Boustany Calls for Action on Tax Reform on “Tax Day Eve”

(Washington, DC) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette), Chairman of the Ways & Means Tax Policy Subcommittee, spoke at a “Tax Day Eve” event in the United States Capitol where he called for urgent action on reforming the tax code.

Boustany said: “Let me start by saying I don’t know of a single American in my travels throughout my state that likes what’s happening with the tax code. In fact, they’re angry and they’re very frustrated.

“If you’re a family or a small business, you’re bewildered by the complexity and the cost of compliance with this tax code. It’s a drain. It’s a drain on our economic growth; it’s a drain on job creation…

“The fact of the matter is this. We’ve been working on [reform] for a very long time in the Ways & Means Committee. We are in the weeds on it. But the time now is to move forward with action, and with deeds, not just simply words.

“We know what needs to be done. We know what steps need to be taken to simplify the tax code, reduce the level of complexity, make it fair. Because nobody thinks it’s fair today.

“The bottom line now is to act, and that’s what we’re working to do now.”

Congressman John Fleming Blows Whistle on Bailout of Puerto Rico

Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana has recently blown the whistle on an attempt to ram through a bailout for Puerto Rico.  

The following piece highlights that attempt:

In a bizarre turn, members of the House Natural Resources Committee were read the Puerto Rico bailout bill and according to Rep. John Fleming were then instructed to allow it to pass committee by a voice vote with no amendments and no dissent. Fleming was told to walk away from the vote if he had any objections, an account verified by two other offices. 

Louisiana should be proud of the representation of Fleming in DC. 

Boustany Applauds U.S. Army’s First Female Infantry Recruit

APRIL 12, 2016

Photo source: Daily Mail

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tammy Grace Barnett of Robeline, Louisiana, for being the first female recruit to enlist with the United States Army infantry.

I am tremendously proud of Tammy, a Louisianian who has stepped forward and answered the call to serve our nation.  Prior to enlisting with the Army, Tammy has been serving her community in Louisiana as a law enforcement officer. On April 7, she gave up her Louisiana law enforcement badge and courageously took the Oath of Enlistment to become the first female recruit to enlist in the United States Army infantry division.  Ms. Barnett truly reflects the spirit of Louisiana by living a life of service.  We are forever indebted to these brave men and women.  To commemorate this fact, I include an article, written by Troy Washington of KSLA News, into the Congressional Record in its entirety here:

 ROBELINE, LA - A Robeline native is making armed forces history as the first woman to enlist in the infantry in the United States Army.

Women in combat has been a topic of controversy for years, but now progress is being made.

Tammy Barnett was a police officer but traded in her badge to make history.

She's looking forward to seeing action on the front lines and making gains for women in the military.

Thursday, Barnett proudly raised her hand to take the Oath of Enlistment.

Dressed in tennis shoes, jeans and a t-shirt, 25-year-old Tammy Barnett stepped into the history books.

Barnett has been meeting with a recruiter since November and this week, at the military processing unit in Shreveport, she took a leap that's never been made before, she joined the infantry in the U.S. Army.

"They told me that I would be the first female in history to go infantry in the military," said Barnett.

Recently, the defense department lifted gender-based restrictions on military service. The historic change cleared the way for women like Barnett who want to serve on the front lines.

On April 4, the processing center received word that women would be allowed to sign up for combat jobs. Now, Barnett is hoping that others will follow her lead.

"I hope that I give them the courage, because I'm a small female, if I can do it, they can do it too, this could give them the courage to step out of their comfort zone," explained Barnett.

Barnett isn't fond of the limelight, but she has no problem stepping forward when it comes to service.

"I was going to go military police, but infantry is similar, and they are more on the front lines, like law enforcement here and I said that's what I want to do," said Barnett.

With her mind made up, Barnett isn't looking back, only forward to a future full of possibilities and breaking barriers for women in the military.

Barnett will head to Fort Benning, Georgia to start training. In the meantime, she says she's going to celebrate her history-making moment by going fishing this weekend.ve the front lines for my country.”

Vitter: Long-Awaited BP Settlement to Bolster Louisiana Recovery Efforts

Federal judge grants final approval for 2010 BP oil spill settlement; Louisiana to receive more than $6.8 billion for restoration efforts

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) issued the following statement regarding a federal judge granting final approval for $20.8 billion British Petroleum (BP) settlement agreement for civil claims as a result of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This is an increase to the $18.7 billion, which was originally announced in July. Louisiana is expected to receive more than $6.8 billion. Funds are to be paid out over the next 16 years. Vitter was an original co-sponsor of the RESTORE Act, which dedicates at least 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties paid by BP and other responsible parties to Louisiana and other Gulf States to restore coastal ecosystems and economies damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“Louisiana has been working nonstop to overcome the devastating losses along our coastline, in our coastal communities, and in our economy,” said Vitter. “Eleven men tragically lost their lives in the devastating explosion and oil spill, and in the five years since, Louisiana has done what we do best – recover, rebuild, and progress. While it has been an uphill battle to ensure that Louisiana was fairly compensated, we did achieve substantive wins, including passing the RESTORE Act, and the final approval of the $20 billion BP settlement provides Louisiana the long-awaited avenue to advance the rebuilding and revitalizing process.”

The BP settlement agreement includes:

•           $5.5 billion federal Clean Water Act penalty, plus interest;

•           $8.1 billion in natural resource damages, including restoring coastal habitats; and

•           $600 million in claims for reimbursement of federal and state natural resources damage assessments costs and other unreimbursed federal expenses.

Today’s settlement will include $5.5 billion in the Clean Water Act civil penalties, as well as additional billions to cover environmental damages. As a leading Republican conferee on the Highway Bill in 2012 and the only member from the Louisiana delegation involved in the negotiations, Vitter ensured that the final version of the bill included language requiring the enactment of the RESTORE Act.

In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and resulting moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico, Vitter pushed the Administration and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) to ensure that those in the Louisiana seafood industry who were directly impacted were not ignored. In the initial claims process, very few fishermen, seafood processors, and distributors whose jobs were directly tied to the offshore spill zone were paid. As a result of Vitter’s action, businesses and individuals in retail sales and service jobs, such as restaurants, bars or hotels, were able to get their claims processed quickly.

Boustany Can Lead on Corporate Tax Reform

Photo source: US House

Oil & gas and manufacturing jobs could be the first to leave Louisiana and the U.S. altogether if we don’t reform our corporate tax rates. We already have a 35 percent corporate tax rate in the U.S. – the highest in the developed world – and in order to keep companies here, we need to implement common sense corporate tax reform.

Andy Puzder writes a good column about the problems and why we need to reform corporate tax.

Louisiana’s own Congressman Charles Boustany is well positioned to take the lead on this issue as a senior member of the U.S. House tax writing committee.

Members of Louisiana's Delegation Lead Effort to Stop BSEE Well Control Rule

Photo source: lifelinestrategies.com

The text of the letter is below and the signed letter with several members of Louisiana's DC delegation can be found here.

Dear Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum:

We write to urge you to include language in the upcoming Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017 which would prohibit the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) from using appropriated funds to implement the proposed rule "Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf - Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control," or any substantially similar rule or guidance.

Since the horrific accident on the Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010, the federal government and the industry have made a continuous effort to improve safety offshore - enhancing regulations and standards on safety and environmental management systems as well as offshore equipment and operations, including well design and well control, to protect workers and the environment.

While BSEE contends that this rule has been proposed in order to improve safety in the offshore energy industry, experts and engineers agree that this proposed rule could instead result in decreased safety and increased risks in drilling operations because of the highly prescriptive, one-size-fits-all nature of the rule.

Although the rule is currently under review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the Office of Management and Budget, we believe it is imperative Congress act now to prevent further implementation of this devastating rule and prohibit BSEE from using appropriated funds for this or any substantially similar rule.   Accordingly, we ask that you include language similar to the following in the respective Appropriations Acts:

“SEC. __. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be expended by the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) to implement or enforce any regulations issued after March 1, 2016, that address any subject of the proposed rule entitled “Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf – Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control” (80 Fed. Reg. 21504 (April 17, 2015)) (referred to in this section as the “Well Control Rule”) unless and until the Secretary—

(a) writes a revised version of the Well Control Rule that incorporates the information learned from additional technical workshops with industry experts;

(b) provides notice and an opportunity for public comment, for at least 180 days, on the revised version of the Well Control Rule; and

(c) issues a revised final version of the Well Control Rule”

We ask that you to consider the effects that this rule would have on important sectors of our economy, and we urge you to include prohibiting language in the upcoming Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

We thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.  We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

LANDRY: AG Jeff Landry Moves Quickly to End the “Buddy System”

Less than two months after taking office, Attorney General Jeff Landry is wasting no time declaring that there is a new sheriff in town.

Landry ran on a reform agenda, which led to a resounding defeat of the former two-term incumbent attorney general. Now he is moving quickly to make good on his campaign promise to end the corruption that had taken root in the state’s Department of Justice under his predecessor.

Cronyism and backroom deals in the Attorney General’s Office have been a concern of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch for a long time. In 2013, LLAW partnered with the political blog TheHayride.com and WWL TV to launch a series of investigations that exposed former AG James “Buddy” Caldwell’s practice of awarding highly lucrative no-bid legal contracts to his top campaign contributors. Under the scheme, which became known as the “Buddy System,” politically connected law firms made more than $54 million off of state legal contracts awarded by Caldwell.

In February 2016, Attorney General Landry put an end to many of those “good old boy” deals, cancelling dozens of legal contracts that benefited two of Caldwell’s top campaign contributors and nearly 50 contracts with the private law firms of district attorneys around the state.

Landry also announced a new policy that prohibits attorneys on his staff from doing private legal work on the side, a step that will help avoid even the perception of impropriety.

Clearly these concrete reforms took tremendous guts and political fortitude to make, and we join many people across Louisiana who are applauding Attorney General Landry for making them. The apparent pay-for-play system that flourished under his predecessor left a stain on the integrity of the Attorney General’s Office and unquestionably contributed to our state’s reputation as a “judicial hellhole.”

Without a doubt, these changes will help to improve that negative perception, and they go a long way toward correcting some of the sins of the past.

It is also encouraging that Attorney General Landry acknowledges there is more work to be done. After announcing a slew of new good government policies last month, Landry said, “Reform at the Department of Justice does not end today. We will continue to find ways to make the office an honest, ethical, and hardworking agency that the citizens of our State can rely upon and be proud of.”

Indeed, we couldn’t agree more. As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general has a sworn duty to protect and serve the people of Louisiana. The people he hires to help carry out that duty should be selected based on their experience and expertise—not their personal and political connections.

Given AG Landry’s commitment to ending the “Buddy System,” we fully expect that will be the case.

Melissa Landry (no relation) is executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW), the state’s leading grassroots legal watchdog organization. To learn more visit, www.LLAW.org <http://www.LLAW.org>

Members of Louisiana Delegation Send Letter to the Department of the Interior Regarding New Rule Facing Oil and Gas Industry

Photo source: BOEM.gov

The text of the letter can be found below and a signed copy can be found here.

 Dear Secretary Jewell:

We write to urge you to postpone the implementation of a new Notice To Lessees (Notice) No. 2015-N04, regarding supplemental financial assurance for decommissioning platforms on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases and encourage you to instead reopen the proposed rule process. As written, the proposed Notice will cause major increases in the levels of financial assurance required of OCS lessees.  Much of that increase goes far beyond what is needed to protect the interests of American taxpayers.  As a result, the Notice will have disastrous impacts on state economies throughout the Gulf Coast, and will also put our national security at risk.  

On August 19, 2014 the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making seeking industry input on "risk management, financial assurance, and loss prevention."  However, instead of continuing to follow the rule making it had begun, BOEM released its "proposed guidance" on August 17, 2015.   At a time when thousands have lost their jobs, companies are closing their doors and state economies are being negatively impacted by a struggling oil and gas industry, it is more critical than ever to take stakeholder input into account before releasing radical changes that will place many more businesses in distress.

As we understand it, one of the main reasons for BOEM to propose these changes is because of an increase of bankruptcy filings throughout the Gulf, and concerns that the American taxpayer could be left with the tab for decommissioning wells.  We have heard from numerous independent oil and natural gas explorers and producers who make their living on the OCS expressing concern that this Notice itself will force them into bankruptcy - causing the very thing that BOEM seeks protection against.  These companies are critical to the domestic energy supply, having drilled more than 50 percent of all wells and more than 50 percent of exploration wells over the past decade in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. 

In our opinion, BOEM's current system for assuring that companies have adequate capital to insure their offshore production facilities is broken.  The federal government has never yet had to spend a penny to plug old offshore wells or remove production facilities.  We would argue that the proposed bonding requirements are duplicative and in some situations multiplicative.  For example under the new NTL each party is assessed at 100 percent on shared leases, and a joint operating agreement is no longer accepted.  This means that if there are 4 companies sharing a project, and it would cost an estimated $20 million to remove that particular platform, BOEM would make each present a bond which includes $20 million to remove that same platform.  It hardly seems necessary to have $80 million in bonds to assure that a $20 million job would be completed.  

Additionally, this Notice would also require that companies operating on the OCS are liable for all possible wells that are mentioned in their exploratory plan, even though the well may not even be drilled, and if it is, no actual drilling will take place for at least a year or two.  For offshore facilities that are already in production the Notice goes even further, requiring capital assurance for the lifetime production value of the property every year.  Meaning that each year a lessee is now responsible for 100 percent of every production facility, 100 percent for any exploration activity, and 100 percent of the lifetime production value of the property.  BOEM's approach does not make taxpayers any more secure, yet assures hard times for companies trying to comply with new, unaffordable requirements.   

BOEM's proposed changes will tie up capital that would otherwise be available for exploration, development, jobs, revenues to states and the federal government, and - most ironically - for platform decommissioning itself.   These changes are simply impossible for many of our domestic independent oil and gas producers to be able to afford, especially in a time when oil prices are low and companies are already permanently closing their doors. 

America cannot be a global energy leader without policies that foster innovation, investment and development of our nation's energy resources.  A new Notice To Lessees on supplemental bonding will stifle the oil and gas production on the OCS and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.  We urge you to postpone the implementation of this drastic proposal and urge you to work with industry to find a solution that ensures safety and security for all.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.  We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

Boustany Renews Call for Disaster Tax Relief Amid Louisiana Flooding

Image source: Daiky Caller  

(Washington, DC) – Dr. Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) renewed his efforts to pass H.R. 3110, the National Disaster Tax Relief Act. Boustany is a cosponsor of the bill along with his Louisiana colleagues Reps. Cedric Richmond (LA-2), Ralph Abraham, MD (LA-5), and Garret Graves (LA-6).

Boustany said: “Bridget and I continue to pray for the safety of our friends across the state of Louisiana. Unfortunately, Louisianans know well that it only takes one storm or natural disaster to destroy your home, business, church, or school. But Louisianans have proven time and again we have the grit and determination to rebuild.

“I believe we must give Louisianans whose lives are turned upside down the chance to rebuild. That’s why I am renewing my efforts to pass federal tax relief for disaster victims to ensure we give hard-working families every opportunity to get back on their feet.”

Boustany has been in contact with local officials in western Calcasieu Parish amid concerns of flooding along the Sabine River in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District. Additionally, Boustany supported Governor Edwards’ request for a federal disaster declaration in seven parishes in North Louisiana. Boustany says he will continue to work with the Governor’s office and his congressional colleagues to include more affected parishes in the disaster declaration as flooding continues to affect more parishes in the state.

The National Disaster Tax Relief Act will:

ØAllow expensing of qualified disaster expenses such as removal of debris or demolition

ØIncrease the tax deduction for charitable contributions for disaster relief

ØAllow the use of tax-exempt retirement plan funds in federally-declared disasters without penalty

ØAllow an additional tax exemption for individuals who are displaced as a result of a federally-declared disaster

ØAllow an exclusion from gross income of imputed income from the cancellation of indebtedness resulting from federally-declared disasters

ØProvide a special rule to allow individuals affected by a disaster from 2012-2015 to claim a full earned income tax credit

ØAllow the issuance of qualified disaster area recovery bonds 

One Photo Shows the Liberal Definition of Diversity

In what appears to be a photo taken in the Governor's Office in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana Governor's Instagram account shared a photo of "Chief Diversity Officers" for colleges and universities across the state meeting to discuss the session and the budget.  In what can only be defined as liberal logic, all of these "diversity officers" are African-American.

Photo source: Instagram

Imagine, if you will, if the Republican Party would put together a group of people meeting in the Capitol to discuss the session who were all of one race and call themselves "diversity officers", the howls that would be heard around this state.

But, hypocrisy knows no boundaries when it comes to the Democrat Party and the liberal agenda.

These Representatives Voted To Raise Your Taxes Today

Remember these names when it's election time again.  

VITTER: No Hearings For Any Obama SCOTUS Nominees

Earlier this week, Vitter joined other Republicans on the Committee in sending a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicating that they will exercise their constitutional authority to withhold consent of a Supreme Court nomination and will not hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee until the next President is sworn in.

Charles Boustanty Calls Out Caroline Fayard Over Obama's Gitmo Comments

During another one of his almost daily legacy making speeches as of late, President Obama has decided to push his agenda of moving Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the US, effectively pandering to the left on his quest to close this facility. 

In what is shaping up to be an epic battle for the seat in the US Senate being vacated by Sen. David Vitter, Charles Boustany issued the following today:

Campaign Manager Michael Hare: “If Caroline Fayard won’t stand up to protect Louisiana families now, how will she stand up for them in the United States Senate? President Obama is hell-bent on bringing hardened terrorists to our backyard, but Caroline Fayard hasn’t said a word about it. Dr. Boustany will continue to stand up to protect Louisiana families from President Obama’s dangerous terrorist resettlement plan. He won’t let President Obama put families at risk just to allow the President to fulfill an eight-year-old campaign promise.”

Boustany had the following to say today during a radio interview on Baton Rouge 107.3:

“If the President tries to close Guantanamo Bay, he will be in direct violation of the law. I won’t stand for that. Congress makes law, not the President, and we will not allow him to put American families at risk.”

Let's see if this latest shot over the bow provokes a response from the Democratic candidate Fayard.

Obama Signs Into Law H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act

Enrollment ceremony for the bill to officially send it to the President for signature

President Barack Obama has signed into law H.R. 644, which will accomplish the following:

• Create a dedicated unit within U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to prevent and investigate trade evasion
• Create a CBP point of contact for private sector trade evasion allegations with the authority to direct evasion investigations and the duty to inform interested parties about the status of investigations
• Require CBP and Commerce to establish procedures to ensure maximum cooperation and communication in order to quickly, efficiently, and accurately investigate allegations of trade evasion
• Direct CBP to enter into agreements with foreign countries to enable proactive investigation overseas
• Require CBP to annually report to Congress on all of the agency’s activities to combat trade evasion

The bill also contains the PROTECT Act safeguarding Louisiana seafood from illegally dumped foreign product.  The Act was shepherded through the Congress by Congressman Charles Boustany, LA-03.

The following was said regarding passage of this bill:

Boustany: “It’s simple – if foreign competitors want to sell in our markets, they need to play by our rules. The PROTECT Act provides necessary safeguards to ensure no foreign entity can undercut American businesses and jobs in our own backyard. This is a monumental win for Louisiana. I’ll keep fighting to ensure our trade laws are fair and work to support American commerce.”

John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance: “Simply stated, this would not have happened without the intensive and persistent efforts of Congressman Boustany.  While the Congressman has been an effective champion of the US shrimp industry for many years, the enactment of this legislation may be the most far reaching and beneficial of all.  Every year illegal shrimp imports defraud the federal government and American taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars in unpaid duties.  They have also seriously injured our shrimp fishermen and the economies of coastal communities in Louisiana and throughout the Gulf and South Atlantic.  This legislation will substantially strengthen the ability of US Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies to investigate, prosecute, and end these harmful fraudulent activities.”

Vitter: Obama’s Plan to Close Gitmo Does Not Keep Americans Safe

Photo source: YouTube

Vitter Releases GAO Reports: Huge Oversight Failures with Illegal Immigrants Sending Money to Foreign Countries

Vitter legislation cracks down on money wired out of the U.S. by illegal immigrants

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) released two new reports he requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the federal government’s watchdog, which show the major problems with how the U.S. government tracks foreign remittances, particularly from illegal immigrants. One of the reports also underscores the importance of passing Vitter’s legislation, S. 79, The Remittance Status Verification Act, also known as the Wire Act.

In January 2013, Vitter first introduced his legislation that requires a fee on remittances for customers who wire money to another country but cannot prove that they are in the United States legally. The fee would be used to enhance border security. In July 2014, Vitter and U.S. House Budget Chairman Tom Price M.D. (R-Ga.) requested a full audit from the GAO to study the problems. Vitter re-introduced his legislation this Congress in January 2015.

“The Obama administration has shown a complete lack of both competence and interest when it comes to securing our borders and enforcing our immigration laws. And that’s costing us a lot of money. Billions, in fact,” Vitter said. “The GAO reports I have requested and made public today help us determine how massive the remittances problem is with illegal immigrants sending billions out of the U.S. – money they likely haven’t paid income taxes on. What my legislation would do is basically improve on our border security while making illegal immigrants pay for it.”

The GAO produced two concurrent reports upon Vitter’s request. You can access them here:

1. Money Laundering Risk and Views on Enhanced Customer Verification and Recordkeeping Requirements (GAO-16-60)
2. Actions Needed to Address Unreliable Official U.S. Estimate (GAO-16-65)

In 2006, GAO noted that the United States was the largest remittance-sending country in the world. Foreign-born residents in the United States remitted nearly $38 billion to households abroad, and estimates from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) have shown that $25 billion each year comes from illegals.

Today’s newly released GAO report includes updated estimates from 2014, which confirms that the U.S. is still the largest remittance-sending country in the world. In 2014 alone, foreign-born residents sent an estimated $54.2 billion in remittances, most of it going to Mexico. The GAO, citing the World Bank’s Bilateral Remittance Matrix, estimates that $25 billion was sent to Mexico, $15 billion to China, and $10 billion to India as the top three beneficiaries.

Key Findings from the GAO:

► Accounting for remittances is completely insufficient. GAO recommends updated accounting and enforcement measures. Below are excerpts from the report:

• “Remittance Transfers Pose Money Laundering Risks” (Pg 31, 16-65)
• “…According to IRS data, the results of examinations of money transmitters from fiscal years 2013 and 2014 showed that the top three most frequently cited violations were failure to comply with AML program requirements, failure to file suspicious activity reports, and inadequate recordkeeping of funds transfers.” (Pg 51, 16-65)
• “…limited information exists on how many of these individuals (illegal immigrants) remit or the extent to which they rely on regulated methods.” (Pg 12, 16-60)
• “We found shortcomings in BEA’s model, specifically with regard to the assumptions BEA made about the percentage of income remitted and the percentage of foreign-born persons who remit.” (Pg 36, 16-60)

►Vitter’s legislation could raise up to $1 billion for border security according to GAO scenarios. Excerpt on estimates below:

• “…if 18 billion in remittances are sent by individuals without legal status before the implementation of S.79 … under a scenario with no change in the amount of remittances $1.29 billion in potential net revenue for border protection.” (Pg 15, 16-60)

►Vitter’s legislation would create a disincentive for illegal immigrants to send money to their home countries, resulting in that money likely staying in the U.S. economy. Excerpts below:

• “Representatives from almost all of the organizations we spoke with, including providers, researchers, federal agencies, and community groups, stated that remitters without legal status may be deterred by the final and the additional scrutiny around their immigration status…” (Pg 11, 16-60)
• In 2015 the Department of Treasury found that illegal immigrants were encouraged by human smuggling rings to use remittance service providers to repay. (Outlined on Pg 36, 16-65)

►A large portion of the estimated $54 billion of remittances exiting the U.S. is sent by illegal immigrants, and more research is required.

• “With regard to the likelihood of remittances, one study of Mexican migrants finds that unauthorized immigrants are more likely to remit, …” (Pg 13, 16-60)

►The federal government’s lack of accountability and enforcement of current remittances laws could mean money being sent to terrorist, drug trafficking or human tracking organizations is going unnoticed.  Excerpts below:

• “…a large percentage of human smuggling fees were sent using money transmitters because these providers offered a quick and reliable method of transfer with some degree of perceived anonymity for the smugglers…” (Pg 37, 16-65)
• “…over $12 million in suspected illicit human smuggling proceeds were sent to Texas border cities through money transmitters in the 4-month period between January and April 2015.” (Pg 39, 16-65)
• “Many law enforcement officials supported a requirement for reporting information on remittances. … Furthermore, DHS and DOJ officials we spoke with for this report said that information on remittance senders that could be collected in a centralized database could be analyzed to help identify illicit activity and would be useful in AML efforts.” (Pg 41, 16-65)
• “FinCEN is still evaluating ways to implement the 2010 proposed rule…” (Pg 42, 16-65)
• “DHS officials did say that knowing senders’ legal immigration status could be beneficial if DHS was looking at potentially removing illegal immigrants from the country. But they added that the verification requirements could drive remitters to informal remittance systems. One official noted that although criminals could turn to alternative methods of transferring money to avoid being identified, it could take several years to establish a new criminal financial network, and could result in a positive AML effect for a time—at least until the criminals identified alternative networks.” (Pg 44, 16-65)

34 Senators, 171 Reps. Urge Circuit Court to Block EPA's Clean Power Plan

Amicus Brief Asks the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to Vacate EPA’s So-Called “Clean Power Plan”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and House Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), 34 Senators and 171 House Members filed an amicus brief today in the case of State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al.

The amicus brief is in support of petitions filed by 27 states seeking to overturn the EPA final rule identified as the Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units, EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602, 80 Fed. Reg. 64,662 (Oct. 23, 2015), also known as the “Clean Power Plan.” A copy of the brief can be found here.

As Senators and Representatives duly elected to serve in the Congress of the United States in which “all legislative Powers” granted by the Constitution are vested, the members state that:

The Final Rule goes well beyond the clear statutory directive by, among other things, requiring States to submit, for approval, state or regional energy plans to meet EPA’s predetermined CO2 mandates for their electricity sector. In reality, if Congress desired to give EPA sweeping authority to transform the nation’s electricity sector, Congress would have provided for that unprecedented power in detailed legislation. Indeed, when an agency seeks to make “decisions of vast ‘economic and political significance’” under a “long-extant statute,” it must point to a “clear” statement from Congress. Util. Air Regulatory Grp. v. EPA, 134 S. Ct. 2427, 2444 (2014) (quoting FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., 120 S. Ct. 1291, 1315 (2000)). EPA can point to no statement of congressional authorization for the Final Rule’s central features, precisely because there is none.

Nor has Congress authorized EPA to make the policy choices that are reflected in the Final Rule—a rule that imposes enormous costs on States and the public without achieving meaningful climate benefits. Because of the Final Rule, States will face unprecedented new regulatory burdens, electricity ratepayers will be subject to billions of dollars in compliance costs, and American workers and their families will experience the hardship of job losses due to power plant shutdowns, higher electricity prices, and overall diminishment of the nation’s global economic competitiveness. Choices of this nature are inherently Congressional decisions. See W. Minn. Mun. Power Agency v. Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm’n, 806 F.3d 588, 593 (D.C. Cir. 2015) (“Agencies are empowered to make policy only insofar as Congress expressly or impliedly delegates that power.”) (citing Util. Air Regulatory Grp., 134 S. Ct. at 2445 (2014)). Congress has not authorized EPA to make the central policy choices in the Final Rule and, in many respects, has affirmatively rejected those policies, as it certainly did with respect to cap-and-trade programs for CO2 emissions from power plants.

Accordingly, the Final Rule that has been properly stayed by the Supreme Court should now be vacated by this Court.

Additional Information: Thirty-nine lawsuits seeking review of the Final Rule have been consolidated in the D.C. Circuit. The Final Rule was stayed by the Supreme Court on Feb. 9. The D.C. Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the consolidated cases on June 2. An amicus brief, or “friend of the court” brief, can be filed in order to address concerns and advise the Court on a matter of law that directly affects the case at hand.  

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Plan could cause average electricity rates to rise as much as 43% for families in some states.

Several members of the Louisiana delegation were supportive of this brief, such as Senators Cassidy and Vitter, as well as Congressmen Boustany, Scalise, Fleming and Graves.

Americans for Prosperity - Louisiana Release "Enough is Enough"

Photo source : YouTube  

AFP Louisiana has responded with the below video regarding the decision by Gov. "Honor Code" to seek higher "sources of revenue" (more of your money) to solve the budget mess that he personally took part in while a member of the Louisiana Legislature. 

One of the Best Cruz Videos Yet

Photo source: YouTube  

This latest video from Ted Cruz's campaign was recently released and, if anything, highlights the entitlement mentality of the Clintons and Hillary in particular.  

John Kennedy Offers His Ideas to Solve Louisiana's Budget Crisis

Treasury Secretary John Kennedy offered his advice to solve the budget crisis during a televised speech last night. His approach is dramatically different from the taxation approach Governor John Bel Edwards has planned.