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Legislative Update for October 5

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Americans are safe – Congress is back at home campaigning.However, when they return, beware!We will all need to be vigilant.

The government will be funded through March with the current Continuing Resolution “freeing Congress” to address what most are dubbing the impending “fiscal cliff” during the lame duck.This is the combination of the devastating tax hikes and the spending cuts in the sequestration (which resulted from the Super Committee’s failure to agree on spending cuts.)

How Congress addresses this “fiscal cliff” will depend on November’s elections.It is critical that your representative and senators be emboldened to stand strong on principles and not increase taxes on American families or small businesses.

If It Walks Like A Duck…

It’s been 25 days since four Americans were killed on September 11, in Benghazi. Since then, Islamic protests against America, which are said to have started over an anti-Muslim video, have erupted in over 20 countries across the Middle East. While President Obama seems incapable – or too frightened – of calling the violence a terrorist attack, Members of Congress are demanding answers.

Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) a top committee chair women, blocked Egypt from obtaining 450 million dollars from the government as part of a debt relief agreement President Obama had made with Egypt earlier this year. Other Members of Congress want to stop aid to countries who, like Egypt, are involved in these anti-American protests.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) have demanded an explanation as to why the State Department failed to address the security request made by American diplomats in Libya before the attacks. Please call your Members of Congress and ask them to request a hearing on why the security request was unanswered.Click here for your legislators’ contact information.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Law of the Seas Treaty (LOST):

Despite the signatures of 35 senators onto a letter opposing ratification of any U.N. treaties during the lame duck session, CWALAC has heard from our friends on the Hill that leading Democrats may still try to bring the CRPD or LOST to the floor.Both of these treaties have vociferous groups supporting ratification.Veterans and disability groups are supporting the CRPD and the Navy and Chamber of Commerce are supporting LOST.Senate offices are hearing a lot in favor of the treaties and not hearing much opposition.Please tell your senators to oppose ratification of these treaties because they will undercut our national sovereignty and will not further our national interests.Click here to contact your senators.

Women’s History Museum:

For the past several years, there has been an effort to build a Women’s National History Museum (WNHM) in Washington, D.C. on the national mall.The goal of the WNHM was to highlight women’s history; however, its online exhibits were heavily slanted towards the feminist agenda.

CWALAC played a key role in stopping this effort in 2010.This Congress, CWALAC learned that Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-Florida) made a deal to use the WNHM to expand the National Gallery of Art. Through our efforts, we were able to stop this, but now the WNHM has taken a new tact.

In September, the House and Senate introduced legislation (H.R. 6421 and S. 3567) that establishes a commission to study the potential creation of the museum.WNHM hopes to use this commission as the springboard to build the museum.Please urge your representative and senators to oppose legislation to appoint a commission to study the creation of this museum.With our debt topping $16 trillion, Congress’ attention should be focused on the fundamental issues impacting our nation.