Gary Palmer introduces bill to allow states to require proof of citizenship for voter registration
On Friday, Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) reintroduced the Citizen Ballot Protection Act to promote election security. The legislation would allow states to require proof of citizenship for voters by amending the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). “Restoring faith in the ability to conduct free and fair elections in this country begins with cleaning up voter rolls and requiring proof of citizenship to prevent illegally cast ballots from swaying elections,” said Rep. Palmer. “I introduced the Citizen Ballot Protection Act because Americans deserve to know their elections are secure. It is common sense that states should be able to require proof of citizenship to ensure only citizens are voting in their elections. Unfortunately, a 2013 Supreme Court ruling prevents states from requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. This bill will fix the problem by amending the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to give states the ability to verify the citizenship status of their voters when they register.” Cosponsors of the Citizen Ballot Protection Act include Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia), Rep. Randy K. Weber (R-Texas), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Rep. Mike Bost (R-Illinois), and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona). Palmer previously introduced this legislation in 2022. Palmer is concerned about the growing push to let non-citizens vote, especially in some liberal states where non-citizens are allowed to register. New York City even approved legislation allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. That legislation was ruled unconstitutional by the New York Supreme Court. Many states are adding proof of citizenship requirements to strengthen voter roll integrity before someone can register to vote. However, this protection does not extend to voters that register through the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) federal mail voter registration application form. This federal form is used to register to vote in federal elections, and the information collected by the form is listed in the NVRA. Because proof of citizenship is not listed as an option to add to the form, in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Supreme Court held a state requirement to show proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections violates the NVRA. Without the proof of citizenship requirement, individuals must only attest under penalty of perjury that they are citizens. The Citizen Ballot Protection Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to clarify that a state may impose a proof of citizenship requirement to register to vote in a federal election. The bill does not force states to require proof of citizenship but instead respects and upholds the role of states in administering federal elections. It merely gives states the option to add more security to their voter registration process. It helps states with proof of citizenship requirements streamline their registration process so that both their version of the federal mail voter registration form and the state’s regular voter registration form can have the same review process. State modifications to the federal mail voter registration form are reviewed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC and courts have begun interpreting the prohibition of notarized or other formal authentications as justification for denying states the ability to require documentary proof of citizenship with the federal mail voter registration form. In 2021, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that a previous 2016 EAC approval for Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas to include proof of citizenship violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The 10th Circuit issued a ruling in 2014 upholding EAC’s original rejection of Arizona and Kansas’ request that the federal form include documentary proof of citizenship. Gary Palmer is serving in his fifth term representing Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House passes resolution to overturn new federal gun regulation; Joe Biden vows veto
House Republicans passed a resolution that would repeal a Biden administration rule tightening federal regulations on stabilizing braces for firearms, an accessory that has been used in several mass shootings in the U.S. over the last decade. The resolution passed 219-210 nearly on party lines and after a contentious floor debate where Republicans accused the administration of “executive overreach,” and Democrats condemned a bill they said would “help kill people.” Two Democrats voted in support, and two Republicans voted against it. The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., will now go to the Senate, which could take up the measure as soon as this week. Should it pass, President Joe Biden has promised a veto. Overriding a presidential veto would require two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate. The new rule issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in January treats guns with the accessories like short-barreled rifles, a weapon that is like a sawed-off shotgun and has been heavily regulated since the 1930s. The regulation, which went into effect June 1, was one of several steps Biden announced in 2021 after a man using a stabilizing brace killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. A stabilizing brace was also used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead in 2019 and most recently in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Stabilizing braces transform a pistol into a weapon that’s powerful and easy to conceal, Attorney General Merrick Garland said when he announced the rule. Originally developed for disabled veterans, gun-control groups have said the accessories have became a loophole exploited by gunmakers to make weapons more deadly. Since taking effect earlier this month, the rule requires anyone who has a gun with an arm-stabilizing brace to register the weapon with the federal government and pay a fee or remove the brace from their weapons. Republicans employed the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to undo recently enacted executive branch regulations, to try and nullify the new rule that they claim has turned millions of gun owners into felons. “This rule doesn’t just infringe upon Americans’ Second Amendment liberties. It represents a dangerous government overreach by the administration,” Clyde said during debate Tuesday. “Congress maintains sole legislative authority, not government agencies, not the executive branch.” Several lawsuits have been filed against the regulations by gun owners and state attorneys general. They say it violates Second Amendment protections by requiring millions of people to alter or register their weapons. In some cases, judges have recently agreed to temporarily block enforcement of the rule for the plaintiffs in a setback for the Biden administration. House Democrats defended the rule on Tuesday, saying it could save lives. “How many more mass shootings need to happen? How many more kids need to die before my Republican colleagues pull their heads out of the sand and realize that the NRA money is not worth the damage that’s been done to our country,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. The main sponsor for the measure, Clyde, is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the owner of a gun store in his district in Georgia. His proposal to overturn the ATF rule first came to the House Judiciary Committee in late March for markup. But House Republicans postponed debate of the measure after a gunman used a weapon with a stabilizing brace to fatally shoot three children and three adults at an elementary school in Nashville, Tenn. Last week, Clyde claimed GOP leadership had blocked his resolution from reaching the floor as retribution for his no vote on a bipartisan agreement to lift the debt ceiling, which leaders denied. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said he and Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP’s chief vote-counter, had been working intensely to ensure enough support to pass the legislation in the narrowly divided House. “We’ve been moving people every week on this bill,” Scalise said. “It has not been easy.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Mike Rogers leads congressional delegation to Romania and Poland to oversee Ukrainian aid
In his role as the Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Mike Rogers led a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to Romania and Poland to conduct oversight of the U.S. aid being sent to Ukraine. U.S. Reps. John Garamendi (D-California), Donald Norcross (D-New Jersey), Lisa McClain (R-Michigan), Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia), Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York), Mark Alford (R-Missouri), and Chairman Rogers released a statement following their trip. “The American people have every right to know that U.S. military equipment donated to Ukraine is being used for its intended purpose – Ukraine’s fight for national survival,” Rogers et al. said. “As a bipartisan Congressional delegation, we traveled to Poland and Romania to conduct oversight of this process. We came away with a clear understanding of the various safeguards the U.S. government, in partnership with the Ukrainians and other nations, have put in place to ensure each article is accounted for and tracked to the frontline of the war.” “We traveled to the International Donation Collection Center in Poland to see firsthand the accounting and tracking practices which provide accurate counts of shipments into Ukraine,” the congressional members continued. “While there, we also met with General [Antonio] Aguto and the Department of Defense’s Security Assistance Group Ukraine, who provided us with a comprehensive briefing which detailed how the U.S. tracks our donations directly to the frontline. We left that briefing confident in our ability to track U.S. equipment from the moment it leaves our possession and makes it into the hands of Ukrainian warfighters.” “We also relayed the concerns of Americans with the following message: should we confirm that any defense articles are siphoned off, diverted, or missing the flow of U.S. equipment would cease to be tenable,” Rogers and the group continued. “Our job of oversight is not done, and we will continue to monitor U.S. equipment flowing into Ukraine.” There have been some unsubstantiated reports that some of the first-world weaponry the United States and its allies have sent to Ukraine has found its way to international black markets arms dealers. On Sunday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. has no timeline for the end of American support to Ukraine. “We don’t know; we would like to see it end now,” Kirby said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “As [President Biden] has said … we’re going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and he means that. As long as it takes.” The U.S. has sent $110 million to Ukraine, including 155 mm Paladin self-propelled howitzers, Stryker armored vehicles, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, HMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and even M1 Abrams main battle tanks. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for sending Ukraine F16 fighter jets. “We need to throw/ everything we can into this fight so that they can win, and [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is going to tell us that soon, as well,” McCaul said. “He had a speech at the conference saying the same thing. And I think the momentum is building for this to happen.” “I hope so,” McCaul said when asked if the U.S. would send Ukraine the fighter jets. President Joe Biden will also travel to Poland to meet with allies on the Ukraine situation. Kirby said that Biden has no plans to personally enter Ukraine. “We obviously are maintaining a high degree of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” Kirby said. “The United States leads the world in terms of contributions, whether it’s humanitarian assistance or military weapons to Ukraine, and we’re going to continue to use our convening power, to marshall the world, to galvanize support for Ukraine, but there are no plans for the president to enter Ukraine on this trip,” On Sunday U.S, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that China is considering supplying weaponry to aid Russia in its war in Ukraine. Mike Rogers is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Barry Moore joins colleagues in calling on VA to rescind abortion rule
A number of states, including Alabama, have outlawed abortions following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health Organization. A defiant Biden administration has announced that they will perform abortions at Veterans Administration facilities in response to the closing of the abortion clinics by state law. On Thursday, U.S. Representative Barry Moore joined a letter led by Reps. Andrew Clyde and Michael Cloud to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, demanding he immediately rescind the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) new rule. Moore was one of 43 Republicans to join the letter. “The VA is supposed to be focused on caring for our nation’s veterans, especially in the face of a massive backlog that has thousands of veterans waiting months for critical care, but instead they are prioritizing the extinguishing of innocent lives,” Moore stated in a press release. “Congress needs to hold President [Joe] Biden and Secretary McDonough accountable for violating current law as this flies in the face of numerous state abortion laws and the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer funded abortions for active military members.” “It is incredibly disturbing to us that this rule publication comes out in apparent response to the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling,” the Republican Congressmembers wrote. “The Supreme Court rightfully overturned the misguided Roe v. Wade decision and returned the issue of abortion to the American people to decide through state legislatures. If this SCOTUS ruling is the basis for your alleged “good cause” for issuing the interim final rule, your Department is bypassing regular rulemaking processes as part of a blatant political response to a Supreme Court decision, which is wholly unacceptable and inappropriate.” “Your Department is knowingly violating current law as the Hyde Amendment restricts abortions for active military members, and Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services – both of which are still the law of the land,” the letter continued. “Make no mistake: your Department’s decision to expand and promote abortion services – “regardless of state restrictions”– is blatantly illegal. You must reverse course immediately, or we will be forced to take further action to hold your Department accountable for this overreach.” “The VA should be focused on providing timely, high-quality care to our nation’s veterans, not murdering precious citizens with taxpayer dollars,” said Clyde. “If Secretary McDonough refuses to rescind this reprehensible and unlawful rule, Congress must swiftly hold the Biden Administration accountable for this unprecedented overreach and abuse of power.” “President Biden is again attempting to twist the law to his will by illegally authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion services,” Congressman Cloud said. “The VA should remain committed to providing critical care to support the lives of our veterans, not be another last ditch attempt by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer-funded abortions.” Barry Moore is in his first term representing Alabama’s First Congressional District. He previously served two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Robert Aderholt supports protecting pharmacists’ First Amendment rights regarding prescriptions for elective abortions
Congressman Robert Aderholt announced that he has become a co-sponsor of a bill to protect the First Amendment rights of pharmacists when choosing whether or not to fill prescriptions for elective abortions. The Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act H.R. 8820 was introduced by Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia), Diana Hashbarger (R-Tennessee), and Blake Moore (R-Utah). Reps. Carter and Harshbarger are both pharmacists. It is co-sponsored by 26 House Republicans. The legislation comes after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance warning pharmacists that they could be in violation of federal civil rights laws if they do not fill such prescriptions. “Pharmacists should not be forced to surrender their First Amendment rights of religious freedom because of radical policies from the Biden Administration,” said Congressman Aderholt. “It’s unfortunate that we need conscience protections like these, but it’s the only way to keep the overbearing Biden Administration from forcing private citizens to violate strongly held convictions.” “Your first amendment rights don’t go away when you put on a white coat,” said Rep. Carter. “This legislation will ensure that pharmacists are able to make the medical decisions that are best for the health of the mother, the life of the child, and the integrity of their practice without threats from non-medically trained bureaucrats. Medical decisions should be made between doctors, pharmacists, and patients – not the federal government.” “I will not stand by and let the Biden administration use an extremist and unlawful agenda of taxpayer-funded abortions through birth to persecute pharmacists who have religious, moral, or conscience objections to the intentional killing of unborn children through abortion,” stated Rep. Harshbarger. “As a licensed pharmacist for more than 30 years, I have always followed the precept of first doing no harm. I will always stand up for the lives of unborn children and will always defend health practitioners who believe the same. Pharmacists and other health professionals should never be punished for their moral beliefs in protecting life, or be threatened or forced to facilitate abortions against such beliefs. I call on the Biden administration to immediately withdraw this outrageous assault on pharmacists’ conscience rights, and to stop treating the Constitution like its own political chew-toy!” “Conscience protections prevent discrimination and ensure Americans in the healthcare sector are not forced to violate their beliefs,” said Rep. Moore. “As the Biden Administration takes steps to undermine the conscience rights of pharmacists, I am proud to join Congressman Buddy Carter and Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger in introducing the Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act which would ensure pharmacists can refuse to provide abortion drugs without repercussion. Pharmacists, along with other medical and healthcare workers, should never be coerced into participating in abortions, and this bill is an important step in supporting medical professionals who have deep convictions about practicing life-affirming medicine.” The text reads in part, “In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government, and any person or entity that receives Federal grants, contracts, or financial assistance, including any State or local government, may not penalize, treat adversely, retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a specified health care provider, or take any action that has such effect, on the basis that the specified health care provider does not or declines to store or fill a prescription, or make a referral, for a drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to cause an abortion or that the specified health care provider in good faith believes may be used to cause an abortion.” Other co-sponsors are Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), David McKinley (R-WV), Ken Buck (R-CO), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mary Miller (R-IL), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Bill Posey (R-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Brian Babin (R-TX), Dan Webster (R-FL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Don Bacon (R-NE), Robert E. Latta (R-OH), and Andrew Clyde (R-GA). Aderholt is in his thirteenth term representing Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Barry Moore joins lawsuit to end mask mandate for air travel
Representative Barry Moore has joined sixteen of his colleagues in a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The lawsuit, Massie et al v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seeks to end the CDC’s mask mandate for individuals traveling on commercial airlines. Reports indicate the Biden Administration is extending the CDC’s mask mandate until April 18. Massie et al. v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The named defendants are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle P. Walensky in her official capacity as Director of the CDC, and Sherri A. Berger in her official capacity as Chief of Staff of the CDC. The lawsuit contains two primary claims: First, none of the statutes or regulations cited by the CDC for the authority to mandate that individuals wear masks on commercial airlines, conveyances, and at transportation hubs, permit the CDC to implement or enforce this mandate. Second, even if Congress had granted the CDC the authority to promulgate the mask mandate, the granting of this authority would violate a principle known as the “non-delegation doctrine.” Moore and his co-plaintiffs are asking a federal court to declare that “the mask mandate is beyond the CDC’s statutory authority or is unconstitutional.” The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction that prohibits the CDC, or anyone acting on the CDC’s behalf, from enforcing the mask mandate. Rep. Thomas Massie argued that the CDC doesn’t have the authority to force people to wear masks on airplanes because Congress never passed a law requiring it. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to force people traveling on commercial airlines to wear masks,” stated Massie. “Congress never passed a law requiring masks on commercial flights. This lawsuit targets the faceless bureaucrats who are behind the CDC’s unscientific regulation so that this illegal mask mandate can be brought to a permanent end.” Moore argued that the mandate should end immediately because it infringes on constitutional freedoms. “Government bureaucrats desperate for relevancy are waging a war against everyday American citizens and their constitutional freedoms,” stated Rep. Moore. “The unscientific mask mandate for commercial air travel should be ended immediately, and I am proud to join my friend Rep. Massie in this lawsuit to end this charade permanently.” Additional plaintiffs for the lawsuit include Reps. Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Andrew Clyde, Warren Davidson, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brian Mast, Alex Mooney, Ralph Norman, Bill Posey, Matt Rosendale, and Chip Roy.
Barry Moore joins lawmakers demanding hearing over treatment of January 6 defendants
Rep. Barry Moore, along with 20 colleagues, sent a letter to Chairman Jerry Nadler and Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney asking that House Judiciary and House Oversight & Reform Committees hold hearings on the treatment of January 6 defendants being held at the D.C. Department of Corrections. The letter states that the defendants are being held in solitary confinement and are not being given needed medical treatment. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth asked the Department of Justice to conduct a civil rights investigation into the conduct of the D.C. jail regarding a patient who needed treatment for non-Hodgkins. Lamberth stated, “It’s clear to me the civil rights of the defendant were violated by the D.C. Department of Corrections.” “Regardless of the charges an incarcerated person faces, correctional authorities should respect and uphold their civil rights and protect their health and safety. In this country, they have the presumption of innocence. They have not faced trial. And even convicted criminals should get adequate medical care and proper food. They are human beings. The reports coming out of the D.C. Department of Corrections are deeply concerning, and Congress should use our oversight authority to investigate,” said Rep. Moore. Moore stated on Twitter, “Regardless of the charges and incarcerated person faces, correctional authorities should respect and uphold their civil rights & protect their health & safety. In this country they have the presumption of innocence.” “There is clear mistreatment of the individuals being held in the D.C. jail for charges related to January 6th,” stated Biggs. “There is NO excuse for keeping them in these abhorrent conditions and continuing to impose solitary confinement – a punishment that even some on the Left have condemned. It’s time for Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Maloney to set aside any political motivations, do their job, and hold hearings so that we can get to the bottom of this.” Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mary Miller expressed disapproval for Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin’s actions. Rep. Greene stated, “The atrocious and inhumane conditions for PRE-TRIAL detainees at the D.C. Gulag are a clear example of the two-tiered justice system in America. BLM / Antifa domestic terrorists are allowed to walk free after burning down our cities with violent riots, but suspected J6 defendants are subjected to worse treatment than convicted terrorists in Gitmo. This situation must be investigated, and the officials responsible must be terminated from their positions, starting with avowed Trump-hater Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin.” “Deputy Warden Landerkin is using her position to torture her political opponents in a system where justice is supposed to be blind,” stated Miller. “There is clear mistreatment of the individuals being held in the D.C. jail for charges related to January 6th,” stated Andy Biggs. “There is NO excuse for keeping them in these abhorrent conditions and continuing to impose solitary confinement – a punishment that even some on the Left have condemned. It’s time for Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Maloney to set aside any political motivations, do their job, and hold hearings so that we can get to the bottom of this.” The letter was also signed by Scott Perry, Jeff Duncan, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, Debbie Lesko, Andy Harris, Randy Weber, Bill Posey, Russ Fulcher, Matthew Rosendale, Sr., Louie Gohmert, Andrew Clyde, Mary Miller, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jody Hice, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Michael Cloud, Ralph Norman, and Clay Higgins.
Barry Moore cosigns letter to boot Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger out of GOP conference
Congressman Barry Moore signed a letter to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy requesting a reconsideration of a GOP Conference Rule change that would remove members who accept committee assignments or serve on a committee without a recommendation from the Republican Steering Committee or the Republican Leader. The letter, written by Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, comes in response to the select committee investigating the January 6th attack on the Capitol. McCarthy was given five picks to serve on the committee. However Nancy Pelosi rejected two, and McCarthy pulled his other three as well. Pelosi, in an effort to maintain a bipartisan committee, asked Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger to serve on the committee, and they accepted. Congressman Moore stated, “It is absurd that a formal rule prohibiting this behavior is necessary, but Republicans must be united to defeat Nancy Pelosi’s socialist takeover of America, and the Republican conference should swiftly make this rule change to expel anyone who has chosen to take marching orders from her.” “Accepting committee assignments from Speaker Pelosi and ignoring the long-standing practice and rule of being nominated by designated GOP members is a betrayal to our party’s efforts against Pelosi and the Far Left’s attacks,” stated Biggs. “As Republican Members of Congress, it is our duty to strategize effective measures that protect America’s foundational values. We cannot allow our party, which stands as a bulwark against the socialist agenda of the Democrats, to be infiltrated by individuals who are coordinating with members of the opposition. Our party’s integrity, and the voice of conservative Americans who voted for us, must be protected and upheld.” Removal from the conference requires a two-thirds vote of all its members. Only the party leader can bring such a motion to a vote. Kinzinger’s spokesperson Maura Gillespie said in a statement that the congressman is looking for answers about the January 6 attack. “When a Member makes repeated calls to remove Representatives Kinzinger and Cheney from the Conference, it certainly calls into question their true motives,” Gillespie said. “Especially when that Member pushes conspiracy theories to their constituents and outright lies for their own personal gain.” The letter to McCarthy states, “Congresswoman Cheney and Congressman Kinzinger are two spies for the Democrats that we currently invite to the meetings, despite our inability to trust them.” On Twitter, Kinzinger responded, “I think this is interesting. Just coming off a member declaring bloodshed will happen, many pushing Covid denialism and Jan 6 trutherism….The GOP has a choice. I am even more committed to getting the truth now.” In July, Cheney posted on Twitter, “We cannot leave the violence of January 6th – and its causes – uninvestigated. We must know what happened at the Capitol and the White House on the day.” Matt Gaetz, one of the 16 cosigners commented, “Instead of investigating the Jihad Squad’s connections to groups that foment political violence like BLM and Antifa, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have taken on Pelosi appointments to target the Republican Firebrands in Congress. Kevin McCarthy should remove them from their committees immediately.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stated, “Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger knew all along the Jan. 6 committee was Witch Hunt 2.0, just like the one Democrats launched against President Trump. They’ve sold out Republicans and they must be thrown out of the GOP conference!” Additional cosigners of the letter are Reps. Jody Hice, Matt Gaetz, Andrew Clyde, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Dan Bishop, Randy Weber, Ralph Norman, Andy Harris, Scott Perry, Bill Posey, Madison Cawthorn, Mary Miller, Louie Gohmert, and Bob Good.
Conservatives decry door-to-door vaccine checks
Two Alabama leaders, Mo Brooks and Barry Moore, and dozens of other members of Congress sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden last week regarding his decision to implement door-to-door checks on the American people to coerce them into receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: The letter states, “Your administration’s decision to go door-to-door to coerce individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is deeply disturbing and violates the privacy of Americans. The private health information of millions of Americans should never be a matter of concern for the federal government. Americans must be free to make their own personal health choices.” The concern, coming mostly from Republicans, comes from a statement from President Biden on July 6, when he stated, “Now we need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door – literally knocking on doors – to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus.” During the White House briefing, the president also called on providing vaccines to all healthcare providers, including pediatricians, and discussed providing mobile clinics that could be set up at events like sports events and festivals. Even though Alabama has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccinations in the country, there are no plans to start a door-to-door campaign. According to NBC15, Dr. Karen Landers commented that it was a strategy that was discussed but that the state is not adopting it. Dr. Landers stated, “No, we are not doing that in this point in time as far as going door to door.” “Persons just really not necessarily being receptive to persons coming on to their property or coming to their door with information,” she said. Jim Zeigler recently called on Governor Kay Ivey to ban what he called “door-to-door vaccine squads” in Alabama. Zeigler asked Ivey to “use the strongest steps to clearly direct federal agents and their recruits that their entry onto home properties in Alabama could legally be considered trespassing.” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs said in a statement, “Door-to-door vaccine checks on Americans are a blatant abuse of government authority and a pure power play by the Biden administration. The federal government has no right to track the private health information of Americans or to intimidate people into getting the vaccine. Instead of meddling in private medical decisions, the Biden administration should focus on addressing the border crisis, the rampant rise in inflation, and the crime wave that is plaguing American cities – all crises it created. The door-to-door spying on Americans is one more example of the burgeoning surveillance state by the national government.” Biggs posted on Twitter, “I just sent a letter to Biden demanding answers on his door-to-door vaccine checks. The fed gov has no right to track the private health information of Americans or to intimidate people into getting the vaccine.” Other leaders that signed the letter include David Schweikert, Paul Gosar, Ralph Norman, Bob Good, Warren Davidson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Tiffany, Jody Hice, Lauren Boebert, Alex Mooney, Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Scott DesJarlais, Andrew Clyde, Yvette Herrell, H. Morgan Griffith, Bill Posey, Randy Weber, Michael Cloud, Dan Bishop, Ben Cline, Mary Miller, Louie Gohmert, Debbie Lesko, Mike Garcia, and Matt Gaetz.
Congress approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday; Mo Brooks and Mike Rogers voted against
The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the nation. The House voted 415-14 Wednesday to make Juneteenth, or June 19th, the 12th federal holiday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk, and he is expected to sign it into law. Juneteenth commemorates the day the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free. Confederate soldiers surrendered in April 1865, but word didn’t reach the last enslaved Black people until June 19, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Galveston, Texas. That was also about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states. It’s the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983. “Our federal holidays are purposely few in number and recognize the most important milestones,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. “I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States.” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, speaking next to a large poster of a Black man whose back bore massive scarring from being whipped, said she would be in Galveston this Saturday to celebrate along with Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. “Can you imagine?” said the rather short Jackson Lee. “I will be standing maybe taller than Sen. Cornyn; forgive me for that because it will be such an elevation of joy.” The Senate passed the bill a day earlier under a unanimous consent agreement that expedites the process for considering legislation. It takes just one senator’s objection to block such agreements. “Please, let us do as the Senate. Vote unanimously for passage,” Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., pleaded with his colleagues. The vote comes as lawmakers struggle to overcome divisions on police reform legislation following the killing of George Floyd by police and as Republican state legislators push what experts say is an unprecedented number of bills aimed at restricting access to the ballot box. While Republicans say the goal is to prevent voter fraud, Democrats contend that the measures are aimed at undermining minority voting rights. Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus took to the floor to speak in favor of the bill. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., said she viewed Juneteenth as a commemoration rather than a celebration because it represented something that was delayed in happening. “It also reminds me of what we don’t have today,” she said. “And that is full access to justice, freedom, and equality. All these are often in short supply as it relates to the Black community.” The bill was sponsored by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and had 60 co-sponsors. Democratic leaders moved quickly to bring the bill to the House floor after the Senate’s vote the day before. Some Republican lawmakers opposed the effort. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., said creating the federal holiday was an effort to celebrate “identity politics.” “Since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no,” he said in a press release. The vast majority of states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or have an official observance of the day, and most states hold celebrations. Juneteenth is a paid holiday for state employees in Texas, New York, Virginia, and Washington. Under the legislation, the federal holiday would be known as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said that he would vote for the bill and that he supported the establishment of a federal holiday, but he was upset that the name of the holiday included the word “independence” rather than “emancipation.” “Why would the Democrats want to politicize this by co-opting the name of our sacred holiday of Independence Day?” Higgins asked. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., replied, “I want to say to my white colleagues on the other side: Getting your independence from being enslaved in a country is different from a country getting independence to rule themselves.” She added: “We have a responsibility to teach every generation of Black and white Americans the pride of a people who have survived, endured, and succeeded in these United States of America despite slavery.” The 14 House Republicans who voted against the bill were Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Doug LaMalfa of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom McClintock of California, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Mike Rogers of Alabama, Rosendale of Montana, Chip Roy of Texas, and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin.
