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In tonight's under card debate, Lindsay Graham stated: "we have a moral obligation" to take in the illegal immigrants and Syrian refugees. How far does this moral obligation go? Does it give us military options?

The Daily Mail reported last year: A self-selected group of former top military officers, CIA insiders and think-tankers, declared Tuesday in Washington that a seven-month review of the deadly 2012 terrorist attack has determined that [Gaddafi offered to abdicate as leader of Libya.] ‘Gaddafi wasn’t a good guy, but he was being marginalized,’ [Retired Rear Admiral Chuck ] Kubic recalled. ‘Gaddafi actually offered to abdicate’ shortly after the beginning of a 2011 rebellion. ‘But the U.S. ignored his calls for a truce,’ the commission wrote, ultimately backing the horse that would later help kill a U.S. ambassador. Kubic said that...

Mitch McConnell is looking for payback. The Senate majority leader is preparing to challenge Democrats with proposals that would force Iran to recognize Israel as a state and release Americans held in Iran as the Senate minority continues to filibuster an effort to scuttle President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Tehran. The Kentucky Republican wants political consequences for the 42 Senate Democrats who support the nuclear agreement and are rejecting McConnell’s attempts to pass a resolution disapproving of the Iran deal. And that retribution could come as soon as Thursday, when McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to force Democrats to take what...

At 1pm the Senate will resume Iran debate. At 6pm they will hold a second cloture vote on a resolution of disapproval (the first failed 58-42 on Thursday). Republicans have been saying that they will follow the 2nd cloture vote (if nothing changes) with tough amendment votes. Republicans protected Democrats from even having to take several tough amendment votes during the Corker debate in April, including votes on whether any deal would have to include the return of the 4 hostages and whether Iran would have to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Marc Ambinder, writing at The Week, seems to have taken the next leap in the evolution of American politics this season and – at least as an exercise in theory – asked us to consider what a Trump presidency would look like. While the primary could still play out in any number of interesting ways, it seems well past the point where such a future can be entirely written off so Marc isn’t submitting this to some science fiction outlet. It’s true that supporters of the more “conventional” candidates could all coalesce around one Anti-Trump over the fall and winter...

It’s scary enough when peace-loving Jesus followers are compared to ISIS. What’s even scarier is that many people believe the comparison is accurate. Have they completely lost touch with reality? It’s one thing to have passionate and deep differences on issues like abortion and redefining marriage. It’s another thing to use inflammatory rhetoric that it is not just dishonest but is actually dangerous. Do people not realize that their words have consequences? A few days ago, someone named Dixie posted on my Facebook page, “You are just as ugly as Isis!” I decided to respond, asking, “Because we want to...

There is an expression: “I will leave you naked before your enemies”… A proactive assertion essentially stating: if you chose to engage in war with me – not only do I promise your defeat against my interests, but I will lay you open to exposure from all adversaries – who will then take advantage of your new vulnerability. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is doing a remarkable job filling the role behind this proclamation. In a seismic political shift Trump has gone far beyond drawing a line in the sand. He has openly dug a trench on his pre-selected battle space...

Name: Mitch McConnell State: Kentucky Party: Republican Born: February 20, 1942 Entered Office: January 3, 1985 Term Expires: January 3, 2021 Mailing Address: 317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Phone Number: (202) 224-2541 Email Address: Email Form Website: Official Website

Outgoing Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor slammed the agency as “toothless” in addressing Middle East unrest, and denounced its institutionalized discrimination against the Jewish state, in an interview aired Friday. Hours earlier, Prosor delivered his final speech to the UN General Assembly before stepping down as Israel’s ambassador to Turtle Bay after a four year stint. “I sometimes felt like I was on the game show 1 vs. 100,” he told Channel 2, reflecting on his tenure. Prosor, a former director general of the foreign minister and ambassador to the UK, is being succeeded by hawkish Likud...

According to a study produced by a special task force of the United States Marine Corps, a combat unit comprised of both males and females is a much less effective fighting force than a unit comprised entirely of men.The study, “The Marine Corps Force Integration Plan,” found that the mixed-gender unit was injured twice as often as an all-male unit, was less accurate with infantry weapons, and was less efficient at removing wounded troops from the battlefield. A summary of the study was released September 10.The research for the study was conducted over nine months at both Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Twentynine Palms,...

A top Iranian cleric says the anger in the UK toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows the Tel Aviv regime has turned into a global object of hatred across the world. “The campaign of hatred for the Zionist regime, which began in Iran, has spread across the world,” said Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani in an address to worshippers at weekly Friday Prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Netanyahu traveled to the UK on Wednesday for a two-day visit to discuss hosts of issues including the crisis in Syria and the July 14 nuclear agreement reached between Iran and...

House vote to approve deal: 162 Yes, 269 No, 1 Present 25 Democrats vote No, 1 Republican votes Present Vote to prevent lifting of sanctions: 247 Yes, 186 No Only 2 Democrats vote to prevent lifting of sanctions.

New York – – – – – – As Congress reconvenes from its summer recess their first order of business will be the most important security legislation of the 21st Century – the agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. Already the agreement has a majority of both the Senate and the House in opposition. The President is threatening to veto a Congressional resolution rejecting it. Some of the President’s supporters are now threatening a filibuster in the Senate to protect their re-election chances and the President because Congress would never directly debate or vote on the agreement. Against this...

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. First and last votes expected: 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. One Minute Speeches Complete Consideration of H.R. 3461 – To Approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran (Closed Rule, No Further Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. John Boehner / Foreign Affairs Committee) H.R. 3460 – To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) expressed tremendous enthusiasm and optimism at her press briefing today about the nuclear deal that the Obama administration and five other governments has negotiated with the Iranian regime of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei. […] “This is historic. This is grand. This is visionary. This is about peace,” Pelosi said at her briefing. “Some of our members are saying this is the first time since I have been here that I have been able to vote for peace rather than just against war. So, I have confidence in it. The president has authority to do...

Straight party line vote. Bill says President failed to turn over the two secret side deals between Iran and the IAEA to Congress within 5 days of the agreement. Also says the 60 day Congressional review period has not yet started, blocking President from lifting sanctions.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. First votes expected: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Last votes expected: 4:30-5:30 p.m. One Minute Speeches H. Res. 411 – Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (Closed Rule, Two Hours of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo / Foreign Affairs Committee) Begin Consideration of H.R. 3461 – To Approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran...

Streamed live on Sep 9, 2015 Rules Committee Hearing for Sept. 9, 2015.

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans have agreed on a new strategy to stop the clock on Congress' review period for the Iran nuclear deal. Instead of proceeding with a resolution disapproving of the deal— certain to pass the House but facing procedural hurdles in the Senate— the GOP will now try to prevent implementation of the deal on legal grounds. On Friday, September 11, the caucus will express a 'sense of the House' resolution asserting that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action— the formal name for the agreement— was not fully submitted to Congress by the Obama administration back in July....

There are 28 Jewish members of Congress: 26 Democrats, one independent who caucuses with the Democrats and one Republican. Nine of them are senators and 19 are representatives. Eighteen — a majority — back the Iran deal, nine oppose it and one is undecided. Backing the deal Senate Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., elected 2010. Ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., elected 1992, retiring next year. Democratic chief deputy whip, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., elected 1992. Ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.,...