June 20, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government vice president of public policy and communications Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the failure of the $939 billion so-called farm bill in the House of Representatives that had included about $750 billion for food stamps alone:

“The failure of the farm bill is a boon to taxpayers, who were going to be on the hook for $750 billion for food stamps over the next decade. Increases in eligibility for the food stamps program in recent years has, combined with the current recession and high unemployment, led to an explosion of program participation. Now, more than 47 million Americans are on food stamps, yet the program has zero transparency, with neither taxpayers nor Congress having any idea what food stamps are even spent on.

“This should be a signal to Congress to at least separate the so-called farm bill in two. Farm subsidies and food stamps should each be considered on their merits. Both programs are in need of considerable reform.  It is time for Congress to begin considering what is in the best interests of taxpayers instead of constantly doling out corporate subsidies and expanding welfare without question.

“Americans for Limited Government thanks the 62 House Republicans who stood on principle against this wasteful legislation.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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June 17, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement in response to a call from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Christine Lagarde for Congress to “repeal the sequester” because she says “the effect of the sequester and deficit reduction more generally are already affecting the economy… [by] shav[ing] 1.25 to 1.75 percentage points of growth”:

“Lagarde’s complaint that spending cuts lower GDP is simultaneously accurate and misleading, as government spending is proportionately included in the measure of the GDP. This is a bias of the first order in favor of government spending, because when government grows faster than the private sector, it appears to boost GDP and when spending is reduced, GDP appears to slow down. This is an illusion.

“The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports real growth annualized in the first quarter was 2.4 percent, but if government spending is excluded from the measure, the private sector grew by more like 4 percent. By that measure, the private sector is doing just fine even with sequestration.

“Moreover, it is only because of sequestration that S&P has been able to upgrade its outlook on the $16.7 trillion U.S. national debt from negative to stable. It is particularly insulting to taxpayers for the IMF to demand the sequester be repealed at the same time the Obama Administration has also asked for a $65 billion increase in the U.S. quota to the IMF. If anything, this is just one more reason the U.S. should defund the IMF in full.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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June 7, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement on the latest job numbers:

“It is surprising that the number of people reporting they have been unemployed for five weeks or fewer jumped dramatically in May exceeding the level of one year ago.  Recent Labor Department weekly unemployment filings created the expectation that the number of recently unemployed should have stayed stable, consistent with an economy that seems to be treading water.  The jump in recently unemployed combined with the just released report showing significant decline in the manufacturing sector is just another indication that the five year old promise of economic recovery remains elusive.

“Today’s report just reconfirms the idea that the government cannot spend its way out of this economic malaise, and the only path to prosperity lies with ending the Obama Administration’s regulatory assault on the private sector job creators.”

To view online:

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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June 4, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement calling attention to a 2009 National Treasury Employees Union contract agreement that forbade political coercion at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and stated “Employees should be protected against arbitrary action, personal favoritism, or coercion for partisan political purposes; and prohibited from using their official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election or a nomination for election”:

“Obama’s IRS in Washington, D.C., by directing the political targeting by the agency against the tea party and other groups, may have compelled employees to violate their own contractual agreement. In part this is ironic, but it also perhaps explains why some Cincinnati employees had such strong misgivings about the targeting, as revealed recently in sworn testimony.

“This testimony and the agreement are a testament to the scrupulous standards that the American people expect from public employees, particularly from those enforcing the taxing power. Never again should such abuses be allowed to occur, and we urge more employees to come forward to ensure those who are directly responsible for the targeting are held to account.

“Moreover, since officials in the Obama Administration knew about the targeting long before it became public, a special counsel must be appointed to ensure that those who violated the public trust by engaging in political targeting are brought to justice.”

Attachments:

2009 National Treasury Employees Union contract agreement at http://www.nteu92.org/NA2.pdf

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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May 30, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement condemning Arizona Governor Jan Brewer for vetoing legislation protecting religious freedoms in lieu of the Arizona House voting to expand Medicaid under the new health care law:

“Governor Brewer’s complicity in implementing Obamacare will not be forgotten. She is holding back legislation that passed overwhelmingly protecting religious freedoms to get her way on expanding Medicaid. To hold First Amendment rights hostage unless Obamacare is implemented is a betrayal to Arizonans who have consistently voted against politicians that support the health care law going into effect. Religious liberty is not a bargaining chip; it is the very foundation of the First Amendment.

“Medicaid expansion in Arizona will cost taxpayers across the country $2.1 billion through 2019 and add more than 100,000 to government health care rolls. Brewer joins other Republican governors in Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, and Michigan who have similarly opened the door to implementing Obamacare.

“If Republicans offer these types of ‘alternatives’ to voters — where both parties favor expanding government dependency — why should their base support them? Sadly, the Arizona Senate has failed in its duties to stop Obamacare, leaving it up to the Arizona House not to give in to this blackmail.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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May 15, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government Vice President for Public Policy and Communications Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting the White House for failing to nominate individuals to serve as six inspectors general for the Departments of Defense, Labor, State, Homeland Security, and Interior, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID):

“As today’s Treasury inspector general report on the IRS shows, having a Senate-confirmed inspector general is of critical importance to holding any administration accountable for malfeasance. Yet, the Obama Administration has chosen not to fill six critical positions that could protect the interests of the public against IRS-like intrusions.

“The only reason the IRS admitted targeting conservative groups with improper and intrusive scrutiny after 3 years is because they knew the inspector general report was due to be released. If not for the IG, this targeting would likely continue and be expanded without fear of exposure. Yet, Obama, who claims to run the most transparent administration in history, has deliberately shunned the responsibility of appointing these government watchdogs.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703) 383-0880 ext. 103 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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