I thought you might be interested to see this chart from the Joint Economic Committee minority detailing a bewildering number of new government regulations, mandates, and agencies resulting from the recently passed healthcare bill.

Click the chart to view a high-resolution copy or click here for more details.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of filling in as a guest host for Jimmy Barrett on WRVA’s Richmond morning show.  I did everything from chatting with callers to reporting the traffic and weather.  If you didn’t get a chance to listen, you can hear the show here.  From there, you can listen to any of the 5 interview segments of the broadcast:

• Backing Arizona
• Obama Should Drop Biden
• Virginia's Lessons for America
• Fighting China
• Building Up Fort Lee

I wanted to share a recent article discussing an agency memo to the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S.C.I.S.), Alejandro Mayorkas.  The memo suggests that in-depth discussions have taken place at high levels on how to keep millions of illegal immigrants in the country.

Although a spokesman for U.S.C.I.S. has tried to suggest that discussions are not tantamount to policy endorsements, I believe that there is no room for discussion on the question of amnesty.  The answer is simply ‘no.’

By erasing penalties for those who break the law, we show an utter disregard for the laws that govern this country. American citizenship is and must continue to be a privilege, and one reserved for those that enter our country legally.

You can read the article by clicking here.

Wall Street Journal Editorial: Who Pays for ObamaCare?
An April analysis by Patrick Fleenor and Gerald Prante of the Tax Foundation reveals how right they are. ObamaCare's new "health-care funding plan" will shift some $104 billion in 2016 to Americans in the bottom half of the income distribution from those in the top half. The wealth transfer will be even larger in future years. While every income group sees a direct or indirect tax increase, everyone below the 50th income percentile comes out a net beneficiary.

AP: Judge permits US trial of 1st Guantanamo detainee
The first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be prosecuted in a civilian court was cleared for trial Tuesday by a judge who said a lengthy interrogation and detention were not grounds for dismissal because they served compelling national security interests. Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was interrogated for two years by the CIA for important intelligence information, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in a decision that rejected defense requests to toss out the indictment on the grounds that Ghailani was denied a speedy trial.

Washington Times: Salazar puts new ban on deep-water oil drilling
Saying oil companies still are at risk of another catastrophic spill, the Obama administration announced a new moratorium Monday on drilling in the outer continental shelf, three weeks after a judge rejected the first ban.

The Hill: President's recess appointment has reignited the debate over healthcare
President Barack Obama's recess appointment of Donald Berwick to lead Medicare was intended to avoid another high-profile congressional fight over healthcare reform. Instead, it’s renewed — at least temporarily — the well-worn partisan debate over the government's role in medicine.

American Chronicle: Navy Shipbuilding: Numbers Just Don't Add Up
If you looked at the U.S. Navy's recently released annual report for its longterm goals for ship construction and how its aligns with its fleet size requirements, you are probably scratching your head. Why? Well, put simply, the Report to Congress on Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for FY 2011 outlines a larger required fleet size - 323 ships - as opposed to 313 in the three previous years annual reports, but reduces the number of ships that it will be purchasing over the next 30 years. The numbers just don't add up.

Washington Post: Federal Reserve weighs steps to offset slowdown in economic recovery
Federal Reserve officials, increasingly concerned over signs the economic recovery is faltering, are considering new steps to bolster growth.

I frequently tell people that Virginia’s Fourth District is home to some of the most beautiful, welcoming, and efficient communities in our nation. Some might say that I, having grown up and raised my family in the Fourth District, am a bit biased. But others are agreeing that it is true.

Chesapeake and Suffolk have both been named as some of the best communities in the nation as a part of Money Magazine's 2010 Top 100 Best Places to Live. The recognition was given based on housing affordability, median income, school quality, arts and leisure, safety, health care, diversity, the local economy and commuting time.

In addition, Chesterfield County was recognized with a 2010 Digital County award from the Center for Digital Government for their use of cutting-edge technology to run a more efficient government.

It's a proud day to be a representative of such a fine district as Virginia’s Fourth. If you haven’t already, check out the photo gallery on my website that highlights communities across the Fourth District.