Pic of the Day

FRC Responds to New GAO Report Showing Nearly $1.5 Billion in Federal Funding for Abortion Advocates

March 25, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued a report showing that over a three-year period, groups that advocate for or whose affiliates perform abortions have received hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government.

The report was generated after U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) and more than 70 other House and Senate Members sent a letter to the GAO requesting data on federal funding for organizations whose allegiance to policies that encourage elective abortion-on-demand is well-known. They include Planned Parenthood, Population Council, International Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Advocates for Youth and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. The letter requested information for the three-year period from 2010-2012.

The GAO report found that "the six organizations spent $481 million in federal funding from Fiscal Years 2010 to 2012, as well as about $1.2 billion in combined federal and state funds under federal health programs that require shared funding. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) spent the greatest share of this public funding -- approximately $1.5 billion in combined state and federal dollars, or an average of about $500 million each year."

Commenting on the report, the Director of FRC's Center for Human Dignity, Arina Grossu, said the data found by the GAO is disappointing but unsurprising.

"The Obama Administration is committed to advancing a pro-abortion agenda and continually has placed the demands of abortion advocates and providers at the top of its public health agenda for six years, all the expense of taxpayers.

"The GAO report only further demonstrates President Obama's desire to promote abortion and abortion-causing drugs above the health and well-being of mothers and their unborn children by funding abortion advocacy groups. Unborn children have no standing in the current Administration's eyes, and the effects of abortion on their mothers is inconsequential to the Obama administration.

"In light of the immense amount of federal money pouring into organizations like Planned Parenthood, I urge all pro-life members of Congress to support H.R. 217, the 'Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act' sponsored by Rep. Diane Black and co-sponsored by 143 of her colleagues. The passage of this vitally important legislation would prohibit the distribution of Title X family planning money to entities that use abortion as a method of family planning," concluded Grossu.

Read the full GAO report HERE.

Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on House Proposal to Balance the Budget and Prevent a Fiscal Crisis

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.Con.Res. 27 – the "Balanced Budget for a Stronger America" budget proposal:

"The House is once again leading the way with a budget that puts us on a path to fiscal sustainability.  Our plan rejects the unsustainable status quo of trillions of dollars in debt, an anemic economic recovery, and a federal budget that continues to run large annual deficits.  This legislation provides real solutions that will balance the budget, grow the economy, create more jobs and opportunity, save and strengthen vital programs, and ensure our national security.

"Our plan balances the budget in less than 10 years without raising taxes and cuts $5.5 trillion in spending, placing our nation on a path to pay off the debt by growing the economy and making government more efficient, effective, and accountable.  It repeals the President's healthcare law and strengthens Medicare and Social Security for seniors and future recipients to ensure a secure retirement.  Our budget plan provides for a strong national defense through robust funding for troop training, equipment, and compensation.  Rejecting the idea that Washington knows best, this House budget gives power back to the states and cuts waste, eliminates redundancies, and ends the practice of Washington picking winners and losers in our economy.

"This budget is a pro-growth plan to strengthen our nation and reverse the President's policies that have put us on a path to a bankrupt federal government.  Now, it is my hope that the Senate will join us in adopting this budget resolution so we can initiate the annual appropriations process.  As we send fiscally responsible spending measures to the President, I hope he will join us in the effort to get our fiscal house in order so that we can grow our economy and build a stronger America for our children and grandchildren."

 

Secure Freedom Salutes Glenn Beck, N.R.A. For Investigation Of Grover Norquist, Calls On Board To Deem Him Ineligible To Serve

March 16, 2015

(Washington, D.C.):  Secure Freedom (also known as the Center for Security Policy) today applauded radio and television talk show host Glenn Beck for his principled declaration that he would end his close association with the National Rifle Association (NRA) if Grover Norquist were to be reelected to the NRA's Board of Directors in balloting now underway.  Mr. Beck initially made this pledge on his syndicated radio program in the course of an interview with Secure Freedom President Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. on Wednesday, calling Norquist "a very bad man" and enabler of Muslim Brotherhood operatives.

 

Evidence of Mr. Norquist's longstanding ties to Islamic supremacists was compiled in a detailed dossier transmitted in February 2014 to the then-leadership of another prominent national organization, the American Conservative Union, by ten influential national security professionals, led by Bush '43 Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Clinton Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey. 

 

A fourth edition of this monograph, entitled Agent of Influence: Grover Norquist and the Assault on the Right – Targeting the NRA, has just been released by Secure Freedom.  It includes illuminating correspondence written on the one hand by Mr. Norquist and one of his defenders, Washington attorney Cleta Mitchell, and on the other by General Mukasey and Mr. Gaffney.

 

Glenn Beck announced during his radio program on Friday that he had spoken for over an hour with Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President of the NRA. In response to what Mr. Beck described as "hundreds and hundreds and hundreds" of phone calls stimulated by his earlier announcement, Mr. LaPierre promised that the National Rifle Association would be launching a "transparent" ethics investigation of Mr. Norquist.

 

In the interest of assisting in that investigation, Mr. Gaffney today sent every member of the NRA's Board of Directors copies of the new edition of Agent of Influence, together with a transmittal letter (see below) offering to provide to have the Mukasey-Woolsey et.al. team provide its members with a briefing on the wealth of evidence of Grover Norquist's involvement with and assistance to Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist figures. 

 

In response to this week's dramatic developments, Mr. Gaffney said: 

 

For sixteen years, it has been evident that Grover Norquist has helped jihadists – including two who were subsequently convicted on terrorism charges – gain access to and influence over conservative organizations, the Republican Party and, most especially, the 2000 campaign and presidency of George W. Bush.  Until now, none of the groups with which he has been associated have been willing to do a serious inquiry into the nature and acceptability of such activities.

 

Members of the National Rifle Association are to be congratulated for their success in instigating such an investigation, as is Glenn Beck for raising the alarm that precipitated this inquiry and Wayne LaPierre for appreciating that nothing less would be acceptable.  The investigation will be in order and should be rigorously completed –  even if, as seems inevitable, Grover Norquist resigns from the NRA Board.

 

Agent of Influence can be downloaded for free at www.SecureFreedom.org or purchased at Amazon.com.  For more information, contact: [Samantha Nerove at sam@anelisgroup.com or 703.504.8856].

 

 

Secure Freedom, is a non-profit, non-partisan national security organization that specializes in identifying policies, actions, and resource needs that are vital to American security and then ensures that such issues are the subject of both focused, principled examination and effective action by recognized policy experts, appropriate officials, opinion leaders, and the general public. For more information visit www.securefreedom.org

Congressman Robert Hurt Votes to Reform the Environmental Protection Agency

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting in favor of two bills to reform the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): H.R. 1029, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act and H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act:

"Every day, senseless EPA regulations gravely hinder job growth and continue to make life more difficult for family farms and small businesses in Virginia's Fifth District.  Many of these regulations fail to meet the basic standards for transparency and accountability demanded and deserved by the American people.  At a time when we must be doing all we can to make it easier for our small businesses to create the jobs our local communities need, I share my constituents' frustrations.  

"I was pleased that this week, the House passed two bills to reform the way the EPA imposes rules and regulations on the American people.  These bills represent a positive step forward in ensuring that the EPA cannot whimsically institute politically motivated regulations that fail to consider the broad reaching negative effects on American businesses.  I was proud to support these commonsense bills and see them pass the House with bipartisan support.  I urge our colleagues in the Senate to consider these bills and work with us to send these necessary reforms to the President's desk." 

·         The EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act would establish qualifications for members of the EPA's Science Advisory Board, reinforce its independence, facilitate public participation in the Board's advisory activities, and require that any policy advice offered from the Board can be distinguished from scientific determinations.

·         The Secret Science Reform Act would prohibit the EPA from proposing regulations unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support the action is thoroughly vetted to be the best available science, specifically identified, and publicly available.

 

Staff Members from Congressman Robert Hurt's Office to Hold Local Office Hours in Cumberland and Nelson Counties

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Cumberland and Nelson Counties on Friday, March 20 to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.  In the event of inclement weather, please contact our Danville office at (434) 791-2596 or our Charlottesville office at (434) 973-9631 to confirm Local Office Hours will be held as scheduled.

Friday, March 20, 2015

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Cumberland County Public Library

1539 Anderson Highway

Cumberland, VA

 

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library - Conference Room

8521 Thomas Nelson Highway

Lovingston, VA

 

 

Pipeline used in WWII

Very interesting and innovative for this time in history with very little technology. 

Okay, all you history buffs.  How did all the tanks and vehicles get their gas in WWII   as they dashed across Europe?     The following video is a brief history of how that was accomplished. 

Hear amazing details about D-Day so long after the event.   What a fantastically complex engineering and operational feat it was, and how 

remarkable the skill and effort exhibited by the young men of the early 40s   who planned and made the landing successful.    

http://www.youtube.com/v/Nv9lBqPVuoE&feature=uploademail

Quote of the Day

"When did it become the goal of U.S. foreign policy to make the Islamic Republic of Iran -- whose leader refers to America as "the great Satan" -- a "very successful regional power"? Who voted for that? Is any member of Congress on board with this?


"This isn't the only dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy taking place. If the administration's anti-Israel stance wasn't obvious enough, it is undeniable now.

"The White House recently promoted Robert Malley to be the Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East. Malley is so anti-Israel the Obama campaign fired him in 2008 after it was revealed that he had met with the terrorist group Hamas. Now Malley is directing Middle East policy at the White House.

Gary L. Bauer

Email of the Day

FRC Files Comment to HHS Regarding the Abortion Transparency Issue in Obamacare Plans

March 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Monday, the Family Research Council filed a public comment with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance over a proposed rule that would continue to allow the cover-up of abortion coverage in Obamacare.

The public comment reads in part:

"While the proposed rule takes a step in the right direction by trying to create transparency about elective abortion coverage in ACA health plans, it must do so with very clear, plain and precise language that the average consumer can understand. The language must refer to the types of abortion a healthcare plan does or does not include (abortion on demand vs. abortion in cases of life, rape, or incest), and those abortions must not be defined in terms of federal funding.

"The proposed rule is incomplete on transparency because it does not require transparency on the abortion surcharge. For complete transparency, SBCs must disclose information about theabortion surcharge for every single plan that requires it, disclose how it will be itemized, how it will be charged as a separate payment and how it will be allocated into a separate account from federal funds. Disclosure of the abortion surcharge in the SBCs must be included and be mandatory.

"Consumers have a right to transparent and easy-to-understand information about abortion coverage in the SBCs of every health plan, including information about the abortion surcharge (when applicable). Transparency on abortion coverage and the abortion surcharge will give consumers the knowledge they are entitled to in order to make an informed choice when they are looking for ACA health plans that align with their values. Information regarding abortion coverage or the abortion surcharge associated with various plans must not be withheld from consumers. Further, consumers should not pay an abortion surcharge without their knowledge or against their conscientious objection," Grossu concluded.

The full text of FRC's public comment can be found here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF15C12.pdf

April 29th: Save the Date for Oysters With Obenshain!

save the date for OYSTERS WITH OBENSHAIN April 29, 4:30 PM Rockingham County Fairgrounds Special guest to be announced soon!               You are receiving this email because you signed up with us at markobenshain.com or at a political function. Paid for by Friends of Mark Obenshain Friends of Mark Obenshain | P.O. Box 555 | Harrisonburg, VA 22803

Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on DHS Appropriations Bill

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting against the FY 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act:

"The House acted more than seven weeks ago to responsibly fund the Department of Homeland Security, giving the Senate ample time to debate and negotiate its provisions with the House.  I am very disappointed that Senate Democrats used procedural tactics to stifle debate on the fundamental issue at hand - this Administration's attack on the separation of powers established by our Constitution.  Years of broken immigration policy have left our country with insecure borders and imposed innumerable costs on federal, state, and local taxpayers.  There is no question we face an immigration crisis, but even more important, President Obama has incited a constitutional crisis by once again disregarding the Constitution for the sake of political expediency. 

"As members of Congress, we took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution – an oath I take very seriously.  We cannot allow this President to undermine our Constitution and the rule of law – the fundamental building blocks of our great nation.  For these reasons, I was unable to support the legislation we considered today.  I remain committed to working with my colleagues to rein in this out-of-control executive branch and restore the constitutional principles on which our country was founded."

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

"Jews throughout the world are celebrating Purim today. It is the story of Queen Esther who broke protocol and saved the Jewish people in Persia from a plot to annihilate them. Facing an existential threat from modern day Persia (Iran), Israel's leader addressed Congress yesterday amid much consternation about protocol.

"So long as God gives me breath, I promise to fight the ancient evil of anti-Semitism and to stand with Israel, the apple of God's eye."

Gary Bauer

The Federal Reserve Must Be Transparent and Accountable

Congressman Robert Hurt

Weekly Column 03/02/15

 

The Federal Reserve System supervises nearly all banking in the United States and plays a substantial role in the domestic and global economies.  Since its creation in 1913, the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors has expanded its power, and its role in monetary policy has gone relatively unchecked.  Given the impact that its policies can have on our economy, the Federal Reserve must be transparent and its leaders must be held accountable to the American people.

 

Enhancing the transparency of the Federal Reserve will improve the public's understanding of the decisions the Federal Reserve Board makes, which have a profound impact on the American people and our economy.  I am a cosponsor of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which would require a full audit of the Board of Governors within the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve banks by the Comptroller General of the United States.

 

Until we can institute more transparent policies for the Federal Reserve, we must continue to provide rigorous congressional oversight.  Last Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testified before the House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled, "Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy."  I appreciate Chair Yellen's testimony, particularly because I have serious concerns about Federal Reserve policies that make life more difficult for hardworking Americans and disproportionately diminish the ability of Main Street banks to provide vital capital in our rural communities.

 

I am particularly concerned by the Dodd-Frank Act's negative impacts and costs for community banks, small businesses, and consumers.  A newly released Harvard study articulates how the Dodd-Frank Act has actually given Wall Street an advantage over Main Street - the exact opposite of what its proponents said it would do.  The study found that since the enactment of Dodd-Frank, community banks' share of the market has decreased due to the pressure of increased regulation.  This means that community banks are providing fewer mortgages to customers and fewer loans to small businesses on our Main Streets. 

 

The study's findings represent the impacts Fifth District Virginians have felt for years now. Though the Dodd-Frank Act was intended to rein in bad actors on Wall Street, instead, we have seen that it is disproportionately harming small Main Street banks, credit unions, and their customers by imposing one-size-fits-all regulatory schemes on community financial institutions.  These regulatory impacts represent real costs and eliminate choices for consumers – both families and small businesses – on Main Streets from Chatham to Warrenton. 

 

The Federal Reserve has an obligation to tailor regulatory policy to account for the differences between large multinational institutions and smaller financial institutions and the customers they serve.  During the hearing, I pressed Chair Yellen to explain what the Federal Reserve is doing to ensure that its system of regulation is not unduly impacting small financial institutions and dragging down our local economies as a result.

 

I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to maintain robust congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve, and I remain committed to promoting policies that will incentivize economic growth to provide jobs and opportunities to all Fifth District Virginians.

 

If you need any additional information or if we may be of assistance to you, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.

Congressman Randy J. Forbes on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Address to Congress

March 2, 2015  

Washington, D.C. – Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) released the following statement in advance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to both Chambers of Congress:

"At a time when our allies across the globe continue to have questions about this Administration's commitment and competency, the United States' support for Israel should be unwavering. Instead, we see the White House prioritizing risky negotiations with a nuclear obsessed Iran over the concerns of a trusted ally, and Democratic Members of Congress playing into a partisan spectacle rather than respecting the longstanding relationship between our two countries. To allow the American commitment to the nation of Israel to be thus called into question is not only shortsighted, it is detrimental to security and U.S. interests in the region."

Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement Following Prime Minister Netanyahu's Address To A Joint Meeting of Congress

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after attending an address from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint meeting of Congress:

"It was a great honor to have Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu address a joint meeting of Congress today where he reaffirmed the importance of a strong alliance between the United States and Israel.  As we all work to see freedom and stability in the Middle East, maintaining a strong strategic alliance with Israel - our greatest ally in the region - is of critical importance.  Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks provided another stark reminder of the hatred and evil that the Iranian regime represents.  Congress has a vital obligation to conduct rigorous oversight of the Administration's negotiations with Iran because allowing Iran to achieve the nuclear capabilities it seeks would pose an existential threat not only to Israel, but the world. 

"I am grateful for Prime Minister Netanyahu's leadership in the effort to prevent a nuclear Iran and that the American people had the opportunity to receive his invaluable perspective on these critical issues today."