John Kline’s Pork Report: Pelosi Writing Out Checks Our Country Can’t Cash

February 5, 2010, 8:35 pm

Pelosi Writing Out Checks Country Can’t Cash

Dear Friends,

During last week’s State of the Union address and again in a meeting with House Republicans, the President repeatedly used rhetoric conservatives could embrace – calling for “fiscal responsibility,” “spending freezes,” and “earmark reform.” While no one expected the President to make a complete 180-degree turn from the previous 12 months of failed economic policies, Americans were optimistic about this indication of fiscal responsibility from Washington.

Unfortunately, just days after the President’s call to rein in spending, he unveiled a new $3.8 trillion budget that once again spends too much, borrows too much, and taxes too much. The President’s budget plan more than doubles the debt, pushes the deficit to a new record of $1.6 trillion in FY 2010, and raises taxes by more than $2 trillion through 2020.

Adding insult to injury, yesterday, Congress wrapped up the week by passing the largest one-time increase in the debt limit in our nation’s history. I joined bipartisan opposition to this $1.9 trillion increase, which raised the debt limit to an unfathomable $14.3 trillion.

Americans continue to tell me they have had enough of Washington’s reckless addiction to wasteful spending. But that hasn’t stopped Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Congressional Democrats from saddling our children and grandchildren enormous debt.

Weekly Waste Watch: $7 Million in Stimulus Funds for a ‘Bridge to No Benefits’

Each week on my Stop the Pork web site, I highlight examples of government waste on the “Weekly Waste Watch” page. This week’s installment comes from Thedford, Neb., where $7 million in stimulus funds were spent on a “Bridge to No Benefits.”

The purpose of the bridge was to help 168 residents avoid a 30-second wait at a local train crossing. But according to Mike Hodges, a local business owner, crossing the bridge won’t even help residents avoid the current 30 second wait time — it will actually take longer to cross the new roundabout bridge. Will the bridge at least create jobs? Not for Thedford. Town Chairman Judy Taylor complained that the bridge contract was awarded to a Colorado company that is using their own workers. In fact, not one full-time job will be created through the construction of this $7 million bridge. CNN closed a  segment about this bridge by saying: “No economic benefit, no full time jobs, and a lot of taxpayer dollars used to cross the road.”

Keeping in Contact with You

I hope you are enjoying the Stop the Pork “Pork Reports.” Please feel free to share these updates with your friends and family, so they, too, can stay informed about my work on their behalf in Washington. You can also keep up to date by reading the “Pig Tale Blog” section of the Stop the Pork website or visiting my Facebook page. If you aren’t already, please become a Facebook “supporter” and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please e-mail me or visit the Stop the Pork website.

Sincerely,

John Kline

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THE INSIDE SCOOP Representative Pat Garofalo 2/1/2010

February 1, 2010, 6:57 pm
THE INSIDE SCOOP
Representative Pat Garofalo
2/1/2010

- SESSION STARTS ON THURSDAY

– RECORD BORROWING ANTICIPATED
- ATTEND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PRECINCT CAUCUSES
STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE
I once saw a movie featuring Bill Murray called Groundhog’s Day.  The premise was that no matter what the main character did, every time he woke up he had to live through the previous day – Groundhog’s Day.  The plot of the movie was that he lived through this day hundreds and hundreds of times.  The upcoming legislative session kind of reminds me of that.  Once again, for what seems like the 5 billionth time – we will have a fight over how to balance the budget.  Some say raise taxes, some say cut spending, others want to do both.
My perspective – In the neighborhood I live in, there are/were 4 homes in foreclosure and 5 other families dealing with a lost job/reduced hours.  Families are spending less.  Same with small businesses.  I don’t understand why government should be any different.  I know these spending cuts will be difficult, but unlike the federal government Minnesota actually has to balance it’s budget.  Please let me know your thoughts on this….
EXPECT HIGHER INTEREST RATES…..
The Treasury Department released estimates on how much money they anticipate the federal government will need to borrow in the first 3 months of 2010 - a mind blowing $392 billion dollars.  This is obviously unsustainable and will lead to significantly higher interest rates at some point.  No surprise that the 30 year bond has gone up 170 basis points in the last year.  Here is a link to the story.
PARTICIPATE
Regardless of your political party, please be sure to attend your local precinct caucuses.  I’ve enclosed a link to help you find precinct locations for the Republican, DFL, Green, Independence, and Constitution Parties.
ABBY’S JOKE OF THE MONTH
Q – What happened when there was a fight at the Fish n Chips restaurant?
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A - Two fish got battered. :-)
It is an honor to serve as your State Representative.  Please stay in touch.  Thanks!
Rep. Pat Garofalo
District 36B
221 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
(651) 296-1069
1-888-667-3337
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Kline`s Corner Alert: President Should Listen to the American People

January 27, 2010, 10:22 pm
January 27, 2010
President, Congress Should
Listen to the American People

Dear Friends,

Throughout the Administration’s first year, Americans repeatedly have voiced their concerns about the dangerous path our federal government is taking. For months, Minnesotans have been telling me that they are concerned with skyrocketing debt caused by runaway spending. They are troubled over the President’s go-it-alone strategy – the consequences of which have been an ineffective non-stimulus package and a wildly unpopular plan to put the government in control of health care. As working families and small businesses have been forced to cut back and make tough choices to live within their means, the federal government has gone on a historic spending spree.

After listening to the President’s remarks tonight, I remain concerned by his inability to recognize that the private sector – not the federal government – should be creating jobs. Prior to taking office, the President promised he would go ‘line by line’ through the federal budget to identify and eliminate wasteful pork-barrel spending. Instead, he has proposed a 51 percent increase in federal spending over the next decade. While I welcome his call for a spending freeze, Congress should do more and pass strict budget caps that will limit federal spending each year. Unless we change course, the President’s economic policies will add more than $14 trillion to our national debt over the next 10 years.

As the senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, I agree with the President that we need to reform our federal education laws, and I am anxious to enact policies that empower parents, teachers, and communities to provide a quality education for all our nation’s students. While I welcome responsible investments in programs that improve educational opportunity, this Administration has demonstrated a troubling pattern of new federal mandates and intrusions in exchange for new education dollars. We don’t know how much money will go to special education and other existing, unmet needs – what we do know is that they’re putting more than $1 billion more into federal programs that haven’t been tested. With an eye toward educational innovation and flexibility, we must understand that the road to reform does not begin or end in Washington.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, a veteran of the Marine Corps, and a father whose son will soon return to the Middle East region for a third tour, I was pleased to hear the President reiterate his commitment to winning the war against Islamist Extremists despite his decisions to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and try terrorists in U.S. civilian courts. Al-Qaeda and its affiliated networks remain formidable enemies of our country and democracy worldwide – and we must treat them accordingly.

I look forward to receiving the President’s budget next week, and I encourage the Administration and Congressional Democrats to heed the calls of the American people and work toward commonsense solutions that will provide security and freedom for our country, grow the economy, and put Americans back to work.

Best wishes,

John Kline
Member of Congress
Office Locations
Minnesota Office
101 West Burnsville Parkway #201
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: (952) 808-1213
Fax: (952) 808-1261		 Washington, D.C. Office
1210 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2271
Fax: (202) 225-2595

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the Kline Line: Americans Want Freedom – Plain and Simple

January 22, 2010, 9:16 pm

Americans Want Freedom – Plain and Simple

Dear Friends,

On Tuesday evening, Democrats across the country received a clear message from the overwhelming majority of Massachusetts voters who elected Republican Scott Brown to represent them in the U.S. Senate. Their vote was a clear repudiation of the reckless agenda of the President and Congressional Democrats. This is the same message I have been hearing loud and clear from Minnesotans who have been telling me for months that they do not want a government takeover of health care, and they are tired of closed door meetings and backroom deals like the “Louisiana Purchase” and the “Cornhusker Kickback.”

It’s unclear whether Democrats will heed their call, but Americans have grown weary of the borrowing, the spending, the bailouts, and the takeovers. They want affordable and accessible health care – not a government takeover that puts a bureaucrat in the room with you and your doctor. They want tax relief for working families and small businesses – not so-called stimulus bills based on failed tax-and-spend policies and fictitious congressional districts. They want energy independence – not a national energy tax.

They want freedom – plain and simple.

I recommend reading the following articles if you have not done so already:

‘Right to Life’ is Front and Center in Health Care Reform

Today marks the 37-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s historic failure to protect the right to life in America. Earlier today, thousands of Minnesotans marched in front of the State Capitol in St. Paul to send a message to public officials that a majority of Minnesotans believe that the right to life is a founding principle of this country.

This right– and our obligation to protect it – has been front and center in the Congressional debate surrounding health care reform. I was proud to support an amendment offered in the House of Representatives that would prohibit government funding for abortion. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen whether this protection will be included in the final version of health care legislation that will ultimately receive a vote in the House and Senate.

The debate on this bill is far from over. It is critical for every one of you to remain vigilant in your efforts to ensure your elected representatives know of your opposition to any health care provision that uses taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. With the 2010 elections on the horizon, continued protection for the right to life hangs in the balance. We must remain steadfast in our commitment and obligation to this most fundamental of all rights.

Join Our Facebook Efforts to Win Back America

Let’s ensure Tuesday night’s call by Massachusetts voters for less government and more transparency is heard across America! I challenge you to encourage 10 of your family members or friends to become “fans” of my Facebook page and join our efforts to win back America.

Sincerely,

John Kline


This email was sent by john@klineforcongress.com
Kline for Congress | 101 W Burnsville Pkwy, Suite 104 | Burnsville | MN | 55337
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Kline`s Corner: Health Care Reform Should Take the American People Into Consideration

January 15, 2010, 1:23 pm
January 15, 2010
Health Care Reform Should
Take the American People
Into Consideration

Dear Friends,

When Congress set out to reform our health care system, Republicans were ready and willing to work in a bipartisan way to bring down costs, expand access to quality care, and preserve the relationship between patients and their doctors. I remain committed to those goals today, and I will continue fighting for these principles on your behalf.

Unfortunately, majority leadership in Congress and the White House have grown so infatuated with the notion of a ‘historic’ achievement they seem to have forgotten the importance of sound policy. Over the past two weeks, they have once again retreated behind closed doors to make deals and finalize a single version of their government takeover of health care. Now, according to news reports, Democrats face intense infighting between the House, the Senate, and special interest groups, leading Congressman Eric Cantor (Va.) to suggest: “This health care bill can be defeated.” Major issues still facing the Democrats include taxes, abortion, the inclusion of a government-run plan, and Medicare.

I support a solution that empowers doctors and patients by making health care more affordable, more accessible, and more accountable. Minnesotans deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have the health care their families need, when they need it. I remain committed to an open and transparent process that takes into consideration the positions of the American people, not simply majority leadership in Congress and their special interest allies.

Best wishes,

John Kline
Member of Congress
Office Locations

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Kline`s Corner Video Alert: John Kline with Neil Cavuto

January 6, 2010, 7:27 pm
January 06, 2010
Speaker Pelosi: ‘Never Been a More Open Process’ John Kline: ‘That’s Simply Not the Case’
Dear Friends,
This week, I appeared with Neil Cavuto on the Fox Business Channel, where we discussed how the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats are planning to negotiate a government takeover of health care behind closed doors. You can view the video by clicking here, or on the video icon below.
Best wishes, John Kline Member of Congress
Office Locations

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A present for you from Congress?

December 29, 2009, 2:53 pm

This holiday season, the Democrats in Congress were kind enough to use your money to buy a few presents.  I believe we can go without putting our nation deeper into debt and I voted against spending money on these extravagant gifts.  However, I thought you should know what you are buying at a time when the economy is slow and the unemployment is high.

So here is their list of some of the goodies just for you!

$700,000 for a shrimp fishing project in Maryland
$2.7 million for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to support surgical operations in space.
$30,000 for the Woodstock Film Festival Youth Initiative
$400,000 for renovation of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden
$750,000 for exhibits at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in Iowa
$250,000 earmark for textile research at UC Davis
$500,000 for Mississippi River exhibits at the National Mississippi River     Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa
$200,000 for a visitor’s center in Bastrop, Texas (population 8,000)
$1.6 million for a tram between the Marshall Flight Center and the Huntsville Botanical Garden

Although 2010 will be a new year, my resolutions haven’t changed.  I will continue to fight outrageous, pork barrel spending and work tirelessly to retire Speaker Pelosi and her liberal colleagues who are addicted to spending and bad public policy, but I can’t do this alone.  I need your help!  Please join me by sending your donation and New Year’s resolutions to my campaign before the New Year.

Please Donate Today!
Sincerely,

John Kline
Prepared and Paid for by Kline for Congress

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Kline`s Corner: Minnesotans Have Spoken Out Against Government Takeover of Health Care

December 24, 2009, 2:49 pm

Dear Friends,

This morning, the U.S. Senate passed a 2,733-page government takeover of health care bill on a party-line vote. While this bill has seen numerous revisions and rewrites – including hundreds of millions of dollars in special concessions to secure reluctant votes – it remains a wholesale overhaul of one-sixth of the American economy that will give greater authority to the federal government at the expense of patients and their doctors.

Like the disastrous proposal that passed the House last month, the Senate is advancing a legislative monstrosity replete with tax hikes, new mandates, and costly big government experiments that will undermine the quality of health care in our nation.

The American people have spoken: they do not want this bill. I continue to stand with working families in opposing a government takeover of health care, and will push for commonsense reforms that will fix what’s broken in our health care system while preserving coverage for Americans who like what they have.

The Senate plan – like its counterpart in the House of Representatives – fails to achieve the number one goal of health care reform: bringing down costs. Instead, it masks trillions in spending with budgetary gimmicks while slashing funding for Medicare and threatening our seniors’ health care. This bill is as dangerous as those that preceded it, and it is just as worthy of rejection.

I support a health care solution that empowers doctors and patients by making health care more affordable, more accessible, and more accountable. Minnesotans deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have the health care their families need, when they need it. To view some of my health care solutions, please click here.

‘Son of Stimulus’ Repeats Mistakes of Original ‘Stimulus’

In an attempt to complete the first session of the 111th Congress, majority leadership rammed through a flurry of legislation last week that concluded a year-long spending spree at American taxpayers’ expense.

I joined bipartisan opposition to the most recent $150 billion “stimulus” bill because it repeats the failed policies of the $1.1 trillion stimulus that passed earlier this year – adding $150 billion in new debt, and failing to help working families and small businesses.

Earlier this year, I cosponsored the “Economic Growth Act,” legislation offering a simple and direct way to create jobs and help our economy. Using the White House’s formula, this plan would have created twice the jobs at half the price of the original stimulus.

To review the “Economic Growth Act,” please click here.

Federal Spending Too High

The House also passed a debt limit increase that would increase the national debt $290 billion.

I joined bipartisan opposition to this bill because the problem is not that our debt limit is too low; it’s that spending is too high.

According to press reports, the debt limit will have to be raised again before March 2010.

If the debt limit is raised by roughly $300 billion every two months for a year, that’s equivalent to $1.8 trillion, or $15,413 per U.S. household, in increased national debt.

Providing Our Troops With the Resources They Need

As a 25-year veteran of the Marine Corps and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I remain committed to providing our troops the time, equipment, resources, and support they need to do their jobs.

The president was correct when he said, “Our defense budget isn’t about politics, it’s about the security of our country.”

The defense package that passed the House this month includes funding for equipment procurements, a military pay raise, and defense health and quality of life programs. I was pleased to help enact a defense bill that provides our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines with the resources they need to complete their mission.

It Has Been an Honor Representing Your Views

Next year, in the second session of the 111th Congress, I will continue to conduct myself with the dignity and integrity Minnesotans expect and deserve. As the year comes to a close, I would like to thank you for honoring me with the opportunity to represent your views and values in Washington for the past seven years.

Best wishes,

John Kline
Member of Congress
Office Locations

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John Kline’s Pork Report: Harry Reid Stars as Santa Claus

December 22, 2009, 5:59 pm

Harry Reid Stars as Santa Claus Delivering Pork
to Supporters of Government Takeover of Health Care

Dear Friends,

Christmas is the season of giving. Unfortunately, when it comes to passing a government takeover of health care in the U.S. Senate, it’s the season of horse trading and sweetheart deals. In an effort to meet an artificial holiday deadline, the Senate health care bill has come to look like a Christmas tree with goodies for any and all Democrat holdouts.

Backroom deals cut in recent days include the “Cornhusker Kickback,” which exempts Sen. Ben Nelson’s state of Nebraska from paying its usual share of costs for new Medicare patients. The deal is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years. Sen. Mary Landrieu unwrapped an even costlier Christmas gift for her state, appropriately dubbed the “Louisiana Purchase,” which will provide her state an additional $300 million in federal spending for Medicare. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was persuaded to support the Senate bill when he found additional Medicare funding for his state in his Christmas stocking.

Democrat Senators from Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, and Hawaii also found their stockings stuffed with goodies in exchange for their support of the government takeover of health care.

A Politico story reports telling quotes about how federal pork is greasing potential passage of the government takeover of health care in the Senate:

  • “It’s a much bigger deal, a much larger piece of legislation than half-a-million dollars for a peanut museum. We’re not talking about programs worth hundreds of millions or billions of dollars… Sooner or later, other members are going to be saying: Why didn’t I think of this?” – Thomas Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
  • “I can’t think of a bill where you had this much visible horse trading.” – Brown University political science professor James Morone

Several more stories highlight Harry Reid’s backroom wheeling and dealing to win votes for his health care bill:

Weekly Waste Watch: $500,000 in Stimulus Funds to be Spent on Ants

Each week on my Stop the Pork website, I highlight examples of government waste on the “Weekly Waste Watch” page. This week’s installment comes from the southwest, where Arizona State University has received a grant from the National Science Foundation totaling $500,000 in Stimulus funds to study “the genetic differences between queen and worker ants.” ASU vice president of research and economic affairs, Rick Shangraw, notes that the ant study will preserve two jobs for “this fiscal quarter.” Meaning, the stimulus is spending $250,000 per job saved per quarter year. By that math, the stimulus will need to spend $1 million to save a single job for a full year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As 2009 is quickly drawing to a close, my wife, Vicky and I would like to thank you for all of your support. We wish you a merry Christmas and God’s continued blessings to you and your family in 2010.

Sincerely,

John Kline

Prepared and Paid for by Kline for Congress
This email was sent by john@klineforcongress.com
Kline for Congress | 101 W Burnsville Pkwy, Suite 104 | Burnsville | MN | 55337

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Kline Line: ‘Twas The Week Before Christmas…

December 19, 2009, 6:04 pm

‘Twas the Week Before Christmas and all through the land, Congress again seized your pocketbook,
with its deep reaching hands…

Dear Friends,

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is making her list and checking it twice, but the debt she has decided to give Americans this Christmas is far worse than any lump of coal in the bottom of a stocking. Instead of reining in runaway government spending, Congress passed a bill this week that raises the debt ceiling – the government’s credit limit. By increasing the debt limit, Democrats are opening the door to borrow even more, piling more debt on our children and grandchildren, to fund government spending in 2010.

Government spending ballooned by $705 billion in 2009, a whopping 24 percent increase. The federal deficit exceeded $1.4 trillion last year, more than three times higher than any previous annual deficit in our nation’s history. Unfortunately, Washington Democrats have no plans to get spending under control in the future. The budget President Obama submitted to Congress includes significant spending increases that would double the deficit in five years and triple it in 10 years.

Enough is enough.

Throughout the year, I have joined House Republican colleagues to offer better solutions that create jobs by jumpstarting small business growth; make Washington do more with less; lower health care premiums without implementing a government takeover; get the federal government out of the bailout business; and help Americans rebuild their savings whether it’s for retirement, college, or buying a home. Rather than allowing runaway spending to continue and piling up more government debt, Congress should explore common sense solutions to reduce federal spending.

Democrats in Copenhagen Promoting National Energy Tax

On Wednesday, in what appears to be the final day of the first session of the 111th Congress, the Democrat-controlled Congress muscled through a jumble of costly bills, including a third “continuing resolution,” a $290-billion increase in the debt ceiling, and another “stimulus” bill modeled after the failed $787-billion measure enacted earlier this year. Hours later, Speaker Pelosi and other Democrat leaders flew to Copenhagen to promote their national energy tax, which would take our economy from bad to worse. In the midst of the worst recession and the highest unemployment rate in a generation, the President will be joining them in Denmark to advance a jobs-killing global climate change agreement. As the administration’s recent EPA decision demonstrates, Washington Democrats will stop at nothing, even the strong objections of the American people, to impose a cap-and-tax system.

Bringing Gitmo Detainees to U.S. Soil is Dangerous and Unjust

President Obama announced plans this week for the federal government to purchase the Thomson Correctional Center, a state prison in Illinois, to house up to 100 detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Bringing Gitmo detainees to the U.S. is both dangerous and unjust. Importing terrorists to our shores invites them to abuse and manipulate the legal rights and protections granted to U.S. citizens by our Constitution – the very freedoms they seek to destroy. Earlier this year I co-sponsored the “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act,” which guarantees dangerous terrorists held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are kept off American soil and out of our courts.

Radio Alert: Tune In This Afternoon

I will visit with Jeff Shell and Lee Michaels at 3:15 p.m., today, on KKMS-AM 980; and Esme Murphy at 3:35 p.m., today, on WCCO-AM 830. Tune in on your radio or listen online at KKMS or WCCO. We will discuss the latest news in Congress, as well as encourage Minnesotans to join me in supporting the Toys for Tots program. (To find drop-off sites near you, please visit the Toys for Tots website by clicking here).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As 2009 winds down, Vicky and I would like to thank you for all of your support, and we wish you a merry Christmas and God’s continued blessings to you and your family in 2010.

Sincerely,

John Kline

Prepared and Paid for by Kline for Congress
This email was sent by john@klineforcongress.comKline for Congress | 101 W Burnsville Pkwy, Suite 104 | Burnsville | MN | 55337

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