Jack Hunter: 5 votes against John Boehner

I want to quickly share some news about a few YAL PAC-endorsed candidates from this past week.

As you may have already heard, this past Thursday Congress voted to reinstate Rep. John Boehner as Speaker of the House. Only Twelve House Republicans voted against Rep. Boehner—a vote that takes real guts.

And of those twelve, five were YAL PAC-endorsed candidates (and four more were strongly considered for an endorsement). These five constitutionalists were:

    Rep. Justin Amash (MI)

    Rep. Walter Jones (NC)

    Rep. Raul Labrador (ID)

    Rep. Thomas Massie (KY)

    Rep. Ted Yoho (FL)

Although we didn't have the votes to unseat Rep. Boehner, the good news is we are finally building a coalition in the House that is not afraid to stand up to leadership and vote on principle. For decades, we only had Ron Paul, but now our numbers are growing.

The bad news is the Republican Establishment will not forget these "traitors." No doubt there will be political consequences down the road. For example, even before this vote, Rep. Amash was removed from his committee assignment by Rep. Boehner and his cronies because he didn't vote "with the team" enough.

Ultimately, this is why it's important you and I remain engaged and support these candidates when it comes time for re-election. Not only will they need to defeat a Democratic opponent, but they will face opposition by their own party's entrenched establishment. And you and I know special interest money will not be on their side.

For now, keep an eye out for these constitutionalists in the news, and the YAL PAC will continue to stand on principle—and keep you informed.

For liberty,

Jack Hunter

YAL PAC

Advisory Board Member

SATIRE: Four Possibilities to Replace John Boehner

The smart money says John Boehner will almost certainly be re-elected speaker of the House Thursday.

That’s not to say he’s done such an outstanding job. But there doesn’t seem to be a credible candidate willing to challenge him.

Nonetheless, some activists have confidently declared the votes are there to oust Boehner; that someone else — though it’s not clear who — will emerge and win the speakership.

And if this savior is not to be found in the House, he or she will be found outside of it. Nothing says the speaker of the House has to be an elected member of the House, after all.

In the unlikely chance that a consensus emerges to boot Boehner on Thursday, The Daily Caller has dutifully come up with a list of possible candidates to lead the GOP in the House in the 113th Congress.

# 1: The Soup Nazi

If House Republicans are looking for someone who won’t cave to President Barak Obama, the Soup Nazi from “Seinfeld” is their man.

First, his soups are irresistible. Think about it for a moment. Be strategic. If he were to

Read more.

Source: Daily Caller

Campaign for Liberty: Stop the Statists' Deal!

Dear friend of liberty,

The statists’ sweetheart “deal” rammed through the U.S. Senate at 2 a.m. this morning – while they thought absolutely no one was looking – is set to be voted on in the U.S. House at any minute.

That’s why it’s vital you call your Congressman, Rep. David Dreier, at (202) 225-2305 and DEMAND Rep. David Dreier vote no on this outrageous scheme IMMEDIATELY.

While you’re at it, call Speaker Boehner’s office at (202) 225-6205 and tell him to oppose this statist scheme.

Without your action, I’m afraid this radical “deal” will pass.

And here’s a brief description of what’s about to hit you and me . . .

It’s all taxes and virtually zero cuts.

In fact, it’s $41 in taxes for every $1 in cuts that likely will never come!  All in all, it’s over $600 BILLION in new taxes!

After all, according to the politicians, our nation’s $16.4 TRILLION debt has nothing to do with their spending, their irresponsibility, or their recklessness.

It’s your fault, they say. 

They just don’t have enough money, because the American people are so greedy, they want to keep the money they’ve rightly earned – instead of giving it to politicians to WASTE.

Of course, they tell you and me taxes are only supposed to go up on the evil “rich!”

The small business owners.  The job creators.

By engaging in class warfare, and convincing “average” folks you don’t have a stake in the fight.

Nothing could be a bigger LIE.  Any sane person understands just who is going to be paying the price for all the politicians’ madness and our skyrocketing debt.

It’s going to be you, me - and our children and grandchildren.

Future generations of Americans will pay the price with lost liberty and lost opportunity.

But the statists know this so-called “deal” to send taxes skyrocketing is a total affirmation of all their spending, all their government growth, all their assaults on our liberties, and all their bailouts, borrowing, and printing money out of thin air.

And should this “deal” pass, they’ll think they have a blank check to continue.

It’s up to you and me to stop them.  It’s up to you and me to fight back. 

That’s why it’s vital you call your Congressman, Rep. David Dreier, at (202) 225-2305 and DEMAND Rep. David Dreier vote no on this outrageous scheme IMMEDIATELY.

While you’re at it, call Speaker Boehner’s office at (202) 225-6205 and tell him to oppose this statist scheme.

Time is running out, so please act at once!

In Liberty,

John Tate
President

Source: C4L

The Establishment's STENCH

Dear friend of liberty,

The political establishment in BOTH parties in Washington, D.C. is doubling down, and the stench from their smoky backroom deals is getting stronger every day.

Earlier this year, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced a program of PERMANENT "Quantitative Easing" - a move virtually sure to help finish off the U.S. Dollar.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner wants the President to be able to raise our nation's debt ceiling at will.

Now - desperate to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" - House Speaker John Boehner has already laid out an offer to President Obama to hike takes by a whopping $800 BILLION.

And just days ago, Speaker Boehner and the House GOP establishment stripped some of the strongest pro-limited government Members of the House - including Representative Justin Amash - of their Committee positions.

Representatives Amash and Huelskamp were removed from the Budget Committee, which happens to be chaired by Paul Ryan.

One has to be curious if we're witnessing a little payback, since both representatives opposed the Ryan budget.

Both men realize we have to address spending problems now - not wait decades to balance the budget.

What were the reasons given for Boehner's "purge"?

Not voting with Republican leadership enough. In other words, being "too principled" and actually believing in the talking points GOP candidates do their best to mouth on the campaign trail.

The message is clear.

Speaker Boehner is determined to cut a deal with President Obama to hike taxes and keep spending skyrocketing.

And rank-and-file House Republicans better get in line. Or else.

Forget demanding spending cuts.

Forget drawing a line in the sand and saying "NO" to economically destructive new taxes.

Our nation is over $16.3 TRILLION in debt, but that has nothing to do with wasteful politicians.

It's the fault of "selfish" people like you who don't hand over every red cent to Big Government bureaucrats in their mad rush to destroy every last memory of free markets in our country.

That's what the statists want you to believe.

Zachary, only to a politician could people who want to keep the fruits of their labor be considered "greedy," while those who would effectively STEAL those fruits be considered bighearted.

This fight is just beginning, of course.

But as you and I get closer to the holidays, it gets ever more dangerous.

Politicians think you and I aren't paying attention.

And the statists can hardly contain their excitement at RAMMING through a massive deal with President Obama to hike our taxes and earn praise from Big Government mouthpieces like the New York Times.

In fact, just thinking about it puts tears in Speaker Boehner's eyes.

That's why you and I are going to have to be more vigilant than ever.

I'll keep you updated on new developments in this fight over the next few weeks.

There will be many. And this fight will move fast.

Please be ready to take action. Grassroots citizens like you can derail the establishment's schemes.

But only if we're ready to show Washington, D.C. we mean business.

You can start today by calling John Boehner's office at (202) 225-6205 to demand he reinstate the members he "purged" to their committees.

In Liberty,

John Tate
President

Source: C4L

Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Republicans Becoming More Extreme and Intransigent in Debt Fight

By DNC Press

Today, Speaker John Boehner said in an interview that “a lot” of House Republicans are hoping to create chaos by allowing the United States to default on its debt for the first time in history, and he revealed his strategy for passing his deficit reduction legislation as convincing his caucus that because “Barack Obama hates it,” “Harry Reid hates it,” and “Nancy Pelosi hates it,” they should like it. In response, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“With none other than the Speaker of the House admitting that there are members of his own caucus who are striving to create chaos by bringing about an unprecedented default, and with the Speaker’s own partisan appeals to his caucus, it’s clear that the Republican Party is veering away from compromise. The deadline for default is now just a few days away, but as the sand runs out, Republicans are, if anything, becoming more extreme and intractable in their approach to deficit reduction, not less. While Democrats are and have for months been open to bipartisan compromise, Republicans have become more partisan and dug in at the very time that two sides must come together for the good of the country. While the country needs us to work together to find a way forward to get our fiscal house in order and avoid default, Republicans are literally rowing backwards.

Indeed, Speaker Boehner is now marketing his own plan to House Republicans in the most partisan way imaginable. In the Speaker’s words, if President Obama ‘hates it’ then Republicans should support it. If John Boehner ever expects to arrive at a plan that both sides can agree on before the clock strikes Midnight on August 2nd, he’ll have to lead his party in toning done the partisanship, not in inflaming it.

If the debt ceiling isn’t raised by August 2, America will default on its debts for the first time in history. This would risk a downgrade in our credit rating and could cause interest rates on student loans and home loans to rise. We won’t have the money to pay all of our bills and that could include essential functions like disbursing monthly Social Security checks, paying for veterans’ benefits, and living up to the contracts our government has signed with thousands of businesses.

This is not a game – partisan or otherwise. This is very serious business for the financial health of our nation and its people. It’s time Republicans started treating it that way.”

Boehner Trying To Convince His Caucus To Support His Plan: ‘Barack Obama Hates It, Harry Reid Hates It, Nancy Pelosi Hates It.” “But Boehner said he couldn't understand why any Republicans would position themselves with Democrats opposing his plan. ‘Barack Obama hates it, [Sen.] Harry Reid hates it, [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi hates it,’ he said, naming off the Democratic leadership.” [The Hill, 7/27/11]

Boehner: “A Lot” Of Republicans Want To Go Past August 2 And “Have Enough Chaos” To “Force The Senate And The White House To Accept A Balanced Budget Amendment.” On Laura Ingraham’s radio show, Speaker Boehner talked about what House Republicans were looking for in a debt deal. “Well, first they want more. And my goodness, I want more too. And secondly, a lot of them believe that if we get past August the second and we have enough chaos, we could force the Senate and the White House to accept a balanced budget amendment. I’m not sure that that — I don’t think that that strategy works. Because I think the closer we get to August the second, frankly, the less leverage we have vis a vis our colleagues in the Senate and the White House.” [Think Progress, 7/27/11]

VIDEO: "If you want to be a leader, then you got to lead"

Last night, President Obama held a press conference to provide an update on the ongoing budget negotiations to get our fiscal house in order.  Unfortunately, Speaker Boehner walked away from these negotiations as they worked towards a big deficit and debt reduction package.

Today, the President will meet with members of both parties, including Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi, to continue to hammer out a deal to ensure that Congress acts to reduce our deficit and prevent America from defaulting on its obligations.

VIDEO: Obama on Deficit "We're in the 11th Hour"

Over the weekend, President Obama continued to urge both parties to come together around a balanced package to deficit reduction. Today, the President provided an update on the efforts to lift the debt ceiling and also tackle the underlying challenges we face with our national debt and deficits:

"Some progress was made in some of the discussions, some narrowing of the issues.  Speaker Boehner and the Republican House caucus felt it necessary to put forward the plan that they're going to be voting on today.  I think everyone's estimation is, is that that is not an approach that could pass both chambers, it's not an approach that I would sign and it's not balanced.  But I understand the need for them to test that proposition.

The problem we have now is we're in the 11th hour and we don't have a lot more time left.  The good news is that today a group of senators, the Gang of Six, Democrats and Republicans -- I guess now Gang of Seven, because one additional Republican senator added on -- put forward a proposal that is broadly consistent with the approach that I've urged.  What it says is we've got to be serious about reducing discretionary spending both in domestic spending and defense; we've got to be serious about tackling health care spending and entitlements in a serious way; and we've got to have some additional revenue so that we have an approach in which there is shared sacrifice and everybody is giving up something.

And so, for us to see Democratic senators acknowledge that we've got to deal with our long-term debt problems that arise out of our various entitlement programs, and for Republican senators to acknowledge that revenues will have to be part of a balanced package that makes sure that nobody is disproportionately hurt from us making progress on the debt and deficits I think is a very significant step.  And as I said, the framework that they put forward is broadly consistent with what we've been working on here in the White House and with the presentations that I've made to the leadership when they've come over here.

So here's where we stand.  We have a Democratic President and administration that is prepared to sign a tough package that includes both spending cuts, modifications to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare that would strengthen those systems and allow them to move forward, and would include a revenue component.  We now have a bipartisan group of senators who agree with that balanced approach.  And we’ve got the American people who agree with that balanced approach."

Libertarians say Obama's Afghanistan policy is a failure

WASHINGTON - Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle responded to President Obama's June 22 speech with the following comments today:

"President Obama's speech was disappointing, but not surprising. The withdrawals he announced are painfully inadequate. Obama's withdrawals, even if they are carried out as he described, will still leave about 70,000 American troops in Afghanistan, probably for years to come. The president is commander-in-chief of the military. He has the power to end the war now, and withdraw all American troops, and that's what he should do.

"The U.S. has no business fighting a war in Afghanistan. Nearly three years ago, our Libertarian National Committee adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of our armed forces from Afghanistan. We are saddened and angry that there are now more troops there than ever.

"Obama talked about 'ending the war responsibly.' I think the word 'responsibly' is a weaselly escape hatch in case Obama doesn't want to withdraw more troops later. He will just say, 'That would be irresponsible -- I need to keep the war going strong.'

"This war causes the Afghan people to justifiably feel a greater hatred toward America. It makes American taxpayers poorer. And it emboldens other would-be aggressors, who can point to American intervention in Afghanistan whenever they feel like doing the same elsewhere.

"There are two big winners from the continuation of this war: Our military-industrial complex, which seems to have the president in its back pocket, and the Afghan government, which continues to enjoy tremendous benefits at the expense of the American taxpayer.

"If anything, Republican reactions to the president's speech were even more ridiculous than the speech itself. Republican Senator John McCain fretted that this withdrawal was not 'modest' enough. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, feeling the need to criticize Obama despite the fact that they basically agree on everything, complained of an 'arbitrary timetable.' Republican House Speaker John Boehner worried about losing our 'gains' in Afghanistan. All these comments show an inability to comprehend an intelligent, modest foreign policy, as well as a serious lack of respect for American taxpayers."

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

3.3 International Affairs

American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

RNC Chairman Priebus Statement on The Passage Of The Largest Spending Cut Since WWII

By: Michael Short

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement today regarding the passage of the short-term budget that funds the government through the rest of the fiscal year and makes the largest single spending cut since World War II:

“I applaud the passage of today’s short-term budget that keeps the government open and cuts billions in wasteful Washington spending. Thanks to Speaker Boehner and our new Republican House majority, Barack Obama will spend over $78 billion less than he would have this fiscal year. Going toe-to-toe with Democrat leadership in the Senate and the President who don’t want to cut spending and would rather raise taxes on hardworking Americans, Republicans have successfully changed the conversation in Washington.  This is a positive first step in the fight to restore fiscal sanity in Washington so we can move to tackling Paul Ryan’s historic budget that provides real, specific solutions for our economic future.”

Weekly Address: President Obama on the Budget Compromise to Avoid a Government Shutdown

By Macon Phillips

After weeks of negotiations, President Obama and leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties in Congress found common ground in an agreement about the United States' budget.  This means the government will remain open to serve the public, including small businesses who need need loans to grow, families who've applied for mortgages and others who are visiting national parks and museums.  It also means that hundreds of thousands of Americans - including brave men and women in uniform - will get paychecks on time.

In his Weekly Address, the President discusses the importance of the bipartisan budget agreement that represents both a significant investment in the United States' future - and the largest annual spending cut in our history.  See the video at WhiteHouse.gov .

Budget Talks: What’s at Stake and Why It’s Important

The President and the Vice President met with Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid in the Oval Office to continue their discussions about the need to fully fund the government through the end of this fiscal year. After the meeting, President Obama explained why an agreement is so important and the impact a government shutdown would have on 800,000 federal workers and their families, millions of people who rely on government services, and the economy overall.

See the President’s speech at WhiteHouse.gov .

SPECIAL REPORT: White House Threatens To Veto A Responsibl​e Troop Funding Bill

Dear Friend,

 

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the budget debate in Washington today; however, one thing I strongly believe, and voted for yesterday, is that our men and women in uniform serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world should be paid even if we are forced into a government shutdown.  The President does not share my concerns. 

 

Yesterday, the White House threatened to veto legislation passed by House Republicans to fund our troops for the remainder of the year, cut spending, and prevent a government shutdown. Why? Good question. In its Statement of Administration Policy, the White House does not cite a single policy to justify the veto. I wanted to pass along the following information from Speaker Boehner's office to keep you all informed:

 

Why Would the White House Threaten to Veto a Responsible Troop Funding Bill? To Shut Down the Government 

The White House has threatened to veto responsible legislation passed by House Republicans to fund our troops for the remainder of the year, cut spending, and prevent a government shutdown. Why? Good question. In its Statement of Administration Policy, the White House doesn't cite a single policy to justify the veto. Read it for yourself here. 

The fact is, this partisan veto threat of non-controversial legislation by the Administration only has one practical purpose: to shut down the government. Remember these key facts:

-The troop funding bill passed by the House reflects a bipartisan, bicameral agreement reached last December – when Democrats still controlled both houses of Congress – for funding the Department of Defense. There's nothing in the bill that won't largely be encompassed in a final package because, again, neither the Administration nor Senate Democrats have raised a single policy objection. The only plausible reason for Senate Democrats to refuse to pass it, or for the president to refuse to sign it, is if they intend to shut down the government.

-The Democrats who run Washington have been rooting for a government shutdown. The former chairman of the DNC and "a de facto head of his party's left wing" told National Journal that Democrats should be "quietly rooting" for a government shutdown. And they've listened. Aides to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called a shutdown "more likely than not." According to the Washington Post, the White House referred to the troop funding bill as a "distraction" – but funding our troops and preventing a government shutdown is not a distraction... unless their goal is to shut down the government.

-House Republicans have made every effort possible to fund the government while making the spending cuts needed to create new jobs. It's been 48 days since the House passed H.R. 1. In that time, Senate Democrats have failed to pass a single bill that funds the government for the rest of the year or offer a credible plan for cutting spending. They simply haven't done their job. And this failure goes all the way back to last year when they didn't even propose a budget. The House-passed troop funding bill is the only bill out right now that would prevent a shut down.

In response to the veto threat, Speaker Boehner reiterated that "Republicans' goal is to cut spending to help create a better environment for job creation – not to shut down the government." He called on "Democrats who believe it is important to fund our troops and make real spending cuts" to "prevail upon Senator Reid and our Commander-in-Chief to keep the government from shutting down."  

The American people want Washington to stop the spending binge that is hurting our economy and threatening job growth without shutting down the government – and that's exactly what Republicans are working to do. 

 

I hope this information is helpful. As always, please feel free to contact our offices in Fresno, Modesto or D.C. with any questions you may have. 

Sincerely,

JEFF DENHAM

United States Representative

President Obama on the Ongoing Budget Negotiations

By Katelyn Sabochik

Tonight, President Obama met with Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Oval Office on the ongoing budget negotiations.

Afterwards the President delivered a statement in the briefing room:

“Good evening, everybody.  I'm going to just have a few quick remarks.

We just had a productive meeting with Speaker Boehner, as well as Majority Leader Reid.  We discussed the impasse that we're currently at with respect to the budget, and I thought the meetings were frank, they were constructive, and what they did was narrow the issues and clarify the issues that are still outstanding.

I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done we should be able to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown.  But it’s going to require a sufficient sense of urgency from all parties involved.  It means that people have to recognize that a government shutdown has real consequences for real people.

There was a interview that was done tonight on one of the nightly news networks -- a man from Kentucky named J.T. Henderson.  He said he’s counting on his tax rebate because his family has been scraping by, and he might not get it if the government shuts down.  So J.T. said if he could speak directly to all of us in Washington he’d tell us that all of this political grandstanding has effects as it trickles down to normal, everyday Americans.

I could not have said it better myself.  A shutdown could have real effects on everyday Americans.  That means that small business owners who are counting on that loan to open their business, to make payroll, to expand, suddenly they can't do it. It means folks who are potentially processing a mortgage, they may not be able to get it.  It means that hundreds of thousands of workers across the country suddenly are without a paycheck.  Their families are counting on them being able to go to work and do a good job.

There are ramifications all across this economy.  And at a time when the economy is still coming out of an extraordinarily deep recession, it would be inexcusable, given the relatively narrow differences when it comes to numbers between the two parties, that we can't get this done.

So my expectation is that folks are going to work through the night.  In the morning I will check in with the respective staffs of the Speaker and the Majority Leader, as well as my team here.  If we haven't made progress, we're going to go back at it again.  And we're going to keep on pounding away at this thing because I'm absolutely convinced that we can get this done.

There’s no reason why we should not be able to complete a deal.  There’s no reason why we should have a government shutdown -- unless we've made a decision that politics is more important than folks like J.T. Henderson.

That's not why we we're elected. That's not why we were sent here.  And I want to meet the expectations of the American people in terms of delivering for them.

All right?  Thank you very much, everybody.”

A Letter from Congressman Denham

Dear Friend,

 

It was another busy and productive week in Washington. President Obama signed the short-term Continuing Resolution, proposed by House Republicans, with $4 billion in cuts that will keep the government running through March 18th.  We were successful in preventing a government shutdown this week, but there are still many hard decisions to be made in order to protect the future of our kids and grandkids.  With this in mind, House Republicans are looking for more ways to improve our business climate and get Americans back to work. The House also passed HR 4, legislation that would completely repeal the 1099 reporting requirements on small businesses that was imposed through ObamaCare. The provision in the Health Care Law imposed a huge tax compliance burden on small businesses, modifying this provision would reduce government spending and make health care services affordable for all Americans. 

 

The Surface Transportation Extension was approved by Congress this week as well. The legislation freezes funding at fiscal year 2010 levels for highway, transit and highway safety programs and allows these funds to be used for federal highway and surface transportation programs through September 30, 2011. The extension will allow more time for the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to complete work on a multi-year reauthorization bill to create jobs and build our nation's infrastructure.

 

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that you are invited to a townhall meeting on Monday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m. in Fresno to discuss the federal budget and the need to cut government spending. I will be hosting the budget townhall and Fresno County Supervisor Debbie Poochigian and Fresno City Councilmember Larry Westerlund will join me in the discussion about the President's budget proposal and the implications it has for the Central Valley.  The night will be a great opportunity for an open dialogue about the severe budget crisis we face. If you are interested in attending, please contact our Fresno office at (559) 449-2490 for further details and to RSVP. 

  

We held an oversight hearing on the budget request for the Bureau of Reclamation in the House Subcommittee on Water and Power this week.  Our hearing focused on Reclamation's wasteful spending and its divergence from the original mission of providing water and power abundance. In difficult economic times, the Reclamation's policies have triggered unnecessary, increased economic hardships on Valley farmers and have resulted in lost jobs.  It is not acceptable that farmers cannot receive the full allocation of water that they have a contract for, even if wet years such as this one with a year-to-date snowpack level of 127 percent.

 

Increasing water storage in the Valley is a priority of mine, and this week I was proud to introduce my first bill that focuses on California's water needs. The bill will allow increased water storage at Lake McClure at no cost to the federal taxpayer.  HR 869 would increase the capacity of the reservoir by resolving a regulatory hurdle allowing for the modification of the spillway at the New Exchequer Dam. I was happy to have the support of fellow Central Valley delegates for this legislation that will increase water storage and flood control capacity, while also creating jobs.  

 

I had the opportunity to question Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at the Natural Resources hearing on Thursday afternoon where we examined the Department's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget proposal.  I was able to ask Secretary Salazar about the Bureau of Land Management's plan to acquire more properties at a time when we need to cut government spending and save taxpayer money. 

 

Finally, I mourned the loss of Frank Buckles, the last of our World War I veterans, who  passed away on February 27th at 110 years of age. I sent a letter with my colleagues to Speaker Boehner requesting that Frank Buckles lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda. He, like all of our veterans, is a brave and worthy hero and deserves our deepest respect. It is incredible to think of how our world has changed in the last 110 years and how much we have to be thankful for. Thank you to our veterans and the families and community that support them. 

 

I hope to see you all in Fresno on Monday night for on open conversation about the budget crisis that faces our country.  I know there are many concerns in the Central Valley and I would enjoy answering your questions. 

 

Remember to tell your friends to follow me in my official capacity on my website, Twitter and Facebook for the most up to date information and invitations to community events.

Sincerely,

Jeff Denham

United States Representative