While I can understand their wanting to reach out to the people and think that is a logical move, I also have to think that if they don’t already know what the public wants then they are way behind the eight ball.  Have they not been paying attention to the polls?  Have they ignored the protests that have been going on for the past year against the current administration’s agenda?  Are they not alarmed by their incumbents and establishment backed candidates getting trounced by the tea party folks?  Seriously, how insulated are these people in D.C. from what is going on in this country?

Anyway, my cynicism isn’t meant to disparage Congresswoman Foxx in anyway because we like her here at CPO, so if you live in North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District and want to call into her telephone town hall on June 8th, it will begin at 5:30pm.  The number to dial in is 1-877-850-4133 Passcode FOXX (3699). Foxx will post the list of ideas submitted on her Web site www.foxx.house.gov for participants to review after the call.

Update: The time has been changed to 5:00pm

ASHEVILLE — Attorney Max Cogburn Jr. was nominated by President Barack Obama for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge.

If confirmed by the Senate as a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of North Carolina, Cogburn would replace Lacy Thornburg, who retired in August after 14 years on the bench.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., recommended Cogburn, a former magistrate judge and assistant U.S. attorney, to the White House in October.

“I am thrilled that President Obama has nominated Judge Cogburn to serve as District Court judge for the Western District,” Hagan said.

“I recommended Judge Cogburn because of his distinguished record as a jurist and attorney in both the public and private sectors.

“He has the skills and expertise that this important position requires, and I am working with my colleagues to ensure he is quickly confirmed.”

Asheville Citizen-Times

I really haven’t been able to find much out there about Cogburn, just some of his campaign donations.  He has donated several thousand dollars to the North Carolina Democratic Party, Congressman Heath Shuler, Senator Kay Hagan, and John Edwards’ Presidential campaign.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District)

“Now more than ever we need sensible health care reform,” Foxx said. “That’s why it’s so sad that the Democratic majority forced this overhaul through. This bill is bad medicine, plain and simple. It’s chock full of government mandates, $569 billion in job-killing tax hikes and $1.2 trillion in new government spending.”

In addition to increasing taxes by $569 billion, the final health overhaul slashes Medicare by $523.5 billion. It also includes nearly $200 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage. There are more than 40,000 seniors in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District who enjoy the benefits of Medicare Advantage.

Katherine Jenerette (Candidate for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District)

It’s a set up guys. Obama and his brain trust are out in front on this one. They put the ‘thou-shalt-purchase’ clause in the bill deliberately knowing every freedom-loving, red-blooded Republican AG would charge. They intend to have the Republican’s object to this in bit-and-pieces instead of a full frontal attack that the ENTIRE Bill is unconstitutional.

We Republicans bit the bait real good, but, it was a Trojans horse covered with shiny stuff like the abortion debate; deliberately set to get our attention. While all along, ‘Obamanistas’ fully expect that the Supreme Court will strike down the parts that mandate a person will buy insurance or they will pay through the nose to BigFed one way or another. There are bigger problems ahead, so save some ammo.

We had a saying when I was in the desert in the first Gulf War, ‘It’s not just the mouse that ran through the tent you need to worry about – it’s the viper that’s chasing the mouse you better be afraid of.’

When the Supreme Court decision is finally made – with the anticipated ruling, the bumper sticker “I Heart Socialized Medicine” liberal crowd will pull out the already prepared Round Three plan: Public Option in tandem with the Federal Government picking up the tab incrementally to offset the loss.

Scott Keadle (Candidate for North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District)

Congressional candidate Scott Keadle today called on North Carolina’s Attorney General Roy Cooper to join other states’ attorney generals in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform bill passed by Congress late last night.

Currently, Attorney Generals from Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington have announced plans to do so. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced this morning that he would file suit on behalf of Floridians.

Keadle said, “The health care reform legislation passed by the U. S. House of Representatives last night violates the U.S. Constitution and infringes on each state’s sovereignty. North Carolina should join the other states and file a lawsuit to protect the rights and the interests of its citizens.”

“The 10th District citizens overwhelmly are opposed to this legislation, and they deserve legal representation from our state’s top lawyer to fight on their behalf,” he said.

State Representative Jeff Duncan (Candidate for South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District)

As I watched the health care debate, it was my hope that Congress would have considered legislation that would lower costs and improve access by offering free market solutions. I hoped Congress would have remembered the Constitution of the United States and realized they were leading our nation away from our founding principles

Instead, we witnessed a 2,700 page bill rammed through Congress by using a mixture of backroom bribes and procedural tricks. Instead of passing a transparent bill that would help rejuvenate our economy, thousands of small business owners are left wondering if this health care bill will be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

With the passage of this flawed health care bill we witnessed free market ideals substituted for more government bureaucracy. The federal government will be hiring approximately 16,000 new IRS agents just to enforce the new tax element of this legislation. In addition, this bill will make major cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and ask private citizens and doctors to pick up the tab. Ultimately, I believe this health care legislation is too expensive and is clearly unconstitutional.

Congressman Patrick McHenry (North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District)

“Today’s vote means the President will sign federal funding of abortions, the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase, 19 tax increases and $500 billion in Medicare cuts into law. His so-called health care ‘reform’ plan raises premiums, ignores lawsuit abuse and adds billions to the federal deficit.

“This is an anti-jobs bill. Instead of helping businesses create jobs it will increase federal spending, raise taxes and slow economic growth.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2010

Contact: Aaron Groen

202-225-2071

WASHINGTON—The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) today awarded Foxx an “A” grade for her record of consistently voting to reduce spending and keep taxes low.  In NTU’s detailed rating of more than 300 House votes in 2009 Foxx scored a 94 percent, giving her the highest score out of North Carolina’s congressional delegation.

“Working hard to keep federal government spending in check and to keep North Carolina families’ taxes low is one of my top priorities,” Foxx said.  “So I’m pleased that NTU recognized my commitment to fiscal responsibility and limited government in their 2009 vote ratings.”

NTU’s rating of members of Congress’ votes covers 333 House votes in 2009 that had a significant affect on taxes, spending or debt.  Foxx’s “A” grade reflects her voting record on these 333 votes and also earns her the NTU’s “Taxpayers’ Friend Award”.

For more information on NTU’s congressional ratings, how the ratings are calculated and what roll call votes are used please visit www.ntu.org.

The Foundation also has the following on their radar:

I don’t agree with all of the above. In what is looking like to be a Republican wave year, I don’t see any of the first term Republicans they list as being in trouble unless one of them is a real jag off.

Personally, I would include Marc Basnight as being potentially vulnerable this year. He represents a district that is just barely Democratic and in a year in which voters may throw his party overboard on top of him orchestrating a huge tax increase on the people of this state. The state Republicans would be wasting a colossal opportunity to not recruit a decent candidate against him. They have plenty to beat him over the head with.

So as I’ve said before North Carolina Republicans have an opportunity to capture the State Senate this year for the first time in, well, ever, providing their organization is competent enough to do so. Redistricting will begin next year and the Republicans will want to take control so they can undo the gerrymandering done by the Democrats and turn around and gerrymander it all over again in their favor instead. We really need an independent commission drawing districts in this state.

A few days ago C-SPAN finally got up the nerve to push House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to allow them access to cover the talks of the final legislation being reconciled by both Houses of Congress.  In what is more or less a mockery of their request, the Great O has bestowed upon them a one hour window to cover the talks.  The fact that they even have to ask permission in a “government for the people, by the people” is rather striking to begin with.

Understandably outraged by the behavior of the majority party, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) has co-authored a letter with a few fellow Republican Congressmen to Pelosi demanding that they live up to the promise  of “a new era of openness in our country” made by the President early last year.  It will more than likely be ignored because this administration and Congressional leadership have demonstrated time and time again that they don’t give a damn about what the people of this country want, but hey, at least Foxx has tried.

You can read the text of her letter here.

It appears that a rock slide has closed Interstate 40 west of Asheville, NC. The interstate will be closed between exit 20 west of  in NC and exit 421(I-81 interchange), east of Knoxville, Tennessee. The detour displayed on the NCDOT web site would add 53 miles to your trip. Also the web site notes the Interstate will be closed for “several” months.

Are they kidding? are they suing President Obama’s decision making process? Three months to plan the operation and many more to execute it? Whoever designed the measures to prevent rock slides should be fired if they still work at the NCDOT.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

October 14, 2009
202-225-2071

Foxx introduces bill requiring Census to determine number of illegal immigrants

Legislation will ensure fair congressional apportionment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-5) today introduced the Fairness in Representation Act (H.R. 3797), legislation that requires the Census Bureau to determine the number of illegal immigrants present in the United States in its decennial census. The census count currently does not distinguish between illegal immigrants and citizens or those legally present in the U.S.

“Accurately counting the number of illegal immigrants in our country is a matter of equity and justice for American citizens and those legally present in the U.S.,” Foxx said. “This bill is a commonsense proposal to require the Census Bureau to ask about citizenship status on the same census form that already asks recipients’ race, age, and sex.”

Foxx’s legislation aims to prevent unfair distortions in the distribution of House of Representative seats among the 50 states caused by large populations of illegal immigrants in certain areas.

By counting illegal immigrants the Census Bureau will be able to provide accurate data for the reapportionment and redistricting process. Without this data some states will receive fewer Congressional representatives than they should due to other states’ high illegal immigrant population.

“The census is a lynchpin in the proper functioning of America’s democratic and legislative process,” Foxx said. “Ensuring that the final tally is accurate and fair will mean everyone’s vote counts equally after congressional districts are redrawn in the coming years.”

Note: For more information on the Fairness in Representation Act or to schedule an interview with Foxx please contact Aaron Groen at 202-225-2071. To read the legislation please click here.

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Lawyers for the state and the vendor traded arguments before the state Court of Appeals over the legality of a 2006 state law that made machines illegal except on the Cherokee reservation, west of Asheville. A trial court judge in Wake County overturned the law in February.

Governor Perdue says the current law allowing the Cherokees to have video poker in a casino but not allow others to have video poker machines is okay. To me it is all about greasing palms of the Democrats in this state.  Except for a brief period in this state’s history, the Democratic Party has held court over the citizens here. I hope the voters here come to their senses. I had better stop here I do not want to get on a Democratic enemies list.

From a press release from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today announced that she is cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 3226) to re-establish Congress’s constitutional role in the presidential appointment of government ‘czars’.  Since taking office, President Obama has appointed dozens of powerful administration officials, popularly known as ‘czars’, outside the Senate confirmation process established by the Constitution.

“In the past eight months the Obama administration has appointed more than 30 czars with power over every conceivable area of government and very few have gone through the constitutionally mandated Senate confirmation process,” Foxx said.  “Congress must reclaim its oversight role in the confirmation process of high-ranking administration officials.”

I’m glad to see someone taking the lead on this.  These czar appointment have greatly disturbed me.  Obama is appointing all of these people into powerful positions in our government with absolutely no accountability to the Congress or the American people.  Essentially, he is instituting a shadow government and this is incredibly dangerous to our Republic.

August 20, 2009
(202) 225-2071

Foxx to host Fifth District Telephone Town Hall

WASHINGTON, D.C.-On Thursday, August 20 Congresswoman Virginia Foxx will host a district-wide telephone town hall on the topic of healthcare reform for Fifth District constituents.  Constituents can call into the town hall meeting by dialing 1-877-850-4133 at 6:30 pm and entering the password FOXX (3699).

“We need sensible healthcare reform that is patient centered, not government-centered or insurance company-centered,” Foxx said.  “In the midst of the national debate over healthcare reform many constituents want to know what their government is up to with healthcare.

“North Carolina taxpayers are rightly demanding that Washington slow down the process and listen to their concerns,” Foxx said.  “So I am looking forward to hearing constituents’ thoughts about the health care reform bills moving through Congress.”

Constituents will be connected to a live conference call with Rep. Foxx and other constituents in the Fifth District when they call 1-877-850-4133 on August 20 at 6:30 pm.  All participants will need to enter a password for the call: the password is F-O-X-X (3699).  After joining the call, participants will be able to ask Rep. Foxx questions about the healthcare reform or any other issues on their mind.

“Please join me on this telephone town hall,” Foxx said.  “This will be a great opportunity for constituents to let their voice be heard in the important healthcare debate in Congress no matter where they live in the Fifth District.”

This telephone town hall is open to constituents in North Carolina’s Fifth District.

Individuals can visit Rep. Foxx’s website,  <http://www.foxx.house.gov/>  or click here
<http://www.foxx.house.gov/index.cfm?SectionID=116&ParentID=22&SectionTypeID=5&SectionTree=22,116> to determine if they are a Fifth District resident.

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July 28, 2009
202-225-2071

Foxx cosponsors health care reform legislation

Bill expands access to health insurance with tax credits, aid to states

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC05) today cosponsored the Improving Health Care for All Americans Act (H.R. 3218) a bill that will dramatically expand Americans’ access to health insurance.

“Our health care system is in need of reform,” Foxx said. “This legislation addresses the serious gaps in health insurance coverage that exist for many families. By creating tax credits for uninsured families and new Individual Membership Associations Congress will help make health care more affordable and portable.

“Congress can reform health care and make health insurance more affordable-and we can do it without a government takeover of health care. This bill makes that much clear. It focuses on preserving the patient-doctor relationship while removing barriers to affordable health insurance and keeping Washington bureaucrats out of the equation.”

H.R. 3218 helps uninsured families get coverage through three different policy changes:

* First, it creates a health insurance tax credit of up to $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families.
* It also expands insurance options and access to health insurance by creating Individual Membership Associations (IMAs). IMAs would expand insurance coverage by allowing groups like trade associations, churches and other civic groups to offer affordable insurance to their members.
* Finally, H.R. 3218 provides federal incentives for states to create high risk insurance pools for Americans who have difficulty securing health insurance.

Note: Foxx is also a cosponsor of H.R. 2607 which expands access to coverage for uninsured families by creating Associated Health Plans; H.R. 1118 which gives seniors more choices and control over Medicare enrollment; H.R. 1039 which promotes health information technology; H.R. 1086 which seeks to reduce health care costs through tort reform; and H.R. 2516 which lowers costs through a bevy of health care reforms.

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June 26, 2009
202-225-2071

Foxx votes against national energy tax

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today voted against H.R. 2454, a bill that would essentially create a national energy tax through a “cap and trade” scheme. Some estimates found that the total tax impact of this legislation will amount to $2,979 per year for a family of four.

“As we struggle to make our way out of a recession, I could not vote for the creation of a new national energy tax,” Foxx said. “North Carolina families and businesses can’t afford the financial strain of high energy costs in this bill. We should be working to ensure taxpayers are less burdened by taxes and red tape-not more.”

Under H.R. 2454, electricity costs are estimated to rise by 90 percent. According to the Heritage Foundation, employment will be lower by 1,105,000 jobs per year as a result of this national energy tax. The bill will have an especially negative effect on energy-intensive sectors like manufacturing-which employs one out of six people in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. H.R. 2454 will also reduce the United States’ economic output by $9.6 trillion.

“Tens of thousands of people in North Carolina who work in manufacturing are at risk of losing their jobs due to the burdens placed on employers by this bill,” Foxx said. “Many employers will be forced out of business or out of the country because of high energy prices and the new regulations in this legislation.”

The legislation will be particularly damaging to rural areas and farming communities. Because rural households spend 58 percent more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income, high energy prices cause disproportionate harm to rural families. The Heritage Foundation also estimates that farm income will drop by $50 billion by 2035 if H.R. 2454 becomes law.

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Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx said during debate in the House that the 1998 death of Matthew Shepard shouldn’t be used to justify a hate crimes bill because it wasn’t a hate crime. Foxx said Shepard was killed during a robbery.

The bill approved Wednesday by the House would expand a federal hate crimes law to include acts motivated by sexual orientation.

“We know that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay,” Foxx said during debate. “The bill was named for him, the hate-crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.”

Foxx later said her comments didn’t convey what she meant to say.

“The term ‘hoax’ was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate-crimes bill,” Foxx said in a statement. “Mr. Shepard’s death was nothing less than a tragedy, and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received.”

Foxx said in her statement that she relied on two news reports for her comments about robbery being a motive for the slaying.

“Referencing these media accounts may have been a mistake, but if so, it was a mistake based on what I believed were reliable accounts,” she said.

The AP

The whole “outrage” over this is just more political football.  Foxx’s comments aren’t necessarily wrong.  This is not the first time I’ve heard this claim made.  The media just ran with the whole “he was killed because he’s gay” story ten years ago without really digging deeper.  I guess that’s what sells newspapers.  The authorities who were investigating this have speculated that the real motive of the killing was robbery and drug related and may not have had anything to do with Shepard being gay at all, but the media never really reported that part of it.

Foxx probably should have known better than to even bother going there and putting herself in that position knowing how hostile the media is towards the political right wing, but I don’t think she needed to apologize either.  By apologizing she basically is admitting she is guilty of doing something wrong and I really don’t see the problem with what she said.  Anyone with more than a third grade education can clearly see that she was referring to the hoax as exploitation of Shepard’s death for the purpose of passing hate crimes legislation, not his death itself.

This all underscores the larger issue, however, and that is that hate crimes legislation is discriminatory and creates a special class of victims.  It says that some lives are worth more than others.  To give an example, say you assault someone because you don’t like them for some reason, so you get two years in jail.  Now say you assault someone exactly in the same form because they are gay.  Now you get ten years in jail.  What’s changed?  Nothing, other than one victim was gay and another was not.  You assaulted both people because you didn’t like them for some reason, but apparently gay people are more valuable human beings than the rest of us since you’re getting punished more severely for assaulting the gay person.  This is what hate crimes legislation does.  It’s the same deal with murders, yet when is a murder committed by an act that does not result from hatred?  Aren’t all murders hate crimes by default?

Here’s another problem.  The idea behind hate crimes legislation is to punish people for committing crimes against minorities specifically because they are some kind of minority.  So say a white guy beats the crap out of a black guy for, I don’t know, say he stole his girlfriend.  It has nothing to do with the fact that he is black whatsoever, but the prosecutors say it was because he was black and want to charge you with a hate crime carrying a much stiffer sentence.  How do you prove that race was not a motivating factor?  Unless you were uttering racial epithets while you were kicking the crap out of the guy, and that still doesn’t prove you were attacking him for being black, nobody knows why you truly did what you did except for you.  So when you hear people discuss hate crimes legislation and claim it opens the door for the “Thought Police” this is what they are talking about.

Virginia Foxx is on the correct side of this issue.  This legislation needs to be stopped, but I doubt that’s going to be the case given the excessive majorities of the Democrat Party in Congress.

April 3, 2009
202-225-2071

Foxx opposes massive, debt-financed budget

Votes in favor of alternative budget that keeps spending in check

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-05) voted last night against the Democrat budget that produces more than $9 trillion in new debt over the next ten years, in addition to raising taxes by more than $1.4 trillion. She also voted in favor of the Republican alternative budget that puts a lid on runaway government spending and keeps taxes low for North Carolina families.

“The choice was clear,” Foxx said. “It was a choice between a budget that borrows and spends unprecedented amounts of money and a Republican alternative that recognizes that we cannot borrow and spend our way to prosperity-that’s what got us into this mess in the first place.”

The Democrat budget plan remakes the federal government, creating the largest federal government since World War II. In the process of growing the size of the federal government the Democrat budget creates a record-setting deficit-$1.75 trillion. In contrast, the Republican alternative budget would save the nation $3.6 trillion over the next ten years.

But the differences don’t stop with debt and spending. The Republican alternative also refrains from raising taxes-unlike the Democrats’ budget, which raises taxes by $1.4 trillion over ten years.

Another key difference is the approach to energy policy. The Democrats’ budget contains so-called “cap and trade” provisions that will put a cap on carbon emissions and by extension, economic growth. This plan will raise the cost of energy for every sector of the economy and, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, will ship 3-4 million jobs oversees where energy costs will be much lower.

Instead of punishing Americans with a new energy taxes, the Republican budget pursues energy independence with an innovative plan that aggressively focuses on alternative energy without creating new taxes and government mandates.

“Two budgets with two sets of priorities: one budget means more government, more debt and more taxes,” Foxx said. “The GOP alternative, on the other hand, means a return to a common-sense approach to government that emphasizes individual freedom and responsibility instead of a big-government, nanny state.”

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March 10, 2009
202-225-2071

Permalink

Foxx voices opposition to union ‘card-check’ legislation

Co-sponsors Secret Ballot Protection Act to preserve workers’ rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today voiced strong opposition to union “card check” legislation that was introduced today. The legislation, the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, halts workers’ rights to vote by secret ballot in union organizing elections.

“Because I support workers’ rights to unionize without harassment, I must oppose this anti-worker legislation, Foxx said. “The secret ballot is a foundational element of a free and open society. Its demise would signal a serious decline in freedom in America, not to mention a harsh blow to struggling workers in today’s tough economy.”

Card check legislation strips workers of truly free choice in union organizing elections, opening the elections to coercion and intimidation. Instead of mandating a secret ballot vote, this legislation changes the rules to allow for unionization by a public signing of cards by workers.

In theory, those signing cards would support joining a union: hence the term, “card check.” However, rather than allowing workers to make their choice in secrecy, the act would end workers’ right to privacy in one of the most important decisions they make about the future of their workplace.

“This whole card check idea has a whiff of big-brotherism,” Foxx said. “With card check, someone’s always looking over your shoulder. This simply blows the unionization process wide open to fraud and
intimidation.”

Rep. Foxx is also an original cosponsor of the Secret Ballot Protection Act – legislation that preserves workers’ right to a secret ballot in unionization elections.

Foxx voted against the Employee Free Choice Act in 2007 when it was brought up for a vote in the 110th Congress. Even Obama supporter and adviser, businessman Warren Buffet opposes card check legislation.

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