Vote Notes on Legislation

H.R. 7666: NO.  This measure throws nearly $2 billion a year into mental health grant programs that are notoriously unsupervised and inefficient and often rob one state to benefit another.  Mental health programs have traditionally been funded and administered by the states where innovative approaches can be tried and evaluated.  Although proponents promise this will improve public safety, it does nothing to confine the dangerously mentally ill who should not be on the streets at all.

H.R. 6538: NO.  This sends $2 million to the DOJ to implement an “Active Shooter Alert” notification that duplicates the existing Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).  Warning the public of imminent threats is a useful activity, which is why we have the IPAWS.  Setting up a duplicative system only for gunfire unnecessarily complicates and confuses the existing system and risks desensitizing the public with false alarms under the loose definitions in this bill. 

H.R. 7691 – Ukraine Supplemental Appropriation: YES.  This bill appropriates $40 billion to support Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion.  I have serious concerns that it includes appropriations beyond military support, including support for the civil operations of the government and addressing global food shortages.  I am also concerned that there is insufficient oversight of these funds and that it makes no effort to cut domestic spending to pay for it.  Finally, while appropriating such a staggering sum to defend Ukraine’s borders, the Democratic majority continues to ignore the security of our own. All that said, there is one overarching consideration that weighs in favor of the bill.  If Russia can be defeated in its invasion, every other rogue nation around the world will think long and hard before launching similar attacks – starting with China, Iran and North Korea.  In short, the world will become a much more stable place.  Further, the size of the appropriation sends a clear message to Russia that it cannot win this war and thus dramatically increases pressure on the regime to withdraw.  I have said all along that the Russian invasion is primarily a European security issue and must not become an American security issue by engaging directly with Russia or by expanding NATO.  This appropriation could be a game-changer in stabilizing the region before the conflict spreads to a point that directly threatens American security or triggers American treaty obligations.

A congressional subpoena is different than a normal subpoena.  A normal subpoena requires a judicial hearing to determine if there is legal cause to issue it.  A congressional subpoena has no such check, so the reasons for a congressional subpoena are limited to Congress’ oversight responsibilities over the bureaucracy and to inform its legislative duties.   Congress has no authority to issue subpoenas merely to find out who did what to whom.  That’s what it is doing here, by the admission of its own members.  Since Congress has no authority to issue such a subpoena, a respondent has no obligation to respect it.  

Marjorie Taylor Greene is a freshman Congresswoman with an extensive history of Internet outbursts that range from bizarre to frightening. Yet, for some reason not readily apparent to the outside world, the people of the 14th District of Georgia elected her to represent them in the House with nearly 75% of the vote.

Federal law forbids recently retired officers from serving as Secretary of Defense for some very good reasons. Civilian control of the military is a bulwark of our freedom. I voted to suspend this law for James Mattis and it was a big mistake. If general officers aspire to advancement in this manner, I am very concerned it will naturally politicize their acts to curry favor with whichever party they expect to be in power. I have grown increasingly wary of inbred corporate culture within any bureaucracy and it is especially dangerous within an armed bureaucracy.

December 21, 2020

The National Apprenticeship program is an 80-year old superannuated program that has become so ossified and bureaucratized that it is no longer a serious factor in employment...