Inside the New Hampshire pitch to those who don’t want Donald Trump
For all the passionate support Donald Trump has amassed in New Hampshire, many Republicans and independent voters are just as passionate about not voting for Donald Trump. They are an enticing target for the pack of Republicans off the front-runner’s pace, who seek to turn a second-place finish in the nation’s first primary — or maybe even an upset win — into validation they’re the candidate best able to challenge the brash real estate billionaire in South Carolina and beyond. Those voters are grappling with the weight of the world, as they take in town halls with Chris Christie and Jeb Bush, and attend rallies with Marco Rubio and meet and greets with John Kasich. “I only have, like, six weeks to make up my mind, and this is making me sick,” said Linda Fournier of Salem, who’s been keeping a close eye on the contest for nearly a year. “I actually go to bed at night worrying about this. This is just one vote, but it’s so important to me.” Those four candidates are generally viewed as able to win over a GOP establishment worried about the prospect of Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as their party’s nominee. They combine for about 45 percent of support in recent preference polls — enough to top Trump as one bloc, but fall far short split among them. New evidence of the intensity among the four is manifesting itself in the form of escalating attacks in ads, in interviews and at their events. The men all share similar ideas about policy and politics, but their pitches to voters differ as they seek to come out on top. What they all agree on: It’s in New Hampshire where their White House aspirations may find life — or come to an end. “You are among the most powerful people in the world right now,” Christie told voters at a recent town hall with the Manchester Rotary Club. “You and you alone will decide who the other 48 states have to pick from to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States.” • • • For Christie, the New Jersey governor who thrives on one-on-one interaction, the setting of choice has been town halls. Christie seeks to present himself as a relatable everyman, peppering the events with life stories and personal anecdotes, weaving between well-tested tear-jerkers and lines that leave participants laughing out loud. The free-wheeling events often stretch on for two hours or more, and attendees routinely walk away impressed. “He’s very down-to-earth. He cares,” said Anne Kagen, a nursing assistant from Manchester. “I like the way that he’s outspoken and right on point,” said George Castonguay, a fuel service technician from Manchester. Since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Christie has increasingly put the focus on his record as a U.S. attorney, the job he held before he was governor. He calls himself a battle-tested crime fighter who has the fire to appeal to Trump voters who are angry about the country’s direction, but comes with the executive governing experience the former reality TV star lacks. He’s also tried to keep the focus on Hillary Clinton, making the case that he is the most prepared to take on the Democratic front-runner in the general election. “The American people, and this is getting more acute to me every day, understand that they need somebody from outside of Washington D.C., and somebody who is going to be strong and tough and honest,” Christie recently said. “I just don’t think Hillary Clinton fills any of those four.” • • • Bush, the former Florida governor, has spent much of the race trying to convince voters that he’s the candidate they need, even though he may not be the one who excites them most. In mid-December, Bush moved away from his on-and-off, sometimes indirect jabs at Trump. In its place came an uninhibited attack on the national GOP front-runner, who Bush calls the “chaos candidate” as he mocks his debate answers and policy proposals. “These are serious times. We need a serious leader,” Bush told voters recently in Littleton, offering himself as just such a leader. With his penchant for promoting what he calls “disruptive” policy reform, Bush presents his eight years as governor of Florida as the centerpiece of his candidacy. He touts Florida as “a diverse, vibrant” place, and a perennial swing state worth a whopping 29 electoral votes. He says often, “I know how to do this, because I was governor.” The self-described policy nerd also thrives during hour-long question-and-answer sessions that cap his New Hampshire campaign stops. In Dover last week Tuesday, Bush stood with arms crossed and head cocked staring at John Polychronis as the Dover Republican asked whether the spike in heroin abuse in the state meant American youth had lost faith in government. Bush replied that he does not possess answers to all of the nation’s ills, but pledged to work hard to find the answers if elected. “The way you restore confidence is by rolling up your sleeves and fixing things,” Bush said. “I like Marco Rubio because he’s moderate,” said Nancy Novelline-Clayburgh, a Republican voter from Portsmouth. “But Jeb Bush did a fantastic job as governor. And I think we’re better off electing a governor.” • • • Florida Senator Rubio centers his campaign pitch on his personal biography, attempting to craft an aspirational message that appeals to voters across a broad spectrum of the Republican Party. Rubio weaves together his past, as the son of Cuban immigrants who never led a rich lifestyle, with his present, particularly, his role as a young father seeking to give his children a brighter future. And while Rubio is fighting to be the mainstream alternative to Trump, he’s actively trying to distance himself from the “establishment” label. He often talks about his successful run for U.S. Senate in 2010, when he ran in a GOP primary against the state’s sitting governor. “When I decided to run
Jack Williams takes issue with ALGOP resolution rebuking Mike Hubbard
State Rep. Jack Williams is not happy with the Alabama GOP’s steering committee’s resolution calling for House Speaker Mike Hubbard to step down, saying his ethics case proceeded with “blatant disregard for the rule of law.” In a conversation with Alabama Today on Monday, Williams said the steering committee’s decision – based upon a vote taken on a conference call “in the middle of the night” – was driven by political opposition to Hubbard. “We have at least on member on the steering committee who doesn’t like the Speaker’s leadership, and they couldn’t win this battle in the caucus where the decision was made, so they took this battle to the steering committee, where they only had to convince 10 people,” Williams said, noting that fewer than the full 20 members of the body voted on the resolution. “This is an embarrassing way for Republican leadership to conduct business. “That’s unfortunate that this has happened because the steering committee has abandoned the principle of innocent until proven guilty.” Williams also criticized the committee for taken a one-sided approach to the problem, pointing to misdeeds by the Attorney General’s office reported in the media. “Right now we only have accusations against the Speaker,” Williams said. “The only violation of the law that we know definitively is we know the prosecutor … has illegally leaked secret grand jury testimony to the media. Maybe that might be where the steering committee should shine their little flashlights next. “The greatest threat to liberty in the state of Alabama is abandoning our bedrock principles of democracy like innocent until proven guilty, and having a lawless Attorney General’s office that operates without regard for the rule of law or the rules of the grand jury and the courts. The prosecutors should be about justice, not about eliminating potential political opponents or settling scores; it should be about justice.”
Meet the women of TEDxBirmingham 2016
A young adult novelist, a spoken word poet, writers and artists are among the visionary women scheduled to speak at the upcoming TEDxBirmingham. Organized locally TEDxBirmingham is an independent, volunteer effort operated under license from TED — the international TED conferences that have been held for more than 20 years in the spirit of “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Scheduled for March 12 at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, TedxBirmingham 2016 will be the Magic City’s third TedX event. This year, the list of speakers is chock-full of inspirational women. Get to know them below: Olivia Affuso: Epidemiologist An Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at UAB’s School of Public Health, Olivia Affuso has written several scientific publications in relation to physical activity, nutrition, and obesity in her career as an epidemiologist. She is a member of UAB’s Nutrition Obesity Research Center and Center for Exercise Medicine. Her current research projects include the development of a novel method for measuring body composition, several meta-analytic studies for use in the development of effective childhood obesity interventions, and design issues in obesity randomized trials. Olivia’s self-proclaimed passion is using her field of research to help women and young girls live the life of their dreams without being held back from negative thinking. [Biography via TedxBirmginham]
Jeb Bush is only candidate NH voters view unfavorably, Monmouth U. poll finds
For Jeb Bush and supporters, it’s probably wise not to rise or fall on the basis of a single poll. Case in point? New Hampshire. The Bush camp rallied this weekend around a poll that showed him moving up to second place in New Hampshire, getting 11.9 percent support. Flash forward to Monday, where a Monmouth University poll just released has him tied for 7th place, with just 4 percent of the vote. The story in this poll is that Donald Trump is rising in the Granite State, getting 32 percent support. That’s up from 26 percent when Monmouth pollsters asked the same question in November. Trump’s 6-point gain is the largest for any candidate in the GOP field. His favorability rating has also ticked up and now sits at 52 percent positive and 40 percent negative. Tied for second is Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, well behind Trump with 14 percent each. Marco Rubio is in fourth place in the survey with 12 percent, and Chris Christie is fifth at 8 percent. “As Granite State voters start to firm up their decision, it’s looking more and more unlikely that Trump will be toppled from his perch,” said Monmouth polling director Patrick Murray. “The real fight is for second place.” Rounding out the field are businesswoman Carly Fiorina, at 5 percent, and Rand Paul and Bush, both tied at 4 percent. And Bush has the distinction of being the only Republican candidate in the survey who GOP voters view negatively. Only 39 percent of Republicans voters in New Hampshire have a positive view of Bush, compared to 47 percent who view him negatively. And remember Ben Carson? In the November version of the Monmouth poll, the retired neurosurgeon was in second place, with 16 percent support. Now? He’s in ninth place, with just 3 percent. Carson once had the highest favorability rating of any candidate in the field, but now he sits at 46 percent positive and 34 percent negative.
Alabama business roundup: Headlines from across the state – 1/11/16 edition
When can the Yellowhammer state expect charter schools to launch? Which five Birmingham startups will advance to the semifinals of Alabama Launchpad competition? Who’s building a high-speed fiber optic network in Huntsville? All of this and more inside today’s business roundup of headlines from across the state: Birmingham Business Journal: Alabama charter schools to open by fall 2017 The Alabama Public Charter School Commission last week announced that charter schools will officially open in Alabama in fall 2017. The commission worked on an application template for those interested in founding charter schools, according to a report from the Associated Press. The application template will likely be approved by the commission in the coming months. Applicants for a charter must submit information about their financial management, operations plan and curriculum. Charter schools operate as state-funded schools, but are free from the regulations of other publicly-funded schools. Charter schools may also be operated by privately-funded groups. The Alabama Legislature last year approved legislation allowing charter schools in Alabama. AL.com: Comcast to build high-speed fiber optic network in Huntsville Comcast Business announced this morning it will build a fiber optic network with up to 10 gigabit speeds and cloud-based voice solutions for businesses and government organizations in the Huntsville area. The telecommunications company’s multi-million dollar plan for fiber-based Ethernet service complements the City of Huntsville’s attempt to become a “GIG City” with high-speed, fiber optic Internet for businesses and homes. “As Huntsville continues to grow and develop a vibrant, high-tech community, Comcast recognized the need to make this important technology investment,” said Doug Guthrie, regional SVP for Comcast. “This effort will enable businesses to expand their operations, and reinforces Huntsville as a destination of choice for organizations requiring the most advanced technology available.” Comcast revealed last month it would make a major technology-related announcement for the area. Alex Horwitz, vice president of public relations for Comcast, said the investment would involve some new jobs, but it is not yet clear how many positions will be created. Comcast said it provides the following services to schools, businesses, hospitals and other organizations: Ethernet Private Line: point-to-point connectivity between two customer sites for bandwidth-intensive applications. Ethernet Virtual Private Line: point-to-multipoint connection to enable customers to tailor bandwidth, performance characteristics, and cost. Ethernet Network Service: multipoint-to-multipoint connectivity to connect organizations with high-bandwidth requirements and multiple locations across Comcast’s network. Ethernet Dedicated Internet: continuous, high-bandwidth connectivity between customers’ LANs and the public Internet. Bringing high-speed Internet to Huntsville was voted the most exciting idea for Huntsville’s future in a 2014 poll for AL.com’s “What works: Regionalism” project. Officials hope faster download speeds will satisfy the area’s existing data heavy companies, as well as new businesses looking to open or move here. In a news release announcing the network, Comcast praised Huntsville’s aerospace, telecommunications and military background. The company also mentioned the University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center as points of pride. “Comcast’s announcement is the latest in a series of wins for Huntsville’s residents and businesses to receive high speed internet,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “We thank Comcast for making this significant investment in the city of Huntsville and for their belief in our high-growth market.” Rep. Howard Sanderford, R-Huntsville, said, “Huntsville will enjoy all of the advantages of having the fastest internet speeds and most cutting-edge technologies in the state – all designed to support our robust economy.” Alabama Newscenter: Airbus supplier Zodiac Aerospace lands at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley on Tuesday welcomed Zodiac Aerospace, the latest support firm seeking proximity to Airbus’ $600 million U.S. manufacturing facility. France-based Zodiac, a global leader in aircraft cabins, employs more than 30,000 across 100 sites worldwide. The Mobile location is the 25th in the United States. “(Zodiac is) being aggressive and planting a flag. … We expect them to grow as (A320 production) rate grows,” Mobile Airport Authority Executive Director Roger Wehner said. He called the project a “testimony for our ability to work collaboratively crafting solutions that meet the unique needs of the supply chain.” The Mobile facility – expected to employ fewer than five people initially – will focus on A320 cabin interiors, specifically seating. Wehner called the project “further evidence of our commitment to help bring rewarding careers in the aviation industry to Mobile, and interiors represents another building block in the methodical development of Mobile’s aerospace cluster.” Zodiac is a global leader in aerospace equipment and systems for commercial, regional and business aircraft. In a statement, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson welcomed the newest example of foreign investment to the Port City. “By establishing a base here, Zodiac joins a growing roster of top aerospace firms, which are establishing Mobile as a city on the rise,” Stimpson said. Zodiac will occupy about 1,700 square feet of a 5,000-square-foot space already inhabited by Hamburg, Germany-based Vartan Product Support. Airbus inaugurated its A320 final assembly line – its first on U.S. soil – five months ago within view of Vartan’s and Zodiac’s new Ninth Street address. Meanwhile, Continental Motors, VT MAE, Star Aviation and AeroStar already employ a combined 2,000 people at Brookley, with MAAS proceeding with plans to build a $39 million twin-bay paint facility targeting third-party U.S. maintenance, repair and operations customers. Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood said she anticipates a “long and rewarding partnership” with Zodiac. “We are delighted to learn that yet another global aerospace firm has chosen to join Mobile’s family of companies locating at Brookley to service the Airbus assembly plant. … As production ramps up at Airbus, each of the individual businesses will expand, our network of suppliers will grow, and the taxpayers of Mobile County will reap the benefits of a thriving economy,” Ludgood said. Established in 1980, the Mobile Airport Authority oversees the Mobile Regional Airport, a 3,000-acre commercial airport and industrial complex, as well as Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley and the adjacent Mobile Downtown Airport, which combine to create a 1,700-acre campus. The authority bills Mobile Aeroplex as the “transportation and industrial epicenter of the Central Gulf Coast.” Birmingham Business Journal: Five
Sen. Phil Williams takes on blogger Bill Britt
Republican state Sen. Phil Williams of Rainbow City responded today to what his office is calling “baseless attacks on his character and law practice” by the Alabama Political Reporter, a state political blog run by Bill Britt. A Jan. 7 article by the Alabama Political Reporter contended that “high-ranking government officials” had confirmed that Williams was under investigation for “possible ethics violations and other related activities.” A news release from Williams’ office noted that the senator had ignored previous defamatory blog posts, even a Dec. 22, 2015, piece in which Britt attacked his father, but took a stand this week when the blogger accused him of being under “criminal investigation.” “Over the past few weeks, a blogger named Bill Britt has written a number of posts attacking not only my character, but also the name of my late father, a highly-decorated Army veteran and revered public servant,” Williams wrote in the news release. “Further, Britt has attacked my law firm and its clients and insinuated I have used my position as a senator for private gain.” According to Williams’ news release, a full inquiry of government and law enforcement turned up no evidence of said investigation. However, to quell such attacks, Williams took the unusual step of contacting the Alabama Ethics Commission on Friday and requested that the agency conduct a full review of his law practice. “At my own insistence they have now received all five years of my client lists and will review them under seal,” Williams stated in the release. Williams is confident that the commission’s review will prove that he has “zero clients with state interests and that his annual statements of economic interest to the Ethics Commission have fully complied with the law.” “I am taking these actions not just for myself, but also for every member of the public domain who has been assaulted by bloggers and rumor-peddlers who believe they can hide behind the false pretense that they are ‘reporting the news,’” Williams added. Britt had little to say on Williams’ decision to go on the offensive this week. “The article(s) speak for themselves,” Britt responded in an email. Here’s the audio statement from Williams:
Jim McClendon, Alan Harper to announce Alabama lottery bill
Republicans state Sen. Jim McClendon of Springville and Rep. Alan Harper of Northport plan a joint press conference Tuesday to discuss their legislation to allow the public to vote on a statewide lottery. The press conference will take place 10 a.m. in the Press Room on the third floor of the Alabama State House. Representatives in McClendon’s office were directed to inform anyone seeking information on the bill to attend Tuesday’s press conference. Harper was attending to a personal matter and unable to discuss the legislation in detail. A state lottery has been a divisive issue since former-Gov. Don Siegelman attempted to pass such legislation during his tenure. During last year’s budget struggles, when two Special Sessions were called to address a multimillion dollar hole in the state’s general fund, a proposal by Republican Sen. Paul Sanford of Huntsville to have Alabama join Powerball, Mega Millions and other state lotteries died in the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing. McClendon and Harper’s bill will be introduced in the 2016 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, which begins Feb. 2.
U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear appeal from Don Siegelman
The U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman over his prison sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice. The justices had no comment Monday on their order letting stand a lower court ruling that rejected his request for a new sentencing hearing. Siegelman argued that a judge wrongly factored in accusations that the jury didn’t convict him of when handing down a 6½-year prison sentence. He was convicted in an influence-peddling scheme with HealthSouth Corp. founder and former CEO Richard Scrushy, who already has finished his sentence. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Siegelman’s sentence, which included an enhancement for “systematic and pervasive corruption.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Darryl Paulson: Why Donald Trump won’t win the GOP nomination
As we rapidly approach the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, speculation increases that Donald Trump will likely be the Republican presidential nominee. I believe Trump has no better than a 20 percent chance of winning the nomination. We all know the common criticisms of Trump. He has made outrageous statements about Mexicans as “rapists,” John McCain as not a military hero, and his rants against Carly Fiorina‘s ugly face and Megan Kelly bleeding from “wherever.” We know Trump has flip-flopped on almost every major issue including abortion, national health care and his attitude toward Hillary and Bill Clinton. We know that Trump has spent far more time as a Democrat or independent than as a Republican and he has given most of his $1.5 million in political donations to Democrats, including large contributions to Nancy Pelosi and the Clinton Foundation. We know that Trump has never been a conservative. Besides calling himself a liberal on health care, Trump quit the Republican Party in 1999 saying, “Republicans are just too crazy right.” We know that PolitiFact awarded Trump the “lie of the year” for his numerous misstatements during the campaign. Of the 77 statements PolitiFact investigated, they rated 76 percent of them Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire. Among the lies cited by PolitiFact was Trump’s comment that he watched “thousands of Muslims” cheering the fall of the World Trade Center on 9/11. You think at least one person would have a photo or video of that incident. None of it has damaged the Trump campaign yet. In fact, the more outrageous his statements, the more his numbers rise. So, why will Trump not win the Republican nomination? Because he will either suffer a Howard Dean-like fall, or because his support is concentrated among people who are not Republicans and people who are less likely to vote. Ross Douthat wrote in The New York Times that Trump’s support will vanish as Election Day approaches. As Joe Trippi, Howard Dean’s campaign manager wrote, “People get more pragmatic the closer they get to an actual vote.” According to Trippi, this is what happened to Dean. Why waste a vote on someone unlikely to win? Second, Trump will lose because much of his support comes from people who are not Republican and who don’t vote. Trump’s strongest support comes from what The New York Times called “a certain kind of Democrat.” It is hard for anyone to win the nomination of a political party when much of their support comes from people in the other party. As we get past the early caucuses and primaries, the candidates will face several closed primaries, where only members of a party can vote. If his support comes from Democrats, they will not be able to vote for him in states such as Florida and New York where Trump is doing well in the polls. A final problem for Trump is that much of his support comes from individuals who are least likely to vote, especially in caucuses and primaries. Civis Analytics, in a study of 11,000 Republican-leaning supporters, found that Trump would get 40 percent of the vote of those who have less than a 20 percent chance of voting. Unless Trump has a plan to compensate for these problems, he may quickly find himself, much like Dean, going from first place to out of the race in a period of weeks. If Trump loses the Iowa caucus, where Cruz is now leading, the bottom could fall out of his campaign very quickly. For a “winner” like Trump to lose the first major race of the campaign season would reduce the sense of inevitability that Trump will win the nomination. As other Republicans fall by the wayside, it is unlikely that Trump will win their support. Conservative and evangelical voters are unlikely to align with Trump, who is only a Republican of convenience. • • • Darryl Paulson is Professor Emeritus of Government at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and resides in Palm Harbor, Florida. For more state and national commentary visit Context Florida.
Alabama GOP calls for Speaker Mike Hubbard to suspend leadership position
Three weeks before the 2016 Legislative Session convenes, the Alabama Republican Party passed a resolution Sunday night calling for Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard to step down. The resolution, passed the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee, asks Hubbard to “suspend his role as Speaker until his trial is complete, and the indictments against him are resolved.” In a statement, Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said the party “strongly believes the needs of the state must be the first priority of elected officials.” “The GOP-controlled legislature needs full time focused attention on the people’s business,” Lathan continued. “The distractions of Representative Hubbard’s legal situation will make it extremely difficult for him to meet the demands of his role as Alabama Speaker of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the party-passed resolution touches on a particularly sensitive subject during an election year — public perception. “The trial, itself, is likely to become a distraction from the regular business of the legislature and, later become a subject of public debate in the primary and general elections of 2016,” reads the resolution. Hubbard was indicted by a Lee County grand jury in October 2014 with 23 felony charges stemming from allegations he misused his power in the Legislature and the Alabama Republican Party to enrich himself and secure contracts for allies. Read the complete statement from Lathan below: The Alabama Republican Party strongly believes the needs of our state must be the first priority of our elected officials. The GOP controlled legislature needs full time focused attention on the people’s business. The distractions of Representative Hubbard’s legal situation will make it extremely difficult for him to meet the demands of his role as Alabama Speaker of the House of Representatives. At this time, we recognize that Representative Hubbard remains innocent on the charges brought against him. We wish only the best for him and his family. We reached out to Representative Hubbard numerous times to meet with a small group of GOP leaders to discuss our concerns, to no avail. As a servant of the people, we urge Representative Hubbard to put the larger interest of Alabama first. Read the complete resolution below: Resolution Passed by the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee January 10, 2016 WHEREAS, Representative Mike Hubbard serves the State of Alabama as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives; and WHEREAS, since 2013, Speaker Hubbard has had to endure an investigation in regard to various allegations about his private financial affairs and his service as Speaker; and WHEREAS, in 2014 Speaker Hubbard was indicted for 23 felony counts and allegedly violating the Alabama Ethics Laws which regulates the performance of public officials, and the indictment includes allegations about his conduct before he was Speaker while he served as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party from 2007 to 2011, and his trial is set for March of 2016; and, WHEREAS, there has been ongoing public discussion of the Hubbard indictment since it was issued, and the trial is currently scheduled to take place during the regular session of the Alabama Legislature in 2016; and, WHEREAS, the trial, itself, is likely to become a distraction from the regular business of the legislature and, later become a subject of public debate in the primary and general elections of 2016; and, WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party is an association of private citizens organized to elect candidates to public office in Alabama to advance the policies of securing a free citizenry and fiscal responsibility in accordance with law, including the U.S. Constitution and the State Constitution; and WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party seeks to protect its right to self-governance against over-reaching application of the Ethics Law, especially if meant to be applied to its private activities and its leadership, but will not evaluate the specifics of the charges against Hubbard; and WHEREAS, the Alabama Republican Party does not want the distractions of the Hubbard trial to take away from the regular business of the legislature or its ability to achieve the policy objectives of the Republican Party in the primary and general elections of 2016; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we, the members of the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee, respectfully request Mike Hubbard to suspend his role as Speaker until his trial is complete, and the indictments against him are resolved.
Report: Marlon Bateman joins Marco Rubio campaign
Marlon Bateman, a booker for Hugh Hewitt, has joined Marco Rubio’s campaign press team, POLITICO has reported. Bateman, a Marine combat veteran, is expected to join the campaign next week, according to POLITICO. Hewitt told POLITICO that Bateman had been with the show for more than three years, and said Bateman “is the best young man.” Email from Hugh Hewitt producer marlon Bateman: “I have decided to join Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign.” — Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) January 10, 2016 Hewitt’s nationally syndicated show is heard in 120 cities across the United States. In recent months, Hewitt has participated in the GOP debates, asking questions of candidates during the CNN debate this fall. Hewitt told POLITICO that Jacob Browatzke will take over for Bateman in the role of associate producer. Politico reported that Bateman’s role with the Rubio campaign may include booking Rubio and campaign surrogates on the radio.
This week in the U.S. House of Representatives: Jan. 11 – Jan. 15, 2016
While it may be a short legislative week, both the House and Senate will be in session starting Monday. There are two, big non-legislative events on the schedule this week: President Barack Obama will deliver his final State of the Union address Tuesday evening, and the Republican Conferences of both chambers leave Washington after voting Wednesday for their annual GOP retreat. Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives is in session and will consider several bills under Suspension of the Rules, including H.R. 757: which strengthens and expands existing sanctions against North Korea in the wake of its recent nuclear weapons test. A full list of bills can be found here. Other legislation up for consideration this week: H.R. 1644: the Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining (STREAM) Act. The bill prevents the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) from issuing any final rules related to coal mining activities near streams, including updating a stream buffer zones (SBZ) rule, until after the National Academy of Sciences submits a study on the effectiveness of existing rules in effect — effectively delaying any new or revised SBZ rules for at least three years. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 3662: the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act. The bill restricts the president’s ability to lift sanctions on Iranian and other financial institutions as called for by the Iran Nuclear agreement, by allowing sanctions to be lifted only the president certifies that the institutions have not knowingly helped fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, foreign terrorist organizations and other entities sanctioned in connection with Iran’s weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missile programs. Alabama co-sponsor(s): Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) S.J. Res. 22: a joint resolution to disapprove a EPA/Corps of Engineers rule governing Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The resolution disapproves of the rule issued by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers on June 29, 2015, commonly known as the “waters of the United States” rule that seeks to clarify the federal government’s authority to regulate certain intrastate waters under the Clean Water Act, providing that the rule will have no force or effect. The Senate passed the resolution in November, acting under the Congressional Review Act. Alabama co-sponsor(s): Sen. Jeff Sessions; Sen. Richard Shelby Highlights of what is happening in House Committees this week: SBA Access to Capital: Tuesday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “SBA Management Review: Oversight of SBA’s Access to Capital Offices.” More information here. Iraq/Syria: Tuesday, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled “Outside Views on the U.S. Strategy for Iraq and Syria and the Evolution of Islamic Extremism.” More information here. Veterans Backlog: Tuesday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “1988 to 2016: VETSNET to VBMS; Billions Spent, Backlog Grinds On.” More information here. Nuclear Energy: Tuesday, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a markup of H.R.4084: the “Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act.” More information here. Judiciary: Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a markup of H.R.3406: the “Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2015”; H.R.4240: the “No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act”; and H.R.1854: the “Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015.” More information here. Senate Schedule: S. 2232: the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Deemed the “Audit the Fed” bill, the legislation would increase congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve and direct the Government Accountability Office to undertake a full audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and of the Federal Reserve Banks and report its findings to Congress. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None.
