from the Department of Energy in 1993. It was about six inches tall. It was developed to separate metals but what if? What if we extrapolated that idea, took this little machine and scaled it up to separate large volumes of oil from water?

I believed that we could manufacture and deploy a rugged and portable machine under harsh conditions. We would create five different sizes with the largest able to handle up to 200 gallons per minute with both oil and water outputs at 99.9 percent purity.

In 2 years the dream moved from research and development to a commercially viable product ready to be deployed anywhere in the world. This was done without the help of outside investors, or government grants. The price tag would be over $20 million dollars. And I would pay it.

The need was clear. Any industry that would operate year round, 24 hours a day, in or near any body of water, at the depths and complexities that our modern oil industries are working in is going to experience spills, on a daily basis, large or small, accidental or otherwise, reported or not.

I started a business without a guaranteed market. Did I expect the oil industry to open its arms when I presented an oil-water separator, a solution to their single greatest liability? Yes. Did I expect thoughtful leaders here and abroad to recognize the importance of protection where we profit? Yes. I did.

But I was wrong. The list of government agencies, foreign and domestic oil companies who saw our technology more than a decade ago reads like a who's-who of those who needed it, those who should have been looking for it, and probably more to the point, those who should have been developing it themselves.

So what was the problem? Was it too small? Too portable? Was there already something like it in the big plan? I don't know. My big idea has been sitting quietly for ten years in a modest Nevada facility.

Then two days ago I got a call from Doug Suttles, COO of Exploration and Production for BP. He was pleased. He was excited. He told me that the machine worked. He told me it was working against the dispersants. That it was handling the variations of oil mixtures and thickness present in the Gulf. He ordered 32 machines and told me that this represented the beginning of us working together not only for this spill, but going forward so that we have a legitimate response in the future.

Am I proud that this technology can be part of the solution for the Gulf? Yes to a certain extent. To be completely honest, I feel vindicated. I think I'm gonna call my Mom. But this is not a Hollywood ending for me. The path to arrive at this moment was steep and formidable. That's why I've been called to testify before this committee. To explain why 21st century technology has sat idly on a shelf for ten years, when it could have been deployed as a first and most efficient responder to mitigate the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.

The business of oil spill clean up is not pretty. It's not sexy. Safety never is. It's not a profit center. It's perfectly clear that oil companies have not invested in clean up technology to match their 21st century appetite and operations.

In the last two weeks, my company began an exciting collaboration with Edison Choest, the largest oil servicer in the Gulf. We are in the final stages of engineering emergency response ships that would be staged strategically throughout the Gulf with the ability to be on site within two hours of incident.

Together we are fashioning a more comprehensive plan that we would like to present before the lifting of the moratorium. It would fundamentally change the world's approach to oil spill recovery. But we haven't stopped there.

Ocean Therapy Solutions, continues to push the envelope of progress, once again footing the bill for R&D without help from industry or government.

I believe there are other small companies out there in the private sector just like us. How do we let them in? How do we create an environment that fosters and encourages investment in critical technologies? I leave that to this body. But you should know, that negotiating your way, as a small business, through the bureaucratic maze that presently exists is like playing a video game that no one can master. It's like trying to get to a next level that doesn't exist.

For me, advancing the technology for oil spill clean up was a dream, not a business. It wasn't about improving my margins. I wasn't even trying to stay in the black! We were trying to be about something more.

If we can find oil thousands of feet in the ground, at depths that boggle the mind, then surely we have the technology to clean up our own mess. To find through photo imaging, the giant black clouds of oil, hidden, ranging like death in the Gulf poised to land on our beaches or escape to the Atlantic. Without a doubt the oil industry has the resources to create ships to hunt these down and drain their killing capacity. They have the technology and intellect to take this head on. We can all be about something more.

I can see that these spills are our collective problem but they are not our collective responsibility. The economic burden falls squarely on the oil industry.

For them to get over the bar of safety, and pay the price is not too much to ask. It is not too much to have them put in place the safeguards, the redundancy, and muster the sheer will to throw an overwhelming response at the problem now and in the inevitable future. Anything less is dangerous, unacceptable and the American people deserve better.

We have a special moment in time. We have to get this right.

40,000 men and women in the oil industry are out of work through no fault of their own.

Fishermen have been sidelined.

Service industries are paralyzed.

Families that have survived on the plentiful resources of the Gulf do not now know the quality of life that awaits them.

I would ask this committee to consider the multi-dimensional role that this technology can play in safeguarding the water and putting people back to work.

The oil industry does not have time to evolve a plan. They have to act.

This is an absolute tool. It creates an efficiency where there are inefficiencies. It represents a legitimate response to accidents that are going to happen. And clears a path to lift the moratorium, if that's what the country wants.

We are in a fight to protect our jobs, our way of life and an ecosystem that cannot protect itself. We can put Americans back to work and bring an entire industry into the 21st Century of oil spill response.

It's important to remember that when there is a spill anywhere, we suffer everywhere. Our machine represents a common ground. Common sense. And the absolute reality that we can and must protect those resources we share.

Thank you.