Content by Congressman Jack Kingston
Posted at 12:14pm on Nov. 29, 2007 Earmark Reform Everyone Can Agree On
By Congressman Jack Kingston
Before Congress left town to enjoy some turkey and time with the family, Congressman Zach Wamp, Congressman Frank Wolf and I introduced a resolution calling for a moratorium on earmarks till a Joint Select Committee makes a full study. The bill currently has 86 cosponsors.
Our resolution establishes a Joint Select Committee on earmark reform that will be composed of 16 members, evenly split between the House and Senate majority and minority parties. This JSC will make a full study of earmarks, both congressional and executive branch. The study will not only cover earmarking in appropriation bills, but also authorizing, tax and tariff measures. After all, the famous “Bridge to Nowhere” was part of an authorizing bill not appropriations.
What will this study cover? The intent is for it to be as comprehensive as possible. While not exhaustive, this includes:
- Existing earmark disclosure requirements and the existing definitions of earmarks;
- Earmark transparency at all levels of the legislative process;
- Evaluating requirements that earmarks not be placed in any bill after initial committee consideration;
- Evaluating requirements that Members be permitted to remove earmarks throughout the legislative process;
- Evaluating requirements that earmarks be certified by bill sponsors and committee leadership;
- Evaluating the Administration’s earmark practices in their annual budget submissions;
- Evaluating earmarking in amendments; and
- Considering whether new categories for earmarks should be established, possibly to include projects of national scope, military projects and local/provincial projects.
The three of us have worked hard to come up with an earmark reform proposal that is acceptable to all Members. I think we’ve come up with a good bill that has the support of appropriators, budget hawks and Republican moderates. This is the first earmark reform bill that can claim such a coalition.
I am confident that once this resolution gets to the House floor, we can work in a bipartisan manner to get it passed.
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Posted at 1:42pm on Oct. 3, 2007 It's Not Really About Rush, It's About Talk Radio
By Congressman Jack Kingston
The left-leaning, George Soros funded Media Matters has Rush Limbaugh in their crosshairs for comments they claim he made on his radio show last week. According to the group, Rush called military personnel who served in Iraq and oppose the war, “phony soldiers.”
Unfortunately for Media Matters, an examination of the transcript reveals their claim is false. But since when has the Left let facts get in the way? Indeed, the day after his comments, Rush explained that he was referring not to any real soldier but a phony one. Most notably, Jesse MacBeth, a now-hero of the left when he recounted how his Army unit murdered innocent Iraqis. In fact, he hadn’t even completed basic training. Two weeks ago, MacBeth pled guilty to falsifying an Army discharge record and a Department of Veterans Affairs claim; he was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation.
MacBeth’s conviction was part of a year long investigation called “Operation Stolen Valor” that focused on those who lie about their military service for financial gain or other reasons. In fact, just days before Rush’s comments, ABC News did a story on “Operation Stolen Valor.” In that report, correspondent Brian Ross used the phrase “phony heroes.” Media Matters and the Democrats’ silence on that comment speaks volumes and reveals their true intentions.
In response to the attack on Rush I will be introducing a resolution that calls for:
“Honoring all Americans serving in the Armed Forces of the United States and commending broadcaster Rush Limbaugh for his relentless efforts to build and maintain troop morale through worldwide radio broadcasts and personal visits to conflict regions.”
The Left has long targeted conservative talk radio. They have tried everything from regulation to launching their own liberal network. But Air America failed miserably and conservative radio has continued to grow. Faced with such defeat, they are now looking to revive the Fairness Doctrine. And with Media Matters leading the way, it seems they are attempting to take their first step.
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Posted at 12:34pm on Feb. 16, 2007 Non-Binding Nonsense
By Congressman Jack Kingston
For two years, we’ve heard the Democrats complain that President Bush doesn’t have a plan in Iraq. Now that they are in the majority, they’ve finally released one wrapped in the guise of a non-binding resolution– and it’s all of one sentence. Fifty-eight words to be exact:
“Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.”
This is what the Democrats have come up with? A non-binding resolution carries zero weight; it doesn’t change one thing legislatively and has no force of law. It’s a way for Congress to give its two cents worth without having to do any heavy lifting.
Read on . . .
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Posted at 1:09pm on Nov. 2, 2006 Pelosi's War Blunder
"The war on terror is the war in Afghanistan" -- but does Al-Qaeda know that?
By Congressman Jack Kingston
Op-ed from today's Washington Times:
In a stunning performance on "60 Minutes," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi proved again why she cannot be trusted to keep America safe from the threat of global terrorism and Islamic extremists.
Mrs. Pelosi demonstrated that she does not understand the global nature of the threat when she stated flatly "the war on terror is the war in Afghanistan." She may think the war is limited to Afghanistan, but where does al Qaeda believe the war is? Al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a letter to the leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq, was clear about the location of the global jihad and the importance of victory in Iraq:
"Victory of Islam will never take place until a Muslim state is established in the manner of the Prophet in the heart of the Islamic world ... As for the battles that are going on in the far flung regions of the Islamic world, such as Chechnya, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Bosnia, they are just the groundwork and the vanguard for the major battles which have begun in the heart of the Islamic world."
Zawahiri reminds Iraqi terrorists, like Abu Musab Zarqawi, that God has blessed them "with the splendor of the spearhead of Jihad." Translation: Islamic fascists led by al Qaeda are fighting a global jihad to establish a Muslim caliphate from Egypt to Iraq. They will attack anyone, anywhere, with any means, that will further their violent cause.
Tourists in Indonesia, embassy workers in Africa, commuters in Spain and London, schoolchildren in Russia, office workers in New York and Washington, and 40 Americans on a plane over Pennsylvania could all tell Nancy Pelosi where the war on terror is, if their voices had not been silenced.
For Mrs. Pelosi, Iraq is not even part of the war on Islamic terrorism, while for our terrorist enemies Iraq is "the spearhead of jihad." Zawahiri's letter details a four-part strategy for global jihad starting with Iraq; "the first stage: expel the Americans from Iraq." In this first stage at least, Zawahiri seems to have found his "useful idiot" in Mrs. Pelosi.
Read on.
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Posted at 7:16pm on Aug. 12, 2006 Boy This Time Bush Really Stepped In It
By Congressman Jack Kingston
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)--Syria through its official newspaper on Saturday sharply criticized U.S. President George Bush's remarks that Washington was ''at war with Islamic fascists,'' saying the comments point to a new era of targeting Muslims.
An editorial in the state-run daily Tishrin said Bush had no right to talk about fascism, calling it ''impermissible'' to make such ''reckless'' comments that harm Islam.
Bush's statement ''hints to a new era of targeting the Islamic nation and of continuing the destructive war against it,'' the editorial said.
Bush on Thursday said a foiled plot to blow up U.S.-bound passenger jets from Britain showed the nation was ''at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation.''
The Tishrin editorial said it was ''not surprised by what PresidentBush had said. Isn't he who had said that his country is waging a crusade?''
Shortly before the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Bush had called his war on terrorism a crusade, but a day later the White House apologized for using the loaded term which recalls the Christians' medieval wars against Muslims in the Holy Land.
Tishrin added that Bush has used the alleged plot to blow up airplanes ''to demonstrate to us that his 'crusade' phrase was not a slip of the tongue. It was rather a Zionist doctrine adopted by the neo-conservatives.''
Oh my goodness, now we've offended Syria! What will they do? Maybe they'll back Hezbollah and supply them with more weapons against Israel. Or maybe side with Iran on continuing to stir instability in Iraq. They might even join the Arab boycott against Israel and want Israel wiped off the map.
I bet even a patriot like Ned Lamont will speak out against him.
-Jack
Posted in Congressional Contributors | War — Comments (25)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 5:30pm on Aug. 11, 2006 Let The 2008 Democrat Primary Begin
By Congressman Jack Kingston
Just as the enemy plans to bring the war to our planes and our citizens, one of the last (and future?) Democratic nominees for the White House, John Edwards, adds his voice to the liberal chorus of cut-and-run on MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews”:
“The best way to show we are going to get out of Iraq is to start withdrawing troops,” Edwards continued. “I think that we ought to have at least 40,000 out immediately.”
The only difference between Edwards and the Starbucks pacifists who ousted Joe Lieberman in Connecticut is that Edwards wants to cut-and-run more slowly.
His call for the immediate withdrawal of at least 40,000 troops would both send the message of victory to the forces of Islamic fascism at war with the civilized world and put the remaining U.S. troops in Iraq at much higher risk, facing an emboldened enemy with diluted firepower and demoralized troops.
Or maybe John Edwards is just trying to find the "middle" of the new left; somewhere between those who openly advocate a hasty and complete surrender and those who try and cloak their cut-and-run strategy with the French word “ redeploy.”
Either way it seems pretty clear that Mr. Edwards had no family heading home from England this week.
-Jack
Posted in Congressional Contributors | War — Comments (26)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 3:39pm on Aug. 9, 2006 Hollywood Liberals, Starbucks Pacifists, & Angry Bloggers Retake Democratic Party
By Congressman Jack Kingston
The hijacking of the Democratic Party by the Hollywood liberals, Starbucks pacifists, and angry bloggers was confirmed last night when Connecticut Democrats actually tossed overboard their beloved senior Senator for a single-issue elitist liberal.
With this win, the outliers of the Democratic Party are signaling a clarion call of their own: join the cut-and-run caucus or you will be replaced by someone who will. As Hollywood heavyweight Michael Moore says on his website today:
“Let the resounding defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman send a cold shiver down the spine of every Democrat who supported the invasion of Iraq and who continues to support, in any way, this senseless, immoral, unwinnable war. Make no mistake about it: We, the majority of Americans, want this war ended -- and we will actively work to defeat each and every one of you who does not support an immediate end to this war.”
It is sad that there is no room in the Democratic Party for a statesman and gentleman like Joe Lieberman. It is clear to me that the far left Democrats have no room for bipartisanship, they have no place for leaders that put principle ahead of polling, and they have no patience for any Democrat who supports the Global War on Terrorism.
Clearly, the Democratic Party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Scoop Jackson, and Joe Lieberman no longer exists. Instead, a 21st Century model has emerged with liberals like Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore, Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Ned Lamont running the show.
Read on . . .
Posted in Congressional Contributors | Democrats — Comments (37)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 8:03pm on Jul. 17, 2006 Conditions for Leaving Lebanon
By Congressman Jack Kingston
Newt Gingrich was asked about the circumstances under which Israel should leave South Lebanon. Here are some of the his comments which I thought were worth sharing.
-Jack
---Original Message---
From: Newt
To: Jack
Sent: Sun Jul 16 12:50:31 2006
Subject: conditions for leaving LebanonLebanese government takes control of south Lebanon (with American airpower helping if necessary)
All, repeat all, the missiles are gone
All, repeat all, the Iranians are gone
The Israelis won't be this tough but they should be
Newt
And you can read more of Newt's thoughts on this issue from the transcript of his Meet The Press interview.
A Congressman blogs! Seriously? Seriously.
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Posted at 1:46pm on Jun. 27, 2006 "On-Shoring" America's Energy.
By Congressman Jack Kingston
Iran, Venezuela and Nigeria. That's where the gasoline in your truck could be from.
Iran, Venezuela and Nigeria. Three countries which are openly hostile to America and threaten global security.
For far too long, America has been at the mercy of foreign countries for our transportation fuel. The problem is a simple case of supply and demand: America consumes roughly 25 percent of the world's oil every day while it only has 2 percent of the proven oil reserves (and we're not even using a full 2 percent).
And booming countries like India and China are consuming more and more oil everyday which is putting even more pressure on the world's finite resources.
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Posted at 5:38pm on May 29, 2006 Remembering Corey.
By Congressman Jack Kingston
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to join about 450 folks who were running a 5K to help honor and support the family of Corey Goodnature, a serviceman killed nearly a year ago while in Afghanistan fighting the global war on terror.
On June 28, 2005, Army Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature was killed when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter that he was aboard crashed in Asadabad, Afghanistan in the Kunar Province.
Sadly, like so many of our troops killed overseas, Corey, a husband, a father, left a loving family back in Georgia.
I had a chance to talk with Corey's wife, Lori, about her late husband, about the global war on terrorism, and about what Corey's death means to her.
Lori told me about a letter that Corey had written years earlier for his church to help explain what the anniversary of 9-11 means to a soldier.
I asked her if I could have a copy of that letter to help send Corey's message and story out to help celebrate Corey and the thousands who have given their lives to defeat evil.
I've attached the text of the letter below.
This Memorial Day, we must never forget our sons and daughters, friends and loved ones, like Corey, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to help shine the bright light of democracy in the darkest shadows of the world.
God Bless you Corey, your Brothers still fighting the good fight, and peace be with your family.
-Jack