WMD Scattershot Blasts on Election Day

Hey, folks...it is Election Day around the country....Get out and Vote....and make sure your vote is counted....Now, to the headlines....

Lenin-esque Allinsky Subterfuge in Va Gubernatorial Election
It appears that the Libertarian candidate is really just a stalking horse for liberal statist corruptocrat Terry McAuliffe and the Democrat Party.  "

A major Democratic Party benefactor and Obama campaign bundler helped pay for professional petition circulators responsible for getting Virginia Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Robert C. Sarvis on the ballot — a move that could split conservative votes in a tight race.

Campaign finance records show the Libertarian Booster PAC has made the largest independent contribution to Sarvis’ campaign, helping to pay for professional petition circulators who collected signatures necessary to get Sarvis’ name on Tuesday’s statewide ballot.

Austin, Texas, software billionaire Joe Liemandt is the Libertarian Booster PAC’s major benefactor. He’s also a top bundler for President Barack Obama."  Looks like the Chicago Way has infiltrated Virginia, folks.  DO NOT VOTE FOR THE LIBERTARIAN...THEY ARE REALLY JUST OBAMA DECOYS....Vote for Cuccinelli!

 

Pay No Attention to the Video...I did not Say What I Said

At least, that is what it sounds like the President is saying here.  "“What we said was you could keep it if it hasn’t changed since the law was passed,” he told Obamacare’s political beneficiaries and contractors." But, that is not what he said.  And there is all this video evidence here to prove it!

But Mr. President, Your Website Says...
"If you like your plan you can keep it and you don't have to change a thing due to the health care law".  Guess this must be another glitch, huh?  More truth to Obama's lies here.

 

Obamacare Forcing Schools to Hire Subs from Employment Agency

Looks like another union got snookered in voting for this clown.  Obamacare is making school districts like this one look at hiring substitutes to avoid health costs.  I guess them chickens are comin home to roost, as Rev. Wright says.

"Staunch Faith Based Conservative" Rob Portman Key Vote in Getting Homosexual Hiring Preferences Passed in Senate
Rob Portman's political career has been made on falsehoods.  He said he was against gay marriage.  Now he is for it.  He said he wanted to stop illegal immigration, now it appears he is going to vote for shamnesty.  He said he was a man of faith, but now he supports gay marriage even though it is antithetical to the Bible.  And now, because he has a gay son, Rob Portman thinks he should have special preferences in being hired.  Rob Portman has proved he has no moral core, he has no integrity, and lied to all those who voted for him for his values.  Maybe if Rob was less of a political careerist and spent time with his children, things would be different.  Just putting it out there.....At least it sounds like Boehner will not take up this assault on liberty, both the liberty of employers as well as religious institutions.  Why religious institutions?  Well, these preference laws get used to force "companies" and "services" to provide for homosexuals, meaning forcing religious institutions to perform gay marriages.  Which Rob Portman used to oppose....before he was for them.  Now, the article says Rob got some assurances....but we see what assurances have meant to Democrats or to the courts in interpreting statist laws...NOTHING. 

More Corruption (Is that a Glitch, Mr. President?) in Obamaphone Program
"In a continuing crackdown on the federal government's Lifeline program, sometimes known as "Obama phones," the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revealed that fraud and abuse in the program exceeded two million subscribers. "  Ooops...guess it is just another glitch.  Shameful.

Top Ten Reasons Not to Let Pelosi become Speaker Again....
Aside from the fact she is an evil, unprincipled psychotic liar?  Check em out here....

Wow....Just Wow.....

If those who are being dropped by their insurance companies due to #Obamacarehttps://twitter.com/search?q=%23Obamacare&src=hash">#Obamacare

> (16 million) made up a state, it would be 5th largest in U.S.— Tom Price (@RepTomPrice) October">https://twitter.com/RepTomPrice/statuses/393889396682162176">October 25, 2013

While Obama Knew Millions Would Lose Coverage, Those Millions Are Getting Angry....
" Those getting the cancellation letters are often shocked and unhappy.
George Schwab, 62, of North Carolina, said he was "perfectly happy" with his plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which also insured his wife for a $228 monthly premium. But this past September, he was surprised to receive a letter saying his policy was no longer available. The "comparable" plan the insurance company offered him carried a $1,208 monthly premium and a $5,500 deductible.
And the best option he’s found on the exchange so far offered a 415 percent jump in premium, to $948 a month.
"The deductible is less," he said, "But the plan doesn't meet my needs. Its unaffordable."
"I'm sitting here looking at this, thinking we ought to just pay the fine and just get insurance when we're sick," Schwab added. "Everybody's worried about whether the website works or not, but that's fixable. That's just the tip of the iceberg. This stuff isn't fixable." More here

Has Debbie Wasserman Schultz Lost Her Damned Mind?
"There was nothing about what President Obama or that I or any other Democrat supporting the Affordable Care Act said that was not true,” the Florida congresswoman said.  Video and more here.

Meanwhile, Doesn't This Woman Know She Should Just Take the Painkillers and Die?
Cancer survivor miffed she can't find the plan she had anywhere....And what Obama's Answer for It Way back in 2010....


Rahmbo's Bro Doctor Death Says Getting Rid of Individual Insurance Was Goal All Along...
Zeke Emmanuel, supporter of death panels and former advisor to Dictator Obama, as well as being former Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel's brother, let the cat out of the bag this weekend on the Sunday show circuit.  Read and see here....

Welcome to the Real World, Amigo...Obama IS Dishonest, Indeed....
From the WaPo: " This whole episode is a window into a fundamentally dishonest presidency. And the story gets worse. After Obama began telling Americans they could keep their plans, White House aides discussed using media interviews “to explain the nuances of the succinct line in his stump speeches.” But they decided not to do so, because “officials worried . . . that delving into details such as the small number of people who might lose insurance could be confusing and would clutter the president’s message.”
Yes, no need to “clutter” the president’s message with confusing details — like the fact that millions of Americans being told by the president that they could keep their plans were being knowingly misled.
Obama could easily have come up with another way to make his point accurately. He could have said “most Americans will be able to keep their plans.” Or he could have said, as his communications director Dan Pfeiffer put it on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday, “if you had a plan before the Affordable Care Act passed, [and] it hasn’t been changed or canceled, you can keep it” (which prompted McConnell spokesman Don Stewart to reply, “So . . . you can keep your plan — unless it’s been cancelled. Gee, thanks.”) That would certainly have been less powerful, but at least it would have been accurate.
But Obama didn’t say those things. He said, “If you like your health-care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health-care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.” That statement was clear, unequivocal and wrong — and Obama and his advisers knew it."

IRS Scandal, Day 180
A compendium of Stories....check em out here.

Mitch McConnell and US Chamber of Commerce's Power Couple Engaging in Totalitarian Tactics..
Damn them Tea Partiers for coming after Mitch McConnell for being a squish...We shouldn't do business with them, and we are going to make sure they suffer.  From the article: "The National Republican Senate Committee, the GOP campaign arm responsible for Senate elections, has decided to use its political power to block consulting firm Jamestown Associates from receiving political work from GOP candidates or incumbents.
First and foremost, this has nothing to do with Jamestown Associates, or the Senate Conservative Fund. It’s foolish for McConnell and company to pretend there aren’t dozens of firms capable of pursuing any business one, or another firm might forego.
Furthermore, since when did the GOP decide it was against the free market AND the First Amendment? The insular nature of thinking that led McConnell, Josh Holmes and the NRSC into this debacle should frighten all Americans. It’s Neo-leftist, all but Stalin-esque and especially grotesque coming from a party that purports to stand for liberty. This is not the GOP I came to support when I abandoned the Democrat Party to vote for Ronald Reagan. If this kind of nonsense keeps up, soon, I won’t be supporting  the GOP at all.
The grassroots base the GOP needs to turn out for them to win elections neither knows, nor cares about a Jamestown whatever, or some ‘fund.’ But that some thirty-something upstart who appears to have never held a real job outside of the DC political bubble thinks running to the New York Times is a smart way to send someone a message given the nature of this message and the current state of GOP politics is truly one of the dumbest moves I’ve seen out of DC in sometime. All it did was confirm the absolute worst fears of an already all-too-weary GOP base.
How on Earth does an allegedly-seasoned GOP political operator like a Josh Holmes think it wise to run to the Times with what amounts to a jack-booted attempt to stifle both free market capitalism and political dissent? Those are supposed to be core values for the GOP. Yet, here we see a DC GOP establishment on display at its worst. In effect saying — If you engage in a form of commerce we don’t like, we will try to destroy you! If you attempt to exercise your First Amendment right to free speech to say something with which we disagree, we will try to destroy you? 
That position is not only unworthy of, but totally unacceptable for any political party within our Constitutional republic. Frankly, it sounds more like something right out of a totalitarian regime and it truly disgusts me as an American. I’m ashamed to think that a party to which I am connected is even thinking in such terms within it’s inner circles.....
And who handles, or handled comms for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as recently as last year, if not still? Oh, that would be the wife of McConnell’s hand picked neo-nitwit quoted in the very same story mouthing off on the part of the NRSC. And all the happy couple did was poke a stick at an already riled up base. That is something McConnell – already under siege – simply didn’t need, no matter who or how many Washington flunkies thought it was a good idea. Pro-Tip Mitch – the honeymoon is now officially over! Thanks to your boy genius there, more people than ever are now sharpening their pitchforks and thinking about playing in Kentucky.

Blair Latoff and Josh Holmes: Mrs. Holmes, 30, is the senior director of communications at the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "  PATHETIC!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Video Vault

Portman Statement on Immigration Reform Bill

Release:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744):

“Our immigration system is broken. It can neither keep up with the demand for legal immigration nor stem the flow of illegal immigration. Unfortunately, the legislation the Senate voted on today is not a real fix because it does not include the new enforcement measures needed as part of a comprehensive package. The legislation includes the legalization of millions of those here illegally without adequate border and workplace enforcement to curtail future illegal immigration and ensure those currently here move out of the shadows.

“Border enforcement is important and I appreciate the improvements in the bill, although I supported a more effective ‘trigger’ that would require actual success in securing the border before any green cards were awarded to those here illegally. But even a secure border is not enough without effective workplace enforcement to turn off the jobs magnet. I believe the vast majority of people who come here illegally come for better jobs and a better life, and many will continue to find ways to circumvent border fences or border patrols. In addition, 40 percent of those here illegally came to the U.S. legally and overstayed their visas.

“This is why I worked so hard over the past month to improve the inadequate workplace enforcement system in the bill. The bill mandates over time the use of an electronic employment verification system — called ‘E-Verify’— but does little to address the inadequacies of the E-Verify system itself, including the widespread use of false documents. The best recent study found that an alarming 54 percent of those here illegally were able to pass the current pilot E-Verify program and obtain work authorization. We must do better. To me, implementing an effective E-Verify system is the most critical element in making immigration reform work. Unfortunately, despite many efforts, the bipartisan amendment I worked on with Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and others across the political spectrum was blocked from a vote on the Senate floor.

“I am hopeful that my colleagues in the House of Representatives will not let this key part of the debate — jobsite enforcement — fall to the wayside. I will continue to push them to strengthen not only E-Verify but also border security. Without addressing the magnet that draws people here illegally, I believe any immigration reform effort will unfortunately fail.”

Statewide Coalition of Conservatives Reject Direction of Ohio Republican Party

Release:

Columbus, Ohio - A statewide coalition of social and fiscal conservative leaders in Ohio today announced a rejection of the current direction of the state Republican leadership.

While signers of this statement put emphases on different policies, all the signers believe that Ohio is best served with limited government and low taxation, affirm the definition of marriage as one man and one woman as specified in Ohio's Constitution, stand for the right to life for unborn children, and believe that the State Republican Party Chairman should reflect and fight for these values.

In recent months, Ohio has seen Governor John Kasich propose a "tax shift" unfairly targeting certain landowners and creating a drag on energy exploration, recommend the expansion of a failing Medicaid program, and propose an increasing budget.

Senator Rob Portman has reversed course, defying one of the key planks of the Republican Party Platform to take a position in support of same-sex marriage. This dismisses the views of roughly 3.3 million Ohioans who in 2004 voted for a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman.

Finally, this week, the elected statewide Republican officials declared their support for Matt Borges to replace Bob Bennett as Ohio Republican Party Chairman. Dismissing other potential candidates for the chairman's position, these statewide Republican officials endorsed Borges, a man who plead guilty to a misdemeanor for improper use of public office in a bribery investigation and served as a lobbyist for the liberal homosexual activist group, Equality Ohio.

This statement of rejection is not personal - the individuals above have reasons and explanations for their actions. Nor is this statement designed to elicit a specific response. This statement is merely to inform the public that we have not moved on these issues important to our fellow Buckeyes and we will not accept this leadership which is inconsistent with the principles of the Republican Party.

Tom Zawistowski, President of the We the People Convention and Executive Director of the Portage County TEA Party, said, "The leaders of the Republican Party in Ohio have chosen to separate themselves and the party from the wishes and values of their support base. Not just liberty group members and social conservative voters, but rank and file registered Republican voters who overwhelmingly voted for the Ohio Healthcare Amendment. With this letter we put the party bosses on notice that we reject their betrayal of the party platform and our conservative values. We will not support them going forward but will instead support those who are true to our cause."

"With sadness I put my name on this statement," said Seth Morgan, former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader. "Never have I been more concerned for the direction of our state and country - largely due to a failure in leadership. Why would the Republican leaders put themselves at odds with sound public policy and the platform of their own party?"

"Some of our Republican officials seem hell-bent on alienating conservative voters and volunteers, which reduces voter turnout. They ignore the GOP platform, choosing to put themselves outside the mainstream of our party base," said Lori Viars, Vice President of Warren County Right To Life,who also serves as Vice Chair of the Warren County Republican Party.

The signers below call on like-minded conservative Ohioans to organize and prepare for the challenges we and our neighbors are facing.

The initial signers below are represented in their personal / individual capacities. Titles and organization are listed for identification purposes only.





Seth Morgan,Former State Representative and Conservative Coalition Leader

Tom Zawistowski, President, We the People Convention; Executive Director, Portage County TEA Party

Lori Viars, Vice President, Warren County Right To Life

Bobbi Radeck, State Director, Concerned Women for America

Linda Harvey, Radio Host andPresident, Mission America

Don Birdsall, President, Dayton TEA Party

Joseph Platt, Esq., Board Member, Family First

Andrew Pappas, Leader, Anderson Tea Party

Pastor Andy Douglas, Director, Christians for Constitutional Awareness

Linda Reidelbach, Former State Representative; Delaware County Republican Central Committee member

Tom Brinkman, Jr., Former State Representative; Chairman of C.O.A.S.T. (Coalition Opposed To Additional Spending & Taxes)

Mark Stevenson, Founder,Ohioans For Educational Freedom

Sue Hardenbergh, Hamilton Co. Republican Central Committee Member

John McAvoy, Board of Directors, NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Janet (Folger) Porter, President, Faith2Action; Former Republican State Central Committee Member

Ryan Bolyard, Wayne County, Ohio; President, Hillsdale College Republicans

Paula Bolyard, Doylestown, Ohio; Conservative Blogger

Roseann Siderits, Board Member, Family First

Pastor J.C. Church, President of 3 Cord Alliance, Crawford County, Ohio

Marianne Gasiecki, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots

Wendy Sizemore, Leader, Pickaway County 9-12 Project Liberty Group

Glenn Newman, Founder, Marietta 9-12 Project

Randy Wilson, National Director, Watchmen on the Wall

Thea Shoemake, Homeschool Leader; Former Vice Chair of Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Ralph Spampanato, Director, Stark - Tusc 9-12

Pastor Norman R. Perkins, Reaching for Success, Dayton, Ohio

Dana R. Adams, President, Akron Tea Party

Jim Green, President, North Central Ohio Conservatives, Inc.

Amy Brighton, Co-Founder & Co-Coordinator, Medina Tea Party Patriots

George & Darla Lee, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Linda S. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

William E. Barry, Steering Committee Member, Auglaize County Patriots

Nelson Hack, Founder & Coordinator, Morrow County Tea Party

John Rhoad, Fayette County Coordinator, Ohioans for Healthcare Freedom

Connie Thompson, Athens, Ohio 9-12 Project

Margaret W. Hunt, Secretary, Geauga County Tea Party

Duane A. Plessinger, Director, Wayne County TEA Party; Member, Wayne Co. Republican Executive Committee

Anna Rehl, Founder, Licking County Organizing for Freedom

Patricia Eshleman, Leadership Team, Preble County Liberty Group

James W. Hellyer, Chairman, Licking County Tea Party

Judith L. Guju, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Mike Snead, President, Beavercreek Liberty Group

Andrew E. Russ, Esq., Counsel for Ohio TEA Party & Patriot Groups

Sharon Blocher, Stark - Tusc 9-12 Patriots

Van Pratt, President, Clinton County Tea Party

Mark Haverkos, Butler County Republican Central Committee

Beth Cox, Preble County Liberty Group

Richard Geyer, President, Society of Conservatives, United for Independence, Representative Republic, Equality & Liberty (SCUIRREL)

George Momirov, Director, Upper Arlington 9-12 Group

Ethlyn Kennedy, Treasurer, Lorain County 9-12 Tea Party

Jeff Malek, Founder, Wadsworth 9-12 Group

Bonnie Arnold, Marietta 9-12 Project

Linda Studer, Director, Wayne County Tea Party

Jon Eells, Marietta, Ohio 9-12 Project

Bob Longshore, Committee Chairman, Portage County TEA Party

Amanda Suffecool, President, Portage County TEA Party; Director, REALIZE Firearms Awareness Coalition

Mary Lou Cook, Co-Organizer, Voices of Liberty, Marion, Ohio Tea Party

Pastor Bob Tarasiak, Family Fellowship Church, Conneaut, Ohio

Linda Bishop, Committee Member, Findlay 9-12 Group

Carol Bicking, Gahanna Freedom Alliance

Larry Heller, Leader, Miami Township Tea Party; Steering Committee, Clermont Co. Tea Party; Clermont Co. Republican Central Committee

Jim Horton, Committee Member, Northwest Ohio Freedom Alliance

Karl W. Vonvaltier, Leader, Delaware County 9-12

Ken Kay, Executive Director, The Coalition of Freedom

Kirsten Hill, Chairman, Lorain County TEA Party

Mark Lucas, Director, Hilliard-Galloway Tea Party; Leader, Northwest Columbus 9-12

Emily Harris, Warren County Republican Executive Committee

Robert Lloyd, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Mary Gam, Director, Knox County 9-12 Project

Dan W. Offineer, Representative, Knox County 9-12 Patriots

Roger Baxter, Vice Chair, Clermont County Tea Party

Kirk "Shovel" Goings, National Road Captain, Sons of Liberty Riders

Joe Daly, Hamilton County Republican Central Committee

Sharon Poe, Secretary, Warren County Tea Party

Thomas Reynolds, Founder & Past President, Top of Ohio Patriots

James E. Burkholder, Vice Chairman, Top of Ohio Patriots 9-12

Kay Clymer, President, Zanesville Patriots

Kathy Freudenberger, Leader, Bethel Tea Party; Secretary, Clermont Co. Republican Party

Rev. Katherine Marple, Founder, Keep Life Legal Ministries

Ralph King, State Co-Coordinator (OH), Tea Party Patriots; Co-Founder Cleveland TEA Party Patriots

Carol Greenberg, Conservative Blogger; NW Ohio Conservative Coalition

Virginia Mack, Chairman, Putnam County Ohio Patriots

Jane Deeter, Leader, Huber Heights Liberty Group

Portman's Opportunism

Longtime readers of WMD know that my position on same sex marriage is that I oppose it while favoring civil unions. The reason I take the position that I do is that while I am a firm believer in the rights of individuals, I am also a staunch supporter of religious rights as well. Personally, I don't think government should be in the marriage business at all. I don't think there should be a "marriage penalty" when it comes to taxation. I don't believe that there should be a legal advantage or disadvantage to marriage. I think if two people want to establish a legal and binding relationship between themselves, that is okay by me...but don't call it marriage. Marriage has a religious connotation that government has absolutely no say in determining or establishing.

All of that brings us to Rob Portman's latest stunt to increase his name recognition and favorable polling numbers amongst a certain segment of the population. It is no secret among those who have followed Portman's career for any length of time that Rob doesn't do anything that he doesn't think will benefit his career. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that Will Portman went to Twitter to proclaim how proud he was of his father, I'm not entirely sure I would 100% believe that Rob has a gay son. That is just how opportunistic Portman is about his career, in my opinion. But don't take my word for it, here is what Michael Turk had to say:

In 2004 Portman supported a Constitutional ban on SSM; not just a ban against it. He wanted it enshrined in the Constitution. He has defended DOMA. In 2009, he opposed a law that would have allowed gay couples in DC the right to adopt. He has actively opposed gay rights for a decade at least. But then there is this:

“[W]hat happened to me is really personal. I mean, I hadn’t thought a lot about this issue. Again, my focus has been on other issues over my public policy career.”

Huh? You were that active in voting on an issue you really hadn’t thought a lot about? So your default position on issues you don’t think about is to deny people rights? Really?

Reconciling his past opposition to SSM and his current conversion is almost impossible. His explanation is that his son Will came out two years ago and that profoundly changed his mind.

But less than two years ago, at a speech to the University of Michigan law school, a full third of the school got up and walked out of his speech in protest of his positions on gay rights. That was, if his timeframe is to be accepted, after his son came out.

Granted I am a reliable cynic, but it seems to me that Portman, who is bandied about as a potential POTUS contender in 2016, is seeing the writing on the wall.

Turk goes on to describe some recent polling which states that nearly 70% of Republicans oppose gay marriage but notes that there is a strategy in which Portman's new found position on the subject could work to his advantage in a large field of candidates for President in the 2016 cycle.

Mark my words, THAT is what THIS is about. Portman sees what he thinks is the writing on the wall and wants to jump on that particular bandwagon and try to make it seem as if he is leading the charge. My guess is that once the "excitement" of this little media splash is over, the issue will go away for Rob until he sees another opportunity to exploit it for political gain.

The biggest problem that I have with Portman is that it appears there is nothing he won't sacrifice to the political gods if he can be seen to find some gain in doing so. What's next? What if little Sally decides to have an abortion? Can we count on Rob to not change his mind on being pro-life? What if his wife Jane, who used to work for Tom Daschle, decides that guns are icky? Can we count on Rob Portman's Second Amendment convictions?

These are all terrible things to contemplate, but since we have no idea who Rob Portman is going to be today let alone tomorrow, we HAVE to ask these questions. And more importantly, we HAVE to get answers to them. Portman has never lost an election, but I think he is going to find himself facing a serious challenge in his own backyard (Southwestern Ohio) if he can't convince people that he has principles and values that aren't subject to change due to personal situations. We don't elect leaders to represent themselves. We send them to Washington, Columbus, County and City Halls to represent US and OUR beliefs, not theirs.

SIDEBAR: BizzyBlog's Tom Blumer has been at the front lines of exposing Portman's opportunism for years...(here and here are two examples)

GUEST COLUMN: "A Stronger America Begins With Protecting Life" by Sen. Portman

BY SENATOR ROB PORTMAN

This Friday, Americans from across the country will visit our nation’s capital to stand up for life at the 39th annual March for Life. Their message is twofold: innocent life is a precious and unalienable right that must be preserved and Roe v. Wade should not stand.

Our Founding Fathers recognized the value of life when they signed their names beneath the famous words “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life …”

Since the first March for Life almost 40 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Americans have come to their nation’s capital each January to stand up for this right to life for the unborn. As I have before, my staff and I look forward to visiting with marchers from Ohio.

While our nation is divided on whether or not abortion should be legal, on one point there is a growing consensus: we must all work together to reduce the number of abortions. Recent data indicates that more and more Americans agree. This is not surprising. Cutting-edge medical technology can detect a baby’s heartbeat even earlier in a pregnancy and ultrasounds are providing an increasingly advanced look into a baby’s development.

A May 2012 Gallup survey discovered that a record low 41 percent of Americans identify themselves as “pro-choice” and 50 percent now call themselves “pro-life,” one point shy of a record high. A separate Gallup poll found that America’s youth, those between the ages of 18-29, are shifting toward the pro-life position – by as much as 9 percentage points over the past 20 years.

At the same time, data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the abortion rate in the United States has dropped to an all-time low. According to the latest CDC data, between 2008 and 2009 abortions dropped by 5 percent, the largest decline in the previous decade.

I am proud of my pro-life record throughout my time in public service. I have co-sponsored pro-life measures, including the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to permanently prohibit federal funding of abortion, and the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which would allow a health plan to decline coverage of things like abortion that go against the religious or moral beliefs of the person or organization offering or purchasing the plan. I am also a co-sponsor of the Protect Life Act, which prohibits federal funding of abortion in the President’s health care spending law.

But there is much more to do. I am concerned about attempts to circumvent states’ laws concerning abortion for minors. Ohio and the majority of other states require parents’ involvement if their minors have an abortion. Yet, 13 states and the District of Columbia do not have such laws on the books. Minors who live in the states bordering on these outliers are often transported across state lines for abortions as a way to get around their home-state parental involvement requirements.

To clamp down on this practice, I recently introduced the Child Custody Protection Act, which would make it a federal offense to transport a minor across a state line for an abortion if it would circumvent a state law requiring parental involvement in that minor’s abortion. The parental involvement laws of states should not be undermined by crossing state lines. This bill is a good start in putting an end to this practice.

As they have since Roe v. Wade was first handed down in 1973, this year Americans from all walks of life are stepping forward to speak out for the unborn. I salute all Ohioans who are traveling from Ohio to Washington this week to stand and march. You have sacrificed time and money for something much greater than both of those things put together: the sanctity of human life. In many ways the movement has made great progress, especially through new laws and regulations at the state level. Yet there is more to do to protect the sanctity of life and to give the unborn a chance to grow up and live fruitful lives in this blessed nation.

Portman Reacts to Senator Chuck Hagel’s Nomination To Secretary Of Defense

Release:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today released the following statement reacting to Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be the next Secretary of Defense:

“I am surprised and disappointed President Obama has chosen to move forward with Senator Hagel’s nomination given the significant concerns that both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have expressed about Senator Hagel’s positions and past votes on issues regarding some of our closest allies and most pressing national security threats. I believe Senator Hagel should get a fair look and an opportunity to defend his record, his past comments, and his current beliefs, but I don’t understand why the Administration is looking to pick yet another political fight instead of working with Congress to solve some of the very real problems we face as a country.”

Portman Tells Obama to Nix Pay Raise to Biden and Congress

from Fox News:

Republican Sen. Rob Portman is urging President Obama to rescind a recent executive order granting pay increases to Congress and other federal officials, saying the move doesn't exactly jibe with the country's debt crisis. Obama signed an executive order last week that will lift a ban on pay freezes for federal employees. Rank-and-file members of Congress would all see a $900 bump next year -- up from $174,000. Congressional leaders will receive a slightly higher raise, with the House speaker receiving a $1,100 salary increase to $224,600. The top two Senate leaders will see pay rise $1,000, to $194,400. Vice President Biden, meanwhile, will see his pay increase from $225,521 last year to $231,900 after his raise goes into effect March 27, 2013. Portman said now is not the time for bigger salaries in Washington -- at least not until the country can deal aggressively with its debt and deficit problems. "At a time when our country is facing record debt and trillion-dollar deficits, the last thing Washington should do is reward itself with a pay increase," the Ohio senator said. "I am calling on President Obama to withdraw his recent executive order raising federal salaries -- including for members of Congress. Until a long-term deficit reduction agreement is reached, we should not consider increasing the pay for Congress."

Senator Portman may be using this issue to get his name in the papers for what I believe to be a rather quixotic attempt to become the 2016 GOP presidential nominee. However, I don't care. Our Congressional leaders and this dithering idiot of a VP do not deserve a pay raise. Unemployment is up. Regulations are up. Inflation would be skyrocketing if not for the voodoo Bernanke and Co. are doing, but it will come. Confidence is down. Hope is shot. Regulations are up. And Congress has done little but bluster. Or, Portman may really believe what he and Rep. Bachmann on the house side are saying. It doesn't matter. Obama should rescind this idea of pay raising, especially in a time when most people are seeing salaries continue to be flat, benefits become more costly, and disposable cash at historic lows.

Senators Portman and Ayotte Sink Law Of The Sea Treaty

Release:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio), ranking member on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, sent a letter today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in which they announced their opposition to Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Citing significant concerns about the breadth and ambiguity of the treaty, and more importantly, the risks to U.S. sovereignty due to issues regarding enforcement and adjudication, the two members of the Senate Armed Services Committee stated, “After careful consideration, we have concluded that on balance this treaty is not in the national interest of the United States. As a result, we would oppose the treaty if it were called up for a vote.”

Portman and Ayotte continued, “We simply are not persuaded that decisions by the International Seabed Authority and international tribunals empowered by this treaty will be more favorable to U.S. interests than bilateral negotiations, voluntary arbitration, and other traditional means of resolving maritime issues. No international organization owns the seas, and we are confident that our country will continue to protect its navigational freedom, valid territorial claims, and other maritime rights.”

Because the Constitution requires 67 affirmative votes for the Senate to ratify a treaty, and 31 senators have previously signed a letter in opposition and a 32nd senator announced his opposition, Portman and Ayotte’s announcement makes efforts to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty dead in the water in this Congress.



The full text of the letter is below.



July 16, 2012


The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Leader:

Recently, there has been renewed interest in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a treaty completed in 1982 and modified in 1994. After careful consideration, we have concluded that on balance this treaty is not in the national interest of the United States. As a result, we would oppose the treaty if it were called up for a vote.

Proponents of the Law of the Sea treaty aspire to admirable goals, including codifying the U.S. Navy’s navigational rights and defining American economic interests in valuable offshore resources. But the treaty’s terms reach well beyond those good intentions. This agreement is striking in both the breadth of activities it regulates and the ambiguity of obligations it creates. Its 320 articles and over 200 pages establish a complex regulatory regime that applies to virtually any commercial or governmental activity related to the oceans — from seaborne shipping, to drug and weapon interdiction, to operating a manufacturing plant near a coastal waterway.[1]

The terms of the treaty are not only expansive, but often ill-defined. Article 194, for example, broadly requires nations to “take … all measures consistent with this Convention that are necessary to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source, using for this purpose the best practicable means at their disposal and in accordance with their capabilities.” Article 207 decrees that “[s]tates shall adopt laws and regulations to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from land-based sources … taking into account internationally agreed rules.” Article 293 empowers tribunals to enforce not only the treaty provisions but also “other rules of international law not incompatible with [the treaty].” Because the treaty authorizes international legislative and judicial bodies to give shape and substance to these and other open-ended commitments, the United States would be binding itself to yet-unknown requirements and liabilities. That uncertainty alone is reason for caution.

The treaty’s breadth and ambiguity might be less troubling if there were adequate assurance that it will be enforced impartially and in a manner consistent with U.S. interests. But that is not so. The United States could block some but not all actions of the International Seabed Authority, a legislative body vested with significant power over more than half of the earth’s surface.[2] Further, the treaty’s judicial bodies are empowered to issue binding judgments even over U.S. objections. In some cases, the United States could elect to resolve disputes before a five-member arbitration tribunal, in which we would choose two arbitrators. But the United States would have no hand in selecting the decisive, fifth arbitrator, unless it could agree with the opposing party.[3] Other cases would be decided by the powerful International Tribunal, which is even less accountable to the United States. Comprised of 21 foreign judges with no guaranteed U.S. seat, the tribunal can resolve any dispute concerning interpretation of the treaty. It has compulsory jurisdiction over disputes concerning the seabed beyond national borders and power to grant preliminary injunctive relief whenever it deems necessary “to preserve the respective rights of the parties to the dispute or to prevent serious harm to the marine environment.”[4]

The method of executing tribunal judgments further concerns us. Unlike many international agreements, key provisions of the Law of the Sea treaty are drafted to be “self-executing,” meaning that certain tribunal judgments would automatically constitute enforceable federal law, without congressional legislation or meaningful review by our nation’s judiciary.[5] As Justice John Paul Stevens noted in a concurring opinion in Medellin v. Texas, the Law of the Sea treaty appears to “incorporate international judgments into domestic law” because it expressly provides that decisions of the tribunal “‘shall be enforceable in the territories of the States Parties in the same manner as judgments or orders of the highest court of the State Party in whose territory the enforcement is sought.’”[6] In other words, the treaty equates tribunal decisions with decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. This means that private litigants will likely be able to invoke tribunal judgments as enforceable in U.S. courts — against the government and possibly against U.S. businesses. The United States will have no lawful choice but to acquiesce to tribunal judgments, however burdensome or unfair.[7]

The treaty could also spawn international environmental tort claims directly against U.S. businesses and citizens. A federal law called the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) gives courts the power to hear “any civil action by an alien for a tort … committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.”[8] Remarkably, even though the U.S. has not yet ratified the Law of the Sea treaty, the treaty has already been invoked as a basis for ATS litigation targeting industrial activities. In a 2002 lawsuit brought by residents of Papua New Guinea against a mining corporation, a federal district court in California held that the plaintiffs had stated a valid ATS claim under the environmental provisions of the Law of the Sea treaty.[9] A panel of the Ninth Circuit agreed.[10] Accession to the treaty would only strengthen ATS claims like this 2002 lawsuit by transforming international environmental norms into a binding treaty obligation.

In short, we are deeply concerned about the treaty’s breadth and ambiguity, the inadequate U.S. input in the treaty’s adjudicative bodies, and the automatic enforcement of tribunal judgments in the United States. Against these risks to U.S. sovereignty, however, we have also carefully weighed the potential benefits of the treaty.

As members of the Armed Services Committee, we are mindful that the Defense Department believes this treaty would help secure the navigational freedom of our fleet. We take this recommendation seriously and recognize that the treaty would provide an additional tool to our diplomatic and military leaders in resolving maritime disputes. We also understand the commercial interests associated with treaty accession. Several U.S. businesses have explained that the treaty would enhance investment in energy development and mineral extraction by increasing certainty about ownership claims. Specifically, the treaty would codify rights to resources in the U.S. exclusive economic zone, the extended continental shelf, and the deep seabed. It would also give the United States a formal role in the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which is now reviewing claims by treaty members in the Arctic.

At the same time, even treaty proponents recognize that these provisions primarily clarify rights that the United States already possesses under customary international law and has other means of asserting. For example, the treaty’s 200-nautical-mile rule defining coastal states’ exclusive economic zones is consistent with longstanding U.S. claims.[11] Moreover, the United States has successfully used bilateral negotiations with Russia and Mexico to define claims to the extended continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic.[12] Similarly, the treaty’s navigational regimes reflect the current practices of the U.S. Navy, and we believe that our maritime interests are best secured by maintaining U.S. naval power beyond challenge.

The real issue is not whether the United States will defend its maritime rights, but rather who will have the final say on the scope of those rights. We simply are not persuaded that decisions by the International Seabed Authority and international tribunals empowered by this treaty will be more favorable to U.S. interests than bilateral negotiations, voluntary arbitration, and other traditional means of resolving maritime issues. No international organization owns the seas, and we are confident that our nation will continue to protect its navigational freedom, valid territorial claims, and other maritime rights.

On balance, we believe the treaty’s litigation exposure and impositions on U.S. sovereignty outweigh its potential benefits. For that reason, we cannot support the Law of the Sea treaty and would oppose its ratification.

Sincerely,


Rob Portman Kelly Ayotte

Ranking Member Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Emerging Subcommittee on Readiness
Threats and Capabilities, and Management Support

Portman on SCOTUS Decision

Release:

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling that President Obama’s health care mandate is actually multi-billion dollar tax on middle class families:

"While the Court has deemed the law constitutional as a tax on the American people, it is still flawed policy that is unaffordable for our families, our small businesses, and our government. The President's one-size-fits-all health care spending law is the centerpiece of a failed agenda that has increased economic uncertainty, stalled job creation, and deepened the spending hole that Washington has dug.

“It's time to change course and focus on growing jobs, instead of growing government. It didn't need to come to this. Washington didn't need to pass highly partisan legislation that is increasing premiums on families by $2,100 per year, increasing the deficit by billions of dollars, and killing thousands of jobs through billions of dollars in new taxes.

“There was, and still is, a better way to improve our health care system without the heavy hand of government and massive new taxes. I'm hopeful the President will be willing to work with Republicans and Democrats alike on patient centered health care that actually reduces costs and expands access.”

Sen. Portman Statement on Senate’s Unwillingness To Roll Back Job-Killing Utility MACT Rules

Release:

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s unwillingness to roll back the EPA’s Job-Killing Utility MACT standard for impacting Ohio’s power plants:

“The EPA doesn’t seem to understand the impact of its regulation on grid reliability and economic growth. Sadly, we can now say the same thing about the U.S. Senate. This regulation will cause Ohio power plants to shut down and could cause thousands of Ohioans to lose their jobs, and millions more see a big increase in their electricity rates. To get the economy moving again, Washington needs to rein in government overreach and regulations that are creating uncertainty and stifling innovation.”

In September 2012, Sen. Portman introduced the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 to significantly reform the federal regulatory process and reduce unnecessary burdens on job creators. Under this bill, the new Utility MACT rule would not have been possible without a more rigorous analysis of its costs, benefits and impact on jobs. The bipartisan bill passed the House by a vote of 253-167.

Portman on May Jobs Report

Release:

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today released the following statement on the nation’s May unemployment report, which showed that the economy gained 69,000 jobs in May, nearly 100,000 less than projected, while the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2 percent:

"This is disappointing news for families in Ohio and around the country as they try to make ends meet in the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression. We are on the wrong track. Coupled with the recent downward economic growth revision, it should now be clear President Obama's stimulus hasn't worked, nor has class warfare, anti-business rhetoric or his big government approach.

"There's a better way; good ideas that can help turn things around, including pro-growth tax reform, regulatory relief and a new national energy plan that Congress and the Administration should enact on a bipartisan basis.

"With the tax code more complicated than it’s been in decades, regulatory and tax uncertainty freezing entrepreneurs, and spending out of control, Washington needs to act to free up the private sector to create the jobs the American economy is capable of and Ohio families deserve."

Portman Statement on Meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak

Release:

Tel Aviv, Israel – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, met today with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the United States’ long-term security commitment to Israel and emerging threats within the region.

“Defense Minister Barak and I discussed the many security issues facing Israel. We spoke about the threat that Iran poses to Israel and the United States, and the need to keep up international pressure,” said Portman following the meeting. "The international community can't allow the Iranians to stall further multilateral pressure through hollow talks."

“We also spoke about my visit earlier in the day to a battery of the Iron Dome anti-rocket air defense system, and how U.S. support for this technology is a win-win proposal for both of our nations. Having fought for the program in the National Defense Authorization Act, I was glad to hear more about its highly successful track record and the Israelis’ commitment to the program, as well as see it in action firsthand,” he continued. “The Iron Dome system is a proven way for Israel to defend its citizens from hostile threats and will advance missile defense technology for us and other allies.”

In the last decade, Israelis in the north and south have suffered bombardment by terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas. In response, the Iron Dome system was developed in 2007 to defend against short-range rocket and artillery attacks. This cost-effective system was initially funded solely by Israel, but funding for the production and deployment of additional Iron Dome batteries was later approved by the United States.

Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee awarded $210 million for joint U.S.-Israeli cooperative missile defense programs and procurement of additional Iron Dome batteries as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. As of now, there are three operational Iron Dome batteries, with another on its way. However, Israel estimates it will need 10-15 to cover its population centers.

“U.S.-Israeli security cooperation is one of our most valued and important arrangements, and given the volatility in the region, one of our most significant. I look forward to continuing that relationship through projects like the Iron Dome,” Portman concluded.

GUEST COLUMN: "Anniversary of President Obama’s Health Care Law: Nothing to Celebrate"

By Senator Rob Portman

Two years ago this week, President Obama signed his health care bill into law with the promises that more federal mandates, rules and regulations would lower costs, and that Americans happy with their current health insurance would be able to keep that coverage. Unfortunately, these promises have not been kept. The health care bill is getting more expensive by the day and many Americans are being driven away from the employer-provided coverage they have now.

The high costs of health care affect us as families and worsen the federal budget deficit. But they also increase the cost of doing business and the costs of creating jobs, making it harder for us to see the kind of robust economic recovery we all want. Having visited over 100 businesses in Ohio over the past few years, there is no question that health care cost increases were already taking their toll on Ohio businesses.

Unfortunately, the new law has not helped the situation. In fact, many believe the higher costs associated with the mandates in the law, along with the great uncertainty around its implementation, are among the reasons why employers are not hiring.

Small businesses tell us so. According to the latest small business survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 74 percent of small businesses say the law makes it more difficult for them to hire. Thirty-six percent say uncertainty out of Washington is one of the two biggest reasons why they’re not hiring. Thirty percent say the mandates in the law are a reason they’re not hiring.

This is certainly what I hear when meeting with business owners across our state. Employers tell me that even if their business is picking up, they are paying current workers overtime or bringing on part-time employees in order to avoid the higher health care costs associated with a new, full-time hire.

The new law also hurts the economy by imposing $500 billion in new taxes, including a new, direct increase on innovative employers in the medical device industry.

The law imposes a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale of medical devices, effective January 1 of the coming year. The tax isn’t on profits, it’s on revenues, meaning that it will hit fragile, young companies that aren’t even yet profitable. It’s simply a revenue stream to help pay for the president’s plan – on the backs of hardworking entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists. This tax could cost tens of thousands of jobs.

Ohio is home to a lot of medical device companies, many of which are small businesses. According to the medical device industry, 80 percent of their businesses have fewer than 50 employees, and 98 percent have fewer than 500. The excise tax is not yet even in effect, and it’s already punishing employers in Ohio and other states that are hotbeds of high-tech innovation.

Last year, I visited Mound Laser & Photonics Center (MLPC) just outside Dayton, which provides laser fabrication and machining services. Dr. Larry Dosser, the president and CEO, told me the medical device excise tax could be devastating to MLPC’s business, 70 percent of which is from customers in health care and medical devices. He added that the tax might force the medical device industry to take much of its work offshore. Medical device companies across the state have shared similar stories.

As they had feared, MLPC was forced in January to lay off employees for the first time in their 16-year history. In this uncertain economic climate, medical device companies, including MLPC’s customers, are looking for ways to offset the added expenses they will face in less than 10 months when the tax goes into effect. This is hurting MLPC’s business.

This is not just an Ohio issue. Next door to us in Michigan, medical technology firm Stryker Corporation announced late last year that they will lay off 5 percent of their workforce because of the excise tax.

After two years of burdening employers, it seems clear to me that we should repeal this tax – and repeal and replace the rest of President Obama’s big-government approach to health care. There is a lot of discussion about how the new law adds to our record budget deficits and debt without adequately addressing the basic cost and access challenges Ohioans face. But it has also made it harder to create jobs in the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression.

Sen. Portman On Obama Administration’s Delayed Budget

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Budget Committee and former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, today issued the following response to news that President Obama will delay the release of his FY ’13 budget proposal:

“It has now been 999 days since Senate Democrats have passed a budget, and in that time, Washington's debt has increased by a whopping $4 trillion. A budget is desperately needed to get America's fiscal house in order. Last year, President Obama's budget was so fiscally irresponsible that even he disavowed it. He actually asked for a mulligan, but even on his second try he failed to provide a detailed path forward to address America's pending fiscal crisis.

“I'm incredibly concerned that, with a record national debt now equal to 100% of our GDP, the President is unable to put forward a plan to address Washington's out of control debt and deficits. If I were advising President Obama, I'd recommend less time campaigning and more time spent addressing the impending fiscal crisis. We need a budget with a responsible spending restraint and pro-growth reforms and we need it now.”

Sen. Portman on President Obama’s Decision to Appoint Director of Unaccountable New Agency

Release:

Washington, D.C. - U.S Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement on President Obama's recess appointment of Rich Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB):

"Despite promising to change the tone in Washington, President Obama has again opted for a dramatic partisan overreach, instead of working together to make this powerful new regulator more accountable to the American people. The President responded to legitimate concerns about potential abuse of this new regulator’s powers by abusing his own appointment power in an unprecedented fashion. This appears to be the first time in history that any president -- Democrat or Republican -- has installed the head of a major federal agency using a recess appointment over just a three-day adjournment.

"The irony is that while this recess appointment may advance the White House’s political goals, it does nothing to advance the work of the CFPB. The statute creating the CFPB makes clear that only Senate confirmation of a Director – not a recess appointment – can activate the new powers of this agency to regulate consumer transactions with Main Street businesses.

"As I have said many times, this is not about Rich Cordray, who I believe is a good public servant. Long before he was nominated to be CFPB Director, I expressed my strong concerns about the impact this new regulator would have on all of us as consumers, on job creation, and on our economy, and recommended some commonsense reforms. No other federal regulator has so much authority over personal economic decisions, with so little responsibility to answer to the American people and their elected representatives. These concerns -- voiced by 44 Senators -- cannot be addressed if the White House continues to refuse to work together despite my and others' efforts to reach out to them to find a way forward."

Portman Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Export Agreements

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a former U.S. Trade Representative, today issued the following statement after the Senate’s approval of the pending export opening agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama, agreements Portman helped negotiate while serving as U.S. Trade Representative:

“I welcome the long awaited passage of the pending export agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama, which will create much needed opportunity and job creation at a time when American families are falling behind in a stagnant economy.

“After years of unnecessary delay, American manufacturers, farmers and service providers will gain greater access to nearly 100 million consumers through lower tariffs on our exports to Korea, Colombia and Panama. According to the President’s own metrics, these agreements, which passed with strong bipartisan support, will create up to 250,000 American jobs.

“The Korea agreement is supported by the United Auto Workers (UAW), and is a welcome example of American businesses, labor groups, a Democratic President and a bipartisan majority in Congress working together to pass an important job-creating bill.

“I applaud the good work by Congressional leaders to move swiftly to bring these agreements up for a vote, shortly after the President finally submitted them to the Congress. The Senate’s vote of approval today of the Korea, Colombia and Panama agreements is a significant step in the right direction for American workers and businesses. They are also proof that Republicans stand willing to work with the Administration to help them re-engage in the global market place to opening new opportunities for U.S. goods and services.”

Ohio Liberty Council on Super Senator Portman

Release:

Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Liberty Council offered its congratulations to Ohio Senator Rob Portman yesterday on his appointment to the “Super Committee”. Ohio Liberty Council President, Tom Zawistowski, said “We have an excellent relationship with Senator Portman and we are not surprised that someone with his background would be chosen for this important position. He has been very generous in the past in giving Ohio Patriot group leaders the opportunity to communicate our positions on various issues. We expect that relationship to continue and play an important roll in this debate over how to get our nation's spending under control and gets our economy growing again. We offer Senator Portman our congratulation on his appointment.”

Rob Portman on Cut, Cap and Balance

 Does anybody know if Senator Portman has taken a position on Cut, Cap and Balance?

I ask because I don't see his name and picture among the pledge signers and I think he really should be on board if he's half the fiscal conservative he claims to be...



UPDATE: Apparently, Portman is a co-sponsor of the Senate version.  Let's see if he votes for it or pushes for a vote at all.  I am in full Verify, Then Trust mode...particularly when it comes to Republican Senators from Ohio.

UPDATE 2: Over on Twitter, Team Portman spokesman says this:

To answer ? raised in your post, Rob will be @ a press conf tmrw w House/Sen leaders of CC&B pushing for Senate vote + passage

Outstanding!  I look forward to hearing what he has to say.

ORP: Recovery Bummer

Release:

Columbus – Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine released the following statement on the one year anniversary of President Obama’s “Recovery Summer” declaration:

“One year ago President Obama came to Ohio and promised the American people that massive deficit spending would bring us a ‘Recovery Summer,’ but the economic realities facing Ohio taxpayers and families today are better described as a recovery bummer,” Chairman DeWine said.

“Two years of pep rallies and broken promises by Barack Obama and Sherrod Brown have cost Ohio nearly 40,000 jobs, and pushed a massive burden of debt onto the backs of future generations. Speaker Boehner and Senator Rob Portman have put forth economic plans which empower the private sector, not the government, to create jobs. President Obama and Sherrod Brown should pick them up as summer reading before once again using Ohioans as a political prop for their failed economic policies.”

SUMMER BUMMER: Democrats’ Failed Stimulus Promises

President Obama came to Ohio to cite the success of the stimulus: President Obama claimed that his trillion dollar stimulus was creating “…progress all across the country. Businesses are beginning to hire again.” He also said that the economy “is now growing at a good clip,” and he gave credit to Democrats in Congress for passing the “successful” stimulus. (Presidential press conference, Columbus, OH, 6/18/2010)

Sherrod Brown claimed as many as 133,000 jobs would be created in Ohio: “Ohio will receive more than $8 billion to help create as many as 133,000 Ohio jobs. The funds are designed to stimulate Ohio's economy through investment in infrastructure projects, foster new business growth and new industry, and help millions of Ohio middle class families with much-needed tax relief.” (Sherrod Brown, February 2009 Wrap Up, Press Release, 02/09)

Sherrod Brown said the stimulus would the economy “back on track”: “‘This bill will go a long way toward putting Americans back to work and our economy back on track,' Mr. Brown said.” (Tom Troy, "Brown, Kaptur Back Stimulus; GOP's Voinovich Rejects It," Toledo Blade, 2/12/09)

Brown said the stimulus would jump start the economy: “BROWN: And that’s what this program’s all about over the next two years, jump-starting that economy.” (CNN, 1/28/09)

SUMMER BUMMER: Democrats’ Now Claim Ownership of Struggling Economy

DNC Chairwoman claims ownership of present economy: “We own the economy. We own the beginning of the turnaround and we want to make sure that we continue that pace of recovery…” (Molly Ball, “Debbie Wasserman Schultz: ‘We Own the Economy’,” FoxNews, 6/15/2011)

President Obama said his job was to “solve problems” when it came to the economy: “‘This is Obama’s economy. … ‘That’s fine. Give it to me ... So I welcome the job. My job is to solve problems.’” (Sam Youngman, “Obama takes ownership of economy,” The Hill, 7/14/09)

White House: Poor jobs numbers “bumps on the road to recovery”: “The White House downplayed a disappointing May jobs report Friday that showed unemployment inched up to 9.1 percent, with President Obama’s chief economist Austin Goolsbee calling the latest number one of the ‘bumps on the road to recovery.’” (Kara Rowland, “Poor Jobs Numbers ‘Bumps on the Road to Recovery,” Washington Times, 6/3/11)

SUMMER BUMMER: Economic Realities Ohio Faces

More Ohio jobs lost: As of April 2011, Ohio has lost 38,046 jobs since the stimulus passed in February 2009. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, www.bls.gov, Accessed 6/15/11)

Ohio unemployment rate no longer decreasing: “It's a pause after 14 straight months of falling unemployment.” (Associated Press, 6/17/11)

Fewer Ohio businesses being created: Ohio had 5,831 fewer “Starting and Active Businesses” in 2009 over 2008 and still 3,489 fewer from 2009 to 2010 (2008 = 233,681; 2009 = 227,850; 2010 = 224,361). (Ohio Department of Development, “Ohio County Indicators,” p. 167, June 2011)

Butler County has lost 3,500 Jobs Since 2009: “Butler County has lost nearly 1,300 jobs in the first six months of this year and about 3,500 jobs since 2009, according to county and state data.” (Michael D. Pitman, “Butler County ranks No. 1 in job loss for entire region,” Dayton Daily News, 6/9/11)

SUMMER BUMMER: Our National Econom

Unemployment, national debt and gas prices have increased: In the 28 months since the stimulus was passed, unemployment has increased at a rate of 25%, our nation’s debt has risen 35% and the cost of a gallon of gas is up 104%. (NBC’s “Meet the Press,” 6/12/11)

1.9 million fewer people employed twenty-eight months after “stimulus” was passed: “Twenty-eight months after Congress passed President Obama’s signature economic stimulus law, and nearly one year after he declared the summer of 2010 to be ‘Recovery Summer,’ 1.9 million fewer people are employed.” (Matt Clover, “1.9 Million Fewer Americans Have Jobs Today Than When Obama Signed Stimulus,” CNS News, 6/14/11)

Unemployment Duration Hits Longest Amount on Record: “Long-term unemployed I: Average length of unemployment hit longest amount on record (going back to 1948) of 39.7 weeks.” (Lisa Desjardins, “Cheat Sheet: Unemployment Report,” CNN, 6/3/2011)

Ohio State Study Finds that Stimulus Destroyed Private Sector Jobs. The study released this week by economists Timothy Conley from the University of Western Ontario and Bill Dupor from Ohio State University found that the President's failed stimulus “destroyed/forestalled roughly one million private sector jobs.” (Timothy Conley and Bill Dupor, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Public Sector Jobs Saved, Private Sector Jobs Forestalled,” 5/17/11)

Ohio Republicans Offer Alternative Job Plans

Ohio’s Republican delegation is leading the way in providing ideas which will lead to job growth:

On May 3rd, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) unveiled the Senate Republican Jobs Plan.

U.S. House Republicans unveiled A Plan for America’s Job Creators, a plan that builds on the Pledge to America and GOP efforts to spur private sector job growth.

If President Obama and Sherrod Brown would like information on what it will take to create jobs and move America’s economy toward a sustained recovery, Senator Portman’s Jobs Plan can be viewed here. The jobs plan put forth by Speaker Boehner can be found here.

Sen. Portman Co-Sponsors Bill to Permanently Prohibit Federal Funding of Abortion

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) has co-sponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (S. 906) to permanently prohibit federal funding of abortion. Currently, the policies that prohibit taxpayer funding of abortions are attached to appropriations bills that must be reauthorized annually. This is a piecemeal approach under which there’s a risk that the policies could be eliminated each year. This bill would make the policies permanent.

“I believe in the sanctity of life and am proud of my strong pro-life voting record throughout my service in Congress,” said Portman. “The sanctity of life is fundamental and universal, and I am fully committed to protecting it while serving in the U.S. Senate.”

Portman has had a strong pro-life record throughout his years of public service. As a member of the House of Representatives, he consistently voted to protect the unborn and received a 100% voting record from the National Right to Life. He was an original co-sponsor of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and also supported the Child Custody Protection Act, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, and the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, and voted to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions at hospitals on military bases.