Carolina Politics Online

For Release March 8, 2010

Keadle Asks for FEC Investigation

Scott Keadle takes issue with Congressman Patrick McHenry’s abuse of the franking privilege in a recent mailer to residents of North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District.

“Mr. McHenry has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars sending thinly-disguised campaign mail to voters. All of them have pretty pictures and explain what a great guy he is. All of them cost a lot of money, and add to the mountain of bills that McHenry and the Washington politicians have piled on the struggling taxpayers in this district,” said Keadle.

“This is an abuse of his office and McHenry should charge all costs to his campaign fund and not taxpayers,” said Keadle. “This is just one more example of how out of touch this Congressman is with the struggling citizens of North Carolina.”

“I’m calling for the Federal Elections Commission to investigate the printing and mailing of this slick color brochure,” added Keadle.

In anticipation of McHenry’s denial of adding to the size of government, Keadle said: “Mr. McHenry, please do not insult us further by denying that you voted for bigger government when you were in the majority under the Bush administration. In FY2006, for instance, you voted to increase taxation of North Carolina families by more than 5% of their paycheck. Saying a Republican President made you do it doesn’t make it right or ‘conservative’.”

—30—

Contact:
Garry Ballard
Keadle for Congress
press@keadle.com
704-775-8037

Congressman Patrick McHenry has sponsored H.R. 4705, a bill that would redesign the $50 bill with the likeness of the late President Ronald Reagan.  According to a press release from McHenry’s office he had the following to say regarding the bill:

“Every generation needs its own heroes,” said Congressman McHenry.  “One decade into the 21st century, it’s time to honor the last great president of the 20th and give President Reagan a place beside Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy.”

It’s an interesting proposal and I certainly don’t have an issue with it, but the timing is questionable in my mind.  McHenry has two primary opponents facing him in the May election and I just wonder if he his invoking Reagan to appeal to the tea party demographic.

The campaign of Scott Keadle, one of McHenry’s primary opponents, had the following comments:

“While President Reagan certainly deserves to be memorialized, I doubt whether he would have focused on this issue when we have such urgent problems facing North Carolina’s workers and families.”

A few weeks back I wrote about how Change the Congress in 2010 came out against Patrick McHenry’s reelection bid and instead endorsed one of his primary opponents, Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle. Keadle’s endorsement was based on the idea that he will not be a career politician and has experience as the average working man, something sorely lacking in the halls of D.C.

Keadle’s campaign have responded to the endorsement.

“Scott is always pleased to have the endorsement of true conservatives who want to take our government back from career politicians. It takes guts to challenge the powerful Washington establishment, and Scott shares that quality with Mrs. Wellborn. Obviously she recognizes that before we can clean out the Democrats in the fall elections, we must first nominate authentic Republicans. Scott is the real deal–no politics, no bull, just a dentist and a family man who has had enough of the same lousy people getting the same lousy results. He’s tired of watching his team lose and he thinks we need new players on the field.”

“Conservatives across the country are demanding a return to citizen-legislators who truly represent the intent of our Founding Fathers. It is time for an end to Washington insiders ruining our country. Change The Congress 2010 members from here in Western North Carolina have given Scott financial and volunteer support, and are excited about his candidacy.”

A few months back I wrote about an organization that sprouted up out of Charleston called Change the Congress in 2010, the brain child of a Ms Catherine Welborn with the explicit intent of removing as many incumbents from Congress as possible.  The group has crossed the border into North Carolina and now has their eyes set on Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry.

Late last week, the group came out and publicly endorsed one of McHenry’s Republican primary opponents, Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle.  I exchanged emails with Ms Welborn and she cited her motivation being a great many grievances with the current sitting Congressman.  Among them were several improprieties that have shown up in the media over the past few years.  These include the 2007 indictment of one of McHenry’s campaign aids, his 2005 appearance on “ABC World News Tonight” in which he defended then House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s Congressional ethics violations, and a voting scandal in which McHenry claimed a owner occupied tax deduction on a Washington D.C. home, while still voting in North Carolina.

What seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, however, was the recent release of an article by the John Locke Foundation.

Fighting the pay raise

A few lawmakers have consistently fought automatic pay raises. Among them is Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who, according a recent Deseret News article, has tried vainly every year since he was first elected to Congress in 2000 to force a straight up-or-down vote. With the economic downturn, Matheson predicted lawmakers in the new 111th Congress might be more interested in forcing the issue to a vote.

Early in 2009, three bills were introduced in the House and one in the Senate to deal with this issue. All members of the N.C. delegation were contacted. Of those who responded, most added they would likely support any bill to stop pay raises, should one come up for a vote.

The first bill, H.R. 156, would prevent members of Congress from receiving any automatic pay adjustment in 2010. N.C. delegation cosponsors are Reps. Walter Jones, R-3rd, Howard Coble, R-6th; Sue Myrick, R-9; Larry Kissell, D-8th; and Heath Shuler, D-11th. Rep. David Price, D-4th, plans to cosponsor the bill, according to his spokesperson, and added the decision was made prior to being contacted about his position on this issue.

Rep. Virginia Foxx , R-5th, is a cosponsor of H.R. 346, which would repeal the law that provides automatic pay adjustments for members of Congress.

Coble is also a cosponsor of H.R. 201, which would prevent automatic pay raises for members of Congress in the year following a fiscal year in which there was a federal budget deficit.

S.B. 102 would repeal the law that provides automatic pay adjustments for members of Congress. Deputy Press Secretary David Ward said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has voted against automatic pay increases in the past and would do so again. Colleen Flanagan, a spokesperson for Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., said Hagan is opposed to any automatic pay adjustments, given these economic times.

Something is glaringly missing here.  Patrick McHenry.  Every member of the North Carolina Republican Congressional delegation has co-sponsored one of these bills, including a few Democrats, seemingly except for Patrick McHenry whose name is no where to be found.  I too found this somewhat curious and I emailed his press secretary last evening, whom I get frequent press releases from each week, asking about this.  At this point I have not received a response regarding my question, although I did receive a new press release this afternoon.

Regarding Mr. Keadle’s candidacy and her endorsement of him over McHenry, Welborn based her support upon Keadle’s promise to not be a career politician, but to serve no more than three terms in the House.  He has also pledged to oppose Congressional pay raises and to not accept the Congressional pension upon leaving Congress.

Welborn also stated, “Scott Keadle is not a career politician.  He is not in anyone’s debt, not beholden to any group or organization except the people of NC-10.  He believes that it’s time to take back our country.  He believes that it’s time to replace career politicians with people who have real experience working at real jobs.  He believes that it’s time to send real people to Washington, people with real experience dealing with families and the emergencies involved with families.”

I have to say, it’s difficult to argue with her logic.

I agree with the following press release from Congressman McHenry’s office, however, I think there is more than just dissatisfaction with the health care bill that drove what we saw last night.  This Congress, which Nancy Pelosi said would be the most open and ethical in history, has been the most sneaky and underhanded I think we’ve ever had in my lifetime.  They are supposed to be representatives of the people, not aristocrats, and they have shown nothing but a snobbish contempt for the American people.  I would like to think what happened in Massachusetts last night will serve as a warning shot over the bough of the Democrats’ sinking ship, but I’m not holding my breath.

“If you’d told me a month ago that a Republican running against President Obama’s health care plan would win Ted Kennedy’s former Senate seat, I’d have said you were crazy.

“If the Obama health care bill has sparked such a massive backlash in Massachusetts, I can’t imagine what Democrats in red and purple districts are hearing back home. Democrats should take the hint and stop pushing their unpopular plan on the American people.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2010
Contact: Josh Kahn
(202) 225-2576

McHenry: Geithner Must Come Clean on AIG Actions

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement on House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns’ (D-NY) decision to hold hearings on the growing American International Group (AIG) disclosure controversy.

McHenry earlier joined Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) in calling on Chairman Towns to hold a hearing and bring Secretary Geithner before the committee to testify.

“We owe it to taxpayers and investors to find out why Secretary Geithner pressured AIG to withhold important disclosures from the public, and what precisely he was trying to hide. When billions of dollars are funneled to foreign banks right out of taxpayers’ pockets, both Republicans and Democrats have a fiduciary duty to get to the bottom of it. I hope Secretary Geithner will choose to testify at the hearing voluntarily, but if he declines he must be subpoenaed and compelled to tell the American people the full story.”

###

The Democrats in Congress are ready to unveil their version of the health care bill.  To the dismay of most Americans, it’s not much different than the last disaster they pushed out of committee known as H.R. 3200, which the public soundly rejected.  This bill will cost near one trillion dollars, unconstitutionally try and force people to purchase health insurance, and result in higher insurance and health care costs for everyone.

Below is a press release from Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2009
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

McHenry Responds to Pelosi’s Expanded Health care Bill

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement in response to the unveiling of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expanded health care legislation.

“Meet the new plan for a government takeover of health care, same as the old one. The American people have already rejected the approach to health care reform that says government knows best. The results are the same regardless of how many more pages the Democrats add to this bill: hundreds of millions of Americans will be forced out of their current health care plan, Medicare cuts will mean fewer benefits for seniors, bureaucrats will have the authority to restrict health care services, taxpayers will fund abortions, federal and state taxes will increase, and the cost of health care will rise.

“Nowhere in this 1,990-page bill are the common sense reforms that everyone agrees on. Insurance companies are not forced to compete with one another across state lines. Small businesses are not permitted to join together to purchase affordable coverage for their employees. Lawsuit abuse will continue to thrive so the real victims are denied justice and the cost of health care can continue to escalate.

“We can insure the uninsured, which this bill actually fails to do, without degrading the quality and increasing the cost of health care for everyone else. It’s no wonder the Democrats preserved the loophole that ensures Members of Congress never have to enroll in the program.”

###

The Club for Growth has released their annual RePORK card that gauges how responsible our Congressional representatives have been with our tax dollars.  The result is usually pretty atrocious and this year is no different, but we do have a few responsible representatives in our states’ delegations.  The ratings are based on 68 amendments introduced in the House that would have stripped wasteful earmarks out of 12 annual spending bills.  Representatives who voted for all of the amendments received a score of 100%.  Those that voted for none received a zero.  So how did our guys and girls stack up?

Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) was the only member to receive a perfect score of 100%.  However, there were a few others who weren’t far behind her.  Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) received a 99%, voting against only one of the amendments.  Gresham Barrett (R-SC-03) and Sue Myrick (R-NC-09) both received a 97%.  Bob Inglis (R-SC-04) a 96%.  All others were below 90% which means the rest have some work to do, some a little and some are completely worthless.

Two more Congressmen that stood out to me were our two Blue Dog Democrats in North Carolina:  Heath Shuler (NC-11) and Mike McIntyre (NC-07).  Bear in mind that the Blue Dogs are supposed to be fiscal conservatives.  Apparently, these two didn’t get the memo.  Shuler supported only one amendment out of the 68 and McIntyre found the only way to top his poor showing by voting for none of them.

Also on the wall of shame for frivolously throwing your tax dollars away are the following pigs who received a zero score:

• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06)
• Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02)
• Larry Kissell (D-NC-08)
• Brad Miller (D-NC-13)
• David Price (D-NC-04)
• Jack Spratt (D-SC-05)
• Mel Watt (D-NC-11)

It’s interesting to note that all the high scoring members of Congress are Republicans and all the ones with the shitty scores are Democrats.  That really illustrates the differing views the two parties have on the role of the Federal Government.

McHenry is opposed to ObamaCare and yet you won’t hear any screaming or yelling at this meeting.  That’s because McHenry is on the side of the American people on this issue and the people don’t want socialized medicine.

Catawba County Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, August 11th at 6:00 p.m.
Hickory City Hall
City Council Chambers
76 North Center Street
Hickory, NC 28601

Lincoln County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, August 12th at 6:00 p.m.
James Warren Lincoln County Citizens Center
Commissioners’ Chambers
115 West Main Street
Lincolnton, NC 28092

Caldwell County Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, August 13th at 6:00 p.m.
Lenoir Library
Meeting Room 6, Lower Level
120 Hospital Avenue
Lenoir, NC 28645

Burke County Town Hall Meeting
Monday, August 17th at 6:00 p.m.
Western Piedmont Community College
Phifer Learning Resource Center (LRC)
Second Floor, Room 120
1001 Burkemont Avenue
Morganton, NC 28655

Rutherford County Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, August 18th at 6:00 p.m.
Rutherford County Schools Offices
School Board Chambers
382 West Main Street
Forest City, NC 28043

Gaston County Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, August 19th at 6:00 p.m.
Cherryville Fire Department
411 East Church Street
Cherryville, NC 28021

Cleveland County Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, August 20th at 6:00 p.m.
Charles A. Harry Cleveland County Administration Building
County Commissioners’ Chambers
311 East Marion Street
Shelby, NC 28151

Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) has co-sponsored House resolution 615 that will require any member of the House of Representatives who votes for a public health care option to enroll in it themselves.  It makes sense to me.  If it’s so good, why wouldn’t they want it?  This resolution won’t come close to passing so don’t get all giddy or anything and I’m sure McHenry knows that.  The introduction of this legislation has more to do with making a very valid point and hitting home with it.  It would be nice if the MSM were to actually pick this up, but I’m not crossing my fingers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2009
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

McHenry Statement on Vote Against Cap and Trade

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement regarding his vote against H.R. 2454, the cap-and-trade bill.

“For this Congress to cut jobs and raise energy costs on working families at a time like this truly boggles the mind. The economy is shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs every month and families are struggling to pay their bills. So I fail to see the wisdom in eliminating 88,000 jobs in North Carolina alone, raising energy prices by $1,400 annually on every household, and hiking gasoline prices by 77 cents per gallon. For what? So we can possibly lower the earth’s temperature by two-tenths of a degree by the end of the century. Any serious climate change initiative must include binding commitments from China and India to reduce carbon emissions. In the absence of that, we are asking the American people to bear enormous sacrifices at a time when they can least afford it – for two-tenths of a degree by 2100.”

(sources: Heritage Foundation, Congressional Budget Office, American Petroleum Institute)

NOTES:
Groups opposing the legislation include the National Association of Manufacturers, National Textile Association, and American Farm Bureau Federation.

“Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” – President Barack Obama

“Nobody in this country realizes that cap-and-trade is a tax, and it’s a great big one.” – Congressman John Dingell (D-MI)

###

By a vote of 219 to 212, the House narrowly passed the Cap and Trade bill that will cost us millions of jobs and devastate the American economy even more as it starts going into affect. Just ask Spain how well it went for them?

This still has to pass the U.S. Senate of course and that is nowhere near certain. They need 60 ayes just to be able to vote for it and I imagine there will be Democrat defectors there just as there were in the House.

Those who voted to raise your energy bills by about $1500 a year to “save the planet” are as follows:

• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01)
• Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02)
• David Price (D-NC-04)
• Heath Shuler (D-NC-11)
• Mel Watt (D-NC-12)
• Brad Miller (D-NC-13)
• Jack Spratt (D-SC-05)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06)

Those who voted to protect your liberty, labor, and livelihood were:

• Walter Jones (R-NC-03)
• Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05)
• Howard Coble (R-NC-06)
• Mike McIntyre (D-NC-07)
• Larry Kissell (D-NC-08)
• Sue Myrick (R-NC-09)
• Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10)
• Henry Brown (R-SC-01)
• Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)
• Gresham Barrett (R-SC-03)
• Bob Inglis (R-SC-04)

Congressman McHenry may not have gotten the memo, but jeopardizing the Census is precisely what the White House has in mind.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2009
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

Census Subcommittee Republicans to Census Bureau: Cut Ties with ACORN
Integrity of Census Should Not Be Jeopardized

WASHINGTON – Today, Republican Members of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives sent the following letter to the U.S. Census Bureau concerning its partnership with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

Mr. Thomas L. Mesenbourg
Acting Director
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, MD 20746

Dear Mr. Mesenbourg:

On May 4, 2009, Nevada’s Attorney General filed criminal charges against the political advocacy group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for its role in voter registration fraud during the 2008 presidential campaign. While there have been countless indictments brought against ACORN employees, this is the first charge filed against the organization itself.

In light of this serious charge, we write to request that the Census Bureau reconsider its inclusion of ACORN in the Planning Partnership Program for the 2010 Census. ACORN’s involvement may compromise our shared commitment to an apolitical and accurate census count.

In response to hearing questions submitted by Members of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Census Bureau has previously stated that it will “not select partner organizations” that could “distract from the Census Bureau’s mission.” The Bureau also stated that “strong emphasis is placed on early identification and the urgency of swift remedial action” and that “if fraud is suspected, [an] enumerator will be relieved of duty.” The Bureau must hold partnering organizations to the same reasonable standards as its enumerators.

No one questions the desire of the Census Bureau to ensure the integrity of the census enumeration. However, if the Bureau believes that ACORN should remain a partner, we request written explanation of why its involvement is so essential that the credibility of the 2010 Census should be jeopardized.

Please submit the requested information to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives as soon as possible. Should you have any questions or need any additional information please contact Chapin Fay at (202) 225-5074.

Sincerely,

Patrick T. McHenry
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Information Policy,
Census, and National Archives

Lynn A. Westmoreland
Member of Congress

John L. Mica
Member of Congress

Jason Chaffetz
Member of Congress

###

North Carolina’s congressional delegation served up $228 million in pork barrel spending for fiscal 2009, a 5 percent jump from the previous year, according to the latest report from the government watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.

CAGW’s 2009 “Congressional Pig Book,” released one day before hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest wasteful government spending in a series of “tea parties,” catalogued 10,160 total pork projects, also called earmarks, amounting to $19.6 billion. Although the number of earmarks was down this year, the amount spent on those projects rose by 14 percent compared to fiscal 2008.

The Carolina Journal

I guess while the rest of us cut back, Congress felt the need to make up for it by spending more. But hey, what’s another $19.6 billion compared to the trillions we’re tossing around?

Despite a pledge to reform the earmark system, President Obama last month signed a $410 billion omnibus appropriations bill laced with pork barrel spending. “I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it’s necessary for the ongoing functions of government, and we have a lot more work to do,” Obama said.

Hope and change. Change and hope. Just click your ruby slippers together and maybe it’ll come true.

U.S. Rep. David Price, D-4th, helped score the most earmarks among North Carolina representatives, followed by former Rep. Robin Hayes, R-8th. Price and Hayes secured a combined 34 earmarks totaling over $11 million in the omnibus spending bill alone, according to a report by Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Reps. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, and Patrick McHenry, R-10th, were the only Tar Heel lawmakers to pass on the pork. Rep. Walter Jones, R-3rd, was responsible for only one earmark: $2.4 million for a U.S. Navy cancer vaccine program in California.

Foxx, Jones, and McHenry have promised to abstain from earmarks. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., made the same pledge, but the CAGW report shows that Burr played a role in securing 52 earmarks in appropriations bills this fiscal year.

I’m interested to know what Burr’s earmarks were, and what excuse he had. Last week Bane took some S.C. lawmakers to task for breaking their no-tax pledge. Well, I’m not to pleased to see my U.S. Senator break a no-earmarks pledge. That and his support for Bush’s bailout plan last year are causing me to sour on this guy real quick.

UPDATE: Butterfield tries to explain himself -kinda- in the N&O:

As it turns out, U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield doesn’t like to call them earmarks either.

The Wilson Democrat was the only member of the North Carolina delegation to actually label his requests for special appropriations in the federal budget “earmarks.”

But he told Dome he doesn’t like the term.

“I don’t like to call them earmarks because they have such a bad reputation around the country,” he said. “I call them Congressionally-directed funds.” 

Oh, well as long as we have some sort of innocuous pseudo-Orwellian term for these money-wasting travesties, I guess that makes it OK.

Jeeez, do we ever need a revolution.

Here’s the list:

Rep. G.K. Butterfield: 98, $7.3 billion

Rep. Larry Kissell: 103, $530.1 million

Rep. Bob Etheridge: 59, $312.2 million

Rep. Mike McIntyre: 67, $302 million

Rep. David Price: 89, $264.6 million

Rep. Brad Miller: 59, $185.5 million

Rep. Mel Watt: 66, $179.7 million

Rep. Howard Coble: 29, $90.3 million

Rep. Heath Shuler: 79, $81.5 million

Rep. Walter Jones: 11, $43.8 million

Rep. Sue Myrick: No earmark requests

Rep. Virginia Foxx: No earmark requests

Rep. Patrick McHenry: No earmark requests

The N&O

At least three of our congresscritters are trying to be responsible with our tax dollars. I won’t say that I expect better from Coble and Jones, because I don’t. We do deserve better though.

But let’s take a look at the top of that list, shall we?  G.K. Butterfield got $7.3 billion. BILLION! A “B” and 9 zeros! Now, I understand that G.K. represents the cradle of Eastern N.C. BBQ, but this goes a little too far.

So what did ol’ G.K. get with other peoples’ tax money?

The Wilson Democrat released his list of 98 requested appropriations for the federal budget on his Web site.

The largest request is $2 billion for Virginia-class submarines from the Northrop Grumman Corp. The smallest is $150,000 to upgrade lecture halls at Halifax Community College.

Other notable earmarks:

* Refueling overhauls for Navy aircraft carriers, $1.6 billion.

* Construction of new aircraft carriers, $807 million.

* Funding a National Textile Center at N.C. State University, $16.5 million. 

* Starting a rural business incubator in Scotland Neck, $10 million. 

The N&O

Hey, G.K., you know we’re in a recession, right?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 19, 2009
Contact: Brock McCleary
(202) 225-2576

McHenry Statement on AIG Bonuses

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement regarding his vote against H.R. 1586.

“This is shameless Washington hypocrisy at its worst. President Obama and the Democrats were for AIG bonuses before they were against them. The Administration and their Democrat allies stripped an amendment from the stimulus bill that would have prevented these bonuses.

“With Republicans and the public expressing outrage at their actions, the Democrats are now scrambling for political cover. They will find no such cover because their knee-jerk legislation allows AIG executives to keep a portion of their taxpayer-funded bonuses. Yesterday, the Democrats defeated Republican efforts to pass legislation that ordered the Administration to recoup 100% of the bonuses and deny AIG any further federal assistance until every penny is repaid to taxpayers.

“This whole episode is precisely why I voted against the taxpayer-funded bailouts of financial institutions. The blame for these bonuses rests solely with the Bush and Obama Administrations and those who march in lock step with their irresponsible policies.”

###

U.S. House- N.C. Delegation

2009 BUDGET, CONGRESSIONAL PAY: Voting 245 for and 178 against, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a $410 billion appropriations bill (HR 1105) to fund agencies now on stopgap budgets. The bill denies a congressional pay raise in 2009.
Voting yes: G.K. Butterfield, D-1; Bob Etheridge, D-2; David Price, D-4; Mike McIntyre, D-7; Larry Kissell, D-8; Heath Shuler, D-11; Melvin Watt, D-12; Brad Miller, D-13
Voting no: Walter Jones, R-3; Virginia Foxx, R-5; Howard Coble, R-6; Sue Myrick, R-9; Patrick McHenry, R-10

EARMARKS, ETHICS PROBE: Voting 226 for and 182 against, the House on Wednesday killed a motion (H Res 189) to open an Ethics Committee probe of suspected links between House members’ receipt of campaign contributions and their sponsorship of earmarks that benefit the contributor. A yes vote was to kill the motion.
Voting yes: Etheridge, Jones, Price, McIntyre, Shuler, Watt, Miller
Voting no: Foxx, Coble, Kissell, Myrick, McHenry
Not voting: Butterfield
Hope and change… hope and change. And something about the most ethical Congress in history. Yeah, anyone else remember any of that? Didn’t think so.

BANKRUPTCY, MORTGAGES: Voting 224 for and 198 against, the House on Thursday set debate rules for a bill (HR 1106) that gives bankruptcy courts authority to ease the terms of mortgages on principal residences in Chapter 13 proceedings. Final action on this part of President Obama’s anti-foreclosure plan was then delayed for several days. A yes vote was to advance the bill.
Voting yes: Butterfield, Etheridge, Price, McIntyre, Kissell, Watt, Miller
Voting no: Jones, Foxx, Coble, Myrick, McHenry, Shuler
Because it’s so obviously the government’s job to step in and protect people who bought property they can’t afford from all those big bad banks. Whatever happened to contracts being, I don’t know… binding? Or the government staying out private business?

PRIMATES AS PETS: Voting 323 for and 95 against, the House on Tuesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 80) to ban interstate commerce in nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Butterfield, Etheridge, Jones, Price, McIntyre, Kissell, Shuler, Watt, Miller.
Voting no: Foxx, Coble, Myrick, McHenry
And now the government does what it does best- react to problems in all due haste… after the ape sh-t’s already hit the fan. I don’t think I have a problem with this, and I’d go further. As Libertarian as I am, there are too many irresponsible pet owners out there who are hurting other people by having these crazy animals. I think states should start licensing these things, charge a big fee, and make sure only a responsible person is allowed to own a chimp, or a 25-foot Burmese Python.

U.S. Senate

SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS: Voting 80 for and 17 against, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Hilda L. Solis, 51, a member of Congress from California, as the 25th U.S. secretary of labor. A yes vote was to confirm Solis.
Voting yes: Kay Hagan, D
Voting no: Richard Burr, R

D.C. CONGRESSIONAL SEAT: The Senate on Thursday passed, 61 for and 37 against, a bill (S 160) expanding the House of Representatives from 435 to 437 seats by establishing the District of Columbia as a congressional district and awarding Utah a fourth congressional district. D.C. presumably would elect a Democratic representative and Utah a Republican. The new members would take office in 2011. The bill is now before the House. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Hagan
Voting no: Burr
How telling is it that the U.S. Senate can do something blatantly unconstitutional, and no one bats an eye? The Constitution clearly says that only states get representatives. D.C. is NOT a state. Hopefully this will be overturned. Kay Hagan and her 60 comrades should be ashamed of themselves for violating their oath to uphold the Constitution.

RETROCESSION TO MARYLAND: Voting 30 for and 67 against, the Senate on Thursday rejected a plan to give the District of Columbia full representation in Congress by ceding nearly all of its 69 square miles back to Maryland, from which it was created in 1790. The amendment was offered to S 160 (above). A yes vote backed retrocession.
Voting yes: Burr
Voting no: Hagan
What the hell does Richard Burr have against Maryland?

D.C. GUN LAWS: Voting 62 for and 36 against, the Senate on Thursday amended S 160 (above) to deny the District of Columbia government authority to enact laws restricting private ownership or use of firearms. In part, the amendment would negate laws such as D.C.’s prohibition on gun ownership by persons voluntarily committed to mental institutions and its bans on armor-piercing sniper rifles and military-style semiautomatic weapons. A yes vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Hagan, Burr

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE: Voting 87 for and 11 against, the Senate on Thursday amended S 160 (above) to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from reinstating its Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to air competing viewpoints on hotly contested issues. The doctrine’s repeal in 1987 cleared the way for the rise of talk radio. A yes vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Hagan, Burr
It’s official- Kay Hagan has finally done something I agree with. Good job Kay!

U.S. House- N.C. Delegation

$787 BILLION STIMULUS: Voting 286 for and 183 against, the House on Friday approved the conference report on a $787 billion economic stimulus bill (HR 1). A yes vote was to approve the conference report.
Voting yes: G.K. Butterfield, D-1; Bob Etheridge, D-2; David Price, D-4; Mike McIntyre, D-7; Larry Kissell, D-8; Melvin Watt, D-12; Brad Miller, D-13
Voting no: Walter Jones, R-3; Virginia Foxx, R-5; Howard Coble, R-6; Sue Myrick, R-9; Patrick McHenry, R-10
When your grandchildren ask you why their taxes are so high, and why government is so big, and what economic freedom was like, I hope you’re able to tell them.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL: Voting 242 for and 157 against, the House on Tuesday tabled a Republican bid to remove Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee because of conduct now being investigated. Rangel is under scrutiny for dealings concerning rent-controlled apartment units in his district, his admitted failure to pay taxes on rental income on resort property, and his use of his committee post to help the City College of New York raise funds for an academic facility in his name. A yes vote opposed the motion to strip Rangel of his committee post.
Voting yes: Etheridge, Jones, Price, McIntyre, Kissell, Shuler, Watt, Miller
Voting no: Foxx, Coble, Myrick, McHenry
Not voting: Butterfield
Well, that’s it. I’m not paying my taxes anymore. If don’t get appointed to a cabinet post, at the very least I can enjoy a comfy job as a House committee chairman. The Ways and Means Committee, by the way, is the committee in charge of tax policy. That means the Ways and Means Chair and the Treasury Secretary are both tax cheats. Hope and change… hope and change…

ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY: Voting 397 for and 25 against, the House on Wednesday sent the Senate a bill (HR 448) authorizing $9 million over three years for state programs to prevent abuse of the elderly and provide emergency services to abuse victims. A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Butterfield, Etheridge, Jones, Price, Coble, McIntyre, Kissell, Myrick, McHenry, Shuler, Watt, Miller
Voting no: Foxx
So what could possibly be wrong with this? Nothing, if it was done at the state and local level. Apparently Congresswoman Foxx is the only person on this list who understands the concept of Federalism.

U.S. Senate

$838 BILLION STIMULUS: Voting 61 for and 37 against, the Senate on Tuesday passed an $838 billion economic stimulus bill (HR 1) and sent it to a House-Senate conference committee.
Voting yes: Kay Hagan, D
Voting no: Richard Burr, R

WILLIAM LYNN CONFIRMATION: Voting 93 for and 4 against, the Senate on Wednesday confirmed William J. Lynn III as deputy defense secretary, the Pentagon’s second-ranking civilian post. Lynn worked most recently as a lobbyist for the defense contractor Raytheon. A yes vote was to confirm Lynn.
Voting yes: Hagan, Burr
I don’t know… he’s probably qualified. But does anyone else seem to remember a certain presidential candidate saying something about “no lobbyists in his administration”? Anyone know who that was? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?