Congressman Greg Walden and I have offered an amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations Bill. This amendment would prevent any funding to the FCC from being used to either reinstate the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ or enact proposed broadcast localism regulations during the next fiscal year.

The American people cherish freedom, especially freedom of speech and of the press. That was why President Reagan repealed the so-called Fairness Doctrine back in 1987. For more than four decades, the federal government actually regulated the content of American talk radio and the chilling effect of this regulation was undeniable.

Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine today would amount to government control over political views expressed on the public airways.

Democrats from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Senators Dick Durbin, and John Kerry have called for the return of this kind of regulation to the airwaves of America, but thanks to the support of millions of freedom-loving Americans, we were able to mostly close the front door to this government censorship.
So now they are trying to sneak through the back door with regulations known as ‘broadcast localism.’ These regulations are just a Trojan Horse for unelected bureaucrats in Washington to determine what you can or cannot listen to.

In a time when we are witnessing an unprecedented intrusion of the federal government into various sectors, the last thing we need is a government takeover of America’s airwaves. It’s not what the American People want, and it’s not something this Congress should allow.

Let your Member of Congress and demand an up-or-down vote on the Walden-Pence Broadcaster Freedom Amendment. Call TODAY, Tuesday, July 14 because the Rules Committee is scheduled to meet at 3:00pm to decide which amendments to allow. If our amendment is made in order, it can be offered on the House floor when the Financial Services Appropriations bill is considered later this week. The Capitol Switchboard is(202) 224-3121.

Let’s get the word out: No More Government Takeover. This amendment would stop the government from taking over the airwaves and would preserve our cherished First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

President John F. Kennedy once stated that ‘We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.’

We believe that America is a nation of freedom and strong opinion-our government must not be afraid to entrust the American people with all the facts and opinions necessary to make the choices as an informed electorate.

If the Walden-Pence Broadcaster Freedom Amendment is brought to the floor of this Congress, it will surely pass; because every time freedom gets an up-or-down vote in the People’s House, freedom always wins.

The disbelief on the part of the international community was shared by many Iranian citizens. And while the defeated candidate launched a legal appeal, what ensued on the streets of Tehran, at least according to the BBC, were the largest public demonstrations in the Islamic republic’s 30-year history. It seems that many Iranians have gotten a whiff of freedom and are willing to lay down their lives in the streets of Iran to secure that freedom.

Sadly, as the people have rallied the Iranian government has responded with more violence and oppression, causing numerous fatalities and the arrest of dissidents. We have learned of reporters prevented from making their reports public and the jamming of electronic communications. We may well be witnessing a Tiananmen in Tehran.

I respect that President Obama recognizes the troubling nature of the on-going situation in Iran, but respectfully disagree with where he has drawn the line. I do not believe a strong affirmation of our ideals and engagement with those who oppose our ideals are mutually exclusive. I think it is possible, as President Reagan demonstrated and indeed as it has been demonstrated throughout our history, for the American people to stand up and speak words of encouragement to those who are oppressed while engaging their oppressors.

It seems to me in this moment the American people long to be heard. House Resolution 560, which on Friday passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, provides the American people an opportunity to do just that.

The resolution, which was introduced in the Senate by Senators McCain and Lieberman, simply states that the House of Representatives condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by the government of Iran and pro-government militias, as well as the ongoing government suppression of independent electronic communication through interference with the Internet and cell phones. It affirms the universality of individual rights and the importance of democracy and free elections.

Lastly and most importantly, the resolution expresses our unqualified support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law. I have said many times this week that the cause of America is freedom and in that cause the American people will not be silent. There is no intention here to pick sides in the Iranian election, but to simply stand by those who stand up for freedom.

The intent of this resolution is to demonstrate, in a true spirit of bipartisanship, that the American people continue to be on the side of liberty and freedom.

I am glad that the United States Senate has also passed this important resolution, allowing the American people to speak with one voice in support of human rights and democracy. We have learned throughout our history that when the voice of the American people is heard in defense of democracy and human rights, it can make a difference in the advancement of liberty around the world. I believe in my heart of hearts that this important bipartisan resolution will help do so once more.

It comes in the form of an energy proposal known as “cap and trade” which would cap greenhouse gas emissions from regulated entities and require businesses to acquire permits or “allowances” for their emissions. The bill should actually be called “cap and tax” because it basically establishes a national energy tax. Under the guise of protecting the environment, the bill will increase taxes on every American who uses any form of energy and would have a devastating impact on the Indiana economy and Hoosier taxpayers. Washington politicians love it because they can claim that they are taxing polluters when in effect they are actually taxing middle class American families and workers.

The Wall Street Journal recently editorialized about this proposal, noting the unjust burden this proposal would have on the Midwest: “But the greatest inequities are geographic and would be imposed on the parts of the U.S. that rely most on manufacturing or fossil fuels — particularly coal, which generates most power in the Midwest, Southern and Plains states… Coal provides more than half of U.S. electricity, and 25 states get more than 50% of their electricity from conventional coal-fired generation.”

Indiana, in particular, would be one of the hardest hit states in the nation because it gets 94 percent of its energy from fossil fuels.

Let me be clear: cap and tax is a job killer.

With small businesses and factories being forced to cut jobs or close their doors, more Americans will be out of work and unable to support their families. Those few businesses and factories that manage to stay open will only do so by passing their increased energy costs on to consumers.

President Obama himself admitted that the plan will cause energy prices to rise at the expense of the consumer. In an editorial board meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle during the presidential campaign he stated, “Under my plan of a cap and trade system electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket … that will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers…”

The effect of this massive tax increase will be felt by every American. According to cost analysis of similar cap and tax proposals, the total energy bill for the average American household will increase by more than $3,000 per year. At a time when families across the heartland and across America are hurting, the last thing they need is to be burdened with even more punishing taxes.

As Chairman of the Republican American Energy Solutions Group in the U.S. House, we will be conducting hearings across the country. The purpose of the group is to study and propose ways that we can work together to increase American energy production, encourage greater efficiency and conservation, and promote the use of alternative fuels. Together we can find common ground in our battle for energy independence without placing an additional burden on American consumers.

I’ve seen the impact of this recession firsthand, meeting with farmers and small business owners throughout my district. They are practicing the kind of fiscal restraint necessary to get through these difficult times. And they want Washington to do the same.

Americans are working hard to preserve a secure and prosperous future, but the President’s budget would add nearly $1 trillion to the national debt every year for the next 10 years—for a total of $9.3 trillion. Instead of controlling spending, this Administration seems intent on spending money we don’t have and piling massive debt on our children and grandchildren.

Americans deserve better. That is why House Republicans laid out our blueprint yesterday for economic recovery that curbs spending, creates jobs, lowers taxes, controls debt and is built on principles of growth.

The “Republican Road to Recovery ” is a blueprint for a substantive, comprehensive budget alternative that will be introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives next week. The Republican budget will be built on the values Americans nationwide are practicing every day.

As a substantive debate about how to get our economy growing again begins to unfold, Republicans will continue to offer better solutions that are built on the time-honored principles of fiscal responsibility and growth. Let the debate begin.

Over six decades after the Holocaust, we still must recognize and combat the continuing threat posed by bigotry worldwide. Hate-mongers frequently cloak their actions in democratic values; take the United Nations’ Durban Review Conference, which convenes in Geneva next month. Ostensibly aimed at combating intolerance, “Durban II” and its draft declaration have been hijacked by human rights violators and irredeemably distorted into an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-freedom hate-fest – one funded by more than $2 million from the UN’s regular budget. Appallingly, Durban II’s organizers are attacking human rights, while falsely claiming to promote them – all paid for by American taxpayers.

With objections to Durban II mounting, the conference’s organizers are now trying to deceive the world by offering a “compromise”: discarding some of the draft declaration’s blatantly offensive provisions, while preserving language that still implicitly advances hate.

We should reject this duplicitous move. Like the struggles of years ago, we must never eschew what is right in favor of what is easy. We can abdicate neither our responsibility to address and reject bigotry wherever it lurks, nor our obligation to safeguard public funds as Americans face extraordinary economic challenges. To give meaning to the words ‘Never again,’ the United States and other responsible nations must not fund or participate in any part of Durban II.

The conference’s 2001 predecessor planted the ugly footsteps in which Durban II will follow, with the world’s most intolerant nations using it as a platform to promote hate. Despite efforts to rewrite history and minimize the extent of the hate at Durban I, that confab’s Durban Declaration and Program of Action was indelibly marred by its singling-out of Israel for accusations of racism. Disgusted, the U.S. and Israel walked out.

Durban II, like many sequels, will be worse than the original.

The conference’s preparatory process is chaired by Libya, with Iran and Cuba among the vice-chairs. They focused the draft declaration’s ire on just one country. Not Iran, which imprisons, tortures, hangs dissenters and stones women to death. Not the Sudanese regime, responsible for the Darfur genocide. Only the democratic, Jewish state of Israel was singled out for condemnation.

Recognizing that the fix was in, Canada and Israel chose to stay away. Last month the U.S. sent a delegation to engage in intergovernmental consultations on the draft declaration, determined to transform Durban II through negotiation. The Americans witnessed how Iran, Syria, and other rogue regimes sought to advance hate by castigating Israel, opposing condemnation of Holocaust denial, and promoting language that restricts freedom of expression. The U.S. envoys summarized the situation as going “from bad to worse.”

Accepting reality, the Administration announced that the draft document was “unsalvageable,” and that the U.S. would not take part in further preparatory meetings or in the conference itself, unless there is a significant shift in the poisonous atmosphere and in the document to be issued. Shortly thereafter, Italy made a similar decision, and the EU and Australia have also threatened to stay away.

Facing the loss of international legitimacy, the rogue regimes are now trying to conceal their hateful, bigoted intent through smoke-and-mirrors. A newly-proposed draft declaration omits references to Israel, but in its very first paragraph, it reaffirms the 2001 declaration in its entirety – thereby reiterating that text’s anti-Israel bias and providing a foundation for Israel-bashing to again dominate the conference itself. Restrictions on free speech also remain. And, should this move convince wavering states to attend, dictatorships can always sneak in further hateful provisions at the last minute.

We must not succumb to this bait-and-switch. It is time for the U.S. and our allies to unequivocally deny all legitimacy to Durban II. This is not a time for half-measures, for criticizing some parts of Durban II while praising others, or for staying away while continuing to fund the proceedings. The stakes are too high – if we do not reject the conference in its totality, we will legitimize hatred and undermine true efforts to combat bigotry and intolerance.

With just one month until Durban II begins, the right way forward is clear. We have introduced House Resolution 42, calling on the Administration to publicly declare that the U.S. will neither fund nor participate in Durban II. It also urges other responsible nations to take the same path. Towards that end, last June we met with foreign and U.S. diplomats, Members of Congress, and NGOs to discuss other opportunities to fight hatred – and our efforts continue.

The case of Durban II tests how far we have come in rejecting all prejudice – no matter what form it takes. Now, not later, we must stand up and repudiate this circus, refusing to let political expediency trump real progress.

Hey folks,

I wanted to make sure you don’t miss the charade that’s being carried out on the floor of the U.S. House today. The Drill-Nothing Democrats finally brought their no-energy energy bill to the floor of the House today for a vote.

We need your help to defeat this bill. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the Democrats in your state delegation to vote “NO” on Speaker Pelosi’s energy bill.

They bypassed the entire committee process in order to do this. In fact, just last week, the drill-nothing Democrat Congress announced they would bring an energy bill to the floor that includes more drilling, and now they say Republicans have to take “yes” for an answer.

I would suggest that they look at the fine print. The drill-nothing Democrat Congress has brought a bill that actually includes basically “drill-almost-nothing” provisions.

They say “yes” to drilling, but not in Alaska, not in the Eastern Gulf and not within 50 miles. They say “yes” to drilling but states must decide, even though they get absolutely no revenues for choosing to drill. I guess states are just going to allow drilling out of the goodness of their hearts. They say “yes” to drilling but litigation rules will allow environmental lawyers to tie up all leases from the very day they’re filed.

It’s time to end the charade! Stop playing politics with American energy independence! Bring a full and fair debate to this floor, and we will achieve a bipartisan result.

We need your help to defeat this bill. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell the Democrats in your state delegation to vote “NO” on Speaker Pelosi’s energy bill.