ALG urges passage of Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s H.R. 5063 against 3rd party legal settlements

May 11, 2016

May 11, 2016, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) for his legislation, H.R. 5063, the “Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016”:

“House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte’s unrelenting work to stop the Obama Administration from using mortgage company settlements stemming from the housing crisis to fund left wing advocacy groups to the tune of millions of dollars is an example for the rest of the GOP Conference in fighting Obama’s incessant overreaches.

“The slush fund issue came to light during Bank of America’s enormous $17 billion settlement when it was revealed that as much as $490 million was slated to go to radical groups like The National Council of La Raza for community outreach.  It makes these lawsuits look like little more than extortion to shake down corporations to make donations to Obama-favored political causes.

“Last year, it was Chairman Goodlatte who led the effort to encourage Speaker Paul Ryan to include language in the Omnibus Spending bill prohibiting the establishment of far left slush funds as a condition of settling mortgage cases.  Unfortunately, the Obama, Ryan, McConnell spending bill failed to rein in this abuse of power by the Administration.

“Undeterred, Chairman Goodlatte has again taken the lead this year to try to prevent the Justice Department from using the legal settlements as a cudgel to compel mortgage companies to fund third party groups, instead preferring that those monies be directed to the aggrieved homeowners.  All of Congress should join him in supporting passage of HR 5063.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Rick Manning.

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IBD: Holder forces Bank of America to pay off left-wing community organizers

August 28, 2014

August 28, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement blasting part of the $17 billion settlement between Bank of America and the Justice Department that requires leftover funds to be given to the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account, NeighborWorks of America, La Raza, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, Operation Hope, and the Mutual Housing Association of New York (an ACORN off-shoot), as revealed by Investor’s Business Daily:

“During the financial crisis, federal regulators supported Bank of America’s rescue of the bankrupt Countrywide, and now we know why. It ultimately gave the government a foothold to go after the larger Bank of America, and then to redirect the shakedown funds to community organizers that contributed to the financial crisis by coercing low-income, Community Reinvestment Act loans from financial institutions engaged in mergers.

“Congress needs to act to stop Eric Holder’s Justice Department from compelling this transfer, with similar shakedowns having occurred in the Citibank and JP Morgan Chase settlements. One thing is clear, the President and Attorney General never miss an opportunity to funnel government-extorted funds to their favorite community organizers.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (202)744-4427 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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Reject border supplemental without including ‘every conceivable’ anti-Obama amnesty rider

July 31, 2014

July 31, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement urging rejection of any version of H.R. 5230, the $659 million border supplemental, which does not include riders that block any more executive actions from the Obama administration to grant amnesty:

“House leadership was ready to push its border supplemental through without including any riders that will stop the White House from taking more arbitrary executive actions that might suspend deportations, grant legal status to millions presently here illegally, excuse visa overstays, or even grant refugee status. Fortunately, the move failed to generate the necessary votes.

“We would also note that the border supplemental would have done nothing to stop a Department of Housing and Urban Development regulation conditioning eligibility for community development block grants on redrawing municipal zoning maps along racial and income boundaries. We know that La Raza believes implementation of this racial rezoning rule will benefit those who ‘have cited fear of deportation’—meaning the rule will be used to move millions of illegal immigrants into communities across America.

“The border supplemental should be used to include every conceivable rider that would prevent a repeat or worsening of the current crisis on the border and in our local communities. Failing that, it ought to be rejected.”

Attachments:

“Obama’s not-so-secret HUD plan to resettle millions of illegal immigrants in your community,” by Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano, July 15, 2014 at http://netrightdaily.com/2014/07/obamas-secret-hud-plan-resettle-millions-illegal-immigrants-community/

“Is Obama planning on granting refugee status to millions of illegal immigrants?” by Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano, July 31, 2014 at http://netrightdaily.com/2014/07/obama-planning-granting-refugee-status-millions-illegal-immigrants/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (202)744-4427 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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House must defund HUD racial housing quotas in $3.7 billion emergency illegal immigration supplemental

July 15, 2014

July 15, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement urging the House of Representatives to attach an amendment to Obama’s $3.7 billion emergency immigration supplemental again defunding a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulation, “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” that the National Council of La Raza favors as helping those who “fear deportation”:

“Starting in October, the Obama administration will be conditioning eligibility for community development block grants on redrawing municipal zoning maps along racial and income boundaries. Now, we know that La Raza believes HUD implementation of this racial rezoning rule will benefit those who ‘have cited fear of deportation’—meaning the rule will be used to move millions of illegal immigrants into communities across America.

“Not one penny should be spent by HUD resettling millions of noncitizens in local communities under the guise of ‘affordable’ housing—the federal government has absolutely zero role in local zoning decisions.

“Now is the time for the House to act again in defunding HUD’s racial rezoning rule in the $3.7 billion emergency supplemental that Obama has requested to pay for current border operations. Although the House of Representatives has already acted, passing an amendment to the Transportation and HUD appropriations bill by Representative Paul Gosar to defund the regulation, acting now on this emergency legislation will ensure a full and complete discussion of this issue in the Senate.”

Attachments:

“Obama’s not-so-secret HUD plan to resettle millions of illegal immigrants in your community,” by Americans for Limited Government senior editor Robert Romano, July 15, 2014 at http://netrightdaily.com/2014/07/obamas-secret-hud-plan-resettle-millions-illegal-immigrants-community/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (202)744-4427 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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ALG Urges Congress to Vote Against $825 Billion “Stimulus” that includes Handouts to ACORN

January 26, 2009

January 26th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged Congress to vote against the $825 billion economic plan currently being considered “that is nothing more than a series of special interest payoffs, handouts, and kickbacks to favored industries and political constituencies.”

“Congress must stand with the American taxpayer and not add to the projected $2 trillion deficit for 2009. Up to $4.19 billion is being made available to groups like ACORN for so-called ‘neighborhood stabilization activities.’ The American people should not have to pay for it,” said Wilson.

In addition to being awarded eligibility for the $4.19 billion fund, the bill also includes $1 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program, for which ACORN has received nearly $1.6 million from FY 2003 through FY 2007.

ACORN is the subject of an ongoing federal investigation into its purported fraudulent voter registration activities.

“The ACORN payoff provisions in the so-called ‘stimulus’ bill prove that Speaker Pelosi and her cronies really have no interest in stimulating anything other than the bank accounts of those who helped put them into power,” said Wilson.

“To boot, this kickback is to replace the earmark of 20 percent of any funds recouped from the disposition of purchased assets for the Affordable Housing Fund, and whose funds flows to many non-profit entities including ACORN and La Raza, that was removed from the original TARP plan after legislative watchdogs raised red flags,” Wilson added.

The 20 percent earmark of recouped funds from the Affordable Housing Fund to groups like ACORN was proposed by Democratic negotiators as the TARP was being drawn up, but after Senate and House Republican objected, it was removed.

“A ‘yes’ vote for the ‘stimulus’ plan by Congress is really a vote for a $2 trillion deficit, over $10 trillion of national debt, eventual hyperinflation, and special interest payoffs to groups like ACORN. We implore Congress to stand with the American people against this outright theft by voting ‘no.’”

“The American taxpayer is being robbed blind, and it is up to Congress to stop the madness. They can start by voting ‘no’ on the ‘stimulus,’” Wilson concluded.

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