Free Republic

Republicans will repeal healthcare reform legislation if they win control of Congress because of that bill, a key Republican pledged late Sunday. The health bill is "dead on arrival" in Congress, said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, said during an interview on Fox News. "If they somehow manage to get the votes and get enough Democrats to walk the plank and commit suicide, in the next Congress, I'll be chairman Joe Barton of the Energy and Commerce committee, and we'll repeal it," Barton said. Republicans have shown optimism at picking up...

August 5, 1987--The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously today to abolish its fairness doctrine on the ground that it unconstitutionally restricts the free-speech rights of broadcast journalists. ''We seek to extend to the electronic press the same First Amendment guarantees that the print media have enjoyed since our country's inception,'' said the new chairman of the F.C.C., Dennis R. Patrick. He and the three other commissioners said the 38-year-old fairness doctrine was stifling the democratic debate it was supposed to promote. [ Excerpts from the decision, page C26. ] Contrasting Views Required The doctrine, which evolved through court rulings and...

The state’s largest farm organization is in favor of legislation that would terminate the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) in both name and concept. Texas Farm Bureau President Kenneth Dierschke expressed support for HB 11 by State Rep. David McQuade Leibowitz (D-San Antonio), which repeals the authority for the establishment and operation of the massive transportation project. “We hope you will agree with us that it is finally time to kill the Trans-Texas Corridor,” Dierschke testified before the House Transportation Committee on April 21. Although the farm organization recognizes the need to build and maintain Texas’ infrastructure, Dierschke said Texas Farm Bureau...

Letter to FASB: Don’t Change Mark-to-Market! March 29, 2009 – 3:49 pm John Gavin of Disclosure Insight has written a letter to FASB opposing its proposal to refine mark-to-market rules. Like John, I hope FASB sees the light. It has been said that changing MTM rules would be like giving inmates keys to their own prison. Seems to me banks already have keys—to their own cells certainly, and to every other door inside the prison. After all, they have wide latitude to mark most assets to model (level 2) or to myth (level 3). Modifying mark-to-market gives them the key...

Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation Wednesday repealing New Mexico's death penalty, making it the second state to ban executions since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Richardson, a Democrat who formerly supported capital punishment, said signing the bill was the "most difficult decision" of his political life but that "the potential for ... execution of an innocent person stands as anathema to our very sensibilities as human beings." Richardson said he made the decision after going to the state penitentiary, where he saw the death chamber and visited the maximum security unit where those sentenced to...

Tax Revolt and Recall Protest draws 15,000 Fullerton – An estimated crowd of 15,000 people showed up at a tax revolt and recall protest hosted by The John & Ken Show of radio station KFI 640. The hyperactive John Kobylt and immaculately groomed Ken Chiampou prodded the crowd into chants of "heads on a stick" and "off with their heads" several times during the three hour event, referring to lazy legislators and the lying governor. Some people brought bloody effigy heads of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and stuck them on the end of a pike, while the crowd joined their hosts...

They're revolting. Families with children, bikers, seniors, pirates - by the thousands descended on a Fullerton bar Saturday to join talk show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of KFI in protesting tax increases recently approved in Sacramento. Police estimated that some 8,000 people came to the Slidebar Café in downtown Fullerton to listen to The John & Ken Show. "I expected a lot and it was way more than I expected," said co-host John Kobylt. The talk show hosts put forward an ambitious goal for their Tax Revolt 2009 live broadcast that ran for more than three hours. "The...

To be followed by Civil War II.... H. J. Res. 5: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

Without further ado...... Repeal Day is today. It commemorates the repeal of the 18th Amendment. Once more, Americans were free to buy, sell, and consume alcoholic beverages. I'll drink to that! Today is also Bathtub Party Day, so we can combine the two.... In the early 1900's, many of the good people of America believed that alcohol was the root cause of many social ills in the country. Prohibition on a national scale, was promoted in part by the American Christian Women's Temperance Union. This movement grew in popularity. Ultimately, the United States Congress passed the 18th amendment on January...

A San Antonio lawmaker filed a bill that would repeal the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor. It’s not the first time he’s done so. In the 2007 legislative session, Rep. David Leibowitz filed an identical bill, but it languished in the House Transportation Committee without a hearing. Leibowitz spokesman Rob Borja said the legislation may have a better fate the second time around. At least four of the nine committee members will change this session, including the chairman. “Probably most important is there will be a new chairman, because the old chairman Mike Krusee wouldn’t let any bills...

WHEREAS, Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America authorizes Congress "To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures"; WHEREAS, on December 13th, 1913 the US Congress enacted the Federal Reserve System; WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve System is considered an independent agency within the federal government, with oversight of Congress and containing appointed public officials on its board of directors; WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve System Controls the Federal Reserve Note, the official currency of the great nation of the United States of America; WHEREAS,...

The Defense of Marriage Act, signed into law by President Clinton in 1996, protects states from having to recognize same-sex marriages contracted in other states. Ordinarily, under the "Full Faith and Credit Clause" of the Constitution, states are required to recognize "the public Acts, Records and judicial Proceedings of every other State." "Obama also believes we need to fully repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally recognized unions,"...

Should Illinois lawmakers lift the statewide indoor smoking ban at certain facilities, such as riverboat casinos, veterans' halls and private clubs? Yes 40.1% No 59.9% Total votes: 1964

Make the Tax Cuts WorkBy LEN BURMAN Published: January 23, 2008 Washington SINCE 2001, Washington’s answer to every policy question has been the same. What should we do with a big surplus? Tax cuts. How do we beat back global terrorism? Tax cuts. Increase energy independence? Rebuild New Orleans? Expand health insurance coverage? Tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts. Now comes another question that becomes more pressing each day that the markets lose ground — one to which taxes have long been at least part of the answer. How do we stimulate the economy to prevent or shorten a recession?...

Regular Guy Paul linked to an Ann Coulter column suggesting that if we took the vote away from women, we'd never have another Democratic president.  I'm almost tempted to sidetrack this post because I caught a hilarious comment in the comments section that rebutted the notion that fascism is a leftist ideology - it most definitely is - but that's for another day. I'm not even interested in Coulter's comments per se, considering they were mostly tongue-in-cheek, but something that Paul said caught my attention. Generally speaking, I would support repealing all the Constitutional amendments of the 20th century. So...

December 5, 1933 notes a “first” in constitutional history. It was on this day, 74 years ago, that American voters, through state referendums, added the 21st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. It was the first time in our history that a constitutional amendment was passed, not simply by the will of legislators, but instead through popular mandate, i.e., the power of the U.S. citizenry. For some of us, December 5, 1933 might even be remembered as the end of National Prohibition. Unfortunately, there are too many writers and trade organizations who should know this, but have chosen,...

A State Auditor’s Office report on the Texas Department of Transportation and the Trans-Texas Corridor set for public release today estimates a $105.6 billion price tag for the TTC-35 portion alone of the massive transportation project. The TTC-35 represents 14 percent, or 560 miles, of the Trans-Texas Corridor’s proposed 4,000 miles of roadway criss-crossing the state. A 2002 estimate by TxDOT placed the cost for the entire Trans-Texas Corridor at between $145 and $184 billion. Taken as a whole, the Trans-Texas Corridor on its completion could become “the longest network of toll roads in the world,” according to the audit....

110th U.S. Congress (2007-2008) H. J. Res. 8: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second... HJ 8 IH 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. J. RES. 8 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 4, 2007 Mr. SERRANO introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United...

On this day in 1933, the Blaine Act was passed in Congress. The Blaine Act allowed for the manufacture and sale of 3.2 beer, thus amending the Volstead Act. In 1934, the 18th Amendment was completely repealed by the passage of the 21st Amendment which allowed for full manufacture, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. I thought you all might want to know...

PHOENIX -- The state will ask a justice of the nation's high court to let county election officials require voters to produce identification for next month's general election. Attorney General Terry Goddard said Tuesday legal papers will be given to Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, possibly by the end of the week, asking him to void an order by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals barring the state from enforcing the voter ID provisions of Proposition 200 while a legal challenge to them works its way through federal court. Goddard's move came as the full appellate court refused Tuesday...

[I wrote to Boortz today about this, but he didn't respond. I didn't expect him to. Maybe he will discuss it if enough people here make noise.] The Fair Tax - Why we are all being fooled... ... and why it is just lip service. Since the start, way back in the days of CATS (Citizens for an Alternative Tax System), I have been an advocate of the Fair Tax. Back then I was naive. I was doing the cool thing. I have learned a lot about what this "Alternative Tax System" has evolved to... The Fair Tax.

SACRAMENTO – A little more than a week after voters rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's four ballot measures, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill repeated her call to repeal the after-school funding measure that helped launch the governor's political career, Proposition 49. Hill recommended the repeal yesterday during her annual budget forecast, which produced a rosy assessment about overall state finances, including a projected $4 billion increase in the state's current year budget reserve. The projected growth in revenues, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office and the state Department of Finance, will trigger the operation of Proposition 49 in fiscal 2006-07, which begins...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 - The House of Representatives delivered the gun lobby a cherished victory today, overwhelmingly approving a bill to protect gun manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits by crime victims. The House passed the bill, 283 to 144, with the total reflecting considerable support from Democrats as well as the Republican majority. The Senate passed the bill, 65 to 31, in July, so the measure now goes to President Bush to be signed into law.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 - The House of Representatives delivered the gun lobby a cherished victory today, overwhelmingly approving a bill to protect gun manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits by crime victims. The House passed the bill, 283 to 144, with the total reflecting considerable support from Democrats as well as the Republican majority. The Senate passed the bill, 65 to 31, in July, so the measure now goes to President Bush to be signed into law.

FEMINISTS ARE PLAYING the victim card with a vengeance, mostly because it is the only card left, with sympathy for feminism's strident campaigns at a low point. Yet beneath the media radar, victimhood has helped feminism advance virtually unopposed to aggrandize power in realms few perceive. Victim politics requires exploiting traditional gender roles. This does not mean feminism has moderated; simply that it has exchanged ideological purity for power. Much as Stalinism inherited the habits of czarist absolutism and nationalism, feminism now exploits the stereotype of helpless damsels in distress and the public's good intentions. Today's foremost case in point...

The deal on confirmation of judicial nominees seems to have been struck by seven Democrats essentially supported by their party's base and seven Republicans at odds with theirs. It contains one crucial phrase -- Democrats will filibuster only in "extraordinary circumstances" -- and it is undefined. Unless it is defined by the Democrats' recent behavior. But can anyone contrive to tickle coherence from that behavior? Democrats have agreed to stop filibustering the confirmation of three judges they have hitherto identified as extraordinarily dangerous to fundamental American liberties. One of the three, Priscilla Owen, is an impeccable representative of mainstream conservative...

The clock is ticking. Unless Congress acts -- who knows? -- we could see a wave of suicides, patricides, matricides and rich-uncle killings in 2010. That's the year that the federal tax on estates -- also known as the "death tax," the most hated tax exacted by the U.S. Treasury -- will be repealed. If you die in 2010, you can pass along all your assets to your heirs without a penny to Uncle Sam. But the repeal recedes. If you die after 2010, only $1 million of your estate is exempt from tax, and the rest gets hit with...

I know you're tempted not to read this article. I know this because there is nothing (except maybe an all-night marathon of Al Gore documentaries) more mind-numbingly boring than reading an article about taxes. Since my column on taxes is not competing as an alternative to "The Internet, Al Gore, & You," I must instead resort to begging each of you to indulge me for a brief moment of your time. I always thought that only grumpy old men cared about taxes. I vividly remember many days during my childhood, watching my Dad—normally as cool as a cucumber—emerge red-faced from...

The House voted 272 to 162 yesterday to permanently repeal the estate tax, throwing the issue to the Senate where negotiations have begun on a deep and permanent estate tax cut that can pass this year, even if it falls short of full repeal. ... The real fight will come in the Senate, where repeal supporters still appear just short of the 60-vote majority needed to break a promised Democratic filibuster. The Republican leadership, backed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), has authorized Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) to strike a deal that will win 60 votes. "He's...

WASHINGTON - Republicans in Congress are renewing their drive to abolish the estate tax for good, but some party leaders fear that their long-held goal remains out of reach despite significant GOP gains in the 2004 congressional elections. As a result, a senior GOP leader has opened negotiations with Democrats on a possible compromise that would keep the tax in place, but apply it only to very large estates. That would allow the vast majority of taxpayers to pass on wealth tax-free to their heirs. But it would mark a retreat by President Bush and GOP activists for full repeal...

Sorry for the vanity, but I've searched the internet and can't find an answer. Does anyone know if a State, meaning State legislatures, can repeal ratification of a US Constitutional Amendment? The Senate repeals ratification of treaties, I think. And if States can, what happens if more than 1/4 (13 States) repeal ratification of an Amendment? Could this be a backdoor approach to repeal of some Constitutional Amendments, namely the 16th (Income Tax) and 17th (Election of Senators)?? Just a thought...

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- The historic defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) has led political experts to closely examine the race to determine the reason voters decided to unseat a powerful national figure who represented them for 25 years. In a statewide election decided by less than 4,000 votes, it might be difficult to point to one issue that made the difference, but the Democrat's opposition to permanent repeal of the federal estate tax can't be overlooked as one of them. Opponents of the inheritance tax began referring to it as the "death tax" some years ago, effectively...

Background: In 1931 the Davis-Bacon Act was adopted to create a "prevailing wage," usually the union rate, for any construction contract over $2,000 funded in whole or in part by the federal government. The benefits of the "prevailing wage," however, go to a very few at the expense of taxpayers and the Act is a prime example of unfunded mandates and government waste. Davis-Bacon inflates the cost of federally funded construction projects by as much as 15%, discourages economic growth, and raises federal spending. In fact, Davis-Bacon Act wages cost taxpayers over $1 billion annually, in addition to the $100...

Washington -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to repeal virtually all of the District of Columbia's gun laws, urged by gun rights groups to deliver a victory before the November election over the vehement objections of Washington leaders who denounced what they called a historic violation of home rule. Voting 250-171, the House approved the D.C Personal Protection Act, which would end the District's ban on handguns and semiautomatic weapons, roll back registration requirements for ammunition and other firearms and decriminalize possession of unregistered weapons and carrying a gun in one's home or workplace. The bill also would...

Here are the bills we need to push hard in the next session of congress! H.R. 153 covers most of the worst abuses of our RKBA, but some of the others certainly need our support as well. There were several other good bills introduced in this session, but ALL of them die in committee this week. I got these of the "Thomas" site, it only took a couple of minutes. Let's put the whole idea of "gun control" into the history books! ------------------------------------------------- Second Amendment Protection Act of 2003 (Introduced in House) HR 153 IH 108th CONGRESS 1st Session H....

Gross Minus Net Equals Zero: Repeal the Sixteenth Amendment by Michael Marriott (June 20, 2004) Summary: Let us together repeal the sixteenth amendment to the Constitution by the year 2013. When I worked in Saudi Arabia as a technical consultant in the 1990s, my coworkers and I were astounded upon receiving our first paycheck: we actually were paid the full amount we had earned. Gross pay minus net pay equaled zero. Never before or since in my lifetime has such a thing happened. Since every working person in the United States deserves such a delightful, fulfilling experience I would like...

FAIRFAX, VA -- The National Rifle Association (NRA) is pleased to announce that Governor Mark Sanford has signed HB 3442, repealing South Carolina`s restrictive "one-gun-a-month" law. The law limited the rights of law-abiding citizens by prohibiting firearm purchases and establishing a 30-day waiting period between purchases. "This is a great day for law-abiding firearm owners in South Carolina," said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. "On behalf of NRA`s four million members, I would like to thank Governor Sanford and the South Carolina Legislature for recognizing the importance of abolishing this unnecessary restriction on the Second Amendment. "Gun rationing laws...

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-31-140, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPLICATION A PERSON MUST COMPLETE BEFORE PURCHASING A PISTOL, AND RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON A PERSON WHO PURCHASES A PISTOL, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS THAT PROHIBIT A PERSON FROM PURCHASING MORE THAN ONE PISTOL ON AN APPLICATION, PURCHASING MORE THAN ONE PISTOL DURING EACH THIRTY-DAY PERIOD, AND THE EXCEPTIONS TO THESE PROVISIONS. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: Application to purchase a pistol SECTION 1. Section 23-31-140 of the 1976 Code, as last amended...

Tax Code Repeal Bill Introduced in Senate Craig joins effort as an original cosponsor WASHINGTON, DC – Idaho Senator Larry Craig joined Senator Sam Brownback and other colleagues today in introducing legislation to repeal the Internal Revenue Code on December 31, 2007. The legislation would mandate a new code that: Applies a low rate; Provides tax relief for working Americans; Protects taxpayers’ rights; Eliminates bias against savings and investment; Promotes economic growth and job creation; and Treats married couples the same as singles. “Our tax code is in desperate need of overhaul and this legislation is a catalyst to ignite...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would repeal the 17th Amendment and return to the era when U.S. senators were chosen by state legislatures rather than by direct vote. Miller, famous for his unconventional views, acknowledged in a characteristically colorful speech on the Senate floor that the measure "doesn't stand a chance of getting even a single co-sponsor, much less a single vote beyond my own." But the man who wrote "A National Party No More" to take his fellow Democrats to task was intent on doing the same to the chamber he will depart when...

NRA Members' Councils of California Please Distribute Widely To All Gun Owners/Groups ----------------------------------- NRA MEMBERS' COUNCILS OF CALIFORNIA02/04/2004 ----------------------------------- NRA Pre-Litigation Demand: Repeal of S.F. Gun ordinances Aggressive action by NRA's California legal team has resulted in the repeal of many local ordinances. Over the past two years approximately 40 cities have repealed ineffective and agenda-driven "Saturday night special" bans, "trigger lock" laws and "assault weapon" ordinances. As San Francisco assesses their current firearms regulations, NRA attorneys are making sure proper attention is given to the illegal fifty caliber ban, stolen gun reporting requirements and other issues via a...

H.R.25 Title: To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States. Sponsor: Rep Linder, John [GA-7] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors: 42 Latest Major Action: 1/7/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Teens plan anti-governor march LATINO GROUP'S PROTEST OF LICENSE LAW REPEAL TO STOP IN S.J. MONDAY By Edwin Garcia Mercury News A group of Bay Area teenagers has it in for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Angry that the movie star-turned-politician abolished a law that would have let illegal immigrants apply for driver's licenses, the teens are trying to persuade a million students to join them in a statewide protest against Schwarzenegger -- and anyone else who has opposed licenses for the undocumented. Latino Focus, a Redwood City-based group of about 50 students, plans to boycott Schwarzenegger's movies, mount a large-scale voter...

Calif. - The California Assembly voted to repeal a law Monday allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses, setting the stage for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fulfill a key campaign pledge just two weeks after taking office. Facing widespread public opposition and a threatened March ballot initiative to kill the law, the Assembly voted 64-9 to overturn what it passed only three months ago. The Senate took similar action on Nov. 24 with a 33-0 vote. The measure now goes to Schwarzenegger, who was expected to quickly sign the bill. The law, which had been set to go into effect...

Repeal call for health law FOES SAY INSURANCE ACT WILL BE ON MARCH BALLOT By Julie Sevrens Lyons Mercury News Opponents of the largest expansion of health insurance in the nation -- passed just two months ago by the California Legislature -- said Monday they have enough signatures to ask voters to repeal the measure in March. Business groups oppose the new law, which would bring health care coverage to hundreds of thousands of the state's uninsured workers by requiring all but the smallest businesses to provide insurance. Critics of the law, which is to take effect Jan. 1, argue...

<p>A. It likely to take three months for the lower fees to kick in. It will probably take about a month to reprogram Department of Motor Vehicle computers to reflect the change, and the DMV is required to mail VLF bills to motorists at least two months before the payments are due.</p>

Ohio Freepers, you can now download your petition to repeal the +1% tax increase at http://www.repealthetax.com/petition.aspx We have until Dec. 15 to get 98,000 signatures. Remember, you cannot sign the petition you circulate, and only the names of voters in ONE county can appear on one petition. If you circulate in more than one county, use separate petitions.

We, the people of these United States, rightfully petition our President, House of Representatives and Senate on behalf of substantive tax reform legislation, including legislation to repeal the 16th Amendment to our Constitution and replace the current invasive income tax with a national sales tax or flat tax. We encourage presidential and congressional support for House Joint Resolution 15 "abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes" and other tax reform measures seeking to restrict central government spending to its constitutional parameters. Likewise, we insist that reductions in taxation be accompanied by comparable reductions in extra-constitutional and economically untenable government spending....

REPEAL THE 17TH AMENDMENT ByJohn MacMullinAfter the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the federal government announced that it would preempt all state jurisdiction over airport security.  The federal government preempted state powers without regard to balancing federal and state responsibilities so that these responsibilities, and related costs, could be distributed across federal, state, and local governments.  To carry out this preemption, the federal government recently reported that it will employ more than 47,000 federal recruits in the fight against terrorism as newly trained security screeners.  They are to begin working at 424 airports nationwide. These developments, and numerous others in the...

<p>WASHINGTON - The House voted Wednesday to permanently end taxes on inherited estates, rejecting a Democratic effort to retain the tax for the country's wealthiest families.</p> <p>"What we're talking about here is fairness to families," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. "They ought to have the comfort and relief to pass that business on to the next generation, to their children and to their grandchildren."</p>