Rep. Mike Rogers and colleagues comment on Russia’s de-ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
On Tuesday, Russia announced that Russia has de-ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CNTBT). Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) and senior GOP Armed Services Leadership members released a statement in response to the Russian announcement. “Russia’s ‘de-ratification’ of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty lays bare Putin’s disdain for anything that might interfere with his nuclear ambitions,” Rogers and the other Congress members wrote. “The CTBT, rejected by the Senate in 1999, is a hollow, fatally-flawed regime. Despite this obvious truth, the Biden administration continues to waste time and money looking for ways to prop up this irrelevant treaty in hopes of reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. defense. The administration should not allow a single additional U.S. taxpayer dollars to go towards implementing ineffective agreements. Instead, it should focus on holding our adversaries accountable for their actions and modernizing an aging nuclear deterrent that is increasingly not fit for the growing 21st-century threats.” In addition to Rogers, the letter was also signed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho). The House Armed Services Committee said Russia’s “de-ratification” of the CTBT is the latest in a series of Russian moves that demonstrate just how ineffective the treaty has been in curbing Putin’s nuclear ambitions. Rogers claims that Russia consistently ignores the primary purpose of the agreement, conducting multiple nuclear tests at the Novaya Zemlya Test Site to inform its development of new and novel nuclear weapons. Rogers also accused Moscow of exploiting its control of the CTBT’s International Monitoring System by deactivating radiation sensors to hide evidence of a failed test of its dangerous SKYFALL nuclear-powered cruise missile. Rogers claimed that even with these actions, the Biden administration continues to waste taxpayer money looking for ways to prop up the treaty, which failed Senate ratification in 1999. Rogers claims that these efforts have amounted to nothing more than attempts to undercut support for our Department of Defense and Department of Energy efforts to rebuild our aging deterrent as well as signal to our adversaries that we will ignore their violations of arms control agreements to the detriment of our own national security. Rogers said that the administration’s actions come at a uniquely dangerous time, highlighted by the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States’ conclusion that the U.S. faces “the unprecedented existential challenge of facing two nuclear-armed peer adversaries.” 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.
Senators Katie Britt and Pete Ricketts introduce bill to strengthen oversight of U.S.-China science and technology agreements
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) recently joined Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) and 14 colleagues in introducing the Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification Act. The bill would strengthen oversight of science and technology agreements (STAs) between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by requiring the Secretary of State to provide comprehensive details to Congress about any new, renewed, or extended agreement and establishing a minimum 30-day Congressional review period. This transparency and accountability provision would include thorough national security risk assessments, human rights considerations, and consistent monitoring mechanisms. “It is simply common sense that proper Congressional oversight be conducted over any science and technology agreement the United States makes with the Chinese Communist Party,” said Sen. Britt. “The CCP is our greatest geopolitical and national security threat, and everything they do is as our adversary. The FBI has said that they open a new counterintelligence case against China about twice per day. From stealing our intellectual property and spying on our children through TikTok, to buying up American farmland and engaging in unfair trade practices that undercut Alabama steelmakers and shrimpers, we must hold the CCP accountable. We accomplish this through strength, not continued weakness.” “The Biden administration has failed to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party time and time again,” Sen. Ricketts said. “There is no daylight between the Communist regime and the private sector in the People’s Republic of China. The CCP will manipulate or disregard rules to gain technological and military advantages that put our national security at risk. Congressional oversight is necessary before we enter into science and technology agreements with our chief adversary. As the administration attempts to negotiate a stronger agreement, it should have to show its work. This bill would make sure that happens.” Joining Senators Britt and Ricketts in co-sponsoring this legislation were Ranking Member of the Committee on Senate Foreign Relations Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Senators Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). The bill prohibits the Secretary of State from renewing or extending the STA until he has provided Congress with at least 30 days to review the full text of the agreement as well as a detailed justification for the STA, including an explanation as to why such agreement is in the national security interests of the United States. The Secretary of State would also have to provide Congress with an assessment of the risks and potential effects of such an agreement, including any potential for the transfer under such agreement of technology or intellectual property capable of harming the national security interests of the United States. In addition, the bill requires that the Secretary provide a detailed justification for how the Secretary intends to address human rights concerns in any scientific and technology collaboration proposed to be conducted under such agreement, as well as an assessment of the extent to which the Secretary will be able to continuously monitor the commitments made by the PRC under such agreement. If this legislation is actually passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, once enacted, it would require the Secretary to provide Congress with the necessary reporting requirements listed above within 60 days of enactment, or any existing STA with the PRC will be revoked. U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-Kentucky) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Since the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement was originally signed in 1979, China has progressed technologically at a rapid pace and has achieved parity with the United States in many areas. The agreement has been renewed about every five years since then. It serves as the framework that facilitates research cooperation between the governments of the United States and PRC and academic institutions in both countries. The STA was last renewed in 2018 and was set to expire last month. However, the Biden administration recently extended the STA for another six months. There are ongoing concerns that research partnerships organized under the STA have strengthened the PRC’s military-industrial complex and potentially could be used to develop technologies that could later be used against the U.S. In one glaring example, in 2018, under the STA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) organized a project with China’s Meteorological Administration to launch weather balloons to study the atmosphere. Just a few months ago, similar balloon technology was used to surveil U.S. military sites on U.S. territory. A U.S. fighter aircraft had to shoot the balloons down – likely after the balloons had passed on valuable intelligence about U.S. military bases, including ICBM sites. Katie Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt and colleagues demand answers after Biden Administration hands over $6 billion to Iran
On Monday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) joined a letter by Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and 24 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Biden Administration about the approximately $6 billion reportedly paid to Iran in exchange for Americans wrongfully being held as political hostages by the Iranian regime. “Handing $6 billion to the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism is a reckless and disastrous decision that threatens the lives of Americans and our allies across the globe,” said Senator Britt. “Once again, the Biden Administration has chosen to appease our adversaries and set a dangerous precedent. President [Joe] Biden’s weakness will only embolden hostile actors to engage in further aggression around the world. We must achieve peace through strength, and I will always fight to hold this Administration accountable for putting American families at risk.” In a letter to Secretaries Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen, the senators wrote, “When the Obama administration released $400 million in liquidated assets to Iran in 2016, we warned that this dangerous precedent would put a price on American lives. Seven years later, the current administration is providing a ransom payment worth at least fifteen times that amount to the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, in yet another violation of the United States’ long-standing ‘no concessions’ policy. In the release of Executive Order 14078 on July 19, 2022, the White House admitted that ‘terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial, political, or other gain—as well as foreign states that engage in the practice of wrongful detention, including for political leverage or to seek concessions from the United States—threaten the integrity of the international political system and the safety of United States nationals and other persons abroad.’ The release of such a significant sum to the Iranian regime runs entirely counter to that claim and will only serve to encourage additional hostage-taking for financial or political gain.” Joining Senators Britt and Scott on the letter were Senators Jim Risch (R-Wisconsin), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) After more than two years of quiet negotiations, Iran has released five Iranian American dual citizens into house arrest, according to original reporting by the New York Times – quoting officials at the State Department and the National Security Council. “This is just the beginning of a process that I hope and expect will lead to their return home to the United States,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. “There’s more work to be done to actually bring them home. My belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare.” The prisoners are Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, and Morad Tahbaz, who had all been jailed on unsubstantiated charges of spying, as well as two others whose families have withheld their names. One of the unnamed Americans is a scientist, and the other is a businessman, according to sources. In addition to releasing the $6 billion in seized oil funds, the U.S. has agreed to hand over imprisoned Iranians as part of the prisoner swap. Britt and her colleagues had objected to paying the ransom before the deal had been finalized. Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt and colleagues introduce the Back the Blue Act
On Monday. U.S. Senator Katie Britt joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, and 37 Republican colleagues to introduce the Back the Blue Act. The announcement coincided with the annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week. This legislation will strengthen existing laws that protect police officers, increase the criminal penalties for individuals who target law enforcement, and expand the tools that police can use to protect themselves. “Today, we honor the courageous law enforcement officers who have valiantly made the ultimate sacrifice,” Sen. Britt said. “Every single day, the brave men and women of law enforcement go above and beyond to serve and protect our communities. It is essential that we not only support our police, but we respect the rule of law in our country. I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn and my colleagues in introducing the Back the Blue Act, and I will always stand with our police officers in Alabama and across the country.” “The Back the Blue Act adds stiff, mandatory penalties and makes it a federal crime to kill – or attempt to kill – a law enforcement officer, a federal judge, or a federally funded public safety officer,” Sen. Cornyn said. “We must make it absolutely clear that violence against them will not be tolerated. In honor of National Police Week, we honor the brave men and women who protect us, we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and we commit to doing everything in our power to ensure that they have all the resources they need to keep our people safe.” “Today marks the start of National Police Week,” Sen. Tuberville said on Twitter. “America’s brave men and women in blue wake up every day prepared to sacrifice their own safety in service to their fellow Americans. It is more important than ever that we show our support. To all who protect and serve, thank you.” In addition to Senators Britt, Tuberville, and Cornyn, this legislation is cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), and Senators Ted Cruz, Thom Tillis, Rick Scott, Jerry Moran, Mike Braun, Kevin Cramer, Marsha Blackburn, John Boozman, Deb Fischer, Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Crapo, Marco Rubio, Jim Risch, Pete Ricketts, Steve Daines, John Barrasso, James Lankford, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Kennedy, Tom Cotton, John Thune, John Hoeven, Ted Budd, Josh Hawley, Tim Scott, Bill Hagerty, Roger Marshall, Bill Cassidy, Joni Ernst, Chuck Grassley, Todd Young, Eric Schmitt, Cynthia Lummis, and Roger Wicker. The Back the Blue Act has been introduced in Congress multiple times since 2017. Senator Britt is also a cosponsor of Senator Braun’s Thin Blue Line Act, which expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in capital punishment determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responders. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Tommy Tuberville opposes biological males competing in women’s sports
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville authored an op-ed in National Review outlining his reintroduction of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to preserve Title IX protections and keep biological males from competing in female sports. The reintroduction of this legislation comes as the U.S. Department of Education is moving forward to implement new rules in May that would allow biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. “50 years ago, we discovered a winning strategy for all of America’s female athletes: Title IX. Signed into law in 1972, the 37 words of this relatively simple legislation empowered women to win by leveling the playing field and providing them access to the same athletic opportunities that their male counterparts enjoyed,” Tuberville wrote. “That level playing field is now under attack by activists who care more about politics than what’s best for female athletes.” “We must protect women’s sports. That is why I reintroduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act yesterday to push back against the far left’s attempts to destroy women’s sports and preserve the opportunities they have provided female athletes for half a century,” Tuberville explained.” My legislation would require institutions to recognize an athlete’s gender as what it was at birth and stop giving federal funding to any program or institution that allows biological males in women’s sports.” “Last year, on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Department of Education proposed a new rule to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports, citing the change as more ‘inclusive.’” Tuberville continued. “I submitted a public comment to the proposed rule change and discussed seeing the positive impacts of Title IX firsthand, four years after its enactment, while coaching girls’ basketball at Hermitage High School in Arkansas. But like those of many other athletes, coaches, educators, and parents, my concerns were ignored by Secretary Miguel Cardona as the Department of Education charged ahead with plans to finalize this change in May.” “There is nothing inclusive about forcing female athletes who train all their lives in hopes of achieving first place to instead compete for second, third, and fourth place because the top spot is invariably taken by athletes who have obvious physical advantages associated with their gender,” Tuberville said. “Biological men have won 28 women’s sports titles since 2003. This number will only increase when the boundaries are completely removed.” Tuberville appeared on Fox and Friends to defend women’s sports. Specifically, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act will: Ensure Title IX provisions treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” Ban recipients of federal funding from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic programs that permit a male to participate in a women’s sporting event. The legislation is endorsed by Independent Women’s Voice, Concerned Women for America, and Heritage Action for America. Carrie Lukas is the vice president of Independent Women’s Voice. “More than 50 years ago, Congress enacted Title IX to ensure equal opportunity in all aspects of education, including athletics,” said Lukas. “But without single-sex teams and single-sex competition, equal athletic opportunity is but a farce. Forcing female athletes to compete against biological males is unfair. But it’s also discriminatory. Allowing biological males to take awards, roster spots, scholarships, or spots at a school from female athletes violates Title IX’s prohibition of discrimination ‘on the basis of sex.’ The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act will help preserve equal athletic opportunity for both sexes. IWV is thankful for Senator Tuberville’s leadership on this important issue.” Penny Nance is the CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee – the largest women’s policy organization. “We have championed the cause of a fair playing field for female athletes for years,” said Nance. “Understanding the importance of sports, Coach Tommy Tuberville has proven to be a leader on the issue. It’s time for Congress to stop injustice and discrimination against female student-athletes in their own sports. Our Young Women for America leaders have experienced the embarrassment of competing against men and are fighting this battle on their college campuses. Passing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is a top priority. Never again should female athletes lose their trophies, their scholarships, and their dignity to males.” Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action for America, stated. “By ignoring the biological differences between men and women and forcing women to compete against men in sports, the Left is threatening to limit women’s opportunities on and off the field. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act protects women’s physical safety and scholarship opportunities by making it illegal for a recipient of federal funds who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs to allow men to participate in women’s athletic teams or programs. Heritage Action supports the passage of this essential legislation and thanks Senator Tuberville for leading the fight in the Senate to protect women’s safety, privacy, and opportunities.” Joining Tuberville as original cosponsors are U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Steve Daines (R-Montana), and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri). Tommy Tuberville spent decades as a teacher and coach prior to his election to the Senate in 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville opposes Biden Administration’s efforts to expand abortion access by mail
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined other lawmakers in two separate letters last week to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, urging the officials to revoke guidance that removes what Tuberville called key safeguards required by law to protect expectant mothers and their babies. “The reckless distribution of abortion drugs by mail or other carriers to pregnant mothers who have not been examined in person by a physician is not only dangerous and unsafe, it is criminal,” said Sen. Tuberville. ‘Through its decision to permit no-test, mail-order abortions after a telemedicine visit, the FDA has abandoned its dual obligations to protect the public and vulnerable populations from harm and to comply with Federal law, including Federal requirements to protect patient safety and longstanding Federal criminal laws which expressly prohibit the mailing and shipping of abortion drugs.’ Tuberville has been a leading voice on pro-life issues in the U.S. Senate. Additionally, just last week, Senator Tuberville cosponsored a bill to establish a permanent ban on using federal taxpayer dollars for abortion. On January 3rd, 2023, the FDA released new guidance removing in-person dispensing requirements for chemical abortion drugs such as mifepristone, making self-administered abortion drugs permanently available by mail or through certain pharmacies. Tuberville and the other lawmakers sent a detailed letter to Commissioner Califf explaining their view on the policy and legal faults in the FDA decision, citing it as “dangerous, reckless, and illegal.” They claim that the new policy: · Threatens the health and safety of pregnant mothers by eliminating the requirement for in-person dispensing, increasing risks of potentially life-threatening complications without an in-person screening. · Violates the FDA’s legal obligations to protect the safety of women and girls. · Violates longstanding federal criminal laws barring the mailing and shipping of abortion drugs. · Imperils the conscience rights of pharmacists by failing to provide protections for pharmacists who do not want to participate in the practice of abortion. “Through its decision to permit no-test, mail-order abortions after a telemedicine visit, the FDA has abandoned its dual obligations to protect the public and vulnerable populations from harm and to comply with Federal law, including Federal requirements to protect patient safety and longstanding Federal criminal laws which expressly prohibit the mailing and shipping of abortion drugs,” Tuberville and the other lawmakers wrote. “We therefore insist that the FDA pull the deadly drug mifepristone from the market, or, at minimum, promptly restore and further strengthen the initial basic health and safety requirements for abortion drugs, and comply with Federal criminal law.” The positions outlined in the letter have been endorsed by the SBA Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, CatholicVote, March for Life, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Right to Life, Concerned Women for America, Heritage Action, Students for Life of America, Family Research Council, Scholars with the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Family Policy Alliance, and Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Tuberville was joined in the letter to Commissioner Califf by U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith, James Lankford, Steve Daines, Jim Risch, Mike Crapo, Marsha Blackburn, John Hoeven, J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Roger Marshall, Kevin Cramer, Roger Wicker, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, John Thune, Bill Hagerty, Todd Young, Markwayne Mullen, Mike Braun, Deb Fischer, Ted Budd, Josh Hawley, along with 54 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Last December, the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released an opinion saying the U.S. Postal Service is legally allowed to deliver abortion drugs, even to mailing addresses in states that decided to prohibit access to chemical abortion pills by mail as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs versus the Jackson Women’s Health Organization that reversed the controversial Roe v. Wade decision. The letter to Garland claims that the DOJ’s memo violates existing laws. “It is disappointing, yet not surprising, that the Biden administration’s DOJ has not only abdicated its Constitutional responsibility to enforce the law but also has once again twisted the plain meaning of the law in an effort to promote the taking of unborn life. The OLC memo should be immediately rescinded or, at minimum, redrafted to articulate an accurate application of the law,” Tuberville and the members wrote. The second letter is supported by the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Students for Life, Family Policy Alliance, Americans United for Life, CatholicVote, Scholars with the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Heritage Action, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Family Research Council, March for Life, and SBA Prolife America. Senator Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and HELP Committees. He is serving his first term in the Senate after unseating incumbent Sen. Doug Jones in the 2020 election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt believes Alabama taxpayers do not want taxes paying for elective abortions
United States Senators Katie Britt and Roger Wicker joined 45 other Senators in introducing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. This legislation would establish a single, government-wide standard to permanently prohibit the flow of federal funding for abortion. “The vast majority of Alabamians do not want their hard-earned dollars funding elective abortions in California and New York,” Britt stated. “The Hyde Amendment has saved an estimated 2.5 million lives – approximately half the population of Alabama,” said Sen. Britt. “Sadly, radicals in the Democratic Party continue to trumpet their calls for abortion at any time, for any reason. They have now targeted the long-standing, bipartisan Hyde Amendment, annually passed by Congress since 1976, which ensures federal taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions. It is time to make the Hyde Amendment and its lifesaving protections permanent so the far-left does not attempt to hold the nation hostage every year. The vast majority of Alabamians do not want their hard-earned dollars funding elective abortions in California or New York. I will continue to fight to defend life, support parents, grow opportunities for hardworking families, and preserve the American Dream for our children and our children’s children.” “Most Americans do not want their hard-earned tax dollars being used for abortion-on-demand, but our current patchwork of regulations has brought years of uncertainty,” stated Sen. Wicker. “The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would simplify federal rules, ensuring that American tax dollars are never used for the destruction of innocent, unborn life.” This legislation would make permanent the restrictions on funding for elective abortion and elective abortion coverage, including the Hyde Amendment, which currently relies on yearly approval. It would also eliminate Obamacare’s taxpayer subsidies for elective abortion coverage on the Affordable Care Act exchanges through refundable tax credits. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) also co-sponsored the legislation. “Millions of hardworking Americans believe that life begins at conception and don’t want their taxpayer dollars inadvertently funding abortions,” said Sen. Tuberville. “As a Christian and as a conservative, I share their belief that every life is sacred and every American has a right to life. That’s why I’m proud to sign on to this legislation that will solidify abortion funding restrictions that have been in place for decades and better protect the unborn.” Britt, Tuberville, and Wicker joined Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis, (R-North Carolina), John Thune (R-South Dakota), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Todd Young (R-Indiana). With Democrats in control of the Senate, it is unlikely that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will allow this bill to even be introduced on the Senate floor. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt joins bill to prioritize military, veterans, and seniors when federal debt ceiling is reached
The United States’ debt is already in excess of $31.5 trillion and is approaching the debt ceiling. U.S. Senator Katie Britt and Senator Rick Scott have proposed legislation to keep defense spending, veterans benefits, social security, and Medicare payments coming if there is a partial government shutdown and the debt ceiling is not raised. Scott and Britt were joined by Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Ted Budd, Kevin Cramer, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, Cynthia Lummis, and Jim Risch in reintroducing the Full Faith and Credit Act to address the federal debt crisis. This legislation would ensure that the federal government prioritizes funding for the military, veterans, and seniors should the federal debt ceiling be reached due to the inability of Congress and the Biden Administration to reach a deal on either cutting federal spending or raising the debt ceiling. “Our ballooning national debt is an economic and security crisis,” said Sen. Britt. “We can’t continue to recklessly pile this burden on the backs of our children and our children’s children. The American people deserve accountability over wasteful spending, and we accomplish that by prioritizing taxpayer dollars in a responsive and responsible manner. It is crucial that we maintain the full faith and credit of the United States, meet our obligations to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, maintain a strong national defense, and support our incredible veterans and servicemembers. This legislation would do exactly that.” “The last two years have made crystal clear that the left, the big government crowd, and even Wall Street have found a very clever way to keep America forever stuck in a vicious tax-and-spend cycle where spending always goes up, debt always goes up – and if you dare to disagree – they say you want a default,” said Sen. Scott. “For them, it is a false choice: embrace overspending and massive debt, or be the one who destroys the American economy. That is nonsense and a lie. While Democrats want to maintain the status quo where a default threat looms over Americans every time their reckless spending hits our debt ceiling, I’m fighting to eliminate the threat of default and protect the federal government’s core responsibilities to the American people even while the Biden administration refuses to acknowledge we are in a time of fiscal crisis. Since the Treasury refuses to do what it can and must, it is time to pass the Full Faith and Credit Act. This bill would require the government to fulfill critical payments to the debt to avoid default and full fiscal calamity while Democrats refuse to take accountability for their wasteful spending. It would require Congress to ACTUALLY address the debt ceiling crisis. It also ensures Americans depending on important programs like Social Security, Medicare, and veteran benefits, as well as our service members, are not punished for Washington’s dysfunction. If Democrats reject this proposal, they are rejecting the protection of the full faith and credit of the United States and REJECTING a solution to the possibility of a default. It’s time for Washington to start living within its means, just like every family and business across the nation does, and preserve the American dream—this bill is a great start.” The Full Faith and Credit Act is endorsed by Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, and FreedomWorks. The Full Faith and Credit Act would require the following to take priority over all other federally incurred obligations in the event that the federal debt reaches the debt ceiling: · The Department of the Treasury to pay the principal and interest on debt held by the public · Social Security payments toward monthly Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits under title II of the Social Security Act · Pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces on active duty and the United States Coast Guard; · Payment of compensation and pensions and medical services provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs · Medicare programs. The bill would also require the Secretary of the Treasury, if the Secretary determines that incoming revenue will not be sufficient to finance the priorities described above over the following two weeks, to notify Congress of the expected revenue shortfall; and would authorize the Secretary to raise the debt limit by the amount necessary to cover the difference between incoming revenue and the revenue needed to finance those priorities on a two-week basis. It would also prohibit such a debt limit increase from exceeding the difference between expected outlays for the listed priorities and expected revenue. The President and Senate Democrats favor raising the debt ceiling without cutting any spending. “We need to act,” President Joe Biden said on raising the debt ceiling. “These leaders know the need to act. The United States pays its bill. It’s who we are. It’s who we’ve been. It’s who we’re going to continue to be, God willing. That’s what’s called the full faith and credit of the United States.” “Let’s be clear: Raising the debt limit is paying our old debts,” Biden continued. “It has nothing to do with new spending or what may be coming this year or other years. It has nothing to do with my plans on infrastructure or building back better, both of which are paid for, but they’re not even in — in the queue right now. It’s about paying for what we owe and preventing a catastrophic event occurring in our economy.” Biden continued, “We had to raise the debt limit three times when Donald Trump was President. And the Republicans moved to raise it each time, and each time the Democrats supported the effort to raise the debt. But now Republicans won’t raise the debt limit despite being responsible for what the debt limit — why it has to be raised for the bills that are outstanding.” A partial government shutdown is possible if Congress and the President cannot reach a deal on raising the debt limit. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville supports bill to permanently ban taxpayer funding for abortions
U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt joined 45 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to establish a permanent prohibition on federal funding for abortion. Tuberville said in a statement, “Every life is sacred.” “Millions of hardworking Americans believe that life begins at conception and don’t want their taxpayer dollars inadvertently funding abortions,” said Sen. Tuberville stated. “As a Christian and as a conservative, I share their belief that every life is sacred and every American has a right to life. That’s why I’m proud to sign on to this legislation that will solidify abortion funding restrictions that have been in place for decades and better protect the unborn.” “Most Americans do not want their hard-earned tax dollars being used for abortion-on-demand, but our current patchwork of regulations has brought years of uncertainty,” Sen. Roger Wicker said. “The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would simplify federal rules, ensuring that American tax dollars are never used for the destruction of innocent, unborn life.” The bill seeks to change 40 years of inconsistent policies that have regulated federal funding for abortion. It would make funding restrictions permanent for abortion and elective abortion coverage, including the Hyde Amendment, which requires annual approval. The legislation would also eliminate taxpayer-funded subsidies for elective abortion coverage currently offered on Affordable Care Act exchanges through refundable tax credits. Tuberville, Wicker, and Britt joined Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis, (R-North Carolina), John Thune (R-South Dakota), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Todd Young (R-Indiana). Swing Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins did not sign off on the legislation, and neither did any of the 52 Senate Democrats who hold the majority in the body. U.S. Representative Christopher Smith (R-New Jersey) has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville works to undo vaccine mandates for military
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined colleagues in an effort to secure a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect servicemembers from the Biden administration’s controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The NDAA was passed last night in the Senate. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) led a group that included Sens. Tuberville, Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Joni Ernst (R- Iowa), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Montana), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) in a joint statement after helping to successfully secure the provision protecting the servicemembers from the mandate in the 2023 NDAA. “In the United States, the number of new servicemembers joining the military is reaching a near record low,” the Sens. wrote in a joint statement. “The United States needs a strong military to protect our country against the growing threats facing our nation. We are pleased that the final conferenced bill includes language mirroring our amendments’ efforts to protect troops from being fired due to Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate without fair appeal and to the harm of service readiness.” Tuberville has expressed concerns about the historically low military recruitment numbers; and how the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for service members is affecting the military’s ability to recruit and retain personnel. Tuberville has repeatedly addressed these concerns to top U.S. Department of Defense officials and called for hearings on the issue. “Only nine percent — only nine percent — of young people even want to serve,” Tuberville said in a recent Senate hearing with DoD officials. “That’s a small, small pool. Faith in our military has collapsed. I’ve reviewed the list of speaking engagements for senior leaders at the Pentagon and could find no trace — zero — of anyone speaking publicly about recruiting. The leaders of our military. But there were plenty of speeches on climate change, pride month, and global water security. What is going on here?” Additionally, Sen. Tuberville has helped introduce two pieces of legislation, Preserving the Readiness of Our Armed Forces Act and Stop Firing Our Servicemembers Act, to push back against the Biden administration’s mandates. The Preserving the Readiness of our Armed Forces Actwould prohibit the involuntary dismissal of a service member for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine until each military service achieves its authorized end strength; while the Stop Firing our Servicemembers Act would prohibit federal funds from being used to require a member of the National Guard to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The NDAA is a bipartisan bill that sets the goals for the U.S. military each year. Tuberville is in his first term representing the state of Alabama in the U.S. Senate. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville joins colleagues demanding Russian companies be banned from U.S. capital markets
Sen. Tommy Tuberville joined Senators Jim Risch, John Cornyn, Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, and Mike Braun in sending a letter to call on President Joe Biden to ban Russian companies from the United States financial system to ensure American investors are not invertedly providing capital to fund Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Senate Republicans also asked for secondary sanctions to block China or other adversaries from helping Russia skirt the requested sanctions on the U.S financial system. The letter states, “We write today urging you to protect American investors from unwittingly financing Vladimir Putin’s war crimes against Ukraine through their investments in index funds, ETFs, bonds, and other securities. Many Russian companies remain present in the U.S. financial system, posing a risk to investors and providing capital to the Kremlin’s war machine.” The senators commended what the Biden administration had done already, but asked for more to be done. Specifically they are asking to: Impose capital markets sanctions on all Russian owned or controlled companies and entities present in the U.S. financial system and prohibit the trading of their securities on regulated U.S. exchanges. Establish secondary sanctions to deter China or any other nations, entities, or individuals from helping Russia circumvent sanctions. “While we commend the actions being taken to remove Russian companies from U.S. markets, more must be done to ensure U.S. investors are not supporting Russian companies that currently enjoy access to U.S. capital markets,” the Senators wrote. The Senators concluded,“To pressure Russia to reverse course and end its occupation of Ukraine, all appropriate economic tools must be brought to bear.”
Congress backs Joe Biden on Russia sanctions, clamors for more
With rare but fragile alignment, the U.S. Congress is largely backing President Joe Biden’s decision to confront Russia with potentially escalating sanctions for the crisis in Ukraine as lawmakers brace for perhaps the most daunting foreign policy crisis the nation has faced in a generation. But the next steps are highly volatile. With isolationist impulses rising at home, Congress has no appetite for war. Yet Americans also appear ambivalent about the U.S. working to keep the peace. New polling from The Associated Press and NORC says just 26% of Americans want the U.S. to play a major role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine is “an attack on democracy,” vowing that the U.S. will stand united with its allies around the world in swiftly imposing sanctions on Russia and ensuring financial and political support for an independent Ukraine. Pelosi, who returned to the Capitol from a diplomatic overseas trip, situated the aggression from Russia toward Ukraine alongside intervention in the United States’ own democratic process during the 2016 election. “There will be a price to pay for Vladimir Putin,” she said, flanked by lawmakers who had joined her delegation at the annual security conference in Munich. While Republican critics of the Biden administration — and even some Democrats — want the White House to go even tougher with swifter and more severe sanctions on Russia, most have given varying degrees of support for the White House strategy, including Biden’s move Wednesday to sanction the company building the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, said sanctions on Nord Stream 2 are “long overdue, but I cannot overstate how critical they are to showing Putin that violating a nation’s sovereignty has consequences.” Risch, who has worked with colleagues on a bipartisan basis for years trying to end the pipeline, said: “It is good to see President Biden do the right thing.” Republican leaders have sought to steer the conversation to their preferred terms, as the party whose defense hawks once led the nation on the national security front. But it’s not at all clear whether today’s GOP can keep Republicans from tapping into an impassioned non-interventionist strain unleashed by Donald Trump’s “America First” approach. It was Trump who sought to strip protections for Ukraine from the Republican Party platform for the 2016 election and who was impeached by the House for abuse of power after he pressured the Ukrainian president to dig up dirt on Biden ahead of the 2020 campaign. This week, Trump cheered on Putin as he massed military forces near Ukraine’s border and recognized the independence of its separatist regions in a move Biden and others warned was the start of an invasion of Ukraine. As president, Trump had been critical of NATO, working to distance the U.S. from the historic partnership and berating allies to contribute more money to defense. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a longtime champion of NATO, spoke highly of the Western alliance this week, but some within his party are gravitating away from that traditional Republican position and toward Trump’s views. McConnell said he wants to see Biden impose the “toughest possible sanctions.” Other Republicans, though, most notably Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a potential Republican presidential hopeful, has said the U.S. should be paying closer attention to the greater challenges he believes are posed by China. Still, most Republican senators are backing Biden’s sanctions on Putin, even if some are clamoring for more and taking political punches at Biden for seeming too tepid. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a sometimes Trump ally who is also one of the party’s leading defense hawks and who used to globetrot with fellow GOP Sen. John McCain, invoked his late colleague this week in urging Biden to confront Putin more forcefully. Graham said Congress should impose “sanctions from hell” on Putin and his regime when lawmakers return to work next week. Sen. Ted Cruz, who had single-handedly blocked Biden’s nominees for various State Department posts to halt the Russia-to-Germany pipeline, said with the announced new sanctions, he would lift his blockade. “President Biden has now taken positive steps,” Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement. “But much more still needs to be done to deter and counter the threat that Putin poses to our allies in Ukraine and across Europe.” Pelosi said Russians need to understand what their leader is doing. “It’s stunning to see in this day and age a tyrant roll into a country,” Pelosi said. “This is the same tyrant who attacked our democracy in 2016,” It’s unclear what more, if anything, Congress will do to confront Russia, as lawmakers hold back their own legislative response to Putin while Biden engages U.S. allies in a more global strategy. The Senate has bipartisan support for a robust sanctions package, but after running into differences over the scope and timing of the response decided to shelve a vote as the White House pursued its own approach. Graham has suggested a supplemental spending package for Ukraine, which already receives money and defensive equipment from the U.S., but it does not yet appear that additional funds are being considered. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
