Words of Condolence and of Hope

Working to Meet the Growing Terrorist Threat

Not So Happy Anniversary for the Iran Nuclear Deal

Appropriations Committee: Getting Our Work Done

Salute: Ray Bateman of Somerset County

Words of Condolence and Hope

The nation remains grief-stricken in the wake of the murder of five Dallas police officers.  Consider the words of current Dallas resident George W. Bush and President Obama at the memorial service for the “Fallen Five” last Tuesday:

Excerpts from former President Bush’s remarks:

“We’re proud [of] the men we mourn and the community that has rallied to honor them and support the wounded. Our mayor, and police chief and our police departments have been mighty inspirations for the rest of the nation.

“These slain officers were the best among us. With their deaths, we have lost so much. We are grief stricken, heartbroken and forever grateful. Every officer has accepted a calling that sets them apart.

“Most of us imagine if the moment called for, that we would risk our lives to protect a spouse or a child. Those wearing the uniform assume that risk for the safety of strangers. They and their families share the unspoken knowledge that each new day can bring new dangers.

“But none of us were prepared, or could be prepared, for an ambush by hatred and malice. The shock of this evil still has not faded. At times, it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates too quickly into de-humanization.

“Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions. And this is…

“And this has strained our bonds of understanding and common purpose. But Americans, I think, have a great advantage. To renew our unity, we only need to remember our values.

“We have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound by things of the spirit, by shared commitments to common ideals.

“At our best, we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of others. This is the bridge across our nation’s deepest divisions.

“And it is not merely a matter of tolerance, but of learning from the struggles and stories of our fellow citizens and finding our better selves in the process.

“At our best, we honor the image of God we see in one another. We recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief moment on Earth and owing each other the loyalty of our shared humanity.

“At our best, we know we have one country, one future, one destiny. We do not want the unity of grief, nor do we want the unity of fear. We want the unity of hope, affection and high purpose.

“We know that the kind of just, humane country we want to build, that we have seen in our best dreams, is made possible when men and women in uniform stand guard. At their best, when they’re trained and trusted and accountable, they free us from fear…”

Former President Bush’s full remarks can be found here:

From President Obama’s remarks:

“I know that Americans are struggling right now with what we’ve witnessed over the past week. First, the shootings in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, the protests. Then the targeting of police by the shooter here, an act not just of demented violence, but of racial hatred.

“All of it has left us wounded and angry and hurt. This is — the deepest faultlines of our democracy have suddenly been exposed, perhaps even widened. And although we know that such divisions are not new, though they’ve surely been worse in even the recent past, that offers us little comfort.

“Faced with this violence, we wonder if the divides of race in America can ever be bridged. We wonder if an African American community that feels unfairly targeted by police and police departments that feel unfairly maligned for doing their jobs, can ever understand each other’s experience.

“We turn on the TV or surf the internet, and we can watch positions harden and lines drawn and people retreat to their respective corners, and politicians calculate how to grab attention or avoid the fallout. We see all this, and it’s hard not to think sometimes that the center won’t hold and that things might get worse.

“I understand. I understand how Americans are feeling. But Dallas, I’m here to say we must reject such despair. I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we’ve come against impossible odds…”

Read the President’s full remarks here:

Working to Meet the Growing Terrorist Threat

As last night’s attack in France demonstrates clearly once again, Islamic terrorists organizations are evolving their strategy for threatening the West, including the United States. 

A CNN report on Monday indicated that senior Obama administration officials “have made it clear that for some time ISIS was planning to focus on those attacks around the world, although there were no clear indications of when and where that would have provided actionable intelligence to prevent them.”  See Barbara Starr’s report, “U.S. intel warns: ISIS not desperate, just 'adapting'” here:

At the same time, the House was at work approving another series of bills designed to address shortcomings in our national shield against terrorist violence. 

Congress completed action on legislation that seeks to close gaps in airport security and shorten screening lines.  Read the AP story here:

Additionally, the House passed:

1)    H.R. 5469– To require the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the International Monetary Fund to support the capacity of the International Monetary Fund to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism.

2)    H.R. 5594– National Strategy for Combating Terrorist, Underground, and Other Illicit Financing Act which directs the President to develop a national strategy for combating the financing of terrorism and related forms of illicit finance.

3)    H.R. 5607– Enhancing Treasury’s Anti-Terror Tools Act which seeks to enhance a number of the tools that the Treasury Department uses in its efforts to combat the financing of terror, money laundering and related illicit finance.

4)    H.R. 5056– Airport Perimeter and Access Control Security Act which directs the Transportation Security Administration to update its risk assessment for the aviation sector and conduct a system-wide assessment of airport access control points and airport perimeter security.

5)    H.R. 4404– Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and conduct an exercise related to the terrorist and foreign fighter threat in order to enhance U.S. domestic preparedness and test the U.S. security posture.

Not So Happy Anniversary for the Iran Nuclear Deal

This week marks the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s ill-advised and dangerous nuclear deal with Iran.  The House marked the date by debating and passing three bills designed to block the Obama Administration from granting more concessions to the Ayatollah’s government and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its continuing destabilizing behavior.

1. Block the Obama Administration's purchase of “heavy water.”Back in April, the administration announced an $8.6 million purchase of a nuclear chemical called “heavy water” from Iran. That means $8.6 million to directly subsidize the regime’s nuclear program or fund terrorism against the West. The No 2H2O from Iran Act (H.R. 5119) prevents the administration from completing this purchase.

2. Prevent Iran from gaining access to the U.S. dollar.Reports have circulated for months that the Administration is also considering granting Iran access to the U.S. dollar, which would represent yet another concession above and beyond the provisions of the nuclear agreement. If allowed, this action would give the Iranian regime access to billions of dollars in additional commerce to supplement the billions already provided in the form of nuclear sanctions relief. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce’s (R-CA) United States Financial System Protection Act (H.R. 4992) seeks to prevent Iran’s access to the dollar until the regime ends its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and ceases its support for terrorism.

3. Impose new sanctions on Iran. President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran did nothing to address the regime’s horrible human rights record, ongoing ballistic missile program, or its continuing “leadership” as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. While the agreement lifted billions of dollars of nuclear-related sanctions, it left in place those related to Iran’s human rights abuses, ballistic missile development, and terror financing. In this context, the President should support the Iran Accountability Act (H.R. 5631), which imposes new, additional sanctions on the Iranian regime for these dangerous activities.

These bills must now be passed by the Senate before they land on the President’s desk.

Worth a Read: Ben Hubbard’s story in the New York Times: “A Saudi Morals Enforcer Called for a More Liberal Islam. Then the Death Threats Began”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam-wahhabism-religious-police.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Appropriations Committee: Getting Our Work Done

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday completed its committee consideration of the 12 spending bills it is charged to develop each year.  In the process, we held over a hundred hearings and “marked up” each one in subcommittee and full committee, with a completely transparent and open amendment process.  

Our focus throughout the process has been oversight of all federal departments and programs of the Obama Administration and ensuring that the taxpayers’ money is handled carefully.   There is no doubt that our Committee is fulfilling our Constitutional duty to fund the government responsibly.

In the months ahead, we will continue to work to get all 12 bills through the House and Senate and signed into law.

Salute: A fond and grateful farewell to former New Jersey State Senate President Ray Bateman who passed away recently at the age of 88.   I was honored to attend his bipartisan memorial service last weekend at his beloved Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County.