As the legislative agenda slows down amid the Easter recess, the Republican leadership is looking to infrastructure to bolster favor in midterm elections.
Virginia Healthcare Reform Shows $6,500 Cost Cutting Potential Per Patient
As Medicaid expansion looms over Virginia lawmakers, Governor Northam’s Heath and Human Services secretary says he wants to decrease healthcare costs.
Democrats Pitch Ammunition Control As Answer To Gun Violence
The next legislative measure from gun control-happy lawmakers will target ammunition, but lacks clear constitutionality expressed in Heller v. D.C.
Scott Taylor Sends Letter About Long Wait Times At Hampton VA Hospital
After a review was done in the Hampton VA revealing long wait times for ailing veterans, Congressman Scott Taylor sent a letter to VA Secretary Shulkin.
March For Gun Control Not About Student Safety But Power And Control
The March for Gun Control showed that its purpose was not about addressing student safety, but was about Democrat’s lust for power and control.
Virginia Elections Board Revises Ballots; Political Ad Complaint Process
The Virginia Elections Board has revised ballots, making clear instructions on voting and created a better process for addressing political ad complaints.
Virginia Beach Man Threatens To Kill Rep. Scott Taylor Over Marijuana Policy
A Virginia Beach man was taken into custody on Friday after threatening to kill Congressman Scott Taylor (VA-2) after visiting his office the day prior. Wallace “Wally” Grove Godwin, 69, reportedly became disgruntled with the lawmaker regarding a discussion on his stance on federal marijuana policy.
Godwin told a member of Taylor’s staff, “Scott is having an event this Saturday. I am going to get my shotgun and do something about this. I will just handle this myself.”
The fanatic man then pointed at two staffers in the room and stated, “You two are next.”
WKTR reports the man has been outspoken about his anti-marijuana stance on social media. Court records indicated that last year that he even tried to sue the government for $500 million for not enforcing the federal marijuana laws. The case was dismissed for lack of standing.
On Godwin’s Twitter account, he writes consistently about the U.S. not enforcing anti-marijuana laws properly. In his last tweet he even gives out his phone number and writes before, “Pres.Trump my name is Wallace Godwin please call me Facebook will not let me say what I want to say.”
“This was not my first run-in with him,” Taylor said.
According to court documents, the most recent threat follows two aggressive interactions between Godwin and Taylor, one in 2017 in which Godwin visited the congressman’s Virginia Beach home and interacted directly with the lawmaker outside his residence. Another incident involved Godwin yelling at congressional staff members at Taylor’s Virginia Beach office.
Godwin was scheduled to make his initial appearance in front of a judge on Friday at Norfolk federal courthouse at 2:30 p.m.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Godwin has been charged with threatening to murder and assault a United States official, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if convicted.
Congressman Taylor commended area law enforcement after the arrest saying he was glad the situation was dealt with quickly and is staff members were kept safe. “I was concerned for my neighbors,” Taylor told reporters.
President Trump Reluctantly Signs Wasteful $1.3 Billion Omnibus Bill
Just hours before yet another government shutdown, President Donald Trump reluctantly signed the $1.3 trillion congressional omnibus bill set to keep the federal government open through September. Trump’s Twitter teased a possible veto early Friday morning as he complained that the legislation did not include funding for the border wall with Mexico or deportation protections for the 800,000 “DREAMers.” Nevertheless, the president moved forward with the signing, citing the need for military funding.
Before the 256-167 House vote passing the bill to be signed by the president, Washington lawmakers had just over 16 hours to read the 2,232-page omnibus bill after it was posted online.
“Shame, shame. A pox on both Houses – and parties,” Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said via Twitter. “No one has read it. Congress is broken,” he added.
As members of Congress fled Washington, the bill also lined the pockets of lawmakers after budget increases for operating costs of both chambers of the legislature were included.
According to a report from the Washington Free Beacon, the Senate increased its total budget to $919.9 million, up $48.8 million from fiscal year 2017. Salaries of officers and employees were also increased by $12.6 million. The Senate also increased its expense account, as expense allowances are going from $177,000 to $192,000, an increase of $15,000.
“The increase provides funding necessary for critical modernization and upgrades of the Senate financial management system and investments in IT security,” the congressional summary states according to the report.
Moreover, the House increased its budget to $1.2 billion, which is $10.9 million above 2017 levels. However, salaries were kept the same at $22.3 million and expenses were lowered by $4.4 million.
Congressional committee offices also received an increase of $22.9 million in salaries, up from $181.5 million in 2017 to $204.4 million in the final bill.
When Trump signaled a veto of the wasteful spending bill early Friday, Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus Republican Mark Meadows (NC-8) said he would “fully support” the president’s measure, as stated in a post from AP. He also added that the Trump Administration and congressional leaders should, “negotiate a better deal for the forgotten men and women of America.”
Although both parties in Congress wanted to avert a third shutdown this year, the omnibus bill also busted through the federal budget cap, angering conservatives. It also failed to provide a permanent fix for young immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act, a measure which Democrats have consistently vied to secure.
Trump has pinned the failure for a DACA solution on Democrats, claiming, “They don’t want DACA” and are only using a status for immigrants as “a political football.”
As a crowd gathered in the White House, Trump stood in front of cameras calling the signing of the bill a “ridiculous situation” after a stack of documents over one foot tall was placed to his right. In chastising Congress for its mounds of spending documents released just hours before the vote, Trump said, “You tell me who can read that quickly. Takes a long time to read it.”
In light of funding need for the military, Trump was still highly-dissatisfied with the wasteful omnibus bill, saying there is, “no one more disappointed than me.”
Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton Tapped As National Security Adviser
Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton has been tapped by President Donald Trump as the White House’s new National Security Adviser.
Wexton’s Own Poll Shows 70 Percent Of Dems Not Voting For Her
Meanwhile in VA-10, embattled Democratic State Senator Jenny Wexton (D-Fairfax) is struggling to get support from even 3 in 10 of her own political base.