Sen. Lee Statement on President Trump’s SCOTUS Pick
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) gave the following statement Monday after President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court.
“Judge Kavanaugh is a well-respected jurist who deservedly received bipartisan support when confirmed to the D.C. Circuit in 2006. I know him to be a smart and fair judge, one of the most admired appellate judges in the country. I look forward to the process in the Senate, getting to know Judge Kavanaugh and his family better in coming months, and, hopefully, voting to confirm him to the Supreme Court in the fall.”
An online version of this release can be found here.
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Bishop Introduces Daylight Act
“For any student of federalism, this is a no-brainer.”
WASHINGTON – Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) introduced H.R. 6331, the Daylight Act, which empowers states to decide how their states will observe daylight savings time. The legislation allows states to determine whether they will continue under the status quo, operate year-round under daylight savings time, or operate year-round under standard time. Rep. Bishop offered the following statement:
“For any student of federalism, this is a no-brainer. The range of industry and lifestyle is so varied across our country, it only makes sense for states to have the ability to set their watches the way they best see fit.
Bishop continued,
“The Daylight Act simply allows states the freedom to pursue one of these three options. This bill will not force any action nor compel a state to take any action. Quite simply, this gives people the flexibility to do what they want. We are reinforcing the states’ power to govern by loosening the grip held by the federal government.”
BACKGROUND:
· States are currently ABLE to opt out of Daylight Time. (Hawaii & Arizona)
· States are currently UNABLE to opt out of Standard Time.
· Dozens of state legislatures have introduced or passed legislation that would change or study our current time system.
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Sens. Lee, Rubio, Cruz Introduce Transportation Empowerment Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Transportation Empowerment Act, a bill which would give states and localities far more control over their infrastructure spending by phasing out the federal gas tax. The bill is cosponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
“The federal government’s Highway Trust Fund is broke, and another year of band aid funding is not going to fix it,” Sen. Lee said. “Different states have different values and needs. State and local governments are perfectly capable of reflecting those values and meeting those needs with unique, customized transportation policies without the interference of politicians, bureaucrats, and special interests in Washington. The Interstate Highway System was completed decades ago, drivers are buying less gas, and the federal government has wasted far too much money on non-highway projects. It is just an outdated system that is long overdue for reform.”
“Having a 21st century infrastructure means empowering states with greater flexibility to prioritize the infrastructure needs of their local communities,” Sen. Rubio said. “The Transportation Empowerment Act offers a viable solution to address the fiscal cliff facing the Highway Trust Fund, and will allow donor states, like Florida, to receive a better return on our infrastructure investments.”
“The Transportation Empowerment Act is a critical step in returning authority to the states,” Sen. Cruz said. “The strength and growth of American infrastructure is necessary to our economic future, and they are best achieved when we allow communities to assign resources according to their own needs, not far-off bureaucrats in Washington.”
An online version of this release and bill text can be found here.
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Kavanaugh’s nomination threatens students’ opportunities, workers’ right to strong unions and every American’s access to health care
NEA President: Judge Kavanaugh praised rulings that justify allowing public money to be funneled into religious institutions, predicted a future Supreme Court would uphold vouchers
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump today announced that he would nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the forthcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court.
The next Supreme Court justice will have enormous power over the lives of all Americans, but especially public school students. The next justice could decide on whether it is constitutional to divert tax payers’ dollars away from public schools to fund private ones, whether educators have a voice on the job in advocating for themselves and their students, and whether all Americans, including children and families will have access to health care.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Lily Eskelsen García:
“President Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and their wealthy and powerful allies envision an America where public schools lose public funding to private, religious and for-profit schools, and educators lose their ability to advocate for themselves and their students. This is a world where affordable, quality health care is reserved for the few who can afford it. These ideologies have been at the core of the Trump administration’s playbook, and the majority of Americans continue to reject them. Yet, if Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, Trump’s agenda would be more than a temporary departure from our ideals and values.
“The Supreme Court has already gone far enough in becoming a rubber stamp for President Trump’s political agenda, and Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination threatens a generational transformation of our government that will entrench laws favoring the wealthy and powerful. Just this past term, the Supreme Court, in 5-4 decisions, ruled against workers’ rights and strong unions, upheld the discriminatory Muslim travel ban, and allowed racial discrimination in the drawing of legislative districts.
“Judge Kavanaugh has long demonstrated that he will not be a fair-minded constitutionalist who will fight for equality and justice for all. In fact, before being nominated, he was vetted and approved by the Heritage Foundation — a corporate-funded organization that seeks to end the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid; strives to weaken workers’ rights and to silence their voices in the workplaces; and advocates to replace our public schools with vouchers that funnel public funding to private religious schools. The Heritage Foundation approved Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination because he could be trusted to advance their plans.
“This is exactly why Judge Kavanaugh can’t be trusted to protect the interests of students and educators. He praised rulings and legal theories that justify allowing public money being funneled into religious institutions; and he has predicted that a future Supreme Court would uphold school vouchers that go to private religious schools. He has contorted the law and facts to side with companies against workers and unions, while also consistently voting to reverse rulings that protect workers’ safety, privacy, and rights to organize and bargain collectively; he has said that key provisions of the Affordable Care Act should be declared unconstitutional.
“Americans deserve a Supreme Court nominee who will apply the law fairly for all and not favor corporations, the wealthy and the powerful; Judge Kavanaugh is not such a nominee. We oppose this nomination and urge all senators to do the same.”
Follow on twitter at @NEAmedia and @Lily_NEA
Read and sign the pledge at www.nea.org/find9
Keep up with the conversation at #StopKavanaugh
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. Find out more at www.nea.org.
