June 12, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Senate to confirm the long-delayed nomination of Diana Furchtgott-Roth to be the next Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology:

“It is beyond absurd that a Presidential appointee should have to wait almost three years to be confirmed or not by the U.S. Senate. Yet that is the case with the brilliant economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth as she waits for the Senate to act on her nomination to become the Assistant Secretary for Research and Development at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Make no mistake that this position is critical as decisions are regularly made about the shape of our nation’s transportation future in the rapidly approaching 5G world, and somehow the Senate has failed to move forward with her nomination.

“Ms. Furchtgott-Roth served under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush and George W. Bush in important roles, and currently serves at the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology.  She is a respected thinker in conservative circles having recently served as a senior fellow and director of Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute. In the George W. Bush administration, she has been the Chief Economist for the Department of Labor under then Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who heads the Transportation Department under President Trump.  On a personal note, while my stint at the Labor Department came after Ms. Furchtgott-Roth had left, I did get the opportunity to serve with her on the Trump transition team, and she is one of this nation’s truly bright lights.

“Being nominated to an Assistant Secretary position is an honor, but when the confirmation process becomes a three year, never ending ordeal, even the most ardent publicly minded servant like Furchgott-Roth have to begin to lose patience.  It is time for the Senate to confirm Diana Furchgott-Roth and let her assume the full responsibilities in advising Secretary Chao on the infrastructure issues that will dominate the next twenty years.  In fact failure to confirm this superbly qualified woman would be a dereliction of the duties of the Senate.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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June 8, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to calls to defund police departments nationwide:

“Everyone agrees that police brutality is wrong.  It is in fact every bit as much of an assault on the rule of law as attacking our public institutions with Molotov Cocktails. But those screaming for police accountability are missing the real problem. It is that bad cops are shielded by public employee unions like they were bureaucrats caught stealing paper clips.

“To get police accountability, you need to break the stranglehold that police unions and the public employee contracts they negotiate have over local governments. With all the focus on the death of George Floyd, most people have no idea that the reason it took the Minneapolis City government two days to react was because the union contract stipulates a two-day cooling off period before anything can be done about a police related death.

“In that two days, many thought that they had to take to the streets to bring attention to the case, when in fact, the video had been around the world three times before the first protester hit the streets. If the Mayor of Minneapolis and the Governor of Minnesota had reacted immediately, explaining that the union contract requires time for the dust to settle in order for actions to be taken, it might have taken some of the oxygen out of the violent protests.

“What’s more, Americans would be demanding that their local governments review their local contracts to ensure that bad cops weren’t protected by bad public employee union contracts.  If you want police accountability, that is what needs to happen, we need the unions to quit protecting the few bad apples whose actions are causing cities like Minneapolis to consider the insane act of defunding their entire police departments.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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June 5, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to end D.C. home rule:

“The news that Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser forced the eviction of Utah National Guard personnel who flew in to defend the city from rioters today is beyond belief.  These young men and women came to our nation’s capital to protect our federal government resources from Antifa bands determined to wreak destruction.  In her action, Muriel Bowser proved that not only is she unsuited to be Mayor of the federal city, but the entire concept of DC home rule is reckless and no longer relevant.

“Washington, D.C. is a federal district.  The federal government has primacy over its control and in national security issues has absolute supremacy over the District.  While D.C. often complains about not being treated as a state, they consistently prove that they are not even a good city.  It is time for Congress to reconsider D.C.’s home rule, because if the local government actively obstructs the defense of the District, then they have lost their right to govern.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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June 5, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the National Parks Service for reopening America’s parks:

“Just in time for summer, America’s National Parks re-open so we can enjoy our nation’s great national treasures with a new appreciation.  This is the fantastic news from the U.S. Department of Interior which has recently announced the re-opening of national parks ranging from Kings Canyon National Park and Sequioa National Park to Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, Antietam National Battlefield and Dinali National Park in Alaska.

“After being cooped up in our homes social distancing, Americans can now go out to the beauty that is our great country and re-discover America.  Secretary David Bernhardt and his entire team at Interior are re-opening the great outdoors just in time for each of us to enjoy some much needed fresh air, sunshine and exercise.

“Just as America is reopening, there is no better way to celebrate than to use this time to check out a national park or battlefield near you.  We have a great country, and with all that is going on, it is time to enjoy it.  Thank you, Secretary Bernhardt, for moving fast to safely and wisely re-open some of our nation’s most precious resources for the public.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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June 5, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the latest jobs numbers:

“Today’s employment numbers confirm that we’ve turned the corner on the Chinese originated virus economic disaster. More people are working, more people are in the workforce, and America is reopening. This is great news for the millions of Americans who fear that they may not have a job to return to. It is also a confirmation of President Trump’s emphasis on supporting small and mid-sized businesses that were either shut down or damaged as a result of the Covid-19 response. In two weeks, we will see the impact on a state-by-state basis of reopening economies and we’ll be able to compare Covid-19 case numbers over the last month and a half with state reopening data and employment results. It is easy to predict that those states which have been more aggressive in reopening while maintaining basic safety standards will show maximum growth with very little disease impact.”

“It is time to www.ReopenAmericaNow.org, and truly kick our economy back into high gear.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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June 3, 2020, Fairfax, Va.–Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s statement that he “would not” have signed the FISA renewal warrants against Carter Page had he known that Christopher Steele’s source for his dossier had contradicted Steele’s false allegations of a Trump-Russia conspiracy:

“Rod Rosenstein’s bombshell admission that he was wrong in signing the FISA renewals on Carter Page, based on the Horowitz report findings of misconduct and deception and withheld information is incredible. If Rosenstein is telling the truth that the origins of the Steele dossier and its veracity were withheld from him by the FBI, as the acting Attorney General responsible for the investigation, and due to that he signed the FISA warrant under false pretenses, this would provide one more example of the top leadership at the FBI engaging in a wholesale of coverup of exculpatory information in order to overturn the results of the 2016 election.

“Rosenstein’s testimony puts former FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former Agent Peter Strzok squarely in the legal hot seat. This must never happen again and Congress is duty bound to ensure that any FISA reform meets that standard.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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May 28, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting they hypocrisy of a report on dark money released by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.):

“Senators Schumer, Whitehouse and Stabenow sounds like a slip and fall trial lawyer firm straight from the pages of a John Grisham novel, but not even the slimiest lawyer from those pages could match the hypocrisy of this trio of Democrats U.S. Senators.The ultimate obfuscating Three Musketeers of Senate Democrat dark money just released an unintentionally ironic ‘report’ on the dangers of dark money. Of these Chuck Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse better avoid ultraviolet light which would show dark money drenching their finely tailored suits like blood stains in a crime drama.

“Schumer is notorious for his dark money ties to groups like Majority Forward which was the biggest dark money spender in the 2018 election cycle and is gearing up in their attempt to elect the shifty New Yorker to the Senate Majority slot in 2020. But this association is not new, in 2015, Schumer affiliated Senate Majority PAC received a cool $1.7 million for shared staff, office space and other things. Shared staff and office space means that Schumer’s dark money complaints have all the credibility of Inspector Renault’s proclamation in Casablanca that he was ‘shocked, shocked’ to see gambling going on in Rick’s Place, even as his winnings are handed to him.

“Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is almost as shifty, but his overall unctuousness gives him a special place in the hypocrite Hall of Fame.  Whitehouse actually credited dark money for helping him raise so much cash in 2018.  Whitehouse even went so far as to say that, ‘he hoped’ dark money groups would give to his 2018 re-election campaign.

“While Debbie Stabenow’s appearance with the dynamic duo of dark money is interesting, the fact is that her appearance with the power craving Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Senator Whitehouse splatters her with the fake protestations of those she chooses to associate with.

“The world doesn’t need Chuck Schumer lecturing it about dark money out of one corner of his mouth while directing dark money operations out of the other. The fact that Schumer and Whitehouse believe that they can play this ugly D.C. political game without being laughed out of the room by the media, is a commentary on both their and the media’s cynicism.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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May 28, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Russ Vought as the next Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget:

“Russ Vought is the right man for the job of Director of the Office of Management and Budget, having already ably served as deputy and acting director of OMB during Mick Mulvaney’s tenures at the Consumer Finance Protection Board and White House Chief of Staff. With unprecedented levels of emergency spending to deal with the pandemic-caused recession, U.S. taxpayers need a smart steward of their tax dollars to carefully protect all of the additional spending from waste and fraud. In addition, Vought has already carefully managed OMB’s other duty of reviewing regulations to ensure compliance with federal law and administration policy. There is no one more qualified to meet our nation’s fiscal and regulatory challenges than Russ Vought.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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May 26, 2020, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to a Politico story with a former Obama official saying “This is my big worry… It’s high — high, high, high, high” that the economy will begin a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 depression before the election in November:

“If there was ever any doubt why Americans should reject the tyrannical socialist party from ever holding power again, it is revealed in a Politico story chronicling how Democrats and those close to Obama are worried that America will recover too rapidly from the government induced depression. Incredibly, Team Obama are actually rooting against more than 30 million Americans finding a job and restarting their lives and being able to chase their dreams as the shutdowns end around the country.  Team Obama actively is celebrating empty store fronts, corporate bankruptcies and the harm done to our nation’s tourism industry and all those who work at hotels, rental car agencies, airlines, taxis, and entertainment facilities.  And Team Obama fears that America will get back to work, because it might help President Trump’s re-election bid.

“It is beyond disgusting that the quest for power so overrides every consideration that the left would rather have tens of millions of Americans unemployed and dependent upon the largesse they hand out, than to see the economy rebound from this unprecedented Chinese-originated virus driven unemployment catastrophe. Words suitable for print are not available to convey how any right thinking American must feel when confronted by the reality that the dreams of 30 million people are seen as little more than a necessary price to pay in order to gain power and push their big government agenda.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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