It was actually a pretty busy week back here in DC. Here is a quick rundown (of course with my short editorial comments) on some of the things we did and/or learned this week.
- A bill HR 6346 came to the floor that would have started new proceedings regarding alleged price gouging in the price of gas. This in spite of the fact that all previous investigations have turned up nothing and that the increase in the price of gas is because of the increase in the price of oil. The bill failed to pass. We cannot sue our way into lower gas prices.
- One other bill (HR 6052) was brought to the floor supposedly to deal with high gas prices. This bill would create subsidies for only federal employees to take public transportation to work. Are you kidding me? While everyone is struggling with high energy prices and a tough economy we are going to give more subsidies to government bureaucrats and only government bureaucrats? The bill passed 322-98.
- That’s it on the energy front. To see the wide array of actions I think we should be doing, go to my new Energy Page.
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi came out this week in favor of reinstating the completely misnamed "fairness doctrine". This "fairness doctrine" is actually censorship in my view. It would require talk radio and Christian radio stations to give equal time to an opposing point of view whenever they are on the air. Think about it. Hugh Hewitt or Rush Limbaugh could give their opinion for half an hour and then would have to allow Al Franken or Keith Olberman to come on their show for the next half hour to give their viewpoint. Or on Christian radio, they might need to allow an atheist on. Interestingly, CNN, and other mainstream media outlets, would be exempt because they are deemed to be "fair." This is an attempt to censor the airways from points of view which differ from that of the mainstream media. In spite of your political persuasion (Air America would be affected by this too), this must be stopped.
- I mentioned to you last week that all 12 appropriations bills came out proposing to spend 7.7% more than last year. What I didn’t know then is what earmarks were included. David Obey (D-WI), chairman of the committee, said that there are about the same $18.3 billion in earmarks as last year. The first analysis of the first few bills indicates otherwise. They are on the rise. And earmarking Democrats and Republicans look to be equally responsible for wasting more of your money. Here is what we know about the bills so far:
Commerce, Justice, Science: CAGW has documented 1,123 projects at a cost of $409.8 million.
Energy & Water: CAGW found 655 projects at a cost of $821 million.
Financial Services: There are 197 projects costing $57 million, which represents a 45percent increase in projects and an 84 percent increase in dollar amounts from CAGW’s calculation for the fiscal year 2008 House bill.
Interior: For fiscal year 2009, CAGW has enumerated 247 projects at a cost of $134.9 million. In fiscal year 2008, CAGW found 226 projects worth $111 million in the House bill. The 2009 totals represent a 9.3 percent increase in projects and a 21.5 percent increase in dollar amount from 2008.
Labor/HHS: For fiscal year 2009, CAGW calculated that there are 1,370 earmarks at a cost of $618.8 million. In fiscal year 2008, CAGW found 1,305 projects costing $277.9 million in the House bill. The number of projects increased by 5 percent, but the dollar amount jumped by a whopping 122 percent.
Military Construction: CAGW found 102 earmarks costing $621.3 million.
- A bill to keep your Alternative Minimum tax the same as it is now (no increase) but raise taxes instead on hedge funds and private equity firms passed the House by a vote of 233-189. I was one of the no votes. The bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate and would be vetoed by the President if it did. We should eliminate the alternative minimum tax completely (see my Optional Simplified tax proposal at Taxpayer Choice Act and Here) but in the meantime don’t raise taxes on anybody.
- Sometimes you have to stand somewhat alone. A bill to reauthorize and expand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was on the floor this week. It passed by a vote of 402-17. I was one of the 17. The ADA has many good aspects to it. But it has been a fertile ground for unscrupulous trial lawyers to file junk lawsuits against small and large businesses nationwide and extort money from them for minor and meaningless technical violations of the ADA. This does not fix that and in fact makes it worse. But in addition, it greatly expands the definition of someone with a "disability" to include "disabilities" that are completely corrected or correctible with drugs or whatever. I, for example, have very bad eyesight and am functionally blind without my contact lenses. But with them, I see better then most uncorrected people. Under this bill, I could be labeled as disabled. That is not only wrong it is insulting to people who have genuine disabilities. I am very disappointed that more of my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, did not look deeper into the ramifications of this bill.
In spite of all of that, this is the greatest nation God has ever put on earth. And, as Winston Churchill said, "democracy is the worst form of government ever devised, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time." As your burgers are roasting on the grill this 4th of July, take a moment to reflect on the liberties we do have, on the courage and vision of the founders who created them, and on the bravery of the soldiers who defend them.
God Bless America.