ACORN Funding Ban Upheld by Court

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Nina Gershon's resumption ruling of Congress' funding of ACORN. The 2nd Circuit ruled that banning government funds to ACORN was not a form of "punishment" and therefore was not an unconstitutional bill of attainder, as the organizations attorney's argued.

Darrell Issa

Congress originally shut-off the money spigot. ACORN sued Congress. Congress won. Gershon reversed the win, and here we are this week with the 2nd Circuit upholding the original ruiling. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has been the taxpayer's watchdog on this case. Here's his statement

In one, unified and bipartisan voice, the United States Congress and the president agreed that it was inappropriate to use taxpayer dollars to fund a partisan political organization, intentionally structured as a criminal enterprise that used the guise of charity to deceive the American people while betraying very people it claimed to help.

Hopefully, today's ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals puts an end to ACORN's misguided belief that there exists some right to taxpayer dollars to fund their overtly criminal and partisan political agenda.

For it's part, ACORN is asking the court to reconsider.

We cannot let Congress act like judge, jury and executioner without any hearings at all. No matter how politically unpopular and vulnerable ACORN is, we cannot allow right wing to pressure Congress into acting in unconstitutional manner.

So when the spigot stopped, and Gershon turned it back on...does ACORN have to repay the taxpayer's money?

Acorn Funding Ban Reinstated: Gershon Order Stayed: No Money for Acorn

The U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit has temporarily overridden Judge Nina Gershon's order to reinstate Congressional funding of ACORN. After ACORN was outed in the "Pimp and "Prostitute undercover stories, Congress defunded the organization, which was shown to be willing to provide advice on how the "pimp and the prostitute," visiting numerous ACORN offices across the United States, could hide income from the IRS in an operation to smuggle 13-year-old girls into the country for prostitution.

 Darrell Issa

After Congress yanked their funds, ACORN sued. Gershon reinstated the money machine, and our tax money began flowing to this outrageous organization again. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals will now further review the case, but the money will be stopped immediately (whatever "immediately" means in Congress).

Today, Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Judiciary Committee Member announced that the funding has once more been stopped -- but temorarily.

"I applaud the Court of Appeals for immediately addressing the effects of judge Gershon's attempt to legislate from the bench. Today's action immediately restores the congressionally mandated ban on funding ACORN and its affiliates as a result of their criminal conduct and wasting of taxpayer dollars. Congress has the constitutional right to deny an organization the benefit of taxpayer dollars.

With today's action by the Appeals Court, the Obama Administration must take immediate steps to re-implement the funding ban for ACORN Congress put in to law. In recent months, ACORN has undergone a rebranding campaign to disguise itself and its affiliates. As a result, the White House and all federal agencies must be extremely vigilant to ensure that rebranded organizations who have continued to make deals and maintain connections to ACORN don't receive taxpayer dollars."

Click here for a copy of the Appeals Court Decision to Stay Judge Gershon’s injunction on implementing the Federal funding ban on ACORN.


Click here to read the April 2010 report entitled “ACORN Political Machine Tries to Reinvent Itself.”


Click here to read the February 2010 report entitled “Follow the Money: ACORN, SEIU and their Political Allies.”


Click here to read the July 2009 report entitled “Is ACORN Intentionally Structured As a Criminal Enterprise?”




Related and Background:

ACORN Funding Restored: ACORN Funding Slips Under the Radar

Katherine Conway Russell, Philadelphia ACORN - New Video

ACORN Organizer says Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown will find fault with O'Keefe and Giles

Andrew Breitbart and Eric Holder: Breitbart - More Tapes, Whistleblowers

ACORN Brooklyn Cleared in Pimp Prostitute Undercover Tapes

Issa Want Sec Records on Goldman: White House SEC Partnerup - Goldman in on it too?

If you haven't heard the speculations that the White House has paid Google for certain keywords (Goldman Sachs SEC) to direct googlers to Obama's campaign website "Help Change Wall Street," where Obama sucklings can donate to The One, then you've missed all the news today. But that's not nearly all: the White House denies knowing that the SEC was filing a civil securities fraud suit against Goldman Sachs...when they bought the keywords: Goldman Sachs SEC.

White House and Sec Partnership?

 What a coincidence that...oh let's buy some keywords...what would be good key words? How about "Goldman Sachs SEC?" And the first hit on the page is Help Change Wall Street (www.BarackObama.com). Yes, that's some coincidence.

Issa says:

"The American people have a right to know whether the commission, or any of its officers or employees, may have violated federal law by using the resources of an independent regulatory agency to promote a partisan political agenda.

 Then we find that perhaps The New York Times knew about the SEC complaint before Goldman Sachs knew. It begs the question: did the White House know before Goldman? It's all just a bit too tidy. Issa says it raises "serious questions aout the commission's independence and impartiality."

Before the commission had released its announcement, the New York Times published on its website a story describing the suit.

Less than half an hour after the Times story's publication, Organizing for America, the successor organization to Obama for America and now a project of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), sent millions of supporters an e-mail message from President Obama urging support for "Wall Street Reform."

 You can read Rep. Issa's Committee questions of the SEC here.

Obama introduces his latest regime regulation...Goldman, who everyone hates, is fingered - and will be called to the chopping block and get chopped just a little bit, pay a very small fine, with no admission of guilt, which seems to be the norm for SEC civil suits. They'll pay it out of their blockbuster first quarter net profits of $11 billion, or the record year 2009, and Obama's regulations save the day for America...again, after all the riff-raff in the country call their Democrat legislators and demand Obama get his way. Okay, maybe the riff-raff won't get all pumped about it, it's boring, but the riff-raff's legislators will claim everyone wants it, in fact the White House has already said it, and they will try to serve it up to The One.

From Rush:

...they had no advance knowledge this was happening, but they happened to get hold of Google and they said, "Look, we want to buy the search terms 'Goldman Sachs SEC,' we want you to direct the first hit to our website where we are going to raise campaign funds and awareness of the effort to demonize Wall Street."  Meanwhile, the White House continues to deny that there's any link between the timing of the SEC suit and its push for regulatory reform.

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary: [paraphrased] We didn't know. The SEC doesn't notify us. [Direct Gibbs quote: "The American people want us not to play politics."

The Politico quotes White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel:

Everybody at the White House found out like everybody else, when it hit the news....Nobody at the White House knew anything ahead of anybody else....I think what's more important is not this particular case or what SEC did. The need for this reform has existed for over a year."

Issa:

The events of the past five days have fueled legitimate suspicion on the part of the American people tha tthe commission has attempted to assist the White House, the Democratic Party, and Congressional Democrats by timing the suit to coincide with the Senate's consideration of financial regulatory legislation, or by providing Democrats with advance notice."

 I wish the fine Rep. Issa a world of luck in getting the information he needs. I doubt he'll get it. Justice and the White House disdain Congress. In turn Congress grovels. The SEC has the corrupt Mary Shaprio at the head of the snake, who turned a blind eye, even as a whistleblower told all, as chair of FINRA, and allowed Bernie Madoff to rape and pillage his investors.


Graphic courtesy of Rush Limbaugh.com

Live Blogging Health Care Debate and Vote: 3:15 PM Stupak Get WH Deal?

Go to bottom of page for continuing updates.


9:03 PM EST: CSPAN says the final vote is expected about 9:30 10:30 PM EDT


This Bumped to top: 


STUPAK KICKBACK: $726,409 for airports. Read it at The Lonely Conservative.


The Cypress Times at 5:39 CDT has this headline:
Contributions now pouring in for Stupak's Opponent


Daniel Benishek is running for congress against Bart Stupak. Since Stupak announced that the cut a deal with Barack Obama and will now support Health Care Reform, Benishek’s Facebook page has been on fire with well-wishes, and commitments of donations. Benishek [R] is pro-life, and as a surgeon knows a little about Health Care.


5:07 PM CDT: Stop the ACLU points out that the Reconciliation bill cannot be voted on before the Senate bill is signed into law. You can see what happened below at the 3:22 PM EDT mark:

...basically it is saying reconciliation can’t be considered under House rules and to do so is to violate those rules which would result in a point of order where it could possibly be completely killed. It is important because of certain posturing of vulnerable Democrats. They have stated their vote of yes is dependent on certain fixes in reconciliation. Without this assurance they could possible feel too insecure to vote yes.

In the Stop the ACLU post is this comment from Ace of Spades:

So, I think, the attempt to divert SS payments into this bill is illegal (and of course it’s a gimmick in the first place to get a better CBO number, once again double-counting a revenue source) and so thereconciliation will fail. 

BREAKING: 6:12 PM EDT: On the rules violation mentioned above, it refers to a violation of Congressional Budget Act 310g of 1974 page 975, which reads as follows:

Sec. 310(g) LIMITATION ON CHANGES TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT. -- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any reconciliation bill or reconciliation resolution reported pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget agreed to under section 301 or 304, or a joint resolution pursuant to section 258C of the Balanced Budget and emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, or any amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that contains recommendations with respect to the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program established under title II of the Social Security Act.

 So, I think the most important thing here, although there a couple of warning flags, is the last two lines..."old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program... More as available.


From The Hill:

"Republicans say that a provision in the reconciliation packages raises Social Security revenue, thereby violating rules regulating the reconciliation process."

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) said that changing Social Security in the Reconciliation legislation, will prevent the Senate from considering the Reconciliation.


Go to bottom of page for continuing updates, as they happen.

3:15 PM EDT: Politico is saying the White House and Rep. Bart Stupak has an agreement that will allow Stupak and his coalition to vote for the health care bill. Notice below that Republicans have made it clear that a presidential executive order cannot override law. 

The White House and anti-abortion Democrats have reached an agreement to diffuse the controversy over abortion in the health reform bill...planning a series of steps....Under the agreement, President Barack Obama would sign an executive order ensuring that no federal funding will go to pay for abortion under the health reform plans. 

Go to The Lonely Conservative to see the video from last year of Stupak saying that if there is no protection against public funding abortion, he will vote for health care. He has been lying all along.

UPDATE 4:52 PM EDT: TEXT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

2:15 PM EDT: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) was just on the floor of the House with a motion to stop the legislation because the mandates are illegal.

PAUL RYAN: Fiscal consequences of the bill - horrific consequences. Calls the claims that the bill will reduce the deficit, the oldest trick in Washington - maneuvering the data. He is talking about the double-counting in Medicare.

250,000 jobs for 5 years to get back to 5% unemployment. Points out the new taxes on families, labor, small business - a tidal wave of red ink of debt. The debt will be crushing to our economy. The tax rate on his children, when they reach 40 years old, will be 63% on the middle-class, without adding this new unfunded entitlement on top of that.

The arrogant idea that Washington knows best, can organize and manage 1/6 of our economy and our health care. The Treasure 2009 Financial Report - the only to get it undercontrol, is if the Government  deeply rations health care. The bill says we will no longer trust the will and decisions of patients and doctors. Government knows best. Government will have to ration health care.

2:25 PM EDT: Patrick Kennedy is on the floor quoting and evoking his father, Ted Kennedy. Health care is not only a civil right, it is a moral right.

2:27 PM EDT: Still no word on Stupak or his coalition of 8. Still no word on an Executive Order from Obama, which will allow Stupak to vote 'yea.'

2:30 PM EDT: An onslaught of letters from Democrat constituents.

RYAN: We should be governing by the will of the governed. We have asked you to work on the uninsured, pre-existing conditions, the deficit. You have said no. One party rule.
Here's my own story. My mother-in-law is 5 years into Stage 3 ovarian cancer. Her meds are keeping her alive. If she was British, she would not have the drug that is saving her life. It is a fiscal Frankenstein.

Ryan calls for a Procedural vote Point of Order on the unfunded mandate.

2:20 PM EDT: FROM THE HILL: Bob Cusack: Democrats don't appear to have the votes unless a deal is truck with Stupak.

2:43 PM EDT: While the vote is on-going Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), in a CSPAN interview, says he does not believe they yet have the votes.

Nunes says there are 20,000 people at the Capitol protesting. Asked about Rep. Lewis claiming Tea Partiers called him "ni**er, Nunes said while it is not appropriate, they have the right and when you have a tyrannical government, we have to expect this. I LIKE THIS GUY.

2:50 PM EDT: Procedural vote still ongoing.

Another article by Bob Cusack on The Hill, says Democrat Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss) has advised those voting 'no' to do so early, and leave the floor immediately, because if they stick around they will be treated "like a pinata."

3:02 PM EDT: Ryan's motion to reconsider is defeated.

ISSA(R-CA) brings up another clause that the resolution violates. Passed sweeping earmarks, but this legislation is filled with earmarks, not the least of which is the Louisiana purchase and the Bismark. He wants to stop the bill until the earmarks are removed. He charges that the earmarks are bribes.

The House is out of order. Gavel banging over and over.

ISSA: This legislation not based on promises and bribes to certain districts.

SLAUGHTER: The committee report includes an earmark comment, but a "technical error" in that statement yields itself to Issa's point of order. Slaughter wants everyone to ignore it.

ISSA: Flabbergasted. Does that mean that under the rule excludes the Gatoraid kickback, the Louisiana purchase, the Bismarck Bank - will be removed. Slaughter says the final bill will not have the earmarks included.

ISSA: goes on the record saying his information is that the bribes will go to the President for his signature.

FROM THE HILL - timed at 2:52 PM - Stupak is still a 'no' vote - awaiting an Executive Order.

3:14 PM EDT: Rep. Pope (R-TX) This bill is unconstitutional. We will sue. This bill has special deals for special folks.

DREIRER (R-CA): We are guaranteed that the Senate Bill will become public law. He has only 15 seconds. Slaughter eats his time: I did not hear. He repeats it. Slaughter tells him his time is expired.

TIAHRT (R-KS): is it true that if the actions to overcome the Cornhusker Kickback. Louisiana Purchase, etc., the special provisions in the Senate bill, as were assured by Slaughter, wouldn't that bill have to go back to the senate for further action?

CHAIR:  will not answer and several times says he will not "interpret."

ISSA now asks if the House was Out of Order, as it was, and that is why Slaughter didn't hear, it was because the House was not in Order. Why would the clock continue running when the House was out of order and she could not hear.

The Chair says the The Republican who asked the question, with 15 seconds - and Slaughter didn't hear, didn't get his question asked in the 15 sec. allotted. Chair also said no one asked for a order of House not in Order.

3:22 PM EDT: Barbara Lee (D-CA) is getting face time.

SMITH (R-NJ) Bill will open the flood-gates for abortions. Health care plans allow federal dollars to pay for plans. We will all pay for abortions. Hyde amendment does not comply. Biggest increase in abortion funding ever.

SENSENBRENNER (R-WI): Executive Orders cannot override the clear intent of a statute. (rumored that Obama is signing an Executive Order to take abortion funding out of the bill)

ISSA Point of inquiry. Did I just hear a threat against a member of Congress. Are members being threatened.

THE CHAIR: cannot interpret.

THE HOUSE IS OUT OF ORDER. Issa for all members to cease conversations.

DREIRER (R-CA) Is it not true that the only thing we know is that the Senate bill will become public law. Are you passing the reconciliation bill...

WOW CHAOS:

SLAUGHTER: Yes the Senate bill will become law, along with the reconciliation bill.

DREIRER: I encourage everyone to read the rule - the Senate Bill and all the bribes becomes public law.

ISSA: Isn't it against the rules of the House to urge the Senate to take an action. It is now acceptable to lobby the Senate from the house floor?

CHAIR: Not necessarily.

SLAUGHTER: I did not address the Senate.

KINGSTON (R-GA) 3:35 PM CDT: Asks if the bill as good as you say it is, why are the bribes in the bill? $7.5 million to Hawaii, Montana more, $2 billion dollars to frontier states. NONE OF THESE DEALS COME OUT IN RECONCILIATION. House in an uproar.

TIAHRT: (R-KS): It was the impression given the members that the Reconciliation would take care of all the earmarks in the Senate bill, but there are earmarks in the Sentate bill that are not in the Reconc bill. Do the House rules apply or not.

CHAIR: Says the rules do apply.

TIAHRT tries to get the chair to clarify. THE CHAIR DOESN'T DO SO.

CHAIR call for house now consider the resolution.

TIAHRT calls for role call vote. 5 minutes for the vote ensuing.

4:00 PM EDT: Stupak is about to do a presser telling us that he caved. Rep. Gene Taylor, a confirmed 'no' vote, was not invited to joing Stupak in the press conference. Taylor is against on fiscal concerns. Taylor is on with Cavuto right now saying, anything done by executive order, can be undone by executive order.


STUPAK: Sanctity of life and the unborn - yada yada. We have an agreement with help of the President and the Speaker. There will be no public funding of abortion. We expect the Hyde amendment to prevail.


Apparently the Executive Order will be signed AFTER the legislation becomes law (I think he said).

Back on the House Floor: More disorder.

SLAUGHTER 4:10 EDT: Yesterday was the 45TH ANNIV of Bloody Sunday. Slaughter says Lewis was accosted by Tea Partiers - talked about Cleaver being spit-on. FRIENDs there is no proof of that - no vidoes, but there are video showing it a lie. See the lies here.

4:30 PM EDT: Rep. Alcee Hastings is talking about "morals."

SESSIONS (R-Tx) In Texas we have a Deceptive Trades law. That's what this bill is. It is not constitutional. The reimbursement to doctors is not in this bill. This is deceptive. He called Alcee Hastings a "radical."

COLE (R-OK) 4:43 PM EDT: Objects to the illegal, flawed and fiscally irresponsible.

LEE (R-NY) Western New Yorkers opposed to the bill.

BROUN (R-GA) 4:55 PM EDT: If you vote for this bill, you can never again say your anti-abortion or pro-life.

MACK (R-FL): Democrats believe in the power of government, not the power of the people. You may win today by arm-twisting and deception, but let's see who is still hear after the American people speak loud and clear in November.

5:00 PM EDT: Republicans  lined up, and are asking to revise and extend their remarks in opposition to this flawed health care bill

One Republican inserted the number of pages in the bill when he asked for "unamimous consent to revise and extend remarks in opposition of this health care bill." The CHAIR admonished him and said any embellishments would be charged with the time.

LUNGREN (R-CA) Reminding that the executive order does not take precedence over the law.

BOCCIERI (D) 5:32 PM EDT: Talking about Natoma Canfield who is sick and in the hospital. Claims that the Cleveland Clinic was putting a lien on her house. All untrue. She also qualified for Medicaid.

DREIER 5:33 PM EDT: It is essential to recognize that every American has access to affordable health care insurance. He quotes Dennis Prager: the larger the government grows, the smaller the people become. $569 Billion in job-killing provisions. Calls for 18,000 new IRS agents to make sure the new mandates are carried out. We can work in a bipartisian way that will immediately, immediately reduce the cost of health insurance. Expanding health savings accounts will help create health care. Pooling brings down costs. If we allow for the purchase of health insurance across state lines, everyone will immediately have access to affordable health care insurance. We need meaningful tort reform. I urge you to vote 'no' on previous question and 'no' on the rule.

CHAIR 5:40 PM EDT: voting now on three things: one is a suspension of rules vote (not sure of the questions). There are two 15 minute votes and one 5 minutes vote underway.

6:07 PM EDT: Looks like things are about to get underway again. I'm working on the text in red at the beginning of this post about violating the Congressional Budget Act.

6:23 PM EDT: Still voting. Here's a laugh: on CSPAN "Jason" called in and said he supports the bill. The interviewer asked what kind of insurance he has. "Jason's" reply: "I'm a federal worker. I have government insurance!"

Vote over to approve rule to begin health care debate.

6:42 PM EDT: Steny Hoyer is comparing MLK and civil rights march to the Democrat's fight for unconstitutional health care.

Charles Krauthammer is on TV saying tonight America changes - tonight we have National Health Care. Tonight insurance companies become contractors of the government.

6:56 PM EDT: Hoyer still talking.

6:58 PM EDT: MORE Republicans asking for Unanimous consent to revise and

DEAL (R-GA) The problems with Socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money. It appears that we have run out of money. Deal says he is retiring and will become the governor of Georgia - and he and his state will join other states to sue against this illegal and unconstitutional legislation.

STUPAK (D-MI) 6:20 PM EDT: Stupak asks Waxman for assurance that there will be no funding for abortions with his Executive Order from Obama.

SENSENBRENNER (R-WI): Says the Executive Order will not have the affect of law. It cannot change the law. Executive Orders are not his "power." Executive Orders are just a piece of paper.

ROGERS (R-MI) If this bill were so great, why the lying, the cheating, the deceptions. "You can keep your health care." Not true if you read the bill. Dirty deal, after dirty deal...it is a disgrace. America deserves better.

RANGEL 7:45 EDT: Have to tell everyone that although he has recently been disgraced and had to step down from his committee chairmanship - today he is very proud.

Nunes (R-CA): You are bringing the ghost of communist dictators into this house. Fed gove has absolute control over health care in America. That is what this debate is about. Democrats will today lay their socialist utopia on the backs of Americans. APPLAUSE!







Rep. Devin Nunes: Ghost of Communism - Democrat Socialist Uptopia (video)

8:10 EDT: House clerk is reviewing "comments of Rep. Pascrell (D-NJ) - says they were challenged as violating House decorum.

Pascrell "apologized"

MISSED THE NAME 8:20 PM EDT: Republican saying if you think you will be able to keep your health care, Obama recently said "I think some of the provisions that got snuck in, might violate that.







Obama says some of the provisions to keep your health care may have been violated (video)

BOUSTANI (R-LA): Massive premiums, huge tax increases with cuts to Medicare. A sequel to the modern Greek tragedy now under way.

8:47 PM EDT: I'm still tuned in.

8:55 PM EDT: CSPAN has some comments up randomly: "penalizes businesses without health care,"   adds insurance regulations, adds new taxes on investments, etc. Very interesting! In their own subtle way they are pointing out the egregious costs and loss of liberty involved in this legislation.

HENSARLING (R-TX): We will wake up to find that when a loved one becomes ill, he will have to wait weeks to see a mediocre family. I reject the hubris and arrogance of this social engineering.

LUMMIS(R-WY): Americans ask that we get our financial house in order, and this administration responds by doubling the debt in 5 years, and tripling it in 10. Military asks us to leave their insurance alone, but we place it in this health care bill.

RYAN( R-WI): Full of gimmicks and hidden mandates. Why are so many people swarming the Capitol today? Here we are debating whether the government should have an even bigger role in our health care. Future path of this country - major turning point in American history. This is what kind of country we are going to be in the 21st Century. America is an idea. It's the most pro-human idea ever designed by mankind. Our Founders got it right. Our rights come from Nature and Nature's God. Now you will ration these rights. Do we know believe that the government's goal is to balance the rights of the results of people's lives. We are fast approaching a tipping point where the people depending on government for their care will surpass those who don't. This is not sustainable. It is not who we are or who we should become.

CANTOR 9:45 PM EDT: Americans are appalled at this legislation.We hear you. We hear you loud and clear. We believe this government must stop spending money they do not have. You must not force those who fundamentally object to abortion, to fund it. We believe that families and patients should have the right to choose the doctors they want. This legislation will begin to take that right away. We are at a crossroads.

LUNGREN( R-CA): Is such a unaminous request in order under the Rules of the House. (missed what the request was.)

OBEY IS CHAIR: He would not clarify for Lungren and said it was not his job to do so.

BOEHNER: Today we should be standing together. Working to answer our country's call to confront rising health insurance. We should be looking with pride on this legislation and this work, but it is not so. Today we are looking at this bill who no one in this body thinks is adequate. We have failed to listen to America and to respect our constitutents. Look at this bill. Ask youself, do you really believe that if you want to keep your health care bill you can? LOUD RETORTS. GAVEL BANGS. Is this the time to burden every job creator in the land? Can you tell your senior citizens this will not limit their health care? No you cannot. It won't allow for taxpayer funded abortions? No you cannot not. Can you say this bill was written openly. HELL NO YOU HAVEN'T! Have you read the bill? HELL NO YOU HAVEN'T. Have you read the amendments? HELL NO YOU HAVEN'T. Have your read the Manager's amendment? HELL NO YOU HAVEN'T.

He now says you should have the courage to stand and announce your votes one at a time. Madam Speaker, will you grant my request? SILENCE. Will your Mr. Speaker grant my request that we have a call of the role?

CHAIR: Is that rhetorical?

Boehner repeats.

CHAIR: The chair will decide at the time the vote is taken. This is not it.

BOEHNER: This is the People's House. The process is broken. The institution is broken. This is not what Americans want. Millions have asked us to slow down. In this time of recession, they want us to focus on jobs and lower taxes.

They see one party closing out another, rather than a National solution. This body moves forward without their will. Shame on us. Shame on this body who substitutes their desires on this Nation. Around this chamber, looking upon us are the law givers. From Moses to .....we break the ties to history today in this Chamber. If we pass this bill, there will be no turning back. It will be the last straw for the people. We are going to held to account by those who have given us their trust. I beg you. I beg each and everyone of you...do not strike at the heart of this nation. I ask each of you to never let this happen again. It's not to late to begin restoring the trust of the people. I'LL HAVE VIDEO WHEN AVAILABLE.

 APPLAUSE.

Hey friends, do you thing each member will stand and give his vote for all America to see? Nah!

PELOSI 10:15 PM EDT: She is thanking the minions, she says with "humility." Just think we will be joining those who established Social Security and Medicare. In doing so we will honor the vows of our Founders who said we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalieable rights....this is an American proposal that honors the traditions of our country. Praise for Obama.

She is going to save the taxpayer $1.3 Trillion. When it comes to health care for all Americans, politics is personal. It's personal for women. When we pass this bill, being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing medical condition. More stories. She saw a grown man cry. He was too embarassed to tell his children that he needed help. Scary - she's talking about fraud and waste.

Thanking those who "dazzled" her with their knowledge. Thanking Ted Kennedy - someone began to chant: Ted-dy, Ted-dy! Now she's reading a letter from him, left for after his death.

The legislation has over 200 Republican amendments. We have come to this historic moment. Today we will finish the great unfinished business of our society. Health insurance is a right and not a privilege. We fulfill the Founder's words, that everyone has the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Thankfully that's over.

CHAIR admonishes the gallery.

BOEHNER 10:30 PM: Vote on HR 3590, the Senate bill. I believe the roll call vote was approved. Needs 216 votes.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Cutting out a few minutes to listen in. Krauthammer says Pelosi has scored an amazing political story.

MAJOR GARRETT: President will not sign the bill until Tuesday or sometime later this week, because the Senate will begin the Reconciliation consideration. This is surprising. If the Senate does not accept the Reconciliation, will the President not sign the Bill? Why the wait?

CARL CAMERON: If Senate tinkers with Reconciliation bill, it has to go back to the House.

216th vote on HR 3590 came at 10:44 PM EDT - The House bill now becomes the law of the land after Obama signs it. 34 Democrats voted no. All House Republicans voted nay. The vote was 219 to 212.


Vote on Reconciliation Bill comes next: HR 4872


10:48: PM EDT: CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER just said he does not think this ever be repealed.
TOM DELAY is on with GERALDO and say he is "sickened." "Geraldo, you saw the ashes of the Constitution burning tonight."

CAMP is reading a motion to "Recommit." The very strict rules of the House waived the reading of all these motions, but...this one today does not protect the life of unborn children. Anything done by Executive Order, can be undone by Executive Order. It is the responsibility of this House to protect these children.

PITTS( R-MI): Massively pro-abortion. The facts remains. The Senate Bill achieves the opposite of current law. An Executive Order does not trump a statute. Saying the number of abortions will rise greatly. He is asking that the Stupak-Pitts motion be approved (restricts taxpayer funding of abortions.)

HOYER: The motion is inconsistent with Reconciliation. Republicans know the motion is not in Order.

SHAMELESS STUPAK THE LIAR: THE MOTION TO RECOMIT Purports to be a right to life amendment, but it is nothing more than an effort to deny 32 million americans health care. The motion does not promote life. It is Democrats who have set up the protection of life, because all life is precious. Dems guarantee that all life from the unborn child to the dying senior citizen is sacred.

Motion failed by voice vote. Repubs asked for the vote to be recorded.

11:06 PM EDT: MICHAEL STEELE IS ON WITH GERALDO RIGHT NOW, saying he will lead a movement to repeal the legislation, and he will do everything he can to fire Pelosi.

A Tweet from the Heritage Foundation says "what has happened today is intolerable."

GERALDO: Susan B. Anthony Defender of Life Award Candidate Fund has disinvited Bart Stupak to be honored by their organization this coming week.

DEMINT IS TWEETING: "I'll introduce a bill tis week to repeal this takeover." With all due respect, it will take far more than a piece of legislation this week. I don't know what to do, but will not do anything. Having said that, I love Jim DeMint.

GERALDO insists that federal funds cannot be use other than the life of the mother, rape or incest.
Steele is debunking.

Oh goody. Obama is planning to speak.

DEMINT TWEET: Sign the pledge to only support candidates that vote to repeal ObamaCare. http://www.repealitpledge.com/

CARL CAMERON: Three votes away until the fear of being unelected in November begins to grab Democrats.

11:30 PM EDT: Reconciliation bill is passed.

KRAUTHAMMER: The House will probably have to revote on this after the Senate finishes with it, which will probably happen. We are now on the path to Nationalized health care. Insurance companies become government utilities tomorrow. This will be a huge change to American life.

Good night all. I'm off to recover my sanity with a good night's sleep - well, with whatever sleep I can manage.

Linked by Memorandum - see what others are saying.

Republicans go After ACORN...Again: ACORN SEIU Intertwined

A new U.S. House report adds fresh fodder to the already existing documents incriminating ACORN for "thousands of fraudulent voter registrations" across the U.S.. It ties ACORN and SEIU - substantially intertwined and joined at the hip. It shows conclusively that ACORN's part in the housing meltdown was instrumental in thousands losing their home, but by design, infamously lucrative for ACORN. You'll notice Project Vote is mentioned in the House Committee report. See a video about Barack Obama and Project Vote below.

Obama Teaching Project Vote

In September 2009, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-AC) and Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) announced a bill to deny federal funding to ACORN corruption. The legislation passed, ACORN sued in Federal District Court and won an injunction against the U.S. Government until the case is heard. According to the report dated February 18, 2010, you and I were forced to rush to the aid of this corrupt bunch - as a check was cut for funding already underway:

According to the Louisiana Department of Justice, ACORN is nearing financial bankruptcy, as most of its donors have cut ties with the corporation. However, under Judge Gershon’s decision, ACORN will continue to receive taxpayer dollars from the Federal Government. In other words, the American people will have BAILED OUT ACORN.

But now, a new round of fresh documents released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is renewing the fight against the Democrats strongest allies on the streets of America - ACORN operatives.

The Republicans' latest report contains documents that they say confirms previous findings that ACORN is responsible for thousands of fraudulent voter registrations across the country and has used taxpayer money to support a partisan political agenda.

"Committee investigators have identified hundreds of ACORN bank accounts, shell organizations incorporated under different sections of the Internal Revenue code, and even an ACORN controlled accounting firm (Citizens Consulting Inc.) that helps ACORN obscure the true use of charitable donations and taxpayer funds," reads the report, titled "Follow the Money: ACORN, SEIU and their Political Allies."

"Documents and testimony from ACORN whistleblowers reveal that ACORN activities -- despite contentions that they are intended to help the poor -- fulfill a more self-serving and political purpose for ACORN."

The first report in the the summer of 2009 explained the following:

...how ACORN used a complex organizational structure of overlapping nonprofit community initiatives and political lobbying activities to conceal the partisan political use of taxpayer and private monies originally designated for the public benefit. The report found there was no real separation between ACORN and its affiliates. ACORN is a single corrupt corporate enterprise composed of a series of holding companies and subsidiaries that are financially and operationally dependent upon the main corporation.

The new report "Follow the Money: ACORN, SEIU and their Political Allies" adds new evidence confirming the previous finds, as well as a "closer examination of ACORN's financial transactions and fundraising that shows the organization to be a "political machine."

Committee investigators have identified hundreds of ACORN bank accounts, shell organizations incorporated under different sections of the internal revenue code, and even an ACORN controlled accounting firm (Citizens Consulting Inc.) that helps ACORN obscure the true use of charitable donations and taxpayer funds. Documents and testimony from ACORN whistleblowers reveal that ACORN activities – despite contentions that they are intended to help the poor – fulfill a more self-serving and political purpose for ACORN. ACORN is well aware of the legal problems its political activities create as its own attorneys have acknowledged and outlined the potential for criminal and civil violations in private documents for senior ACORN officials. 

Since release of the first report, Committee staff met with insiders from both ACORN and the Service Employees International Union (“SEIU”) in addition to obtaining and reviewing documents from virtually every state, including California, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The new report makes four crucial findings:

1) Criminal conspiracy - names ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis, Executive Director Steven Kest, and Political Operation Director Zach Polett.

2) Pattern of corruption common to all ACORN affiliates called "Muscle for the Money," or or using non-profit corporations for electioneering activities; strategies to threaten corporations and banks into brokering deals for ACORN's financial benefit - thus the "muscle."

SEIU and Project Vote [see video below] used litigation to force demands from government officials. ACORN, through Project Vote, threatened State Secretary of State offices with lawsuits, thus forcing political compromises at the expense of taxpayers. 

This charge makes it clear that SEIU and ACORN "are substantially intertwined - ACORN taking the lead, sEIU the willing accomplice, and both allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities. ACORN has received $5.6M from SEIU, and according to this report, despite SEIU's objections, they have "never cut ties to ACORN.

3) The ACORN corporation is responsible for thousands of fraudulent voter registrations throughout the U.S.

Responses from various state election offices show that ACORN’s late filings of voter registration cards and the sheer amount of fraudulent cards obstructed election administration efforts in many states. Fraudulent voter registrations are not isolated incidents; they reflect ACORN’s criminal motive to compromise the system of free and fair elections promised in the Constitution of the United States.

4) ACORN contributed to the risky lending that led to the financial collapse. The following is the story of the infamous Community Reinvestment Act. Reps. Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and Senator Chris Dodd should be behind bars:

ACORN drafted language to loosen underwriting standards and decrease down payments in the housing industry, paving the way for the high rate of subprime loans millions of Americans eventually defaulted on.

ACORN used provisions in the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 that allowed community groups to challenge bank mergers and acquisitions if a bank did not adequately invest in its own community. These challenges, which featured ACORN's standard intimidation tactics, successfully forced banks to make lending agreements with ACORN Housing. If banks refused ACORN’s demands, they jeopardized approval of mergers in a timely manner. ACORN Housing moved to become a conventional service provider for the loans. ACORN reaped profits from over a billion dollars in loans to low- income neighborhoods. Because of the policies and financial instruments developed, in part through ACORN’s lobbying activities, borrowers eventually defaulted on the loans. The end result was the bursting of the housing bubble.

ACORN Housing received a total of $39,925,620.13 from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., CitiBank, HSBC, CapitalOne, and SunTrust. These lenders and banks also provided ACORN with grants, address and bank account information of at-risk homeowners so ACORN could provide free counseling services. Instead, ACORN used the address and bank account information to target struggling Americans who would be signed up as dues-paying members of ACORN. ACORN’s membership recruiting brought in $48 million a year for ACORN—a boon for their Muscle for Money program. 

Click here to read the pdf report, courtesy FOXNews.





Barack Obama Leads Project Vote

Tim Geithner Facing Charges? Geithner NY Fed Covered Up Goldman Sachs Payment?

This video is a conversation between FOXNews' Shep Smith and Judge Andrew Napolitano. The situation is that Tim Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, could be facing legal charges because he, as the President of the Federal Reserve Bank in November 2008, may have instructed AIG to falsify documents in the processing of the $85 billion government bailout of the company.

Tim Geithner

In the paperwork for the bailout, AIG said we owe "X" dollars to Goldman Sachs, and we plan to pay that money back 100 cents on the dollar.

Some of that paperwork may have been falsified at Tim Geithner's direction. Note I said "may." Emails were obtained by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

The New York Fed crossed out the reference [to repaying 100 cents on the dollar], according to the e-mails, and AIG excluded the language when the filing was made public on Dec. 24, 2008.

Federal Reserve lawyers say they were told to strike the disclosure of the 100% repayment by AIG to Goldman Sachs, to conceal it from the Treasury Department and to the public. Judge Napolitano says this is a politically toxic issue: Goldman Sachs making a fortune...100 cents on the dollar...with federal funds.

If you borrow $185 billion dollars and you falsify a document, you can go to jail. Napolitano said that Bloomberg is reporting that Geithner was one of those instructing the forms to be falsified.

Shep asks if the information was only kept from the public, but not the Treasury...what then? Napolitano says if that is the case, Geithner's actions may be seen as political wisdom.

Issa request the emails from AIG after Bloomberg reported that "the New York Fed ordered the crippled insurer NOT TO NEGOTIATE FOR DISCOUNTS IN SETTLING THE SWAPS [repayment]. The decision to pay te banks in full may have cost AIG, and thus taxpayers, at least $13 billion, based on the discount the insurer was seeking."

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) says the emails are "troubling." He approves of a Congressional Review. That should give Barney et al plenty of time to figure out how to get Geithner out of this. 

A spokeswoman for Geithner said the Secretary "played no role in these decisions." "He was recused from working on issues involving specific companies, including AIG" after his nomination for Treasury.

This is a great video and I thank my friend Ray at ChicagoRayReports for letting me steal it from him. Hang to the end to hear about Henry Paulson.

Shep Smith and Judge Napolitano: Tim Geithner Facing Charges? (video)

Holder to allow ACORN funding, despite ban

Current law prohibits the community organization ACORN and its associated groups from receiving any federal funds from any federal law currently on the books, (P.L 111-68 Sec. 163). However, the Eric Holder Justice Department has interpreted the law's phraseology in such a way that permits federal agencies to pay ACORN for "binding contractual obligations" the government made before the current prohibition was enacted. This interpretation may go a long way toward effectively neutralizing ACORN's funding prohibition, and it is a questionable interpretation at best. The actual ban reads as follows:

None of the funds made available from this joint resolution or any other prior Act may be provided to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries or allied organizations.

(Emphasis added.) The Justice Department has decided that the phrase "provided to" is unclear and "has no established meaning in appropriations law." They cite terms more frequently used, such as "obligate" and "expend," that have widely accepted meaning in spending legislation. They go on to arduously defend their point by exhaustively listing the many definitions of "provide" given in Websters, Oxford and American Heritage dictionaries and even Roget's Thesaurus. Like Bill Clinton, they probably could have found as many definitions for the word "is..." Read more... Related: Holder Clears ACORN for Payment: Darrell Issa Objects