Free Republic

What do they have to hide? Plenty!House Republicans are leading the fight to force congress to put the text of major legislation online for 72 hours before a vote takes place. Here's the latest from Republican Leader John Boehner (OH): [VIDEO AT SITE] In the latest Rasmussen poll on this subject 83% of Americans agree that bills should be posted online and across the country in Town Hall meetings citizens have spoken directly to their representatives demanding that they "READ THE BILL" before voting on it. House Resolution 554 text) would require bills to be posted for 72 hours before...

Marky Mark says HealthCare bills Unconstitutional http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU8cXGpRcw4

Remember when the self-proclaimed most powerful woman in the world, Nancy Pelosi promised the most “honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history." But Pelosi must believe that being honest and open has nothing to do with reading a bill before it is voting. Back in June, Congressional Republicans introduced H. Res 554. The bill's purpose is to amend the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, giving the members and the public time to read the bill before it...

Sweeping health care legislation cleared its first hurdles in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday as Democrats turned back a series of proposed changes by Republicans who attacked it as a threat to Medicare. Yet even as they prevailed on politically charged votes, majority Democrats also tacitly conceded one point—that despite a pledge by President Barack Obama, some seniors who receive coverage from private insurers could lose some of the optional benefits they enjoy.

The Most At-Risk Sports TeamsBy Minyanville In the U.S., love of sport is fanatical. Our major-league obsessions are so intense we often forget that our favorite teams have a purpose higher than winning games: turning a profit. Pro sports franchises are businesses like any other, and sometimes businesses struggle, limp along or die off. What will it take to keep the cowbells ringing in Sacramento? Can hockey survive in the desert? Will small-market football teams have to pack their bags? Minyanville presents sports teams at risk of relocation -- or worse. And with the economy in question, saving them could...

Would Congress ever pass legislation that would allow the executive to determine at its own discretion whether political opponents had crossed the line into domestic terrorists and build camps in which to keep them? Sounds like something out of 20th-century totalitarian systems or dystopian fiction. Mark Tapscott says it’s not fiction , and he warns readers about an effort by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) to do just that: Rep. Alcee Hastings - the impeached Florida judge Nancy Pelosi tried to install as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee until her own party members rebelled - introduced an amendment to the...

Having lost my job several months ago due to *downsizing*, I'm just wondering if anyone has had any experience with those credit counseling services.I've been using my savings, but this resource is now exhausted. I just got hired by another firm, but I'm a month behind in bills and won't get paid for another month.Anyone know anything useful about credit counselors, or which ones to stay away from?Thanks in advance for those leaving constructive messages!

Mar 30, 2009: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority.The totals were 391 Ayes, 8 Nays, 32 Present/Not Voting.

President Obama on Monday will sign the omnibus land conservation bill - yet again breaking his vow to allow five days for public comment before he affixes his signature to legislation. The bill passed the House on Wednesday, but the White House didn't post the measure for comments until Friday, leaving just two weekend days and parts of Friday and Monday for the public to register comments - short of the president's five-day pledge. The bill was posted for only several hours before the White House announced that Mr. Obama would sign it, indicating the president had made up his...

Let's have a constitutional showdown! Every Congressman swears an oath to "… preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." To a casual observer, these words could be interpreted to mean that laws enacted by Congress should be consistent with the requirements of the Constitution. To the majority of Congress, these words mean something else, or have no meaning at all, because much of the legislation produced in Washington has no relationship at all with the Constitution. If we are a nation founded upon the U.S. Constitution, then our laws should be constrained by the Constitution. If we...

I'm trying to find some information on bills introduced to the Senate this term. Specifically, the lengths in pages and words, and the total pages and words for all the bills put together. The reason is, during a debate I argued the point that many bills are voted on without being read. The person I was debating with said that according to "Riddick's Senate Procedure": "Senate Rules require that all bills and joint resolutions be read twice before they can be amended or referred to committee and three times on separate legislative days before passage." I've never heard of this...

When money is tight, everything is negotiable — including your health care bills. As the economy sheds jobs and more people lose their health insurance or are forced to switch to less generous plans, doctors and hospitals are becoming accustomed to patients who are struggling financially. According to the American Hospital Association, half of their members reported an increase in the number of patients needing help with their bills. And that was in November, before the national unemployment rate hit 8.1 percent.

The Obama administration backed off Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s statement last week that China is “manipulating” its currency. In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden said the administration has made “no judgment” on whether the Chinese have manipulated their currency, an accusation that would have international legal ramifications. “The policy of this administration is going to be to say to China, which occasionally the last administration was reluctant to do. `You're a major player on the world scene economically, and you've got to play by the rules that

Since I'm really concerned about how socialist we're getting now with all active parts of the Fed being "Democrat", I'd really like to have a site or action-alert or some such that at least lists all pending bills (#s as well as titles) or perhaps even better, alerts us to bills coming up for debate (especially those with conservative concern). Anyone know of anything that can help me know what's going on, so that I can contact my congressmen about it and voice my opinion?

Confronted with a struggling transportation fund, lawmakers in Texas soon are expected to wage battle on various methods to help generate $14 billion for roads and bridges throughout the state. Another bill is intended to sideline the planned Trans-Texas Corridor. A report released this week from the Texas Department of Transportation says that the state will need to come up with $313 billion by 2030 for road and bridge maintenance and for congestion solutions. The report’s unveiling happened a couple of weeks before the Texas Legislature is set to convene its 2009 session. Lawmakers say they already were committed to...

According to the linked page: "Unnamed freelance journalist has the goods on Obama and Rezko"

King Bloomberg has decreed FR cannot post text of His material. Here's the link.

Credit card and auto loan delinquencies are surging in the city. In fact, by the end of next year, the number of New Yorkers expected to be at least 90 days behind on their credit card bills is projected to jump 45%, execs from credit bureau TransUnion told the Daily News. That would mark the highest percentage of significantly past due credit card bills in at least five years. In addition, the number of New Yorkers more than 60 days late on their car bills is expected to soar 22% increase. "Consumers will still feel significant stress due to the...

Thirty-four years ago, it took Pierre Trudeau's formidable glare to back American football off Canada's doorstep. Today, on the eve of the 96th Grey Cup in Montreal, they're warily allowed in. But the mammoth NFL has found the first step is a doozy. By contrast, the CFL finds itself in an uncommonly healthy spot ahead of tomorrow's dream match-up between host Montreal and Calgary. That's led to a feeling of cautious optimism that maybe, just maybe, Canadian football won't be pancaked by its southern cousin. "We're much different. We are grass roots. We have a loyal fan base," CFL commissioner...

NUCLEAR POWER John McCain advocates building 45 nuclear power plants by 2030, and 100 eventually. Barack Obama is open to expanding nuclear energy but says security, waste and defense concerns must be addressed first. OFFSHORE DRILLING McCain wants to let states decide whether to allow oil and gas exploration off their coasts. Obama says he is open to limited coastal drilling as part of a broader energy compromise. VEHICLE EFFICIENCY 1 million plug-in hybrid cars that can travel up to 150 miles per gallon on the road by 2015 -- part of a $150-billion decadelong program to promote energy-saving technologies...

OJ Simpson jury to announce decision tonight in Las Vegas at 10pm Pacific.

Some stuck without power powerless to fight bank fees Friday, September 19, 2008 By Margaret Harding THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH When his power returned without Internet service Monday, Tom Perry had a bit of a financial freakout. "It was kind of a panic-stricken moment there: 'Oh, no, what am I going to do?' " said Perry, whose credit-card and mortgage payment were both due that day. Perry, like many others, pays his bills online. Online banking and bill payment are pushed as the easiest and most efficient ways to handle such transactions, but a power outage such as the one central...

Sen Barack wants to have this election be about experience. No other fact give the potential vote with more information on a candidate then the very legislation they have written. This is the full listing of all bills authored by the Sen. as of the current recess. For debate - how do you judge Sen. Baracks experience by his body of work? The Library of Congress > THOMAS Home > Bills, Resolutions > Search Results NEXT PAGE | PREVIOUS PAGE | NEW SEARCH Items 1 through 100 of 129 1. S.CON.RES.5 : A concurrent resolution honoring the life of Percy Lavon Julian, a pioneer in the...

One in ten households in England and Wales will fall into "water poverty" under plans to introduce meters for every home in Britain, a consumer group has warned. Millions of families, already suffering from rising food and fuel costs, face soaring bills, with some left up to £200 a year worse off by the Government plans, according to The Consumer Council for Water. Currently water companies can introduce "pay as you flow" meters in areas that are at a high risk of drought. The Government had long-term plans to introduce them into other areas by 2030. However a Government report...

First off let me say that I have my own cell phone. I use it to text all of my buddies over on Dogster throughout the day. So it was with great concern I read about Andy Fanelli, a Lhasa Apso, getting hassled by Verizon for not paying his bill. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 70,000 consumers complained about third-party debt collectors in 2007, but one Sacramento couple said they have good reason to bark about the bill they received. Steve Fanelli received a bill from AFNI collections claiming an Andy Fanelli owes Verizon Online $142.34. And although Steve Fanelli...

Link only.

Shoppers to 'abandon organic food to cut bills' By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 2:29AM BST 20/05/2008 Middle-class shoppers will be forced to abandon organic and fair trade food as inflation continues to climb, a new report warns. Retailers have not yet reported any fall off in organic food sales Shoppers who have previously been willing to pay up to 50 per cent more for organic meat, or fair trade coffee, could soon ignore ethical concerns in favour of keeping their shopping bills down. The prediction comes from the influential forecasting group, the Ernst & Young ITEM club,...

Among the debts reported this month by Hillary Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, the $292,000 in unpaid health insurance premiums for her campaign staff stands out. Clinton, who is being pressured to end her campaign against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, has made her plan for universal health care a centerpiece of her agenda. The campaign provides health insurance to all its employees, their spouses, partners and children – and that wasn’t interrupted by any lag in payments to insurance providers, said Jay Carson, a Clinton campaign spokesman. He said the campaign this month paid off all outstanding bills to...

Loose cigars are safe, cloned meat doesn't have to be labeled and English won't become Maryland's official language. Bills dealing with those issues are among the dozens that state lawmakers in Annapolis have rejected. When House members returned for a rare Saturday session, they found a long list of proposed bills that were rejected by committees, or in some cases, withdrawn by their sponsors. The losing bills include a formal recognition of English as the state's official language and a bill to ban the sale of cigars in packages of less than five.

Once out of the snow, the Cleveland Browns slid closer to a spot in the AFC playoffs. Jamal Lewis plowed for 163 yards and Phil Dawson somehow kicked two field goals through harsh, wintry winds as the surprising Browns improved their postseason chances with an 8-0 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. In blizzard-like conditions better suited for the Iditarod sled-dog race, the Browns (9-5), who never figured to be playing meaningful games in December when the season started, picked up one of their biggest wins since returning as an expansion franchise in 1999. Cleveland needed a win and...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The Buffalo Bills intend to play a few games in Canada, eh?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday signed 97 bills and vetoed another 58, creating new laws on everything from the sale of kangaroo skin to protecting endangered condors while halting lawmakers efforts on dozens of other fronts, including giving college aid to illegal immigrants and requiring warning labels on cloned food. Arguably his most controversial decision, Schwarzenegger signed a bill requiring semiautomatic handguns made and sold in the state to have technology to microstamp each bullet fired from the gun. Supporters say the micro-stamping requirement, the first in the nation, will help police track down criminals. Opponents, including the National Rifle...

It was eagerly anticipated news when the Bills provided an update on Kevin Everett Monday afternoon, following his game halting spine injury on the second half kickoff of Sunday's loss to Denver. But the update only gave a clearer picture as to the severity of what is still a potentially lethal injury, and the steps that were taken to give him the greatest chance for recovery. Everett suffered a fracture dislocation between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. So there was an injury to the cervical spine and cervical spinal cord. But the spinal cord was intact. There was disc...

SENATOR Edward Kennedy has been the godfather of America's immigration policy since the mid 1960s. No other figure in American politics bears as much responsibility as he for the current pathetic state of U.S. immigration affairs. As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Senator Kennedy has had chief oversight responsibility for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which he has allowed to degenerate into one of the most ineffective agencies in the Federal Government. He was the chief sponsor of the Immigration Amendments of 1965 and the Refugee Act of 1980, and a major proponent of the fraud-ridden 1986 immigration...

The state Assembly is voting on hundreds of bills each day this week as lawmakers rush to meet a Friday deadline to send legislation to the Senate, which did not meet Tuesday. Here are some of the bills acted upon: GLOBAL WARMING - By a 44-26 vote, the Assembly sent the Senate a bill by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, that would require coastal cities and counties to consider the impact of rising sea levels brought on by global warming when they amend their general plans. "If we bury our heads in the sand on this one we will drown,"...

A precedent-setting package of abortion bills is now before the Michigan Senate, having passed the House in late July. Collectively called the Coercive Abortion Bills, the package is intended to protect women from being forced or intimidated into having abortions. Proponents call them a "revolutionary first in the nation." Feminists claim they attack women’s reproductive rights; men’s rights advocates say they violate their Constitutional rights. Because abortion is a flash point, public debate has focused on the Bills’ anti-abortion thrust, with Michigan National Organization for Women squaring off against Right to Life of Michigan. NOW rejects the additional legal obligations...

I was looking for a method of tracking the activites of Congress such as status of bills, voting records, etc. I stumbles on this website, GovTrack.us, which seems pretty good, but I was wondering if anyone knew of a better method of getting up-to-date or real-time info on congressional activity?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger flushed a bill requiring waterless urinals and even lower-flush toilets down the veto tube Saturday, but he signed a bill allowing domestic partners to file joint state tax returns. At the deadline for acting on measures approved by legislators, the governor also signed measures increasing card-club game stakes, relaxing control over siting of cell phone towers and banning the new and deadly teenager practice of riding in the trunk of cars to sidestep driving laws.

Reflecting a year of cooperation with Democratic lawmakers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger marked the end of the legislative bill-signing period Saturday, vetoing bills at a lower rate than in the first two years of his term and approving several measures he had previously rejected. The flurry of last-minute signings came as analysts said Schwarzenegger has taken more moderate public positions this year and departed from the more conservative and strident tone of last fall's special election campaign. "The signing decisions are more reminiscent of 2004 than 2005," said Tim Hodson, executive director of the Center for California Studies at California State...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The House Judiciary Committee today approved two landmark bills fighting the War on Terror. The first, H.R. 6054, the "Military Commissions Act," establishes terrorist tribunals and was approved without amendment by a 20-to-19 margin. All 17 Democrats today voted against this legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House Armed Services Committee last week by a 52-to-8 margin. The second bill, H.R. 5825, the "Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act," updates and reforms the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to fight the modern terrorist threat and provides increased congressional and FISA Court oversight of surveillance operations. After adopting...

Some year I wish a California governor would announce that he won't sign any bills passed by the Legislature after June 15, the day the California constitution says the state budget is supposed to be passed (but seldom is). He would veto any bills passed after that date. Such a promise – and keeping it – would effectively give California a part-time Legislature and would cut down the number of bills passed to a manageable number, concentrating on those that really are needed. It would end the "gut and amend" charade in which, every year in the waning days of...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got off to a fast start in his annual September Veto Parade yesterday by saying he would reject state Sen. Sheila Kuehl's nonsensical, poorly drafted bill mandating that California adopt socialized medicine. It is a sad commentary on the Legislature that Kuehl's bill made it this far. Perhaps the governor next can tackle measures that are, respectively, anti-consumer, anti-common sense and pro-corruption. AB 2592, by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would allow car-rental companies to omit the cost of airport fees when advertising rental rates. How does Leno – who sees himself as a classic liberal do-gooder...

SACRAMENTO - Senate leaders on Tuesday bottled up a package of flood-protection bills for the year, claiming Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was seeking last-minute amendments they said would weaken the measures. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said the Legislature will wait until next year to address flood policy, saying the governor had sought to derail bills aimed at increasing flood protection from Redding to Bakersfield. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do this correctly," the Oakland Democrat said. The Senate's decision angered Assembly Democrats, who said plenty of time remained in this year's session to negotiate a...

Excerpts on fake documents from President Bush's May 15 national address on immigration reform: "Comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility. A key part of that system should be a new identification card for every legal foreign worker. This card should use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamperproof. A tamperproof card would help us enforce the law and leave employers with no excuse for violating it." --- Highlights of a bill the Senate passed in May: - Requires employers and subcontractors to use an electronic system within 18 months...

SACRAMENTO Six lawmakers are scheduled this week to begin the tedious task of ironing out differences between Assembly and Senate versions of the state budget, but this year their job could be easier than usual. Both chambers have produced spending plans for the fiscal year starting July 1 that are remarkably similar to the $131.1 billion budget Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed earlier this month. "Over the years I've worked here, this is about the smallest number of differences between us and the Senate and us and the administration that I've seen," said Craig Cornett, budget adviser to Assembly Speaker Fabian...

USA Citizens Day - July 1st Immigration Control Rally Nationwide Rally on Saturday, July 1st, at noon, at your City HallMay 1st - Million of Illegal Aliens Marched in our StreetsTwelve million illegal aliens demonstrated their political power, and declared May 1st to be A Day Without Undocumented Workers ( illegal aliens ). They boycotted the USA, all US businesses and institutions. Millions of them marched in our streets, carried Mexican flags, shouted "Si se puede!", and demanded new laws from our Congress. July 1st - U.S. Citizens Nationwide Rally for Immigration ControlRally to stop our continuous invasion by...

Two bills that could shake up presidential politics by giving California one of the earliest primaries in the nation and undercutting the Electoral College were approved Tuesday by the Assembly elections committee. The bills' author, committee chairman Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, said the measures were designed to increase California's clout in determining who sits in the Oval Office. "It's an effort to make California relevant again in presidential elections," he said. One of the bills would put California in competition with New Hampshire to have the earliest presidential primary elections in the nation. It would require the secretary of state...

Concern for Buffalo Tagliabue to meet Schumer, Russert to talk about Bills Posted: Monday April 17, 2006 3:39PM; Updated: Monday April 17, 2006 3:39PM WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the National Football League will meet later this week with Sen. Charles Schumer to discuss concerns about the financial future of the Buffalo Bills under a new labor pact with the players. Outgoing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue will meet Thursday morning with Schumer and TV newsman Tim Russert, host of NBC's Sunday morning Meet the Press program, and an avid Bills fan. "I'm looking forward to this meeting because keeping...

A BigMac and large chocolate shake will cost you more than $5.00.Two gallons of gas will cost you more than $5.00.A pack of cigarettes, around $5.00A movie tickets will cost more than $5.00 Most of us blow five bucks on crap several times a month.If everyone gave 5.00 a month to FR, we wouldn't need Freepathons any longer.Heck, it's worth five bucks a month just to be IBTZ.Help keep FR up and running.

AUSTIN - Under electricity deregulation, Texans have paid some of the highest rates in the nation -- a reversal of at least a decade of relatively cheap electricity under the state's old regulated system. That's the conclusion of a national utility expert, who also reports that those in deregulated states typically have had larger rate increases than customers in states still under regulation. Separate academic reports likewise show, after making adjustments for inflation and other factors, that electricity prices in Texas have gone up since 1996, while those in regulated states have gone down; and that in general terms, electricity...