Strzok Strikes Again

March 29, 2018

By Gary Bauer

  ..There was a bombshell report from Fox News providing yet more evidence of what may be the biggest political scandal in American history.  Of course, the information was completely ignored by Big Media.
 
We know from previous reporting that Barack Obama was meddling in the FBI's work as early as September 2016.  (Remember, Obama assured us that he never talked to the attorney general or the FBI about pending investigations.)
 
Newly discovered text messages (yes, we are still finding them!) from FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page suggest the Obama White House was meddling well before that, perhaps even right from the beginning.  Here's what we know:
 

• Former FBI Director James Comey said that the investigation of the Trump campaign began in late July 2016.  On August 2nd, Page sent a text to Strzok warning him to "Make sure you can lawfully protect what you sign. Just thinking about Congress, [Freedom of Information Act requests], etc."  That's an odd thing for one FBI agent to tell another agent.

 

• The next day, Strzok replied that then Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was already worried about "information control."

 

• On August 8th, Strzok texted Page about a cyber intelligence briefing that was being put together for Comey to present to Obama Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough.

 

• Days later, then CIA Director John Brennan held a private briefing with Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid.  Two days after that, Harry Reid wrote a letter to James Comey, based on the information he got from Brennan, demanding an investigation of the Trump campaign.

 

• On August 29th, the New York Times reported on Reid's letter to Comey.

 

• On August 30th, Strzok sends a text to Page, "Here we go" with a link to the Times story, adding that Comey said he had talked to Reid and knew the letter was coming. 

 
So, what does this information tell us? 
 
Congressional investigators warn that the FBI and the CIA are supposed to be "independent agencies."  Yet they appeared to be coordinating, almost from the very beginning, with the White House, with liberal leaders in Congress and with their liberal allies in the media to push a narrative damaging to the Republican presidential nominee. 
 
It really looks like Watergate on steroids.

Upcoming events for April | AFP Skyline Region

Americans for Prosperity welcomes you to attend our April Skyline region events!

 

Special Regional Event

American Pay Raise Dinner/Speaker Event

Tuesday, April 10^th 6:30pm            

Charlottesville AFP Office @ 375 Greenbrier Drive

 

 

A great event highlighting the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  Hear from Congressman Tom Garrett's Outreach Director, Stephen Harvey.  Complimentary meal provided by AFP.

Advance RSVP required for attendees.  Limited seating available.

Contact Flint Engleman to make your reservation (540)226-4591 FEngleman@afphq.org

 

 

Citizen Action to Stop Albemarle Co. Rain Tax

Wednesday, April 11^th 6:00pm

Albemarle Co. Office, 401 McIntire Rd, Charlottesville

 

Stand united with fellow citizens to voice opposition to a big government mandate that will cost Albemarle County taxpayers over $52 Million over the next 10 years.  It's important we have a strong turnout at this decisive Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting. 

Wear your green AFP t-shirt to show our united opposition to this onerous tax. 

Contact Flint Engleman for free AFP shirt @ (540)226-4591 FEngleman@afphq.org

 

 

Stop Medicaid Expansion Lunch & Phone Bank

Wednesday, April 25^th Noon-3:00pm

Charlottesville AFP Office, 375 Greenbrier Drive

 

 

Enjoy lunch with local volunteers.  Then, phone bank to stop Medicaid expansion and a government shutdown in Virginia.  Easy to use phone technology with friendly training. Complimentary lunch for all volunteers.

Contact Flint Engleman to sign-up @ (540)226-4591 FEngleman@afphq.org

 

 

Charlottesville Regional Precinct Organizer Training

Monday, April 30^th 5:30pm-9:00pm

English Inn-Queen Anne Room, 2000 Morton Dr., Charlottesville

 

Great educational training by our top national instructors.  Learn effective grassroots skills and knowledge to win in your local community.  Complimentary dinner provided by AFP Foundation.  Please register in advance!

Ø  Learn the demographics of your community and how to Power Map influencers

Ø  How to recruit/develop volunteers

Ø  Why grassroots tactics are vital to your success

Ø  How to develop a strategic plan to mobilize voters in your community

Register by contacting Flint Engleman @ (540)226-4591 FEngleman@afphq.org

 

Quote of the Day

"President Trump must keep to his steady course of punishing those countries, especially China, which are destroying our industrial base and killing our people. We get cheap products and in return the Chinese supply fentanyl to the Mexican drug cartels to mix with the heroin they are shipping across the border. People who are hopeless, jobless, and in despair then use the drugs to fill a void in their lives. But it usually kills them.

"My friends, the Chinese Communists are waging economic warfare against the United States and killing our people in the process.

"Notice the dramatic increase after Barack Hussein Obama took office in 2012. Obama was indifferent to these mostly white "deaths of despair."

"Open Borders" mean more heroin and death.

"Can I make a film recommendation? Please take a few minutes to watch this Netflix documentary  "Heroin(e)." Watch the trailer here. The film looks at the roles played by three women in confronting the heroin crisis in the "once bustling industrial town" of Huntington, West Virginia, with an overdose rate 10 times the national average."

Cliff Kincaid, President
America's Survival, Inc.

Senator Mark Obenshain: Special Session Update

20 Mar 2018

We head back to Richmond on April 11 as Governor Northam has called a Special Session to work on the budget.  The failure to reach a budget agreement during the regular Session was not entirely unexpected.  In four of the five previous years when the General Assembly adjourned without a budget agreement, the differences between the House and Senate plans was not just how money was spent, but how much money was spent.  This year, there is an enormous gap – over $3 billion – between what the House and Senate budgets spend.

The underlying issue, whether or not to implement Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, has created a gulf between the two spending plans.  The Senate plan is based on money the state has, while the House's plan is dependent upon federal funding from a program the Trump Administration has pledged to end.

My fellow Republican colleagues in the Senate did everything possible to keep the session going to try to reach an agreement.  First, we voted to extend the session by 30 days, as permitted by the Constitution of Virginia.  But, we needed two-thirds of the senators to vote for that extension and none of the Democrats would agree to an extension.  Then, we voted to extend the session for just three days.  Again, Democrat senators voted "no."

It is too soon to tell whether this process will take days, weeks, or months.  The two most recent budget impasses that were based on large disagreements on revenues and spending lasted until June.  I am confident that this divide will be bridged.  I will continue to stand in support of a conservative budget that does not increase taxes.

The reconvened, or "Veto" session will be April 18 in Richmond. Although the special and veto session will require special trips back to the Capitol, we will be back at home in the district most of the time from now on.  You can still email us at mark@markobenshain.com or call us at (540) 437-1451.

It is a distinct honor to serve the citizens of the Shenandoah Valley in the Senate.  I am grateful for your friendship and confidence and I thank you for allowing me to represent you.     

Best regards,

 

Mark Obenshain

A Message from Congressman Tom Garrett

REDUCING REGULATIONS

Burdensome regulations created over the last decade have killed jobs and economic opportunity. Since taking office, we have made removing job killing regulations a top priority. 

To date, Congress has passed 15 pieces of Congressional Review Act legislation to combat unnecessary red tape that stifles economic growth—and the House passed three more bills that rein in regulation just this month. 

The goal is simple: protect and grow American jobs and opportunity.                                     

That is why we worked to pass H.R. 4607, the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act. This legislation takes steps to address duplicative, burdensome regulations by ensuring that federal agencies conduct a comprehensive review of regulations at least once every seven years.

For our economy to prosper and for employers to continue to hire and create jobs, we must ensure we have an environment where job creators can flourish. That means cutting red tape, reducing regulations, and delivering on that promise.

STOPPING SCHOOL VIOLENCE

Violence has no place in our schools—every American knows that. That is why it is important that we give students, school personnel, and law enforcement the tools they need to deal with threats before they result in tragedy.

This week the House of Representative passed H.R. 4909, the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act by a vote of 407-10, and I was proud to have co-sponsored it.  

The STOP School Violence Act will help create an early warning system in our schools and communities to stop tragedies before they occur.

This strongly bipartisan legislation helps schools develop violence prevention programs that coordinate with law enforcement to improve school safety by training students, teachers, school officials, and local law enforcement on how to identify and intervene early when signs of violence arise. It does this while honoring our rights and empowering localities.

See something, say something only works when government hears something and does something.  We must be proactive to ensure our kids are safe, both inside and outside the classroom.

NATIONAL K-9 VETERANS DAY

Everyone who has ever owned a dog knows the depths of the bonds that develop between human beings and our 4-legged family members. And while I can remember every dog we have ever owned and how they left our family, I never had the opportunity or honor of serving alongside the armed forces or law enforcement working dogs.

These working dogs play diverse roles both on the battlefield and at home in our communities. Working dogs perform both guard and sentry, as well as search and rescue duties, detecting hidden explosives and occasionally directly engaging against opposing forces. 

They also contribute significantly to our nation's servicemen and women returning home, and helping them to recover from the wounds of war. At home law enforcement dogs help solve crimes and locate missing persons. 

This week, we commemorated National K9 Veterans Day by remembering LCSO K-9 Maggie, who in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 10, 2011, responded to a call for a suicidal person with her handler, Lt. Patrick Sheridan. After arriving on scene, the six-year veteran bloodhound was suddenly attacked causing a bacterial infection that lead to her untimely death. 

You can watch our Floor Speech honoring Maggie HERE. 

TOWN HALLS

This week, we held our Fifth Town Hall Meeting of 2018. This was via telephone to every corner of our immense district, attracting more than 15,800 participants. We hold these forums because we want to give busy parents and seniors the opportunity to directly engage with us from the comfort of their own home while being able to reach the greatest number of Fifth District residents possible. 

Earlier this month we held our second Radio Town Hall Meeting of 2018 on WCHV 107.5 FM/1260AM & WBBC 93.5 Bobcat Country radio. We took a variety of questions via phone, Email, Twitter, and Facebook from moderator, Joe Thomas of Joe Thomas In-The-Morning on WCHV,  and took as many questions over-the-phone as possible during our 2-hour conversation. 
 
Since taking office in 2017, we have hosted sixteen public town hall meetings and twenty-nine live forums at high schools throughout the Fifth District.

TOM IN THE NEWS

• Watch as We Honor National K9 Veterans Day on the House Floor   
• The Daily Progress: Announcements for March 14 through March 20
• Read about Our Work on the Homeland Security Committee
• Watch as We Discuss U.S. Policy Toward Iran in the Foreign Affairs Committee
• The Daily Progress: Resolution Honoring Fluvanna Sailor Rigsby clears U.S. House
• Amherst New Era-Progress: Garrett Announces Art Competition  
• Watch Our House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on Modernizing Export Controls 
• CBS 19: Sheridan Speaks Out on Impact of Renaming Post Office
• Watch My Discussion with BOLDtv's Clay Aiken and Carrie Sheffield on Cybersecurity
• The Daily Progress: Art Notes starting March 15
• NASFAA: A Solution to the Student-Debt and Social Security Crises
• The Farmville Herald: 'What Happened to us was really a Miracle'
• National Review highlights our solution to the student debt and Social Security Crisis

                                                                                         

CONNECT WITH ME                                     

I am always interested in hearing your thoughts. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, you can contact me directly by clicking here or contacting my office at (434) 973-9631. 

You can also follow me on Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube for updates on my work in Congress.

Sincerely,
 
Tom Garrett
Member of Congress

These Happy Days

19 Mar 2018

The Family Foundation of Virginia

Each year during the General Assembly session, we rely on the help of our high school pages to make our team efficient and successful. For those of you unfamiliar with this program, we offer high school students a valuable opportunity to experience the activities of a General Assembly session firsthand. Not only do our pages participate in the daily operations of our office, but they also have the unique opportunity to engage the General Assembly session as students.

This year, we had a fantastic group of students who not only worked hard but brought a lot of light and energy to our office. As a team, they created, wrote, and produced our 2018 page video documenting their work this session. Check out the video link below to see what our pages do on a day to day basis.

Click here to watch our 2018 page video!

If you would like information on our 2019 General Assembly Page Program, please contact Erica Newman at Erica@FamilyFoundation.org.

Don't miss these opportunities!

2018 Summer Internship

Apply to be a summer intern! Applicants must be college age and available to be in our offices five days a week for the entirety of the program (June through July). We accept applications on a rolling basis, so send yours in today!

 

2018 Worldview Academy

Students ages 17 through 22 are invited to participate in our Worldview Academy to learn from Christian leaders who are experts in their field and discuss current issues, such as abortion and what defines marriage, with like-minded peers. Classes meet every Wednesday, June through July, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Information for both programs can be found on our website. Please contact Erica Newman with any questions at Erica@FamilyFoundation.org.

The Family Foundation

919 E. Main St., Suite 1110
Richmond, VA 23219
phone: 804-343-0010

FRC's Tony Perkins Speaks at SCOTUS Rally In Support of Free Speech for Pregnancy Care Centers

March 20, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. In NIFLA v. Becerra, the question being argued is whether the state of California can force licensed pro-life pregnancy care centers to advertise for state-sponsored abortions and advise where to get them, and whether unlicensed centers can be forced to put up a notice saying they are unlicensed.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offered the following remarks at the rally in front of the Court during the oral arguments :

"Well, happy spring! Thank you for being here today. Thank you for braving the weather. Thank you for standing for life and standing for the freedom of speech which is central in this country.

"I've had the privilege of serving on the board of a care pregnancy center for over twenty years. I have traveled the country as a part of helping these organizations raise their money that they get from Americans, God fearing Americans, who just embrace life and their neighbor.

"When you look across the country, we have about 2,500 of these care pregnancy centers, almost exclusively funded by individuals like you. Their average budget is about $125,000 a year. Let me tell you what this is designed to do and what California is doing and why I'm so grateful for NIFLA fighting it, and ADF leading the charge legally. This is designed to shut down these care pregnancy centers. The first fine is $500, the second a $1,000 a day. You can do the math, it doesn't take long on a budget of $125,000 to shut down these care pregnancy centers. And guess what's happening in these care pregnancy centers -- they're opening a window to life to these mothers through technology. And guess what's happening? They're choosing life.

"America is becoming a predominantly pro-life country again because of these clinics. A message of hope, a message of life, and that scares some, who are afraid of life. We're not afraid of life, we embrace life.

"And so thank you for being here, thank you for supporting the work of these care pregnancy centers across America. And let me challenge those across the nation that are tracking this -- it's time we double our efforts for life. If you're giving $500 a year, give a $1000. If you're volunteering a day a week, give two days a week. Let's step up our efforts and show that we are committed to the issue of life.

"We will not back down, and we will not be silent. We will not go away until America once again respects the sanctity of human life because every, every life, every life is created in the image of God and therefore worthy of respect. So we embrace that life. Thank you for embracing that life. Thank you for being here today. God bless you and may God once again bless this nation as a pro-life nation," Perkins concluded.

To watch his full speech, please see: https://youtu.be/M3KzUnU6vvs

California Resistance

Wed, 21 Mar 2018

By Gary Bauer

Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan said yesterday that at least three illegal immigrants who escaped arrest last month after they were warned by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf were arrested after committing new offenses "including robbery and spousal abuse."
 
I hope this news increases pressure on the Justice Department to indict Mayor Schaaf.  Even most die-hard liberals are against criminals.  It's time to hold politicians accountable if they break their oaths to uphold the law, and especially if they empower criminals. 
 
Just when you begin to think there is no accountability in our country, I am pleased to report that Gregory Salcido has been fired.  You may recall that Salcido made headlines recently for telling his high school history students that American military personnel were "the lowest of our low" and worse.
 
Outraged patriotic parents, veterans and military families inundated the El Rancho Unified School Board and members voted unanimously to fire Salcido. 
 
Board President Aurora Villon said, "His comments do not reflect what we stand for, who we are.  The classroom should never be a place where students feel that they are picked at, bullied, intimidated."
 
Perhaps Salcido would have been better off if he were an illegal immigrant.  In that case, officials in the sanctuary state might have shielded him.  I suspect Oakland Mayor Schaaf would have.
 
Here's more good news from the Golden State.  The Los Alamitos City Council voted this week to resist the state's sanctuary law that protects illegal immigrants.  Good for them.  I hope other California cities follow suit.
 
And why not?  If state lawmakers think they are free to ignore federal law, why can't local lawmakers ignore state laws?