Free Republic

Washington, D.C. – Early this morning, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) passed the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after open borders and amnesty proponents added Congressman Ruben Gallego’s (D-AZ) amendment, on a 33-30 vote, that encourages the Secretary of Defense to declare that DACA illegal aliens are "vital" to America's national interest and thus eligible to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces even though they are not American citizens. In previous years, HASC defeated similar efforts to help illegal aliens compete for and take military service opportunities from American citizens. However, six wayward Republicans spurned the HASC...

A couple of prominent conservatives have expressed concern over the possibility of a ‘runaway’ Article V state amendments convention. Such is their anxiety that runaway tyranny from Rome-on-the-Potomac pales in comparison to the possible horrors of the states getting together to relieve their people from oppression. Are these concerns fact based or irrational or somewhere in between? An important, and likewise extra-congressional vestige of the federal system of 1787, and quite similar to an Article V state amendments convention in its constitutional foundation remains in force today. It is the familiar Electoral College (EC). Like the state amendments convention, the...

Our scientific method and traditions of free speech and open debate are under assault as never before, by intolerant inquisitors in our media, universities, government agencies, and even Congress and the Vatican. They threaten our most basic rights and freedoms, our political and scientific processes – and ultimately our continued innovation and invention, energy reliability and affordability, job creation and economic growth, and modern living standards, health and welfare. Congressman Grijalva and Senators Markey, Boxer and Whitehouse sent letters to universities, think tanks and companies, demanding detailed information on skeptics’ funding and activities – in an attempt to destroy their...

When last we left our good friends of the New Black Panther Party, they were in Ferguson, MO attempting to kill the prosecutor in the Michael Brown case and trying to blow up the Gateway Arch. The FBI stopped those plots in their tracks, and the NBPP disappeared from the media for a few months. You just knew they couldn't keep their mouths shut about the Freddie Gray matter. And in typical Black Panther fashion, they are threatening to kill people in the "war" against blacks. UPI: The leader of the New Black Panther Party says the United States has...

Three Democratic lawmakers are calling on Speaker John Boehner to denounce invitations to a far-right Dutch legislator who is set to address some Republican members of Congress this week. Reps. Keith Ellison, André Carson and Joe Crowley wrote a letter Tuesday asking the the Ohio Republican to criticize invitations from two members of the Republican conference to Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders — a controversial figure in Europe who has called Islam the “ideology of a retarded culture.” Wilders is invited to speak at a reception hosted by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and a second breakfast meeting hosted by Rep. Steve...

In case you weren’t already aware: Mediaite contributing columnist Joe Concha has been hosting a brand-new show for Newsmax TV, called The Daily Wrap. This week we were pleased to hear that the show has been given a weeknight primetime slot of 7:00 p.m. ET. The show is a one-hour panel setting, featuring Concha–who has appeared many times as a pundit on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox Business– as the main host alongside a left-leaning co-host, Rick Ungar, a Democratic consultant and Sirius XM radio host. The pair are joined nightly by two other panelists, typically including attorney Heather...

Is Prosecutor Mosby correct that Gray’s arrest was unlawful because knife was legal?A new talking point claiming that Freddie Gray’s original arrest was unlawful has arisen, propelled by the claim yesterday by Prosecutor Mosby that the knife seized from Gray by police was legal to possess in Maryland. As reported by the New York Times: Ms. Mosby faulted the police conduct at every turn. The officers who arrested him “failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray’s arrest, as no crime had been committed,” she said, describing the arrest as illegal. Officers accused him of possession of a switchblade, but...

I have posted my initials thoughts on the criminal charges against six Baltimore police officers. Former federal prosecutor Bill Otis has offered more extensive, and better-informed, observations. Among them are the following, all of which make good sense to me: Will the mob tolerate an acquittal? The calls in recent days have been for “justice.” I have considerable doubt whether those doing the loudest calling have even a slight interest in justice. I think they want to see policemen and policewomen punished simply because of who they are. If that is true, then the riots we have seen up to...

Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz will attend events in South Carolina Friday and Saturday along with state GOP leaders and former presidential candidates Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.All three men are expected to speak at the SC Republican Party's 48th Annual Silver Elephant Dinner in Columbia Friday night,Governor Nikki Haley and U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are also expected to speak at the event.The dinner, which is advertised as the largest and most prestigious Republican gathering in South Carolina will be held in honor of the late Gov. Jim Edwards, who served as the 110th governor of South...

Mediaite founder and ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams was on Good Morning America Saturday to weigh in on the charges brought against six Baltimore police officers by Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby in the death of Freddie Gray. Asked if he thinks the charges will “stick,” Abrams said he had his doubts. “I think some of the lesser convictions will likely stick in certain cases, but I think most of the more serious charges, it’s going to be really tough to get convictions on a lot of these charges,” he said. “I think it is fair to say...

Grassroots Group Plans Campaign Utilizing Multiple Aircraft Types Some supporters of Republican Presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) hope to help spread the candidate's message using a variety of aircraft in early primary states.The "Ted Cruz Air Force" (TCAF) will feature a "Ted Cruz Blimp" as its most visible aircraft, but according to the group's website, the grassroots organization also plans to use antique aircraft, banner tow planes, LSAs, ultralights, parachutes, and others. The group is not officially connected with the campaign, and the candidate has not officially acknowledged its efforts. But the organizers say they have "no doubt" they...

The admission was made by Barack Hussein Obama's lawyer, the sitting Solicitor General of the United States, Donald Verrilli, Jr., on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, during questioning by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Samuel Alito, Jr. Solicitor General Verrilli, using a public office to defend same-sex marriage on behalf of the United States, was asked by Justice Alito if religious institutions could be at risk of losing their tax-exempt status due to their beliefs about Biblical marriage. Verrilli's reply was, "It's certainly going to be an issue."

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy opened his Friday memo to House members regarding May’s legislative agenda by quoting Steve Jobs and praising Republicans for the victories they’ve overseen in the first 100 days of the 114th Congress. But GOP success stories may be overshadowed later this month when Republicans again face one of the most politically dangerous and unforgiving issues for the party: immigration. In considering the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, members could see a repeat of last year’s meltdown over Rep. Jeff Denham’s plans to offer as an amendment his so-called ENLIST Act, which would provide a legal-status...

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) sought to assuage conservative concerns about a trade bill that’s a top priority for both President Obama and GOP leaders in his party’s weekly address. Isakson made the case that giving Obama “fast-track” authority on trade wouldn’t be giving too much power to a president that many conservatives believe is guilty of executive overreach. Under fast-track authority, lawmakers aren’t allowed to amend trade deals sent up to Congress. That’s seen as crucial to completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive agreement between the U.S., Japan and 10 other Asian economies. “Congress still has the final say in...

In the aftermath of the outrage over the secret spying of Americans exposed by fugitive Edward Snowden, the House and the Senate are on the brink of overhauling the Patriot Act with sweeping bipartisan measures. Despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell leading a rearguard action to stop the changes, the bills aimed at preventing the government's mass collection of phone and Internet records would usher in a new era of privacy, according to The New York Times. The proposed legislation will end a decade of bulk storage of metadata by government spy agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and...

Should the U.S. military serve as a dumping ground or a visa mill for Obama’s unlawful amnesty program? This is not a hard question to answer for ordinary Americans who respect our sovereignty, rule of law, and are concerned about our national security. But late Wednesday night, 6 Republicans joined every Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee in blessing this illegal policy of the Obama administration. The issue at hand is Obama’s unilateral decision to place illegal aliens in the military and grant them citizenship under the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest, (MAVNI) program. The MAVNI program is...

Perfidy. Betrayal. The degree of outright treachery on behalf of the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate — this time throwing Israel under the bus to please President Obama’s desire not to offend Iran — raises the obvious question. What was the point of electing a GOP Senate? Can someone please remind? Coming on the heels of the realization that the Senate Republicans were terrified to even oppose the nomination of Loretta Lynch to be attorney general - with McConnell himself, along with nine other Republicans - actually supporting her nomination? Which in turn followed the refusal of Senate Republicans to defund the...

When a party wins control of the Senate during an administration of the opposing party, typically they do everything in their power to highlight sharp contrasts on critical issues--especially when the president’s party is on the wrong side of public opinion. Republicans have flipped this common sense strategy on its head and have manipulated the Senate floor process to obfuscate the party divide and shield the Democrats from embarrassing votes. Just how far will McConnell go to protect Democrats? As a means of greasing the skids for the Corker-Cardin ‘Democrat loin cloth bill’ to pass the Senate, thereby shielding Obama...

Charges filed against the six Baltimore police officers for their involvement in the death of Freddie Grey will be dismissed, a George Washington University law professor predicted in an interview with The Daily Caller. John Banzhaf, who teaches public interest law, says that the charges announced by Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby on Friday “go too far.” “I think a prosecutor is going to have a hard time proving that the actions did in fact cause death, since they seem to have no theory as to how it occurred,” Banzhaf said in a phone interview. Gray was arrested on April...

Rafael Cruz, Ted Cruz’s father sits down with me in an exclusive interview. He tells me the following: “My son will not compromise his principles in Washington.” Rafael Cruz also talks about how smart Ted was as a child. His favorite word was, “why,why,why,why.” He was like a “sponge.” The elder Cruz says, “Our conversation around the dinner table centered on politics as to why we had to get rid of this leftist, progressive called Jimmy Carter…Ted got a dose of conservative politics from a biblical worldview on a daily basis for a whole year when he was 9...