NRSC - They have resorted to threats.

The Democrat campaign against the middle class has reached a new low.

In a series of recent speeches and announcements, Senate Democrats have threatened to push our economy off a “fiscal cliff” unless we allow them to raise taxes on small businesses.

Here’s the situation: unless new legislation is passed in a “lame duck” session after the election, the tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 will expire, socking families and small businesses with a huge tax hike.

Sign our petition to stop this massive TAX HIKE now! Link: https://www.nrsc.org/campaigns/obamataxhike

On top of that, severe cuts to the military’s budget are set to take place.  President Obama’s own Defense Secretary calls these cuts “devastating.”

Senate Republicans want to avoid these defense cuts and protect millions of Americans from a punishing tax increase.

But the Democrats are refusing to even discuss a deal unless we agree to a major tax hike right up front.

The Democrats are so addicted to taxes that they are willing to hold military families, veterans’ health care, and millions of jobs hostage.

And they need to hear from you.  That’s why I am asking you to please:

1. Add your name to our Stop the Obama Tax Hike Petition, and
2. Make one urgent financial gift of $50, $125 or $250 to the NRSC right now.

Just today, more data came out proving that “Obamanomics” is failing.  The economy appears weaker than ever as retail sales dropped off.  The last thing the American people need is a higher tax bill!

Your name on our PETITION will help Republican Senators hold the line in Washington against new taxes.

And your generous campaign gift will help us gain the 4 seats we need for a new Republican Majority that will cut taxes, roll back spending, repeal ObamaCare, and create real private-sector jobs.

CEI Today: Senate 46-53 on Utility MACT, RAISE Act vote upcoming, and a look at the Greek elections

UTILITY MACT VOTE FAILS IN SENATE, 46-53 - MARLO LEWIS

Nationaljournal.com: Nix the U-MACT

The U-MACT Rule would have zero chance of passing were its mandates introduced as legislation and put to a vote. The Rule effectively bans new coal generation – again, a policy Congress would reject if proposed in legislation. Along with other EPA regulations, U-MACT will make energy more costly, make electricity prices more volatile, jeopardize electric supply reliability, and reduce GDP growth and job creation. The alarms over mercury and PM2.5 that EPA and others use to promote the Rule are unscientific hype. Because households generally use income to enhance their well-being, regulations with large net costs are likely to have a negative impact on public health.  > Read the full commentary on Nationaljournal.com

> Interview Marlo Lewis

See also:
EPA’s Phony Job Numbers

Why Sen. Alexander Is Wrong about the Utility MACT

 

RUBIO'S RAISE ACT - F. VINCENT VERNUCCIO CEI.org: CEI to Score Amendment to Farm Bill This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Amendment No. 2166 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), better known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE) Act.  The Amendment is sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). CEI labor policy analysts will score the Senate vote on the Rubio Amendment and incorporate the scores into CEI’s Congressional Labor Policy Scorecard, which is maintained and updated on WorkplaceChoice.org. The scorecard reflects Members’ voting records on all significant matters of worker rights. Currently, union workers’ wages are dictated by collective bargaining agreements made between a union and an employer. Collective bargaining agreements not only create a floor for worker’s wages, they also establish a ceiling. The vast majority of these agreements grant pay increases on seniority, not merit. In other words, unionized employees can only see an increase in their salary through longevity—no matter how productive they are and how hard they work. The RAISE act would remove the barrier of employers to give their workers pay increases. > Read more on CEI.org >Interview Vincent Vernuccio > Keep up with all labor union news at Workplacechoice.org

VIDEO: Iain Murray Discusses Greek Elections on GBTV > Interview Iain Murray

Also featuring... PATTERSON: Banking on green energy - Bailed-out BOA returns favor to Uncle Sam’s renewables Support Rep. Diane Black’s MTI to Halt Misguided Federal Support for “Distracted Driving” Laws Read Washington Post‘s Sports Section for Great Hit at Justice’s Overreach

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

CEI Today: Congress grills Dimon, plus Senate action on Utility MACT & Rubio RAISE Act

JAMIE DIMON & BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLES - JOHN BERLAU

Foxnews.com: Forget Jamie Dimon -- Congress needs to look in the mirror

“Jamie Dimon gets kid-glove treatment from Senators,” the front-page headline in Politico screamed after the JPMorgan Chase CEO testified and was questioned by the Senate Banking Committee late last week.

Fast forward to this week. Politico's Kate Nocera and other Beltway scolds are warning the House Financial Services Committee not to give Dimon such “kid glove” treatment when he testifies in the other chamber Tuesday.

But the real story from last week's testimony was not the lack of scrutiny for Dimon. There were plenty of tough, but still polite, questions for him. What really made the pro-big government elites foam at the mouth was that, for once, government spending and regulation did not get the kid gloves.

Thanks to questions from South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, and others, who shifted the subject to big-picture topics and flawed government policies such as the Dodd-Frank financial “reform,” the hearing is actually a model for Tuesday's event and for future economic hearings. > Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/19/forget-jamie-dimon-congress-needs-to-look-in-mirror/#ixzz1yK8vlG8G

> Interview John Berlau


 

RUBIO'S RAISE ACT - F. VINCENT VERNUCCIO CEI.org: CEI to Score Amendment to Farm Bill This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Amendment No. 2166 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), better known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE) Act.  The Amendment is sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). CEI labor policy analysts will score the Senate vote on the Rubio Amendment and incorporate the scores into CEI’s Congressional Labor Policy Scorecard, which is maintained and updated on WorkplaceChoice.org. The scorecard reflects Members’ voting records on all significant matters of worker rights. Currently, union workers’ wages are dictated by collective bargaining agreements made between a union and an employer. Collective bargaining agreements not only create a floor for worker’s wages, they also establish a ceiling. The vast majority of these agreements grant pay increases on seniority, not merit. In other words, unionized employees can only see an increase in their salary through longevity—no matter how productive they are and how hard they work. The RAISE act would remove the barrier of employers to give their workers pay increases. > Read more on CEI.org >Interview Vincent Vernuccio > Keep up with all labor union news at Workplacechoice.org

EPA'S UTILITY MACT - MARLO LEWIS Forbes.com: Big Costs, Illusory Benefits: Why Congress Should Nix The Utility MACT The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on legislation (S.J.Res.37) sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) to overturn one of the most costly regulations ever adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Known as the Utility MACT Rule, the regulation establishes first-ever maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from power plants. Clearly, Congress would not enact the MACT Rule were it introduced as a bill and put to a vote. That should be reason enough for the people’s representatives to overturn the Rule and reclaim their constitutional authority to determine the content and direction of national policy.   > Read the full commentary on Forbes.com > Interview Marlo Lewis

Also featuring... Net Neutrality: Two Concepts of Liberty Budget Crises and the Rule of Teacher Unions Myron Ebell: Obama's team doesn't like mining

WARREN T. BROOKES JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP   CEI's Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellowship is a one-year fellowship that aims to provide journalists the opportunity to improve their knowledge of free markets principles and limited government through interaction with CEI policy experts.   Previous Warren Brookes Fellows have included Washington Examiner columnist Timothy Carney, Reason magazine science correspondent Ron Bailey, columnist Michelle Malkin, and author James Bovard. The fellowship begins in October, 2012. The deadline for application is July 31.  To apply, send resume or CV along with a cover letter outlining a project plan for the fellowship that relates to CEI's issue areas.  Contact: chall@cei.org. Apply today!

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

Senate passes $140 billion reauthorization of Export-Import Bank, ALG responds

May 16, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson issued the following statement condemning Senate passage of the $140 billion reauthorization for the Export Import Bank of the United States:

"In the end, there were just 20 senators, including as few as 19 Republicans, who stood against the corporate welfarism that is the Ex-Im Bank. This is just another government subsidy program for which there is overwhelming bipartisan support for — 78 senators of both parties apparently have no problem giving an additional $40 billion of lending capacity to a bank that gave millions of guaranteed loans to Solyndra. No problem with a bank predominantly used by one aerospace company that gives foreign companies an edge over U.S. competitors in the global economy.

"The world would not end without the Ex-Im Bank. The greater economy would barely bat an eye without it. All that would happen is taxpayers would save $140 billion and a corrupt corporate welfare scheme would be abolished.

"We thank the 20 senators that did the right thing."

To view online: http://getliberty.org/senate-passes-140-billion-reauthorization-of-export-import-bank-alg-responds/

Attachments:

20 senators who voted no: Barrasso (R-WY), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Enzi (R-WY), Grassley (R-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Inhofe (R-OK), Johnson (R-WI), Kyl (R-AZ), Lee (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Paul (R-KY), Risch (R-ID), Rubio (R-FL), Sanders (I-VT), Toomey (R-PA), Vitter (R-LA)

"No place for Republican crony capitalism," By Rick Manning, Director of Communications, Americans for Limited Government, May 8, 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/05/no-place-for-republican-crony-capitalism/

"Axe the Ex-Im Bank," By Howard Rich, Chairman, Americans for Limited Government, March 21, 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/03/axe-the-ex-im-bank/

"Big Government is Making Boeing a Bad Actor," By Howard Rich, Chairman, Americans for Limited Government, April 9, 2012 at http://netrightdaily.com/2012/04/big-government-is-making-boeing-a-bad-actor/

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Americans for Limited Government is a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please call us at 703-383-0880 or visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.

NRSC - Meeting Cancelled?

Unbelievable.

Kent Conrad, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said last year:

“History is going to judge whether we have the courage, character, and vision to stand up for America’s future. Those who take a walk, those who turn away, those who don’t have the gumption to stand up, are going to be judged very, very harshly.”

He’s singing a different tune this year.

Yesterday he announced Democrats won’t -- for the third year in a row -- offer a formal budget, in clear violation of federal law.

Have you ever heard of such a thing?

Many Democrats didn't even bother to show up to the meeting. The empty seats shown are where Senate Democrats would have been sitting, if they cared at all about America's future.

Senators are paid over $160,000 a year. And Democrats can’t even be bothered to do the most basic thing we pay them to do -- passing a federal budget.

It’s time to judge Kent Conrad -- and the rest of the Democrat Senate -- “very, very, harshly.”

It’s time to stop the games and restore control.  We need a Senate we can be proud of. A Senate that will stand up for America’s future and won’t take a pass on difficult issues.

Help us do that today. Sign our petition demanding Senate Democrats stop playing games and propose a budget.

And thanks again for everything you have done.

Rob Jesmer
NRSC Executive Director