Study shows cost of Green New Deal $70,000 per household in first year alone

July 30, 2019

July 30, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to a new study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute suggesting that implementation of the Green New Deal would cost each household $70,000 in the first year alone:

“The Green New Deal is a national suicide pact, and the latest report by the Competitive Enterprise Institute shows the immediate impact it would have on just five states where households would face $70,000 in increased costs in the first year alone.  The brainchild of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the leader of the Venezuelan wing of the Democratic Party, the Green New Deal is not about saving the environment, but instead is an attempt to destroy the only economic system in the history of the world which has lifted people out of poverty creating a middle class – capitalism. The truth is, the cost is more than we can bear. The true cost of the Green New Deal is the loss of freedom itself.

“If you don’t believe this, just consider what Ocasio-Cortez’ Chief of Staff Saikat Chakrabarti recently told Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s climate director, ‘The interesting thing about the Green New Deal, is it wasn’t originally a climate thing at all… Do you guys think of it as a climate thing?… Because we really think of it as a how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing.’

“But Ocasio-Cortez’ brain isn’t the only one who has admitted that climate change is a ruse designed to destroy capitalism, in 2015, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change clearly stated, ‘This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution.’

“The CEI report demonstrates what the destruction of capitalism entails – a $70,000 cost to every household in Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania in year one.  But the real cost, even more dangerous than the dollar signs which exceed the average household annual income in the United States, is the utter loss of freedom associated with the destruction of capitalism and the hope that it has produced for billions of people around the world.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With:

ALG urges Senate Judiciary Committee to revisit Holder Justice Department corruption

July 30, 2019

July 30, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to follow up on its investigation of alleged Justice Department corruption under former Attorney General Eric Holder during the Obama administration:

“More than seven years ago, the Department of Justice responded to a letter authored by then-Ranking Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley related to government corruption in the Virgin Islands with a denial of knowledge of any malfeasance.  Given the history of the DOJ between 2009 and 2017 of being less than forthcoming with information that would reflect badly on the Agency, Americans for Limited Government has filed a FOIA request asking for documents related to the underlying corruption case involving the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.

“The Senate Judiciary Committee should circle back with DOJ with a renewed effort to determine whether there was, as is alleged, a major corruption investigation over actions taken for a 10-year period which was undermined, as alleged, through the bribing of key U.S. DOJ prosecutors. Given the recent re-emergence of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the news, it is important to determine if DOJ prosecutors on the Island were compromised.”

Attachments:

Senator Chuck Grassley letter to the Justice Department, Feb. 10, 2012 at
https://www.scribd.com/doc/83019343/2012-02-10-CEG-to-DOJ-Virgin-Islands-Bribery

DOJ’s response to Senator Grassley, Feb. 24, 2012 at https://www.scribd.com/doc/83019345/2012-02-24-Response-to-Sen-Grassley

Americans for Limited Government FOIA Request, July 23, 2019 at https://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FOIA-Related-To-Public-Corruption-In-Holder-DOJ.pdf

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With:

California collusion with automakers on fuel standard would usurp federal constitutional authority

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reacting to the announcement by Ford, Volkswagen, BMW and Honda to accede to California’s usurpation of federal fuel standards authority:

“The announced agreement between four major automakers and the state of California to meet state-based fuel economy standards calls into question whether those four automakers are engaged in cartel like behavior that might fall under the nation’s antitrust laws. The Department of Justice is strongly encouraged to evaluate whether this agreement violates either antitrust laws or the interstate commerce clause. It is predictable that social justice warriors will use this agreement to pressure other automakers to surrender to California’s demands that are designed to usurp the federal government’s constitutional authority to regulate commerce. California already has incredible influence on the federal government given the Electoral College and the fact Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House are both from the Golden State. It is absurd that the Governor of California seems to believe that he can dictate rules to the other 49 states based sheerly on population. It’s time for the federal government to stand up to California’s tyranny by exploring every option under the law to overcome this obvious usurpation of federal authority.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases

ALG praises DOJ and FCC approval of Sprint-T-Mobile merger

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the decision of the Justice Department Antitrust Division and the Federal Communications Commission to approve the Sprint-T-Mobile merger:

“Today’s Justice Department announcement of its decision to approve the Sprint-T-Mobile merger followed closely by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s similar statement clears the way for increased competition in the 5G future. These dual announcements are a win for common sense and will help the United States compete in the fast-moving economy that we are entering. Americans for Limited Government often criticizes government as getting in the way of progress and innovation, today we praise both the DOJ and FCC for doing what’s right so that Americans can enjoy a strong economic future.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases

Time for DOJ to get to bottom of the origins of Trump-Russia conspiracy theory

July 25, 2019

July 25, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Justice Department to get to the bottom of the origins of the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory that became a three-years-long investigation:

“Former Special Robert Mueller’s startling admission that he failed to look at the origins of the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory opens the door for U.S. Attorney John Durham to conduct a complete and unfettered investigation into the whether the powers of intelligence agencies, State Department and the Justice Department were abused in an attempt to influence and negate the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. Words cannot describe how flabbergasted Americans should be that we have been dragged through three years of false political allegations and the person entrusted to get to the bottom of them proceeded with the assumption that people were guilty until proven innocent. Every prosecution resulting from the Mueller investigation should be evaluated by the President for potential pardon as they all resulted from fruit of a poison tree. Attorney General William Barr did the right thing in appointing U.S. Attorney Durham to get to the bottom of how we got into what is likely the biggest scandal in our intelligence services’ history. We await his and Inspector General Michael Horowitz’ forthcoming reports on these abuses.”

Attachments:

After Mueller testimony, there will be no Trump impeachment before Nov. 2020, July 25, 2019 at http://dailytorch.com/2019/07/after-mueller-testimony-there-will-be-no-trump-impeachment-before-nov-2020/

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases

PRO Act would force workers to join unions they oppose and destroy jobs

July 23, 2019

July 23, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to oppose the PRO Act:

“The PRO Act is a great illustration of just how radical and out-of-touch today’s Democrat Party is. The bill, which has 179 House Democrat cosponsors and 9 Senate Democrat cosponsors, would force millions of workers into unions they oppose and destroy jobs while lining the pockets of liberal fat cat donors. Just when some workers finally begin recovering from the Great Recession is no time to be killing jobs in the franchise industry and the gig economy.

“The significant additional employment costs imposed by this proposed change in law is designed to create unionization opportunities for House Democrat’s labor union financial benefactors, but it is dubious whether currently independent drivers would survive the transition as they became little more than scheduled cab drivers.

“The bill also institutes card check which effectively ends secret ballot union elections inviting a climate of workplace intimidation, mandates unfair snap elections, legalizes secondary boycotts, and brings back a rule that puts a significant regulatory burden on those who help employers legally communicate to employees during a labor dispute.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With:

Budget deal kicks the can down the road as spending outpaces revenues

July 23, 2019

July 23, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to the latest budget deal to increase discretionary spending by $103 billion:

“Our federal government has a spending addiction that threatens our very existence as a nation. Currently, our national debt at more than $22 trillion is already 105 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, and it will continue outpacing economic growth for the coming decades. This level of debt is unprecedented in U.S. peacetime history and it threatens the economic stability and sovereignty of the United States. Unfortunately, Congress and the President have chosen once again to kick the can down the road on our nation’s spending problem for another two years, ensuring continuing widening deficits that exceed any rational projected nominal economic growth. President Trump’s second term must be focused like a laser beam on getting our nation’s fiscal house in order so that he leaves his successors not only a strong economy but the framework for fiscally sound government. That would truly be delivering on his promise to make America great again.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases

AT&T-Verizon web portal, email team-up raises antitrust concerns

July 19, 2019

July 19, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting reports that AT&T is partnering with Verizon on its web portal and email services:

“The AT&T-Time Warner merger raised significant red flags for many Americans, including Americans for Limited Government, as it signaled a dangerous vertical integration of communications resources within one massive company.

“Incredibly, hot on the heels of this dubious merger, AT&T has announced that they are hiring Verizon, the nation’s second largest telecom company and largest wireless provider, to run both its web portal and email services. Apparently, no matter how large companies get or how much time passes from the break-up of Ma Bell, the AT&T mothership continues to try to reunite with one of its massive baby bells.

“Beyond the obvious fact that AT&T could and should have chosen any one of a number of vendors to provide this service rather than Verizon, which is purported to be its biggest competitor in this space.  This decision to turn over AT&T’s customer data to Verizon to manage raises significant questions about the future independence of the two giants, and AT&T has a responsibility to provide answers before the stench of monopoly and collusion overwhelms these two erstwhile ‘competitors.'”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases

ALG urges Congress to zero-fund the East-West Center

July 19, 2019

July 19, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to provide zero dollars to the East-West Center:

“Senator Everett Dirksen famously said, ‘a million here, a million there, eventually it adds up to real money.’ With Senator Dirksen’s admonition in mind, Americans for Limited Government is releasing a series of spending cuts which could be made immediately and easily if Congress were serious about slowing the growth of our annual budget deficit.

“Today’s example of spending that should be eliminated are the federal funds appropriated for the East-West Center (EWC). The EWC is a think tank based in Hawaii which focuses on issues affecting the US, Asia, and the Pacific. A legacy of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the EWC think tank has been receiving federal taxpayer dollars for almost six decades – more than $160 million over the past two decades alone.

“It is time for this Vietnam War era project to be set free from the shackles of federal support ($16.7 million projected this year) and fully enter the competitive world of private donor fundraising.  This would not be a death knell for this group as the East-West Center currently raises millions of dollars from private sources each year to achieve its Cold War mission.

“Taxpayers launched the East-West Center, but it is time for them to launch into adulthood before they become eligible for Medicare.”

Background:

With the national debt now over $22 billion, Congress simply must find places in the budget to cut. Some necessary cuts are tough; others are easy. Defunding the East-West Center (EWC), a think tank in Honolulu, Hawaii focused on relations between the US, Asia, and the Pacific, is an easy cut. Currently, the EWC receives $16.7 million a year from federal taxpayers.

The EWC is just another of Lyndon Johnson’s wasteful Big Government programs. During his tenure as Senate Majority Leader, Johnson sponsored legislation to establish the EWC; Congress passed the bill without even holding any hearings. Interestingly, the State Department opposed the EWC’s creation. For decades afterward, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) managed to keep federal support for the think tank in place. With Inouye gone, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) now fights to keep the federal tax dollars flowing to the EWC.

Three decades after the founding of the EWC, another powerful legislator, Rep. Dante Fascell (D-FL), procured funding for the North-South Center, which was a think tank in Miami, Florida focused on relations between North and South America and the Caribbean. After Fascell left Congress, financial support for the North-South Center dwindled until all federal support was removed. The think tank closed shortly thereafter. Of course, there has been no discernable difference in North-South relations as a result of the think tank’s closure.

Not only is the EWC a needless expense for taxpayers, but it also pushes the liberal agenda. Like so many left-wing organizations, the EWC is obsessed with global warming. There is no reason that taxpayers should be subsidizing climate alarmism, which often leads to proposals for higher taxes and costly regulations as well as expensive energy projects that drive up costs for consumers. If the EWC wants to continue to scaremonger over global warming, then climate alarmists, such as billionaires George Soros and Tom Steyer, should make the EWC a pet project.

Looking for fat in the budget to trim, the Trump Administration has proposed zeroing out funding for the think tank. Nor is this administration the first to suggest the EWC should receive fewer federal tax dollars. Even the Obama Administration proposed cutting the think tank’s budget by $9 million — even though Obama’s mother had once studied at the EWC. (Subsequently, the EWC hired President Obama’s half-sister.) While saving $16.7 million might not sound like much, the appropriations for the think tank do add up.  Since FY 1997, over $160 million has been appropriated for the EWC.

Taxpayers have funded the EWC for well over 50 years, and it is long past time to cut off the welfare checks. The EWC already generates significant non-federal revenues; in fact, the EWC brought in over $9 million in donations and non-federal grants and contracts last year according to its financial summary. There are dozens of foreign policy think tanks in this country, and it is doubtful that many people would notice if the EWC were unable to replace the federal funds and were forced to scale back its budget. Finally, the US had diplomatic and trade relations with Asia long before the EWC, and those relationships would continue even if the think tank were to close.

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

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Filed Under: DefundMe, Press Releases

DOJ defends national security against Chinese takeover in Qualcomm case

July 17, 2019

July 17, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the U.S. Department of Justice for siding with Qualcomm in its intellectual property case against the Federal Trade Commission:

“Americans for Limited Government has been clear that the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Qualcomm is both wrong and dangerous. The lawsuit, which is a legacy of the Obama administration, harms a private company’s business model by denying them lawfully negotiated licensing fees for their products and threatens national security. The federal court decision by Judge Judy Koh sided with Chinese IT giant Huawei even though Huawei has a direct financial interest in destroying their only competitor in the 5G chip space.

“The U.S. Department of Justice wisely and boldly has urged the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the ruling by Judge Koh citing national security concerns. This highly unusual but important intervention by the Justice Department against a federal agency was prompted by concerns voiced by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy about the disastrous impact of Koh’s ruling.

“As the Justice Department argues in its amicus brief, Judge Koh’s ruling is ‘undermining U.S. leadership in 5G technology and standard-setting, which is vital to military readiness and other critical national interests.’ To protect national security, the Ninth Circuit needs to stay and then overturn Koh’s erroneous and dangerous decision. This case is just one example where a single Obama appointed judge seeks to impose their worldview over national interests and it is up to the Ninth Circuit or if necessary the Supreme Court of the United States to reinstate sanity into our legal system.”

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

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Filed Under: Press Releases
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