Free Republic

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told an audience in South Carolina Friday that he is working on legislation that would "eliminate medical debt in this country." Sanders made the remark during a question-and-answer period following a town hall meeting in Florence on "Medicare-for-All." A female attendee explained to Sanders that she doesn't make enough money to qualify for ObamaCare and has a large amount of medical debt not covered by insurance. When the woman asked Sanders if he had a plan for that, the self-described democratic socialist told her: "In another piece of legislation that we're offering, we're...

Via Joel Pollak, a stumper from an event in South Carolina. What’s the politic answer to give here if you’re a modern right-thinking “kill ’em up to the moment of crowning” liberal? Clearly the answer Beto wants to give, the one that’s consonant with left-wing thinking, is “No, your life had no meaning until you were born.” But that’s a tough thing to say to someone’s face when he’s asking about his own life specifically. The less abstract and more concrete questions about abortion get, the more uncomfortable they are. So no, O’Rourke won’t say that. “Of course I don’t...

During Friday’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told host Martha MacCallum the United States had a good hand when it came to engaging China in a trade dispute. Graham downplayed market jitters and encouraged President Donald Trump to “play it out.” “The goal is to get China to stop cheating the United States out of market share, to play by the rules that everybody else in the world plays by,” he said. “When it comes to a trade war, we’ve got more bullets than they do, so I think the president is determined to...

<p>Mike Pence is scheduled to speak at an event on Monday sponsored by a dark money group that was recently cut off by corporate donors for overt acts of racism.</p> <p>The Independent Mail newspaper reported that America First Policies is "organizing the event," labeled "USMCA: A Better Deal for Workers" at Sargent Metal Fabricators in South Carolina.</p>

More than two and a half years after President Donald Trump assumed office, focus on actions taken during the 2016 presidential campaign is starting to shift toward the CIA and its former director, John Brennan. While some observers, including this publication, have pointed out for more than a year that Brennan appears to have played a key role in the scandal that’s become known as Spygate, actions taken by Brennan and the CIA now appear to have become a central focus of investigators. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that Justice Department (DOJ) Inspector...

Remember in 2017-2018 when the media hyped every special election as a disaster for the GOP. Remember when certain Freepers would post "THE SKY IS FALLING" on every special election? Well... Two GOP won two state legislative special elections tonight by crushing margins: Republican David Rowe Defeated Democrat Jennifer Rager-Kay in the 85th Legislative District in Pennsylvania by a 62.62%-37.38% Margin. This is a R+18 seat, and Rowe won by 25 points. Republican Patrick Haddon defeated Democrat Carrie Counton 60.99% - 39.01% in South Carolina Legislative District 19. This is a R+13 seat, and Haddon won by 21 points. While...

President Trump on Friday morning gloated that the Baltimore home of House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) had been burglarized. Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who in December stepped down as Trump’s U.N. ambassador, did not approve. “This is so unnecessary,” she tweeted, along with a rolling-eyes emoiji.

ISIL has largely taken over control of a huge camp in northeast Syria, and there’s no plan for what to do with the 70,000 people there (including more than 50,000 children). The United States and Europe must immediately address this urgent national security and humanitarian crisis, before a new caliphate is established while we watch. After the fall of Raqqa and the coalition defeat of ISIL’s strongholds, President Donald Trump announced that “100 percent” of the caliphate had been destroyed. But the tens of thousands of ISIL fighters and family members left over were herded into massive fenced internally displaced...

For every person who fits the profile of the El Paso shooter, there are likely thousands who fit the profile of Maurice Hill, the man arrested for shooting six cops in north Philadelphia yesterday. Based on a quick look at court documents from Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, Hill has a rap sheet dating back to 2001 that includes charges for illegal gun possession, drugs, driving offenses, assault, burglary, theft, robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder. However, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he was only “convicted six times on charges that involved illegal possession of guns, drug dealing, and aggravated assault.” Will...

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Joe Darby, a South Carolina pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, pondered a sensitive question that he knew was on the mind of his congregation. Would black voters be able to reconcile their conservative religious doctrine with voting for a gay candidate for president? "It's a heavy lift in the black church," says Darby, who is also a Charleston-area NAACP leader. "Just as nobody who is racist likes to say, 'I'm a racist,' nobody who is homophobic in the black community likes to say, 'I'm homophobic.'" .... "I'm interested to see how Buttigieg is going...

You were elected to uphold the United States Constitution and represent the American people in the Senate. If you vote for this Red Flag Confiscation bill, you will be attacking our constitutional rights to bear arms, attacking our constitutional right to due process, and turning your back on the American voters who trusted you to represent us in the Senate. This bill would create a federal “bribe pot” to encourage states to pass Red Flag Gun Confiscation bills. This means SWAT teams would be empowered to show up at innocent Americans’ doorsteps, demanding they fork over their guns, all because...

Contractors Fixing Hurricane-Damaged Marine Housing Went Months Without Being Paid By: Ben Werner August 7, 2019 7:27 PM Blue tarps line the roof of a home in Paradise Point on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. on Feb. 1, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo After Hurricane Florence dumped more than two feet of rain on Camp Lejune, N.C., last year contractors from across the East Coast came to repair damaged buildings and infrastructure on the Marine Corps base. However as the work has gone on, companies contracted to do the housing repair work have gone months without pay. One contractor,...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said this week that Republicans would push to repeal ObamaCare if they win back the House and President Trump is reelected in 2020. "If we can get the House back and keep our majority in the Senate, and President Trump wins reelection, I can promise you not only are we going to repeal ObamaCare, we're going to do it in a smart way where South Carolina will be the biggest winner," Graham said in an interview with a South Carolina radio station. "We've got to remind people that we're not for ObamaCare." Graham's repeal bill, introduced...

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Monday that he will introduce bipartisan legislation encouraging states to create "red flag" laws and that President Trump is "very supportive" of the idea. Graham, in a statement, said he has reached a deal with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on a bill that would start a federal grant program to help and encourage states to create "'red flag' protection order" laws, which are meant to make it easier for law enforcement to identify mentally ill people who should be banned from purchasing guns. “These grants will be given to law enforcement...

A Spartanburg County judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit this week against Academy Sports and the man who supplied guns to serial killer Todd Kohlhepp. Judge Mark Hayes denied a motion to dismiss filed by attorneys representing Academy Ltd., in July. Cindy Coxie, the mother of Johnny Coxie, filed the suit in December 2018, alleging that the store “failed to live up to its duties,” required by federal firearms laws in selling guns to Dustan Lawson. Lawson, who provided Kohlhepp with multiple firearms, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison in September 2018, after pleading guilty earlier...

Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., is calling for the release of a document he says could be a “game-changer” in the scandal over Democratic claims that the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Top Barack Obama administration officials peddled the claims, including FBI Director James Comey, who leaked memos to the media to prompt a special counsel investigation. Robert Mueller’s probe, however, concluded there was no collusion and declined to refer obstruction of justice charges. On Sunday, Gowdy said in an interview with “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo that a transcript of a conversation between an FBI informant...

When asked by CBS's "Face the Nation" host if he supports returning to D.C. for a vote, Sen. Tim Scott (D-S.C.) said he'd "be happy to go back." "I'd leave tonight. I'll go tomorrow, it doesn't matter to me. This is such an important issue," Scott said.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham pushed through his asylum bill by waiving committee rules. The legislation narrowly moved out of committee Thursday in a 12-to-10 vote, which means it can now be taken up by the full Senate for consideration. ... His asylum proposal would increase the number of days migrant children can be held in custody, and it would require asylum seekers to file their claims from outside the U.S.

The Senate Judiciary Committee erupted with infighting Thursday as a top Republican lawmaker pushed legislation aimed at crafting new rules for asylum-seekers from Central American countries. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the committee, faced immediate accusations as he brought up the bill that he was violating Senate rules. In a dispute that quickly got personal, Ranking Member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the committee was one Democrat shy of having a quorum during a meeting last week and therefore could not advance the bill. “Why even have rules?” Feinstein asked rhetorically. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., backed her up,...

Photo Credit: City of Tega Cay/Facebook SC City’s Police Prayer Monument to Be Restored Along With Word ‘Lord’ But Without Scripture Citation TEGA CAY, S.C. — A city in South Carolina has decided to return a monument meant to honor fallen police officers after it was initially removed due to controversy over the prayer inscribed on the back. A Bible citation on the front of the stone, however, will not be included on the reinstated monument. “After careful consideration and much conversation with people on both sides of the discussion, City Council has made the decision that the Police...