Free Republic

Spirits were high inside the House chamber on Thursday, November 16, when, in the early afternoon, the gavel fell and a measure to rewrite the American tax code passed on a partisan tally of 227 to 205. As the deciding votes were cast—recorded in green on the black digital scoreboard suspended above the floor—the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, threw his head back and slammed his hands together. Soon he was engulfed in a sea of dark suits, every Republican lawmaker wanting to slap him on the shoulder and be a part of his moment. Ryan was the man...

Lou Dobbs interviews Representative Chris Collins (R) New York, regarding Obama and Democrats going after Donald Trump.

House Republicans have detailed perjury allegations against Hillary Clinton, citing the apparent conflict between her 2015 congressional testimony about her email practices and the FBI's conclusions announced in July, according to a letter to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. "The four pieces of sworn testimony by Secretary Clinton described herein are incompatible with the FBI's findings," House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., wrote to U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips. "We hope this information is helpful to your office's consideration of our referral." The Justice Department Assistant Attorney General for...

A House Republican on Thursday proposed forcing the Supreme Court justices and their staff to enroll in ObamaCare. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) said that his SCOTUScare Act would make all nine justices and their employees join the national healthcare law’s exchanges. “As the Supreme Court continues to ignore the letter of the law, it’s important that these six individuals understand the full impact of their decisions on the American people,” he said. “That’s why I introduced the SCOTUScare Act to require the Supreme Court and all of its employees to sign up for ObamaCare,” Babin said. Babin’s potential legislation would...

The Senate on Tuesday voted to advance President Obama’s trade agenda, approving a measure to end debate on fast-track authority. The 60-37 motion sets up a vote on final passage on Wednesday. If the Senate approves fast-track or trade promotion authority (TPA), it would then be sent to Obama’s desk to become law. Fast-track authority would allow Obama to send trade deals to Congress for up-or-down votes. The White House wants the authority to conclude negotiations on a sweeping trans-Pacific trade deal. Thirteen Democrats backed fast-track in Tuesday’s vote, handing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) a major legislative victory....

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The fate of a little-noticed ballot measure in strongly Democratic Oregon serves as a warning to President Barack Obama and his party about the political perils of immigration policy. Even as Oregon voters were legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Democratic majorities in state government, they decided by a margin of 66-34 to cancel a new state law that would have provided driver's licenses to people who are in the United States illegally. Obama is considering acting on his own, as early as this week, to possibly shield from deportation up to 5 million immigrants now living...

Recess is in full force in Washington, D.C., as national lawmakers vacation around the country, but both political parties are fighting intense political battles on the ground in states nationwide as several statehouses are up for grabs in what’s shaping up to be a landslide pro-GOP election year. “Republicans, who had appeared to hit a high-water mark in control of statehouses in recent years, are seeking to pick off another half-dozen chambers this year, taking advantage of President Obama’s persistent unpopularity, anxiety about the economy, and a history of anemic turnout among Democrats in nonpresidential election years,” the New York...

The Obama administration was accused Wednesday of providing cribbed answers to 23 questions in the form the Senate received for the hearing of its nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security -- as the nominee also ran into criticism from one senator who said he won't vote for him unless he makes a major border security pledge. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., got into a heated exchange with nominee Jeh Johnson, pressing him to commit to boost border security to 90 percent effectiveness. Johnson did not make the pledge. McCain said he, then, could not support his nomination. That was...

KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: In an ideal world there would have been a lot more testing. We did not have the luxury of that with a law that said it's go time on October 1st and frankly a political atmosphere where the majority party at least in the House was determined to stop this any way they possibly could including shutting down the United States government. So it was not an ideal atmosphere.

House Republicans say they'll go for a temporary extension of the debt ceiling in exchange for a "real commitment" from President Obama and Democrats to talk about the nation's pressing problems. At a news conference Thursday morning, House Speaker John Boehner said Republicans are ready to "move half way -- half way to what (Obama's) demanded." [snip] - See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/boehner-will-lift-debt-limit-now-if-obama-will-talk-later#sthash.vzfaeZe4.dpuf

Representative Mike Kelly, speaking on the House floor today, managed something very rare in the history of the institution – he got a standing ovation. Applause is usually forbidden in the house, but Kelly‘s blistering attack on regulatory red tape and Washington’s culture of control was apparently so powerful that several of his fellow house members couldn’t resist showing their support, clapping, standing up and shouting “USA! USA! USA!” Would you applaud this way? See Kelly’s speech below and decide for yourself:

<p>In a move that serves as a capstone to Rep. Ron Paul’s colorful career, the House on Wednesday approved a bill that would let Congress’s chief investigators conduct a full audit of the Federal Reserve’s shrouded decision-making process.</p> <p>The overwhelming 327-98 vote sends the bill to the Senate where Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, has previously expressed support for an audit — though it’s unclear he’ll carve out time for the legislation this year.</p>

Among the biggest flashpoints in the House Republicans’ $1.2 trillion bill for financing federal programs through Sept. 30 are provisions to: † Cut $60 billion from last year’s spending on domestic programs, including education, environmental protection and community services. † Block money to implement President Obama’s health-care overhaul. † Bar federal funds for Planned Parenthood. † Prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing regulations curbing emissions of gases that cause global warming. † Reduce Pell Grants for low-income college students $5.6 billion, which the White House says would reduce the maximum $5,550 grant by $845. † Cut $747 million in...

West Toledo couple arrested on terrorism charges involving Hezbollah FBI agents, Toledo police conduct raid at home Federal agents and police arrested a Toledo husband and wife Thursday and accused the couple of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Hor I. Akl, 37, and his spouse, Amera A. Akl, 37, both of whom are dual citizens of the United States and Lebanon, were arrested on charges also that they conspired to launder money and committed arson relating to an insurance fraud scheme. Mr. Akl is also charged with two counts of bankruptcy fraud and one count...

June 16, 2006 - Washington, DC - PipeLineNews.org - This week, the U.S. House of Representatives has engaged in an important debate on the war in Iraq and how best to combat terrorism in a post-9/11 world. There are major differences between those of us who support strong national security policies and understand what we have at stake and those who would prefer we retreat from the world stage and attempt to manage the threat of terrorism and the danger it poses. During the 1990s, the enemies of freedom used terror and violence in futile attempts to intimidate the United...

<p>Oo-la-la. The french-fries war must be over. And woe to those who utter the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys."</p> <p>The Congressional French Caucus has come to town, the brainchild of Rep. Amo Houghton, who announced its existence Wednesday during a luncheon with French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte and former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur.</p>