Patrick McHenry ROCKS!

Spending more time on Twitter and Facebook

2010-05-22T03:25:00.003-04:00

Business is good right now. That means I have more time for short comments and less time for longer blog posts. If you'd like to keep up with me on Twitter, you can find me here: http://twitter.com/mchenryrocks.

I'm on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/JackStevens43 and I have a "fan page" on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/McHenry-ROCKS/183709099986

I'm not closing the blog though since I know busy times at work will come and go and I still like blogging when I have time for it.

In the meantime, I'm hoping for big conservative changes in November. We can't afford any more of Obamanomics!

patrick mchenry

This Is Disturbing On So Many Levels

2010-03-12T01:15:00.003-05:00

National Review Online has an article entitled "They Just Want This Over" that was posted Friday night. I'll include part of the article here, but please read it in its entirety.

Stupak notes that his negotiations with House Democratic leaders in recent days have been revealing. “I really believe that the Democratic leadership is simply unwilling to change its stance,” he says. “Their position says that women, especially those without means available, should have their abortions covered.” The arguments they have made to him in recent deliberations, he adds, “are a pretty sad commentary on the state of the Democratic party.”

What are Democratic leaders saying? “If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That’s one of the arguments I’ve been hearing,” Stupak says. “Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America? If money is the issue — come on, we can find room in the budget. This is life we’re talking about.”

I've said this before and it bears repeating, Thank God for Patrick McHenry! In some ways, Stupak got into this mess by supporting Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Even a pro-life Democrat still lends support to Pelosi and Reid. Don't get me wrong--I'm glad Stupak is taking a stand for life. Please consider consider contacting his office to thank him for his stand for life and encourage him to stand firm.

If you want to know who the other members of the Stupak coalition are, this blog has spent quite a bit of time detailing Stupak's work and those working with him.

In addition to thanking Stupak for his stand, please ask any friends and family you have in Stupak's (or his coalition members') district to call, e-mail and fax those congressional members to ask them to vote NO on Obamacare.

Last, but not least, please contact Congressman McHenry to thank him for his unwavering commitment to our conservative principles. Tell him to stay in the fight and do whatever you can to help him get out his conservative message.

Fighting for Freedom and the Truth,
Jack

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry Fighting to Keep the Government Out of Our Health Care

2010-03-10T23:40:00.003-05:00

I got this information from Congressman McHenry on Twitter today.

Pelosi, sacrificing transparency for a 'deadline': "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." http://ow.ly/1gD4M

The arrogance of the Obama administration, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid knows no boundaries!! And this isn't taking her comment out of context! You can see the full text of her remarks here. Here is the relevant section:

“You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other. But I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America, where preventive care is not something that you have to pay a deductible for or out of pocket. Prevention, prevention, prevention—it’s about diet, not diabetes. It’s going to be very, very exciting.

“But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy. Furthermore, we believe that health care reform, again I said at the beginning of my remarks, that we sent the three pillars that the President’s economic stabilization and job creation initiatives were education and innovation—innovation begins in the classroom—clean energy and climate, addressing the climate issues in an innovative way to keep us number one and competitive in the world with the new technology, and the third, first among equals I may say, is health care, health insurance reform. Health insurance reform is about jobs. This legislation alone will create 4 million jobs, about 400,000 jobs very soon.

“We must have the courage, though, to get the job done. We have the ideas. We have the commitment. We have the dedication. We know the urgency. Now we have to have the courage to get the job done. So proud that President Obama is taking the message so forcefully to the American people! This is long overdue, a hundred years.

They need the courage to do what??? Force this bill down the throats of the American public when it is opposed to it??!! We do not need a government takeover of health care.

Congressman McHenry, thank you for alerting your constituents to this! We need to get more conservatives up to D.C. to help you fight this kind of crap! Keep up the good work and keep fighting for us!!

patrick mchenry

McHenry on Jobs for the 10th District

2010-03-09T03:13:00.002-05:00

I received another excellent letter from Rep. Patrick McHenry today. If you want to sign up for his mailing list, you can do that here. (emphasis below is mine)

Patrick McHenry March 8 at 10:56am

Dear Friends:

My idea to put Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill has gotten a lot of attention, from local, state and national press. I am glad that so many people are interested.

The bill honoring President Reagan is just one of the many exciting things I’ve been working on lately. My main priority has always been to help create an environment for our economy to recover.

On January 25th, I convened the economic development officers and county managers from all ten counties. I brought in federal economic development officials and we had a long and meaningful conversation about ways the federal government can help our local folks bring jobs to this area.

The following day, I gave a speech at the Free Enterprise Rally held by the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce where I detailed my plan to bring jobs to the area. You can read more at www.mchenryforcongress.com/jobs. My plan is simple:

Stop making the problem worse by issuing an immediate cease-and-desist order on new taxes and regulation.

Restore investor confidence in our economic future by confronting our deficit.

Reduce the price of doing business in America by increasing our energy supply and lowering business taxes.

Evaluate our foreign trade agreements to make sure that they are fair.

And strengthen the retraining programs across North Carolina’s community college system so that those who want to work are prepared to.

Our communities are full of good, reliable men and women who know how to work hard and creating jobs for them is my number one priority. I know that government can’t create real, long lasting jobs, that the private sector and small business leaders are the engine of our economy.

As long as I am representing you in Washington, I’ll fight hard to make sure that businesses have every opportunity to succeed and create a strong, growing workforce.

God Bless,

Patrick

I especially appreciate the Reaganesque qualities in this letter: believing in the strength of the people of our district as opposed to the power of the government, believing in the power of small businesses and a robust, competitive free market free of the onerous restraints and regulations of big government.

I am grateful that I can count on my congressman to not only do what is right and to vote the right way, but to be actively fighting for my conservative ideals. Keep up the good work, Congressman!! We need you, now more than ever before, in Congress.

patrick mchenry

McHenry Demands Responsible Deficit Commision Members

2010-03-08T02:36:00.002-05:00

I am including the text of a letter Congressman McHenry sent out this week about Obama's ridiculous appointment of labor union president Andy Stern to his so called deficit reduction commission (hint: he just wants an easy way to raise taxes again!). I am glad to see McHenry is speaking out about this. I will add a link to Rep. McHenry's CORE Spending Act in the text of the letter since I have information on my blog about it.

Dear Friend,

We recently learned that President Obama has appointed Andy Stern, President of SEIU, as one of the six member panel tasked with studying how to reduce the national deficit.

You can read an article discussing it here.

This is a further demonstration of the fact that President Obama isn’t interested in real reform of entitlement spending or any spending at all for that matter. Union bosses like Andy Stern at the SEIU have made the cost of doing business extremely high for some places in the U.S. Their effect on the automotive industry is one example, where unions contributed to bankrupting companies like GM. It’s no mystery why Boeing chose to locate a new plant in a Right to Work state like South Carolina recently.

Before President Obama created this new panel, I recommended a similar commission that would not only look at the current deficit but also look at entitlement reform that would focus on the largest spending segment of our national budget. The CORE Spending Act that I recommended had one stipulation that the Obama administration just wouldn’t agree to, that tax increases be taken off the table as a solution to the problem.

President Obama’s answer is no secret; he wants to raise taxes instead of taking a serious look at the real problems inherent in our deficit. I cannot express how strongly I disagree with that sentiment.

On the bright side of things, the panel’s recommendations are not due until December of this year, conveniently scheduled after the midterm elections this November. It’s my belief that the American people will go to the polls ready to put common sense conservatives back in office and you can be sure that we will fight hard against any proposed tax increases from the liberal Democrats left in Washington.

God Bless,

Patrick

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry Named the Taxpayer's Friend

2010-03-08T02:17:00.002-05:00

The National Taxpayers Union -- America's independent, non-partisan advocate for overburdened taxpayers -- has named Congressman Patrick McHenry as a Taxpayer's Friend with a rating of A

Butterfield, G............F
Coble, H....................B+
Etheridge, B..............F
Foxx, V .....................A
Jones, W ...................B-
Kissell, L ..................D
McHenry, P...............A
McIntyre, M..............D
Miller, B....................F
Myrick, S ..................B+
Price, D .....................F
Shuler, H...................D
Watt, M .....................F

Not too many other A's from North Carolina Congressional reps. Looks like we need to send some CONSERVATIVES to Washington D.C. to help McHenry in the fall!!!

Way to go, Congressman McHenry! Keep fighting for our conservative values!

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry: Ranked as 17th Most Conservative Member of Congress

2010-02-27T12:23:00.008-05:00

It comes as absolutely no surprise at all that the new National Journal's 2009 vote ratings rank Congressman Patrick McHenry in the TOP 20 Conservatives of the House of Representatives. From his first votes in the House when he was elected in 2005, Patrick McHenry has kept his word on everything he said he would do. He is still just as accessible, friendly and conservative. Kudos, Congressman!!

McHenry for Congress News Release on the National Journal Vote Ratings

McHenry Named Most Conservative
U.S. House Member from North Carolina

One of Twenty Most Conservative
in the Nation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ryan Minto
February 16, 2010 828-441-2006

Congressman Patrick McHenry was named the most conservative member of the North Carolina congressional delegation today by National Journal. He was also ranked as the seventeenth most conservative member in the entire U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’ve always voted my conscience and worked hard to best represent the interests of my district. In town hall after town hall, the people of Western North Carolina repeatedly told me that they were tired of the runaway spending in Washington, tired of the government takeovers of private industry, and did not want to see the health care system become the next target for a power grab by liberal Democrats,” McHenry said.

McHenry continued by saying “in order to turn our economy around we need to take an honest look at drastically lowering our deficit through entitlement reform, lowering taxes so that businesses can create jobs, and adopting an energy policy that fully utilizes the vast natural resources of our country.”

Since taking office in 2005, Congressman McHenry has consistently been ranked as one of the top conservative leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives.

patrick mchenry

Americans for Tax Reform Praises Patrick McHenry’s CORE Spending Act

2010-02-22T02:45:00.003-05:00

Americans for Tax Reform Praises Patrick McHenry’s CORE Spending Act

From Sandra Fabry on Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:23 AM

Today, President Barack Obama signed an executive order announcing the creation of his “debt commission,” modeled after the infamous “Conrad-Gregg commission” plan the Senate voted down in January. The Administration has already announced that the panel will be headed up by former White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson.

While a United States Senator, Simpson voted for two “bipartisan deals” which had real tax increases and phony spending cuts. The first was the 1982 “TEFRA” bill which promised $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes. The second was the 1990 “Read My Lips” deal struck at Andrews Air Force Base, which promised $2 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes. In both cases, every penny of the tax hikes went through. Also in each case, the spending restraint never materialized.

Says ATR President Grover Norquist:

Taxpayers have every reason to be concerned. Alan Simpson has a history of walking into a room with the stated goal of reform – and in both cases he voted for higher taxes and higher spending, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. There is no reason to believe that things would be different this time around – when you put everything on the table, including damaging tax hikes, taxpayers will more than likely be sold out.

Reform commission proposals that would not run the risk of being hijacked by tax increase proponents have been put forth in both the U.S. House and Senate. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) has sponsored the CARFA Act, which is modeled after the successful BRAC base closure commission, just like a similar bill, the FAPRAC Act sponsored by Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) in the House. Both of these bills focus only on Federal spending and leave no room for tax increases. Rep. Patrick McHenry’s (R-NC) CORE Spending Act, while setting up a differently focused commission, protects taxpayers by incorporating a clear prohibition of tax increases or new taxes.

Norquist continues:

Rather than falling into the old “everything’s on the table” trap where tax increases are a foregone conclusion, Congress and the Administration should look to enact a BRAC-style spending reform-only commission or the CORE Spending Act all of which would take increases off the table. The BRAC process would not have worked if it had been tasked with either closing unnecessary bases or raising taxes to pay for unnecessary bases. It worked precisely because it had one job: to save taxpayer money by closing unnecessary bases, and along these lines, we should focus only on the real culprit of our fiscal problems – out-of-control spending.

For more on the CORE Spending Act, click here

patrick mchenry

I can't help it--this made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!

2010-02-22T02:29:00.002-05:00

Lenoir News Topic article

Keadle touts his political inexperience as an asset and has signed a pledge to serve no more than three terms in office. On matters of policy, Keadle said McHenry "is a little bit to the left of me on a couple of subjects" and called into question the congressman's commitment to fiscal conservatism.

HA!! Good luck trying to convince anyone that Patrick McHenry isn't as far right as it gets!! This guy can claim whatever he wants--voters in the 10th District know better. There just isn't anyone more conservative or with a better conservative record than Patrick McHenry.

I do find it interesting that self-professing fiscal conservatives are willing to toss so much of their own money into the ring. Seems to me that real conservatives would make a personal investment of some sort, but if they can't raise money from the people that should give them the message that they're wasting their time. Unless of course they think that only the rich should be able to run. I like to see candidates that can raise money on the strength of their message and record.

Keadle made a comment to the Gaston Gazette that being a "politician" isn't a career. Huh?? Since when did being a public servant become a dirty word? Geez. I wonder if he would have said that to Jesse Helms.

patrick mchenry

Thinking about Political Labels

2010-02-11T09:45:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this short essay and reading it reminded me of a few things I appreciate about the way Patrick McHenry represents our district: Is Bipartisanship a Desirable Goal?

"So the congressional Republicans who are now being courted by the Obama administration should heed this advice: Forget bipartisanship. Stand on your principles and do not compromise them. Do not sacrifice the noble ideal of freedom and individual rights, which the founders of this country fought and died for, on the cheap little altar of "getting along," or any other ill-defined, out of context platitudes. Defend the rights of the American people, defend them with every weapon in your arsenal, and don't budge an inch. This is not a political game; it is a moral crusade in defense of freedom, and you are on the right side of it. Stay there and remember that the American people are counting on you."

One of the things I have always appreciated about Patrick McHenry is that he is a Conservative first and he represents US next, not his party. When it was time to buck the party leadership and stand up for a more conservative budget in his first term in Congress, he did it. When it was time to keep his promise to vote no on CAFTA, he did it--even passing up a ride on Air Force One to maintain that promise. Did he ever brag about doing it at the time? No. He just did the right thing. Every single day, McHenry works hard to do the right thing to represent us. You just can't say that about very many elected officials.

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry Delivers Inspirational Speech to Business and Community Leaders

2010-02-08T22:03:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago, Congressman McHenry gave a speech at the American Free Enterprise Town Hall Meeting at the SALT Block Auditorium in Hickory. I didn't get to listen to the recording until tonight and I am so glad I took the time to listen!

If you live in the 10th Congressional District of North Carolina you need to listen to this speech. It is one of the most thoughtful articulate speeches on the needs of our specific area that I have heard. That McHenry cares about the Tenth District and the challenges our workforce is facing after a difficult decade of manufacturing and textile job losses is evident just from listening. But he doesn't just care--he puts action behind his passion for our district. His ideas can work. They are based on sound economic free market principles.

There is no way I can do the speech justice with my words. I hope you take the time to listen for yourself.

patrick mchenry

McHenry Presented with "Reagan Defender of Freedom" Award

2010-02-08T02:24:00.003-05:00

View the information and watch a video of Congressman McHenry's speech here:

http://ourrepublictoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/2010-ronald-reagan-defender-of-freedom.html

patrick mchenry

We need more conservatives like Patrick McHenry in Congress!!

2010-02-05T00:36:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't it be great to have other real conservatives like Patrick McHenry in Congress??

Here are the Members of Congress from North Carolina that cast their first very important vote for the 2007/2008 session of Congress and the 2009/2010 session of Congress to elect NANCY PELOSI as Speaker of the House:

1st Congressional District G. K. Butterfield
2nd Congressional District Bob Etheridge
4th Congressional District David E. Price
7th Congressional District Mike McIntyre
8th Congressional District Larry Kissell
11th Congressional District Heath Shuler
12th Congressional District Melvin L. Watt
13th Congressional District Brad Miller

Folks, it is time to do battle for the U.S. Congress and get some other conservatives in there to enact REAL change! We need conservatives like Congressman McHenry that have worked hard, kept their word, and fought for the values that define us as conservatives!!

KEEP FIGHTING FOR US, PATRICK!

Help is on the way in November!!

patrick mchenry

McHenry Demonstrates Political Courage and Genius with the Introduction of the CORE Spending Act

2010-01-30T13:27:00.005-05:00

Although I have taken a break from blogging over the last year, I have not been an unengaged voter. I have watched—at times with anger and other times fear—the Obama Administration and leadership of the House and Senate run our economy into the ground even further than it was already headed. Our deficit has exploded over the last two years (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/) at breakneck speed since the liberals took over the House and Senate. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi had everything they needed to accomplish their lifelong liberal dreams when Barack Obama was elected.

Federal spending MUST be brought under control if we are going to bring our nation back to a time of prosperity and success. This is not just a matter of wanting to be able to pass along the American dream to our children and grandchildren—it is a matter of national security. China holds more of America’s debt than any other entity! This makes it increasingly difficult for American products to be sold overseas. I don’t know about you, but it bothers the hell out of me that a communist government with a deplorable human rights record is gradually gaining more and more power over our economy.

Every part of our federal budget needs to come under the microscope. Perhaps the most difficult part of the budget to address is entitlement spending. Dealing with entitlement spending takes an enormous amount of political courage. This isn’t something most politicians would be willing to take on. Patrick McHenry isn’t the average political representative though!

I was thrilled to see Congressman McHenry introduce the CORE Spending Act (information below). This piece of legislation is nothing short of genius. It takes the difficult decisions out of the sole control of weak-kneed liberals who would like nothing better than a citizenry in bondage and debt to the government, and moves them to a bipartisan commission that would work like the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC). The BRAC commission allowed difficult decisions about military base closings to be made outside of the political process so they would actually be objective and non-partisan.

Thank you, Congressman McHenry for being brave enough to address the really difficult issues!! Thank you for fighting for us and for the values that made and can keep our country great.

To learn more about McHenry’s bill, see the information below.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.4249:

H.R.4249 : To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform entitlement benefit programs and ensure a sound fiscal future for the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep McHenry, Patrick T. [NC-10] (introduced 12/9/2009) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Budget; House Rules
Latest Major Action: 12/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

CORE Spending Act (Introduced in House)
HR 4249 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4249
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform entitlement benefit programs and ensure a sound fiscal future for the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 9, 2009
Mr. MCHENRY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish a commission to develop legislation designed to reform entitlement benefit programs and ensure a sound fiscal future for the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Commission On Reforming Entitlement Spending Act' or the `CORE Spending Act'.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the `Commission On Reforming Entitlement Spending' (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the `Commission').
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
(a) Mandatory Legislation Development-
(1) ISSUES TO ADDRESS- The Commission shall examine the long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States and develop legislation designed to address the following issues:
(A) The unsustainable imbalance between long-term Federal spending commitments and projected revenues.
(B) Increasing net national savings to provide for domestic investment and economic growth.
(C) The implications of foreign ownership of debt instruments issued by the United States Government.
(D) Improving the budget process to place greater emphasis on long-term fiscal issues.
(2) POLICY SOLUTIONS- Legislation developed to address the issues described in paragraph (1) may include the following:
(A) Reforms that limit the growth of entitlement spending to ensure that the programs are fiscally sustainable.
(B) Reforms that strengthen the safety net functions of entitlement programs to provide assistance to the neediest people.
(C) Incentives to increase private savings.
(D) Automatic stabilizers or triggers to enforce spending and revenue targets.
(E) Any other reforms designed to address the issues described in paragraph (1).
(3) LIMITATION- The legislation developed under this subsection may not include any new, or any increase in an existing, Federal tax.
(b) Optional Development of Cost Estimate Alternatives- The Commission shall by an affirmative vote of 5 members develop not more than 2 methods for estimating the cost of legislation as an alternative to the method currently used by the Congressional Budget Office. Any such alternative method must be designed to address any flaws in the method currently used with regard to estimating the positive economic effects of legislation.
SEC. 4. INITIAL TOWN HALL STYLE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
(a) In General- The Commission shall hold at least 1 town hall style public hearing within each Federal reserve district, and shall, to the extent feasible, ensure that there is broad public participation in the hearings.
(b) Hearing Format- During each hearing, the Commission shall present to the public, and generate comments and suggestions regarding, the issues described in section 3, policies designed to address the issues, and tradeoffs between the policies.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
The Commission shall, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, submit a report to Congress and the President containing the following:
(1) A detailed description of the activities of the Commission.
(2) A summary of comments and suggestions generated from the town hall style public hearings.
(3) A detailed statement of any findings of the Commission as to public preferences regarding the issues, policies, and tradeoffs presented in the town hall style public hearings.
(4) A detailed description of the long-term fiscal problems faced by the United States.
(5) A list of policy options for addressing those problems.
(6) Criteria for the legislative proposal to be developed by the Commission.
SEC. 6. LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL.
(a) In General- Not later than 60 days after the date the report is submitted under section 5 and by a vote of two-thirds of the members, the Commission shall submit a legislative proposal to Congress and the President designed to address the issues described section 3.
(b) Proposal Requirements- The proposal must, to the extent feasible, be designed--
(1) to achieve generational equity and long-term economic stability;
(2) to address the comments and suggestions of the public; and
(3) to meet the criteria set forth in the Commission report.
(c) Inclusion of Cost Estimate- The Commission shall submit with the proposal--
(1) a long-term CBO cost estimate prepared under section 14 for the proposal; and
(2) if an alternative cost estimate method is developed by the Commission, a 50-year cost estimate using such method.
SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS.
(a) In General- The Commission shall be composed of 15 voting members appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) and 2 nonvoting members described in paragraph (2).
(1) VOTING MEMBERS- (A) The President shall appoint 3 members, one of which the President shall appoint as chairperson of the Commission.
(B) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint 3 members.
(C) The minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint 3 members.
(D) The majority leader of the Senate shall appoint 3 members.
(E) The minority leader of the Senate shall appoint 3 members.
(2) NONVOTING MEMBERS- The Comptroller General of the United States and the Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall each be nonvoting members of the Commission and shall advise and assist at the request of the Commission.
(b) Limitation as to Members of Congress- Each appointing authority described in subsection (a)(1) who is a Member of Congress may only appoint 1 Member of Congress to the Commission.
(c) Date for Original Appointment- The appointing authorities described in subsection (a)(1) shall appoint the initial members of the Commission not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Terms-
(1) IN GENERAL- The term of each member is for the life of the Commission.
(2) VACANCIES- A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled not later than 30 days after such vacancy occurs and in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(e) Pay and Reimbursement-
(1) NO COMPENSATION FOR MEMBERS OF COMMISSION- Except as provided in paragraph (2), a member of the Commission may not receive pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Commission.
(2) TRAVEL EXPENSES- Each member shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Meetings- The Commission shall meet upon the call of the chairperson or a majority of its voting members.
(g) Quorum- Six voting members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
SEC. 8. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.
(a) Director-
(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to subsection (c) and to the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Commission shall appoint and fix the pay of a director.
(2) DUTIES- The director of the Commission shall be responsible for the administration and coordination of the duties of the Commission and shall perform other such duties as the Commission may direct.
(b) Staff- In accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission, subject to subsection (c), and to the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the director may appoint and fix the pay of additional personnel.
(c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws- The director and staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that pay fixed under subsection (a) may not exceed $150,000 per year and pay fixed under subsection (b) may not exceed a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(d) Detailees- Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement from the Commission, and such detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of their regular employment without interruption.
(e) Experts and Consultants- In accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission and to the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the director may procure the services of experts and consultants under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 9. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings and Evidence- The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings in addition to the town hall style public hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses appearing before it.
(b) Powers of Members and Agents- Any member or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission is authorized to take under this section.
(c) Mails- The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United States.
(d) Administrative Support Services- Upon the request of the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under this Act.
(e) Contract Authority- To the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Commission may enter into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
(f) Gifts- The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.
SEC. 10. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate 60 days after submitting its legislative proposal.
SEC. 11. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF PRESIDENT.
The President may, not later than 60 days after the Commission submits its legislative proposal, submit to Congress an alternative to the legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 12. ALTERNATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET.
The Committee on the Budget of either House may, in consultation with the relevant committees of their respective House and not later than 60 days after the Commission submits its legislative proposal, have published in the Congressional Record an alternative to the legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
SEC. 13. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION.
(a) Introduction- On the first legislative day after the Commission submits its legislative proposal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate shall introduce (by request) the legislation submitted by the Commission.
(b) In the House of Representatives-
(1) PRIVILEGED CONSIDERATION- In the House of Representatives, if a committee to which the legislation has been referred has not reported the legislation before the expiration of the 60-day period described in section 12, then--
(A) that committee shall be discharged from consideration of the legislation;
(B) the legislation shall be placed on the appropriate calendar; and
(C) a motion to proceed to the consideration of the legislation is highly privileged and is not debatable.
(2) AMENDMENTS LIMITED-
(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an amendment to the legislation may not be offered in the House of Representatives.
(B) PERMITTED AMENDMENTS- (i) Any Member may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative proposal submitted by the President.
(ii) Any Member may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
(iii) The chairman of the House Committee on the Budget may offer, as an amendment in the nature of a substitute, the alternative legislative proposal published in the Congressional Record by the House Committee on the Budget.
(C) POINTS OF ORDER- An amendment offered under subparagraph (B) is subject to a point of order if--
(i) the amendment is not accompanied by a long-term CBO cost estimate of the amendment; or
(ii) the long-term CBO cost estimate of the amendment exceeds the long-term CBO cost estimate of the legislative proposal submitted by the Commission.
(D) MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS- If more than one amendment is offered under this paragraph, then each amendment shall be considered separately, and the amendment receiving both a majority and the highest number of votes shall be the amendment adopted.
SEC. 14. LONG-TERM CBO COST ESTIMATE.
(a) Preparation and Submission- When the Commission, the President, or the chairman of the Committee on the Budget of either House submits a written request to the Director of the Congressional Budget Office for a long-term CBO cost estimate of legislation proposed under this Act or an amendment referred to in section 13(b)(2)(B), the Director shall prepare the estimate and have it published in the Congressional Record as expeditiously as possible.
(b) Content- A long-term CBO cost estimate shall include--
(1) an estimate of the cost of each provision of the legislation or amendment for first fiscal year it would take effect and for each of the 50 fiscal years thereafter; and
(2) a statement of any estimated future costs not reflected by the estimate described in paragraph (1).

patrick mchenry

Obama's answer for America: more of me

2010-01-28T21:16:00.002-05:00

Found a link to this article on Patrick McHenry's page.

Obama's answer for America: more of me
By JONAH GOLDBERG

There's a story of an ex hausted tenor at La Scala who, facing repeated cries of "Encore," responded that he couldn't go on. A man rose in the audience to say, "You'll keep singing until you get it right."

That seems to be the defining principle of the Obama administration -- whose response to every problem, every setback, every hiccup and challenge has been, simply, "more Obama."

Indeed, for people who aren't sticklers for political jargon, it will be a shock that last night was Obama's first State of the Union Address, since it was his third formal address to a joint session of Congress. Yet for all of the political déjà vu, what was most surprising last night was the degree to which Obama delivered even more of the same.

Washington graybeards and pundits have been insisting that Obama needs to "start over," "reboot" and "tack to the middle" after Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts. But Obama's response last night was to recommit himself to the agenda that has gotten him in so much trouble.

In fairness, the president took a French-bath of Clintonism before he took to his beloved TelePrompTer. He doused himself with the scent of the deficit-fighter and trade-promoter. He unveiled a slew of small, easy, applause-gathering proposals and populist appeals that he knows will go nowhere.

He also indulged in a lot of feel-your-pain pathos, trying to connect with the real Americans suffering from the recession and the misdeeds of a "Washington" that Obama seems to think is run by someone other than him.

But the eau-de-Clinton couldn't mask the stench -- and Obama, in his supreme arrogance, didn't really seem to care.

There was no "pivot to the center," no serious accounting for the Massachusetts miracle or his misfortunes. Instead, there was an innumerate, inaccurate and distinctly unpresidential whine -- blaming George W. Bush for nearly all of his problems (leaving out, among other things, that the Democrats have been controlling Congress and crafting budgets since 2006).

The White House insists that the new wave of populism created by Democratic governance is, in fact, the same populist wave that carried Obama to victory in 2008. In other words, Obama was elected president by the backlash against his own presidency.

This novel theory allows Obama to stick to his view that there's nothing wrong with his health-care plan, and anyone who feels differently hasn't heard or understood the president's explanations.

So, he not only implored Democrats not to "run for the hills" on the health-reform bill, but insisted that as "temperatures cool," hot-tempered opponents will, of course, realize they were wrong about the bill.

McHenry Responds to State of the Union

2010-01-28T21:06:00.003-05:00

Congressman McHenry is exactly right about the state of the union speech!

http://mchenry.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=168060

McHenry Responds to State of the Union

Washington, Jan 27 - Tonight, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union address.

"America can’t afford another year like 2009, but that’s what the President just promised us.

"After spending $9,900 per citizen on a 'stimulus' bill that didn't work, pushing a health care bill that no one wants and still managing to triple the deficit, President Obama should be changing course.

"Instead, he promised us a second stimulus bill, the same health care bill that the American people have already rejected and a cap-and-tax energy bill that would kill millions more jobs.

"The President's proposed discretionary spending freeze is a worthy concept, but the rhetoric doesn't match the reality. His speech laid out a number of policy goals, including various new spending programs, which make the 'spending freeze' nothing more than a marketing slogan.

"Tonight's speech was a missed opportunity. The President had a chance to show some humility, listen to the American people and change course. Instead of seizing that chance, he offered us the same misguided policies wrapped in new rhetoric."

patrick mchenry

Rejoining the blogging world

2010-01-25T23:54:00.002-05:00

This last year has been a really difficult time. Just before the election in 2008, my mom passed away. It happened suddenly and my sister brother and I just felt like the wind was kind of sucked out of our sails. A few months later-just after the new year-my dad followed my mom.

I haven't felt like blogging in a long time. Mostly I just wanted to spend time with my wife and kids. My brother and sister needed me too. There was so much to clean up with the house. My folks had lived there all my life. We used to tease mom about all the stuff she kept, but it brought a kind of odd comfort to look at all the articles she saved.

I guess that is what kind of pushed me back to blogging. I was showing my daughter some of the stuff her Granny had written about politics. Boy did my mom love writing in to the papers during election years!

My blog will be different now. I'm still excited about writing about what Congressman McHenry does and that won't change. I'd like to add in a few extra features though. My daughter wants to try her hand at some political expression. She's an eleventh grader and I want to encourage her to pay attention to this stuff! Maybe even my son will take some interest (he's in eighth grade).

So, if anyone wants to offer up a post that has anything to do with pride in conservatism, the importance of being involved and having your voice heard in government, etc. just add it to the comments and I'll put it up as a blog post. I sure would like to see young people of all ages-especially the ones that can vote-try their hand at guest blogging. Now I am not going to limit this to just the young folks. I'm hoping some participation will get me back into the swing of things. I've been on the sidelines long enough. Time to dive back in!

Oh! One more thing--Patrick McHenry still rocks!!

According to The American Conservative Union (http://www.conservative.org/archive2/House_standout.asp) Congressman McHenry is a Defender of Liberty!

Defenders of Liberty

Those Members who scored 100% on the ACU 2008 Ratings of Congress

Michele Bachmann (R-MN)Rob Bishop (R-UT)Paul C. Broun (R-GA)Dan Burton (R-IN)Steve Chabot (R-OH)John Culberson (R-TX)Nathan Deal (R-GA)Tom Feeney (R-FL)Jeff Flake (R-AZ)Virginia Foxx (R-NC)Trent Franks (R-AZ)
Scott Garrett (R-NJ)Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)Darrell Issa (R-CA)Jim Jordan (R-OH)Doug Lamborn (R-CO)John Linder (R-OH)Connie Mack (R-FL)Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC)
John Mica (R-FL)Jeff Miller (R-FL)Devin Nunes (R-CA)Mike Pence (R-IN) Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA)Tom Price (R-GA)Ed Royce (R-CA)Steve Scalise (R-LA)Cliff Stearns (R-FL)Lynn A. Westmoreland (R-GA)

You know what I like about McHenry?? I can count on him to have the same conservative values today that he had back in 2004 when he was first campaigning. You can't say that about too many people! He has kept his word to us on every single vote. I wish we had 100 more like him in Congress! Maybe this will be the year!

patrick mchenry

Some Humor for the Day

2008-10-22T17:52:00.002-04:00

patrick mchenry

Congressman McHenry Debates Liberal Opponent

2008-10-19T22:49:00.006-04:00

Congressman Patrick McHenry easily defends his clear conservative record even under attack by liberal trial lawyer Daniel Johnson.

Differences are stark for 10th District candidates

Not surprisingly, Rep. Patrick McHenry and challenger Daniel Johnson agreed on almost nothing during a political forum featuring the two 10th Congressional District candidates and candidates in two statewide races recently.

The candidate forum revealed some interesting views of Johnson's.

He supports raising taxes.
He is in favor of more power for big liberal labor unions.
If elected, he will support the liberal leadership in the House when he casts his first vote for Nancy Pelosi.
He supported the $200 BILLION bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
He continues to affirm that liberal one-term senator from GA, Max Cleland, is his mentor.
He concedes that he has a lot of friends that are [trial] lawyers and that they have donated to his campaign (about 1/3 of Johnson's donors are trial lawyers--most of whom do not reside in the 10th District).
Either he doesn't know how to research federal programs to find out which are effective, or he won't admit when one isn't. There is absolutely no research to prove that Head Start is an effective program. There is clear testimony on record that in general, Head Start doesn't meet its program goals. Of course, it isn't politically correct to say that. The best thing that could happen for the education of our children is for all the money to be pulled out of the Dept. of Education and put into local programs with local accountability.
He supports raising taxes on oil companies to fund research for alternative energies. He does not support drilling for oil or natural gas within NC or of its coast.

My favorite quote from the debate?? Johnson said the district needs “people in Washington who will work together” to find solutions to challenges instead of “clinging to some ideology.”

Clinging to what ideology?? The belief in smaller government and lower taxes? The belief that all life is sacred? The belief that parents know better how to make choices for their children's education? The belief that the 2nd Amendment means what it says? Maybe, like Obama, Johnson thinks we are bitter and just cling to our guns and religion here in Western NC. After all, he is taking a LOT of money from groups that only want to fund candidates that are willing to fight for their liberal ideals. I guess Johnson thinks clinging to THEIR ideology is okay.

We need to keep Patrick McHenry in Congress. He represents OUR values. He fights for US.

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry: Fighting for Veterans!

2008-10-14T21:30:00.002-04:00

Congressman Patrick McHenry--Leading the way once again to make sure the needs of veterans are adequately cared for. First in Hickory with the Community Based Outpatient Clinic there, and now this one coming for Rutherford, Cleveland and Polk Counties.

Keep up the great work Congressman!!

From today's Hickory Daily Record online:

New health care clinic for 10th District Vets scheduled to open in fall 2009
Published: October 14, 2008

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs has approved a health care clinic to serve veterans in the 10th District.

The VA has begun taking site bids and hopes to open the 6,500-square feet facility in the fall of 2009. The Community Based Outpatient Clinic will provide health care services for 3,600 veterans in Rutherford, Cleveland and Polk Counties.

With a staff of 25 including three primary care physicians, two psychiatrists and one psychologist, the clinic will provide both primary care and mental health services to veterans.

"I applaud the decision of the VA to make another investment in improving the quality of health care available to our veterans. We must always strive to honor the commitment made to the brave men and women who so nobly serve our country," McHenry said in a press release.

For more information, contact Jerry Thomas, the Public Affairs Officer with the Asheville CBOC, at (828) 296-4446.

patrick mchenry

FACT CHECK: Johnson has a problem with the truth

2008-10-14T11:47:00.003-04:00

This came to my e-mail.

FACT CHECK:
Johnson has a problem with the truth

HICKORY – The McHenry for Congress campaign criticized trial lawyer Daniel Johnson for making demonstrably false claims during last Thursday's candidates' forum at Cleveland Community College.

JOHNSON CLAIM: "Patrick, I didn't attack you for voting against the bailout."

TRUTH: On July 24th, Daniel Johnson issued a press release attacking Patrick McHenry for voting against H.R. 3221, the legislation which gave the Treasury Secretary a blank check to begin the taxpayer-funded bailouts of Wall Street financial institutions including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who are now under federal investigation. The bill provided no oversight role for Congress and no accountability to taxpayers. Johnson has taken campaign contributions from the finance industry as well as Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and New York Congressman Charlie Rangel (his largest individual contributor), who wrote the bailout legislation that Johnson supported.

JOHNSON CLAIM: "I don't want to raise your taxes."

TRUTH: Daniel Johnson clearly believes tax increases on middle class families and small business employers must be on the table. Johnson has refused to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which separates politicians who employ campaign rhetoric about low taxes from leaders give their word to never support a tax increase. Higher taxes on those who can least afford it would devastate the fragile economy of Western North Carolina and dramatically increase unemployment.

JOHNSON CLAIM: "I don't believe in amnesty."

TRUTH: On September 3rd in an interview on WJRI 1340 AM, Daniel Johnson stated his support for a "guest worker program." These are the very same political code words that President Bush and the Democrat-run Congress used when they tried to grant amnesty to 18 million illegal immigrants. Patrick McHenry helped defeat that amnesty bill in Congress in 2007.

JOHNSON CLAIM: "My opponent has consistently stood against providing health insurance for children."

TRUTH: Johnson is seemingly referring to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The claim is absolutely untrue. On December 19, 2007 Patrick McHenry voted for the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499). This legislation provided the $40 billion that is currently funding the SCHIP program. McHenry voted against a version of that legislation that included a massive tax increase; meaning that Daniel Johnson has now put himself on the record supporting higher taxes.

patrick mchenry

What are Daniel Johnson's Core Beliefs?

2008-10-10T12:38:00.006-04:00

One donation Daniel accepted gives a huge eye opener.

According to the FEC, National Cmte for an Effective Congress gave $3000 to Johnson. Who is the National Cmte for an Effective Congress?

According to OpenSecrets:
The National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC) is one of the nation’s most politically active independent liberal groups, pooling contributions from across the country to help elect progressive candidates to Congress. Founded in 1948 by Eleanor Roosevelt, NCEC backs candidates who support freedom of choice [ABORTION], separation of church and state, gun control, equal rights, and environmental protection. It advises candidates on virtually all aspects of campaigning, and worked closely with Democrats to have congressional district lines redrawn to their advantage following the 2000 census. (emphasis mine)

What does NCEC say about itself??

today NCEC is a vital force in American Politics. NCEC supports progressive candidates who fight for the issues we believe in, like freedom of choice [ABORTION], separation of church and state, gun control, equal rights, and environmental protection. (emphasis mine)

Daniel Johnson and his supporters have an agenda, and it is not the same as the issues that are important to Western North Carolina. Abortion on demand, no posting of the Ten Commandments anywhere, take away our right to bear arms as preserved in the Bill of Rights, and screw the economy and the people as long as you protect the environment and rare weeds. Basically, Daniel Johnson stands ready to FIGHT to destroy the Constitution and the core values we hold dear here in western NC.

Thank God for the true conservative we have in Congressman Patrick McHenry! We can depend on him to represent US, not liberal values and activists.

patrick mchenry

Patrick McHenry: A Real Voice for Western NC

2008-10-08T12:26:00.006-04:00

Conservative Congressman Patrick McHenry has spoken clearly regarding his stand for the workers of Western North Carolina.

Congressman Patrick McHenry joined local employers at a rally and seminar in opposition to the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, otherwise known as “card-check” legislation. The event was hosted by the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.

Card-check eliminates the right to secret ballot elections for workers deciding whether to unionize in the workplace. Labor unions would now only have to get signatures on a card from a majority of employees to form a union.

“Eliminating the democratic process in the workplace is a serious violation of worker’s rights and a threat to their wages,” Congressman McHenry stated.

The measure is criticized for putting workers at greater risk for harassment and intimidation by union organizers.

On the other hand, liberal trial lawyer Daniel Johnson once again reveals who he really is, and to whom he is really faithful! In a candidate forum in Lincoln County recently, Johnson said he supports the [deceptively named] Employee Free Choice Act:

Even Democrat George McGovern opposes the Employee ~~Free Choice~~ at Risk of Harrassment Act (EFCA)

In comments linked here and in this ad that he sponsored, George McGovern explains why the Labor Unions are wrong to agressively push the EFCA.

Instead of standing with Western North Carolina voters, Daniel Johnson is standing with Barack Obama, who would be all too willing to have the federal government control all businesses and redistribute wealth in a socialist push for his view of democracy "fixed."

“We’re ready to play offense for organized labor. It’s time we had a president who didn’t choke saying the word ‘union.’ A president who strengthens our unions by letting them do what they do best: organize our workers. . . . I will make it the law of the land when I’m president of the United States. . . . ” ~ Barack Obama

Daniel Johnson. Brave enough to tell the truth, but just plain WRONG for the Tenth District.

patrick mchenry

Congressman Patrick McHenry Votes for the People

2008-10-03T17:50:00.001-04:00

This came in my e-mail today...

McHenry Votes Against Bailout

WASHINGTON – Congressman Patrick McHenry issued the following statement regarding his third vote against taxpayer-funded bailouts:

“This is without question one of toughest votes I have taken in my four years in Congress. I continue to believe that action is needed to stabilize our financial markets but this is not the right approach. For American taxpayers, $850 billion is an enormous price to pay for an experimental plan that can not promise market stability or fundamental reforms to avoid future turmoil.

“The U.S. Treasury has bailed out a number of financial institutions and yet the problem persists. While reasonable people can come to different conclusions, I believe this is evidence that the strategy of taxpayer-funded bailouts is not the most effective course of action. Why then must we continue to pursue the same basic approach that Secretary Paulson has employed with little success?

“Should another round of bailouts not bring lasting stability to our markets, I sincerely hope that we try the approach that I am advocating. We can utilize strategies to fix our markets without requiring taxpayers to bankroll the government’s knee-jerk reaction to take unprecedented ownership of the markets.

“I will continue to encourage the Securities and Exchange Commission to address the root causes of the liquidity problems that have stopped our credit markets from working. I will support initiatives that will allow for a capital infusion into our markets to help create jobs and grow our economy. And perhaps the most important move to restore long-term stability, this Congress must reform failed government institutions, starting with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.”

patrick mchenry

Congressman McHenry Looking Out For Us

2008-09-23T20:37:00.005-04:00

The current financial crisis is extremely complicated, and while I have very strong concerns about the bailout, I don't pretend to be an expert on it all. All I can say is, "Thank God someone is looking out for us!"

NC Lawmakers Skeptical of Mortgage Debt Bailout

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said a major concern was the amount of taxpayer money needed to finance the bailout. Analysts said over the weekend that the plan might end up costing taxpayers less than $700 billion – and possibly make money – if the government is eventually able to sell enough of the poorly performing mortgage securities for a profit.

"Ultimately, my responsibility is to the American taxpayer - who will be the underwriter of this dramatic proposal," McHenry, a member of the financial services committee, said in a statement.

KEEP FIGHTING FOR US PATRICK!

Food for Thought: Before D.C. Gets Our Money, It Owes Us Some Answers by Newt Gingrich

patrick mchenry