Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed columnist for The Epoch Times, Roger Simon in studio to talk about his recent article with Congressman Andy Ogles and Speaker McCarthy allowing CSPAN cameras to roam about Congress.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-06) Congressman John Rose to the newsmaker line to discuss the new House rules in Congress and bills he’ll be proposing.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Congressman Andy Ogles to the newsmaker line to discuss his vote for Speaker Kevin McCarthy, their viral exchange, and making nice with Dan Crenshaw.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist, official guest host, and Faith and Freedom Coalition’s State of Tennessee Director Aaron Gulbransen in-studio to comment upon trending Republican polling.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-06) Congressman John Rose to the newsmaker line to explain why he voted against the $40 billion to Ukraine aid and explained the consequences of President Biden’s weak leadership.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in studio to answer the big question of whether or not he’ll run for the US House of Represenatives seat in Tennessee’s Fifth.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Congressman Tim Burchett to the newsmakers line to talk reckless spending, Kevin McCarthy, and the Durham report.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed State Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) of East Tennessee in-studio to talk about funding her campaign and working in Washington.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leashy welcomed Congressman Chuck Fleishmann of Tennessee’s Third Congressional District to the newmakers line to talk about his background and preserving Conservative values nationwide.
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Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Congressman Tim Burchett to the newsmakers line to discuss the Build Back Better build and the future Speaker of the House.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed The Tennessee Star’s Washington Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line to weigh in on Wrong Way Milley and the mood in Congress.
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Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs to the newsmakers line to explain his motivation for US term limits and his background.
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Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee’s Seventh District to the newsmakers line to discuss his bill which would outlaw the training of critical race theory in U.S. Military Academy and others.
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State Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) announced this morning that she is running for the United States House of Representatives. Kiggans, a first term State Senator, will challenge two-term Congresswoman Elaine Luria for Virginia’s Second District Congressional seat.
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Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed State Rep. Chris Todd of Jackson in the studio to discuss his current resolution to enact term limits for members of the U.S. Congress.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent on the newsmakers line to weigh in on how Mike Pence will rule in Congress.
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Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee State Senator Bill Hagerty to the newsmakers line to discuss the upcoming joint session of Congress and his 10-day commission proposal.
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President Donald Trump vetoed a bipartisan congressional resolution Wednesday that would have curbed his ability to direct military action against Iran.
“This was a very insulting resolution, introduced by Democrats as part of a strategy to win an election on November 3 by dividing the Republican Party,” Trump said Wednesday as he signed the veto. “The few Republicans who voted for it played right into their hands. Congress should not have passed this resolution.”
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Former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos announced Monday morning during “Fox & Friends” that he is officially running for Democrat Katie Hill’s former House seat.
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by Bill Wilson The old saying that “a nod is as good as a wink in a blind horse” came rushing to mind as I read an article at TheHill.com by Morgan Gstalter about an RNC internal poll. It seems the Republican National Committee (RNC) spent money to find out that “Trump voters” are not really into the midterm elections and that a number of GOPers could well lose because the Trump voters stay home or are “complacent.” This self-evident truth is followed by what may be the most self-serving, liberal-Republican nonsense that has been published in a very long time. According to the article, the RNC study “states that the Republican Party should focus its messaging around Social Security and Medicare. ‘The challenge for GOP candidates is that most voters believe that the GOP wants to cut back on these programs in order to provide tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy’ the study states.” Now if you are a liberal or a closet Democrat that may make sense. But for anyone actually talking to voters and looking at real data, it is about as far off as you can get. Nobody believes the GOP is going to cut Social…
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Gregory Watson has been recognized by historians, academics, and elected officials as the only individual in American history whose singular efforts are responsible for the ratification of an amendment to the United States Constitution. Mr. Watson has provided this first hand account of his successful efforts to persuade state legislatures across the country to ratify the 27th amendment exclusively to The Tennessee Star. For me, the journey of amending the United States Constitution in 1992 really started some 14 years earlier in 1978. During that summer, my family moved over 1,000 miles from Michigan to Texas. I was age 16 at the time and I still had the final two years of high school ahead of me to complete. While sharing a border with Dallas, the suburb of Mesquite, Texas, was not connected with Dallas’ public transit service. Although of legal age to obtain a driver’s license, since I did not have access to a vehicle, I was unable to travel from Point A to Point B and had to seek other ways to achieve intellectual stimulation during those two years of residency in Mesquite. After graduating from Mesquite High School in May of 1980, I relocated to Austin…
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Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s ‘Mornings with Maria‘ on Fox Business Friday to discuss the public hearing of anti-Trump FBI lovebird Peter Strzok. However, the two wound up spending much of the segment on Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D-TN-09) deeply insulting suggestion that the embattled Strzok should receive a Purple Heart – an award established by George Washington himself nearly 236 years ago for soldiers wounded in battlefield injuries that dates back to the country’s founding. “Well it was a disaster. Everyone looked terrible,” Dershowitz said, when Bartiromo asked what his main takeaway from the day’s events was. Dershowitz added, “The low point, of course, was when a congressman said he deserved a Purple Heart. A Purple Heart you get when you put your life at risk, not for answering some questions in from of some congress people.” He continued, “It proves the point I make in my book [The Case Against Impeaching Trump] that there should have been a neutral, non-partisan, 9-11-type of commission investigating all of this.” As Dershowitz spoke, viewers could see the Harvard Law Professor become more outraged as he completed each sentence. “The 2016 election was filled with problems – Russia…
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In the first two days of early voting there are signs that turnout may be higher than normal in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. Early voting started on Friday and continued on Saturday, though the locations and schedule for the Saturday voting was limited in several counties. Additionally, some counties have only reported their Friday totals at this point. Nevertheless, 30,262 votes have already been cast in the Republican Primary and 12,205 in the Democratic Primary. Early voting continues until July 28 with Election Day on August 2. There were 668,039 total GOP Senate Primary votes cast in August 2014. That election featured a contested primary between Senator Lamar Alexander (331,705 votes) and Joe Carr (271,324). Alexander prevailed by a closer than expected 49-40% margin. A third Republican, Dr. George Flinn received a little over 34,000 total votes. That race may give guidance in predicting final turnout as we move through the early voting period. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill expects the turnout to increase dramatically over the next few weeks. “Not only do we have a hotly contested Republican Primary for Governor, in which we will see perhaps $10 million in spending in the next few weeks…
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by Fred Lucas A joint hearing of two House committees Thursday repeatedly turned testy as FBI agent Peter Strzok sought to explain away text messages sharply critical of Donald Trump and how they did not affect the fairness of the FBI investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Strzok, reassigned but still an FBI employee, admitted “it’s fair to say I’m not a fan” of Trump. But he insisted that the Russia investigation is legitimate, contrary to Trump’s characterization of it. “In the summer of 2016, we had an urgent need to protect the integrity of an American presidential election from a hostile foreign power determined to weaken and divide the United States of America,” Strzok told lawmakers. “This investigation is not politically motivated. It is not a witch hunt. It is not a hoax.” The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Judiciary Committee held the joint hearing. The following are the big takeaways. [The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] 1. Denying Bias, Admitting Regret Throughout the hearing, Strzok continuously denied being biased. “Having worked in national…
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The American Future Fund, a 501(c)4 group that funded multiple attack ads against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election has filed information with the Federal Election Commission indicating that they have just spent $17,500 for a targeted direct mail piece against Republican conservative businessman and former Judge Bob Corlew. Corlew is locked in a tight primary battle with businessman John Rose in the 6th Congressional District to fill the seat being vacated by Congresswoman Diane Black. Black is running for Governor. https://twitter.com/pml_tray/status/1017095926064615424 In 2016 alone, the organization spent $6.7 million in attacks against Trump, describing him as a “fraud,” “a phony,” and a “B.S. artist.” The group recently ran negative ads against South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a staunch and early Trump supporter. Trump appeared at a campaign rally for McMaster the night before his runoff election in South Carolina last month. McMaster won the runoff and is expected to easily carry the state in November. The American Future Fund was founded by Nick Ryan in 2007 and is based in Iowa. The group has spent funds opposing other pro-Trump candidates during this election cycle. FEC regulations require the disclosure of independent expenditures related to a Federal campaign, such as Congress,…
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by Victor Ashe The recent revelation that 2nd District Congressional candidate Jimmy Matlock skipped the three-day special session called by Gov. Bill Haslam in 2016 to rescue federal highway dollars, as well as the vote to oust a sexual predator from the state House, has triggered further questions about his attendance record over the past 12 years. It has been hit and miss for Matlock when it comes to being on the House floor for votes. Only this year, on the last day of the 2018 session, Matlock left three hours early before the House adjourned, missing several votes, including one on the sale of liquor in Tellico Village. He represents Tellico Village but did not want to take a position on the legislation He has yet to explain to voters why he did not attend the special legislative session. On April 10, 2014, when the state budget passed 68 to 27, Matlock was one of four House members not to vote. The budget is the single most important vote a lawmaker casts. Meanwhile, Matlock has challenged Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett to a one-on-one debate, as if the other three candidates are irrelevant. Clever – but why would…
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by Jeffery Rendall Isn’t Maxine Waters indefensible? It’s a question Democrat leaders must be asking themselves these days as the furor over Waters’ recent inflammatory “resist” comments has drawn apologists of the California congresswoman out of the woodworks. These people seem to think Maxine deserved a more stringent public defense of what she said a couple weeks back. Why, you ask? Because Waters is black! Victor Morton of the Washington Times reported last week, “A group of black women sent a letter this week to the two top Democrats in Congress demanding that they apologize for their veiled criticisms of Rep. Maxine Waters and threatening repercussions at the ballot box in November if they do not. “’For Black women, who are the most loyal base of the Democratic Party and the Progressive Movement, Congresswoman Waters is our shero [sic],’ declared the letter signed by nearly 200 people, mostly black female academics, activists, local elected officials, political consultants, and religious leaders, along with a few male allies. “The letter, a copy of which was posted by Politico on Wednesday, accused House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, both of whom are white, of racial insensitivity and expressed ‘our…
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A new Jason Emert ad in the 2nd Congressional GOP Primary race is drawing some national attention, but its because of the sports reference in the ad rather than policy. The Emert spot takes a shot at former UT football coach Butch Jones, who once made a comment that he would rebuild the football program “brick by brick.” “Unlike Butch Jones, when I say I’m going to do something, I actually mean it,” Emert says in the ad. But trolling Jones, who once appeared in a Farm Bureau commercial building a brick mailbox, doesn’t end there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgoGEDW9Z8g In his commercial, which is virtually identical to the Farm Bureau ad featuring Jones, Emert is literally building a brick wall to demonstrate his support for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. At the end Emert looks at his wall and says: “Brick by brick.” While Jones isn’t on the ballot in August, Emert clearly hopes the creative ad will draw attention to his campaign. Recent polls indicate that Emert is lagging well behind two of his competitors for the vacancy created by the retirement of Congressman Jimmy Duncan. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and State Representative Jimmy Matlock are locked in a heated…
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A massive gas tax increase that was part of the Haslam Administration’s IMPROVE Act, which raised fuel taxes over $300 million a year, is becoming an issue in the 6th District Republican Primary congressional race. Former judge and conservative businessman Bob Corlew is hitting fellow Republican contender John Rose for supporting the huge tax increase in a new digital ad that may soon find its way to broadcast and cable outlets in the district. According to a Corlew campaign spokesman, the ad was rejected by “Gas Station Television” because, as a representative at Gas Station Television told the campaign, “they didn’t want to run anything that would shine ‘a negative light on the gas space (or oil industry).’ So this ad never got to run on their air.” A transcript of the ad: “HEY! HEY YOU PUMPING GAS! DO YOU THINK YOU PAY TOO MUCH AT THE PUMP? WELL, IF JOHN ROSE HAD HIS WAY YOU WOULD BE PAYING MORE EVERY TIME EVERY TIME YOU FILL UP. THAT’S RIGHT, JOHN ROSE SUPPORTED INCREASING FUEL TAXES BY 33%. JOHN ROSE SAID YOU PAYING MORE EVERY TIME YOU PUMP GAS ‘MAKES GOOD SENSE’. AND ‘I HOPE THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.’ JOHN ROSE:…
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by CHQ Staff Yesterday, Rep. Jim Jordan grilled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about the documents he has been withholding from Congress, as Rosenstein smirked his way through the questioning by Jordan, and Representatives Trey Gowdy and Louie Gohmert. You can watch the full exchange between Jordan and Rosenstein through this link to C-SPAN. “Mr. Rosenstein, why are you keeping information from Congress?” Jordan asked in a particularly heated exchange, reported by our friend Rachel Stolzfoos of the Federalist. “I want to know why you won’t give us what we asked for,” Jordan said. Rosenstein called Jordan’s characterization “inaccurate,” causing Jordan to erupt. “It is accurate!” he exclaimed. “We have caught you hiding!” Jordan dismissed the Deputy AG’s denials the DOJ is hiding anything, asserting that the House vote would dispute that notion. “I think in a few minutes the House of Representatives is going to go on record saying you haven’t complied with requests from a separate and equal branch of government, that you haven’t complied with subpoenas, and you got seven days to get your act together.” Jordan accused Rosenstein of instructing FBI agent Peter Strzok — who testified before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees — not…
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by Evie Forham South Carolina Republican congressional candidate Katie Arrington was moved out of intensive care and has begun physical therapy after a June 22 car crash left her in serious condition, a Thursday tweet from candidate’s Twitter account said. Arrington is expected to make a full recovery after the collision. Katie Arrington was moved out of ICU last night. Her physical therapy session today went extremely well and was twice as long as yesterday’s session. Katie knows these sessions are important steps toward her return to serving and fighting for the Lowcountry. #PrayForKatie — Katie Arrington (@karringtonsc) June 28, 2018 Arrington was sitting in the passenger seat when another car driving in the wrong lane smashed into the South Caroline state representative’s vehicle. Arrington’s driver, the candidate’s friend, Jacqueline Goff, was also critically injured, reported The Post and Courier. The other driver, Helen White, died at the scene. Arrington had surgery on her abdomen and back. She gained national attention when President Donald Trump endorsed her via Twitter in her bid to be representative of South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District over rival candidate Mark Sanford on June 12, the night of the Republican primary. Arrington beat Sanford 50.6 percent to 46.5 percent. Mark…
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Tennessee’s U.S. House delegation voted unanimously against House Speaker Paul’s Ryan’s immigration bill Wednesday, including both Democrat members, with Rep. Diane Black not voting. The bill went down in defeat by a wide margin, 121-301, despite President Trump’s subdued support. A sprawling, compromise GOP immigration bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants while directing $25 billion for the construction of President Trump’s border wall failed in the House on Wednesday, despite encouragement from the president for Republicans to support it. The bill was overwhelmingly rejected 301-121, in part because some Republicans are reluctant to vote for any bill they worry could be portrayed as “amnesty.” More than 100 Republicans voted against the legislation. The legislation was given little chance of passing going in. Trump’s tweet Wednesday captured his earlier private views that he supports the bill as well as his previous tweets that Republicans were wasting their time on legislation that can’t pass the Senate, putting a different spin on the latter. “HOUSE REPUBLICANS SHOULD PASS THE STRONG BUT FAIR IMMIGRATION BILL, KNOWN AS GOODLATTE II, IN THEIR AFTERNOON VOTE TODAY, EVEN THOUGH THE DEMS WON’T LET IT PASS IN THE SENATE,” he tweeted in…
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Williamson County businessman Bill Lee won the gubernatorial straw poll at the Robertson County Republican Party’s annual Reagan Ranch dinner on Friday. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) finished in second place, followed by Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd in third place and Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) in fourth place. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill served as master of ceremonies for the evening, which had about 200 people in attendance. Though straw polls at official Republican Party functions are not necessarily a predictor of voting behavior in primaries, they are a good indication of the local organizational skills of the contending candidates. The Lee campaign considered the straw poll win significant, coming as it does less than two months before the August 2 Republican primary in a county that Black represents in Congress. Robertson County Republican Party officials announced only the order of finish of the candidates in the straw poll, not their actual vote totals. One source who attended the event who was not affiliated with the Robertson County Republican Party or on the official program provided The Tennessee Star with they claimed was the unofficial but accurate vote tally from the gubernatorial straw poll. Those results…
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by Printus LeBlanc When the framers created the government, it was split into three coequal branches; the Congressional, Executive, and Judicial branches. Articles I through III describe the duties, responsibilities, and powers assigned to each branch of the government. However, one of those branches seems to be the redheaded stepchild of the government lately. If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last several years, you know the House of Representatives, and more recently the Senate, have been engaged in a fierce battle with executive branch agencies over documents about congressional investigations. The agencies routinely ignore requests from Congress or flat out lie when questioned under oath. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. In 2013, the IRS admitted it was guilty of targeting conservative groups when it apologized for the act. Members of Congress were furious and immediately launched investigations. The IRS employee at the center of the targeting scandal, Lois Lerner, pled the Fifth Amendment right to non-incrimination when called before committees. The committees were left with no alternative but to subpoena documents. In a pattern that has become all too familiar, the requested documents were destroyed after the subpoenas were issued. The IRS said the emails were…
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by Romina Boccia The Senate Budget Committee met May 23 to consider the Government Accountability Office’s annual report on Government Efficiency and Effectiveness, which identifies areas of unnecessary overlap, fragmentation, and duplication among federal programs. The Government Accountability Office supplements that identification of waste with recommendations of what to do about it, presenting specific proposals upon which Congress and executive agencies should act. This year, the report identified 68 new and 297 renewed cost-saving recommendations for members of Congress and leaders of federal agencies. Examples include a modification to low-activity radioactive-waste treatment by the Department of Energy that would save tens of billions of dollars; site neutrality in payments to hospitals under Medicare that would save $1 billion to $2 billion annually; and prevention of overpayments by the Social Security Administration that would save billions. The benefits are sitting right in front of policymakers and agency leaders, but Washington fails to act. Since 2011—the inception of the Government Accountability Office’s annual report—48 percent of recommendations remain only partially addressed or entirely unaddressed. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Fully addressing these actions could save additional tens of…
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by John Rose It is time we have a Congress that supports our President. The President’s visit to Tennessee last week was a reminder that though the liberal news media would have you believe differently, the President’s agenda is popular here in Tennessee and across America and if I have the privilege of representing the people of Tennessee’s sixth district, I will help him pass it. This past Tuesday I had the honor to meet President Trump and share with him why I am running for the House of Representatives. I told him that I am running to take Tennessee values to Washington and help him get his agenda passed, like tax cuts and funding to build his border wall to stop illegal immigration. I told him that he could count on me to have his back against liberals and the fake news media in Washington, DC who are constantly trying to tear him down and stop him from doing things that will help all Tennesseans and every American. Republicans must win in November to stop the Democrats from controlling the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi from once again becoming Speaker. Democrats would roll back the gains we have made…
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In Federal Election Commission filings, congressional hopeful Dr. Mark Green reported his campaign to date has raised nearly $1.2 million, with a reported $769,000 cash-on-hand heading into the all-important second quarter of 2018. Since January 2018, the campaign reports it has received $467,949 in receipts through April 2018. “Camie and I are honored that more than 750 people have given to our campaign to bring conservative leadership to Washington. We are committed to running an aggressive grassroots campaign from now through election day, and these resources will enable us to do that,” Dr. Green said in a statement. The sole Republican in the race, Green’s campaign notes the candidate has “received broad support from the conservative movement both in Tennessee and nationally,” adding: He is endorsed by 100 grassroots conservative leaders in the state, 20 mayors in the district, and over 60 legislators serve on Green’s finance committee. National groups supporting Green include the Club for Growth, FRC Action, GOPAC, and the House Freedom Fund, and FreedomWorks. Green currently serves in the Tennessee State Senate, where he is currently working to pass several pieces of legislation including an anti-sanctuary cities measure to close certain loopholes in the current law, as…
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Rep. Maxine Waters, California Democrat, repeated her call for Congress to impeach President Trump after he called her a “very low I.Q. individual” at his Saturday rally. Mr. Trump told the crowd that “we have to defeat Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters, a very low I.Q. individual,” then referred to her ongoing push for him to be impeached.
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Despite questions from constituents and local media, Representative Phil Roe (R-TN-01) has not yet announced if he will run for re-election in 2018. The most recent inquiry came from, the Kingsport Times News, who asked on a conference call Friday if the retired physician had decided if he would be adding his name to the August primary ballot. “I have not,” the ten-year incumbent answered, adding: “… from a health standpoint … I’ve had a CT (computer tomography) scan, which was normal. I’m very pleased about that. … In another three to four weeks, I’ll have a blood test to see whether that’s normal and OK. Those things will impact the decision you make. So far, I’ve gotten great results. Physically I’m feeling better.” Roe was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer in 2017 and is reported to have responded well to treatment. As for the timeline on when he is decide one way or another, the Times News writes that Roe said he has “some things for the VA [Veterans Administration] that are critical” and, “All of these are weighing on my decision and it’s going to be coming rather quickly. … I have a national platform now.…
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State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) picked up two more endorsements Thursday as Franklin Mayor Ken Moore and Savannah Mayor Bob Shutt both added their full-throated support to Green’s bid to replace Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) in this Fall’s elections. “Mark Green served our country with honor in the United States Army and has served Tennessee with honor as a State Senator,” Franklin’s Mayor Moore said in a statement. I am confident he will continue his record of distinction as the next Congressman from the Seventh Congressional District.” Savannah’s Mayor Shutt added, “Like many Tennesseans in the 7th district, Mark grew up on a dirt road in a small town and understands firsthand the challenges facing our communities. He has dedicated his life to service, and I am confident he will represent us well in Congress.” The duo brings Dr. Green’s distinguished list of Mayoral endorsements to an impressive dozen. This is in addition to a myriad of statements of support and approval from individuals and groups from all 19 counties across the district, including the endorsements from 100 conservative leaders across Tennessee and a 147-member finance committee including 14 legislators. “I’m honored to have Mayor Moore and Mayor Shutt’s endorsements” Green…
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Members of Congress brought renewed attention to a legislative effort to halt efforts by the Department of Justice to restart one of the most controversial civil forfeiture practices, so-called “adoptive” forfeitures. The practice, part of the equitable sharing program, allows state and local law enforcement to seize property in their jurisdictions and then hand it over to federal agencies to conduct the forfeiture. In return, the original seizing agency then receives up to 80 percent of the proceeds if the forfeiture is successful. In 2015, the Justice Department essentially halted this type of forfeiture amid growing concerns that it gave police and sheriffs a financial incentive to circumvent state laws when federal law made it easier to seize assets. Some state laws are more protective of property rights and more restrictive in how forfeiture funds can be raised and spent than federal law. The Justice Department’s decision was hailed by reform advocates, but in July, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a directive reinstating adoptions. What Congress Has Done That move prompted pushback from lawmakers. Led by Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Justin Amash, R-Mich., a bipartisan group of House members sought to put a stop to Sessions’ actions by blocking funding for the program. In September…
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Conservative Republican songwriter Lee Thomas Miller, a candidate for the Seventh Congressional District GOP nomination, issued a statement of strong support Friday for President Trump’s announcement that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and that the U.S. embassy will be relocated to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv: As President Trump said in making the announcement, failing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has not led to lasting peace in the region. The Trump Administration action is consistent with current U.S. law and reaffirms what we already know: Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people and Israel for thousands of years in every way but modern political designation. I support President Trump’s decision and applaud him for his courage and for keeping his often repeated campaign promise to do exactly what he has done. I am proud to stand with him and Israel, which remains our strongest ally in the region. President Trump also noted in his historic announcement that The Jerusalem Embassy Act was passed in Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. In the Senate, the bill passed on Oct. 24, 1995, by a 93-5 margin. Later that day, the House followed suit,…
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In his latest move to replace outgoing Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) has signed two pledges many conservative and Republican voters look to when evaluating a candidate for office. Today, Dr. Mark Green announced he has signed both the U.S. Term Limits Pledge as well as the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. A part-time citizen legislator, Green has consistently fought against both career politicians and tax increases. “I am proud to have championed both term limits and lower taxes in Tennessee, and will continue to fight for both if elected to Congress,” stated Green. “President Trump is right–Washington, D.C. is a swamp, and we need term limits to drain it. My pledge to Tennesseans is I will continue to be a citizen legislator and fight against any tax increase on them.” In the State Senate, Green has won numerous recognition for his efforts on behalf of Tennessee taxpayers, including the Tax Foundation’s Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award, National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Guardian of Small Business award and the ACU Conservative award from the American Conservative Union. Green faces songwriter Lee Thomas Miller in the August 2018 Republican primary to become the party’s nominee in the…
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State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District, announced his campaign finance committee Thursday, as the candidate gears up for the grand opening of his first campaign office December 19: Today, Dr. Mark Green announced his 147-member Finance Committee for his campaign for Congress. 68 members of the General Assembly are on the Finance Committee, including 14 legislators who represent all 19 of the 19 counties in the 7th congressional district. Among the well-known Republican fundraisers on the Committee are former Williamson County Republican Party chairman Doug Grindstaff, former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, and business leaders Lee Beaman and Willis Johnson. The full list can be found here: http://www.markgreen4tn.com/finance_committee “Camie and I are truly honored and humbled to have this powerhouse group of political and business leaders on our finance committee. With this team’s leadership, we will have the resources to win this race,” Green noted. In the two months since announcing his run for Congress, Green has coalesced the conservative movement both nationally and in Tennessee behind his campaign, with endorsements from the Club for Growth, Family Research Council Action, the House Freedom Fund, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Rick Santorum, Dr.…
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Congressional hopeful and nationally recognized songwriter Lee Thomas Miller announced in a statement Tuesday he has tapped Franklin-based businessman Tim Pagliara to be his campaign finance chair in his bid to represent the people of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. “Pagliara is founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin-based CapWealth Advisors, and is recognized as one of the top financial advisors in the state and nation,” the statement said. “Tim not only brings a wealth of contacts to the campaign, but also an extraordinary amount of insight into the issues relevant to getting people back to work, strengthening our domestic economy, making America more competitive in the global marketplace and overhauling our complicated and inefficient tax system,” Miller said in the announcement. “He will be a great asset as our fundraising leader, but will also be invaluable as an advisor to the campaign,” Miller added. “Finance Committee co-chairs and membership will be announced in the coming weeks, but we couldn’t have a better anchor tenant than Tim Pagliara to set the stage for our fundraising efforts,” Miller concluded. Pagliara was effusive in his praise of Miller. “As I have spent time with Lee and had the chance to get to know him, I have…
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Congressman Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN -07) decision to seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Bob Corker in 2018 has sparked a flurry of interest in filling her seat in Congress. State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) has already announced his intentions to run, and Williamson County Christian conservative activist Laurie Cardoza Moore is considering the race along with Franklin Mayor Ken Moore. However, another potential candidate is creating a lot of buzz as well. Lee Thomas Miller is an award winning songwriter and conservative advocate who lives in Williamson County with his wife Jana and their four kids. He has penned songs for some of the top country and Christian artists, including Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton and Brandon Heath, to name a few. Most people know his hit songs, like “In Color,” “The Impossible,” “You’re Gonna Miss This,” and “I’m Still a Guy.” With, 7 No. 1 songs, 12 top-10’s, CMA and ACM wins for song of the year, and three Grammy nominations, this son of a Kentucky tobacco farmer and small town librarian is well known in music industry circles though not yet in the political arena. But in an…
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Former Pennsylvania Senator and two-time presidential hopeful Rick Santorum announced his endorsement of Dr. Mark Green for Congress Thursday. “Mark Green has been a true champion for conservative values in the State Senate, and I’m confident he’ll bring that same much-needed leadership to Washington, Senator Santorum said in a statement. “Our country desperately needs bold conservative leadership, and Mark is the right man for the job.” Rick Santorum is a longtime leader in the conservative movement since he burst into national political scene in 1991 with a surprise upset victory over Congressman Doug Walgren in a heavily-Democrat district in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. After serving two terms in the House, Santorum ran for and won a seat in the U.S. Senate as a part of the historic Republican takeover of both houses of Congress in 1994. His tenure was marked by several important votes, including voting against NAFTA; empowering schools to include theories of ‘intelligent design’ within ‘origin of life’ lessons; and defending enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding. Santorum rose quickly through the Republican leadership, eventually attaining the 3rd highest-rank as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. However, his plans in the Senate were cut short after a choppy 2006…
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