LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Don’t Let Dems Push Last Minute Consumer Price Hike

Dear Editor,

With the recent midterm elections wrapping up and all eyes on the new Congress, it's easy to forget that Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and the rest of the Democrats in power still have a few months left to impose their agenda on the country.

Analysts in Washington have reported that we can all expect a big fight over an appropriations bill before the new group takes control. Most likely, this will be Biden's last shot to push legislation through a fully Dem-controlled Congress, so it's safe to say that anything put forth will include all kinds of Democrat pet projects.

For instance, a provision that Democrats have been trying to tag on to almost every bill for the past year is Sen. Dick Durbin's S.4674. This bill is a sweetheart deal for big corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and other small business killers.

It would impose price controls on the payment processing market and pass the cost on to average consumers by raising banking fees on checking accounts and other financial products that average Americans use daily.

This provision might cut costs for big corporations, but American small businesses and consumers would have to pick up the tab — just another bad example of corporate cronyism that we must oppose.

But don't just take it from me - The Hill reported earlier this fall that "the Durbin Amendment …generated benefits for large-box retailers, [but] imposed substantial net costs on the majority of consumers, especially those from lower-income households."

Not a great idea for a law at a time when low-income families are already struggling to make ends meet! We cannot let them slip this in at the end of the year.

Don't let these recent elections distract from the fact that Pelosi and Schumer are still in power. Tell your legislators to keep their feet to the fire and fight back against pork-filled spending bills. Just because the newly elected Congress may be more sensible with the legislation they promote does not mean we can take our eyes off the ball.

Oppose the Democrats' push to saddle us with Durbin's anti-small business, anti-consumer legislation (S.4674.) in the eleventh hour.

-DK Willard

John Kennedy defeats Luke Mixon for second term in US Senate

Clay Higgins, confident after winning fourth term, has eye on Homeland Security chairmanship

In complete but unofficial results, Higgins took 64% of the nine-parish vote in his southwestern Louisiana district, which extends from the Atchafalaya to the Texas line. His Republican opponent, Holden Hoggatt, was second among eight candidates with 11%.

Higgins said he will become the senior Republican on the Homeland Security Committee and will be “focused and busy” in promoting a conservative agenda.

Read more: Clay Higgins, confident after winning fourth term, has eye on Homeland Security chairmanship

GURVICH: Today Is Payback Day, So Get Out and Vote!

At last, after nearly two years of enduring disastrous economic, social, and foreign policies, the Great Day is here! The Biden administration and the ruling Democrats in Congress are about to have their comeuppance and we can begin the process of reclaiming our country from the most partisan, inept and dishonest government in American history.

Elected by an American public which had been assured by a complicit press that he would govern as a healing moderate, Joe Biden immediately turned the country over to the woke progressive wing of the Democrat Party. Predictably, the results have been an epic disaster.

Since his inauguration, the value of your dollars has declined by something over twelve percent. Now think about that- inflation has stolen away over twelve cents of every dollar you own. That’s why food and other necessities like housing and transportation have become so much more expensive. All because the Democrats feel that it is necessary to transform the government into a progressive (read ‘socialist’) society. Our economy will be flooded with the dollars from Biden’s multi-trillion dollar woke spending binge for years to come, and as a result it is going to cost you more to buy and to borrow the money to buy a house or a car.

Gasoline and other fuels merit their own special paragraph. Under President Trump, the United States was rapidly becoming self-sufficient in petrochemicals. The price of gas was under $2.00 per gallon, and we were selling more and more oil and natural gas on world markets. But woke progressives are on an ill-considered crusade against oil and gas, even though they emit far fewer pollutants than the coal and wood they have been replacing. First Joe prohibited oil leases on federal lands, and then he made it difficult to obtain the drilling permits. As a result, our oil production dropped precipitously and prices started going up rapidly. Vladimir Putin took notice and figured his position on the Eurasian continent was bulletproof. The Ukraine War followed within months.

Crime is way up, but then I guess it would be if you believe criminals are victims of society and you happen to be in charge of the government. That is precisely what woke progressives do believe, and that’s why they’ve released hundreds of thousands of dangerous criminal back on to our streets. The increased worries and concerns you have about your friends and family, and for your own personal safely, can be laid at the feet of this administration.

But there is so much more for which we must fault this administration. The attacks on your right to have a say in the education of your children is an insult to all Americans. We must also repair the damage to their education wrought by the prolonged school closures. We must face and reverse the continuing decline in moral standards and the left’s attempt to legitimize late-term abortion and even infanticide. The foreign humiliations and tragedies in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia must never be repeated, and the decline in American power in the world must be halted, or the outbreak of war in Europe will be but a harbinger of much worse to follow.

Truly, this is such a long list of failures for such a young administration, but that is precisely why today must begin the cultural, political, and economic counter-attack which will define the country in which we live for generations. Now go do your duty and vote if you have not already done so, and say a prayer along the way. Godspeed…

LOUIS GURVICH, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana

2ND ANNUAL MARKSMEN FOR MIGUEZ COMPETITION & FAMILY FUN DAY

Exclusive—Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry: Divest from BlackRock Before It Divests You

There’s an old adage within the world of business that the consumer votes with their dollar, ultimately dictating which companies, and dare I say ideas, thrive or die.

Yet investment firm BlackRock has taken this to an entirely new level. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is actively using your hard-earned investment dollars to vote in support of his personal social justice warrior goals. Ironically, this is done in the name of “preserving democracy” while Fink actively circumvents the courts, legislatures, and will of the American people to not only dictate national policy from the board room but also change human behavior through a social credit score known as ESG.

Read more: Exclusive—Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry: Divest from BlackRock Before It Divests You

Polls show Kennedy coasting to another term in Louisiana U.S. Senate race

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is a slam dunk for reelection, significantly outpacing all competitors in both fundraising and public support.

While Kennedy’s Democratic challengers are predicting a runoff following the Nov. 8 primary, an October poll and Kennedy’s massive fundraising advantage ultimately make a Democratic Louisiana senator a highly unlikely prospect.

A Public Policy Polling survey of 633 likely voters conducted Oct. 10-11 found 53% planned to vote for Kennedy "if the election was today." Former fighter pilot Luke Mixon, a Democrat supported by Gov. John Bel Edwards, was backed by 16%, while communications consultant Gary Chambers garnered 8%. Democrat Syrita Steib received 6% support, and 14% were undecided.

Read more: Polls show Kennedy coasting to another term in Louisiana U.S. Senate race

OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE: IT’S NOT JUST REGULATIONS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM

Photo source: Facebook

The Pelican Institute has long advocated for increased freedom for Louisianans to work and pursue the American dream. In particular, we’ve called to reform government regulation and interference through occupational licensure – a form of government permission slips for individuals to work within a given profession – unless there exists significant risks to consumers or the public at large.

There is very little evidence that licensing improves the quality of services that consumers receive. Research consistently finds that it reduces the supply of workers, increases prices and other burdens for consumers, limits innovation, and reduces workers’ ability to seek opportunity in other states.

Read more: OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE: IT’S NOT JUST REGULATIONS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM

GRAVES: $1 Billion in Ongoing Flood Protection Investments

Sent this letter to the East Baton Rouge Metro Council before their meeting today.

We have secured over $1 billion in ongoing flood protection investments to benefit our region.

These are the solutions. pic.twitter.com/ZXBFH5wWRn

— Rep. Garret Graves (@RepGarretGraves) October 26, 2022

John Kennedy: If you want something screwed up, Biden's your man

Higgins Rated One Of Most Effective Republican Lawmakers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) ranked in the top 10% of House Republicans for legislative effectiveness according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), which scores lawmakers on their ability to advance agenda items through the legislative process and into law.

Congressman Higgins ranked as the most effective Republican lawmaker for the "Law, Crime, and Family" policy area, and he finished 19th out of 205 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives in overall legislative effectiveness for the 116th Congress.

According to the report, Congressman Higgins introduced 19 substantive bills during the legislative term. Three of those bills advanced beyond committee, with one bill passing both chambers and being signed into law. More information on CEL's methodology can be found here.

Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:

"Since being elected to serve in Congress, my office has delivered an active legislative effort, grounded in our core principles and focused on effective interaction across Congressional barriers. We have worked to advance bills that help Louisiana and, by extension, all of America. I will continue to work within the parameters of our Constitution to deliver results. I do not seek personal recognition for our efforts, however, this particular award is testament to the fact that our Lord has delivered unto me a brilliant, dedicated staff of American Patriots. Every day, I rise from bended knee, prayerful that I may be worthy of our devoted service to We, the People."

LOUISIANA FAMILY FORUM: New Poll on Children Obtaining Transgender Procedures

A new poll from the Trafalgar Group surveyed Americans on their beliefs regarding children obtaining “transgender” procedures.

“Do you believe underage minors should be required to wait until they are adults to use puberty blockers and undergo permanent sex change procedures?” the poll asked. 

The results remind us that most Americans hold a common sense viewpoint on the issue, despite the media narrative saying otherwise, with 78.7% of respondents saying minors should be required to wait until they are adults to obtain the procedures.

Even 53.2% of Democrats agreed, and unsurprisingly, 96.8% of Republicans agreed as well.

The media does not paint an accurate picture of how Americans really feel on the issues of our moment!

GOP bill ends federally funded drag queen story hour, other sexually explicit programs for kids under 10

Dozens of House Republicans proposed new legislation this week that would prohibit the use of federal funds for sexually explicit programs, such as the wave of drag shows and drag queen story hour events that have popped up across the country.

Rep. Mike Johnson’s "Stop the Sexualization of Children Act" is an attempt by the GOP to prevent taxpayers from funding events they say expose kids to sexualized themes and "radical gender theory" programs at young ages.

"The Democrat Party and their cultural allies are on a misguided crusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology," said Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who is vice chair of the House Republican Conference.

Read more: GOP bill ends federally funded drag queen story hour, other sexually explicit programs for kids under 10

Prescription drug pricing reform must rein in pharmacy benefit managers

This month, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal health departments to create plans within 90 days to lower prescription drug costs that are burdening so many Americans. Any robust program to meaningfully bring financial relief to patients at the prescription counter must address the root cause of skyrocketing drug prices — pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

A new report by one of us (Rep. Buddy Carter) reveals the outsized role PBMs play in making medications unaffordable and inaccessible. Federal health departments can achieve the bipartisan goal of reducing medication prices by taking this opportunity to rein in PBMs’ predatory practices.

Read more: Prescription drug pricing reform must rein in pharmacy benefit managers

Louisiana AG Jeff Landry Leads Multi-State Opposition To CDC Proposals

12 state attorneys general call on ACIP to reject considerations of adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of childhood immunities and the VFC. 

BATON ROUGE, LA - Louisiana Attorney General is calling on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to not include the COVID-19 vaccination on the list of child immunizations. The State’s chief legal officer slammed the ACIP for two votes taken at the October 2022 meetings this week, which occurred prior to the close of the public comment period.

“This action could deny many parents the freedom to determine whether to subject their kids to an experimental vaccine,” said Attorney General Landry.

In a public comment letter submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Director Rochelle Wolensky – Attorney General Landry and 11 of his colleagues also call on the ICIP to not include the COVID-19 vaccine in the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), a program created by Congress in the wake of a measles outbreak to ensure that kids from low-income families have access to free vaccines.

“The COVID-19 vaccine does not provide the same protection against life threatening illnesses. Instead, it could put more kids at risk instead of protecting them which is the purpose of the VCF,” added Attorney General Landry. “The CDC should not be treating kids in low-income households as lab experiments. Nor should pharmaceutical companies be allowed to use low-income families as cash cows.”

“Given the lack of need for kids to obtain the vaccines and their lack of effectiveness, adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of childhood immunizations amounts to little more than a payout to big pharmaceutical companies at the expense of kids and parents,” wrote the attorneys general.

Attorney General Landry emphasized that our Nation’s kids are not the federal government’s guinea pigs. “As a country that failed so many children over the last couple of years, we owe it to them and their parents to take a responsible path forward.”

Joining Attorney General Landry in his letter to the CDC are the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, and Utah

CDCLetter-FINAL-10-20-22.pdf

Policy Brief - LPR Strongly Supports GOP's Commitment to America!

In the major build-up to the Mid-term elections, House Republican Leadership has released the Commitment To America. This bold policy agenda has been put together as an authoritative answer to the radical left's legislative measures that are bringing down our country.

After a thorough look at the Commitment, the Louisiana Policy Review is pleased to ENDORSE the plan as a great step forward for our country.

With that being said, here is our Policy Brief on the GOP's Commitment To America.

Read more: Policy Brief - LPR Strongly Supports GOP's Commitment to America!

LANDRY: Keep ‘smut’ out of library

In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart struggled to find the right words to describe pornography. In the end, influenced by his law clerk, he said: “I know it when I see it.”

Similar to Stewart, I have struggled to find the right words to describe the new books currently being circulated within the children’s sections of our public libraries and public schools; but I too know pornography when I see it, even when it is thinly disguised as educational material for children.

As someone whose office has made over 800 arrests related to crimes against children — primarily for the production, possession, and/or distribution of sexual abuse images and videos of juveniles — I am completely shocked that such licentious material is being subsidized by the state through our tax dollars.

As I am sure you would agree, a library should be a safe place to learn — a place where a child might develop a lifelong love of reading, discover intellectual passions, and pursue dreams for a fulfilling career. That said, books are abundant, especially today when you can access almost any title online for less than the cost of a cup of coffee or even a pack of gum. The plethora of reading material is so great that the hardest part is determining how to find the knowledge you need in a sea of available information.

Enter the librarian, whose job is to connect readers (especially children) with data that will help them become more informed, more thoughtful, and more productive members of our society. The librarian should link them with useful information that would help them work more efficiently towards solving problems and completing projects. This is why we invest our hard-earned tax dollars into our public libraries and schools: to create the minds that will build our future.

Unfortunately, with the new smut being peddled upon our vulnerable children, we must ask ourselves: what kind of knowledge do we want our kids to engage with? What kind of minds do we wish to feed? And what kind of future do we want Louisiana to have?

Librarians and teachers are neither empowering nor liberating our children by connecting them with books that contain extremely graphic sexual content that is far from age appropriate for young audiences. Instead, they are normalizing and even encouraging behaviors that have regrettably gotten adults addicted to pornography — inevitably leading to lack of intimacy, numbness to experience and connection, or worse. Such shifts in perspective have led addicts towards increasingly violent and criminal sexual desires.

Why would any decent human being want to put the next generation on such a miserable and lonely path through life, chasing sensation at the expense of themselves? And how could that possibly be in the best interests of our children or our state?

The fact that those pushing for such hyper sexualized content are willing to use fear to elicit compliance answers these questions. Whether it is directed at parents or your children — the Radical Left believes fear of judgment, ridicule, and shame is necessary to push through their agenda at the expense of both your tax dollars and your child’s passion for any other subject. Such fear kills the very desire for learning that public libraries and schools are supposed to promote.

Is the market for this dangerous content so small, and the value for these books so low, that families must be forced into accepting them to increase popularity? And is this really the best future our school board members, district superintendents, and library supervisors can dream up for our state?

Fellow parents, guardians, and taxpayers: these are the questions I invite you to ask.

Jeff Landry is the attorney general for Louisiana

Original piece can be found at The Daily News

WHIP STEVE SCALISE: Here’s The Republican Playbook To Fix Biden’s Mess

Are you and your family better off than you were two years ago?

Under two years of Democrats’ control of Washington, inflation is surging, energy prices are through the roof, crime is out of control and a record number of illegal immigrants have flooded across our open southern border, bringing fentanyl and other drugs that killed more than 100,000 young Americans last year.

We deserve better than this far-left socialism. Everything costs more because of Biden and Pelosi’s rampant spending – from the food you buy at the grocery store to the gas you pay for at the pump. Compared to last year, gas prices rose 18.2% and groceries prices increased by 13%.

A Republican House will pass bills to reverse the damage and prioritize your economic security. We will pass bills to rein in inflation, cut your taxes, and make it more affordable for you to pursue your dreams and raise a family. Your financial security will be our top priority, and we’re ready to clean up the mess that Biden and Pelosi have made.

In the summer of 2020, big cities were burned and looted by far-left thugs and rioters. In the midst of all the chaos, opportunists ransacked every store in sight. Our police officers were the first ones to charge into danger and protect the innocent from violence and looting. Despite their heroism, Democrats labeled law enforcement officers as racists and embraced the radical “Defund the Police” movement.

This is unacceptable.

Now, as a result of leftist leaders slashing their local police departments’ budgets and ending cash bail, violent criminals are back on the streets and emboldened by the liberals who coddle them. Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have led to an increase in murders and violent crime across the country.

More than 15 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and St. Paul, Minnesota, saw 2021 homicide numbers shatter previous records.

How can Biden and Pelosi justify supporting left-wing mobs and protesters over the law enforcement heroes who protect our communities and keep us safe?

Republicans will always stand with the brave men and women in blue. If Republicans are in charge, we’ll give local police departments the tools they need to keep our communities safe, which will bolster public safety and reduce crime. We will fight back against far-left district attorneys and prosecutors who do more to protect criminals than the victims they terrorize.

In addition to the lawlessness we’re seeing in Democrat-run cities, we’re also seeing the damage done by the Biden administration’s open-door immigration policies.

Let’s be clear: Border security is national security.

Over 3.5 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended trying to enter the United States in the past 18 months under President Biden – more than eight years of apprehensions under the Obama administration.

Every town is now a border town because Democrats have surrendered control of our southern border to illegal immigrants and drug cartels.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, and this can be directly traced to Biden turning operational control of our southern border over to drug cartels who are smuggling their deadly drugs into every community in America.

President Biden’s own DEA Administrator said that cartels smuggling fentanyl into the country are “killing Americans at an unprecedented rate.”

If Republicans are in charge, we’ll secure the border and stop the illicit flow of drugs that are poisoning our kids and our communities.

From the moment Joe Biden became President, Democrats put their far-left priorities over the needs of the American people. Big government socialism has been an absolute disaster for this country.

Republicans want all families to have an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream – from the veteran that honorably served our country to the mom-and-pop business that is struggling to keep their doors open.

We are ready to govern. We’re ready to show up to work, roll up our sleeves and deliver real results for the hardworking families of America. That is our commitment to you.

Rep. Steve Scalise - (R-Louisiana)

Original article appears at The Daily Caller.

Kennedy announces $3 million in Ida relief for Ascension, Jefferson Parishes

Hurricane Ida hit Ascension and Jefferson Parishes hard, and this $3 million will help the parishes recover after they worked to clean up communities and keep them safe in Ida’s aftermath.https://t.co/ZktHeq0LMZ

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) October 17, 2022

The PAR Perspective: Constitutional Amendments Explained

"Constitutional Amendments Explained" featured Barry Erwin, President of the Council for a Better Louisiana, and Jan Moller, Executive Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, who discussed the proposed amendments on the November 2022 ballot.