CASSIDY: Use Mexican Cartel Money to Build Wall

Photo source: BRProud

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana has suggested using asset forfeiture fund money received during enforcement on Mexican cartel activities within the United States.

"The nice thing about this is Congress does not appropriate money in the asset forfeiture fund. It's one the Executive Branch controls itself, so he could use this money without congressional approval. So it's a way forward even if Miss Pelosi has decided she is not as interested in securing the southern border.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has described President Trump's effort to build a border wall as an obsession, and a waste of billions of taxpayer dollars. 

Both sides have vowed to not back down. 

In the words on Sen. Cassidy, ""It's the Mexican cartels paying for the wall, and that would be such sweet justice.”

Read more: Sen. Cassidy: Don't need Congress for border wall, ending shutdown

Sen. Bill Cassidy Chastises Protester for Using Children as Political Props

Photo source: Gossipela

Alethea Torrellas Shapiro had been using her children regularly to harass senators, such as Sen. Bill Cassidy, on Capitol Hill. According to the Daily Caller, Shapiro is “an activist who calls extremist feminist activist Linda Sarsour her hero and regularly goes on profanity-laced tirades against GOP senators like Chuck Grassley.”

Read more: Sen. Bill Cassidy Chastises Protester for Using Children as Political Props

Sen. Bill Cassidy Handles Another Liberal Regarding Kavanaugh

Photo source: Long Room

As captured in the below video, another liberal is in the face of a conservative member of the US Senate, this time our own, Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Sen. @BillCassidy confronted by Anti-Kavanaugh protester & asked why he would put a "rapist" on the Supreme Court.

His response stuns: "If it was your husband, your son, your father, whose life has been destroyed by uncorroborated, would you like that?"https://t.co/oJGTRShyX2 pic.twitter.com/3dy4UwBDRD

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) October 2, 2018

However, rather than cowering like Jeff Flake did, in the video below, Sen. Cassidy bravely defended his decision to support Kavanaugh and defended the judge’s good name, which has been smeared throughout this process by the Democrats.

Cassidy on Fox & Friends: FBI should look into coordinated Democrat smear campaign against Kavanaugh

Cassidy Statement on Louisiana Projects

 "These navigation and flood mitigation projects are important to Louisiana's economy and families," said Dr. Cassidy. "This plan funds flood mitigation projects like the next phase of the Comite River Diversion and ongoing waterway protection efforts. I continue to work with local and state officials to make these projects happen."

Read more:  Cassidy Statement on Louisiana Projects

"Tolerant" Liberals Disrupt Prayer During Cassidy Town Hall Meeting

Photo source : InfoWars

In a town hall meeting earlier this week, hosted by Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a prayer from the Chaplain of the Louisiana Legislature was disrupted by agitators, who were there purely to wreak havoc on a gathering of concerned citizens. The below video shows them screaming "separation of church and state" and "pray on your own time". 

Tell me again about that tolerance the left spouts. Guess Michelle Obama's "when they go low, we go high" doesn't apply here.  

Are Protests at Congressional District Meetings Being Organized?

A recording that was submitted to the Moon Griffon show seems to show organized protests are taking place at district meetings that are being conducted this week while Congress is on break. This recording was in anticipation of an upcoming meeting Sen. Bill Cassidy has planned for this week in Breaux Bridge.

Courtesy: ​KPEL 96.5​

Photo source: YouTube  

Vitter, Grassley, Cassidy Demand Criminal, Immigration History of Alleged Illegal Alien Bus Driver Following Fatal Louisiana Crash

Photo source: KTLA

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), along with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), today sent a letter to Jeh Johnson, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding background information on the driver of a bus that collided with emergency personnel who were responding to another incident on a Louisiana roadway, killing two individuals and injuring scores more. The driver, Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, is allegedly in the country illegally and had a history of driving without a license. He was driving a bus reportedly full of other foreign nationals when the collision occurred on August 28, which killed a local fire chief Spencer Chauvin and civilian passenger Jermaine Starr.

“This past Sunday, two American lives were tragically cut short in a bus crash in St. John the Baptist Parish, and my thoughts and prayers remain with their families,” said Vitter. “As we continue looking into the circumstances surrounding the bus crash, it’s troubling to know that the driver responsible is an illegal alien who did not have the proper documentation to be legally driving in the United States. This tragedy absolutely could have been prevented, and it's important for Secretary Johnson to cooperate in investigating the illegal alien who took two innocent American lives on Sunday, including any prior criminal activity.”

“Sadly, this is yet another story in a long line of stories where innocent American citizens have been killed or injured by an illegal alien who has complete disregard for the laws of this nation,” wrote the Senators‎ in today's letter.‎

In their letter, the Senators are requesting records related to Rodriguez’ immigration history, including when he entered the United States, whether he applied for immigration benefits, such as deferred deportation, details on any immigration court orders, proceedings or notices and detainer or notification requests. The Senators are also seeking details on his criminal history, including prior arrests, charges, dispositions, jurisdictions and explanations for any releases from custody. Specifically, they are asking about any affiliations with criminal gangs and whether Rodriguez would have been considered an enforcement priority prior to the bus incident based on his previous encounters with law enforcement. Further, the Senators are seeking details on the company that chartered the bus, how Rodriguez was allowed to operate it without a proper license, and whether immigration authorities are examining the immigration status of the bus’s other passengers. Finally, the Senators are asking whether immigration authorities have been in contact with victims or their families regarding the incident.

Below is the text of today’s letter, or click here to read today’s letter.

August 30, 2016
The Honorable Jeh Johnson
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Johnson:

On August 28, Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Honduras, was driving a charter bus without a license when he allegedly lost control of the bus and crashed into a firetruck that was responding to a previous accident. Two individuals were killed, Jermaine Starr, a back-seat passenger in a car Mr. Rodriguez rear-ended, and Spencer Chauvin, the St. John the Baptist Parish Fire District Chief, and dozens of others were wounded.

Trooper Melissa Matey, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana State Police, indicated that a majority of the passengers on the bus were believed to be foreign nationals, all of whom were reportedly on their way to Baton Rouge to assist with clean up following the recent, devastating floods in the area. At the time of this letter, the immigration status of these individuals remains unclear, as well as how Mr. Rodriguez came to be in command of the bus.

An August 28, 2016 report by the New Orleans Advocate also indicates that Mr. Rodriguez had been pulled over by Jefferson Parish authorities on August 5, and cited for driving without a license. Sadly, this is yet another story in a long line of stories where innocent American citizens have been killed or injured by an illegal alien who has complete disregard for the laws of this nation.

In light of the fact that Mr. Rodriguez is an illegal alien, please provide the following information no later than September 12, 2016:

1.      The alien registration number for Rodriguez, his complete alien file (A-file), including any temporary files, working files, or Service Center files, and all documents and items contained in them, all reports or notifications generated by DHS or in its possession about him, whether currently in written or electronic form, including, but not limited to, the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Executive Summary, criminal history or immigration summaries, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek his removal from the United States.

2.      Please identify each and every date on which Rodriguez was encountered by a law enforcement agency in the United States, to include criminal and civil arrests, the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, the disposition of that charge, the date(s) on which he was released from the custody of that law enforcement agency, and the reason(s) for the release.  Please provide the arrest and disposition documentation for each encounter.

3.      How and when did Rodriguez enter the United States? Was he ever served with a Notice to Appear?  Was it filed with an immigration court? Please explain.

4.      Did Rodriguez ever apply for any immigration benefits, including deferred action?  If so, was any application approved?  Please provide copies of any applications that he may have submitted, whether or not adjudicated.

5.      Has Rodriguez been removed previously?  If so, when?

6.      Has ICE issued a detainer or request for notification to any entity regarding Rodriguez?  Please explain.

7.      Was Rodriguez a member of, or associated with any criminal gang?  Please explain.

8.      If Rodriguez had been encountered by DHS enforcement officials prior to his arrest for murder, would he have met the requirements to be considered a priority for removal under the Administration’s Priority Enforcement Program?  If so, please provide the exact reason for such consideration.  If not, why not?

9.      Have the victims, or their immediate family members, been contacted by officials at ICE?  Please provide details.

10.  Is DHS investigating who or what company chartered the bus and hired Mr. Rodriguez to operate it without a valid commercial driver’s license?

11.  Is ICE working to determine the immigration status of the passengers on the bus Mr. Rodriguez was driving?

As you know, the Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of information to Committees of Congress. If you cannot fully respond to each and every request for documents or information set forth above, please identify the specific item requested to which you cannot fully respond and explain why you cannot respond.

Signed,

Charles E. Grassley                                       
Chairman                                                     
Senate Committee on the Judiciary          

David Vitter
Deputy Chairman
Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest

Bill Cassidy, M.D.
U.S. Senator

Someone Finally Gets What We've Been Saying For Years.....

Sen. BilI Cassidy has reiterated what all of us in South Louisiana have been saying for years, which is our levee systems and restoration of levees need to be addressed. The flooding last week is just​ the latest episode in this drams, going back to Rita and Ike.

Photo source: Daily Review

​“Whether it is south or north Louisiana, we’ve got a lot of levees that need to be updated. We’ve got flood protection that needs to be redone,” he said. “The advocacy of the people who are in affected communities is essential... No one else can present your case as well as you.”

Read more: ​Cassidy: Flooding proves need for regional focus

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.

Win Against Planned Parenthood Yesterday in the US Senate

Photo source: Wikipedia

The Planned Parenthood provision to strip taxpayer funding from the House budget reconciliation bill survived hostile amendments yesterday to refund. Louisiana Family Forum sent an appeal to the U.S. House and Senate regarding this issue.

Louisiana Senators David Vitter and Bill Cassidy both voted to defund Planned Parenthood.

Per LFF, the following was achieved with this victory yesterday:

"It not only defunds Planned Parenthood, but it redirects that Federal money to women's health care organizations that provide far greater health benefits to women than Planned Parenthood ever provided, not just because they do not provide abortion, but rather because they offer far more services than Planned Parenthood does, and are more readily available then Planned Parenthood is."

We can only hope this is a sign of more good things to come in the pro-life movement.  Planned Parenthood's vision of the slaughter and sale of body parts is the exact reason why the taxpayers should not be funding this organization and why those resources should be focused elsewhere for women's health.

Vitter, Cassidy, and Boustany Applaud Opening of Lake Charles Interim Veterans Clinic

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators David Vitter (R-Metairie) and Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-Baton Rouge) and Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, (R-Lafayette) applauded the opening of the Lake Charles VA Interim Clinic on 814 W. McNeese St. The VA is holding an open house to celebrate the clinic’s official opening today from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.

Vitter and Boustany wrote to the VA in February asking the Secretary to visit Louisiana and see the facilities firsthand. VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson visited Lafayette and New Orleans later that month at Vitter and Boustany’s request, calling the existing Lafayette clinic “inadequate and unacceptable.” During the Deputy Secretary’s visit to Lafayette in February, he announced that veterans in Lafayette would be granted access to temporary additional clinic space by the VA. After follow-ups from the Louisiana delegation, Gibson authorized additional clinic space for Lake Charles.

Vitter said: “While I’m glad to see my years of hard work with Congressman Boustany have come to fruition with the opening of this much needed VA clinic providing access to quality healthcare for veterans living in Lake Charles, I will not stop pushing until the permanent Lake Charles clinic is up and running, as are the interim and permanent clinics in Lafayette. The veterans of southwest Louisiana have waited long enough.”

Cassidy said: “Securing a lease for a permanent VA clinic and opening the interim clinic are steps in the right direction. Until the clinic opens and starts seeing patients, we must continue to ensure our veterans have access to reliable, quality care in south Louisiana. Making sure the VA fulfills its mission to serve our veterans and not bureaucrats must be one of our highest priorities.”

Boustany said: “When I called for the Secretary of the VA to come to Louisiana to view the conditions where it’s treating our veterans, Deputy Secretary Gibson called the facilities ‘unacceptable.’ Today’s opening is the result of a lot of hard work and diligence from our congressional delegation in holding the VA’s feet to the fire and ensuring our veterans’ needs are met. I’m proud to have led this effort to provide better facilities and expanded services for our South Louisiana veterans, because they’ve earned it.”