Carolina Politics Online

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.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, criticized for a string of polarizing statements made last year on the floor of Congress, drew attention this week for saying that the U.S. government should not pay for education.

“Most of the things that have been done by the federal government which are unconstitutional have been done for good reasons,” Foxx said. “They’re not malevolent reasons, but they’re wrong. We should not be funding education, for example.”

Foxx also said she did not believe that the federal government should mandate people to buy health insurance.

Aaron Groen, a spokesman for Foxx, said that, on the education question, what the congresswoman meant was that the federal government should leave the financing of education — and the policy decisions of how to educate — to state and local governments.

The W-S Journal

Foxx got skewered for her truthful and accurate comments on heath care, and she’s going to be skewered for her truthful and accurate comments on education too.  But all the skewering and name-calling won’t change the fact the 10th Amendment backs her up, as does simple reality. Anyone care to make the argument that the feds have done a good job with education over the last few decades? Anyone want to argue that our schools would be better if Congress Critters got even MORE involved?

You may recall that President Obama promised several times during his 2008 presidential campaign that if elected he would push for an overhaul of the health care system and that he would make the talks and negotiations publicly accessible by the media.  This of course has turned out to be another one of the many lies he fed the American people in the run up to the 2008 elections.  The health care legislation has been a rotting stew of secrecy, back room deals, and flat out bribery among our elected representatives on the left side of the aisle.

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.

You can guarantee that California will fight this tooth and nail.  They have about five more seats than they should due to the population of illegals in their state.

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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Today in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 whizzed through the House by a vote of 331 to 83.  This takes your hard earned money and hands it over to the unemployed for another 13 weeks.  It’s a good thing that “stimulus” bill is putting all of those back people to work, huh?

So instead of our Congress implementing real economic growth policies that would take the unemployed off of the unemployment roles as they begin to find work again, the Congress decided to add to our $11 trillion national debt in more welfare handouts.  All so they can send out glossy pamphlets to their constituents that say, “Vote for me!  I gave you more of other peoples’ money!”

So which House members, you ask, in our Carolinas are responsible for the passage of this bill?  The answer is easy.  All of them, except for two.  Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) was the only representative to vote for fiscal responsibility.  But I said two didn’t vote for the bill.  The other was Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC-03).  He didn’t show up to vote.  I guess he is too busy running for governor.

Just an FYI, Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02) cosponsored this bill.

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.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

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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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)

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.

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.

I love a spirited discussion, how about you?

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
Contact: Aaron Groen

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

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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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!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aaron Groen

February 25, 2009
202-225-2071

Huge spending bill passes House, national debt increases

Foxx votes against $410 billion bill, votes for increased earmark transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today voted in opposition to a massive spending bill (H.R. 1105) that once again increases federal government spending at a time of record budget deficits. H.R. 1105, which completes the funding process for the federal government for fiscal year 2009, spends $410 billion, 8.3 percent more than 2008.

“The federal budget is growing by 8.3 percent, while family budgets are shrinking,” Foxx said. “At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, Washington is on a reckless spending spree. This is
irresponsible.”

When the spending legislation passed before the end of 2008 is factoring in, federal discretionary spending will reach $1.01 trillion for 2009. This is the first time in U.S. history that the federal discretionary budget has passed the $1 trillion mark. Additionally, federal agencies lucky enough to get money from both this spending legislation and the recently-enacted stimulus bill are about to see their funding jump by 80 percent-nearly doubling some agencies’ budgets in a single year.

“Congress has jacked up the federal debt limit four times in the past 17 months in order to accommodate Washington’s profligate spending,” Foxx said. “Thanks to this new massive bill it is just a matter of time until we take out yet another mortgage on our children’s future earnings.”

H.R. 1105 also undermines the United States’ long-standing opposition to China’s one child policy and coercive abortion practices by increasing funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) by 25 percent. The UNFPA supports China’s destructive one child policy. The bill also gives organizations that promote and provide abortions around the world access to $545 million in federal funding.

In a related vote today Foxx voted in favor of legislation that would help to clean up the Congressional earmark system. The legislation would be a first step towards requiring members of Congress to list campaign contributions that serve as a financial interest in lawmakers’ earmark requests.

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