Jan. 24, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) for opposing a freeze of hiring non-security federal workers:

“One sure way to stop the growth of government is to freeze the number of new, non-essential, non-security personnel that are hired by the federal government, and Rep. Comstock’s knee jerk opposition to a short-term, common sense move to limiting the size and scope of government is unconscionable and indistinguishable from the Democrats she defeated in 2014 and 2016. If Rep. Comstock wants to be a viable statewide candidate in Virginia, she needs to start sounding a whole lot more like Ronald Reagan and a whole lot less like Barack Obama.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Jan. 24, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump for approving the development of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines:

“President Trump’s executive actions clearing away the Obama administration obstacles to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines are an important shift in U.S. policy, a step forward in achieving North American energy independence. Our nation’s economic future is tied to domestic and North American energy development and the low costs for consumers that result. President Trump promised to move ahead with Keystone XL and he kept his promise. American workers should be smiling today as an estimated 42,000 jobs will be supported as a result of this decision according to prior Obama State Department assessments.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Jan. 23, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump for withdrawing the U.S. from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement:

“Elections have consequences, and the globalists lost with the victory of President Trump in November. The Trans-Pacific Partnership was always an ill-conceived attempt to usurp U.S. sovereignty and harm American workers by shifting more production overseas. President Trump’s withdrawal from the TPP keeps his promise to put America first and to refocus U.S. trade policy away from massive, multinational deals to bilateral agreements that serve U.S. interests. Many politicians say one thing in a campaign, and do another once elected. Ending the TPP was a foundational part of the Trump campaign agenda, and today, Trump has demonstrated to the American people that when he said it was a ‘bad, bad deal’ he meant it.”

Attachments:

Donald J. Trump Joins Americans for Limited Government in TPP opposition, May 7, 2015 at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-joins-americans-for-limited-government

Trump joins ALG in fight against Pacific Trade Deal, May 6, 2015 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0wX7CqfAA

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Jan. 20, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement congratulating President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on being sworn into office:

“Americans for Limited Government congratulates President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in ushering a new administration that is committed to American renewal. The next four years promise to be a time where the proper, constitutional rule of law and the separation of powers are restored, bringing an end to executive branch pen and phone governance. President Trump’s vision for a growing, vibrant American economy that puts Americans first stands in startling contrast to the policies seen this century, where jobs and production have been shifted overseas.

“We also like to congratulate former Americans for Limited Government Foundation President Nathan Mehrens on his joining the Trump administration in the Department of Labor.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Jan. 12, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano today issued the following statement supporting legislation by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) that would rescind the Department of Housing and Urban Development regulation “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” that conditions receipt of $3.2 billion community development block grants to 1,200 cities and counties on rezoning those municipalities along federal income and racial guidelines:

“Americans for Limited Government wholeheartedly endorses Rep. Gosar’s legislation to fully rescind the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulations by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that conditions receipt of Community Development Block Grants on rezoning municipalities along income and racial guidelines. It is vast overreach by the federal government, imposing its will on local communities, dictating what must be built where in order to advance a radical, utopian vision of where people should live. AFFH ignores the reality of the nation’s housing market, where individuals based on employment, family and other concerns determine for themselves where they would like to live, and the rule obscures the fact that real housing discrimination is already prohibited on an individual basis. Finally, the rule is not only unnecessary and overreaches in every regard, the federal government has no constitutional role in local zoning issues, which rightly belongs to the states, counties and cities.

“President-elect Donald Trump can and should start the process of rescinding this rule via the Administrative Procedures Act, but to stop it for good, Congress must prohibit this rule and anything substantially similar, with Congress asserting its Article I prerogatives. The Gosar bill meets that threshold and we hope that the administration including incoming Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will embrace a legislative approach in addition to taking executive action to rein in this vast federal overreach.”

To view online: https://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Local-Zoning-Decisions-Protection-Act-2017.pdf

Attachments:

“Obama finalizes plan to redraw your neighborhood,” By Robert Romano, July 9, 2015 at http://netrightdaily.com/2015/07/obama-finalizes-racist-plan-to-redraw-your-neighborhood/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Jan. 4, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano today issued the following statement support of the principles set out by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), defining that H.R. 3762, which President Barack Obama vetoed in 2016, should be the bare minimum of what the Republican majorities of the House and Senate consider in 2017 to put on President-elect Donald Trump’s desk when he assumes office later this month:

“If anybody has credibility on repealing the health care law, it is Sen. Ted Cruz who filibustered funding for it in 2013, and Sens. Marco Rubio and Mike Lee, who joined him on the floor in support. H.R. 3762 passed the House and Senate in 2015, and was vetoed by President Obama in 2016. Both chambers then failed to override the veto, but now there is a real opportunity to have that very same piece of legislation signed into law by President-elect Donald Trump when he assumes office later this month.

“That bill got rid of Medicaid expansion, premium subsidies, cost-sharing subsidies, the individual and employer mandates, reinsurance, risk corridors and risk-adjustment, and the many taxes and spending from the health care law. If that is the bill that is put on Trump’s desk, it would be a monumental achievement. If it was good enough in 2016 for Obama to veto, it should be good enough to put on Trump’s desk to sign. And if it is good enough for Lee, Rubio and Cruz, then it is good enough for Americans for Limited Government. Republicans would be foolish not to get everything they could under budget reconciliation.

“If states want to do Medicaid expansion for those with incomes in the middle of the spectrum, the so-called doughnut hole, that’s their business. Federal taxpayers should not be compelled to subsidize it. The bottom line is this is an historic chance to keep a six-year-old Republican promise to repeal the guts of Obamacare and Republicans should not blink at this rare opportunity the American people have given to them to limit the size and scope of the government. They should do no less than what they forced Obama to veto in 2016 and hopefully with the new majorities and the White House, they’ll do even more going forward, including allowing insurance to be sold across state lines.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Dec. 20, 2016, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano today issued the following statement praising introduction of SB 13 in the Texas legislature, which will block government collection of union dues for agencies besides police, firefighters and first responders:

“Texas is setting an example to other state governments across the country with introduction of legislation, SB 13, that will start to block some government collection of union dues. Governments don’t collect dues for other political and non-profit organizations, and there’s no reason it should happen here. Government unions should collect dues just like every other non-profit, on a voluntary basis, without the instrumentalities of the state involved. Americans for Limited Government praises Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for making this a top legislative priority in 2017. This is a step in the right direction.”

Attachments:

Texas Senate Bill 13, Dec. 16, 2016 at https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB13/2017

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this statement said Sec. 167 of the continuing resolution covered pension and health care benefits of the United Mine Workers of America, but it only covers health care benefits.

Dec. 12, 2016, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano today issued the following statement blasting inclusion of a bailout for the United Mine Workers of America union in Sec. 167 of the continuing resolution at the last minute:

“Americans for Limited Government is disappointed that at the last possible minute, a bailout for the United Mine Workers of America health care plan was included in the continuing resolution. Senators Joe Manchin, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, and Mark Warner publicly promised to deny unanimous consent on a lot of bills that were left to the last minute of the lame duck session unless the United Mine Workers of America’s pension and health care plans were bailed out — and they got some of what they wanted with the health care benefits being covered through April. The bailout was included in the continuing resolution on the House side. House leadership had to consent to this, an unbelievable decision. How about saying no for a change?

“This is why lame duck sessions of Congress are evil and should be abolished. They create more govern-by-crisis scenarios where, under the threat of government shutdowns and more, bills that might never pass an up or down basis are shoved into legislation or passed unanimously as a grab bag at the last minute with no oversight or even public knowledge. Just look at all the bills that passed unanimously in the Senate on Dec. 9 and 10 but are not listed under so-called ‘votes’ on Senate.gov that constituents could hold their senators accountable for. If these bills are so popular why not bring them up under regular order? And supposed serious think tanks actually support lame duck sessions as ‘the best time to make tough decisions, especially those that are likely to rub special interests the wrong way’? Who are they kidding? What a joke.

“There was no oversight, no conversation about this bill prior to its inclusion in the continuing resolution, which passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly. It was simply Manchin threatening other favored bills at the last minute that compelled taxpayers to issue another bailout to a defined benefit plan that was in over its head by $5.6 billion. How many other defined benefit plans will be getting bailed out? Or will it just be the ones Manchin selects? Or just the ones that might hold up unanimous consent of other taxpayer subsidized pet projects? Either way, taxpayers are getting screwed.”

Attachments:

“Senators Vow to ‘Use Any Means Necessary’ to Ensure Taxpayer Bailout of Private Union Pension Plan,” by Rachel Greszler, Dec. 7, 2016 at http://dailysignal.com/2016/12/07/senators-vow-to-use-any-means-necessary-to-ensure-taxpayer-bailout-of-private-union-pension-plan/

“Why a Coal Miner Pension Bailout Could Open the Door to a $600 Billion Pension Bailout for All Private Unions,” by Rachel Greszler, Aug. 2016 at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2016/08/why-a-coal-miner-pension-bailout-could-open-the-door-to-a-600-billion-pension-bailout-for-all-private-unions

Section 167 of the Continuing Resolution, Dec. 8, 2016 at https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2028/text

“Sec. 167. Miners Health Benefits.

“(a) In general.—This section may be cited as the “Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act”.

“(b) Inclusion of certain retirees in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan.—Section 402(h)(2)(C) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232(h)(2)(C)) is amended—

“(1) by striking ‘A transfer’ and inserting the following:

“ ‘(i) TRANSFER TO THE PLAN.—A transfer’ ;

“(2) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and moving such subclauses 2 ems to the right; and

“(3) by striking the matter following such subclause (II) (as so redesignated) and inserting the following:

“ ‘(ii) CALCULATION OF EXCESS.—The excess determined under clause (i) shall be calculated—

“ ‘(I) except as provided in subclause (II), by taking into account only those beneficiaries actually enrolled in the Plan as of December 31, 2006, who are eligible to receive health benefits under the Plan on the first day of the calendar year for which the transfer is made; and

“ ‘(II) for purposes of the transfer made for fiscal year 2017, as if, for the period beginning January 1, 2017, and ending April 30, 2017, only—

“ ‘(aa) those beneficiaries actually enrolled in the Plan as of the date of the enactment of the Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act who are eligible to receive health benefits under the Plan on January 1, 2017, other than those beneficiaries enrolled in the Plan under the terms of a participation agreement with the current or former employer of such beneficiaries; and

“ ‘(bb) those beneficiaries whose health benefits, defined as those benefits payable directly following death or retirement or upon a finding of disability by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement (as defined in section 9701(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), would be denied or reduced as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012 or 2015,

were taken into account, and for any other period during such fiscal year, only the beneficiaries described in subclause (I) were taken into account.

“ ‘(iii) ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN RETIREES.—Individuals referred to in clause (ii)(II)(bb) shall be treated as eligible to receive health benefits under the Plan for the plan year that includes January 1, 2017.

“ ‘(iv) REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFER.—The amount of the transfer otherwise determined under this subparagraph for fiscal year 2017 shall be reduced by any amount transferred for the fiscal year to the Plan, to pay benefits required under the Plan, from a voluntary employees’ beneficiary association established as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding described in clause (ii)(II).

“ ‘(v) VEBA TRANSFER.—The administrator of such voluntary employees’ beneficiary association shall transfer to the Plan any amounts received as a result of such bankruptcy proceeding, reduced by an amount for administrative costs of such association.’ .

“(c) Preservation of payments to States and Indian tribes.—Subparagraph (B) of section 402(i)(3) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232(i)(3)) is amended—

“(1) by striking ‘so that’ and inserting ‘under paragraph (1) so that’;

“(2) by striking ‘each transfer’ in clause (i) and inserting ‘each such transfer’; and

“(3) by striking ‘this subsection’ in clause (iii) and inserting ‘paragraph (1)’.

“(d) Budgetary effects.—

“(1) STATUTORY PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

“(2) SENATE PAYGO SCORECARDS.—The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21 (110th Congress).

“(3) CLASSIFICATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.—Notwithstanding Rule 3 of the Budget Scorekeeping Guidelines set forth in the joint explanatory statement of the committee of conference accompanying Conference Report 105-217 and section 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, the budgetary effects of this section shall not be estimated—

“(A) for purposes of section 251 of such Act; and

“(B) for purposes of paragraph (4)(C) of section 3 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 as being included in an appropriation Act.

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Dec. 8, 2016, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano today issued the following statement on House passage of H.R. 2028, the continuing resolution that will keep the government funded until April 28, 2017:

“The short-term continuing resolution should have been the first and last thing the House dealt with this lame duck session. Instead, the House has been on a marathon passing bills on suspension the past few days, easily surpassing the two-thirds majorities needed to suspend House rules. The margins for passage on these bills are not even close. If these bills are so popular, why couldn’t they have been passed months ago, before the election? Then at least voters could have held their representatives accountable for their votes. Maybe they were too busy campaigning.

“As it is, now that the spending bill is done, the House should get the heck out of town. Stop passing legislation. Go home already.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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