SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RICK PERRY: "TIME TO DISCARD THE BURDENS AND COSTS OF OBAMACARE"

"The debate over health care has consumed Washington for over a decade. America can't afford another decade of spiraling costs, political bickering, or inaction. This may be the only window we have to do this. Millions of Americans are depending on their representatives to repeal this crushing law and can benefit from the common-sense solutions being considered in the Senate. We cannot, and must not, fail them any longer."

Time to discard the burdens and costs of Obamacare

By Rick Perry

Cleveland.com

July 25, 2017

 

On Jan. 25, 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama delivered a speech declaring that "the time has come for universal health care in America." Two years later, he was president of the United States -- and he told a joint session of Congress that health care was his top priority. Just over a year after that, Obamacare became the law of the land.

America has been staggering under its burdens and failures ever since.

Insurance companies have pulled up stakes in states across the country, leaving consumers few options throughout the country.

Costs have risen dramatically, despite Democratic promises Obamacare would lower insurance costs. Patients have lost choices, doctors and insurance plans, and in some cases, lost access to cancer specialists and other life-saving caregivers.

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I served as governor of Texas, the second largest state, for 14 years. I know full well that Texans largely have different ideas about health care than well-intentioned Washington bureaucrats.

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The proposal from Congress contains many positive reforms to Medicaid -- in fact, they are included in the Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act. These would give states more control to deliver better care at lower costs for those in need.

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There is an historic opportunity for Congress to finally empower people and states and move control out of Washington. There will not be another opportunity like this for a very long time.

It has never been enough to repeal Obamacare. Repeal is obvious, because its failure is obvious. Replacing it is much harder work. But it must be done, with a focus on returning health care to states, individuals, and the health care professionals that care for them.

The debate over health care has consumed Washington for over a decade. America can't afford another decade of spiraling costs, political bickering, or inaction.

This may be the only window we have to do this. Millions of Americans are depending on their representatives to repeal this crushing law and can benefit from the common-sense solutions being considered in the Senate.

We cannot, and must not, fail them any longer.

Read the full op-ed here.

Obama Administration Secret Regulation List Revealed

         

 On Thursday, the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, revealed that the Obama Administration had a secret list of regulations during a press briefing at the White House. Director Mulvaney said he first learned of the list 24 hours ago. He explained that the secret list, was referred to as the "Pending List" by the previous administration.

 

              Director Mulvaney went on to say that the list began in 2011 while the Obama Administration was working on a unified agenda. "They just didn't want to tell you about it. They thought it would be bad for their re-election prospects in 2012 so they created a secret list of regs [sic] that weren't disclosed to you folks," Mulvaney told reporters.
 
            According to Director Mulvaney, the Obama Administration put over 6 billion dollars of regulatory burden on the American economy in the last sixth months of Barack Obama's presidency. So far the Trump Administration has cleared 22 million of the previous administration's regulatory burden. "You'll see more of that for the next eight years," Mulvaney promised. He held up a large stack of regulations promulgated by the Obama Administration during President Obama's last week in office for emphasis.
 
            The Trump administration has initiated a 2 for 1 policy on regulations and demanded that regulations place no financial burdens on economic growth. Mulvaney boasted that during the first six months of the Trump Presidency, 860 regulations have been removed or withdrawn. President Obama's "Pending List" has been included in the 860 regulations that have been removed. Director Mulvaney stressed that secret lists of regulations will end effective immediately.

Photo credit: @photowhitehouse      

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts

 

President Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key positions in his Administration:

 

Joseph Balash of Alaska to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Land and Mineral Management.  Mr. Balash currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Senator Dan Sullivan.  He is the former Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, which has management responsibility for one of the largest single portfolios of land and water resources in the world.  Previously he served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources from 2010 to 2013.  From 2006 to 2010, he advised two governors on natural resource policy, permitting, and energy.  Prior to that, from 1998 to 2006, he served in a variety of legislative staff positions, including Chief of Staff to the President of the Alaskan Senate.  He graduated from Ben Eielson Jr.-Sr. High School in 1993.  He is married with two children.

 

Samuel H. Clovis Jr. of Iowa to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics.  Mr. Clovis is the Senior White House Advisor to the United States Department of Agriculture.  Most recently, he served as the chief policy advisor and national co-chair of the Trump-Pence campaign.  He came to the campaign from Morningside College where he was a professor of economics.  Mr. Clovis holds a B.S. in political science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.B.A. from Golden Gate University and a Doctorate in public administration from the University of Alabama.  He is also a graduate of both the Army and Air Force War Colleges.  After graduating from the Academy, Mr. Clovis spent 25 years serving in the Air Force.  He retired as the Inspector General of the North American Aerospace Defense Command  and the United States Space Command and was a command pilot.  Mr. Clovis is married to the former Charlotte Chase of Piketon, OH.  He is originally from rural central Kansas.

 

Daniel Alan Craig of Maryland to be Deputy Administrator, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.  Mr. Craig was most recently a senior Vice President at the disaster preparedness and recovery consulting firm, Adjusters International, Inc.  In this capacity, he oversaw firm sales, business development, marketing, and relationships with clients.  Before this position, Mr. Craig was the CEO and President of Tidal Basin Holdings, a company he founded in the emergency management industry.  Mr. Craig previously served as the Director of Recovery for FEMA.  He managed the Agency's recovery services and funds given to individual victims and the public sector for damages from more than 120 Presidentially-declared disasters, emergencies, and fires, including September 11th, the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion, the Cerro Grande Fire in Los Alamos, and the Florida Hurricanes of 2004.  He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University as well as an M.B.A. from both Purdue University and Central European University.

 

J. Steven Dowd of Florida to be United States Director of the African Development Bank for a term of five years.  Mr. Dowd has decades of executive experience in trade, logistics, and finance, with a significant focus on Africa.  Mr. Dowd co-founded Ag Source, LLC, a global agriculture logistics, transportation, and finance company.  His prior experience includes overseeing food aid operations and leading port infrastructure projects in Africa.  Mr. Dowd also served as CEO of Marcona Ocean Industries, an international shipping and mining company.  Mr. Dowd holds a B.S. in History from Manhattan College, and earned a M.A. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where he was designated as a Georgetown Fellow in Foreign Service.

 

Mark T. Esper of Virginia to be Secretary of the Army.  Mr. Esper is an Army, Pentagon, and Capitol Hill veteran who previously served as a Vice President for government relations at the Raytheon Company.  Mr. Esper began his career as an Infantry Officer in the 101st Airborne Division, serving with distinction in the first Gulf War.  He later served on active duty in Europe and on the Army Staff in Washington, DC, before transitioning to the National Guard and retiring after 21 years of service.  He was an airborne ranger and recipient of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medals, among other awards and qualifications.  Mr. Esper worked national security issues on Capitol Hill for Senators Chuck Hagel, Fred Thompson, and Majority Leader Bill Frist.  He was also a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Armed Services Committees, and later a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.  Mr. Esper's private sector experience includes service as an Executive Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Policy Director for Fred Thompson for President during the 2008 campaign, and EVP of the Aerospace Industries Association of America.  Mr. Esper is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, and George Washington University.

 

Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick of the District of Columbia to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.  Ms. Fitzpatrick, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1983.  She is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State.  Ms. Fitzpatrick earned a M.S. from the U.S. National War College, a M.A. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from the University of Dayton.  Her languages include Spanish, French, Russian, Dutch and some Arabic.

 

Daniel J. Kaniewski of Minnesota to be Deputy Administrator for National Preparedness, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.  Dr. Kaniewski was most recently Vice President for Global Resilience at AIR Worldwide, a catastrophe risk modeling and consulting services firm, and a Senior Fellow at George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security.  Previously, Dr. Kaniewski served as the Mission Area Director for Resilience and Emergency Preparedness/Response at the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute.  He was also an adjunct assistant professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, where he taught graduate courses in the Security Studies Program.  Before these positions, Dr. Kaniewski served on the White House staff, first as Director of Response and Recovery Policy and later as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Response Policy.  Dr. Kaniewski began his career in homeland security as a firefighter and paramedic.  He holds a B.S. in Emergency Medical Services from George Washington University, a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from the Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from George Washington University.

 

Anthony Kurta of Montana to be a Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness. Mr. Kurta was most recently fulfilling the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, where he was responsible for health affairs, readiness, civilian and military personnel policy for Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and civilian members of the Department of Defense.  Mr. Kurta previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy and the Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development.  In addition, Mr. Kurta served 32 years on Active Duty as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer, during which time he commanded the USS Sentry (MCM 3), USS Guardian (MCM 5), USS Warrior (MCM 10), USS Carney (DDG 64), Destroyer Squadron Two Four and Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA).  He is a recipient of Defense Superior Service Medals, Legions of Merit, Meritorious Service Medals, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award.  Mr. Kurta is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Georgetown University, Air Command and Staff College, and was a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  He retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral.

 

Ted McKinney of Indiana to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Mr. McKinney is director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, serving from 2014 to present under then Governor Mike Pence, and now Governor Eric Holcomb.  Mr. McKinney grew up on a family grain and livestock farm in Tipton, Indiana.  He also worked for 19 years with Dow AgroSciences, and 14 years with Elanco, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, where he was Director of Global Corporate Affairs.  His industry and civic involvements include the National FFA Conventions Local Organizing Committee, Indiana State Fair Commission, International Food Information Council (IFIC), the U.S. Meat Export Federation, International Federation of Animal Health (IFAH), and the Purdue Dean of Agriculture Advisory Committee.  Mr. McKinney was a 10-year 4-H member, an Indiana State FFA Officer, and a graduate of Purdue University where he received a B.S. in Agricultural Economics in 1981.  While at Purdue, he received the G.A. Ross Award as the outstanding senior male graduate.  In 2002, he was named a Purdue Agriculture Distinguished Alumnus, and in 2004, received an honorary American FFA Degree.  Mr. McKinney and his wife Julie have three children and four grandchildren.

 

A. Wess Mitchell of Virginia to be an Assistant Secretary of State, European and Eurasian Affairs.  Mr. Mitchell is an expert on NATO and transatlantic relations.  In 2005 he co-founded the Center for European Policy Analysis and has served as its President and CEO since 2009.  He serves on numerous policy boards in the United States and Europe.  Mr. Mitchell earned a B.A. from Texas Tech University, a M.A. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and recently completed his Ph.D. at Freie Universität, in Berlin, Germany.  He speaks German and has studied Dutch and Czech.

 

Robert L. Wilkie of North Carolina to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.  Mr. Wilkie currently serves as Senior Advisor to Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.  He most recently served in the Presidential Transition Office, where he was a member of both the Defense Policy Team and Cabinet Affairs Teams.  Previously, Mr. Wilkie served as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives for CH2M HILL, one of the world's largest engineering and program management firms.  He also served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs as well as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs on the National Security Council during the George W. Bush Administration.  On Capitol Hill, Mr. Wilkie served as Counsel and Advisor on International Security Affairs for the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Honorable Trent Lott.  Mr. Wilkie currently serves in the United States Air Force Reserve, and previously in the United States Navy Reserve.  He is a graduate of Wake Forest University, Loyola University College of Law (New Orleans), Georgetown University Law Center, and the United States Army War College.  He is also a graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff, the Joint Forces Staff College and the Air Command and Staff College.

Trump Administration Issues Position on Net Neutrality


In a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, White House deputy press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, told reporters that the Obama Administration went about Net Neutrality the wrong way. The previous administration had imposed rules on Internet Service Providers through the FCC's Title II rule making power. Ms. Sanders went on to say that the Trump Administration supports the FCC's Chair, Ajit Pai to review and roll back the rules.

Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR), Senator John Thune (R-SD), Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) have been proponents of Chairman Pai's proposal to rescind Net Neutrality regulations put into place under the Obama administration. Earlier this year they issued this statement in support of Chairman Pai:

We have long said that imposing a Depression-era, utility-style regulatory structure onto the internet was the wrong approach, and we applaud Chairman Pai's efforts to roll back these misguided regulations. Consumers want an open internet that doesn't discriminate on content and protects free speech and consumer privacy. It's now time for Republicans and Democrats, internet service providers, edge providers, and the Internet community as a whole to come together and work toward a legislative solution that benefits consumers and the future of the internet.





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Roger Stone Speaks to D.C. Young Republicans

Roger Stone Defends Donald Trump Jr.

WH Correspondent @TheRealShallen

Self-proclaimed provocateur and political strategist, Roger Stone, vehemently denied allegations of collusion between then Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, his family, or his campaign, and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election. Stone panned the allegations before a large audience of the D.C. Young Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club on Tuesday night. The crowd erupted with applause as Stone announced, “This is a fairytale. This is a canard. This is a steaming plate of bull***t.”

Stone said that neither the Democrats nor the House and Senate Intelligence committees had produced a scintilla of evidence of collusion between the Trump camp and the Russians. Stone blamed John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, for the speculations, saying:

I give John Podesta some great credit because he’s the one who created this false narrative. Why? He had to distract from the fact that he and his brother, Tony, and Bill and Hillary Clinton were making millions of dollars from the oligarchs around Putin. What better way to distract from the fact that there was a Presidential candidate in bed with the Russians. There was a presidential candidate blackmail-able by the Russians. There was a Presidential candidate literally taking millions in speaking fees, contributions, and business deals, and that candidate was Hillary Rodham Clinton.

            Stone took specific aim at the recent allegations that Donald Trump Jr. had nefarious dealings with Russian actors to advance his father’s political career. Stone called the allegations “despicable,” saying:

            Someone credible comes to you and says they have evidence of your opponent’s wrongdoing and that evidence can be documented , then it would be malpractice not to meet with that person and hear what they have to say. In this particular case there was no information that any use and therefore this particular meeting had no result.

After joking with the audience that the next Trump family member to be targeted with allegations of a Russian conspiracy would be the Trump family dog for contact with a Russian Wolf-hound, Stone championed Donald Trump Jr. calling him a “most effective surrogate on behalf of his father and the Trump Pence ticket.” Stone lauded Donald Trump Jr.’s use of twitter to stand against political elites who from the beginning declared that Donald Trump had no chance of winning the Presidency.

@TheRealShallen