Tommy Tuberville and Lance Gooden introduce the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act
In advance of the Biden administration’s decision to finalize a rule that would revive the Obama-era policy of directing corporate settlement funds to third-party organizations, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville and Congressman Lance Gooden are reintroducing their Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act. The bill would prohibit the Department of Justice (DOJ) from allowing defendants to enter quid-pro-quo agreements that entail donations to third-party groups in exchange for reduced fines and tax deductions. This legislation would ensure that any settlements go only to the actual victims, injured parties in the dispute, or the U.S. Treasury. “The practice of funneling settlement dollars to political activists is an unacceptable abuse of the system,” said Sen. Tuberville in a statement. “If money is owed following a settlement agreement, every cent of that payout should go to those directly impacted by the defendants, or back to the Treasury. Public servants should not be allowed to use their influence to line the pockets of individuals who share the political views of the current administration.” Tuberville wrote on Twitter, “The Biden admin shouldn’t use the justice system to bankroll their partisan agenda. I introduced the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act to stop DOJ from directing corporate settlement dollars to third-party, left-wing organizations instead of victims or @USTreasury.” Tuberville introduced this legislation in the last Congress. “Directing legal settlements to third-party groups is nothing short of legal extortion to fund the Biden Administration’s partisan agenda,” said Rep. Gooden. “Congress can no longer allow the Executive Branch to circumvent our Constitutional power of the purse to fund their activist pet projects and must pass my legislation to end this corrupt practice.” The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act is endorsed by the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, FreedomWorks, and Americans for Prosperity. Grover Norquist is the President of Americans for Tax Reform. “For too long, the Department of Justice has been misallocating settlement funds from civil suits to provide cash injections to political allies,” said Norquist. “This gross politicization of a government agency should be put to a stop immediately. I am proud to support Rep. Gooden’s bill to codify protections against the DOJ or any government official abusing their power to benefit special interest groups.” Adam Brandon, President of FreedomWorks, applauded the legislation. “The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act would ensure that settlement dollars go to victims’ funds or to the general fund of the Treasury to be appropriated by Congress, which, as Article I of the Constitution requires, holds the power of the purse over funds spent by the federal government,” said Brandon. “It’s critical that Congress reins in the executive branch and assert its Article I powers, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act is a crucial part of this effort.” Alex Milliken, Policy and Government Affairs Manager at the National Taxpayers Union, thanked Gooden and Tuberville. “NTU supports the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act and applauds Congressman Gooden and Senator Tuberville for working together to protect taxpayers,” said Milliken. “The practice of diverting billions of settlement dollars out of the hands of victims and toward third-party groups is a dubious practice. Congress should act quickly to put a stop to this agency behavior and prevent the misuse of resources to promote partisan agendas.” The Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act would prohibit settling parties in a federal dispute from reducing their punishments by making “donations” to outside organizations. This was a common practice under President Barack Obama’s presidency. The Obama Justice Department almost routinely required settling parties to pay a portion of their settlement obligations, under the guise of “donations,” to outside groups of the Department’s choosing. Republicans claimed that most of those groups pushed a partisan agenda. Tuberville and Republicans claim that this practice turned federal settlements into “liberal slush funds.” President Donald Trump halted the practice when he was President. Proponents of this legislation argue that without it, the Biden DOJ is expected to finalize a rule allowing the practice to continue to bolster a progressive policy agenda. Original cosponsors in the U.S. Senate include Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming). Congressman Gary Palmer is an original cosponsor of this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Other Congress members cosponsoring this include Reps. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tennessee), Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin), John Moolenaar (R-Michigan), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri), Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania), Darrell Issa (R-California), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Arizona), Claudia Tenney (R-New York), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), and Ben Cline (R-Virginia). Tuberville is in his first term in the Senate, having been elected in a landslide in 2020, unseating incumbent Sen. Doug Jones. Tuberville is a native of Arkansas who spent forty years teaching, coaching, and sports broadcasting. He and his wife live in Auburn. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville, congressional delegation urge Joe Biden to address energy supply chain issues
One Alabama senator, along with nearly a dozen others in Congress, have called on the president to address supply chain shortages within the energy sector. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, penned a letter to President Joe Biden to express concerns over the supply of transformers and other raw materials used to manufacture energy components for the Southeastern United States’ energy grid amid rising concerns from local power companies as the hurricane season moves through its peak. “Transformers are a crucial component of electricity delivery at substations and utility poles,” the delegation wrote in the letter to the president. “This equipment is important not only for keeping up with economic growth, but for restoring power after storms and other extreme weather events. In the past months, costs are skyrocketing, and lead times for some manufacturers are up to two years – while others are not taking orders at all.” In the letter, the delegation, according to the release, encouraged the president to issue a temporary suspension of the Department of Energy’s “most recent conservation standards for transformers” as those components require more steel than in past manufacturing processes. The delegation also urged Biden to “engage the Federal Emergency Management Agency to work with suppliers to determine if there is a stockpile of transformers that were bought using federal dollars that can be used in emergency situations.” Tuberville was joined writing the letter by U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-TN; Roger Wicker, R-MS; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-MS; and Marco Rubio, R-FL; and U.S. Reps. David Kustoff, R-TN; Diana Harshbarger, R-TN; John Rose, R-TN; Scott DesJarlais, R-TN; Tim Burchett, R-TN; Morgan Griffith, R-VA; and Chuck Fleischmann, R-TN.
Reps. Barry Moore and Mo Brooks demand DOD halt involuntary discharges for vaccine refusal immediately
Reps. Barry Moore and Mo Brooks joined 40 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) to demand that they halt efforts to involuntarily discharge members of the military who have refused COVID-19 vaccination. The letter requests that they stop until an in-depth review of natural immunity is complete, and the Department has issued uniform procedures for vaccine exemptions. According to Moore’s press release, Section 720 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 requires the DOD to establish uniform procedures for issuing exemptions and fully consider natural immunity. This includes eligibility timelines for consideration of exemptions for service members nearing separation and retirement in the development of uniform procedures relating to administrative exemptions. According to an NPR report, as of January 26, 96% of active troops had been completely vaccinated, while 3,350 soldiers had refused to get the vaccine. Nearly 5,900 have received temporary exemptions. “The DOD must immediately halt efforts to discharge our active-duty military members who refuse to get the vaccine just because overreaching politicians want to continue intervening in the private lives of the American people,” said Moore. “We must ensure that the DOD completes an in-depth review of natural immunity. I will continue to fight against the tyrannical vaccine mandate on our service members.” The letter states, “We are gravely concerned that the military services are proceeding with involuntary discharges when it is unclear to us whether uniform procedures have been issued by the Department of Defense. If the Department of Defense has not issued uniform procedures or reviewed the inclusion of natural immunity and the military services are moving forward with involuntary discharges, then we believe the Department is ignoring and violating Section 720. Congress included this language to protect our service members, and we expect the Department of Defense to abide by the law.” Additional members of Congress to sign the letter include Vicky Hartzler, Doug Lamborn, Elise Stefanik, Brian Mast, David McKinley, Darrell Issa, Kevin Hern, Rodney Davis, Bill Huizenga, Yvette Herrell, Michael Waltz, Bill Posey, Michael Guest, David Valadao, Thomas Tiffany, Pete Stauber, Mike Kelly, Andy Biggs, Neal Dunn, Gus Bilirakis, Dan Crenshaw, Randy Weber, Sr., Louie Gohmert, Lauren Boebert, Glenn Grothman, Alex Mooney, Joe Wilson, Scott DesJarlais, Jack Bergman, David Schweikert, Jeff Duncan, Ralph Norman, Bruce Westerman, Jim Banks, Rick Crawford, Jodey Arrington, Christopher H. Smith, Victoria Spartz, Ted Budd, and Gregory Steube.
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.
Mo Brooks and Gary Palmer urge FBI director to call Congressional shooting an ‘act of domestic terrorism’
Mo Brooks and Gary Palmer joined other leaders, sending a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. The letter urges Wray to call the 2017 shooting on Congress during a baseball game an act of domestic terrorism. Four people were shot during the practice session for the Annual Congressional Baseball game, including Congressman Steve Scalise, Capitol police officer Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth, and lobbyist Matt Mika. The shooter, James Hodgkinson, was shot and died from his wounds. According to CNN, Hodgkinson was a small business owner in Illinois who was very public on social media about his support of Bernie Sanders and his hatred of conservatives and President Donald Trump. Brooks stated on Twitter, “I joined several GOP colleagues who were targeted in 2017 by a Socialist gunman in sending a letter to @FBI Dir Wray, urging him to call the shooting what it was: an act of domestic terrorism that sought to assassinate Republican members of Congress. It was not “suicide by cop.” I joined several GOP colleagues who were targeted in 2017 by a Socialist gunman in sending a letter to @FBI Dir Wray, urging him to call the shooting what it was: an act of domestic terrorism that sought to assassinate Republican members of Congress. It was not “suicide by cop.” pic.twitter.com/gYj9fwOtLI — Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) May 12, 2021 Other leaders who signed the letter include H. Morgan Griffith, Rodney Davis, Jeff Duncan, Barry Loudermilk, John Moolenaar, Jack Bergman, Roger Williams, Scott DesJarlais, Bill Johnson, Chuck Fleischmann, Kevin Brady, Trent Kelly, and Jim Jordan.
Mo Brooks moves forward on challenging Electoral College votes
Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks is challenging the Presidential Election votes and is following through with the threat to ask certain electoral college votes to be thrown out. Brooks wants certain electoral votes thrown out based on President Donald Trump’s allegations of massive voter fraud, News 19 reported. So far every lawsuit that has been filed has been dismissed, including one in the U.S. Supreme Court. This time Brooks, along with 18 other leaders, are asking Mitch McConnell and others to “do their jobs and conduct voter fraud and election theft hearings and investigations so that Congressmen and Senators will be better informed when Congress faces questions about the legitimacy of various federal elections held on November 3, 2020.” Brooks posted on Facebook and Twitter, calling on Congress to reverse the presidential election results and give the win to Donald Trump. At the end of the letter, Brooks asks Congress to hold hearings to do three things: 1. Probe all allegations of illegal conduct concerning the November 3, 2020 elections. 2. Investigate systemic problems affecting our elections. 3. Hear from election experts to explore legislative solutions that lessen the impact of fraudulent and illegal votes and restores faith that America can hold a free and fair election. Political analyst and attorney Mark McDaniel told News19, “Not only does Congressman Brooks have a right to do it. He has a duty to do it if he feels there is a problem with the election, then he should raise objections to it. And I know there will be a number of other members of The House of Representatives that will probably go along with Congressman Brooks on this.” David Person, political analyst and radio host, has a different opinion on Brooks’ actions. Pearson stated, “This is what’s disturbing about these efforts, by Mo and others. They don’t seem to have the focus or the energy to try to address arguably the largest health crisis of the past 50, 60 years, but they have all of the energy and all of the focus in the world to focus on an election that was lost.” Other leaders who have signed the letter are Andy Biggs, Mike D. Rogers, Jim Banks, David Rouzer, Paul Gosar, Ted Budd, Brian Babin, Bob Gibbs, Ralph Norman, Greg Steube, Jody Hice, Mike Kelly, Jeff Duncan, Louie Gohmert, Randy Weber, Scott DesJarlais, and Mike Garcia. Brooks needs support from at least one Senator to trigger a debate before Congress. According to a Washington Examiner article, Brooks told Washington Secrets this week, “I’m cautiously optimistic that there will be one or more United States senators who will fight to reject voter fraud and election theft. Ultimately, whether a senator acts on behalf of our country will be determined by whether that senator’s employers, the American people, have made it known to the senators that this is a litmus test issue.” Brooks continued, “Either you fight for America, or voters never vote for them again and fight against them.”
