Turner vs. Austria in Primary?

Matt Lewis reports that he is hearing that Jim Jordan is safe in the redistricting fight and that attention has shifted to the Miami Valley area where my (former) Mayor, Mike Turner, may have to take on Steve Austria in a "moderate" Republican cage match.

I like them odds.

Also in the rumor mill, but I don't believe this at all because for the most part the folks who spout this line are Jean haters, is that OH-02's Rep. Schmidt is on the block. Naw...I don't believe that one either.

Team Jordan's protestations aside, nobody I know seriously put him in the cross-hairs for elimination.

Turner/Austria...that I buy.

EXIT QUESTION: If Democrats were in charge of this redistricting, who wants to bet that two GOP seats would be on the block?

Jean Schmidt Earns Spirit of Enterprise Award

Don't know why we didn't hear about this til now, but here goes. Jean Schmidt was among those honored by the US Chamber of Commerce, earning their Spirit of Enterprise Award. From the article here:

This annual award goes to lawmakers who support pro-business policies at least 70% of the time during most recent congressional session. The Chamber's prestigious "Spirit of Enterprise" award is given annually to members of Congress based on rankings it gives for key business votes outlined in its yearly publication, How They Voted. This is the twenty-second year that the U.S. Chamber has formally honored the accomplishments of this select group of members of Congress.

The Chamber's designated "key votes" are recorded floor votes on issues established as priorities by the Chamber, on which the Chamber informs Congress of its position on prior to the vote. Senators and House members who support the Chamber's position on at least 70% of these key votes receive the "Spirit of Enterprise" award.

During the second session of the 111th Congress, the Chamber key-voted 11 Senate and 9 House votes, including passage of an a tax cut extension, health care reform, financial services legislation, campaign finance reform, and legislation to improve science and math. This is the 23rd year of the Chamber giving the award.

Congratulations to my Congresswoman, Jean Schmidt of the 2nd Congressional District!

Others from Ohio honored of note include: Rep. Michael R. Turner (OH-3)
Rep. James D. Jordan (OH-4)
Rep. Robert E. Latta (OH-5)
Rep. Steve Austria (OH-7)
Rep. John A. Boehner (OH-8)
Rep. Patrick J. Tiberi (OH-12)

Rep. Jordan on Obama's Budget

Statement:

WASHINGTON – In preparation for his lead role in supporting a more fiscally-conservative “alternative” budget, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) today offered the following opening remarks in the House Budget Committee in opposition to President Barack Obama’s FY 2010 budget proposal.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last Friday, Emily and Andrew Beck, originally from Carey, OH in our district gave birth to their son Olin. Olin is nine pounds, 3 ounces, 19 ¼ inches long and named after his grandpa. And little does this young man know - baby Olin is already more than $30,000 in debt to his government. And if the majority’s budget plays out as projected, that debt will go up to $70,000 by the time he’s able to write his name in cursive.

Olin’s not a free spender...he’s barely a week old! He simply was born at a time of unprecedented deficit spending by his United States Congress. This budget spends 10 billion dollars a day, every day for a year, moving the budget to an unprecedented level of 25% of GDP. It projects trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, landing somewhere around 125% of GDP in a few years.

And this comes on top of the bailouts, the omnibus spending bill, and the so-called stimulus bill that promises to spend $262,000 per job created, showering our tax dollars on such things as 300 million dollars worth of golf carts for federal bureaucrats; 50 million dollars for the National Endowment for the Arts; and millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses for executives at AIG.

Mr. Chairman, the administration has suggested that America’s economic ‘crisis’ should not be overlooked as an ‘opportunity’ for the majority to spend.

We disagree. We believe this is a moral issue – about baby Olin’s future, and about the future of our country. For generations, moms and dads have sacrificed so their kids can have life a little better than they did. That is the American dream!

But with this budget, the majority and the administration are putting the future at risk. They are forcing baby Olin and his generation into an almost insurmountable debt spiral – requiring them to run a 1 trillion-dollar budget surplus every year for 23 straight years, just to break even.

That is, of course, unless another ‘crisis’ allows the majority another ‘opportunity’ to spend even more.

When will this madness stop? When will the American people say ‘enough is enough’? For the sake of every American taxpayer – both current and future – to whom Congress will send the bill for this incredible spending, I implore my colleagues to show some restraint – and a little common sense – and start over on this budget.”

Pro-Life Update

Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04):



Rep. Jordan reflects on eve of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, 1/21/09

Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05):

WASHINGTON- Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) made the following statement today after addressing the March for Life on the National Mall and meeting with pro-life groups from the Fifth District today who traveled to Washington, D.C.

“Throughout my tenure of public service, I have been proud to stand with the pro-life community and work to protect the rights of the unborn. On solemn days such as today, it is important to recognize the efforts made by all who stand for the sanctity of life. Today’s March of Life on the National Mall is just one of many ways the pro-life community is active in advocating for life, and I was honored to address them today.”

Congressman Latta was one of over eighty members of the House Republican Conference to sign a letter to President Obama asking him to withdraw his pledge to sign the Freedom of Choice Act. He is also an original co-sponsor of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act introduced by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act introduced by Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Sen. George Voinovich:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) spoke to a group of pro-life supporters who came to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 36th Annual March for Life on the National Mall. Sen. Voinovich joined U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) to address Ohioans, reassuring them of his support of pro-life issues.

Sen. Voinovich came to the Senate with a long history of defending life. While he was governor, Ohio passed legislation on informed consent, parental notification and the woman’s right to know, which imposed a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion and required abortion providers to share information about fetal development and abortion alternatives. Ohio was also one of the first states in the country to pass a ban on partial birth abortion. And, in June 1996, Ohio passed the Unborn Victims of Violence bill, making it a crime to injure or kill an unborn child who could survive on his or her own outside the mother’s womb. As a member of the United States Senate, Sen. Voinovich continues to fight for life. Sen. Voinovich has emerged as a leader fighting additional funding for embryonic stem cell research and has vowed to fight the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).

Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- and House Republicans:

Led by House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), a total of 105 House Republican Members of Congress have sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking that he withdraw his pledge to sign the so-called “Freedom of Choice” Act (FOCA), which would overturn hundreds of state laws nationwide protecting the sanctity of unborn human life. During the 2008 presidential campaign, then-candidate Obama vowed that the “first thing” he would do as president is sign FOCA. Leader Boehner and other Republicans note that enactment of FOCA would increase abortions and divide the country. The request by House GOP legislators coincides with the 36th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

FOCA_Letter01-21-09

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

RELEASE: Rep. Jordan Announces Online Petition Drive Supporting Judge DeWeese Against ACLU

This just in:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) offered his strong public support for an Ohio judge’s display that has drawn fire from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Last week, the ACLU filed a district court motion against Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese for posting a document that details the importance of the Ten Commandments to our nation’s legal system.

“The Ten Commandments, a cornerstone of Western law, are appropriate for a judge to display in his courtroom, where he is expected to enforce the law, promote equal justice under the law, and educate citizens about the rule of law,” Jordan said.

Earlier today, Jordan launched an online petition effort so that the community could demonstrate its support of DeWeese’s courtroom display. Jordan was the first to sign the petition, which is available at www.petitiononline.com/deweese/petition.html.

The petition reads:

We, the undersigned, support the right of Judge James DeWeese to display language found in the Ten Commandments. Ideas have consequences, and we understand that this display contrasts unchanging moral absolutes like the Ten Commandments with moral relativist precepts that allow individuals or societies to continually redefine for themselves right and wrong.

America’s founders understood the deep significance of the Ten Commandments to our legal system and the fixed duties it imposes. Throughout our history, representations of the Ten Commandments have consequently been placed in legislative chambers and courtrooms, including that of the U.S. Supreme Court.

We reject the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) chosen role as censor and thought police seeking to silence the moral absolute side of this debate with which it disagrees. We believe the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects all Americans’ freedom to express their opinions.

We call on the court to rebuff the ACLU’s censorship efforts and to protect freedom of expression.

More on the Clean Up Government Act

Yesterday, I posted on an effort by Rep. Jim Jordan to make stiffer the penalties for government corruption. I received more information last night and would like to pass it along to you...

“Government officials must be held to the highest ethical and legal standards,” said Jordan, a member of the House Judiciary Committee. “Strengthening penalties for public corruption crimes will go a long way toward restoring the public’s trust in their government.”

Jordan said that current penalties for corruption crimes committed by public officials are insufficient, citing 2006 sentencing data showing that the mean prison sentence in bribery cases was 39 months. Bribery currently carries a lower maximum sentence than similar offenses such as counterfeiting (20 years), securities fraud (25 years), mail and wire fraud (30 years), and bank fraud (30 years).

The bill increases the maximum prison term in bribery and graft cases from 15 years to 30 years. It also broadens the application of federal fraud statutes to cover “any thing of value” in addition to money or property. This change ensures that intangible assets such as licenses, permits, government grants, and contract rights are within the scope of these statutes.

Team Jordan actually anticipated my follow-up question because my source included this bit as well:

“Congress has already acted to pass legislation revoking the pension benefits of public officials who commit these crimes,” Jordan said. “Now we must take the next important step to ensure that the ‘time fits the crime.’”

Just to clarify: this bill would have affected Congressman Bill Jefferson, who was indicted under the section of the bribery statute amended by the bill. It would not have affected the Bob Ney case, as he was convicted under different sections of the criminal code (conspiracy/false statements).

Joining this effort as a co-sponsor is freshman Democrat Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), a former sheriff. Congressmen Richard Baker (R-LA) and Gary Ackerman (D-NY) have also signed on as cosponsors.

Here is the text of the legislation in section form:

Sec. 1. Short Title. This section cites the short title of the bill as the "Clean Up Government Act of 2007."

Sec. 2. Application of Mail and Wire Fraud Statutes to Licenses and Other Intangible Property. This section broadens coverage of the mail and wire fraud criminal statutes. The term "money or property" has been interpreted by courts broadly to include a variety of items.

The proposed expansion to include "money, property or any other thing of value" is not meant to disturb existing case law interpreting "money or property" but to expand coverage of these statutes to ensure coverage of mail and wire fraud schemes involving intangible interests such as contract rights, licenses, permits, trade secrets, franchises, government grants, and goodwill.

Sec. 3. Venue for Federal Offenses. This section amends section 3237, which governs venue for offenses begun in one district and completed in another district , to clarify that venue exists in any district in which any portion of the offense is committed , any act in furtherance of the offense is committed, or in which the offense is completed. The intent of this provision is to expand venue to include districts where any part of the offense occurred.

Sec. 4. Theft or Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Financial Assistance. This section increases the maximum penalty for all offenses under this section from 10 years to 20 years.

Sec. 5. Penalty for Section 641 Violations. This section increases the maximum term of imprisonment for theft and embezzlement from 10 years to 20 years.

Sec. 6. Bribery and Graft. This section amends section 201 of title 18, the bribery and graft statute, to increase the maximum punishment for bribery from 15 years to 30 years imprisonment, and the maximum punishment for illegal gratuities from 2 years to 5 years imprisonment.

Sec. 7. Addition of District of Columbia to Theft of Public Money Offense. This section amends section 641 relating to theft from the government to include the District of Columbia government and agencies. The District of Columbia is already included in the general bribery statute (section 201) and the theft or bribery statute concerning programs receiving federal financial assistance (section 666).

Sec. 8. Clarification of Crime of Illegal Gratuities. This section amends section 201(c)(I)(A) & (B) of title 18, to reverse the holding of the Supreme Court in United States v. Sun Diamond Growers, 526 U.S. 398 (1999), which restricted the application of the illegal gratuities statute.

The expansion of the statute to include "official position" will ensure that gratuities given to a public official "for or because of' that official 's position will embrace a broader range of corrupt conduct that is not otherwise permitted by law.

Sec. 9. Clarification of Definition of "Official Act." This section amends the definition of "official act" in section 201(a)(3) to include conduct that falls within the range of official duty of the public official. This amendment is in response to a recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit , us. v. Valdes, 437 F.3d 1276 (D.C. Cir. 2006). In Valdes, the court held that it was not official action when a local law enforcement officer searched a law enforcement database for information on particular individuals in exchange for money. The court held that the definition of official act required a showing by the government that Valdes' conduct involved "a question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy" and that searching a law enforcement database for profit did not constitute one of these actions.

This holding, however, dismisses a 1914 Supreme Court decision, us. v. Birdsall, 233 U.S. 223 (1914), in which the Court states that " [e]very action that is within the range of official duty comes within the purview of [the bribery statute] ." Id. at 230. The Court also noted that an official act need not be prescribed by statute or written rule or regulation. It is sufficient that the act is governed by a lawful requirement, established usage , or settled practice of the agency.

Despite Congress' reference to the Birdsall decision in its 1962 re-codification of the statute, the Valdes court found that Congress had not, in fact, adopted the Birdsall rule . This amendment explicitly adopts the language from the Supreme Court 's opinion.

Sec. 10. Amendment of the Sentencing Guidelines Relating to Certain Crimes. This section directs the United States Sentencing Commission to amend its guidelines and policy statements, as necessary, to reflect the increased penalties for violations of sections 201, 602, 641, 666 and 1962 of title 18.

Rep. Jordan's Clean Up Government Act

This is a "Dear Colleague" letter sent out on behalf of Rep. Jordan (R-OH) that I saw in the latest Republican Study Committee email:

GET TOUGH ON PUBLIC CORRUPTION

ETHICS REFORMS ARE NOT ENOUGH
TO THWART EGREGIOUS ACTS OF BRIBERY AND FRAUD

COSPONSOR H.R. 2438, THE CLEAN UP GOVERNMENT ACT

Dear Colleague:

Public service commands the highest level of honesty and integrity. Corruption on the part of any public official tarnishes the dedicated public service of all officials and threatens the trust instilled in them by the American people. Perhaps the most notable case of public corruption is that of former Deputy Assistant Air Force Secretary Darleen Druyun. As the Air Force's number-two acquisition officer, Druyun admitted to favoring the Boeing Company in official contract negotiations at the same time she discussed possible future employment with the company. She confessed to agreeing to a highly inflated $20 billion price for 100 tanker planes leased to the government by Boeing, calling it a "parting gift" to the company. Druyun also rewarded Boeing with other excessive contracts while simultaneously seeking employment for herself and her son-in-law.

Druyun pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of fifteen years imprisonment. Despite this, Druyun was sentenced to only nine months in a minimum-security prison, seven months of community confinement, 150 hours of community service, and a fine of $5,000.

The Clean Up Government Act:

• Toughens penalties for theft or bribery involving programs receiving federal financial a ssistance. Increases the maximum penalty from 10 years to 20 years.

• Increases penalties for bribery and graft. Increases the maximum penalty for bribery from 15 years to 30 years and the maximum penalty for illegal gratuities from 2 years to 5 years.

• Increases penalties for corruption-related offenses.

• Clarifies the definition of official act. Defines an official act as any decision or action within the range of the official duty of a public official.

If this bill would be equally applied to congresscritters, then you can count me as a full supporter. I have a request in to Rep. Jordan's office for more information...

Significant Number of Ohio Republicans Support Amtrak Subsidies

Corporate welfare is a blight on capitalism and Amtrak is no exception. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that the normally fiscally conservative Rep. Jean Schmidt voted against an amendment designed to kill the $425 million dollar appropriation for the National Radilroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak. She's not alone... Here is the breakdown of the entire Ohio delegation:

Aye OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]
Nay OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]
Nay OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]
Aye OH-4 Jordan, Jim [R]
Nay OH-5 Gillmor, Paul [R]
Nay OH-6 Wilson, Charles [D]
Nay OH-7 Hobson, David [R]
Aye OH-8 Boehner, John [R]
Nay OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy [D]
Nay OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]
Nay OH-11 Jones, Stephanie [D]
Nay OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]
Nay OH-13 Sutton, Betty [D]
Nay OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]
Nay OH-15 Pryce, Deborah [R]
Nay OH-16 Regula, Ralph [R]
Nay OH-17 Ryan, Timothy [D]
No Vote OH-18 Space, Zackary [D]

Chabot, Boehner and Jordan got it right.

Schmidt, Turner, Gillmor, Hobson, Tiberi, "Cut and Run" LaTourette, Pryce, and Regula all got this one wrong.

Members of Congress on Barry Bonds Chase of Hank Aaron

The Hill asks, "Are you rooting for Barry Bonds to break Hank Aaron’s home run record?"

Jean Schmidt:

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio): “I’m a Cincinnati Reds fan — if it doesn’t have to do with the Reds …”

She gets points for this one...

Jim Jordan:

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio): “I haven’t followed all that closely. I’m not all that excited about Mr. Bonds breaking Mr. Aaron’s record because of the allegations. I watch about 15 minutes of baseball highlights on ESPN and the World Series.

Read the whole list...I've only pulled out the two from Ohio...there are some pretty entertaining answers...