If the political spying did not violate FISA, then we need FISA reform now.

April 10, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to Attorney General William Barr’s acknowledgement that “spying did occur” in 2016 against the Trump campaign:

“The Attorney General’s acknowledgement that spying occurred in 2016 against the Trump campaign is a significant step in the right direction to cleaning up the abuse of power that occurred in the Russia collusion hoax during the Obama administration. Spying on the opposition party in an election year, based on fabricated allegations of foreign espionage, is one of the most profound attacks on the Constitution and civil liberties in our history. FISA was set up to stop political weaponization of intelligence.

“While we are heartened that Attorney General Barr is acknowledging what has been clear for a long time, that spying did occur in 2016 against the Trump campaign and continued into the transition and then administration, with all due respect to the Attorney General, the question here is not whether there was unauthorized surveillance. The trouble here is that the surveillance was authorized despite the fact that it lacked credible and verified allegations. At the end of the day, there was no conspiracy or coordination with Russia by Trump, his campaign or any Americans. It was a lie.

“Moreover, Trump campaign, transition and administration officials were unmasked by former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, former UN Ambassador Samantha Powers and others. Individuals were prosecuted for unrelated process crimes that came about because of this unnecessary investigation.

“The protections set up by Congress in the late 1970s after the Church Committee’s findings of political spying have failed miserably to protect civil liberties today when confronted by a determined, politically weaponized intelligence community. If no rules were violated, then it is clear that the FISA law itself that must be reformed to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Attachments:

“We need a new Church Committee to expose who in the Obama administration was behind the Russia collusion hoax,” By Robert Romano, March 25, 2019 at http://dailytorch.com/2019/03/we-need-a-new-church-committee-to-expose-who-in-the-obama-administration-was-behind-the-russia-collusion-hoax/

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

###

April 10, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the Trump administration for restoring American energy dominance:

“President Trump’s determination to end damaging regulations on energy production has unleashed American innovators to remake the world’s energy markets as the United States is now a net energy exporter.  Private companies and individuals freed up to focus on getting oil, natural gas and coal out of the ground has led to a renaissance that has only been dreamed of for the past three generations when the bonds of energy dependency shaped much of American policy and our national mindset.

“The freedom of American energy independence and, yes, even energy dominance in the foreseeable future will shape the 21^st century world economy if only our policy makers avoid the temptation of trying to turn back the clock to the days of scarcity  when Americans faced long gasoline lines and odd/even day purchase rationing at the pump.

“But American, indeed North American and South American energy dominance, is not just the avoidance of the pain caused by the lack of affordable energy, but instead is being able to bear the fruits of inexpensive abundance.  Electricity generation is essential to the modern economy, and being able to produce electricity inexpensively, reliably and resiliently is one of the foundational building blocks to the 21^st century re-industrialization of America, demonstrated by the more than 500,000 new manufacturing jobs created on our shores since President Trump took office.  This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of American economic growth, as the President’s trade, tax and regulatory policies continue to create the environment for a thriving, expanding economy.

“On the environment front, there is one international regulation which should be supported by every American, IMO 2020.  IMO 2020 changes the fuel composition allowed to be burned by cargo/container ships to a low sulfur mix away from extremely high sulfur bunker oil.  Container ships are equipped to make this conversion, and America has the refinery capacity to supply much of the shipping world’s fuel needs.  This conversion matters because just 16 container ships create more sulfur dioxide pollution (smog) around the world than all 80 million internal combustion cars in the world combined.  Energy dominance doesn’t mean environmental stupidity, and due to America’s capitalist driven modern oil refinery system, once again our great nation is in the lead in providing the means to care for the world’s air while keeping the engines of a strong economy roaring.

“Capitalism works.  It creates abundance through innovation.  And out of that abundance, American companies can profit while helping the world dramatically cut worldwide air pollution.  Not through impossible to meet government mandates, but through common sense problem solving and innovation.”

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

###

April 5, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the latest jobs numbers:

“Payroll employment increased by 196,000 as the unemployment rate held steady at 3.8 percent. These are historically great numbers and emphasize the continued strength of the Trump economy particularly in labor markets.

“There was a slight decrease in labor participation that appears to have been driven by Baby Boomers leaving the labor force in the unadjusted dataset, because the 16-to-64-year-old participation and employment continues to grow there robustly while the number of seniors participating in labor markets decreased by 150,000. That said, it is hard to square the unadjusted data with what we see overall in the seasonally adjusted data, which is why the Bureau should really begin compiling a seasonally adjusted 16-to-64-years-old dataset as a leading indicator. Every month that goes by, as the Baby Boomers retire en masse, it throws off meaningful apples to apples comparisons.”

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

###

 

April 3, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to Duke University settling a federal lawsuit for $112 million after falsifying research to obtain federal grants:

“The revelation that Duke University falsified research and was compelled to repay the federal government $112 million in costs and fines reemphasizes the need for the President to issue an executive order ensuring that all science used in the regulatory process be fully transparent and reproducible. Academic fraud cannot be tolerated. But even more important is ensuring that federal regulations are based on a sound footing.”

Attachments:

“Trump should end political junk science regulations by restoring scientific transparency to regulatory process,” By Rick Manning, Feb. 21, 2019 at http://dailytorch.com/2019/02/trump-should-end-political-junk-science-regulations-by-restoring-scientific-transparency-to-regulatory-process/

Letter from 21 conservative groups to President Trump urging scientific transparency in regulations, Feb. 19, 2019 at https://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Scientific-Transparency-Conservative-Letter.pdf

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

###

 

Perkins Coie law firm was the hub of Russia collusion hoax

April 2, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Attorney General William Barr to investigate the Perkins Coie law firm that hired the company that originated the Trump-Russia conspiracy allegations that were used by the Justice Department to facilitate its investigation:

“With the completion of the Mueller report, and its impending release, a number of questions are guaranteed to remain about how this investigation got started in the first place. The central role played by the Hillary Clinton and Democratic National Committee law firm Perkins Coie in funding both the Fusion GPS-Christopher Steele dossier and Crowdstrike to conduct the forensic investigation of the DNC computers after they were hacked must be examined. It seems reasonable that if President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen could be compelled to violate attorney-client privilege, that the law firm central to the entirety of this witch hunt should be forced to open all their books so the American people have the most complete account of what really happened.”

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

###

 

April 1, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in opposition to A.B. 539 in the California Assembly:

“California has a major housing and homelessness crisis, and A.B. 539 will only exacerbate these problems by severely restricting access to credit for many Californians either on the brink of homelessness or working to get off the streets. This legislation will also hurt small-dollar lenders in the same way the Dodd-Frank financial reform caused financial institutions to cut back on products and services due to increased compliance costs. It is perplexing that in a State that calls itself home to ground breaking technology and innovation, legislators are working to try and block access to critical consumer lending services to those who are falling through the cracks of the system. I hope that this bill is defeated so that the most economically vulnerable among us don’t have state created financial services discrimination pushing them into homelessness and keeping them there.”

Mr. Manning grew up in southern California, attending Norco High School, Riverside City College and the University of Southern California. Americans for Limited Government is a group dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government. For more information, visit:  https://getliberty.org/

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

###

March 28, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the latest revision to 2018 GDP growth:

“It is always precarious to react to economic data in real-time as we know revisions will be made that alter the analysis. Unfortunately, while the overall state of the economy remains strong, the first revision of the fourth quarter GDP in 2018 lowers the reported economic growth.

“The new data takes annual GDP down to 2.86 percent and Q4 to Q4 GDP down to 2.97 percent. That’s no better than 2015 from the annual perspective, and no better than 2014 Q1 to 2015 Q1 from the consecutive four quarters perspective. If you have to round up to get to 3 percent, you didn’t get to 3 percent.

“That said, the U.S. economy remains in strong shape, with the best labor market since the turn of the century, wages particularly for blue collar workers increasing significantly while inflation remains low. Declining food stamp usage underscores that millions of Americans are being lifted out of poverty. Ultimately, and where it matters most, the Trump economy is performing optimally, creating new opportunities for the vast majority of Americans.”

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

###

March 26, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising the Senate for defeating the Green New Deal 57 to 0:

“The Senate vote to stop Democrat attempts to return our national economy to the 19th century through the Green New Deal is a relief.  However, there is one common sense regulation that everyone should be able to get behind, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization rule called IMO 2020.  IMO 2020 would change the fuel burnt by cargo ships around the world from the sulfur laden bunker oil to a lower sulfur mix.

“It is reported that a mere 16 of the largest cargo ships emit more sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere each year than the 80 million automobiles in the world.  These ships account for 15 percent of all of the SO2 pollution worldwide, and the IMO 2020 regulation would significantly limit that pollution output.  What’s more, U.S. oil refineries are best equipped for creating the new fuel mixture cargo ships will require — meaning IMO 2020 is one environmental regulation which actually helps both the environment and our national economy.

“The Green New Deal is a bad, bad deal, and it is great that it has been dealt a mortal blow in the Senate. Hopefully, our nation can join together in supporting a measure which actually will have an impact on air quality around the world in IMO 2020.”

Attachments:

“America wins with new international cargo ship fuel regulation,” By Rick Manning, March 20, 2019 at http://dailytorch.com/2019/03/america-wins-with-new-international-cargo-ship-fuel-regulation/

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

###

March 26, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Senate to reject the Green New Deal in a vote being held later today:

“The Green New Deal will cost our nation everything: The ability of individuals to choose the way they travel, food choices at the dinner table, restricted home electricity consumption, how we build our homes, offices and every building in the country, ending speedy delivery of most of our purchases and so forth. It is a takeover of very aspect of our lives and the economy, ending individual free market choices. The Green New Deal turns what is supposed to be a constitutionally limited federal government into an all-powerful Leviathan. Proponents say they want to get to net zero carbon emissions in 10 years, and we should take them seriously. Socialism’s historic failure is rooted in the fact that it inherently deprives people of freedom, choice, property and opportunity. The Green New Deal is yet another rationale for a failed system that results in enslavement and deprivation of the people — and it must be rejected.”

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

###

 

Only full disclosure will uncover who foisted the Russia collusion hoax on the American people.

March 25, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement reminding everyone that it should have been clear in Jan. 2017 that there was no Russia collusion:

“It took Robert Mueller almost two years to come to the conclusion that was obvious on Jan. 10, 2017 before President Trump was even inaugurated, when Buzzfeed published the DNC-Clinton-campaign-financed dossier, that there was no collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election. What there was, was a partisan fabrication, the dossier, that the FBI used as a basis to spy on the Trump campaign. The attached article published Jan. 12, 2017 by Americans for Limited Government entitled ‘Did Obama politicize false intel to portray Trump as a Manchurian Candidate?’ pretty much sums up what we know today, which is that there was no collusion. It was plain as day in 2017 based on publicly available information at the time that Christopher Steele’s allegations were false. The idea that this investigation was ‘necessary’ is fallacious. The Obama administration used false intelligence to spy on the opposition party, the Trump campaign, during the election campaign. This is why full disclosure of everything that led to the use of this dossier and related to this investigation is needed because the topline of no collusion should not surprise anyone. This must never happen again.”

Attachments:

“Did Obama politicize false intel to portray Trump as a Manchurian Candidate?” By Robert Romano, Jan. 12, 2017 at http://dailytorch.com/2017/01/obama-politicize-false-intel-portray-trump-manchurian-candidate/

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

###