Capitol Hill may be the only place where something that is supposed to take 15 minutes usually consumes 28 minutes, then triggers un-muted braying when the event suddenly consumes just 19 minutes. Such was the case Wednesday in the House as lawmakers voted on a bill to sanction Iran. Rep. Bradley Byrne presided over the vote. When the roll call began at precisely 11:30 am et, the Alabama Republican stared over the House chamber from the dais and issued a stern warning to his colleagues. “This IS...
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President Barack Obama didn’t change any Republican minds with his final State of the Union address on Tuesday. Within hours after Obama’s Tuesday speech, most of Rowan County’s representatives in Congress offered their opinions on the address, some in more words than others. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., waited a longer than others to chime in with his thoughts on the speech. On Wednesday afternoon, Burr offered his opinion in a short Facebook post — “My mother always said if you don’t have a...
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WASHINGTON – Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., today voted in favor of a disapproval resolution seeking to stop the Obama administration from implementing its flawed “Waters of the United States” rule, which would negatively impact North Carolina farmers and landowners. The measure passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 253- 166. “Federal agencies frequently place burdensome regulations on the American public, and the ‘Waters of the United States’ rule is no exception,” said Foxx. “This reso...
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When second amendment legislation is created, altered or oftentimes even mentioned at the federal level, its effects trickle down down and make waves in even the smallest locales. Avery County is no exception. After President Barack Obama issued his most recent executive orders involving gun legislation, The Avery Journal-Times culled statements from local politicians about the hot-button issue. “President Obama is once again bypassing the legislative branch and subverting its will. Our founders...
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Several members of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation responded to President Obama’s final State of the Union address Tuesday evening. “Tonight, the issues and fears that are front and center in the hearts and minds of the American people were not addressed. We need a clear and comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIS and regain our influence in the world. Additionally, we should be reducing the size and scope of government so we can create a strong economy that produces jobs. What we heard ...
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WASHINGTON – Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., tonight issued the following response regarding President Obama's final State of the Union address: “For the past seven years, President Obama has given us 47,625 words of meaningless promises. Tonight’s State of the Union address was more of the same empty words. “President Obama has never adequately focused on what really matters in this country - keeping America safe and defending our cherished freedoms. Instead he wants to maintain the status quo and ...
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President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, the final one of his two-term presidency, did not rank among the highest priorities for some Republicans in Winston-Salem. State Rep. Debra Conrad didn’t plan to watch, she said Tuesday morning, though she did plan to watch the GOP presidential debate Thursday on Fox Business. Mark Baker, the chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party, said he was planning to attend a meeting. Other officials declined to comment. Asked why some Republican...
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The group of plus-ones invited by North Carolina’s members of Congress to Tuesday night’s State of the Union address include a university president, the leader of the state’s largest Native American tribe, military service members and a senator’s wife. Rank-and-file senators and representatives are allowed to bring just one guest to President Barack Obama’s address before a joint session of Congress. It’s Obama’s final State of the Union as president. Some members who are part of House or Senate...
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WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives today passed legislation that includes language by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., to ensure unfunded mandates are incorporated into regulatory reform. “The issue of unfunded mandates is frequently overlooked in the debates about reforming our regulatory system and carrying out federal policies,” said Foxx during a speech on the House floor. “It is all too easy for Washington bureaucrats to write off concerns expressed by a handful of local governments or a ...
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Congress kicked off 2016 by passing a bill that repeals Obamacare and stops taxpayer funding for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The nearly party-line vote in the House was 240-181. The bill will be sent directly to President Barack Obama's desk via the special reconciliation process. That process allows a budget bill to pass with a simple majority, avoiding an opportunity for the opposition to filibuster. The reconciliation process can only be used once a year. Democrats claimed tha...
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