Jan. 12, 2023, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reacting to the appointment of another special counsel:

“America lived through an unending special counsel investigation in the prior administration due to the Russia collusion fantasy. Now there’s three. Given these repeated abuses of power at the Justice Department, it’s time that Congress revisit the legal and regulatory basis for these unaccountable prosecutors that undermine basic due process rights and confidence in our electoral system.

“One of the great mysteries of Merrick Garland’s appointment of a special counsel to investigate President Joe Biden’s possession and mishandling classified documents at his residence and Washington, D.C. think, from 2017 to 2021, after his time as Vice President, is why it wasn’t wrapped together with Trump’s own special counsel that was announced in November after Trump announced his bid to run for president in 2024. Six days prior to the Nov. 8 midterm elections, the FBI reports they discovered the first group of documents at the D.C. think tank, yet, the Department of Justice chose not to disclose this information prior to the election in November, the naming of Jack Smith as Special Counsel against Trump after the election and then the Georgia special runoff election for Senate. Clearly, the political weaponization of the Justice Department has become so normalized that every action appears to be taken through a political prism. This is the same Justice Department that continues to sit on and suppress the Hunter Biden laptop for the past two years.

“Now it is up to Congress to take a close look at whether these unending political investigations serve the nation.”

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

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Jan. 12, 2023, Fairfax, Va.–Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a veto-proof bill to ban all sales of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China:

“The House of Representatives voted by a 331-97 margin for HR 22 to ban all sales of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China.

“HR 22 by Representative Cathy McMorris-Rogers (R-WA) simply states, ‘This bill prohibits the sale and export of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to China. Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of Energy (DOE) from selling petroleum products (e.g., crude oil) from the SPR to any entity that is under the ownership, control, or influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Further, DOE must require as a condition of any sale of crude oil from the SPR that the oil not be exported to China.’”

“Incredibly, the Biden administration has been allowing Chinese Communist Party controlled companies to purchase the United States’ oil reserves that are designed for our nation’s national defense needs.  After the Biden team allowed the sale of SPR crude to a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s state owned oil company last year among other Chinese government purchasers, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has made it a priority to stop Biden from draining the tank and propping up China’s economy.

“It is truly sad that this legislation had to be passed by the House to prevent selling our oil to the Chinese government, but the broad bi-partisan support will hopefully carryover to Senate passage with a veto proof majority.  Americans for Limited Government praises this first step in holding the Chinese communist government accountable for their abuses of freedom both at home and around the world.”

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

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Speaker McCarthy’s first big test

Jan. 9, 2023, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement:

“This is Kevin McCarthy’s first real test as Speaker. McCarthy was elected Speaker based on the agreement he made with his conference for the rules governing the House. In many ways, these rules merely roll back changes by Nancy Pelosi that made the House autocratic and undemocratic. A simple example is the increased ability for members to offer amendments on the House floor, separate from leadership approval.

“Failure for any House GOP member to vote for Speaker McCarthy’s rules would undermine his capacity to perform his duties as Speaker of the House, and effectively disenfranchise 54 million Americans who voted for a Republicans. Americans for Limited Government strongly urges every member of the House Republican conference to vote in favor of the McCarthy-negotiated House rules package. Failure to vote for the McCarthy rules package would destroy McCarthy’s ability lead in the future—and he knows it.”

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

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Jan. 6, 2023, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising landmark agreement in the House Speaker election that fights fiscal insanity and constitutional abuses:

“The House rules agreed to by Kevin McCarthy will empower conservatives in the House to fight for limited government principles and fiscal sanity. The agreement to put a ‘Church-like Committee’ in the Judiciary Committee under Jim Jordan will help unravel the abuse of power by federal government intelligence agencies giving hope that these rabid dogs will be caged and shackled for a generation.  America stands at a precipice where our spending threatens our economic future and the wholesale attacks on the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments by the FBI and others threaten our personal liberties.

“Our nation owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Representatives Chip Roy, Paul Gosar, Scott Perry, Byron Donalds, Josh Brecheen, Michael Cloud, Andrew Clyde, Anna Paulina Luna, Mary Miller, Ralph Norman, Andy Ogles, Dan Bishop, Andy Harris and Keith Self for fighting to end autocratic rule in the House of Representatives.

“I urge Representatives Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Eli Crane, Matt Rosendale, Bob Good and Matt Gaetz to find a way forward to allow these hard fought wins to go into effect. The courage of all twenty of those who stood firm on the principle of restoring the House to its place as the People’s House and not just a rubber stamp for whatever the Senate decides is awe inspiring. It’s time to declare victory and begin the fight for liberty against those would cede it to the administrative state.”

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

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Dec. 21, 2022, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reacting to Senate Republicans voting for the motion to proceed with the massive Omnibus spending package:

“Senate Republicans have one tool in their toolchest to stop the shambles that President Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are making of our country – the legislation appropriating spending for the upcoming year.  With the GOP taking control of the House of Representatives in 2023, precedent and common sense would have dictated allowing their fellow House Republicans to write an underlying spending bill with the power to use it to address immigration, criminal justice, education, foreign policy, health care and overall spending to be passed in the first quarter of 2023.

“But no, Senators Murkowski (R-AK), Shelby (R-AL) Tuberville (R-AL), Boozman (R-AR), Cotton (R-AR), Rubio (R-FL), Grassley (R-IA); Young (R-IN), Moran (R-KS), McConnell (R-KY), Collins (R-ME), Blunt (R-MO), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Wicker (R-MS), Portman (R-OH), Graham (R-SC), Rounds (R-SD), Thune (R-SD), Cornyn (R-TX), Romney (R-UT), Capito (R-WV), all saw fit to take the power of the purse out of the hands of the newly elected GOP House and the voters who empowered them, and rubber stamped Biden’s agenda.

“Maybe the Omnibus that they voted to move forward with is the best that can be done given Democrat control of the Senate and Executive branch, but voting to allow it to become law is the equivalent of waving the white flag.

“Seeing what the McConnell-led Senate Republicans have chosen to do in the lame duck confirms the reason why conservative voters did not swarm the polls to give them power in 2023. If the GOP Senate won’t even stand up against the Biden regulatory and spending agenda, then when will they?”

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

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Dec. 20, 2022, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to U.S. Representative Dan Bishop (R-NC) tweet today that the omnibus spending bill which would fund federal government appropriations through September 30, 2023, “expressly prohibits CBP funding from being used to improve border security”:

“Any member of the U.S. House or Senate who votes for funding legislation which mandates to the Border Patrol that ‘none of the funds provided in subsection (a)(1) shall be used to acquire, maintain, or extend border security technology and capabilities, except for technology and capabilities to improve Border Patrol processing’ should be removed from office for dereliction of duty.  One of the few Constitutional jobs of the federal government is to secure our nation’s borders, and this current administration has made a mockery of that duty.  It is Congress’ job to demand through the funding bills that the law be upheld, and this provision is an outright surrender of our borders for another ten months.

“More than five million people have come across our border illegally since Joe Biden became president.  This is not a coincidence or a failure of policy, it is the plan.  Voting for the omnibus is a clear rubber stamp to this policy.  To those who claim that the alternative is shutting down the government, the obvious answer is that there is no harm in waiting until next year so that the new House Republican majority has an opportunity to review this provision. Besides, on the border, our government is already virtually shut down as our border patrol officers have been turned into little more than turnstile operators unable to protect our country from foreign invaders due to policies set by the Biden administration and rubber stamped by both political parties in D.C.

“Republicans and honest Democrats must reject the proposed Omnibus and pass a three month Continuing Resolution in its stead.”

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

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Dec. 16, 2022, Fairfax, Va.–Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the latest unemployment claims numbers published by the Department of Labor:

“Buried in yesterday’s weekly U.S. Labor Department report on how many people are on unemployment insurance in America a disturbing fact was revealed – in one week at the end of November, the number of people who were collecting unemployment benefits jumped by more than 300,000. An almost 24 percent increase from the previous week.

“While the number of people on unemployment insurance remains low overall, the most telling sign of a weakening economy is the inability of people who want a job to get one.  People on unemployment insurance are not job hoppers who are typically ineligible as they left their job voluntarily, the massive gain shown in yesterday’s report is among those who are actively looking for a job and simply cannot find one.  One week data cannot be considered a trend, but if the continued weekly claims continue to escalate in the weeks ahead, it would be a sure sign of a rapidly weakening jobs economy.”

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

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Dec. 8, 2022, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to the Russian release of Brittney Griner:

“The Biden administration showed the world what privilege really looks like when they agreed to exchange a WNBA basketball player for a Russian arms dealer known as the Merchant of Death.

“Every American knows that if you, your son or daughter were caught carrying drugs in Russia, tried, convicted and sentenced, you would be doing everything you could to survive the next decade in a Russian gulag. LeBron James would not be advocating for you, sportswriters like the  insufferable Bill Plaschke would not be writing columns on your behalf, various interest groups wouldn’t mobilize on your behalf, and needless to say, the president would have no idea who you were.

“But Brittney Griner is a professional athlete. An athlete who a vast majority of Americans had no idea who she was until she decided to go through Russian security with a vaping pen and hashish oil, which is a serious crime in Russia. Griner was not kidnapped, she was arrested, caught dead to rights. No allegations have been made that she was not guilty, or that her confession was coerced. Yet, she, unlike you, is worth the release of someone who was responsible for thousands, if not tens of thousands of black deaths in Africa due to his trade.

“As you are fed the celebration of Griner’s release today, just remember the cost of that release. The message has been sent about what the Biden administration values. As for me, I am glad that I am not a high-profile US athlete travelling the world, after all, if you can get the Merchant of Death for Griner imagine what any run of the mill kidnapper can get out of the US government for a celebrity someone the American public actually knows.”

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

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Nov. 29, 2022, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on Senate passage of H.R. 8404:

“Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema did not have the votes to pass the disinformation bill called the Respect for Marriage Act before the election, so she agreed to delay a final vote on the bill until after election day in a lame duck session.  Lame duck sessions occur in the most dangerous time of the legislative calendar – when Members of Congress have already faced the voters and many have been defeated or have retired from office.  Meaning, it is the one time when they are not beholden to those who voted them into office.  Who are they beholden to?  A crass observer would speculate that it would be their next employer.  In the case of the same sex marriage bill, so many of the major corporations in America have woke environment, social and governance (ESG) policies that coveted Board and C-Suite positions depend upon bowing to that ideology.

“It was a good political tactic for Sinema to urge the vote be pushed back past the election, but it is a terrible indictment of those Senators who wouldn’t vote for the bill before the election, but would afterward.  The twelve GOP Senators who voted for cloture are (asterisk denotes lame duck status).  NOTE:  there is no public record of how these Senators would have voted before election day, but linked reporting at the time explains why the bill was delayed until after November 8):

Susan Collins of Maine

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (re-elected due to deal cut with Alaska Democrats)

*Rob Portman of Ohio

Mitt Romney of Utah

Thom Tillis of North Carolina

*Roy Blunt of Missouri

Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming

*Richard Burr of North Carolina

Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia

Dan Sullivan of Alaska

Joni Ernst of Iowa

Todd Young of Indiana

“Is there any wonder why cultural conservatives feel no urgent need to vote for Republican leadership?  Remember this vote on December 5, as Democrat incumbent Warnock was able to not vote to bring this controversial issue to the floor less than a week before his run-off election because the Senate GOP couldn’t even muster a strategy where they only provided ten votes forcing Reverend Warnock to return to DC and cast a vote that many of his followers would have found to be abhorrent to the Biblical values they hold and adhere to.

“In the end, this bill is a catastrophe for religious liberty and will be tested in federal court, but it also shows a complete failure of GOP leadership in the Senate, which couldn’t even muster enough gumption to force Warnock, who they claim to oppose to cast a very bad political vote right before his election day.”

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

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Nov. 18, 2022, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to appoint another special counsel to investigate Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump:

“Another Special Counsel?  That’s what Biden’s Justice Department announced today as they struggle with the idea that former President Trump did not do anything wrong related to declassifying documents and the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol Building. Apparently, the orders came down that MSNBC needs a ratings boost, and there is nothing their gullible viewers like more than some good old fashioned Trump Derangement Syndrome programming. Republicans in Congress should treat this latest chapter in the deliberate destruction of the Justice Department’s credibility with the contempt it deserves. Unfortunately, defunding the Special Counsel would be vetoed by President Biden, who benefits from his Justice Department’s unique disinterest in evidence that he has been the financial beneficiary of money from Ukraine and China.

“It is important that people treat the latest attempt at political manipulation by the formerly esteemed U.S. Department of Justice for what it is – theater – and nothing else.

“By the way on the classified documents issue that the Justice Department can’t figure out.  The President, any President, has the authority to declassify documents.  He doesn’t have to get permission from anyone, especially not those who derive their constitutional power and authority from the President as laid out in the Constitution’s Article II.  So President Trump did not need permission by those who spent five years trying to sink his presidency to declassify documents, he was elected, they were not.

“And when it comes to January 6th, Nancy Pelosi’s embarrassing made for tv January 6^th show came up with nothing, except vitriol and programming for those who have come to the end of the Internet.  Now, somehow this Special Counsel is going to rehash all the ground that they have tread in the hopes that someone who testified or gave a deposition under oath forgets to dot an “I” when speaking to the Counsel can be charged with lying or other process crimes.  So, here we go again, another round in the annual game of Get Trump as the Democrat Charlie Browns try once again to kick the Trump football hoping that it won’t be pulled away at the last minute.

“It’s too bad they can’t get over their obsession by talking to someone laying on a couch like normal people but alas no.  Instead, they will spend millions more in taxpayer dollars in their desperate attempt to get their personal white whale.  And like author Herman Melville’s obsessed and ill-fated Captain Ahab, eventually the whale wins.”

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

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