Archives for July 2012

House freezes defense budget at $606 billion

July 31, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised the House of Representatives for voting in favor of an amendment offered by Representatives Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Barney Frank (D-MA) that freezes defense spending at 2012 levels of $606 billion:

“Members are to be thanked for standing up for fiscal responsibility while protecting our nation’s defense at a time when former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike McMullen has declared the $15.8 trillion national debt to be the No. 1 threat to our national security. Besides a failure to meet our fiscal obligations, our worsening budget picture will mean that the U.S. will be unable to meet its security obligations around the world, destabilizing whole regions.

“For that reason alone, defense spending — and every other part of the budget including entitlements — must be on the table when it comes to restoring order to our fiscal house. We cannot afford to operate a global empire—no great power ever has without it eventually leading to decline. We must reconsider our role in the world, and find ways to assist our allies — including through arms sales — that does not necessarily require our presence.

“Our national security should not be based on an irrational belief in a printing press to meet our obligations when we are under threat or in peacetime. As has been seen throughout the financial crisis since 2007, we cannot place our faith in the banks to protect the nation’s best interests. Congress has to act responsibly to ensure that our security posture — and the rest of the budget — are on a sustainable trajectory. Right now we’re nowhere near that.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

White House postpones harmful economic regulations until after the election

July 31, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson and Free Market America Executive Director Ryan Houck today issued the following joint statement on the White House postponement of various federal regulations that will be detrimental to swing states, like Florida, until after the election.

The Washington Post lists some of these idling regulations “as cracking down on junk food at school bake sales, another banning children from dangerous work on farms and one setting federal standards for disposing toxic ash from coal-fired power plants.”

Another regulation would require water in Florida’s drainage canals to match the same EPA standards as its rivers and streams.

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson:

“By delaying these regulations the Obama team is pointing out how harsh their election will be.  They think they are not poking the hornet’s nest before the election but in reality they are telling all voters in the affected states ‘re-elect Obama and this is the nasty, abusive rules that will be imposed on you.’

 “At the same time we see that these regulations are nothing more than loaded guns pointed at the heart of the U.S. economy. Obama is holding off on firing now because he knows the devastating effect they will have, and he doesn’t want to bear the political fallout.”

Free Market America Executive Director Ryan Houck:

“Postponing a bad idea does not qualify as a solution. The EPA’s nutrient rules for Florida would require that the water in roadside drainage canals match the same standards as pristine rivers and streams.  These nonsensical regulations will be as scientifically baseless and as economically devastating next year as they would be this year.

“The Administration should do the right thing and scrap their proposed federal regulations before they leave Florida with fewer farming jobs and higher utility bills.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

Growth slows to 1.5 percent in second quarter, but are we already in another recession?

July 27, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today again responded to today’s report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis showing the economy slowed in the second quarter to only 1.5 percent growth:

“Gross Domestic Product numbers throughout 2008 failed to show that we were in a recession, when in reality the downturn had begun in the fourth quarter of 2007. And now, once again, the economy is visibly slowing down with only 1.5 percent growth, but are we already in another recession? At best, we’re at stall speed, but we may already be contracting.

“Our early warning systems are broken, and economists are left only to extrapolate that we are in serious trouble. Meanwhile, Obama is doing nothing to get the economy back on its feet again. His only plan is to raise taxes on job creators, wage his war on business, and spend us into oblivion.

“The ‘stimulus’ has failed, and yet all the talk is the Fed will try to administer another dose of quantitative easing, or money printing, that will do nothing to get us out of this ditch. It is time for new leadership. We need a return to sound money, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and a complete unraveling of the environmental, labor, and health regulations that are strangling growth.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

House needs to cancel lame duck session, vote before August recess

July 26, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today again urged the House of Representatives to cancel its lame duck session of Congress after the November elections, and pass a continuing resolution past the lame duck session before the August recess:

“To avoid a very bad deal at year’s end the House needs to act now, before the August recess, to pass a stopgap funding measure that also extends the current tax rates, the debt ceiling, and postpones the sequester cuts all through March 2013. Using the continuing resolution as leverage is perhaps the only way to get all of that done before the election, and to avoid an undemocratic lame duck Congress from answering these questions afterward.

“The alternative is to trust Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and John Boehner to do the right thing after November, when the American people will no longer be able to hold their representatives accountable for how they vote. Nobody believes that these three will produce a good deal for taxpayers.

Senators Jim DeMint, Lindsay Graham, and Ron Johnson, along with House conservatives, are working together to persuade House Speaker John Boehner to act now and not to wait until after the August recess, which ends on Sept. 7. After that, Congress will only have three short weeks to act. It is better to act now before the recess, and then Republicans can take that time to make their case to the American people that it is they who should decide, through elections, how these questions will be answered in 2013.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

 ###

House rejects Obama’s off-shore drilling ban

July 26, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson and Free Market America Executive Director Ryan Houck today issued the following joint statement praising the House of Representatives for rejecting H.R. 6168, an Obama Administration proposal to restrict off-shore oil drilling.

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson:

“The Obama Administration has spent the past three and a half years attempting to choke the development of North American oil supplies, while bragging about increased supplies that were the direct result of policies implemented by the previous administration.

“The House of Representatives attempted to restore sanity to our domestic oil development by voting to roll back Obama’s attempt to destroy common sense offshore oil production.  Ironically, China is engaged in an aggressive drilling effort in conjunction with Cuba in the waters that Obama would deny U.S. access to.  Now, it is up to the Senate to get off the dime and start putting a secure American energy supply ahead of the radical environmental groups who would rather America fail than for us to create a vibrant domestic energy supply.”

Free Market America Executive Director Ryan Houck:

“For too long, energy policy in America has been heavily influenced by environmental extremism. While radical environmental interests continue to exert dangerous levels of control over the organs of environmental regulation, we nonetheless applaud the House of Representatives for taking a big step in the right direction by rejecting H.R. 6168 — which was nothing more than a thinly-veiled anti-energy plan to outsource American jobs.

“If implemented, HR 6168 — the Administration’s Offshore Plan — would have rendered 85 percent of America’s offshore energy resources inaccessible at a time of economic hardship and high gas prices.  Thanks to decisive action by the House, American consumers, taxpayers and workers all got a win today.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

EPA should scrap unworkable coal regulations

July 23, 2012, Fairfax, VA—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday that it will “review” crushing new regulations on coal-fired power plants, which were originally set to be completed this year.  Under mounting pressure from communities that depend on coal production for good-paying jobs, the agency postponed completion of the new regulations until March 2013—after Election Day.

“These regulations should be revoked not reviewed,” said Ryan Houck, executive director of Free Market America.  “This rule will cost billions each year, drive away good-paying jobs and empty the pockets of consumers who will be stuck higher electric bills.  EPA’s top brass has even admitted on camera that these regulations would be ‘painful every step of the way’.  That’s true for the communities that count on coal production for jobs and for the consumers who count on coal to provide more than 40 percent of our nation’s electricity.”

Even EPA’s estimates indicate its rule will cost nearly $10 billion annually.  If the regulations take effect, new coal-fired plants will be required to deploy so-called carbon capture technology, which is not yet developed and has not been proven financially feasible.  Moreover, the standards set by EPA are impossible to achieve with existing technology.

Americans for Limited Government president Bill Wilson questioned the timing of the review, “Everyone knows that these regulations will bring about an economic disaster while yielding little environmental benefit.  With coal-producing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia likely to decide the presidential election, this delay smells like an attempt by the president to defer an economic and political disaster until after Election Day.

“While the agency’s decision to review these catastrophic regulations is a step in the right direction, simply delaying the economic execution of an essential industry until after the election is not enough—these regulations should be rolled back in their entirety.”

Free Market America is a free market watchdog group that focuses on environmental issues.  In partnership with Americans for Limited Government, the group was launched earlier this year and is responsible for the viral video “If I wanted America to fail” a runaway hit that scored more than 2.4 million views on YouTube.

###

ALG praises 127 House Republicans for supporting defunding Obamacare, urges other members to join in effort

July 19, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today in a statement praised 127 House Republicans for signing a Republican Study Committee letter urging immediate action by House Speaker John Boehner to not only repeal Obamacare, but to defund every aspect of it:

“On July 11, 239 House Republicans voted to repeal Obamacare. Inexplicably, however, only 127 members have committed to completely defunding it. We thank every member who has signed the letter urging Speaker Boehner to support every effort to defund Obamacare. But we are left to simply wonder why other members appear reluctant to actually do something to stop the implementation of the law by cutting off its funding.

“There should not be a single piece of legislation that passes which funds any part of Obamacare, and the House must demand that this liberty-robbing law not be implemented.”

House Republican members who signed letter:

Name District
Brooks, Mo AL-05
Griffin, Tim AR-02
Gosar, Paul AZ-01
Franks, Trent AZ-02
Quayle, Ben AZ-03
Schweikert, David AZ-05
Flake, Jeff AZ-06
Herger, Wally CA-02
McClintock, Tom CA-04
Denham, Jeff CA-19
Hunter, Duncan D. CA-52
Tipton, Scott CO-03
Gardner, Cory CO-04
Lamborn, Doug CO-05
Miller, Jeff FL-01
Southerland, Steve FL-02
Nugent, Rich FL-05
Stearns, Cliff FL-06
Mica, John FL-07
Bilirakis, Gus FL-09
Young, C.W. “Bill” FL-10
Ross, Dennis FL-12
Mack, Connie FL-14
West, Allen FL-22
Adams, Sandy FL-24
Westmoreland, Lynn GA-03
Price, Tom GA-06
Scott, Austin GA-08
Graves, Tom GA-09
Broun, Paul GA-10
Gingrey, Phil GA-11
King, Steve IA-05
Labrador, Raul ID-01
Walsh, Joe IL-08
Manzullo, Donald IL-16
Schilling, Bobby IL-17
Schock, Aaron IL-18
Shimkus, John IL-19
Stutzman, Marlin IN-03
Rokita, Todd IN-04
Burton, Dan IN-05
Pence, Mike IN-06
Bucshon, Larry IN-08
Young, Todd IN-09
Huelskamp, Tim KS-01
Jenkins, Lynn KS-02
Yoder, Kevin KS-03
Pompeo, Mike KS-04
Guthrie, Brett KY-02
Scalise, Steve LA-01
Landry, Jeff LA-03
Fleming, John LA-04
Boustany, Charles LA-07
Harris, Andy MD-01
Bartlett, Roscoe MD-06
Benishek, Dan MI-01
Huizenga, Bill MI-02
Amash, Justin MI-03
Walberg, Tim MI-07
Bachmann, Michele MN-06
Akin, Todd MO-02
Hartzler, Vicky MO-04
Graves, Sam MO-06
Long, Billy MO-07
Luetkemeyer, Blaine MO-09
Palazzo, Steven MS-04
Jones, Walter NC-03
Coble, Howard NC-06
Myrick, Sue NC-09
Berg, Rick ND-00
Terry, Lee NE-02
Smith, Adrian NE-03
Guinta, Frank NH-01
Garrett, Scott NJ-05
Pearce, Steve NM-02
Amodei, Mark NV-02
Heck, Joe NV-03
Buerkle, Ann Marie NY-25
Chabot, Steve OH-01
Schmidt, Jean OH-02
Jordan, Jim OH-04
Latta, Bob OH-05
Johnson, Bill OH-06
Austria, Steve OH-07
Renacci, Jim OH-16
Sullivan, John OK-01
Lankford, James OK-05
Kelly, Mike PA-03
Marino, Tom PA-10
Barletta, Louis PA-11
Pitts, Joe PA-16
Murphy, Tim PA-18
Scott, Tim SC-01
Wilson, Joe SC-02
Duncan, Jeff SC-03
Gowdy, Trey SC-04
Mulvaney, Mick SC-05
Noem, Kristi SD-00
Roe, Phil TN-01
Duncan, John TN-02
Fleischmann, Chuck TN-03
Black, Diane TN-06
Blackburn, Marsha TN-07
Fincher, Stephen Lee TN-08
Gohmert, Louie TX-01
Poe, Ted TX-02
Johnson, Sam TX-03
Hall, Ralph TX-04
Barton, Joe TX-06
Culberson, John TX-07
McCaul, Michael TX-10
Conaway, Michael TX-11
Paul, Ron TX-14
Flores, Bill TX-17
Neugebauer, Randy TX-19
Smith, Lamar TX-21
Olson, Pete TX-22
Canseco, Quico TX-23
Marchant, Kenny TX-24
Burgess, Michael TX-26
Farenthold, Blake TX-27
Bishop, Rob UT-01
Chaffetz, Jason UT-03
Sensenbrenner, F. James WI-05
Duffy, Sean WI-07
Ribble, Reid WI-08
McKinley, David WV-01

 

House Republican members who didn’t sign letter:

Name District
Young, Donald AK-00
Bonner, Jo AL-01
Roby, Martha AL-02
Rogers, Mike AL-03
Aderholt, Robert AL-04
Bachus, Spencer AL-06
Crawford, Rick AR-01
Womack, Steve AR-03
Lungren, Dan CA-03
Nunes, Devin CA-21
McCarthy, Kevin CA-22
Gallegly, Elton CA-24
McKeon, Buck CA-25
Dreier, David CA-26
Royce, Ed CA-40
Lewis, Jerry CA-41
Miller, Gary CA-42
Calvert, Ken CA-44
Bono Mack, Mary CA-45
Rohrabacher, Dana CA-46
Campbell, John CA-48
Issa, Darrell CA-49
Bilbray, Brian CA-50
Coffman, Mike CO-06
Crenshaw, Ander FL-04
Webster, Daniel FL-08
Buchanan, Vern FL-13
Posey, Bill FL-15
Rooney, Tom FL-16
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana FL-18
Diaz-Balart, Mario FL-21
Rivera, David FL-25
Kingston, Jack GA-01
Woodall, Rob GA-07
Latham, Tom IA-04
Simpson, Mike ID-02
Roskam, Peter IL-06
Dold, Robert IL-10
Kinzinger, Adam IL-11
Biggert, Judy IL-13
Hultgren, Randy IL-14
Johnson, Timothy IL-15
Whitfield, Ed KY-01
Davis, Geoff KY-04
Rogers, Hal KY-05
Alexander, Rodney LA-05
Cassidy, Bill LA-06
Camp, Dave MI-04
Upton, Fred MI-06
Rogers, Mike MI-08
Miller, Candice MI-10
Kline, John MN-02
Paulsen, Erik MN-03
Cravaack, Chip MN-08
Emerson, Jo Ann MO-08
Nunnelee, Alan MS-01
Harper, Gregg MS-03
Rehberg, Denny MT-00
Ellmers, Renee NC-02
Foxx, Virginia NC-05
McHenry, Patrick NC-10
Fortenberry, Jeff NE-01
Bass, Charlie NH-02
LoBiondo, Frank NJ-02
Runyan, Jon NJ-03
Smith, Christopher NJ-04
Lance, Leonard NJ-07
Frelinghuysen, Rodney NJ-11
King, Peter NY-03
Turner, Bob NY-09
Grimm, Michael NY-13
Hayworth, Nan NY-19
Gibson, Chris NY-20
Hanna, Richard NY-24
Reed, Tom NY-29
Turner, Michael OH-03
Tiberi, Pat OH-12
LaTourette, Steven OH-14
Stivers, Steve OH-15
Gibbs, Bob OH-18
Lucas, Frank OK-03
Cole, Tom OK-04
Walden, Greg OR-02
Thompson, Glenn PA-05
Gerlach, Jim PA-06
Meehan, Patrick PA-07
Fitzpatrick, Mike PA-08
Shuster, Bill PA-09
Dent, Charlie PA-15
Platts, Todd PA-19
DesJarlais, Scott TN-04
Hensarling, Jeb TX-05
Brady, Kevin TX-08
Granger, Kay TX-12
Thornberry, Mac TX-13
Carter, John TX-31
Sessions, Pete TX-32
Wittman, Rob VA-01
Rigell, Scott VA-02
Forbes, J. Randy VA-04
Hurt, Robert VA-05
Goodlatte, Bob VA-06
Cantor, Eric VA-07
Griffith, Morgan VA-09
Wolf, Frank VA-10
Herrera Beutler, Jaime WA-03
Hastings, Doc WA-04
McMorris Rodgers, Cathy WA-05
Reichert, Dave WA-08
Ryan, Paul WI-01
Petri, Thomas WI-06
Moore Capito, Shelley WV-02
Lummis, Cynthia WY-00

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

 ###

Erica Groshen’s radical views, ties disqualify Labor nomination

July 19, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged the U.S. Senate to reject Obama nominee Erica Groshen to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, citing her ties to a left-wing organization with communist roots and her radical views against small businesses.

“Confirming Erica Groshen would be a sure-fire way to substantially erode the public’s confidence that the data released by the agency are not ideologically skewed,” Wilson wrote in an oped published by Investor’s Business Daily today.

Americans for Limited Government released a report today detailing Groshen’s decision to “send at least one of her children to a camp that revels in its past as a ‘red diaper baby’ indoctrination center,” Wilson wrote in a letter to Senate members.

“This choice reveals much more about Ms. Groshen’s personal belief system. A belief system that the United States spent 50 years in a Cold, and sometimes hot, War to defeat,” Wilson wrote.

Camp Kinderland, where Groshen sent at least one of her children, was founded by members of the Communist Party in the 20th century, sang Soviet anthems, saluted Soviet flags, and was investigated by Congress in the 1950’s for its communist ties. According to the camp’s website, “Camp Kinderland is true to the vision of its founders.”

Groshen’s actions to send at least one of her children to a camp with communist origins contradicts her claims in a Theislandnow.com interview where she stated, “I have a very non-political, non-partisan background,” Groshen said. “That’s the kind of work I’ve always done at the Fed and when I was briefly an academic. The BLS is just a continuation of that sort of career because that’s who I am. That’s what I do.”

The ALG report blasts Groshen, “Given the history of the camp one might wonder why a person who touted herself as non-political would send their children there.”

Wilson also highlighted a 1998 paper Groshen coauthored that stated, “Small may be beautiful in many arenas, but it is not beautiful for workers,” adding, “any public policy advantage awarded to small firms (such as labor or environmental standard exemptions) should provide cause for worry.”

“Groshen’s preferred method of alleviating this ‘worry’? Heavier regulation of small businesses — which is one of the very last things our economy needs right now,” Wilson wrote in his oped.

Small businesses supply just about half of all jobs in the U.S. — some 60 million — according to the Small Business Administration.

In his oped Wilson concluded, “The Senate should reject Groshen’s nomination and call on Obama to submit a choice more compatible with the objective role of this agency.”

Attachments:

Special Report from Americans for Limited Government on Erica L. Groshen, Nominee for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics July 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/07/who-is-erica-groshen/

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

House should cancel lame duck session, give country a break from political wars

July 18, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged the House of Representatives to cancel its lame duck session of Congress after the November elections, echoing the calls of South Carolina Senators Lindsay Graham and Jim DeMint for the House to pass a continuing resolution past the lame duck session:

“The House needs to give the American people a much-needed break after the November elections, no matter how they turn out, and force Washington, D.C., to quit governing by crisis. Cancel any plans for a lame duck session, and give the country a break from the political wars.

“The continuing resolution, taxes, and debt ceiling should all be extended, and the sequester cuts postponed, all through March 2013. This will give the American people the opportunity to debate these issues in the electoral context, and then afterward, an opportunity to breathe knowing that Obama and Congress will not do any more damage for the rest of the year.

“By failing to take the lame duck session off the table, the House would be accepting a narrative that it must act to implement the establishment’s agenda, and then only when electoral consequences have been removed from the equation. That is unacceptable to the American people, and it should also be unacceptable to every single member of the House majority who purports to represent them.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###

 

 

Environmental interests seek to block energy exports, free trade

July 16, 2012, Fairfax, VA—While well-healed environmental interests attempt to shut down oil, coal and natural gas production–which account for roughly 82 percent of domestic energy use–they are simultaneously working to prevent it from being shipped overseas as well.  Environmental interests, such as the Sierra Club, are actively campaigning to shut down all natural gas export terminals in the United States while City Councils in the Oregon cities of Eugene and Portland are preparing to vote on measures aimed at restricting coal exports as well.

“This is a disappointing demonstration of just how calloused fringe environmental interests truly are,” said Ryan Houck, executive director of Free Market America. “At a time when millions of Americans are searching for work, it’s senseless to attempt to shut down industries that create jobs and remain indispensable to our economy.”

Americans for Limited Government president Bill Wilson added, “It’s abundantly clear: If your job involves producing or moving energy and you don’t receive a Solyndra-style subsidy, radical environmentalists probably want to put you out of work. It would be a terrible shame if elected
officials on the West Coast bow to these environmental groups and flagrantly disregard the interests of American workers and the essential principle of economic freedom.”

Americans for Limited Government and Free Market America partner on free market issues that focus on environmental issues. The partnership was launched earlier this year and is responsible for the viral video “If I wanted America to fail,” http://www.freemarketamerica.org, a runaway hit that scored more than 2.4 million views on YouTube.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

###