Tag: House

DeWine Breaks from Republicans on Gas Tax

Andrew Shirley

COLUMBUS, Ohio–In Tuesday’s State of the State Address, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine made it very clear he would not back down on the 18 cent gas tax, leaving many state Republicans in a complicated position. In his Address, DeWine made it clear that, not only was the gas tax absolutely necessary but that an 18 cent per gallon increase (generating an additional $1.2 billion per year) was also the bare minimum necessary to address the needs of the state. “Our local jurisdictions and the state have a combined shortfall this year and for years into the future of at least $1.2 billion dollars per year. It will take this much additional revenue just for us to maintain our roads in their current condition and do only a modest amount of new work,” DeWine said. “Members of the General Assembly, by requesting $1.2 billion dollars to fill the budget hole and meet existing needs, let me assure you that I am taking a minimalist, conservative approach, with this being the absolute bare minimum we need to protect our families and our economy.” Despite his assertion that this is as low as the hike can be, a senior legislator from his…

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New Report Calls Ilhan Omar’s Security Clearance Into Question

Anthony Gockowski

A new report published Thursday suggests that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) would not be granted security clearance if she weren’t an elected official because of her ties to those in the highest echelons of Somalia’s government. According to an investigative report from PJ Media, Omar visited with former Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu prior to her 2016 election to the Minnesota House. It’s likely she also met with Somalia’s new president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, whose election was called “one of the most fraudulent political events in Somalia’s history.” Omar’s brother-in-law, Mohamed Keynan, later worked under his administration as a permanent secretary to the prime minister, a position he occupied for 14 months. PJ Media’s David Steinberg uncovered the close familial relationship Omar and Keynan share, reporting: A long-time resident of Minneapolis, MN, and Columbus, OH, Mohamed Keynan is married to Ilhan Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor. Sahra, who arrived in the United States with Ilhan in 1995, bears the distinction of being the only one of Ilhan Omar’s seven siblings whom Ilhan has ever identified or openly appeared with in public. Sahra and Ilhan have been frequently photographed together over the years, and have often appeared together with their…

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Tennessee House And Senate Committees Undergo Major Shakeups

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – On the third day of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly, leadership announced committee assignments in the House and Senate, upsetting the status quo before recessing from their organizational sessions until January 18. During the House Republican caucus elections in November, Glen Casada (R-Franklin) made a commitment that, as Speaker, he would restructure the subcommittee system to expand up on it as well as use the composition to capitalize on subject matter experts. After his election as Speaker earlier this week, Casada, who garnered votes from Democrat Representatives John DeBerry (Memphis), Johnny Shaw (Bolivar) and John Mark Windle (Livingston), promised partnership rather than partisanship. In the final moments of the two-hour floor session of the 3rd organizational day of the House during which the House Permanent Rules of Order for the 111th General Assembly were debated and voted on and mandatory Ethics and Workplace Discrimination & Harassment training were conducted, Speaker Casada announced the House committees, committee members and subcommittee chairs. Keeping to his previous promises, Speaker Casada increased the House standing committees and subcommittees to a total of 43, from the previous 28. All but two committees had one subcommittee previously, but with Speaker Casada’s restructuring, some…

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Ohio Senate Fails to Override Outgoing Gov. Kasich’s ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Veto

Andrew Shirley

Ohio state Republican legislators were unable to override Gov. John Kasich’s (R-OH) veto of the “heartbeat” abortion bill Thursday. House Bill 258 (HB 258), first introduced on June 6, 2017, would have made it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. In most pregnancies, the heartbeat begins at three weeks but, with current technology, can only be reliably detected at six weeks. This would have made the bill one of the most comprehensive abortion limitations in the country. Kasich vetoed the bill on December 22, citing a high probability that it would be ruled unconstitutional and Ohioans would be left to pay the legal costs. Many Republican lawmakers disagreed and welcomed a court challenge. This was the second time Gov. Kasich has vetoed the bill. While the Ohio House was able to pass the override measure by a vote of 61-28, the Ohio Senate vote came up short at 19-13, one vote shy of passage. State Sen. Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City) cast the deciding vote that led to the override failure. Beagle did vote to initially advance the bill out of committee and voted for its passage when it came to the floor. Following…

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Minnesota House Democrats Set to Introduce a Package of 10 Bills

Andrew Shirley

Minnesota Democratic House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) announced Wednesday that democratic legislators are preparing to introduce a package of 10 bills as early as next month. The new congressional session will begin January 8 and the Speaker plans to introduce the package the next day. While the specific bills have yet to be revealed, they are said to reflect the “Minnesota Values Plan,” an updated version of the “Minnesota Values Project.” In early 2017, the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party announced the Minnesota Values Project. The initiative was structured around 4 objectives: All Minnesotans deserve access to affordable, quality health care, All Minnesotans deserve the education and job training needed to get a good-paying job, All Minnesota kids deserve a world-class education, All Minnesotans deserve the opportunity to be safe, healthy, and successful. These points translated into 11 separate bills proposed that year: HF 92: Expand MinnesotaCare to everyone — letting Minnesotans take advantage of affordable, high-quality care that is currently unavailable in the private market, HF 2949: Implement discounts that go directly to consumers instead of giving handouts to the insurance companies, HF 2839: Repeal for-profit HMOs that are exploding the cost of care in Minnesota, HF 2931: Require non-profit HMO dollars to…

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Commentary: The Art of the Veto and How Trump Can Force a Vote on the Wall

Admin

by Robert Romano   There won’t be any vote on wall funding this year or any year at the rate we’re going — because nobody in Congressional leadership is apparently willing to stick it in a bill and simply vote on it. Even to defeat it. Until the end of the year, Republicans are in complete control of the House of Representatives. Under the leadership of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), however, the only vote on any wall funding that occurred did not happen until the March 2018 omnibus spending bill. And then, it was just the measly $1.6 billion supplement that President Donald Trump had requested — in Feb. 2017 — that was intended to be attached to the FY 2017 spending bill that was still being resolved in the early days of the Trump administration. Instead, it took more than a year to get done. Even now, to date, House Republicans have not even had a show-vote on a messaging bill that McCarthy promised to fully fund the wall — even though such a vote would be practically meaningless. The House has not even sent a spending bill with the wall…

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Congressman-Elect Mark Green Appoints Stephen Siao as Chief of Staff

Jason M. Reynolds

Congressman-elect Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced his appointment of Stephen Siao as his chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives. Siao will lead the transition over the next two months and lead the congressional office starting in January. Green will succeed Marsha Blackburn in the 7th Congressional District as she moves over to the U.S. Senate. Green was elected to the 22nd Tennessee State Senate in 2012. “I’m excited to announce Stephen Siao as my chief of staff,” said Congressman-elect Green. “A well-respected leader in his own right, Stephen led my campaign team flawlessly and will help me serve the people of the Seventh District well. Our paths first crossed the night I announced my first campaign seven years ago, and since then, he has become a trusted advisor and friend to Camie and me.” A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Siao was previously state director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) presidential campaign, grassroots manager at Heritage Action, and started his career in Washington, D.C. at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Siao has served a total of nine years on the executive committees of four different Republican Parties and auxiliary organizations, including five years as chairman or…

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Commentary: Forget the Blue Wave, Nov. 6 Could be the Closest Race for the House Ever

Admin
United States Capitol

by Robert Romano   Don’t look now, but the 2018 race for the House of Representatives could be one of the closest in U.S. electoral history. Currently, the House is broken down 235 to 193 with 7 empty seats. As of this writing, the Real Clear Politics average of polls in the House predicts Democrats will pick up about 25 seats on Nov. 6. If that happens, Democrats would have 218 seats, and Republicans 217 seats. That would be the closest majority in U.S. history and since 1916, when Republicans won 216 seats to Democrats’ 214. Any less than 25 seats picked up by Democrats, and Republicans will retain the majority. Midterms are traditionally not favorable to the President’s party, particularly in the House. 9 times out of 10, seats are lost, and when they do, losses have averaged about 35 over the past century. On the Senate side, things look a bit more solid for Republicans, with the Real Clear Politics average of polls predicting Republicans pick up two seats, bringing their majority potentially up to 53 seats if not greater. Usually, incumbent parties give up on average 6 seats, 71 percent of the time. Any pick up of…

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Commentary: Forget the Blue Wave, Nov. 6 Could be the Closest Race for the House Ever

Admin
United States Capitol

by Robert Romano   Don’t look now, but the 2018 race for the House of Representatives could be one of the closest in U.S. electoral history. Currently, the House is broken down 235 to 193 with 7 empty seats. As of this writing, the Real Clear Politics average of polls in the House predicts Democrats will pick up about 25 seats on Nov. 6. If that happens, Democrats would have 218 seats, and Republicans 217 seats. That would be the closest majority in U.S. history and since 1916, when Republicans won 216 seats to Democrats’ 214. Any less than 25 seats picked up by Democrats, and Republicans will retain the majority. Midterms are traditionally not favorable to the President’s party, particularly in the House. 9 times out of 10, seats are lost, and when they do, losses have averaged about 35 over the past century. On the Senate side, things look a bit more solid for Republicans, with the Real Clear Politics average of polls predicting Republicans pick up two seats, bringing their majority potentially up to 53 seats if not greater. Usually, incumbent parties give up on average 6 seats, 71 percent of the time. Any pick up of…

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House Passes Act to Undo Supreme Court’s Kelo Ruling Which Allows Use of Eminent Domain For Private Development

Jason M. Reynolds
Susette Kelo, Little Pink House

The U.S. House took a stand for private property rights Wednesday when it addressed the issues from a controversial 2004 Supreme Court ruling that gives broad powers to seize private property. One writer, at least, cautions against premature celebration. Rick Moran at the blog American Thinker reported the House’s passage of HR 1689, the Private Property Rights Protection Act. American Thinker quotes Ed Morrissey at Hot Air who said no major media outlets covered this issue regarding the rights of citizens to be secure in their property. “It might not have gone far even now had it not been for renewed interest in the case from the recent independent film Little Pink House, starring Catherine Keener as Susette Kelo and Jeanne Tripplehorn and produced by Ted Balaker, formerly of Reason,” Morrissey said. Moran said eminent domain is justified in many cases where the public good would be served. However, “The argument isn’t if states and local governments have the right to invoke eminent domain, but rather the overly broad justification used by the court to allow a private developer to seize someone else’s property. “In Kelo, only a few private developers benefited,” Moran continued. “That the court deliberately weakened private property rights has been a stain…

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Wilson County Commissioner Announces Primary Run For Rep. Susan Lynn’s House District 57

Laura Baigert

  “It’s time to go against the status quo, and I hope to be the next Representative for the 57th District,” says Wilson County Commissioner, Dan Walker, as he announced his intention to run in the Republican primary for the 2018 election. Walker is the second to announce a run in the 2018 Republican primary for the 57th House District, a seat currently held by Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet), joining Jeremy Hayes, who announced his intention to run on February 28 in an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star. At the time of his announcement, Hayes cited Lynn’s support for Governor Haslam’s gas tax.  Lynn later denied support for the gas tax when Hayes challenged her to a debate, saying “I am not for the gas tax so there is nothing to debate.” On April 19, Rep. Lynn was one of 37 Republicans and 23 Democrats who voted for the gas-tax increase containing IMPROVE Act. Walker’s announcement states, “Dan is running on a small government approach, bringing with him a strong business acumen and military leadership to work for the great people of the 57th State District of Tennessee.”  A quote from Walker in the announcement states, I am…

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House of Representatives In Turmoil Going Into Day Two of Budget Review

Laura Baigert

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — After nearly a six and a half hour day, the Tennessee House of Representatives appears to be no closer to having a finalized budget for fiscal year 2017-18 when it goes back into session Friday at 9 a.m., as the first bill to approve the budget appropriations did not make it to a vote on Thursday. As the first legislative year of the 110th General Assembly draws to a close, the last of the bills are being heard and the budget for fiscal year 2017-18 needs to be approved.  The budget passed the House Finance Ways & Means Subcommittee and full Committee on Wednesday and was placed on the calendar for the House floor session to convene at 9 a.m. Thursday. After dozens of resolutions and bills were passed, but prior to the discussion of the four bills that make Governor Haslam’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, at 10:34 a.m., Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) requested a recess until 11:30 for a caucus meeting.  While a handful of members responded with their own comments, the real purpose of the Republican caucus meeting was to allow “leadership” to “encourage” support of the budget.  Leadership was…

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