Arizona Congress Watch » CD2 Trent Franks

Trent Franks roundup

Stacy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:51:40 +0000

Franks co-introduces bill to extend Patriot Act provisions (roving wiretaps, library patron info) for 10 years. [The Hill]
Calls Arpaio investigation “just another witch hunt by the liberals on the House Judiciary Committee”. [AzCentral]
On Obama’s recent lifting of embyonic stem cell restrictions: “The decision is grounded purely in partisan politics, since all the remarkable advances in stem cell research have used methods that did not require the destruction of human embryos” [YourWestValley.com]
On the link between Mexican drug cartels and Middle East terrorism: “When you have…gangs and they have loose ties with al Qaeda and then you have Iran not too far away from building a nuclear capability, nuclear terrorism may not be far off.” [The Hill]
On “Homes Act”: “The mortgage cram-down proposal punishes the 90% of American homeowners who made the choice to live within their means, and would offer a get-out-of-jail-free card even to those who used fraudulent information to obtain their mortgages in the first place.” [house.gov]

Franks vs. Grijalva on El Salvador

Stacy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:35:29 +0000

Last week, more than 30 Members of Congress joined Rep. Raul Grijalva in asking President Obama to affirm U.S. neutrality in El Salvador’s Presidential election on Sunday March 15, to stop the recycling in El Salvador of US threats when Salvadorans voted in 2004. But there has been no high-level response from the Obama Administration, Rep. Grijalva told Democracy Now! yesterday.

But right-wing Republicans in Congress have not been quiet. Upside Down News reports:

On Tuesday El Salvador’s largest circulating daily, the Diario de Hoy, published news of a letter signed by over 40 Republicans in Congress, denouncing the FMLN and warning of their links to Venezuela and Cuba. The letter expresses “grave concern that a victory by the FMLN could make links between El Salvador and the regimes of Venezuela, Iran and Cuba, and other states that promote terrorism, and also with other non-democratic regimes and terrorist organizations.”

Meanwhile, CISPES reports:

Yesterday, two Republicans gave speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives threatening that Salvadorans living in the U.S. will lose their immigration status and be outlawed from sending money home to their families if voters in El Salvador exercise their right to elect the opposition FMLN party’s candidate on Sunday.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) said, “Should the pro-terrorist FMLN party replace the current government in El Salvador, the United States, in the interests of national security, would be required to reevaluate our policy toward El Salvador, including cash remittance and immigration policies to compensate for the fact there will no longer be a reliable counterpart in the Salvadoran government.”

Today in the House – Mortgage bailout

Stacy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:00:16 +0000

H R 1106, Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, seeks to prevent mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability. Passed the House 234 – 191.

Yea: Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords
Nay: Franks, Shadegg, Flake

H Res 153, Commending the University of Southern California Trojan football team for its victory in the 2009 Rose Bowl. Yes, how sad they would be without validation from Congress. Passed 362 – 15 – 4. Grijalva blew off voting to do something else.

Supporting the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. Passed 416 – 0.

Designating March 2, 2009, as Read Across America Day. Passed 417 – 0.

And for our grand finale, it looks like there was another privileged question on the House Floor today, which went like this:

QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE – Mr. Flake rose to a question of the privileges of the House and offered a resolution. The Chair directed the Clerk to report the resolution. The Clerk completed the reading of H.Res. 212 and the Chair announced that the resolution met the required threshold under the rule.

It was voted on and tabled again. Mavericky!

Franks urges Clinton to address human rights in China

Stacy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:10:36 +0000

Christian News Wire:

Prior to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s visit to the U.S. on March 9, 16 members of the U.S. Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging her to make certain her conversations with the Chinese government are consistent with the true state of deteriorating human rights conditions in China. The letter, which had bipartisan support, was issued in response to Secretary Clinton’s controversial remarks before and during her visit to China indicating a retreat on the priority of human rights issues in U.S.-China relations.

…

ChinaAid commends the 16 signatories of the letter: Joseph R. Pitts (PA, 16th), Tim Ryan (OH, 17th), Trent Franks (AZ, 2nd), Bob Inglis (SC, 4th), Frank Wolf (VA, 10th), Mike Rogers (AL, 3rd), Mike Pence (IN, 6th), Dan Burton (IN, 5th), Michele Bachmann (MN, 6th), Scott Garrett (NJ, 5th), Michael Michaud (ME, 2nd), Chris Smith (NJ, 4th), Randy Neugebauer (TX, 19th), Thaddeus McCotter (MI, 11th), Donald Manzullo (IL, 16th) and John Boozman (AR, 3rd).

Recently in the House – More truly important Congressional activities

Stacy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:02:01 +0000

H Res 45, establishing March as National Criminal Justice Month. Passed 415 – 0.

H Res 195, Recognizing and honoring the employees of the Department of Homeland Security on its sixth anniversary for their continuous efforts to keep the nation safe. Passed 418 – 0.

H Res 201, Recognizing Beverly Eckerts service to the Nation and particularly to the survivors and families of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Passed 419 – 0.

H Res 77, Congratulating the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for more than 100 years of service and leadership to the United States. Passed 414 – 0.

H R 548, Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act. To assist citizens, public and private institutions, and governments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic battles were fought on American soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the United States.

Passed 402 – 13. Franks/Shadegg/Flake were among the 13 voting against it.

H R 146, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act. A bill to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Passed 394 – 13. Franks/Shadegg/Flake were among the 13 voting against it.

Trent Franks roundup: Bunnyranchgate!

Stacy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:42:37 +0000

Las Vegas PO’d at Franks’ assertion that stimulus money will pay for a mag-lev train from Las Vegas to the Bunny Ranch in Carson City. Franks “has either lost his moral compass, spent too much time in the Arizona sun or is a baldfaced liar.” (Video has been ganked…) [Las Vegas Sun]
Franks is not pleased with Obama’s lifting of restrictions on medical professionals opting out of conscience-based conflicts. “Though long forgotten, the original Hippocratic Oath likewise contained an unequivocal prohibition against abortion.” [house.gov]
Not happy with a potential Glendale-based Indian casino, either. “[I]t is very possible that such a casino will hurt more tribal members than it actually helps.” [house.gov]
Responds to reports of Obama letter to Russian president regarding Iran. [house.gov]
Sees North Korean missles as a threat. [house.gov]
Introduces bill to prohibit the funding of moving Gitmo detainees to Arizona. [house.gov]
Delivers speech on midnight rule-making. [house.gov]

Omnibus Appropriations Bill of 2009

Stacy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:38:39 +0000

H R 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act for 2009, passed the House 245 – 178. $410 billion, read Republican and Blue Dog responses in posts below.

Yea: Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Grijalva
Nay: Franks, Shadegg, Mitchell, Flake, Giffords

Franks reacts to Obama speech

Stacy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:44:55 +0000

Franks panned Obama’s speech on the grounds that it did not address “jihadist terrorism”: “For the commander in chief to leave out the first purpose of government, to protect its citizens against one of the most eminent threats facing us in the world, was a pretty serious hole in his speech.” [CSM]
And: “Essentially [Obama] had us all bouncing our heads off of both sides of the canyon walls of philosophical reality when he went from on the one hand saying that we need to privatize personal Social Security accounts for everyone, which is essentially what George Bush said, and then on the other hand we need to nationalize the banks.” [Human Events]
Co-authors letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in protest of “cramdowns”: “Although allowing for this type of modification in bankruptcy may have the short-term effect of lowering bankruptcy petitioners’ monthly payments, it is certain to yield negative long-term consequences for taxpayers and the federal government that will dwarf any benefit to the economy that cramdowns might create.” [LA Times]
Criticizes Obama’s plans to raise taxes on the super-wealthy: “The top one percent of this country already pay. They pay over 50 percent of the taxes now.” [CBN]

Today in the House: Angry Chimp Act

Stacy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:46:18 +0000

H R 80, the Captive Primate Safety Act, seeks to treat nonhuman primates as prohibited wildlife species. Passed the House 323 – 95.

Aye: Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords
No: Franks, Shadegg, Flake

Today in the House: Teens, Guam and Utah land

Stacy — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:17:57 +0000

H R 911, Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act. Seeks to require certain standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs. Passed the House 295 – 102.

Yea: Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords
Nay: Franks, Shadegg, Flake

H R 44, Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. Seeks to implement the recomm endations of the Guam War Claims Review Commission. Passed the House 299 – 99.

Yea: Kirkpatrick, Pastor, Mitchell, Grijalva, Giffords
Nay: Franks, Shadegg, Flake

H R 601, the Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act, passed 396 – 1, and the 1 was some Democrat from Florida that we don’t know.