From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

The comprehensive “Americans for American Energy Act” (AAEA) was introduced today by U.S. Rep. Bill Sali and the other members of the House Western Caucus. The measure would open ANWR and the OCS to increase production of American crude oil and give the right incentives to boost conservation, improved efficiency and bring alternative energy online sooner.

“This measure offers real, practical, doable solutions, things that will translate into lower fuel prices and a higher standard of living for Idahoans,” Sali said. “Regrettably, the Democrats’ solution is to distract everyone with bills that just reiterate current law. Specifically, their bill to reign in speculators just gives powers to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that the Federal Trade Commission already has. Also, the Democrat’s fixation on ‘use it or lose it’ is merely rhetoric as this is already the law. Neither of the two bills considered on the floor today will increase the supply of American crude oil.

“This is standard Washington, D.C. operating procedure: Debate an existing policy, pound the podium indignantly, make accusations and then do nothing. Idahoans and all Americans deserve more, which is what the Americans for American Energy Act is all about,” said Sali.

Under the AAEA, revenue generated by increased domestic production will be used to fund the innovation and development of our next generation of energy technologies and sources. It would require that the federal revenues derived from new production of oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf, in ANWR and oil shale would fund efforts to boost conservation and efficiency. The monies would also be used to fund and incentivize the research and development of the clean, renewable energy technologies needed to address America’s current and future energy needs.

Sali also signed the Declaration of Energy Independence, which petitions Congress to declare our nation one that renounces allegiance to foreign oil and makes this commitment good through effective energy policies.

Additionally, during debate in the House of Representatives today, Sali related the story of one of his constituents as she works to pay for fuel.

“Mr. Speaker, this young lady who is a CNA last week took her husband’s bicycle and a few other items to a pawn shop to get $37 so she could put gas in her car to go to work at (a) nursing home to take care of my mother and my sister. This is having a horrendous impact on real live people. Mr. Speaker, it’s time for partisanship to be put aside and it’s time for Congress to get to the real answer which is increasing American production,” said Sali.

“The Majority announced today that we (will) head back to our districts for July 4th recess a day early. It is irresponsible that the Democrats are telling us to go home without offering our constituents real solutions to loosen the stranglehold gas prices have on their wallets,” the Congressman concluded.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Members of the House Natural Resources Committee walked out during a hearing today to protest the Majority party’s efforts to lock-up and further restrict energy resources in America at a critical time while also undermining the form of government instituted by the Founding Fathers.

Congressman Sali, a Member of the Committee, released the following statement:

“Americans are paying, on average, $4.06 a gallon at the pump. Energy costs across the board continue to rise, whether fuel to drive, gas to heat homes or electricity. And yet today Democrats undermined our Constitutional form of government in an effort to lock up more American energy sources.

“By using an antiquated and unconstitutional statute, the Democrats tried to seize extraordinary power elevating a single committee above the rest of Congress including the full House, the Senate and the President. Our form of government contemplates checks and balances essential to the American system. I will not stand by the Chairman’s attempt to make law by a majority vote of a single committee in the House of Representatives.

“The Resolution today brought up by Chairman Rahall (D-WV) directs the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, to immediately withdraw, for three years, more than one million acres of federal land in Arizona. That land contains the highest-grade known uranium deposits in America, potentially holding upwards of 10 to 20 percent of America’s uranium reserves. The Democrat Majority seeks to legislatively withdraw these lands, by a vote, not of the House, Senate and signing by the president, but by the vote of 20 members of the House of Representatives,” said Sali.

This type of ‘legislative veto’ is clearly unconstitutional under the United States Supreme Court case, INS v. Chadha.

Sali continued, “Nuclear energy is already a source of clean power and holds great promise in meeting America’s energy needs for the future. Uranium can be mined safely, and can be turned into a clean and abundant source of energy. We need all the energy we can get from all the sources we can access, including nuclear power. We should not be locking up American energy resources especially using a process based solely on legislative fiat.”

This was not the only bill opposing American energy development moved by the Democrats today. The committee also moved Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) H.R. 415, which designates Wild and Scenic Rivers status for a section of the Taunton River that flows through the middle of a highly developed area with a road, stop lights, street signs and all, literally on its banks. The measure would block a desperately needed gas pipeline in the New England area, which has some of the nation’s highest energy costs.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Bill Sali today, again, insisted that Congress pass legislation to end the ban on American energy exploration and production, as a bill to impose new penalities on price gouging failed to collect enough votes to pass the House.

Sali voted against H.R. 6346, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act.

The bill would impose civil and criminal penalties for sales of fuel that are determined to be “price gouging” during any period in which the President of the United States has declared an “energy emergency.” Under this legislation, liability is based on the determination that fuels have been sold at “unconscionably excessive” prices and that a seller is taking “unfair advantage of the circumstances related to an energy emergency to increase prices unreasonably.”

“This so-called ‘anti-price gouging’ legislation throws a stick in the spokes of free-market competition,” Sali said, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “Terms like ‘unconscionably excessive’ are so vague that no one can say what they mean today. That will force people into our courts to have them tell us what those words mean. Who wants that? This measure would ultimately mandate that certain private companies sell their products within a price-range that is acceptable to a handful of federal regulators during periods the President has declared an energy emergency. That’s not what Idahoans or Americans generally need or deserve.

“Today Idahoans are paying over $4 per gallon at the pump and yet the Majority insists on bringing legislation to the floor that will do nothing to ease the strain on our pocketbooks. Gas prices vary from region to region, state to state and even block to block, for a variety of reasons such as state and local tax variations, distance to the supply, supply disruptions and competition in local markets. Federally micromanaged interference in the free-market is not a realistic or effective way to lower the prices we are paying now.

“Instead of focusing on price controls, Congress must focus on the solution – increasing American supply. When supplies are increased, no one will be in a position to engage in price gouging. Increased American exploration and production of American crude oil and natural gas need to be a priority for Congress. I will be joining my colleagues in the Western Caucus in unveiling a comprehensive plan later this week that does just that,” concluded the Congressman.

H.R. 6346 needed a two-thirds vote to pass. It failed on a vote of 276-146.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bill Sali today called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explain why it has distributed warning letters to pharmacists across the country, restricting the compounding and sale of a hormone replacement therapy used by women.

“Compounding” is the process in which pharmacists produce custom medicines for their customers.

Sali’s call for answers comes after his meeting with several Idaho pharmacists concerned by the FDA’s action. Sali met last week with Barry Feely, a pharmacist from Hayden who expressed concern with the implications for his Idaho customers who depend on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) drugs

“Barry and I agree that the FDA’s action seems arbitrary and could negatively impact the healthcare of women who depend on this treatment,” said Sali. “Local pharmacies have historically been able to provide an effective treatment for women who need hormone replacement therapy. The FDA owes these women an explanation for its decision. And if the agency can’t offer up a valid explanation, tied to consumer safety and tied to real data, it should reverse its decision immediately.”

“For a small pharmacy, we see a large number of patients who are choosing to use BHRT drugs to manage their symptoms. They are using this therapy successfully and with a high level of safety. This decision by the FDA takes away our patients’ access and choice of medications to use to meet their needs,” Feely said.

Sali and Feely say they are concerned that the FDA’s action could lead to bans on other medicine compounding currently practiced at pharmacies across the country. Compounding allows pharmacies to provide custom treatments for patients based on their individual needs, for example, for hospice patients, for whom drugs are not typically manufactured in bulk.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Sali said, “I am informed that the FDA is not aware of scientific evidence showing that BHRT drugs carry more or less risk than already approved alternatives. Information provided to my office on this issue suggests that the FDA warning letter was based specifically on considerations regarding the marketing of BHRT drugs and not based on health risks to the patient. Among other reasons, my constituents are concerned with this issue due to the difficulty associated with finding an effective treatment for their symptoms. Some of my constituents understand that the FDA’s decision has further restricted the options available to women seeking alternative forms of treatment.”

Sali asked the FDA to explain the process the FDA used to determine the limits on BHRT drugs that it imposed. Sali also asked whether the FDA is considering further limitations on BHRT drugs and for the agency’s position regarding the health and safety record of such drugs.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Bill Sali today introduced legislation addressing constituents concerns with the practices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“The Second Amendment is clear: ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ Unfortunately, the ATF chose to use the troubling phrase ‘Always Think Forfeiture.’ This slogan creates the perception that the agency will not give our Constitutional rights the priority they deserve,” said Sali.

The ATF has had a program in which agents are given engraved Leatherman tool kits reminding them to focus on the seizure of private property.

H.R. 6253, The Always Think Freedom Act of 2008 will prevent the ATF from purchasing, using or distributing any hand tool or tool kits on which any reminder about “forfeiture” appears.

“Many Idahoans have told me they do not appreciate what they see as an anti-gun, anti-private property message from a federal agency. The ATF should always think freedom rather than forfeiture,” said Sali.

Original cosponsors of H.R. 6253 include: Rep. King(R-IA), Rep. Goode(R-VA), Rep. Davis(R-TN), Rep. Brown-Waite(R-FL), Rep. Walberg(R-MI).

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Bill Sali today voted against a budget blueprint that calls for the largest tax increase in American history in order to subsidize even more runaway federal spending.

The measure passed 214-210 but had opposition from many democrats who couldn’t come to terms with this egregious tax hike. It had already passed the Senate and does not need to be signed by the president to take effect. The measure sets the total limit of spending for the 12 Appropriations bills to be considered by Congress. The 2009 House-Senate budget resolution is expected to cost average Idahoans an extra $2,600 this year – on top of rising gas and food prices.

“The words have been used so often that they have sort of a numbing effect – ‘the largest tax increase in American history.’ But at a time when our nation is already wrestling with the highest gas prices we’ve ever seen along with a weak economy that threatens growth, a warning of such a gigantic tax hike shouldn’t fall on deaf ears – it will fall on everyone’s well-being, and should foster outrage from every Idahoan,” Sali said.

“This budget will lead to additional hardships for Idahoans. Now, Democrats in Congress have decided to throw salt in a gaping economic wound, and I can’t begin to say how reckless and thoughtless this plan is. What Idahoans need more than anything is lower taxes and lower energy prices, and this Congress is coming up with every way possible to give us the exact opposite. This budget will prove disastrous not only for the U.S. economy but for so many Americans who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said the Congressman.

The budget resolution does nothing to cut or eliminate wasteful spending, end the abuse of earmarks, reduce bloated entitlement spending or provide tax relief to Americans. Additional pitfalls of the budget resolution include: the return of the marriage penalty so that some married couples pay more taxes than if they had filed separately as singles; cutting the child tax credit in half; and a dramatic reduction of tax incentives for small businesses.

“This Democrat-controlled Congress continues to break records: Record high gas prices, soaring food prices and now a record high tax increase in the budget blueprint. This is shocking,” said Sali.

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From Bryan Fischer, Idaho Values Alliance

The fitness of Kirk Sullivan to continue as the chairman of the Idaho Republican Party has again been called into question by late-breaking developments in the primary campaign for legislative seats in District 21.

These races featured conservative incumbent legislators - Sen. Russ Fulcher, Rep. Cliff Bayer, and Rep. John Vander Woude - facing off against challengers Steve Ricks, Jefferson West, and Richard Jarvis. The same troika of challengers spent $2,000 on an Idaho Statesman ad attacking Idaho Chooses Life for endorsing the incumbents, falsely accusing ICL’s Executive Director, David Ripley, of implying that they hold pro-abortion views.

Last week, a form letter, written on official party letterhead, was mailed widely in District 21, arriving in mailboxes on Wednesday or Thursday, and giving the distinct impression that the Republican Party had officially endorsed the challengers in those hotly contested races.

No less than three times the incumbents are smeared as members of the “good old boy” network and the reader is bludgeoned no less than nine times - nine! - with the phrase “special interests” to imply that it was the party’s official position that Fulcher, Bayer and Vander Woude are in the bag for powerful lobbyists.

Although each letter was identical in content, different committeemen signed them, apparently sending the letters to party members in their own precincts, thus giving the impression that they had written the letter themselves. According to the note at the bottom of each letter, the mailing was “gladly paid (for) by the Ricks for Senator Committee.”

Sullivan was immediately contacted by concerned party members, and by candidates whose fortunes would be directly affected by the false impression created by the letter. However, Sullivan failed to return phone calls for four days, and then weakly promised only that he would look into the matter. (An IVA phone call to Sullivan’s office yesterday was not returned.)

According to one source, Sullivan claimed on Saturday that he did not know how to get hold of Mr. Ricks, even though his home and work numbers were accessible in seconds via the internet. By then, of course, it was too late to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

Tuesday evening, Sullivan made vague noises about initiating legal action against those who misrepresented the party by sending the letter, but the threat appears to be empty and toothless saber rattling on his part.

Contrast this with Mr. Sullivan’s actions 2 ½ years ago, when a similar missive had left some with the impression that the party was endorsing Brandi Swindell in her run for a seat on the Boise City Council. He wasted no time in issuing a public clarification, distancing the Party from Ms. Swindell’s campaign so fast it’d give you a nose bleed.

Yet in this case, he dithered around for four days and then did nothing, despite the fact that the false impression created by the letter was likely to have a material impact on a campaign.

While Fulcher and Bayer survived their primary challenges, Sullivan’s failure to take decisive clarifying action likely cost John Vander Woude his seat in the legislature. Vander Woude lost his race against Jarvis by a scant 55 votes, and it is entirely possible that enough primary voters were influenced by the deceptive nature of the letter into thinking that Vander Woude was being officially opposed by his own party.

If only 28 voters changed their minds about Vander Woude based on the letter, that would have been enough to deny him a seat that should rightfully be his.

Add to this that any number of Democrats, crossing over to vote against Bill Sali (the runner-up in that race, Matt Salisbury, got an astonishing 8,000 votes more than Walt Minnick) may well have decided to create mischief in other races as long as they were meddling with the GOP ballot.

Vander Woude had a solid voting record as a pro-life, pro-family conservative during his one term in office, and thus this underhanded tactic has likely deprived Idaho families of a consistent and dependable voice and vote on social issues.

Sali’s race makes it abundantly clear that it is harmful to the prospects of conservative Republicans for the party to hold open primaries. The rank-and-file members of the GOP recognize this, and have forced the party establishment to move toward closed primaries whether they want to or not.

Sullivan has fought the grassroots on the primary issue every step of the way, and the results from District 21, ending in the unseating of a social conservative, will only foment further unrest among the already agitated GOP grassroots.

Word on the street is that the Central Committee in Twin Falls cast a unanimous no-confidence vote in Sullivan’s leadership and similar no-confidence votes are scheduled for or have already been held in Cassia and Minidoka counties, among others. The floor seems to be falling out from under the current chairman.

Sullivan will face a challenge for party chairmanship at the state convention next month, and this District 21 debacle is certainly not going to help his chances. The party elites have rallied around Sullivan, and have used heavy-handed pressure in a number of ways to boost his chances of re-election.

But the natives are restless, and the current alternative, Rod Beck, who is leading the charge to close the GOP primaries, has repeatedly locked horns with the party elites over the issue and would be the establishment’s worst nightmare.

One possible outcome? The party elites, seeing the handwriting on the wall, may ask Sullivan to step aside and appeal to Norm Semanko to step forward as a compromise candidate. Beck is prepared to support Semanko’s bid for the post, but Semanko, out of a concern for party unity, has put his plans to run for the chairmanship on hold.

Semanko is universally well-liked, and if the party is looking for a unifier in the wake of unhappiness with Sullivan’s leadership, Semanko may be just the man for the job.

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By Bryan Fischer, Idaho Values Alliance

All Idahoans who care about the rule of law and the preservation of the cultural unity of the United States have valid reasons for concern as the Mexican government proceeds with its plan to open a Mexican consulate in the state capitol.

The first line in an Idaho Statesman story on the matter says quite frankly that “one of the services it will offer is identification for Mexican citizens living in the U.S., whether they’re in this country legally or not.”

In other words, the Statesman’s writer is acknowledging in the first line of the piece that the Mexican government is both indifferent to American immigration law and intends to use the consulate to help illegal aliens evade it.

The consulate will offer matricular consular identification cards, often used by illegal aliens to open bank accounts. Said a longtime advocate for immigrant labor, “It’s an identification card.”

The Mexican Embassy in Washington admitted that the cards, according to the Statesman, “are most helpful for documented and undocumented Mexican migrants who need bank accounts.”

Problematically, immigration officials refuse to accept the matricular consular as valid identification at the U.S. border, and the FBI and Justice Department alike, according to an FBI spokesman, “have concluded that these cards are not a reliable form of identification due to the nonexistent means of identifying the true identity of the cardholder.”

(For these reasons and others, the matricular consular cannot be used to secure an Idaho driver’s license.)

The spokesman added, “It’s also vulnerable to fraud. They’re vulnerable to forgery. Even the newest version can be easily replicated.”

At last word, there has been no response to Rep. Bill Sali’s letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking her office to delay granting permission to the Mexican government for the Boise consulate until security concerns can be addressed.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal agency has halted a controversial program giving agents engraved Leatherman tool kits reminding them to focus on the seizure of private property, after Congressman Bill Sali, (R-Idaho), raised objections.
Sali said he will pursue legislation to prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from restarting the marketing program.

The ATF had ordered Leatherman tool kits, engraved with the words “Always Think Forfeiture.” Sali learned of the issue after a constituent brought the purchase to his attention. ATF said the tools were to be used as part of its Asset Forfeiture Program, which provides training to federal, state and local law enforcement. But Sali said the “Always Think Forfeiture” motto engraved on agent tools sent the wrong message to law-abiding citizens.

“Americans have a right to keep and bear arms. We have a right to private property. But ATF, through its engraved motto, sends a message that these rights are secondary to the government’s apparent goal to ‘always’ seek forfeit of private property. Of course, we all want our law enforcement agencies to pursue and prosecute criminals fully. But I have a problem with a federal agency sending a message, even an unintended one, that law abiding citizens will apparently ‘always’ be treated the same as criminals.” said Sali.

In an email to Sali’s office, the ATF said after hearing the Congressman’s objections, the agency had “halted the distribution” of “Always Think Forfeiture” engraved items.

The ATF email said, “As part of training for ATF special agents and state and local task force officers, ATF purchased a number of Leatherman tool kits engraved with the words ‘ATF – Asset Forfeiture’ and ‘Always Think Forfeiture’ for distribution to the participants. These training aids were designed to increase awareness of the asset forfeiture concept so that persons who do not regularly employ the strategy as part of a criminal investigation might be reminded to consider it. We regret that ATF’s training initiative created a misperception. However, be assured that ATF’s Asset Forfeiture Program complies with Federal law and Department of Justice guidelines. As a result of the concerns brought to ATF’s attention by your constituents, we have halted the distribution of the training aids at issue.”

Because ATF said the program complies with U.S. Department of Justice standards and federal law, Sali said he’s drafting legislation that would prevent ATF from launching similar marketing program.

Related post links here.

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From the Office of Rep. Bill Sali

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bill Sali has been recognized by the American Conservative Union as one of the U.S. House of Representative’s “Best and Brightest” for having received a 100 percent voting record with the group.
The American Conservative Union is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative lobbying organization. The group has rated every member of the House and Senate since 1971 and the ratings are widely regarded as the definitive conservative assessment of the federal legislative branch.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by yet another organization for standing up for Idahoans and their values,” said Sali. “I believe that votes for smaller government and lower taxes are the votes that will keep our country strong, prosperous and free.”
Sali also recently received the Taxpayers’ Friend Award from the National Taxpayers Union, Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the True Blue Award from Focus on the Family.
The 2007 ACU “Rating of Congress” is available online at www.acuratings.org.

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