Topic: Government Accountability
Congress After a 5 Week Recess Our humble servants have been busy doing a whole lot of nothing.by Chuck Angier
(libertarian)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
On Monday September 8th, Congress returned from a 5 week recess.
OK. Let's recap.
Every American child born today comes into this world with a Federal debt of at least $30,000. Some experts, and with good reason, put the level of total public debt and unfunded entitlements at several hundred thousand dollars per capita.
Many Americans, under the false pretense of equality and at the behest of their government, have been enslaved to their government and others so that they may obtain a mediocre education in a mediocre field with mediocre possibilities of ever repaying their debts.
In the name of "environmental stewardship" we have enriched our enemies beyond comprehension purchasing energy that we should be producing domestically.
In the name of "compassion" we have further emboldened our enemies and swelled their ranks by confiscating the resources of a productive citizenry and flinging them indiscriminately around the globe.
Through socialistic legislation, we have destroyed our manufacturing base, the keystone of any prosperous economy, by trading prosperous jobs and industries for the dismal failure we call the "service economy", i.e. industries and jobs of questionable economic value and often providing services to, or under force of law from, government.
We have porous borders, which AT BEST encourage the infiltration of hard workers wishing to take OUR prosperity out of OUR country and AT WORST allowing true enemies to enter and take up residence in our neighborhoods. All this while creating regulations and using borrowed funds to encourage citizens to NOT work, NOT be productive and NOT protect our borders.
In the name of "prosperity' our "humble servants" have created wealth out of thin air while encouraging the citizenry to do the same, resulting in the destruction and impoverishment of the most prosperous, respected and generous society in history, relegating us to third-world mediocrity and enslaving us to our debtors.
In the name of "fairness", "equality" and "compassion", the government has polarized our society beyond recognition and at great expense to the National treasury.
Our currency, our respect and our position in the world is approaching a meltdown.
We have 2 wars, we're spending a half a billion dollars to elect a President and a couple of bureaucrats with questionable Constitutional authority have assumed control of $5 trillion in mortgage debt from 2 Government Sponsored Enterprises created by FDR when he had a filibuster proof Congress and privatized by LBJ when he had a filibuster proof Congress.
So...... What did Congress do when they came off of their 5 week recess on Monday: (at least look at #37)
1. H.RES.1207: Directing the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to provide individuals whose pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer by electronic funds transfer with the option of receiving receipts of pay and withholdings electronically. Sounds confusing
2. H.RES.1414 : Congratulating the United States Olympians of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Gimme a break..The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform?
3. H.RES.1415: Expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a Representative of the State of Ohio..
OK, I can go along with this.
4. H.RES.1416 : Honoring Dr. Michael DeBakey for his lifetime of accomplishments.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
5. H.RES.1417 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all public elementary schools and public secondary schools should display a copy of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Sponsor:Rep Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Committees: House Education and Labor Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Yeah! Right on!
6. H.RES.1418 : Congratulating Michael Phelps, 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics champion swimmer, on winning 8 gold medals in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and becoming one of the most highly decorated athletes in Olympic history. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
See Item 2 above
7. H.R.263: To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program to award grants to institutions of higher education for the establishment or expansion of cybersecurity professional development programs, and for other purposes. Sounds like a blank check to me.
8. H.R.2272 : To invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the competitiveness of the United States.) Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 110-69 [GPO:Text, PDF]
Another blank check for what?
9.H.R.2575 : -- Private Bill; For the relief of Mikael Adrian Christopher Figueroa Alvarez. Sponsor:Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (introduced 6/5/2007) Cosponsors (None)
10.H.R.2698 : To authorize appropriations for the civil aviation research and development projects and activities of the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Hearing Held by Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Prior to Introduction and Referral (March 29, 2007).
11. H.R.3221 : A bill to provide needed housing reform and for other purposes. Sponsor:Rep Pelosi, Nancy [CA-8] (introduced 7/30/2007) Cosponsors (18) Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 110-289 [GPO:Text, PDF] Note: Previously H.R. 3221 was the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act. Omnibus energy legislation was enacted in H.R.6, which became Public Law 110-140 on 12/19/2007.
Uh-Oh. Look out!
12. H.R.3667 : To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in the State of Vermont for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
13. H.R.5057 : To reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, and for other purposes. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
What in the world is this?
14. H.R.5243 : -- Private Bill; For the relief of Kumi Iizuka-Barcena.
15.H.R.5743 : To provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with the authority to procure real property and accept in-kind donations.
16. H.R.5819 : To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, and for other purposes. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
WOW, Yeah, let's see how much money we can spend making something more convoluted and confusing.
17.H.R.6064 : To encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States.
18. H.R.6456 : To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.
19.H.R.6475 : To establish the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program. 20.H.R.6599 : Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 945.
Veterans deserve everything they get...and more!
21.H.R.6832 : To authorize major medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2009, to extend certain authorities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
See previous item
22.H.R.6833 : To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide church pension plans the opportunity to offer automatic enrollment into the plans, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Oh Boy! Sounds like an "enhancement to accountants and attorneys income act"
23.H.R.6834 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4 South Main Street in Wallingford, Connecticut, as the "CWO Richard R. Lee Post Office Building". Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
24.H.R.6835 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide for an increased mileage rate for charitable deductions. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
25.H.R.6836 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 140 Merriman Road in Garden City, Michigan, as the "John J. Shivnen Post Office Building". Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
26.H.R.6837 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7925 West Russell Road in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the "Private First Class Irving Joseph Schwartz Post Office Building". Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
27.H.R.6838 : To establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Another do-nothing bureaucracy creating a handful of government jobs?
28.H.R.6839 : To designate a previously unnamed peak in the Sawtooth Wilderness of the Sawtooth National Forest in the State of Idaho as "Mount Ernie Day". Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
29.H.R.6840 : -- Private Bill; For the relief of Arsen Mkrtchyan, Hrach Mkrtchyan, and Elmira Poghosyan.
30.H.R.6841 : -- Private Bill; For the relief of Thomas J. Sherlock. Sponsor:Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
31.S.RES.620 : A resolution designating the week of September 14-20, 2008, as National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week, to raise public awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease, and to foster understanding of the impact polycystic kidney disease has on patients and future generations of their families. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
32.S.RES.622 : A resolution designating the week beginning September 7, 2008, as "National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week". Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
Don't we already have something like this? What about historically Female colleges? What about historically Hispanic Colleges? What about historically White colleges?
33.S.RES.647 : A resolution designating September 9, 2008, as "National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day". Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
34. S.RES.649: A resolution designating September 18, 2008, as "National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day". Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
35. S.J.RES.45: A joint resolution expressing the consent and approval of Congress to an interstate compact regarding water resources in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
36.S.344 : A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings. Sponsor:Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] (introduced 1/22/2007) Cosponsors (5) Committees: Senate Judiciary Senate Reports: 110-448 Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 110-448.
I think I can go along with this.
37.S.2135 : A bill to prohibit the recruitment or use of child soldiers, to designate persons who recruit or use child soldiers as inadmissible aliens, to allow the deportation of persons who recruit or use child soldiers, and for other purposes. Sponsor:Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 10/3/2007) Cosponsors (9) Committees: Senate Judiciary; House Judiciary Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 371 - 0 (Roll no. 569).
This appears to be a back door attempt to deny the military the right to recruit on high school campuses. Deceitful. Does the end justify the means?
38. S.2403: To designate the United States courthouse located in the 700 block of East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, as the "Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige, Jr., United States Courthouse". Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 376 - 0 (Roll no. 567).
39. S.2450: A bill to amend the Federal Rules of Evidence to address the waiver of the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine.
Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Cleared for White House.
40.S.2507 : A bill to address the digital television transition in border states. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
How did the government get authority to force digital TV upon us anyhow?
41.S.2837 : A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York, as the "Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse". Sponsor:Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 4/9/2008) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Cleared for White House.
42. S.3001: An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Senate floor actions. Status: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 83 - 0. Record Vote Number: 197.
43.S.3061 : A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, to enhance measures to combat trafficking in persons, and for other purposes. Sponsor:Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] (introduced 5/22/2008) Cosponsors (6) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 946.
44. S.3241 : A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1717 Orange Avenue in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the "CeeCee Ross Lyles Post Office Building". Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
45.S.3430 : A bill to provide for the investigation of certain unsolved civil rights crimes, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 944.
46. S.3450 : A bill to provide for the rescission of funds made available for fiscal year 2009 for Iraq reconstruction. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
47. S.3451: A bill to amend the Small Business Act to extend the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, to increase the allocation of Federal agency grants for those programs, to add water, energy, transportation, and domestic security related research to the list of topics deserving special consideration, and for other purposes. Sponsor:Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Scary.
48.S.3452 : A bill to authorize the expansion of the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
49.S.3453 : A bill to authorize the adjustment of status for immediate family members of aliens who served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States during the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Sponsor:Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Committees: Senate Judiciary Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Maybe a reasonable short cut to citizenship would be to serve honorably in the armed services.
50.S.AMDT.5265 to S.3001 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. Sponsor:Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Senate amendment submitted
Can we say "ambiguous"? What is the Honorable Mr. Reid up to?
51.S.AMDT.5266 to S.3001 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. Sponsor:Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (1) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Senate amendment submitted
See item #50
52. S.AMDT.5267to S.3001 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. Sponsor:Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 9/8/2008) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 9/8/2008 Senate amendment submitted
See item #50.
I'm glad our humble servants are hard at work after 5 weeks of rest. No wonder we're in this mess.
Angier is self employed in agri-business and can be reached at chuckangier@gmail.com
Did you like this article? If you did, Thumb It! 5 thumbs so far
The views expressed in this
article are those of Chuck Angier only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Chuck Angier is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
One of the nice things about voting a straight Libertarian ticket is that I can always say; "don't blame me, I voted for the other guy.
BTW I don't know why one of those private bills couldn't be to provide relief for the David S mortgage payments, and for other purposes (possibly to buy David S a boat)
More seriously, I bet we could eliminate 90% of that stuff and not even notice it.
Want to comment on this
article? Leave your comment here. Your email address is
required to track your comment. However, we will neither
publish your email address nor distribute it to other
organizations or persons. The only reason we might use
it would be if we needed to contact you regarding your
comment. All comments are subject to our
terms of use policy.
