Free Republic

The Club for Growth today hailed President Obama’s announcement in Copenhagen of a “meaningful accord” with China, India, and South Africa about climate change and green house emissions. Club President Chris Chocola made the following statement after the accord’s announcement: "Like most Americans, I feared President Obama went to Copenhagen to sign a binding, job-killing, economic suicide pact. “I am greatly relieved that the last-minute agreement President Obama negotiated is being widely described as ‘meaningful.’ When politicians call something ‘meaningful,’ that means it isn’t. “Without even reading the accord, pro-growth, limited government conservatives today can celebrate the word, ‘meaningful.’ Today...

Club PAC Endorses Rubio in FL-Sen Press Release Club for Growth PAC Endorses Marco Rubio for U.S. SenateFormer Florida House Speaker 'the Real Deal,' Crist the 'Wrong Direction' WASHINGTON - Club for Growth PAC today endorsed Marco Rubio in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Florida. "Marco Rubio is the real deal, one of the brightest young stars in American politics today, and a proven champion of economic liberty," said Club President Chris Chocola. "He is a dynamic spokesman for the principles of limited government and economic freedom, and he will make a fantastic Senator." Rubio served in the Florida...

The conservative anti-tax group Club for Growth said Wednesday that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has evolved into the kind of vice presidential candidate it could get behind if Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) should tap him. The group argued that Cantor has been “consistently strong in several economic policy areas” and, after a start in the “key area” of government spending that was “less strong,” the Club for Growth now thinks that Cantor “ranks among the most pro-growth members in the House.” “Over the past two years, Rep. Cantor has been one of the few Republicans to come to grips with...

Since Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is apparently going to explore the possibility of running for president in 2008, I thought I'd dig up some of his roll call votes. Like most Republicans, he's strong on tax cuts, but he's been part of the big government spending spree of the last 6 years. He also has a protectionist streak in him. Here are some of the more troubling votes: NO on NAFTA YES on No Child Left Behind YES on Sarbanes-Oxley YES on the 2003 Medicare Drug Benefit NO on CAFTA YES on 2005 Highway Bill YES on the 527 bill...

Duncan Hunter is a man of integrity, and wouldn’t endorse Huckabee if he thought it would lead to McCain winning the nomination. Sometimes the most obvious explanation is the best one. Duncan Hunter endorsed Huckabee because Huckabee is the most conservative candidate left. Including on immigration. And he endorsed Huckabee because he thinks Huckabee still has a chance to win this thing. They spent a lot of time together, and Hunter knows Huckabee’s character. He also knows Huckabee has, like many Republicans, become much more aware of the scope of the illegal immigration problem and the required solutions. Huckabee is...

Since Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is apparently going to explore the possibility of running for president in 2008, I thought I'd dig up some of his roll call votes. Like most Republicans, he's strong on tax cuts, but he's been part of the big government spending spree of the last 6 years. He also has a protectionist streak in him. Here are some of the more troubling votes: NO on NAFTA YES on No Child Left Behind YES on Sarbanes-Oxley YES on the 2003 Medicare Drug Benefit NO on CAFTA YES on 2005 Highway Bill YES on the 527 bill...

Washington - Even though the Democratic majority vowed to return Congress to a path of fiscal responsibility, the 2008 appropriations bills were stuffed with wasteful pork projects. While Representatives John Campbell, Jeff Flake, Jeb Hensarling, Scott Garrett, and David Obey (1 amendment) offered 50 amendments to strip outrageous pork projects from the appropriations bills, only one amendment, offered by Rep. Jeff Flake, passed. The Club for Growth has compiled a RePORK Card of all members' votes on all 50 anti-pork amendments (see below). "Taxpayers have a right to know which congressmen stand up for them and which stand up for...

NEW DELHI: President Barack Obama has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will look into India's concerns on the H-1B visa issue as part of his comprehensive immigration reform, US officials said on Monday. Obama told Prime Minister Modi that his administration would be in touch with the Indian government on issues related to H-1B visas, popular among Indian techies. "I think what the President indicated is this is the type of issue (H-1B) that we have approached through the context of comprehensive immigration reform and so, given his ongoing efforts to work with Congress in pursuit of comprehensive...

..............[U.S. Senator Jeff] Sessions last week accused the tech industry of perpetuating a "hoax" by claiming there is a shortage of qualified U.S. tech workers. "The tech industry's promotion of expanded temporary visas -- such as the H-1B -- and green cards is driven by its desire for cheap, young and immobile labor," wrote Sessions, in a memo he sent last week to fellow lawmakers. Last summer, Sessions attacked Microsoft's push for more H-1B visas as it laid off 18,000 employees. Now, as subcommittee chairman, Sessions will have the ability to conduct investigations and hold oversight hearings. That Senate memo...

A few weeks ago, Houston immigration attorney Jay Aiyer started to see sure signs that the economy is rebounding: More of his clients requested work visas for professional foreigners and the government finally ran out of H-1B visas. “If we're seeing business visas start to be used up, it means that the overall economy is in a growth pattern,” Aiyer said. “They're not going to be bringing folks in from abroad during a recession.” For the last few years, it would have been futile for employers or their attorneys to submit H-1B applications past April, when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration...

WASHINGTON: In the first-ever indication of its stand on H-1B visas popular among Indian professionals, the Obama administration has informed a court that the US needs this scheme to avoid "competitive disadvantage" the American companies could face otherwise. A submission in this regard was recently filed by Michael F Hertz, acting assistant attorney general, in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of three US bodies, nine individuals and two students challenging government's decision to extend from one year to 29 months the duration of foreign nationals with engineering, science and other technical degrees who can work in the...

SNIPPET: "Ahmadullah Sais Niazi, 34, who was arrested without incident this morning at his Tustin residence by members of the joint terrorism task force, was named in a five-count indictment returned Feb. 11 by a federal grand jury. The indictment, unsealed this morning, alleges Niazi hid associations with "Specially Designated Global Terrorists," groups including Al Qaeda, Hizb-i-Islami and the Taliban, when he completed nationalization papers five years ago. During one visit, the government alleges Niazi visited Dr. Amin al-Haq, the security coordinator for Osama bin Laden."

...ated in 1990, H1-B visas allow companies to sponsor highly educated foreigners -- architects, doctors, engineers, scientists among them -- to work in the United States for at least three years. The H1-B program, which accounts for nearly all skilled immigrants admitted to work here each year, is capped annually at 65,000 for people with a bachelor's degree or higher, plus an additional 20,000 for those with a master's degree or higher. Skilled immigrants have long contributed to rising U.S. standards of living. They bring human capital, brimming with ideas for new technologies and new companies. They bring financial capital...

ATLANTA (AP) — Merck & Co. is recalling about a million doses of a childhood vaccine, after testing showed a sterilization problem in a Pennsylvania factory.

At the heart of the sprawling corporate campus, in a hilltop building overlooking the immaculately shorn lawns, the sports fields and the hypermodern theater complex, young engineers crowd into a classroom. They are India's best and brightest, with stellar grades that launched them into a high-tech industry growing at more than 25 percent annually. And their topic of the day? Basic telephone skills. "Hello?" one young man says nervously, holding his hand to his ear like a phone. "Hello? I'd like to leave a message for Number 17. Can I do that?" Nearly two decades into India's phenomenal growth as...

Serious Penalties for Overstaying Visa, One Million Asian-Pacific People Affected Asian Pacific Justice Center Vigorously Denounces New Bill passed by US House of Representatives (World Journal Reporter Lin Baoqing, Washington, DC) If the immigration bill passed by the House of Representatives becomes law some one million people of Asian Pacific descent may be labeled illegal immigrants and face federal penalties of a year in prison. In addition, if the Department of Homeland Security is not notified of a permanent address within ten days of a residential address change the holders of uncorrected student residency F1 visas and those with temporary...

030930 H1B visa holders may not have to pay social security tax soon 2003-09-30 13:01:53 The Economic Times Tuesday, September 30, 2003| Updated at 21:36 hrs IST http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?xml=0&artid=25500046&sType=1 H1-B visa holders may not have to pay social security tax soon JAMES MATHEW & KRISHNA KANT TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2002 12:55:44 AM ] NEW DELHI: There is good news for all those who are there in the US on a H1-B visa. India is close to signing the administrative protocol with the US on abolishing social security tax charged by the US administration on those H-1B visa holders....

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. US senator John Mica, known in India for his bill restricting the use of L1 visas, wants the US government to fund training of US citizens from the money collected from H1-B visas holders. According to sources, Mr Mica is looking for funds to create a government programme  to help workers who have lost their jobs. He has moved a bill, called the Job Assistance and Creation Act. The bill directs the secretary of labour to make grants to regional consortia, which meet the specified criteria. This will improve the job...