#rep. Garrett Graves | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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The Federal Election Commission recently let a US company that was quietly bankrolled by Russian oligarchs off with a slap on the wrist despite discovering that it had illegally funneled Russian funds to US political candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, two Democratic FEC commissioners said in a scathing statement issued Friday.

“Half the Commission chose to reject the recommendation of the agency’s nonpartisan Office of General Counsel and turned a blind eye to the documented use of Russian money for contributions to various federal and state committees in the 2018 elections,” wrote the two commissioners, Ellen Weintraub and Shana Broussard.

Anyone who follows campaign finance knows that the FEC has been toothless for years due to GOP commissioners’ opposition to any enforcement of laws designed to oversee money in politics. But Weintraub and Broussard suggest the agency hit a new low by letting the US firm, American Ethane, off with a deal in which it agreed to pay only a small civil fine.

Though based in Houston, Texas, and run by American CEO John Houghtaling, 88% of American Ethane was owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. The FEC report said that Nikolaev, an oligarch and Russian billionaire with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the controlling shareholder. Separately, Nikolaev also underwrote efforts by Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist, to cultivate ties with the National Rifle Association officials and with associates of Donald Trump around the time of the 2016 election. In 2018, Butina acknowledged acting as an unregistered Kremlin agent and pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy against the United States. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was deported six months later.

According to lobbying disclosures, the company was seeking help from US officials in its efforts to sell US ethane to China and, in 2018, had hired a US lobbying firm, Turnberry Solutions, with close ties to former Trump campaign chief Corey Lewandowski. A year later, Lewandowki officially joined Turnberry, after previously disputing his connections to the firm. Turnberry, which traded on ties to Trump, shut down in 2021, months after he left office.

The FEC investigation began after it received a complaint citing press reports on American Ethane’s ties to Nikolaev and its donations to lawmakers. Weintraub and Broussard noted that the FEC found that American Ethane “made contributions using funds derived from loans from foreign entities ultimately owned by Russian nationals.” Federal law bans foreign funds in US elections, as well as direct corporate donations to candidates. American Ethane seems to have done both. The FEC found that the company made more than $66,000 in donations using money it got from offshore firms in the form of loans. According to an FEC general counsel’s report released last year, the owners of the offshore firms included Alexander Voloshin, a Russian politician and former state power company official, and Roman Abramovich, an infamous Russian oligarch and former owner of the British football powerhouse Chelsea. The money the company used to dole out donations ultimately came from the oligarchs, the FEC said.

During its four-year investigation, the FEC found that the funds initially put up by Abromovich and other Russian nationals were then funneled to Republicans in Louisiana: Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, a political action committee run by Kennedy, a leadership fund run by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a PAC backing Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, and the campaigns of Reps. Mike Johnson and Garrett Graves. Other contributions went to state lawmakers. The report didn’t explain why the company focused on Louisiana but the state is home to many natural gas firms, and its lawmakers advocate for the industry.

The lawmakers who received funds have not been accused of knowingly taking Russian money, though the final report from the initial investigation noted, “American Ethane attempted to make more political contributions, but those recipient committees never deposited American Ethane’s checks.”

American Ethane argued that the funds the company first received appeared as loan to the American corporation. Therefore, they claimed the donations it made were not foreign. The FEC rejected that argument. But it still recommended the firm only pay $9,500 as a civil penalty.

“The foreign-influence problem has not gone away in the meantime, to put it mildly,” Weintraub and Broussard wrote. “In this case, it is beyond unfortunate that for three of our colleagues, it was a bridge too far to penalize the use of Russian oligarchs’ money to influence U.S. elections.”

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brandedcities · 11 months

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After optimism, debt ceiling talks on 'pause,' McCarthy's top negotiator says

Rep. Garrett Graves, who is leading debt ceiling talks for House Republicans, said Friday negotiations have hit a snag.

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legmanns-moved · 6 years

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REPRESENTATIVES THAT STILL ARE EITHER NEUTRAL OR FAIL TO SUPPORT NET NEUTRALITY, BY STATE

Hey! Do you still care about net neutrality? Great! Check out this list of politicians that are still allegedly not opposed to its removal, and contact them stating your concerns. I’m sorry that the list is so long. Also: If you want to see how much ISP’s donated to your rep, check here- https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15100620/congress-fcc-isp-web-browsing-privacy-fire-sale

*If you need help finding your district, just google search your zip code and/or the town/city you live in, and add “congressional district”.

DELAWARE: None! Good job! PENNSYLVANIA:

Robert Brady (1st District) https://brady.house.gov/contact-me

Mike Kelly (3rd District) https://kelly.house.gov/contact-me

Scott Perry (4th District) https://perry.house.gov/contact/

Ryan Costello (6th District) https://costello.house.gov/contact

Patrick Meehan (7th District) https://meehan.house.gov/contact

Brian Fitzpatrick (8th District) https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/contact-me

Bill Shuster (9th District) http://shuster.house.gov/contact-bill/

Tom Marino (10th District) https://marino.house.gov/contact

Lou Barletta (11th District) https://barletta.house.gov/contact/email-me

Keith Rothfus (12th District) https://rothfus.house.gov/email-keith

Charlie Dent (15th District) https://dent.house.gov/contact

Lloyd Smucker (16th District) https://smucker.house.gov/contact

Pat Toomey (Senator, former rep of 15th district) https://www.toomey.senate.gov/#

NEW JERSEY:

Frank Lobiondo (2nd District) https://lobiondo.house.gov/contact-me

Tom MacArthur (3rd District) https://macarthur.house.gov/contact

Chris Smith (4th District) https://chrissmith.house.gov/contact

Josh Gottheimer (5th District) https://gottheimer.house.gov/contact

Leonard Lance (7th District) https://lance.house.gov/contact

Albio Sires (8th District) https://sires.house.gov/contact

Rodney Frelinghuysen (11th District) https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/contact-us/

Bob Menendez (Senator, former rep for 13th district) https://www.menendez.senate.gov/contact

GEORGIA:

Buddy Carter (1st District) https://buddycarter.house.gov/Contact

Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (2nd District) https://bishop.house.gov/contact

Drew Ferguson (3rd District) https://ferguson.house.gov/contact

Rob Woodall (7th District) https://woodall.house.gov/contact

Austin Scott (8th District) https://austinscott.house.gov/contact

Doug Collins (9th District) https://dougcollins.house.gov/contact-doug

Jody Hice (10th District) https://hice.house.gov/Contact/

Barry Loudermilk (11th District) https://loudermilk.house.gov/contact

Rick W. Allen (12th District) https://allen.house.gov/contact

David Scott (13th District) https://davidscott.house.gov/Contact/

Tom Graves (14th District) https://tomgraves.house.gov/contact/

Jonny Isakson (Sentator, former rep for 6th district) https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me

David Perdue (Senator) https://www.perdue.senate.gov/connect

CONNECTICUT:

John Himes (4th District) https://himes.house.gov/contact

MASSACHUSETTS:

None! Good job!

MARYLAND:

Elijah E. Cummings (7th District) https://cummings.house.gov/contact

SOUTH CAROLINA:

Mark Sanford (1st District) https://sanfordforms.house.gov/contact/

Joe Wilson (2nd District) https://joewilson.house.gov/contact/email-me

Jeff Duncan (3rd District) https://jeffduncan.house.gov

Trey Gowdy (4th District) https://gowdy.house.gov/contact

James E. Clyburn (6th District) https://clyburn.house.gov/contact-me

Tom Rice (7th District) https://rice.house.gov/contact/

Tim Scott (Senator) https://www.scott.senate.gov/contact

Lindsey Graham (Senator) https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

NEW HAMPSHIRE:

None! Good job!

VIRGINIA:

Rob Wittman (1st District) https://wittman.house.gov/contact/

Thomas Garrett (5th District) https://tomgarrett.house.gov/contact

Bob Goodlatte (6th District) https://goodlatte.house.gov/contact

Dave Brat (7th District) https://brat.house.gov/contact/

Morgan Griffith (9th District) https://morgangriffith.house.gov/contact/

Barbara Comstock (10th District) https://comstock.house.gov/contact

Tim Kaine (Senator, former Governor) https://www.kaine.senate.gov/contact

NEW YORK:

Lee Zeldin (1st District) https://zeldin.house.gov/contact

Pete King (2nd District) https://peteking.house.gov/contact

Gregory W. Meeks (5th District) https://meeks.house.gov/contact

Dan Donovan (11th District) https://donovan.house.gov/contact

John J. Faso (19th District) https://faso.house.gov/contact

Elise Stefanik (21st District) https://stefanik.house.gov/contact

Claudia Tenney (22nd District) https://tenney.house.gov/contact

Tom Reed (23rd District) https://reed.house.gov/contact

John Katko (24th District) https://katko.house.gov/contact/email

Chris Collins (27th District) https://chriscollins.house.gov/contact

NORTH CAROLINA:

G. K. Butterfield (1st District) https://butterfield.house.gov/contact/email-me

George Holding (2nd District) https://holding.house.gov/contact/get-in-touch.htm

Walter Jones (3rd District) https://jones.house.gov/contact-me

Virginia Foxx (5th District) https://foxx.house.gov/Contact

Mark Walker (6th District) https://walker.house.gov/contact

David Rouzer (7th District) https://rouzer.house.gov/contact

Richard Hudson (8th District) https://hudson.house.gov/contact-me/

Robert Pittenger (9th District) https://pittenger.house.gov/contact

Patrick McHenry (10th District) https://mchenry.house.gov/contact

Mark Meadows (11th District) https://meadows.house.gov/contact

Ted Budd (13th District) https://budd.house.gov/contact

Thom Tillis (Senator) https://www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me

Richard Burr (Senator, former rep for 5th District) https://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email

RHODE ISLAND:

None! Good job!

VERMONT: None! Good job!

KENTUCKY:

James Comer (1st District) https://comer.house.gov/contact

Brett Guthrie (2nd District) https://guthrie.house.gov/contact-brett/

Thomas Massie (4th District) http://massieforms.house.gov/contact/

Hal Rogers (5th District) https://halrogers.house.gov/contact-hal

Rand Paul (Senator) https://www.paul.senate.gov/connect/email-rand

Mitch McConnell (Senator) https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactform

TENNESSEE:

Phil Roe, M.D. (1st District) https://roe.house.gov/Contact

John Duncan (2nd District) https://duncan.house.gov/contact

Chuck Fleischmann (3rd District) https://fleischmann.house.gov/contact

Scott Desjarlais (4th District) https://desjarlais.house.gov/contact/email-me

Diane Black (6th District) https://black.house.gov/contact

Marsha Blackburn (7th District) https://blackburn.house.gov/Contact

David Kustoff (8th District) https://kustoff.house.gov/contact

Lamar Alexander (Senator) https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Bob Corker (Senator) http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactinformation

OHIO:

Steve Chabot (1st District) https://chabot.house.gov/contact

Brad Wenstrup (2nd District) https://wenstrup.house.gov/#

Joyce Beatty (3rd District) https://beatty.house.gov/contact

Jim Jordan (4th District) https://jordan.house.gov/Contact/

Bill Johnson (6th District) https://billjohnson.house.gov/Contact

Bob Gibbs (7th District) https://gibbs.house.gov/contact

Bob Latta (8th District) https://latta.house.gov/contact

Mike Turner (10th District) https://turner.house.gov/contact

Dave Joyce (14th District) https://joyce.house.gov/contact-me/

Steve Stivers (15th District) https://stivers.house.gov/Contact/

Jim Renacci (16th District) https://renacci.house.gov/index.cfm/contact

Rob Portman (Senator, former rep for 14th district) http://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Pat Tiberi (12th District) https://tiberi.house.gov/Contact

LOUISIANA:

Steve Scalise (1st District) https://scalise.house.gov/contact-me

Cedric Richmond (2nd District) https://richmond.house.gov/contact-cedric

Clay HIggins (3rd District) https://clayhiggins.house.gov/contact

Mike Johnson (4th District) https://mikejohnson.house.gov/contact

Ralph Abraham, M. D. (5th District) https://abraham.house.gov/contact

Garrett Graves (6th District) https://garretgraves.house.gov/contact

John Kennedy (Senator) https://www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/contact

Bill Cassidy, M. D. (Senator, former rep for 6th district) https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact

INDIANA:

Jackie Walorski (2nd District) https://walorski.house.gov/contact/

Jim Banks (3rd District) https://banks.house.gov/contact

Todd Rokita (4th District) https://rokita.house.gov/contact-me

Susan W. Brooks (5th District) https://susanwbrooks.house.gov/contact/email-me

Luke Messer (6th District) https://messer.house.gov/contact

Larry Bucshon, M. D. (8th District) https://bucshon.house.gov/contact

Trey Hollingsworth (9th District) https://hollingsworth.house.gov/contact

Todd Young (Senator, former rep for 9th district) https://www.young.senate.gov/contact

MISSISSIPPI:

Trent Kelly (1st District) https://trentkelly.house.gov/contact

Bennie G. Thompson (2nd District) https://benniethompson.house.gov/contact

Gregg Harper (3rd District) https://harper.house.gov/#

Steven Palazzo (4th District) https://palazzo.house.gov/contact

Roger Wicker (Senator, former rep of 1st district) https://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Thad Cochran (Senator, former rep of 4th district) http://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

ILLINOIS:

Bobby L. Rush (1st District) https://rush.house.gov/contact

Robin Kelly (2nd District) https://robinkelly.house.gov/contact

Luis V. Gutiérrez (4th District) http://gutierrezforms.house.gov/contact/

Peter Roskam (6th District) https://roskam.house.gov/contact

Mike Bost (12th District) https://bost.house.gov/contact

Rodney Davis (13th District) https://rodneydavis.house.gov/Contact/

Randy Hultgren (14th District) https://hultgren.house.gov/contact

John Shimkus (15th District) https://shimkus.house.gov/contact

Adam Kinzinger (16th District) https://kinzinger.house.gov/contact/

Darin LaHood (18th District) https://lahood.house.gov/contact

Dick Durbin (Senator) https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/

ALABAMA:

Bradley Byrne (1st District) https://byrne.house.gov/contact

Martha Roby (2nd District) https://roby.house.gov/contact

Mike Rogers (3rd District) https://mikerogers.house.gov/contact-mike

Robert B. Aderholt (4th District) https://aderholt.house.gov/contact-robert

Mo Brooks (5th District) https://brooks.house.gov/contact-me

Gary Palmer (6th District) https://palmer.house.gov/contact

Terri Sewell (7th District) https://sewell.house.gov/email-me

Luther Strange (Senator) https://www.strange.senate.gov/content/contact-senator

Richard Shelby (Senator, former rep for 7th district) https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactsenatorshelby

MAINE:

Bruce Poliquin (2nd District) https://poliquin.house.gov/contact

MISSOURI:

Wm. Lacy Clay (1st District) https://lacyclay.house.gov/contact

Ann Wagner (2nd District) https://wagner.house.gov/contact

Blaine Luetkemeyer (3rd District) https://luetkemeyer.house.gov/Contact/

Vicky Hartzler (4th District) https://hartzler.house.gov/contact-me

Emanuel Cleaver, II (5th District) https://cleaver.house.gov/contact-me

Sam Graves (6th District) https://graves.house.gov/contact

Billy Long (7th District) https://long.house.gov/contact-billy/

Jason Smith (8th District) https://jasonsmith.house.gov/contact

Roy Blunt (Senator, former rep for 7th district) https://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-roy

ARKANSAS:

Rick Crawford (1st District) https://crawford.house.gov/contact

French Hill (2nd District) https://hill.house.gov/contact/email

Steve Womack (3rd District) https://womack.house.gov/Contact

Bruce Westerman (4th District) https://westerman.house.gov/contact

John Boozman (Senator, former rep of 3rd district) https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Tom Cotton (Senator, former rep of 4th district) https://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=contact

MICHIGAN:

Jack Bergman (1st District) https://bergman.house.gov/contact

Bill Huizenga (2nd District) https://huizenga.house.gov/contact/

Justin Amash (3rd District) https://amash.house.gov/contact

John Moolenaar (4th District) https://moolenaar.house.gov/contact

Fred Upton (6th District) https://upton.house.gov/Contact

Tim Walberg (7th District) https://walberg.house.gov/contact

Mike Bishop (8th District) https://mikebishop.house.gov/contact

Paul Mitchell (10th District) https://mitchell.house.gov/contact

Dave Trott (11th District) https://trott.house.gov/contact

Gary Peters (Senator) https://www.peters.senate.gov/contact/email-gary

FLORIDA:

Matt Gaetz (1st District) https://gaetz.house.gov/contact

Neal Dunn (2nd District) https://dunn.house.gov/contact

Ted Yoho (3rd District) https://yoho.house.gov/contact

John Rutherford (4th District) https://rutherford.house.gov/contact

Al Lawson (5th District) https://lawson.house.gov/emailal

Ron Desantis (6th District) https://desantis.house.gov/contact

Stephanie Murphy (7th District) https://stephaniemurphy.house.gov/contact

Bill Posey (8th District) https://posey.house.gov/Contact/

Daniel Webster (11th District) https://webster.house.gov/email-me

Gus Bilirakis (12th District) https://bilirakis.house.gov/contact

Charlie Crist (13th District) https://crist.house.gov/contact

Dennis A. Ross (15th District) https://dennisross.house.gov/Contact/

Vern Buchanan (16th District) https://buchanan.house.gov/contact

Thomas J. Rooney (17th District) https://rooney.house.gov/contact

Brian Mast (18th District) https://mast.house.gov/contact

Francis Rooney (19th District) https://francisrooney.house.gov/contact

Alcee L. Hastings (20th District) https://alceehastings.house.gov/contact

Lois Frankel (21st District) https://frankel.house.gov/contact/

Frederica S. Wilson (24th District) https://wilson.house.gov/contact

Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District) https://mariodiazbalart.house.gov/contact-mario

Carlos Curbelo (26th District) https://curbelo.house.gov/contact/

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (27th District) https://ros-lehtinen.house.gov/contact-me

Marco Rubio (Senator) https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

TEXAS:

Louie Gohmert (1st District) https://gohmert.house.gov/Contact/

Ted Poe (2nd District) https://poe.house.gov/connect

Sam Johnson (3rd District) https://samjohnson.house.gov/contact-me/

John Ratcliffe (4th District) https://ratcliffe.house.gov/contact

Jeb Hensarling (5th District) https://hensarlingforms.house.gov/contact/

John Culberson (7th District) https://culberson.house.gov/Contact/

Kevin Brady (8th District) https://kevinbrady.house.gov/contact

Michael McCaul (10th District) https://mccaul.house.gov/contact

Mike Conaway (11th District) https://conaway.house.gov/#

Kay Granger (12th District) https://kaygranger.house.gov/contact-kay

Mac Thornberry (13th District) https://thornberry.house.gov/contact

Randy Weber (14th District) https://weber.house.gov/contact

Bill Flores (17th District) https://flores.house.gov/contact/

Jodey Arrington (19th District) https://arrington.house.gov/contact

Joaquin Castro (20th District) https://castro.house.gov/contact

Lamar Smith (21st District) https://lamarsmith.house.gov/contact

Pete Olson (22nd District) https://olson.house.gov/contact-us

Will Hurt (23rd District) https://hurd.house.gov/contact

Kenny Marchant (24th District) https://marchant.house.gov/contact/

Roger Williams (25th District) https://williams.house.gov/contact

Dr. Michael C. Burgess (26th District) https://burgess.house.gov/contact

Blake Farenthold (27th District) https://farenthold.house.gov/contact/

Henry Cuellar (28th District) https://cuellar.house.gov/Contact

Gene Green (29th District) https://green.house.gov/contact

Eddie Bernice Johnson (30th District) https://ebjohnson.house.gov/contact

John Carter (31st District) https://carter.house.gov/email-john2/

Pete Sessions (32nd District) https://sessions.house.gov/contact

Marc Veasey (33rd District) https://veasey.house.gov/contact

Filemon Vela (34th District) https://vela.house.gov/contact

Brian Babin (36th District) https://babin.house.gov/Contact

Ted Cruz (Senator, Time Traveling Witch, etc. ) https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=email_senator

John Cornyn (Senator) https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact

IOWA:

Rod Blum (1st District) https://blum.house.gov/contact

David Young (3rd District) https://davidyoung.house.gov/contact

Steve King (4th District) https://steveking.house.gov/contact

Joni Ernst (Senator) https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Chuck Grassley (Senator, former rep for 3rd District) https://www.grassley.senate.gov/contact

WISCONSIN:

Paul Ryan (1st District, Speaker of the House) https://www.speaker.gov/contact

Jim Sensenbrenner (5th District) https://sensenbrenner.house.gov/contact

Glenn Grothman (6th District) https://grothman.house.gov/contact

Sean Duffy (7th District) https://duffy.house.gov/contact

Mike Gallagher (8th District) https://gallagher.house.gov/contact

Ron Johnson (Senator) https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

CALIFORNIA:

Doug Lamalfa (1st District) https://lamalfa.house.gov/contact

Tom McClintock (4th District) https://mcclintock.house.gov/contact

Ami Bera, M.D (7th District) https://bera.house.gov/contact

Col. Paul Cook (8th District) https://cook.house.gov/contact

Jeff Denham (10th District) https://denham.house.gov/contact/

David G. Valadao (21st District) https://valadao.house.gov/Contact/

Devin Nunes (22nd District) https://nunes.house.gov/Contact/

Kevin McCarthy (23rd District) https://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/contact

Steve Knight (25th District) https://knight.house.gov/contact/

Julia Brownley (26th District) https://juliabrownley.house.gov/contact

Pete Aguilar (31st District) https://aguilar.house.gov/contact

Norma Torres (35th District) https://torres.house.gov/contact/email

Linda Sánchez (38th District) https://lindasanchez.house.gov/contact

Mimi Walters (45th District) https://walters.house.gov/contact

J. Luis Correa (46th District) https://correa.house.gov/contact

Dana Rohrabacher (48th District) https://rohrabacher.house.gov/contact/email-me

Darrell Issa (49th District) https://issa.house.gov/contact

Duncan Hunter (50th District) https://hunter.house.gov/contact-me

Juan Vargas (51st District) https://vargas.house.gov/contact

MINNESOTA:

Jason Lewis (2nd District) https://jasonlewis.house.gov/contact

Erik Paulsen (3rd District) https://paulsen.house.gov/contact-me

Tom Emmer (6th District) https://emmer.house.gov/contact

Collin C. Peterson (7th District) https://collinpeterson.house.gov/contact-me

OREGON:

Greg Walden (2nd District) https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me

KANSAS:

Roger Marshall (1st District) https://marshall.house.gov/contact

Lynn Jenkins (2nd District) https://lynnjenkins.house.gov/contact-me/

Kevin Yoder (3rd District) https://yoder.house.gov/contact

Ron Estes (4th District) https://estes.house.gov/contact

Pat Roberts (Senator) http://www.roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Jerry Moran (Senator) https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/connect

WEST VIRGINIA:

David B. McKinley, P. E. (1st District) https://mckinley.house.gov/contact/

Alex Mooney (2nd District) https://mooney.house.gov/contact

Evan Jenkins (3rd District) https://evanjenkins.house.gov/contact

Joe Manchin (Senator, former Governor) https://www.manchin.senate.gov/contact-joe

Shelley Moore Capito (Senator, former rep for 2nd District) https://www.capito.senate.gov/contact/contact-shelley

NEVADA:

Mark Amodei (2nd District) https://amodei.house.gov/contact

Dean Heller (Senator, former rep for 2nd District) https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

NEBRASKA:

Don Bacon (2nd District) https://bacon.house.gov/contact

Adrian Smith (3rd District) https://adriansmith.house.gov/contact-me

Ben Sasse (Senator) https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Deb Fischer (Senator) https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

COLORADO:

Scott Tipton (3rd District) https://tipton.house.gov/contact/email

Ken Buch (4th District) https://buck.house.gov/

Doug Lamborn (5th District) https://lamborn.house.gov/contact/

Cory Gardner (Senator) https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/email-cory

NORTH DAKOTA:

Kevin Cramer (At-large District) https://cramer.house.gov/contact

John Hoeven (Senator) https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/contact

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Kristi Noem (At-large District) http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/email-kristi

Mike Rounds (Senator) https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

John Thune (Senator) https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

MONTANA:

Steve Daines (Senator) https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve

WASHINGTON:

Rick Larsen (2nd District) https://larsen.house.gov/contact-rick

Dan Newhouse (4th District) https://newhouse.house.gov/contact

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (5th District) https://mcmorris.house.gov/contact/

Dan Reichert (8th District) https://reichert.house.gov/contact-me

IDAHO:

Raúl Labrador (1st District) https://labrador.house.gov/contact-me/

Mike Simpson (2nd District) https://simpson.house.gov/contact/

Mike Crapo (Senator, former rep of 2nd District) https://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact

James E. Risch (Senator, former Liutenant Governor) https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

WYOMING:

Liz Cheney ( At-Large District) https://cheney.house.gov/contact

John Barrasso (Senator) https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Mike Enzi (Senator) https://www.enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

UTAH:

Rob Bishop (1st District) https://robbishop.house.gov/contact

Chris Stewart (2nd District) https://stewart.house.gov/contact

Mike Lee (Senator) https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

OKLAHOMA:

Jim Bridenstine (1st District) https://bridenstine.house.gov/contact

Markwayne Mullin (2nd District) https://mullin.house.gov/contact/

Frank Lucas (3rd District) https://lucas.house.gov/contact-me

Tom Cole (4th District) https://cole.house.gov/contact

Steve Russell (5th District) https://russell.house.gov/contact

James M. Inhofe (Senator, former rep for 1st District) https://www.inhofe.senate.gov/contact

James Lankford (Senator, former rep for 5th District) https://www.lankford.senate.gov/contact/email

NEW MEXICO:

Steve Pearce (2nd District) https://pearce.house.gov/contact-me

ARIZONA:

Martha McSally (2nd District) https://mcsally.house.gov/contact

Paul Gosar, D.D.S (4th District) https://gosar.house.gov/contact

Andy Biggs (5th District) https://biggs.house.gov/contact

David Schweikert (6th District) https://schweikert.house.gov/contact

Ruben Gallego (7th District) https://rubengallego.house.gov/contact

John McCain (Senator) https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Jeff Flake (Senator) https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

ALASKA:

Dan Sullivan (Senator) https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact

Lisa Murkowski (Senator) https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email

HAWAII:

None! Good job!

District of Columbia

None! Good job!

What should I say?

Good question, concerned reader. When writing to your representative/senator, speak from the heart. Explain how this issue could hypothetically negatively impact your part of the world (prices for stuff going up, possible reduced accessibility, small businesses not being able to compete with bigger ones, being able to definitely access schools’ online educational materials, LGBT+ kids who need support, etc. ), and if you’re 18 or older, do the thing that always works. Let them know you will not be voting for them these midterm elections if they can’t get their life together. Thank you for reading this.

#activism #net neu #social justice #sj #internet #net neutrality #battle for the net #net #neutrality #politics #signal boost #ajit pai #ajit #pai #fcc #sb #federal communications comission

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hudsonespie · 3 years

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Port Fourchon, Hit Hard by Hurricane Ida, May be Closed for Weeks

Louisiana is the heart of America's offshore oil and gas industry, and the region's energy production quickly shut down in advance of Hurricane Ida, with more than 90 percent of all offshore oil output shut in as a precautionary measure. Most of the industry's assets appear to have survived unscathed, but Port Fourchon - the primary support hub for the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico - was hit hard and may be closed for weeks.

In order to minimize harm from the hurricane, offshore operators evacuated about half of all platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, along with nine out of 11 currently operating non-DP drilling rigs. Four DP-enabled rigs ceased operations and relocated to avoid the storm's path. As of Monday, 93 percent of offshore oil production and 94 percent of offshore gas production were still shut in, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. About 17 percent of the United States' domestic oil production comes from offshore Gulf of Mexico wells.

The storm also affected refiners. According to S&P Global, about 75 percent of Louisiana's refining capacity went offline as a result of the storm. These facilities are experiencing challenges due to downed powerlines and intermittent electricity supplies, and at least one facility located well outside of the storm's path was forced to shut down because it did not have electrical power. Others wound down their operations in advance of Ida's arrival as a precautionary measure.

Extensive damage in Port Fourchon

The logistical effort for getting U.S. Gulf platforms back up and running could be complicated by disruption in Port Fourchon, the hub for vessel support activity for Louisiana's offshore industry. Aerial surveys showed extensive damage, including missing roofs and flooding. The port's executive director, Chett Chiasson, told The Advocate that the area experienced damage from an extreme storm surge of 12-15 feet.

youtube

Video of Hurricane Ida from a property owned by David Tallo Jr. in Port Fourchon

As of Monday, the highway leading to the port was still shut due to downed power poles, debris and washouts, limiting the ability of port staff to begin damage assessment and cleanup. Fully restoring the port's operations will take weeks, Chiasson told NPR.

"What we're seeing is tons of damage . . . there's vessels in places they're not supposed to be, to say the least, and navigable waters have to be surveyed because there's things everywhere," Chiasson said. "In just a few hours we're going to be clearing Highway 1 down to the port with heavy equipment. . . . There is no electricity and there will be no electricity for a long time. In our community we have no running water, so that's really key at this point."

Complete devastation in Port Fourchon right now…. pic.twitter.com/lTX1d9DDjz

— Derek (@_dbeckman) August 31, 2021

@zerosum24 greetings from Port Fourchon. pic.twitter.com/Zv0jwwGIdR

— The Bottom Walker ????????‍??????‍?? (@TheBottomWalker) August 31, 2021

More damage pics along Highway 1 during today’s trip with @LouisianaGov and @FEMA_Deanne #HurricaneIda @GOHSEP pic.twitter.com/Rx0Vdxmv3D

— MikeSteele (@MikeSteeleLA) August 31, 2021

In an advisory to shipping, the port authority said that waterways into and within Port Fourchon and along Bayou Lafourche are blocked by "multiple obstructions and sunken vessels." NOAA's Coast Survey teams are still en route to the area to conduct channel surveys in the port, and shipping interests should expect delays. "Vessels should not attempt to enter or exit the port until the Port Commission’s damage assessment has been completed and the all clear is given," the authority advised.

When the highway is restored, port tenants will have first priority for entry from the shore side. All others are advised to stay out of the area until the port gives the all-clear, and the port's harbor police are keeping watch, the authority said.

Images courtesy Rep. Garrett Graves

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/port-fourchon-hit-hard-by-hurricane-ida-may-be-closed-for-weeks via http://www.rssmix.com/

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alaturkanews · 3 years

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Republicans warn raising taxes would undermine Biden's infrastructure bill

Republicans warn raising taxes would undermine Biden’s infrastructure bill

Rep. Garrett Graves, R-La., speaks out after joining a bipartisan meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss the plan. #FoxFriendsFirst #FoxNews Subscribe to Fox News! https://bit.ly/2vaBUvAS Watch more Fox News Video: http://video.foxnews.com Watch Fox News Channel Live: http://www.foxnewsgo.com/ FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering…

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View On WordPress

#foxnews #Youtube

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stopkingobama · 7 years

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Two more liberals arrested in latest plot to assassinate Republicans

Source: Pima County Sheriff’s Department

Liberalism has a domestic terrorism problem, as still more liberal activists are arrested for plots to assassinate Republican lawmakers.

This time the target was Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake.

Tucson News Now reports:

Deputy Cody Gress, spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, said Mark Prichard and Patrick Diehl were arrested on charges of third-degree criminal trespass Thursday morning, July 6.

Gress said the 59-year-old Prichard is also facing a misdemeanor charge of threats and intimidation.

“Staffers working at the office indicated one of the protesters made comments referencing the shooting of Rep. Scalise, which prompted them to call the Sheriff’s Department as well as lock the office doors,” the PCSD said in a news release…

…Jason Samuels, Communications Director for Sen. Flake, said Prichard threatened a staff member and said the following:

“You know how liberals are going to solve the Republican problem? They are going to get better aim. That last guy tried, but he needed better aim. We will get better aim.”

Also on Thursday, police arrested five people outside of Flake’s Phoenix office as protests continued for the second day. This is just the latest in a growing string of liberal activists arrested for vowing to assassinate, or actually assaulting and shooting, Republican lawmakers. Since just May, at least 30 Republican members of Congress have the target of an assassination attempt, violent asssault, or explicit death threat.

Among those incidents:

On June 14, a Democrat Party activist opened fire on 16 Republican lawmakers practicing for a charity baseball game. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) was gravely wounded in the mass assassination attempt.

In May a liberal activist was arrested for plotting to assassinate Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally, also of Arizona.

Also in May, North Dakota Republican Congressman Kevin Cramer was grabbed by the neck at a town hall event, and Tennessee Republican Congressman David Kuster was forced off the road by a deranged liberal activist, who then tried to enter his car to assault him.

Before that, Virginia Republican Congressman Tom Garrett was forced to hire armed security for a town hall meeting after liberal activists described in detail how they planned to assassinate his wife and children.

#liberal terrorism #Mark Prichard #Patrick Diehl #Trump Protesters

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winged-mammal · 7 years

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Remove President Bannon from the NSC

As you’re probably aware, when we were all yelling about the refugee/immigration/Muslim ban executive order, President Bannon had Lord Dampnut add himself to the National Security Council and remove the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of National Intelligence - a Very Bad Thing.

Yesterday, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7) introduced a bill that will undo this shitty shitty move, by making it so people whose chief responsibility is political (eg, chief political strategists) can’t be on the principals committee of the NSC, and that at least either the JSC Chairman or the DNI has to be on it.

As of right now, the bill has 57 cosponsors in the House. You can check here to see if your representative is among them. If they’re not, call them up and ask them to support HR 804 (be sure to cite the bill number!).

The bill has been referred to three committees: Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Armed Services. (As of right now I have no idea which if any will be first to act on it, my understanding is that only one can at a time.)

You can contact the committees directly:

Intelligence (Democratic staff): 202-225-7690 Intelligence (Republican staff): 202-225-4121 Foreign Affairs: 202-225-5021 Armed Services: 202-225-4151

If your representative is on those committees, call them up and ask them to support HR 804 (asterisks are next to reps who are on more than one of these committees):

House Intelligence Committee: Devin Nunes, Chairman, (R-CA22) 202-225-2523 *Mike Conaway (R-TX11) 202-225-3605 Peter King (R-NY2) 202-225-7896 *Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ2) 202-225-6572 Tom Rooney (R-FL17) 202-225-5792 *Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL27) 202-225-3931 *Michael Turner (R-OH10) 202-225-6465 *Brad Wenstrup (R-OH2) 202-225-3164 Chris Stewart (R-UT2) 202-225-9730 Rick Crawford (R-AR1) 202-225-4076 Trey Gowdy (R-SC4) 202-225-6030 *Elise Stefanik (R-NY21) 202-225-4611 Will Hurd (R-TX23) 202-225-4511 Adam Schiff, Ranking Member (D-CA28) 202-225-4176 Jim Himes (D-CT4) 202-225-5541 Terri Sewell (D-AL7) 202-225-2665 Andre Carson (D-IN7) 202-225-4011 *Jackie Speier (D-CA14) 202-225-3531 Mike Quigley (D-IL5) 202-225-4061 Eric Swalwell (D-CA15) 202-225-5065 *Joaquin Castro (D-TX20) 202-225-3236 Denny Heck (D-WA10) 202-225-9740

Armed Services Committee: Mac Thornberry, Chairman (R-TX-13) 202-225-3706 Adam Smith, Ranking Member (D-WA-9) 202-225-8901 Ralph Abraham (R- LA-5) 202-225-8490 Pete Aguilar (D-CA-31) 202-225-3201 Don Bacon (R-NE-2) 202-225-4155 Jim Banks (R-IN-3) 202-225-4436 Rob Bishop (R-UT-1) 202-225-0453 Madeleine Bordallo (D- Guam) 202-225-1188 Robert Brady (D-PA-1) 202-225-4731 Jim Bridenstine (R-OK-1) 202-225-2211 *Mo Brooks (R-AL-5) 202-225-4801 Anthony Brown (D-MD-4) 202-225-8699 Bradley Byrne (R-AL-1) 202-225-4931 Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) 202-225-3601 *Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) 202-225-3236 Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) 202-225-2311 Mike Coffman (R-CO-6) 202-225-7882 *Michael Conaway (R-TX-11) 202-225-3605 *Paul Cook (R-CA-8) 202-225-5861 Jim Cooper (D-TN-5) 202-225-4311 Joe Courtney (D-CT-2) 202-225-2076 Susan Davis (D-CA-53) 202-225-2040 Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4) 202-225-6831 Trent Franks (R-AZ-8) 202-225-4576 *Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2) 202-225-4906 Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) 202-225-4136 Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8) 202-225-5665 Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7) 202-225-4065 John Garamendi (D-CA-3) 202-225-1880 Sam Graves (R-MO-6) 202-225-7041 Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI-1) 202-225-2726 Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4) 202-225-2876 Duncan Hunter (R-CA-50) 202-225-5672 Walter Jones Jr. (R-NC-3) 202-225-3415 Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) 202-225-4306 Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) 202-225-2631 Steve Knight (R-CA-25) 202-225-1956 Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5) 202-225-4422 James “Jim” Langevin (D-RI-2) 202-225-2735 Rick Larsen (D-WA-2) 202-225-2605 *Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ-2) 202-225-6572 Donald McEachin (D-VA-4) 202-225-6365 Martha McSally (R-AZ-2) 202-225-2542 Seth Moulton (D-MA-6) 202-225-8020 Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7) 202-225-4035 Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1) 202-225-6501 Beto O'Rourke (D-TX-16) 202-225-4831 Scott Peters (D-CA-52) 202-225-0508 Mike Rogers (R-AL-3) 202-225-3261 Jacky Rosen (D-NV-3) 202-225-3252 Steve Russell (R-OK-5) 202-225-2132 Austin Scott (R-GA-8) 202-225-6531 Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-1) 202-225-5456 Bill Shuster (R-PA-9) 202-225-2431 *Jackie Speier (D-CA-14) 202-225-3531 *Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) 202-225-4611 Niki Tsongas (D-MA-3) 202-225-3411 *Michael Turner (R-OH-10) 202-225-6465 Marc Veasey (D-TX-33) 202-225-9897 *Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-2) 202-225-3164 *Joe Wilson (R-SC-2) 202-225-2452 Robert Wittman (R-VA-1) 202-225-4261

Foreign Affairs Committee: Edward “Ed” Royce, Chairman (R-CA-39) 202-225-4111 Eliot Engel, Ranking Member (D-NY-16) 202-225-2464 Karen Bass (D-CA-37) 202-225-7084 Ami Bera (D-CA-7) 202-225-5716 Brendan Boyle (D-PA-13) 202-225-6111 *Mo Brooks (R-AL-5) 202-225-4801 *Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) 202-225-3236 Steve Chabot (R-OH-1) 202-225-2216 David Cicilline (D-RI-1) 202-225-4911 Gerald Connolly (D-VA-11) 202-225-1492 *Paul Cook (R-CA-8) 202-225-5861 Ron DeSantis (R-FL-6) 202-225-2706 Theodore Deutch (D-FL-22) 202-225-3001 Daniel Donovan Jr. (R-NY-11) 202-225-3371 Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3) 202-225-5301 Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) 202-225-4365 Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8) 202-225-4276 Lois Frankel (D-FL-21) 202-225-9890 *Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2) 202-225-4906 Thomas Garrett (R-VA-5) 202-225-4711 Darrell Issa (R-CA-49) 202-225-3906 William Keating (D-MA-9) 202-225-3111 Robin Kelly (D-IL-2) 202-225-0773 Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16) 202-225-3635 Ted Lieu (D-CA-33) 202-225-3976 Tom Marino (R-PA-10) 202-225-3731 Brian Mast (R-FL-18) 202-225-3026 Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) 202-225-2401 Mark Meadows (R-NC-11) 202-225-6401 Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5) 202-225-3461 Scott Perry (R-PA-4) 202-225-5836 Ted Poe (R-TX-2) 202-225-6565 Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-48) 202-225-2415 Francis Rooney (R-FL-19) 202-225-2536 *Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27) 202-225-3931 Bradley Schneider (D-IL-10) 202-225-4835 James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI-5) 202-225-5101 Brad Sherman (D-CA-30) 202-225-5911 Albio Sires (D-NJ-8) 202-225-7919 Christopher “Chris” Smith (R-NJ-4) 202-225-3765 Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-3) 202-225-3335 Dina Titus (D-NV-1) 202-225-5965 Norma Torres (D-CA-35) 202-225-6161 Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) 202-225-1621 Joe Wilson (R-SC-2) 202-225-2452 Ted Yoho (R-FL-3) 202-225-5744 Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1) 202-225-3826

(blah blah Lord Dampnut would just veto it, blah blah I don’t care do it anyway)

(originally posted 2-2-17)

#politics #lord dampnut #long post

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hellosecretblogger21 · 3 years

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Infrastructure bill doesn't address 'core' issues, Rep. Graves says

Infrastructure bill doesn't address 'core' issues, Rep. Graves says

Garrett Graves explains why the bipartisan infrastructure bill is facing criticism from Republicans. via FOX BUSINESS NEWS https://ift.tt/3xq5HLH

#IFTTT #FOX NEWS

0 notes

theliberaltony · 4 years

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Believe it or not, the 2020 Democratic presidential primary is still going on — but it comes to an end today. Connecticut’s presidential primary is the last of the cycle, and the fact that it’s happening so late in the season is rare. According to presidential primaries expert and FiveThirtyEight contributor Josh Putnam, it marks the latest presidential nominating contest in the modern era.

But it’s not the presidential contest that will capture headlines today. A total of five states1 will hold their down-ballot primaries or runoffs today, in which the fight between the radical wings and more moderate factions will continue for both parties. Will a controversial member of “the Squad” — a group of first-term congresswomen of color known for their progressive views — lose her Democratic primary? And will Republicans send a believer in the QAnon conspiracy theory (with a history of racist comments) to Congress? We will (maybe) learn the answers today.

Minnesota

Two members of the Squad (Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib) have already routed their primary challengers this year, and another (Rep. Ayanna Pressley) doesn’t even have an opponent. But Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District might not find it so easy, as she’s facing a stiff challenge from attorney Antone Melton-Meaux.

Like Ocasio-Cortez’s and Tlaib’s challengers, Melton-Meaux has attacked Omar for basking in the spotlight of her national fame rather than attending to the needs of her Minneapolis-based district. Omar, though, has racked up a long list of controversies. First, she has made a number of anti-Semitic comments, including linking politicians’ support for Israel to campaign donations from Jewish advocacy groups, for which she apologized in 2019. Omar has also been accused of misusing campaign funds, most notably by paying thousands of dollars to a political consultant whose wife claimed he was having an affair with Omar (since then, Omar and the consultant have divorced their respective spouses and gotten married themselves).

But Melton-Meaux has issues of his own. Omar’s allies recently filed a Federal Election Commission complaint accusing him of concealing the true recipients of almost $100,000 in campaign funds through “mysterious shell companies.” And of course, the campaign is an ideological fight as well. Although Melton-Meaux has branded himself as a progressive, his policy positions are much more moderate than Omar’s. For instance, he does not want to defund the police, and he prefers a public option to a single-payer health care system.

It’s hard to know how close this primary is. In early July, the Omar campaign released an internal poll from Change Research showing the incumbent leading Melton-Meaux 66 percent to 29 percent. However, the money race implies a much tighter race. With the help of Omar’s well-funded political enemies, Melton-Meaux had raised an impressive $4.2 million as of July 22 — almost as much as Omar’s $4.3 million. The pro-Israel super PAC Americans for Tomorrow’s Future has also spent $2.1 million against Omar on attack ads and direct mail. Omar’s recent release of her own negative ad against Melton-Meaux may signal the race is tightening in the final days.

Georgia

We’re also monitoring two Republican congressional runoffs in Georgia, and undoubtedly the most combustible contest is the 14th Congressional District race between controversy-laden construction company owner Marjorie Taylor Greene and neurosurgeon Dr. John Cowan. Today’s winner will be all but certain to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Tom Graves, as President Trump won 75 percent of the northwest Georgia district’s vote in 2016.

At first, it seemed as if Greene was the front-runner. After all, she won 40 percent to Cowan’s 21 percent in the initial vote June 9. However, Greene’s conspiratorial and racist views may have undermined her path to victory. For starters, she has refused to disavow QAnon, an FBI-labeled domestic terror threat that claims there’s a deep state conspiracy against Trump. And just after the June primary, Politico uncovered videos of Greene making racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic statements, which prompted many national GOP leaders and Georgia Republicans to oppose her and/or back Cowan. Koch Industries’ political action committee even asked for a refund on its $5,000 donation to her campaign.

Not that Greene needed that contribution to shore up her finances — as of July 22, she had loaned herself $900,000 out of the nearly $1.6 million she’d raised overall. But it still meant Cowan, who collected about $1.2 million (of which $200,000 was self-funded), entered the home stretch with $237,000 cash on hand, compared to roughly $144,000 for Greene. Nonetheless, despite public opposition from many Republican leaders, there’s been very little outside spending aimed at Greene.

For his part, Cowan has pitched himself as a pro-Trump conservative who doesn’t have Greene’s baggage. He’s also criticized Greene for accepting coronavirus relief funds for her company even though she’s self-funded more than half of her campaign. He has also tried to get to the right of Greene on immigration, running an ad accusing her company of not using the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to check the immigration status of workers — a contention Greene denies.

Meanwhile, Greene has called Cowan a “globalist Never Trumper” who’s “too afraid to take on China.” She’s also made a play for conservative voters angered by recent protests against the police by attacking Cowan for not speaking out in support of former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who faces 11 charges, including murder, for shooting a Black man who had fallen asleep in his car at a Wendy’s drive-thru. Greene’s campaign slogan is “Save America, stop socialism.”

And those sorts of appeals may be enough for Greene to win today. A late July survey from Cowan’s campaign found the pair tied at 38 percent, numbers that were actually slightly worse for Cowan than in a late June poll from his campaign that put him ahead 43 percent to 40 percent.

Next door in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, the Republican runoff will also likely decide the November winner in this conservative seat in northeast Georgia, which is open because GOP Rep. Doug Collins is running for the U.S. Senate. The clash between state Rep. Matt Gurtler and gun store owner and veteran Andrew Clyde appears to be wide open, after they finished with 21 percent and 18 percent, respectively, in a crowded primary June 9.

Gurtler has touted his belief in limited government and has acquired the moniker “Dr. No” for his tendency to vote against bills in the state legislature. This approach has won him allies — the conservative Club for Growth endorsed his candidacy — but not all of his no votes are popular. For instance, Gurtler has caught flak from some in the GOP after he was the only Republican to vote against a resolution commending President Trump for killing an Iranian commander considered a terrorist by the U.S. government.

As for Clyde, he’s built a reputation for successfully taking on the Internal Revenue Service after it tried to seize nearly $1 million from him. However, Gurtler has questioned why Clyde’s business has continued to sell guns to the agency, as that is seemingly at odds with Clyde’s anti-government rhetoric.

We haven’t seen any polls here, but Gurtler appears to have the most financial backing, even though Clyde had outraised Gurtler about $877,000 to $660,000 as of July 22. Unlike Gurtler, Clyde has mostly self-funded his campaign, and outside groups have poured in around $1.9 million on behalf of Gurtler or against Clyde. The campaign arm of the Club for Growth has been very active, spending about $500,000 boosting Gurtler and $653,000 attacking Clyde. Additionally, Protect Freedom PAC has spent $494,000 to help Gurtler while a single-candidate super PAC backing Gurtler has thrown in about $414,000 to support him or hit Clyde. So we’ll have to see whether all that money pays off for Gurtler in the end.

The three races we’ve highlighted — especially the ones in Minnesota’s 5th District and Georgia’s 14th District — all take place in districts that are safely in one party’s column, but who wins the primary still matters as it will affect the House’s ideological composition and each party’s internal politics. We’ll be watching to see just how these races shape the parties going forward.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Geoffrey Skelley and Nathaniel Rakich

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service2client · 5 years

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New Post has been published on ICFiles

New Post has been published on https://www.icfiles.net/debt-relief-for-military-service-members-veterans-family-farmers-and-small-business-owners/

Debt Relief for Military Service Members, Veterans, Family Farmers and Small Business Owners

Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (HR 3311) – Scheduled to take effect starting in February 2020, this new law offers small businesses more agreeable terms when filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy status. The bill gives owners:

More time (90 days) to file a reorganization plan with easier rules for extension

The ability to retain ownership of the company even if debts are not paid in full

A new formula for debt payments based on projected disposable income over three to five years

Reduced red tape through the appointment of a “standing trustee” (instead of a credit committee) to oversee the reorganization process

A more “fair and equitable” process to determine owner and creditor equity interests

More protection against creditor ability to take away personal assets, such as a home

This bill was introduced by Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) on June 18 and signed into law by the president on Aug. 23.

HAVEN Act (HR 2938) – Introduced on May 23 by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), this legislation was enacted on Aug. 23. It stands for “Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need.” The new bill eliminates veterans’ disability benefits (joining the status of Social Security payouts) from being included as income for the purpose of determining how much a veteran who files for personal bankruptcy must pay creditors.

National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act of 2019 (HR 3304) – This bill was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) on June 18 and signed into law on Aug. 23. The legislation reauthorizes an exemption to certain bankruptcy means-testing for members of the National Guard and Reserves (serving on active duty or in a homeland defense activity for at least 90 days) who file for bankruptcy.

Family Farmer Relief Act of 2019 (HR 2366) – This legislation increases the Chapter 12 operating debt cap to $10 million, which will enable more family farmers to seek relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The bill was introduced on April 3 by Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) and was signed into law by the president on Aug. 23.

Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2019 (HR 1079) – This bill mandates the Office of Management and Budget to create a private, secure electronic submission process to request assistance for government services such as Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs or any other federal agency. The legislation was introduced on Feb. 7 by Rep. Garrett Graves (R-LA). The president signed the bill into law on Aug. 22.

Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2019 (HR 776) – This bill reauthorizes (through fiscal year 2024) the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program. This is a grant program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration that works to improve emergency healthcare for children who are seriously ill or injured. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Peter King (R-NY). It was introduced on Jan. 24 and signed into law by the president on Aug. 22.

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davidoespailla · 5 years

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‘Thousands of People Will Lose Their Property’—Homeowners Battle Over the Border Wall

Getty Images; Mauricio Vidaurri; realtor.com

Texan Mauricio Vidaurri fears he will soon lose his father—again.

The elder Vidaurri, a World War II veteran, is buried in a 200-year-old cemetery on his 1,300-acre La Laja Ranch, which was passed down to Mauricio and his seven siblings. The Zapata County property has been in their family since the late 18th century. It was issued through a Spanish land grant before the United States of America declared its independence.

But now the younger Vidaurri worries that a portion of the property, which lies along what is now the U.S.-Mexico border, will be seized by the federal government to make way for the wall championed by President Donald Trump. And he will be forced to surrender the graves of generations of his forebears.

Texas is about to become the front line of the real battle for Trump’s border wall—one that could pit the U.S. government against an estimated 5,000 landowners who have no intention of giving up their family legacies or hard-earned homes. It’s a conflict that could drag on for years and cost taxpayers far more than the nearly $1.4 billion congressional leaders have allotted for fencing along the border in their latest proposal. (Trump has estimated the price tag for a full wall could be as little as $15 billion, but his adversaries have pegged it at as much as $70 billion.)

Trump hasn’t signaled whether he’ll sign the latest bill, which funds only 55 miles of fencing along the border in the valley. He had wanted 215 miles.

Currently, only about a third of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico boundary is fenced or walled, or has barriers in place. It’s typically in the most populated areas in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Much of that land is government-owned, so there was no need to invoke eminent domain to seize it.

The barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border

Tony Frenzel

But in Texas, where most of the border property is privately owned, the Rio Grande has served as a natural border and deterrent. The last big round of border fencing, part of President George W. Bush‘s Secure Fence Act of 2006, triggered hundreds of lawsuits in Texas, dozens of which are still in the courts.

“If this goes forward, this will be one of the largest exercises in eminent domain in the modern history of the federal government,” says Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a think tank. “Realistically, hundreds, even thousands of people will lose their property. There will be legal battles over the legal compensation.”

The court challenges are likely to multiply even further if the president bypasses Congress and declares a national emergency to get the wall built. A particularly contentious battlefield could be the 62 miles of a Native American reservation along the Arizona border. It’s not clear if the president could seize that property without congressional approval. And it’s unlikely that a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives would approve the emergency taking of that land.

Of course, not all lawmakers believe the wall is necessary. The only Republican member of Congress along the border, Rep. Will Hurd, called the proposed barriers a “third-century solution to a 21st-century problem.” All nine members of Congress serving the districts along the border oppose its construction.

Mauricio Vidaurri fears the federal government will seize his family land along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Photo provided by Mauricio Vidaurri

Residents such as Vidaurri aren’t interested in political squabbling. For them, the barrier is personal.

“We’ll lose our history that goes back almost 300 years. … That’s painful,” says Vidaurri, 60. He lives in Laredo, TX, about 22 miles from the family land. But he visits his 140 acres of the ranch at least twice a week to check on the graves of four generations of his family. The land is currently used for hay production, hunting, and natural gas drilling.

This doesn’t mean that Vidaurri and his family would lose all of their property on the Mexican side of the wall. They would cede the land under and around the wall—which in Vidaurri’s case would likely include the family cemetery. Under the Secure Fence Act, gates were erected that landowners whose property straddled the border could open with a code. But many property owners don’t feel safe having such gates.

“You’re putting a big ol’ bull’s-eye on my back,” Vidaurri says. “Guess who wants that code? The cartel, the drug smugglers, and the human smugglers.”

Legal challenges could drag on for decades and jack up costs

Landowners aren’t likely to win a David-and-Goliath-style battle with the federal government. But they may be able to successfully challenge the amount of real estate they ultimately cede, says Jim Burling, an eminent domain attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation in Sacramento.

They can also push back against very low offers—in effect, driving up the price tag for the wall.

“Local, state, and federal agencies are notorious for trying to pay as little as possible for properties they take,” says Burling.

About a decade ago, the government took less than 10 acres of Tudor Uhlhorn‘s property along the border to put up fencing. But it lowballed him, so he went to an attorney and received a larger settlement.

That’s typical. Of the 334 eminent domain lawsuits filed in the southern part of Texas during the George W. Bush years, about 70 cases are still in court, according to the Washington Post. Most of those lawsuits revolve around money. And property owners with attorneys received about triple what they were initially offered, according to ProPublica and Texas Tribune.

“Everybody needs to have an attorney that knows what he’s doing,” says Uhlhorn, the commissioner of the city of Harlingen, TX.

The Tohono O’odham Nation, which has 62 miles along the border on their Native American reservation in Southern Arizona, already has its attorneys in place.

“The land on the U.S.-Mexico border is precious, sacred land. This land is not for sale,” says Verlon Jose, vice chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

The tribe has about 34,000 members, although only 9,000 to 10,000 of them live on the reservation. The pain of losing the property, Jose says, would be akin to “taking a knife and cutting it across your heart.”

But even as the question of funding remains unresolved, the government is gearing up to take private property from scores of homeowners.

The federal government is planning to survey Nayda Alvarez’s land, a preliminary step before seizing it.

Krystal Anne Gonzalez

High school speech teacher Nayda Alvarez, 47, received a letter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in January stating the agency will be filing an action in federal court that will allow it to access her property on the outskirts of Rio Grande City, TX, for 12 months to conduct “necessary” surveys. It’s one of the first steps toward an eminent domain seizure.

“Border security tactical infrastructure, such as border walls, lighting, and roads, are critical elements to gain effective control of our Nation’s borders,” reads the letter dated Jan. 9. “The purpose of border security infrastructure is to deter illicit cross-border activity such as drug smuggling, border violence and illegal immigration.”

The agency did not respond to a request for comment.

These are very real issues along the boundary of the two countries. About a year ago, drug smugglers abandoned a car on Alvarez’s property as they were pursued by border control. (They didn’t cross into the U.S. through her property.) The vehicle was removed before she came home from work.

But Alvarez still feels safe in her four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, where she had planned to retire. She scrimped and saved to build it 12 years ago, and now is afraid the government will take it away.

“I’m very upset. I’ve worked my [butt off] to pay for it,” says Alvarez, who shares the home with her 22-year-old daughter. “And now I’m going to start at zero.”

Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers attempted to lease part of her grandfather’s property, next door, for four years for a grand total of $750. She refused.

“I’m a born U.S. citizen, and I don’t feel like it’s right for someone to take away what is mine,” says Alvarez.

Will a wall save—or sink—struggling border towns?

With the exception of San Diego, about 30 miles north of Mexico, border towns tend to be sparsely populated and lack good jobs.

The border cities of McAllen and Brownsville in Texas, about an hour apart, are two of the poorest cities in the nation. Both already have some fencing along the U.S.-Mexico line.

In the 80 U.S-Mexico border ZIP codes, median home prices are about a third lower than the rest of the nation, at just $195,282 as of December 2018, according to a realtor.com® analysis. And annually, homes aren’t appreciating nearly as much as those in the rest of the country—2.3% compared with 7.1% nationally.

“In Texas alone, you’ve got cities on the border where you have high levels of unemployment and poverty—and real estate values reflect that,” says Terence Garrett, a public affairs and security studies professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville. “[We’re] so far away from the state capitals and Washington, DC, [we] become an afterthought, an area that is not well-understood.”

But the wall could also have benefits for some in these struggling communities and real estate markets. It would make some folks feel safer as they wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of immigrants crossing through their properties illegally. (Opponents say immigrants without documents will still find ways to enter the United States.)

“Once those problems are pushed out of those areas, it raises the property values,” says Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, who specializes in border economies.

“It’s going to be viewed as a safety [protection],” adds Sue Ann Taubert, a Texas real estate broker and president of the Harlingen Board of Realtors.

While a wall may not be a scenic sight, it’s not likely to affect too many folks on a day-to-day basis. The areas where it would be built tend to be fairly rural.

And in the short term, construction of the wall could create an employment boom for nearby towns and cities. Although most new workers would likely be temporary, they would still be spending money locally, including on housing.

Intertwined economies are difficult to unwind

But the economic picture is complicated on the border. Communities often have large sister cities on the Mexican side, and locals go back and forth between them frequently. Those economies tend to be closely intertwined.

Mexican customers “are extremely important to support businesses on the American side,” says Garrett. “This is the fear about amping [up] border security: It drives customers away.”

It could also affect U.S. businesses that have workers, plants, and warehouses in Mexico as well as the Rio Grande Valley’s emerging eco-tourism sector. A wall would cut through the National Butterfly Center in Mission, TX, and the 2,088-acre Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, TX. Congress previously spared the refuge, a popular destination for bird-watching, from division by a barrier.

The National Butterfly Center is expected to be plowed over to clear the way for President Donald Trump’s border wall after the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed a challenge by environmental groups.

SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images

Already talk of the wall, and the weaker peso, has deterred Mexican nationals buying homes in the Rio Grande Valley, says McAllen, TX–based real estate broker Rene Galvan, of RGV Realty. Many are selling the vacation homes they already own on the American side—for a loss.

“All of these things are mounting up,” Galvan says. “It’s like pulling the welcome mat off the front door.”

The post ‘Thousands of People Will Lose Their Property’—Homeowners Battle Over the Border Wall appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

‘Thousands of People Will Lose Their Property’—Homeowners Battle Over the Border Wall

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