June 22, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement questioning whether or not our president will comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on Obamacare:

“Obama’s radical implementation of the DREAM Act, granting legal status to perhaps one million illegal immigrants, without any vote in Congress is just the latest in a long line of usurpations.  Whether one agrees with the DREAM Act or not, we should all agree that no president is above the law.

“Obama is governing by his will alone and it raises a question over whether he will abide by the Supreme Court’s imminent ruling on Obamacare should it be struck down.  If he believes he can make law without Congress, why wouldn’t he also believe he can act in direct contravention of a Supreme Court decision?  Will he comply?

We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis, and how far out of control it gets appears to be up to Obama.  We the people must bind him to the Constitution and the rule of law, or else constitutional processes must be used to bring him in line.  He is out of control.”

Attachments:

“Obama the Usurper” by Bill Wilson, Feb. 10, 2012

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 21, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement on the elevation of Rebecca Blank to acting secretary of the Commerce Department:

“The Obama Commerce Department is a case study of why it is so important to fight bad nominees at the secondary level. Had Obama gotten his way, the Acting Secretary would now be Terry Garcia — someone so radical Green he makes Van Jones look like the CEO of Dow Chemical. He was so bad he couldn’t even get a vote.

“Now, with John Bryson resigning under very unusual circumstances, who replaces him? Rebecca Blank. The best Obama could come up with to head the Commerce Department is someone who does not even believe in the private sector.

“All of this is just an admission of why the Department should just be abolished, and its pieces scattered into wind. But more so it is a warning to Senate Republicans to closely scrutinize every single nominee and block as necessary, especially these deputies, who you never know when they’re going to be elevated.”

Attachments:

ALG Nominee Alert, Rebecca Blank, Dec. 2011, at http://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Rebecca-Blank-NomineeAlert.pdf

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 21, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement on the sorry state of the U.S. economy:

“Obama’s recession is undeniable. With U.S. manufacturing contracting for the second straight month, Chinese manufacturing also declining, home sales down, home prices still in the toilet, unemployment still way too high, job growth slipping, retail and factory orders down, and Europe melting into a puddle of bad debt, the signs are unmistakable. The U.S. economy, indeed the global economy, is severely slowing down.

“Despite $3.4 trillion of fiscal and monetary stimulus since Obama took office, we are in our sorry state. No matter how much the Fed twists and turns, no matter how many trillion dollar deficits Congress runs, the classic Keynesian and monetarist prescriptions have failed to restore the robust, sustainable economic growth that is needed to get America back to work. Obama and Bernanke are powerless to stop this contraction, and have been relegated to no more than passive observers of our decline.

“The trouble we face in the Obama economy is that the debt overhang, both public and private, is diverting resources away from expanding the private sector.  We cannot even honestly service our existing debt without a printing press. Because Obama never correctly identified debt as the problem, and instead resorted to gross expansion of debt and quantitative easing to cure the economy, he has only made things much, much worse.

“A slowdown caused by too much debt is now imminent. It is upon us. The only question is if the nation will find a way to pare down and retire those public and private debts with honest repayment, instead of the de facto default of inflation. Already, papering over the debt is not working, and is only further diluting regular Americans’ ability to repay their own debts by causing prices to rise and expendable income to shrink. Make no mistake, true repayment will be a painful process, but the sooner it begins the better.

“But that is only part of the solution. Restoring sound money and balancing the budget is the key, but to lessen the pain involved, it must also be accompanied by supply-side tax policies, a dismantling of the worst regulatory environment in the world, and freeing up and incentivizing private capital formation here in the U.S. Only then can the long path to recovery and national healing begin. It is time for new leadership on the economy. Obama has failed miserably.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 21, 2012, Fairfax, VA–Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement praising the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in Knox v. SEIU, which determined that a state cannot require its employees to pay a special union fee that will be spent for political purposes without first giving the employees information about the fee and a chance to object to it:

“It is simply an unconscionable violation of public employee worker rights for any state to compel their civil servants to pay special political fees into a union, so that union can pump that money into the pockets of politicians.  The Supreme Court got it 100 percent correct when they protected workers from this abuse.

“As the individual decisions of thousands of public employee union members have proven in Wisconsin who have stopped making union dues payments after they ceased to be compelled to do so, unions depend upon the state forcing people to join and pay dues.  When individual workers get to choose, they abandon the union and their big government agenda in droves.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 20, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned 5 Republican Senators for guaranteeing implementation of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation on coal emissions by voting against a resolution by Sen. James Inhofe that would have rescinded it:

“This is a tragic defeat. Enough Democrats voted with the Republicans to defeat the EPA’s crippling regulation against the coal industry, but then five GOP senators led by Lamar Alexander provided the margin of victory for the radical environmentalists. If all five had voted with their party, this regulation would have been defeated. Therefore, it is these five Republicans: Alexander, Ayotte, Brown, Collins, and Snowe who are responsible for the higher energy costs that will result from implementation of the EPA’s irresponsible war on coal.

“These five senators have undercut the message of job creation and growth being advanced by the Republican Party and its nominees this year.

“The EPA’s mercury emission regulations will require power plants be retrofitted with new technologies that cost billions of dollars to implement. Rather than going through that trouble, however, older coal-fired plants are simply being shut down, leading to a drop in demand, which then hurts miners who depend on coal for their livelihoods. These five senators now deserve the blame.”

5 Republican Senators who voted against Inhofe resolution: Lamar Alexander (TN), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Scott Brown (MA), Olympia Snowe (ME), and Susan Collins (ME)

Attachments:

ALG calls on Sen. Alexander to drop coal-killing bill, June 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/alg-calls-on-sen-alexander-to-drop-coal-killing-bill/

Letter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, June 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Letter-Alexander-Coal-6-18-12.pdf

Inhofe resolution overturning EPA regulation against coal mercury emissions vote imminent, June 15, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/inhofe-resolution-overturning-epa-regulation-against-coal-mercury-emissions-vote-imminent/

“The Myth of Killer Mercury,” By Willie Soon and Paul Driesson, Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2011 at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703421204576329420414284558.html

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 20, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement urging the House Financial Services Committee chaired by Rep. Spencer Bachus to send HR 2313, a bill by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, which would rescind what remains of a $108 billion expansion of credit to the International Monetary fund that has been used to bail out Greece:

“Now that the pro-bailout parties have cobbled together a shaky government in Greece, it is certain that U.S. taxpayers will continue to prop up European banks that bet poorly on the sovereign debt of not just Greece, but also Portugal and Ireland, and soon Spain. Already, U.S. lending to the IMF has topped $32.7 billion, with bailouts in Europe accounting for most of that at over $24 billion. What a waste.

“Yet House Republicans since taking the majority have not attempted to rescind the additional $108 billion of funding to the IMF that was approved by the Pelosi-Reid Congress in 2009. Their silence on this issue guarantees tens of billions of tax dollars will continue to be wasted to bail out reckless European, socialist governments and the banks that lent them the money to begin with.

“HR 2313 should be sent to the floor immediately for an up or down vote, and then sent to the Senate, before any more money is poured into the pit of European socialism.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 18, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander to drop a bill that would delay implementation of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation on coal emissions.

“By opposing Sen. James Inhofe in his effort to block the costliest Environmental Protection Agency mandate ever proposed (the Utility MACT rule) — you are acting as nothing more than a pawn in Obama’s ‘War on Coal,’” Wilson wrote in his letter to Alexander.

Alexander is offering legislation instead that would merely delay implementation of the rule regarding mercury emissions, which Wilson accused him of “attempting to provide cover to other Obama foot soldiers”.

Sen. Inhofe has described the Alexander effort as a “cover bill” that still “kills coal but just puts it off for six years.”

The EPA’s mercury emission regulations require power plants be retrofitted with new technologies that cost billions of dollars to implement. Rather than going through that trouble, many older coal-fired plants are simply shutting down leading to a drop in demand, which is costing coal mining jobs.

Wilson wrote that the regulation could cost as much as $108 billion to implement, could lead to a shutdown of 20 percent of the nation’s coal capacity, and potentially kill 1.6 million jobs, citing congressional committee estimates.

“You have frequently invoked the legacy of Ronald Reagan over the course of your political career, referring to yourself as an ‘activist conservative’ who believes in growth and prosperity through limited government,” Wilson wrote, concluding, “Your support for this economically crippling regulation stands in stark contrast to that legacy and those stated beliefs — which is why I hereby call upon you to join your Republican colleagues (and Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Ben Nelson) in supporting Senator Inhofe’s legislation.”

A Senate vote is expected Wednesday, June 20, on the Inhofe measure.

Attachments:

Letter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, June 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Letter-Alexander-Coal-6-18-12.pdf

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 15, 2012, Fairfax, VA–Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement urging Senate adoption next week of S.J. Res. 37 that would overturn an Environmental Protection Agency regulation that would require coal-fired power plants to significantly reduce mercury emissions:

“The EPA’s mercury emission regulations require power plants be retrofitted with new technologies that cost billions of dollars to implement. Rather than going through that trouble, however, all the regulation is accomplishing is older coal-fired plants are being shut down, leading to a drop in demand, which then hurts miners who depend on coal for their livelihoods.

“The worst part is this regulation is completely unnecessary. Mercury is a natural part of the Earth’s environment. Thousands of tons of mercury are emitted annually through natural forces like volcanoes, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, geysers, and forest fires.

“The EPA is not regulating natural mercury emissions, because it cannot, but it is focused on the relatively low amount of mercury that is emitted by coal-fired plants in the U.S.  Meanwhile, its rules prevent more than 99 percent of mercury from being emitted into the environment. This may be one of the costliest and yet least effective regulations ever.

“Every single senator who wants to stand with the miners, and with the American people who need power for their homes, should vote to rescind this tyrannical imposition by the EPA. Senator Inhofe is to be commended for his efforts to rein in this out-of-control agency.”

Attachments:

“The Myth of Killer Mercury,” By Willie Soon and Paul Driesson, Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2011 at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703421204576329420414284558.html

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson

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June 15, 2012, Fairfax, VA--Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement praising Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his long service in defense of First Amendment freedoms:

“It’s kind of sad when in America we have to praise somebody for supporting the freedom of speech. But today, with the relentless assault by all levels of government attempting to curtail political speech, Senator McConnell’s remarks today must be recognized.

“Senator McConnell’s eloquent defense of our first freedom—the right of everyone to speak their minds regardless of content—is appreciated, and we call on all elected officials to heed his call to protect the very fabric of our Republic by preserving that freedom. Thank you, Senator McConnell, on behalf of the American people whose rights you are defending.”

Attachments:

To listen to McConnell’s speech: http://www.cc.org/capitolhillupdates/growing_threats_our_first_amendment_rights_address_senate_republican_leader_mitch

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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June 14, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement reacting to a leaked version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam:

“These new trade agreements will place domestic U.S. firms that do not do business overseas at a competitive disadvantage.  Based on these leaked documents, foreign firms under this trade pact could conceivably appeal federal regulatory and court rulings against them to an international tribunal with the apparent authority to overrule our sovereignty. If foreign companies want to do business in America, they should have to follow the same rules as everyone else. No special favors.

“It is telling that the only apparent way these Pacific nations will enter a free trade agreement with the U.S. is if they are exempt from our onerous environmental and financial regulations that make it cost-ineffective to do business here. Instead of making these foreign firms exempt from these burdensome rules, they should just repeal the regulations and make it cheaper to do business here.

“This poses an even wider problem, though. Obama is negotiating a trade pact that would constitute a judicial authority higher than even the U.S. Supreme Court that could overrule federal court rulings applying U.S. law to foreign companies. That is unconstitutional. The U.S. cannot be allowed to enter a treaty that would abrogate our Constitution.

“This tribunal needs to be removed from this agreement, and no foreign company doing business on our soil should have a competitive advantage, created by some a dumb agreement, over American companies. What is Obama thinking? He is placing international organizations above the interests of our own country.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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