Dec. 10, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and the freshman class of the 114^th House of Representatives for establishing the Article One project as a priority to reassert Congress’ constitutional prerogatives, including the power of the purse:

“Reasserting Congress’ constitutional prerogatives including the power of the purse has been a long-held belief by Americans for Limited Government and today the Representative Ken Buck-led House Republican freshman class affirmed that principle by establishing an Article One project as a class priority.

“It is noteworthy that the newest House members have taken this step after spending their first year watching how the House of Representatives has failed to jealously guard its constitutional power of the purse against usurpation by the Senate and the Executive Branch. It is encouraging that they are taking this first step toward using their collective voices on this issue that is critical to the future of representative democracy.

“Representative Ken Buck, the freshman class president, deserves praise for his efforts to lead the freshman class in this action. Notably, Buck penned a letter earlier this week signed by about 11 of his colleagues urging the defunding of a number of President Obama’s most egregious initiatives.  It is this kind of thoughtful, aggressive foresight on how Congress can rein in the President’s pen and phone that I hope will be on display through Buck’s new freshman class project.”

To view online: http://getliberty.org/house-freshman-class-asserts-congress-article-one-constitutional-prerogatives/

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 10, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising 12 senators that voted no on the all-important cloture vote and 64 U.S. representatives that voted against reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act:

“We thank the 76 members of Congress who voted against the continued nationalization of our state and local education system, a one size fits all, standardized approach that has failed our children for more than 50 years. Rather than putting funds directly in the hands of local school boards, the federal approach to education directs how the monies will be spent, and on what, an approach that limits outcomes and restricts choices for parents. The fact that Congress continues to accept failure because of the inertia that develops around a periodic reauthorization of an otherwise permanent program is unacceptable, and calls into question the entire process that produces it and other federal programs that run of their own accord.

“We rightly expect more of our children when they are in school, to think creatively, and parents have a right to expect that Congress should put their kids ahead of the failed federal bureaucracy. Thank you to the 64 Members who stood up for our nation’s kids futures and against the failed federal education philosophy that has been reauthorized by Congress.”

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 9, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Republican congressional leaders to include as many policy riders that limit the size and scope of government as possible in the omnibus spending bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2016:

“The omnibus spending bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2016 presents an historic opportunity for Congress to rein in the Obama agenda for 10 of the last 13 months of his presidency. Republican leaders and conservatives in Congress can accomplish that by using their power of the purse to defund some parts of the President’s agenda. While Obama has promised to use his pen and his phone to complete the fundamental transformation of America, Congress can use the Constitution to stop him.”

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 7, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to take up a defund in the 2016 omnibus that would prohibit the use of funds for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) union walkaround rule:

“Congress has the opportunity to stop one of the more absurd Obama Administration labor rules by defunding what is known as OSHA’s walkaround rule in the upcoming omnibus. The Labor Department ruling allows union representatives to join OSHA inspectors on non-union company sites with the goal of increasing the likelihood of employees and management acceding to organizing efforts. The House Appropriations Committee rightly acted in June to defund this onerous rule in the underlying legislation for the Labor HHS spending bill.

“This blatant attempt at government coercion and intimidation has no place in U.S. law, and Congress can stop it in its tracks in the upcoming Omnibus funding bill. Failure to overturn Obama’s payoff to his Big Labor supporters would represent Congress walking away from the concept of equal justice under the law as the OSHA enforcement power will be skewed by the active presence of a biased advocate.”

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 3, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to include language in the upcoming omnibus spending bill for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2016 that would block any funds from being used to finance the United Nations (UN) Green Climate Fund:

“Congress should just say no to Obama’s $3 billion promise to the UN Green Climate Fund by explicitly stipulating in the omnibus that no funds shall be spent on it. The reality is that the U.S. commitment to the Green Climate Fund is anticipated to dramatically expand in the years to come to more than $25 billion annually as part of a $100 billion a year global wealth transfer to developing economies.

“Sen. Jim Inhofe has been at the forefront of this issue, and we urge Congress to follow his lead in ensuring that not one taxpayer dollar goes to the UN Green Climate Fund that will simply redistribute $100 billion a year to developing economies.

“We already subsidize developing economies with world trade rules that grant special and differential treatment, and the new Paris climate deal will exempt developing economies from the punitive regulations that the U.S. adheres to. Not to be outdone, then those same countries will receive $100 billion a year that U.S. taxpayers will disproportionately fund. This is just another bad deal, and U.S. taxpayers will have to pay for it — again. It’s time that Congress just say no.”

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 2, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the House to suspend consideration of the S 1177 & HR 5 conference report, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):

“It is beyond absurd that House Republicans would be opening up new potential funding for Planned Parenthood through the Every Student Succeeds Act at a time when the House has voted to defund Planned Parenthood via budget reconciliation. By tying funds for school-based health centers to compliance with the Public Health Service Act, which explicitly allows Planned Parenthood eligible to receive funds, the possibility of new funding is opened. Speaker Ryan needs to pull the bill from the docket immediately. There is simply no excuse for hiding potential funds in a House bill for Planned Parenthood, a group that is currently under investigation by a House special committee for their misdeeds.”

Attachments:

SEC. 8035. LIMITATIONS ON SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.

Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII, as amended and redesignated by section 8001 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:

‘‘SEC. 8543. LIMITATIONS ON SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.

‘‘Notwithstanding section 8102, funds used for activities under this Act shall be carried out in accordance with the provision of section 399z–1(a)(3)(C) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280h–5(a)(3)(C)).’’.

http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ESSA%20FINAL%20Conference%20Report.pdf#page=858

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 2, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement again urging Congress to include a rider by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) that would block the Department of Justice legal settlement monies from going to third-party groups in the upcoming omnibus appropriations legislation:

“Unless the Obama Justice Department has legal settlements in the offing that would compel businesses to give far left-wing groups lots of money, there is absolutely no reason anyone should oppose the Goodlatte rider. If there is money in the offing for third-party groups from the settlements, it should be defunded. If there might be money in the offing in the future, it should be defunded. If it is not included in the omnibus because Obama had plans to give money to those groups though settlements, then that proves why it should be defunded.

“The $17 billion Bank of America settlement is a perfect example of the misuse of settlements as Bank of America was required to give millions of dollars to third party activist groups. Legal proceedings by the government must never be used as shakedowns to enrich the coffers of any political cause, regardless of ideology.

“This particular rider was in the Commerce, Science and Justice appropriations bill that passed the House without even being subjected to a recorded vote.  There is no excuse for Rep. Goodlatte’s common sense amendment to not being including the omnibus spending bill.”

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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Dec. 1, 2015, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today urged members of the House of Representatives to support an amendment to H.R. 8 by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) that would repeal restrictions on the export of crude oil and include provisions of H.R. 702 as passed by the House:

“Our nation’s economic interests are served by allowing the free flow of U.S. oil into the export market, particularly benefiting key strategic allies that we already have strong trade relations with, and that is why Americans for Limited Government supports the amendment to H.R. 8 by Rep. Joe Barton.

“It is equally important that our nation’s oil refiners be allowed to increase capacity to handle our domestic oil supply.

“It is absurd to have an energy policy that does not allow the export of U.S. oil coinciding with a market-based rebuilding of our refining capacity. The Barton amendment begins to address this concern by easing the backlog of unrefined oil currently waiting to go to market.”

Attachments:

Amendment to H.R. 8, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) at http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/BARTON_023_xml1119151438523852.pdf

AMENDMENT TO THE RULES COMMITTEE PRINT FOR H.R. 8 OFFERED BY MR. BARTON OF TEXAS, MR. CUELLAR OF TEXAS, MR. MCCAUL OF TEXAS, AND MR. FLORES OF TEXAS

At the end of the bill, add the following:

TITLE VII—CHANGING CRUDE OIL MARKET CONDITIONS

SEC. 7001. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) The United States has enjoyed a renaissance in energy production, establishing the United States as the world’s leading oil producer.

(2) By authorizing crude oil exports, the Congress can spur domestic energy production, create and preserve jobs, help maintain and strengthen our independent shipping fleet that is essential to national defense, and generate State and Federal revenues.

(3) An energy-secure United States that is a net exporter of energy has the potential to transform the security environment around the world, notably in Europe and the Middle East.

(4) For our European allies and Israel, the presence of more United States oil in the market will offer more secure supply options, which will strengthen United States strategic alliances and help curtail the use of energy as a political weapon.

(5) The 60-ship Maritime Security Fleet is a vital element of our military’s strategic sealift and global response capability. It assures United States-flag ships and United States crews will be available to support the United States military when it needs to mobilize to protect our allies, and is the most prudent and economical solution to meet current and projected sealift requirements for the United States.

(6) The Maritime Security Fleet program provides a labor base of skilled American mariners who are available to crew the United States Government-owned strategic sealift fleet, as well as the United States commercial fleet, in both peace and war.

(7) The United States has reduced its oil consumption over the past decade, and increasing investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency will lower energy prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase national security.

SEC. 7002. REPEAL.

Section 103 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6212) and the item relating thereto in the table of contents of that Act are repealed.

SEC. 7003. NATIONAL POLICY ON OIL EXPORT RESTRICTIONS.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, to promote the efficient exploration, production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing, and regulation of energy resources, including fossil fuels, no official of the Federal Government shall impose or enforce any restriction on the export of crude oil.

SEC. 7004. STUDIES.

(a) GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall conduct, and transmit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate the results of, a study on the net greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the repeal of the crude oil export ban under section 7002.

(b) CRUDE OIL EXPORT STUDY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Department of Energy, and other departments as appropriate, shall conduct a study of the State and national implications of lifting the crude oil export ban with respect to consumers and the economy.

(2) CONTENTS.—The study conducted under paragraph (1) shall include an analysis of—

(A) the economic impact that exporting crude oil will have on the economy of the United States;

(B) the economic impact that exporting crude oil will have on consumers, taking into account impacts on energy prices;

(C) the economic impact that exporting crude oil will have on domestic manufacturing, taking into account impacts on employment; and

(D) the economic impact that exporting crude oil will have on the refining sector, taking into account impacts on employment.

(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Bureau of Industry and Security shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).

SEC. 7005. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

Nothing in this title limits the authority of the President under the Constitution, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Na-tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42

U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1 et seq.), or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or foreign gov-ernment (including any provision of law that prohibits or restricts United States persons from engaging in a transaction with a sanctioned person or government), including a foreign government that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, to prohibit exports.

SEC. 7006. PARTNERSHIPS WITH MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Department of Energy shall continue to develop and broaden partnerships with minority serving institutions, including Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the areas of oil and gas exploration, production, midstream, and refining.

(b) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.—The Department of Energy shall encourage public-private partnerships between the energy sector and minority serving institutions, including Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

SEC. 7007. REPORT.

Not later than 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Commerce shall jointly transmit to Congress a report that reviews the impact of lifting the oil export ban under this title as it relates to promoting United States energy and national security.

SEC. 7008. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Commerce shall jointly transmit to Congress a report analyzing how lifting the ban on crude oil exports will help create opportunities for veterans and women in the United States, while promoting energy and national security.

SEC. 7009. PROHIBITION ON EXPORTS OF CRUDE OIL, REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, AND PETROCHEMICAL PRODUCTS TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.

Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize the export of crude oil, refined petroleum products, and petrochemical products by or through any entity or person, wherever located, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to any entity or person located in, subject to the jurisdiction of, or sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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 including ALG President Rick Manning.

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