Free Republic

As a former staffer and now a member of Congress, one of my goals is to ensure this institution I have the incredible honor of serving in is transparent, efficient, and accountable to those we represent. After all, it is the People’s House.As members of Congress, we have asked the American people to trust us with their hard-earned tax dollars so it’s critical that we lead by example and ensure each dollar we spend to operate our offices is done efficiently and to help serve our constituents.At the start of my second term, I requested to serve on the Committee...

Two House Democrats are launching a long shot bid to impeach President Donald Trump, a step that illustrates the deep political divide engulfing Washington and much of the country. The effort by Reps. Al Green of Texas and Brad Sherman of California has little chance of success in the Republican-led House. They don’t even have the backing of many fellow Democrats. Nevertheless, the lawmakers said Wednesday they are drafting articles of impeachment. They say Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey, who was investigating possible Russian ties to the Trump campaign. Federal authorities say they have definitive...

https://youtu.be/oV_urRnwnFU

Here comes Comey. The former FBI director with an ego almost the size of Donald Trump’s takes the stand Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee probing Russian collusion with the Trump team in the election. The President had best beware. Playing the role that John Dean did in the Richard Nixon Watergate drama wouldn’t bother James Comey. He’s become the architect of White House fate. He torpedoed Hillary Clinton’s bid to become president. He could now torpedo Mr. Trump as President. Or help save him. Don’t bet on the latter. Mr. Comey’s got an axe to grind. Having helped Mr....

The Washington establishment and media elite has gone into a full-blown craze over a Senate hearing on Thursday featuring fired FBI Director James Comey. Broadcast networks ABC, CBS, and NBC have all announced they’ll be carrying the hearing live, and CNN already has a countdown clock to Comey’s testimony — usually reserved for elections and major events. CNN, known for hyping up politics as sports events, compared the hearing to the Superbowl:

TOWN HALL SHUTS DOWN WHEN REP. NANETTE BARRAGAN RUNS AND HIDES FROM TRUMP SUPPORTERS.

The following paints a grim scenario. As you consider it, remember that sociopaths have no empathy. Thus, they have no gut feelings, no inner voice, to guide them about right or wrong, good or bad, wise or unwise. If you try to put yourself in Trump’s shoes, and conclude that you would never, could never, do such things, as a human being or as an American, you are using the wrong yardstick. Trump’s yardsticks are his own malignant narcissism first and Steve Bannon second. Rubles-to-doughnuts, Steve Bannon is painting this picture for Trump right now: With the appointment of Robert...

There are lots of reasons Hillary Clinton didn’t win last year’s presidential election. One of the big ones, in her opinion (and the opinions of many others), is tied to media, specifically the media’s obsession with Clinton’s private email server, and disinformation spread on Facebook by “malicious actors” in Russia. The Democrats did a poor job controlling the narrative and telling their own story, Clinton said, which will be important as the party tries to take back control of Congress. “We [the Democratic party] are not good historically at building institutions and we’ve got to get a lot better, and...

A July 10, 2009 celebration, the Muslim iftar, drew an estimated 1,000 people to the Hill, thanks in part to an active Congressional Muslim Staff Association (CMSA). The group was formed in 2006 and regularly held networking events and briefings on the Muslim community. A few years later, in the 113th Congress, the CMSA did not even list itself as an official association — due to a turnover in leadership, lack of participation and what some regarded as a backlash against Muslim staffers. While the organization is taking steps to re-register as an official association, it is definitely in rebuilding...

In 2015, after the November midterm elections gave control of both the House and Senate to Republicans, President Obama announced his amnesty plan. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, rather than exercising his constitutional duty to check and balance an overzealous executive branch, folded like a cheap suit and funded Obama’s plans. Feeling frustrated over Republican capitulation to the minority party in Congress, I wrote, Why Vote Republican? I hoped my lowly voice would serve as a warning to Republicans ahead of the presidential election that voters needed a reason to vote. More than simply giving control of the White House...

...“Those concerns turned out to be unfounded, I turned out to be wrong in that regard,” Lee said, adding that he still sees Trump’s stated dedication to returning power to the American people “as a central vision of his presidency.” When asked whether turbulence in the White House gets in the way of Congress achieving their legislative agenda, Lee said “with great certainty” Congress has themselves to blame for any inaction. “If you have Republican members of Congress claiming that it's the president's fault somehow that we're not passing Obamacare repeal, that we're not passing tax reform yet, I think...

Talks have been bubbling in recent months about making major route changes to Interstate 14, but the primary organization behind the push says it’s facing resistance from a West Texas representative and the state’s senior senator. Regional transportation lobby group Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance (MOTRAN) has pushed to change the congressionally approved western route of I-14, also known as the Forts to Ports Highway and the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway System. Forts to Ports aims to connect Fort Bliss in El Paso with Fort Hood in Central Texas and Fort Polk in Louisiana. The plan also connects to military deployment ports...

If you approach the study of our Constitution with the mental image of building a house, it’s easier to comprehend and retain what you are learning. The original four short pages that make up the seven Articles of the Constitution provide the concrete foundation and the framework. The authors were literally called the “framers” of the Constitution. The Articles are short, to the point, and critically important in understanding the foundation of our republic. Patrick Henry said, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people. It is an instrument for the people to restrain the...

Public service is a calling, or so those in it will tell you. What they donÂ’t tell you is itÂ’s also a nice way to make a pretty good living. ItÂ’s well known that politics serves as the siren call for a lot of wealthy people, both those who earned a fortune and those who inherited one. But for every self-made millionaire or Kennedy looking to pass time their circumstances afford them to play at power, there are others who see politics as a way to make their lives better. Everyone knows former Sen. Harry Reid, D- Nev., was elected...

Controversies over surveillance of President Trump and members of his administration, including the leaks that forced President Trump’s first National Security Advisor to resign, have brought new attention to Section 702 of the FISA Reform Act. Section 702, which was added to the law in 2008, authorizes wiretapping of “non-U.S.” persons. The statue explicitly forbids the “intentional” targeting of U.S. citizens, but allows agencies to collect information on U.S. citizens if it is “incidental” to a 702 investigation. The National Security Agency (NSA) has exploited the “incidental” loophole to turn Section 702 into a routinely-used justification for wiretapping America citizens,...

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday the civil service appeals process prevents the agency from firing "terrible managers," and that the Senate must act to reduce the impact of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and excessive government employee union-backed due process requirements"Just last week we were forced to take back an employee after they were convicted no more than three times for DWI and had served a 60 day jail sentence … Our accountability processes are clearly broken," Shulkin said at the White House. Shulkin was promoted to VA’s top job by President Donald Trump after...

Over the course of 2016, the call rang out again and again: “Drain the swamp!” This phrase—second only to “Make America Great Again”—defined last year’s election. Ultimately, the people had this overwhelming sense that Washington wasn’t listening, that the country was on the wrong track, and that faraway elites didn’t care to help them or even hear their opinions. So while we have big issues to tackle—health care and tax reform top the list—President Trump and Republicans in Congress recognize that if we don’t disrupt the way Washington works, we’ll end up facing the same problems. So how does Washington...

Here is an exclusive first look at a new report that says you can put a price on success when it comes to Congress. The report by “Issue One” exposes the secretive money system in which members of Congress “buy” top spots on the most powerful committees. To raise the money, they often collect from the very interests their committees are supposed to oversee… As an example, ordinary Republicans have six-figure party “dues.” But it takes more to make the ranks of leadership… Sharyl: How much does a committee chairmanship cost? Nick Penniman of “Issue One”: So, if you want...

President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, confirmed to NBC News that he has received requests for information from the Senate and House intelligence committees as part of their probes into Russian interference in the U.S. election, but says he won't comply. "I declined the invitation to participate," said Cohen, "as the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered." A congressional aide said the request letters, first reported by ABC News, were the same ones sent to former Trump aides Carter Page, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn and others. Those letters sought information about Russian...

Utahns are consulting the U.S. Constitution more than usual because of Congressman Jason Chaffetz’s resignation. A vacancy in the House of Representatives is unique among all federal offices because it must be filled by an election. No appointments are permitted for membership in what is often called “The People’s House.” Federal judges are chosen by the president, with Senate confirmation of the appointment. The same is true for Cabinet officers. Governors may make appointments to fill Senate vacancies. Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich infamously tried to auction the Senate seat vacated when Barack Obama was elected president; that’s why Blagojevich...