Feb. 28, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to the Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to the Oval Office to meet with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance under false pretenses. Zelensky chose to turn the announcement of an economic agreement that would cement U.S.-Ukraine relations into a circus, attempting to embarrass the President and Vice President.

“President Trump rightfully put Zelensky in his place and sent him home without either the economic life preserver that had been negotiated, or the security guarantee he sought. The economic agreement would put U.S. miners, geologists and other businesses into Ukraine, creating an economic shield that is better than any security agreement. President Trump demonstrated to the world that he won’t tolerate fools and will defend American interests first.

“President Trump and his administration have worked hard to lay the foundation for a peace deal in Ukraine. Unfortunately, Zelensky is not ready for peace. So long as Zelensky clings to the fantasy of restoring the prior, original borders of his country, it will be impossible to get the Russians to quit killing Ukrainians. Russia is wrong in having invaded Ukraine. Today, in 2025, the real question facing President Trump is what deal can be made to break the stalemate of death that as President Trump pointed out is tragically killing a generation of Ukrainians. At some point, the Ukrainian people will be ready for peace. Unfortunately, today is not that day.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 25, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to a ruling placing an injunction of the White House Office of Management and Budget from pausing any federal spending while it is being reviewed for possible fraud:

“Biden appointed U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan continued to block the Trump administration’s decision to freeze federal spending while they review it for possible fraud, waste and abuse. AliKhan asserted that her injunction, ‘is the only thing, in this case holding potentially catastrophic harm at bay.’

“Apparently, AliKhan became confused when listening to the case about the role of the judiciary, which is not to determine the wisdom of policy decisions by elected officials, but instead to determine whether those decisions comported with the Constitution and law.

“The unelected AliKhan who is a local federal district judge has taken upon herself to stop the elected President of the United States from enacting his policies because she doesn’t agree with them.

“Last time I checked, she got a vote and lost. This local federal judge’s activism which she presumes to inflict on the entire country is an exact case study for the Supreme Court to finally act and end the lowest federal court judges from imposing their views nationwide, effectively wielding more power than individual Supreme Court Justices.

“In the case of AliKhan, who was confirmed after Vice President Harris broke a 50-50 deadlock over her ill-conceived appointment, it is clear that her objective is to cause the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars which the Trump administration has on the chopping block. If she wants to be a legislator, run for Congress.  If she wants to be President, run for the presidency. But it is undemocratic and elitist for one federal district judge to determine federal spending policy which clearly is not within her judicial purview.

“Chief Justice Roberts, who oversees the District Court of Washington D.C., should intervene immediately as AliKhan’s decision clearly does violence to the separation of powers.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 25, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in support of the proposed House Republican budget, H. Con. Res. 14:

“Passage of a budget bill creates the framework for eventual passage of President Trump’s tax and energy policies needed to meet America’s economic goals.

“One thing is certain about any budget that is created this year, there will be inherent uncertainty on the actual cost of government due to the extraordinary work being done by the White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to uncover and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse throughout the $7 trillion in annual federal expenditures.  With a goal of finding an incredible $1 trillion of waste and fraud annually in the system, it is nearly impossible to create accurate line-item budgets for the different departments and agencies. What’s more, waste and theft are unlikely to be found in equal parts across all areas of the federal government making any budget aspirational.

“We are also seeing congressional Democrats who benefit most from the bloated and unmanageable federal bureaucracy attempting to use bottom line numbers to claim that popular programs are being cut, when in fact these numbers are attempts to quantify the waste, fraud and abuse that will be eliminated. Contrary to claims by Democrats, in many cases identifying and ending this waste, fraud and abuse will put these programs on a much more secure footing going into the future.

“Given the uncertainty of the actual short-term savings unearthed by DOGE, House Republicans are to be commended for producing the budget which has been submitted. Like many, we would have preferred the anticipation of larger DOGE savings, and those who continue to try to tweak the budget toward this end are right to do so.  However, when it becomes time to vote, it is critical that the House GOP draw together with their tiny majority to pass this first stage of the necessary economic overhaul rather than lose the opportunity they have been handed.

“My mother used to tell me not to let the pursuit of the perfect get in the way of accomplishing good, and in the end, the vote on this budget likely satisfies no one entirely, but without a budget, the opportunity for real, necessary change will be lost. This vote is the beginning, not the end, of a process over the next two years to root out the demonstrated absurd spending of public funds and permanently lower the baseline funding of the government, providing a glidepath toward balance, while providing conditions for the economy to grow substantially.  Let’s not screw it up.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 18, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Senate to confirm former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oreg.) to Labor Secretary and Keith Sonderling to Deputy Labor Secretary:

“President Donald Trump’s nominations of former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to Labor Secretary and long-time labor issues expert and official Keith Sonderling to Deputy Labor Secretary reflects the broad coalition of union and non-union workers who elected Trump in 2024. While conservatives rightfully have concerns about Chavez-DeRemer’s previous support for ending right to work laws nationwide, the reality is that it is President Trump’s policies, not her own, that will be implemented. The Senate HELP Committee has wisely chosen to bundle the Secretary and Deputy Secretary nominations together so they can be brought up within days of each other to avoid an internal food fight over labor policy.

“This contrasts with eight years ago when it took almost a year to confirm a non-controversial Deputy Secretary of Labor in Trump’s first term, and instead will allow for the Department to be balanced in its perspective on labor issues. It’s important that the Senate remember that there are 135 million workers in the private sector and only 5.9 percent are in labor unions or labor union battles. The concerns of the vast majority of the American workforce do not revolve around union fights and instead are focused on real wages and fair and reciprocal trade that impacts all Americans. Americans for Limited Government urges the Senate to confirm both Chavez-DeRemer to Secretary of Labor and Sonderling to Deputy Secretary of Labor so that the President’s agenda is implemented.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 14, 2025, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump’s Feb. 13 proclamation ordering a evaluation of tariffs and other trade adjustments imposed the U.S.:

“President Donald Trump’s proclamation detailing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to evaluate tariffs and other trade adjustments against the U.S. by every single country in the world is ending the trade order that has existed since the end of World War II. The old trade order from the late-1940s was based on the reality that the world’s economies had been destroyed due to the combination of the Great Depression and the war, and that the only economy that was standing and thriving was the United States of America. In the fight for freedom against the communist Soviet Union, America opened our markets to countries around the world who allied with us, so that they could grow and share in America’s prosperity. That system was forever altered by China’s being granted permanent normal trade relations with the U.S. in 2000 and entering the World Trade Organization in 2001, allowing a foreign adversary to access and manipulate our markets. The result has been the stripping away of America’s industrial base as businesses chased cheap labor and China manipulated their currency to ensure they always have the lowest price on the market. By closing off straw sales from countries serving as China’s middlemen, President Trump is ending this abuse of America’s generosity.

“While many will complain that this disruption will lead to higher prices and uncertainty, it has been alarming that over the past decade, as China has become more aggressively anti-American, that businesses that have invested in China have not taken the necessary steps to move their supply chains elsewhere, and instead remained partners with the Chinese Communist Party. President Trump’s trade agenda reflects the failure of American-based businesses to react to the obvious long-term dangers they face through Chinese exposure that affects every American. Having honest trade will allow the President to realign our policies to ensure a reciprocal economic partnership with the world. It’s about time we have a President who represents America first.”

Attachments:

“Trump Is Right. Prices Can Definitely Go Down In Response To Tariffs.” By Robert Romano, Feb. 14, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/02/trump-is-right-prices-can-definitely-go-down-in-response-to-tariffs/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 13, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to suspend the Impoundment Control Act and enact President Donald Trump’s White House Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts undertaken to date:

“The Impoundment Control Act negated about 170 years of precedent wherein presidents had the absolute Article II executive authority to not spend funds authorized by Congress when they deemed such spending unnecessary, starting with Thomas Jefferson all the way through Richard Nixon. Besides recessions and wars, the result was relatively sound fiscal policy. The stunning findings of the White House Department of Government Efficiency of waste and theft of taxpayer resources requires that President Trump do what is necessary to end that waste and theft. Congress cannot be expected to guess how much and where the waste and theft is occurring. Only the President has that ability in administering the laws. Suspending the unconstitutional Impoundment Control Act until Dec. 31, 2026 could reduce the deficit by as much as $1 trillion.

“Importantly, this would alter the current projected spending baselines by incorporating the savings now being touted by the White House. While President Trump is likely to challenge the Impoundment Control Act in a multi-year court battle, Congress can settle the issue right now in the budget bill for the next two years, allowing the experiment in actually cutting spending to occur and the DOGE savings to be realized. Additionally, Congress should authorize the President’s DOGE cuts already undertaken to clear away any legal ambiguities. The government fraud and waste crisis uncovered by DOGE demands that Congress take this simple action to ensure it is ended once and for all.”

Attachments:

“GAO Estimated $233 Billion To $521 Billion Fraud Annually in 2024 As Court Clarifies Treasury Can Access Its Own Systems. Trump Should Just Publish Everything.” By Robert Romano, Feb. 12, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/02/gao-estimated-233-billion-to-521-billion-fraud-annually-in-2024-as-court-clarifies-treasury-can-access-its-own-systems-trump-should-just-publish-everything/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 11, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the upcoming House and Senate budget process:

“The Trump administration has been identifying wasteful and potentially fraudulent spending at an alarming pace via its efforts at U.S. Treasury and the White House’s U.S. DOGE Service. Simply by ending payouts to individuals who provide no identification, DOGE says it could save at least $50 billion a year. There is no reason that Congress should not assume significant savings for upcoming fiscal year 2026 including for example a complete restructuring of USAID that the Trump administration is already implementing. The U.S. Treasury payment systems analysis by the White House has revealed $50 billion to $100 billion going to recipients who might be ineligible — something Congress was apparently unaware of — and this barely scratches the surface. It is clear that Congress was unaware of it. It does not include people who are filing illegitimate claims from fake Social Security Numbers for example, fraudulent services reimbursements and so forth.

“In this budget process, Americans for Limited Government strongly urges that the House and Senate Budget Committees to mandate transparency and to anticipate a minimum of 40 percent of the $1 trillion of savings claims made by the White House in the upcoming fiscal year budget, netting $400 billion by encapsulating those savings into law. It is obvious that throughout this year details of waste, fraud and abuse will be revealed on a daily basis and by failing to recognize the spending cuts that should naturally follow would demonstrate a blindness to the reality of the President’s upcoming budget request, which will be substantially lower than the current baseline.

“The waste, fraud and abuse savings now being revealed are barely the tip of the iceberg, and House Republican policy should naturally create pressure for hundreds of billions of savings as Biden administration policies related to the Green New Deal and other subsidies are rightfully ended. Americans for Limited Government urges the budget committees of both chambers to be aggressive in their assumptions and proposals regarding spending cuts that Congress needs to enact in order to get America’s fiscal house in order.

“Our nation faces unprecedented fiscal challenges including the spiraling $37 trillion national debt paired with a need to increase real income for Americans across the board while keep prices down. Government debt net interest payments have risen to $890 billion, the second largest item on the budget after Social Security. If aggressive steps are not taken to limit deficit spending through economic growth policies as well as real, substantial budgets cuts — and support for President Trump’s own efforts — our nation’s economy is threatened by the weight of the debt crushing our ability to be the world’s number one superpower.”

Attachments:

“DOGE Uncovers $50B Annually Sent to People Without SSNs—Why Didn’t Congress Reveal This?” By Rick Manning, Feb. 11, 2025 at https://townhall.com/columnists/rickmanning/2025/02/11/doge-uncovers-50b-annually-sent-to-people-without-ssnswhy-didnt-congress-reveal-this-n2652010

“Treasury Secretary Blocked From Treasury Payment Systems. What’s Next? The Commander-In-Chief Can’t Direct The Military?” By Robert Romano, Feb. 10, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/02/treasury-secretary-blocked-from-treasury-payment-systems-whats-next-the-commander-in-chief-cant-direct-the-military/

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 10, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to Sen. Andy Kim’s (D-N.J.) threat to block funding for the government over President Donald Trump’s efforts to rein in waste, fraud and abuse via his U.S. Department of Government Efficiency Service established in the White House:

“Democrat Senator Andy Kim from New Jersey threw down the gauntlet to GOP Senate and House Republicans threatening to shut down the government Senator Andy Kim said Sunday on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that the Democrats are considering not helping the Trump administration fund the government over the White House Department of Government Efficiency efforts’ to identify fraud, waste and abuse. This effort has already resulted in the virtual shutdown of USAID over support for Hamas, pushing the transgender agenda worldwide and funding international media efforts designed to censor speech and thought around the world.

“DOGE has been instrumental in discovering tens of billions of dollars in direct waste and they are just getting started, yet Kim and other Democrats view the upcoming government funding debate as an opportunity to return corruption as usual to the federal government.

“Apparently, the Democrats public employee union benefactors along with the billionaire beneficiaries of the already identified government spending grift are willing to shut down all of the government if the theft is not ignored and reinstated.

“If that is the fight the Democrats want to have, let’s have it.  Americans don’t like taxes, but they really don’t like their tax dollars being wasted or stolen, and Senator Kim may find that his insistence on perpetuating a potentially trillion dollar graft machine ends the Democratic Party as we know it.

“Of course, that depends upon Republicans standing strong supporting President Trump’s DOGE effort to examine every penny spent and continuing to root out the waste, theft and inefficiency.

“This is one government shutdown fight even the most tepid Republican should embrace, because it will be the Democrats who will have to explain each and every gross spending abuse through their resistance to ending them. And with DOGE at work, expect them to continue to be exposed on a daily basis.

“Good luck explaining that, Senator Kim.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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Feb. 6, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to a proposed order approved by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly limiting White House access of U.S. Treasury systems:

“The President is in charge of the entirety of the executive branch. DOGE is a duly created temporary organization of the executive branch in the Executive Office of the President in the White House itself. Federal courts have no constitutional justification for blocking the White House’s access to Treasury data or any other system in the executive branch in accordance with the law, and the proposed order instead temporarily balances data privacy concerns with the President’s absolute power to run the executive branch pending further hearing.

“The President was elected to perform his constitutional duties one of which is ensuring the correct operation of the various departments and agencies that exist under law and his authority. The Treasury Department is one such presidentially controlled and administered department, and everyone who works at it is under direct control of the President of the United States through the Secretary who can be fired at any time. The left needs to get over it. Donald Trump is the President, and his appointees, even Elon Musk or any White House staff for that matter, have the power that the President lawfully delegates to them. If these systems can be accessed by an unelected bureaucrat, then the President has every right and the responsibility to make certain that that bureaucrat’s work is being done lawfully, properly and efficiently, and to access those systems. Accessing those systems is part of holding those in trust with administering the Treasury payouts accountable.

“Elon Musk is one of the foremost experts on payment systems and their efficient operation, having co-founded PayPal in his youth. To deny the President of the United States to call upon any expert to examine government systems is not just unsound constitutionally, it’s flat out stupid and does violence to basic constitutional principles.”

Attachments:

“Note To Schumer: DOGE Is Legal, Get Over It,” Feb. 6, 2025 to https://getliberty.org/2025/02/note-to-schumer-doge-is-legal-get-over-it/

“Foreign And Military Aid Is Not Sacred, And President Trump Is Right To Open Up The Books,” By Robert Romano, Feb. 5, 2025 at https://dailytorch.com/2025/02/foreign-and-military-aid-is-not-sacred-and-president-trump-is-right-to-open-up-the-books/

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Feb. 5, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for shutting down Democratic theatrics calling for more hearings as Grassley moved for a committee vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel:

“Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley showed once again that he believes in fair, honest hearings while not tolerating obstruction and tactics to delay votes on nominees. When Senate Democrats demanded that President Trump’s nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel be subjected to more hearings so they could rant against the President’s decision to relieve multiple FBI officials from their duties pending investigation, Grassley gave them a hard, flat no and instead is moving for a speedy committee vote.

“The simple fact is that Patel was not FBI Director when the personnel changes were made, and more hearings would have no substantive facts to add to any Senate investigation and just be used to create YouTube moments for Senators like New Jersey’s Corey Booker. There is work to be done and it is time to confirm Kash Patel as FBI Director. Thank you, Chairman Grassley for your tough fairness in ending the Democrats’ hearing charade and moving toward voting Patel out of the Judiciary Committee as soon as possible.”

For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.

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