The Things Children Say

A teacher in New Orleans asked students to use "handsome" in a sentence.

A student named Latisha says, "Sometimes when I be pleasin' Jamal's soul pole, my jaw gits sore, and I hafta use my handsome."

Nuclear Neil

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE for April 10, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court - Nuclear Option
• Senate: Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court - Confirmation
• House: Employee Stock Sales
• House: Self-Insured Health Plans

Recent Senate Votes:
Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court - Nuclear Option
Vote Not Sustained (48-52)
Judgment of the Senate to affirm the ruling of the chair regarding the McConnell, R-Ky., point of order that that the precedent set on November 21, 2013 (that a simple majority is required to invoke cloture on nominations excluding the Supreme Court), applies to cloture votes on all nominations. The ruling of the chair did not stand and the point of order was sustained. This vote sets a precedent for future cloture votes on all judicial nominations which will only need a simple majority to pass.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted NO
Sen. David Perdue voted NO

The Democrats really fucked themselves on this when they slammed home Obamacare with a simple majority. The Republicans being the pussies that they generally are when faced with tough choices would never have gone there if the the Democrats had net set a precedent. Schumer and the lot had little to complain about after feigning filibuster after most all who interviewed approved of the man. Fun to see folks get screwed with their own tactics.

Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court - Confirmation
Vote Confirmed (54-45, 1 Not Voting)
Confirmation of President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado to be an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

What he heck is up with Johnny Isakson? First he skips a bunch of votes, and now he's in and out.

Recent House Votes:
Employee Stock Sales Vote Passed (331-87, 11 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill that would direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase from $5 million to $10 million the annual amount of securities that privately-held companies can sell for employee compensation without needing to disclose certain information to investors.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Probably reasonable considering inflation, but the thing smells fishy as a legal allowance in the first place. Why wouldn't investors have the right to have access to all significant securities machinations. 

Self-Insured Health Plans Vote Passed (400-16, 13 Not Voting)
Passage of the bill that would establish that "stop-loss" insurance, coverage that protects businesses from certain large financial risks associated with providing insurance, would not be considered health care insurance under federal law.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Dam straight, protect that home state business David.

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Susan Hayward

This beauty left the earth at far too young an age, passing in 1975 at the the age of 57. Susan Hayward was nominated five times to the Academy Award. Happy to see that she lived near Heflin, near a familiar fraternity destination, the Huddle House.

Johnny's Still Out to Lunch

To start off, need to look up and find out what he heck is wrong with Johnny Isakson.
Hope he is not sick, beside that RINO thing that he has shown symptoms of.

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE for March 21, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Disapprove Unemployment Benefit Drug Testing Rule
• Senate: Confirmation of Dan Coats to be Director of National Intelligence
• Senate: Confirmation of Herbert R. McMaster, Jr. to be Lieutenant General
• House: VA Personnel Accountability
• House: Mentally Disabled Veterans and Guns
• House: VA Medical Professional Staffing

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Confirmation of Charles Breyer to the U.S. Sentencing Commission
• Senate: Confirmation of Danny Reeves to the U.S. Sentencing Commission
• House: End Health Insurance Anti-Trust Exemption
• House: Association Health Insurance Pools
• House: Reconciliation Health Care Law Repeal and Replace

Recent Senate Votes:

Disapprove Unemployment Benefit Drug Testing Rule Vote Passed (51-48, 1 Not Voting)

The resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Labor Department on Aug. 1, 2016, that defines the occupations for which states can require individuals applying for unemployment benefits to undergo drug testing.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

I was listening to some dudes on the POTUS Sirius channel suggesting that in Michigan, recipients test positive in only 0.5% of cases. If that is true, which I strongly doubt, then such a vote and legislative action is a waste of time.  What is probably more true is like what happened in Maine, where a law was put i place and the recipients simply elected to give up the benefit rather than face the exposure of testing. My gut feel about the end game is that this will become an obstacle that bureaucrats work around.

Confirmation of Dan Coats to be Director of National Intelligence Vote Confirmed (85-12, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Dan Coats to be the director of National Intelligence.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

This is a post that I think the President should have the right to choose without confirmation.

Confirmation of Herbert R. McMaster, Jr. to be Lieutenant General Vote Confirmed (86-10, 4 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Herbert R. McMaster, Jr. to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

This is a post that I think the Joint Chiefs should have the right to choose without confirmation.

Recent House Votes:

VA Personnel Accountability Vote Passed (237-178, 14 Not Voting)

The bill would provide the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) with additional tools to fire or demote VA employees based on performance or misconduct, and would modify the appeals process to provide for the appeals of decisions by administrative law judges. It also would include provisions to protect VA whistleblowers against retaliation by supervisors, authorize the department to recoup employee bonuses and relocation expenses, and allow the pensions of VA employees to be reduced if convicted of certain felonies.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

The House seems determined, but in the end we will still have a VA that is less effective than private hospitals. Government is not built to care for people, their skills are centered on grandstanding, then taking money and then giving that money away.

Mentally Disabled Veterans and Guns Vote Passed (240-175, 14 Not Voting)

The bill would clarify the conditions under which individuals who receive federal benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) may be declared mentally incompetent for purposes of being added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and thereby prevented from purchasing guns or ammunition - requiring that an affirmative declaration be made by a judge that the person is dangerous.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

The Republicans suggest due process, and a Democrat votes no. The thing passed but if you have a problem with t he process, flip it around, if someone his a mental medical issue, have a temporary restrictive ruling and a mandatory judicial review with objective being to restore rights. The government should have to establish cause in all cases of removing rights.

VA Medical Professional Staffing Vote Passed (412-0, 17 Not Voting)

The bill would establish new staffing, recruitment and retention programs at the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) to enable the VA to help recruit and retain a strong medical professional workforce. It would create a recruiting database to make high-quality potential employees aware of positions at the VA, provide for additional opportunities for career training and advancement for current VA employees through fellowship positions and establish a promotional track for technical experts. It also would require the department to train human resources employees in recruitment and retention methods.

Rep. David Scott voted YES

100% in favor, it probably means nothing.

Upcoming Votes:

Confirmation of Charles Breyer to the U.S. Sentencing Commission - PN86 The Senate will take up the nomination of Charles Breyer to be a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

The last Breyer, that I can think of, was a serious disappointment.

Confirmation of Danny Reeves to the U.S. Sentencing Commission - PN85 The Senate will take up the nomination of Danny Reeves to be a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

I wonder of Obama met with his commission, or he simply decided to release a lot of clientele.

End Health Insurance Anti-Trust Exemption - HR372 The bill would generally eliminate the federal antitrust exemption for health insurance providers that are regulated at the state level, thereby allowing federal regulators to take actions against insurers for coordinated activities that could harm consumers. By subjecting insurers to federal antitrust laws, the measure is intended to promote further competition between health insurers and lower costs.

David Scott isn't voting for this, though it is generally regarded as a positive idea.

Association Health Insurance Pools - HR1101 The bill would expand the ability of trade and business associations to sponsor association health plans (AHPs), through which member companies can offer group health insurance to their employees. To encourage the creation of new plans, it would exempt AHPs from most state laws and regulations and allow AHPs to set their own health insurance standards, with few mandated requirements.

I have sneaking suspicion that pools are a euphemism for not providing insurance.

Reconciliation Health Care Law Repeal and Replace - HR1628 The measure would repeal key elements of the 2010 health law and include legislative text to begin replacing the national health care system created by that law. Among its provisions, it would effectively repeals the law's requirements that most individuals obtain health insurance or face tax penalties, and that employers with more than 50 employees provide health insurance or face tax penalties, by setting the penalties for violations at $0; replace current health insurance subsidies with a less generous refundable tax credit beginning in 2020; roll back the 2010 law's expansion of Medicaid; modify that program to provide payments to states based on the number of patients enrolled in the program rather than services provided; allow children to stay on their parents' policies until 26 years of age; and prohibit insurance companies from charging more or denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.  The legislation was developed under reconciliation instructions in the fiscal 2017 budget resolution (S Con Res 3), which protects it from filibuster and allows the Senate to pass it by simple majority vote.

Let me just say, since this entry is very late. Very slowly.....CHICKEN....SHIT....COCK....SUCKERS 

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Where's Johnny

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE for March 14, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Confirmation of Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior
• Senate: Confirmation of Ben Carson to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• Senate: Confirmation of Rick Perry to be Secretary of Energy
• Senate: Disapprove Labor Law Rule
• Senate: Disapprove BLM Land Use Planning Rule
• Senate: Disapprove Teacher Education Program Rule
• Senate: Disapprove State Education Accountability Rule
• Senate: Confirmation of Seema Verma to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• House: Review Federal Regulations for Repeal
• House: OMB Regulatory Oversight
• House: Disapprove OSHA Record-Keeping Rule
• House: Disclose Agency Rule-Making Communications
• House: Fiscal 2017 Defense Appropriations
• House: Class Action Litigation
• House: Civil Litigation Jurisdiction
• House: Penalties for Frivolous Lawsuits

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Nomination of Dan Coats to be the Director of National Intelligence
• Senate: Nomination of Herbert R. McMaster Jr. to be a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army
• House: Mentally Disabled Veterans and Guns
• House: VA Personnel Accountability
• House: VA Medical Professional Staffing

Recent Senate Votes:

Confirmation of Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior Vote Confirmed (68-31, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke to be secretary of the Interior.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

I was happy to see this man get confirmed, if only because he was representative of a big F-Y to the environmental crowd. The man is pragmatic and that is not acceptable to folks that basically believe in the undoing of industrialization of the United States.

Confirmation of Ben Carson to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Vote Confirmed (58-41, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed Ben Carson to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

That Ben Carson received less votes than Ryan Zinke to confirm is interesting. This is a man who undoubtedly follows his conscience, is sympathetic to the unfortunate, and more like a Democrat that any other person in the cabinet, except maybe Ivanka. And the Democrats, for the most part reject the nomination. For appropriateness to the job, who knows the department is largely a vehicle for delivering welfare.

Confirmation of Rick Perry to be Secretary of Energy Vote Confirmed (62-37, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed Rick Perry to be secretary of Energy.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Have to admit that I am not a big Rick Perry fan, he has always struck me as a pretty boy and completely ineffective. Now I hear that he is part of the NSC.

Disapprove Labor Law Rule Vote Passed (49-48, 3 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove, under the Congressional Review Act, a Defense Department, General Services Administration and NASA rule that requires federal contractors to self-certify violations of 14 specified federal labor laws and equivalent state laws. The laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, National Labor Relations Act, Davis-Bacon Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act, among others.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Hell yes! The Democrats had gone to far in placing restrictions on companies, here they continue to prove the point, that they don not give a crap about business in the United States. I am glad the vote was close and I am glad the Democrats have to suck it.

Disapprove BLM Land Use Planning Rule Vote Passed (51-48, 1 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Dec. 12, 2016, which modified the process under which BLM develops plans for the use of the public lands it manages, including by considering a wider variety of issues and possible impacts.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Hell yes, 10X! The BLM needs the house cleaned out, they have been consistently overstepping the rights of private land owners for the last decade.

Disapprove Teacher Education Program Rule Vote Passed (59-40, 1 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Education Department on Oct. 31, 2016, relating to teacher preparation programs that require states to annually evaluate the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education and to publicly report this information, including the job placement and retention rates of graduates.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Frankly, I am not sure what is going on here. The description suggests that schools should be responsible for tracking the effectiveness of its graduates in the work force. For myself I see that as a useful tool for children to apply when they are selecting schools. But, as we know too many children do not select schools based on a career and lifestyle expectations. As I think this out, I like the idea, and schools that are well integrated with  their alumni should have an interests in the graduates success, but this should not be something that the Federal government dictates to states and how they run their own schools.

Disapprove State Education Accountability Rule Vote Passed (50-49, 1 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Education Department on Nov. 29, 2016 which addresses implementation of a state's accountability systems when receiving federal education funding under the Elementary and Secondary School Act (ESEA). Among other things, the rule requires states to identify low-performing schools for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement, and requires that each state's statewide plan use multiple indicators of student success that are the same for all public schools (including charter schools).

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

After the reasoning above, I think the Federal government should stay out of the state business. For the last 50 years the Feds have been increasing their control and spending per student is very high when compared internationally. The effectiveness has been poor, the control and goal of national educational uniformity has failed.

Confirmation of Seema Verma to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Vote Confirmed (55-43, 2 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed Seema Verma to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Sen. Johnny Isakson voted Not Voting

Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Who cares, frankly, on these smaller positions, the President should have the power to simply appoint whomever he wishes.

To follow up on the title, was Johnny Isakson sick, or on vacation or something. Some of these votes were pretty close. 

Recent House Votes:

Review Federal Regulations for Repeal Vote Passed (240-185, 4 Not Voting)

The measure would establish a commission to review existing federal regulations and identify those that should be repealed in order to reduce costs on the U.S. economy -- including those that should be repealed immediately and those that should be repealed over time through a new regulatory "cut-go" system under which agencies could not issue new rules unless the cost of a new rule was offset by repealing existing rules identified by the commission.

Rep. David Scott voted Not Voting

Fine David, vote or don't vote. CUT-GO sounds less than optimal, CUT-CUT sounds and philosophically is better. 

OMB Regulatory Oversight Vote Passed (241-184, 4 Not Voting)

The bill would require proposed rules by federal departments and agencies, including independent agencies, to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), and it would direct OIRA to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of significant regulatory actions and to ensure that proposed rules are consistent with applicable law and that regulations do not conflict.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

The Republicans are making waves and furtive moves to deregulation.  In the end we will have more rules and regulations, because politicians have an insatiable need to show that they are being proactive, regardless of the impact.

Disapprove OSHA Record-Keeping Rule Vote Passed (231-191, 7 Not Voting)

The joint resolution would disapprove the rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Dec. 19, 2016, that extends to five years the period for which OSHA can cite an employer for failing to officially record a workplace injury or illness.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

More of the same.

Disclose Agency Rule-Making Communications Vote Passed (246-176, 7 Not Voting)

The bill would require each federal agency to maintain an online searchable list of its regulatory actions and all public communications it makes regarding those regulatory actions. It also would prohibit agencies from soliciting support for, or promoting, its regulatory actions.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

I really like this idea. As to the self restriction, this is a canard, no agency will EVER resist pitching for support and expansion.

Fiscal 2017 Defense Appropriations Vote Passed (371-48, 10 Not Voting)

The legislation would provide full-year appropriations for Defense Department programs and activities for fiscal 2017, providing $577.9 billion in discretionary spending, $5.2 billion more than fiscal 2016. It would include $516.1 billion subject to spending caps for fiscal 2017 and $61.8 billion in uncapped Overseas Contingency Operations war and anti-terror funding.

Rep. David Scott voted YES

Generally David Scott votes with the pack when it comes to Defense Appropriations.

Class Action Litigation Vote Passed (220-201, 1 Present, 7 Not Voting)

The bill would prohibit federal courts from certifying proposed classes of individuals for a class-action lawsuit unless each member of the class has suffered the same type and degree of injury, and it would require quarterly reports by asbestos trusts of claims made against the trusts and any payouts made by the trusts for asbestos-related injuries.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

I have really mixed feelings about class action lawsuits. Often, and consistent with asbestos, an industry has developed for suing businesses that were ignorant of the medical risk as the time of application, yet the companies are held liable for what they could not know. At the same time people have been hurt and some incurring enormous expense in the process.  Awards are gigantic and disproportionate to the expected earning and expenses of the victims, why are the punitive values so large when the real problem was ignorance? I don;t know.

Civil Litigation Jurisdiction Vote Passed (224-194, 11 Not Voting)

The bill would establish national standards under which federal courts, when considering whether to remand back to state court a lawsuit against an out-of-state entity, must deny that motion and have the case decided in federal court because it determines that an in-state co-defendant should not have been joined to the case.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

Who cares? Federal courts seem to do whatever the fuck they want to anyway, Do you think some law is going to stop them?

Penalties for Frivolous Lawsuits Vote Passed (230-188, 11 Not Voting)

The bill would modify federal rules governing civil lawsuits to require federal courts to impose sanctions on parties that violate the existing prohibition on the filing of frivolous lawsuits, with such sanctions to include monetary penalties to cover the other party's attorneys' fees and other costs.

Rep. David Scott voted NO

This is a real thing and there should be some fear of repercussion.

Upcoming Votes:

Nomination of Dan Coats to be the Director of National Intelligence - PN41 The Senate will take up the nomination of Dan Coats to be the director of National Intelligence.

Don't know Dan.

Nomination of Herbert R. McMaster Jr. to be a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army - PN87 The Senate will take up the nomination of Herbert R. McMaster Jr. to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army.

Don't know Herbie.

Mentally Disabled Veterans and Guns - HR1181 The bill would clarify the conditions under which individuals who receive federal benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) may be declared mentally incompetent for purposes of being added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and thereby prevented from purchasing guns or ammunition — requiring that an affirmative declaration be made by a judge that the person is dangerous.

Clarity is good, a politician claiming clarity is a lie.

VA Personnel Accountability - HR1259

The bill would provide the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) with additional tools to fire or demote VA employees based on performance or misconduct, and would modify the appeals process to provide for the appeals of decisions by administrative law judges. It also would include provisions to protect VA whistleblowers against retaliation by supervisors, authorize the department to recoup employee bonuses and relocation expenses, and allow the pensions of VA employees to be reduced if convicted of certain felonies.

People that took bonuses by falsifying records stole from the government and should be in jail. Overall, another tough topic, the government needs to control costs where it can and no amount of money is ever enough. Motivating employees to accomplish goals that the resources are not available for is the wrong carrot. 

VA Medical Professional Staffing - HR1367 The measure would establish new staffing, recruitment and retention programs at the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) to enable the VA to help recruit and retain a strong medical professional workforce. It would create a recruiting database to make high-quality potential employees aware of positions at the VA, provide for additional opportunities for career training and advancement for current VA employees through fellowship positions and establish a promotional track for technical experts. It also would require the department to train human resources employees in recruitment and retention methods.

Another tough problem because of limited financial resources, the VA is often picking from the bottom of the barrel. Want it to get better, make the home VA hospitals be the primary care giver for each Federal politician.

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The difference between Oo and oO

Two young guys appear in court after being arrested for smoking dope.
The judge says, "You seem like nice young men, and I'd like to give you a second chance instead of jail time.   I want you to go out this weekend and try to convince others of the evils of drug use.   I'll see you back in court Monday."
On Monday, the judge asks the first guy, "How did you do over the weekend?"
"Well, your honor, I persuaded 17 people to give up drugs forever."
"Seventeen people? That's wonderful. How did you do it?"
"I used a diagram, your honor. I drew two circles like this: Oo. Then I told them that the big circle is your brain before drugs and the small circle is your brain after drugs."
"That's admirable," says the judge. Then he turns to the second guy.
"And how did you do?"
"Well, your honor, I persuaded 156 people to give up drugs forever."
"Wow!" says the judge. "156 people! How did you manage to do that?"
"Well, I used a similar diagram," the guy says. "I drew two circles like this: oO.  Then I pointed to the little circle and said, 'This is your asshole before prison."