Taylor on Napolitano

Gene Taylor ALMOST calls for Napolitano's resignation.

Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), a member of the conservative Blue Dog group, did not go so far as to ask for Napolitano’s resignation, but was critical of the report’s analysis of veterans.

“The president would not listen if I said it,” Taylor said of calls for her resignation, adding that the assessment of veterans in the report “was just a dumb thing to say. It certainly calls for an apology on her part — and even better, an apology and a clarification.”

“All these Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, they know where to look for an IED, they know what kind of mannerisms a terrorist suspect is going to have, so they’re tremendous assets, and I’m sorry that she missed that.”

Childers: Obama Saves Teachers

Education recession? Travis Childers says the $321 million for Mississippi education from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs. Who knew we had that many teachers that the state was going to lay off?

U.S. Rep. Travis Childers said the funds will save “hundreds of thousands” of teaching jobs put at risk because of declining state revenues and budget cuts.

“These significant recovery funds will help save teaching jobs, improve education, and prevent budget shortfalls throughout Mississippi … during tough economic times,” Childers said in a separate statement. “Giving our children a good education now means preparing them for the future and providing them with the skills and resources they need to succeed in today’s especially competitive environment.”

Harper: What Will the Next 100 Days Cost?

Gregg Harper makes a guest post at Townhall.com

What Will the Next 100 Days Cost?
Guest blog post by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.)

Can we afford another 100 days of the President’s explosive spending, taxing and borrowing led by Democrats in Washington?

While families throughout Mississippi and America are tightening their belts and small businesses are cutting expenses, the Obama administration has borrowed more of your tax dollars in the first 100 days than all previous presidents have combined. Despite claims of “fiscal responsibility,” the President has passed a budget that will double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in ten.

I believe in legislating with common sense, which means freezing non-defense and non-veterans spending and suspending the capital gains tax through 2010 instead of the investment tax increases proposed by the President. I suggest President Obama spend the next 100 days creating and protecting jobs by allowing families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn instead of taxing them to advance his agenda for more government.

Gene Taylor and Louie St. Louis

Gene Taylor visits with Louie the Alligator at the Hancock County Library System’s annual national Library Week Officials’ Luncheon.

Mabus Confirmation

Gene Taylor, Bennie Thompson and Travis Childers showed up to support the confirmation of Ray Mabus to be Secretary of the Navy today.

If approved to become the Navy's top civilian leader, former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus said this morning that he will focus on a ship-buying system that "far too often over-promises . . . and resists accountability. The acquisition process has to be gotten under control or we're going to unilaterally disarm ourselves," Mabus said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to become Navy secretary.

"Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Pearl, would have attended, but had a prior obligation, a spokesman said later."

Taylor Update

Taylor: Country in 'eyeball-deep debt'

Taylor spoke with the Hattiesburg American editorial board this morning about the nation’s deficit, a problem he said Obama inherited.

“Unfortunately, he’s made moves to put us even more in the red when he inherited a nation that was chin deep in debt,” he said. “Now he’s got us about eyeball deep.”

Taylor said the bailout coupled with taxpayer dollars being spent on projects that aren’t worth the price paid is driving up the deficit.

“So far, (Obama) has ignored the problem I have worked the hardest on, the national debt,” he said. “The debt has to be repaid by someone at some time, and you do have to pay interest on it at some time which is a very real payment.”

Gates tailors defense plan to win war with Congress

There are some signs that Gates' balancing act could pay off. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine would build all three of the remaining DDG-1000 ships, while work on the DDG- 51 would proceed in Pascagoula, Miss.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is a moderate whose vote was crucial to passage of Obama's economic stimulus package in February. Pascagoula is in the congressional district of Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., the chairman of a House Armed Services subcommittee.

Collins was ecstatic about Gates' plan, calling it "incredibly welcome news for Maine and a testament to the highly skilled, hard-working men and women at Bath Iron Works."

Taylor, too, hailed the decision, noting that it meant "they will continue building these ships over the next decade" in his district.

Thompson v Napolitano

Pike County Times gives kudos to Bennie Thompson for standing up to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

I can’t believe I actually said “Kudos” and “Bennie Thompson” in the same sentence.

But, there it is.

Tuesday, Chairman Thompson (MS-2nd) sent a letter to DHS Secretary Napolitano saying that he was “dumbfounded” that DHS would issue a report identifying veterans as potential terrorist threats.

“This report appears to raise significant issues involving the privacy and civil liberties of many Americans — including war veterans,” said Thompson in the letter sent yesterday.

Thompson’s letter comes as a welcome surprise to many conservatives who saw the report as being aimed not only at veterans, but also at law-abiding people who believe in gun rights, are pro-life, or who are religious.

To see Mr. Thompson make such a strong and principled stand earns him high praise from this corner.

Thank you Bennie Thompson.

Here is the story from the Washington Times - Top Dem 'dumbfounded' by 'extremism' report

Childers v Nunnelee

Tupelo Daily Journal sets the stage for the 2010 election in Mississippi's First Congressional District.

State Sen. Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, is pondering a possible race for Congress, and this week he’ll go on a “listening tour” of Northeast Mississippi to hear what people think.

“What I am attempting to do is get a feel of what my future leadership role should be – whether I should look for an expanded role in Jackson or pursue opportunities in Washington,” Nunnelee said recently.

As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Nunnelee is close to the zenith of power in the Mississippi Legislature.

But Nunnelee recently has been focusing on the possibility of a race for the 1st District U.S. House seat in 2010. Incumbent Democrat Travis Childers, former Prentiss County chancery clerk, won the seat last year in a special election and then secured a full two-year term in November.

If Nunnelee does decide to run for Congress, he’ll be trying to do what many of his colleagues have been unable to do – win an election to the U.S. House while serving in the Mississippi Legislature.

Nunnelee replaced Roger Wicker, who as state senator won the 1st District seat while serving in the Legislature.

Nunnelee, whose Senate district includes most of Lee County and a portion of Pontotoc, will conduct his “listening tour” across Northeast Mississippi, which makes up a substantial portion of the 1st District.

It will kick off Monday at 6 p.m. at the Tupelo Furniture Market, and includes later visits to Oxford (April 27), Corinth (April 28) and Columbus (May 7).

A Childers-Nunnelee matchup would pit two candidates from the more rural eastern side of the district anchored by Tupelo and Columbus.

Brad Morris, Childers’ chief of staff, said it is too early to be speculating about who will challenge his boss.

“Travis was just elected by the folks of the 1st District literally a few months ago because he shares their values and is independent enough to work in a bipartisan way,” Morris said, adding Childers is focused “on doing the job he was sent there to do.”

A hint of Nunnelee’s possible strategy against Childers came last week at the Tupelo gathering of a nationwide conservative protest of current federal spending.

Nunnelee held up a thick copy of the $787 billion federal stimulus bill and, while not mentioning Childers’ vote in support of it, said it “robbed from our future generations.”

Besides Wicker, there have been other successes. Gene Taylor, a then-state senator, was elected in the 1980s to the south Mississippi House seat he still holds.

And the legendary G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery of Meridian was serving in the state Senate when he was elected to the U.S. House, where he served from 1967 to 1997.

If Nunnelee chooses pursue the congressional seat, he said he would need to make that decision this year, though he might not announce it until 2010.

Childers and the 8th Graders

Travis Childers got some mixed press recently after chatting with 8th graders.

Desoto Times Tribune -

"I'm extremely impressed," Congressman Travis Childers said following a visit to Southaven Middle School on Friday.

The First District representative to Washington, D.C. spent roughly an hour with a group of eighth graders at the school, telling them about his work in the nation's capital and answering questions they had about topics including the war in Iraq and the state of the economy.

"I don't know at their age I would have known to ask those questions," Childers said about the students' depth of knowledge about national issues. "I don't think my interests were as broad. These are top-notch kids."

Commercial Appeal -

Lauren Lovett, 14, wanted to know about prayer in schools.

"I support prayer in schools," Childers said. "It's my personal faith that dictates that."

She was soon to discover that in politics, answers can be complicated.

Childers added that though he supports prayer he would not want to be told who to pray to and does not want prayer in schools to become a big, divisive issue.

"I would like him to elaborate more," Lauren said later.

Charlene Cain, another 14 year old, was not satisfied with Childers' discussion of the federal bailout of AIG and other financial institutions. She wants to go into politics and wants a firmer understanding of the decisions she sees publicized in the media.

Students weren't the only ones with questions. Richard Naquin, the history teacher, asked Childers to explain the difference between the Democratic and Republican parties.

Childers pointed out that even among those labels there are differences. He said he's a "Southern Democrat," but that it is not fair to judge an individual based on the view of a party.

"I don't really get hung up on labels," Childers said.

Thompson: $23 Million for Tougaloo

Roll Call - Thompson’s College Scores - Chairman Seeks $23M Earmark

House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) is seeking earmarks worth millions of dollars for homeland security projects at the small Mississippi college that he attended, though the school could not explain what the earmarks are for and does not yet appear to have the capacity to provide the services that Thompson wants to fund.

In an earmark request for 2010 appropriations, Thompson’s Web site indicates that he is seeking $23 million for the “National Institute for Education and Training” at Tougaloo College for “an Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (OTEA) in Vicksburg, Mississippi.”

Tougaloo is a historically black college north of Jackson, Miss., with an enrollment of just less than 1,000 students and an annual budget of around $28 million, according to its most recent available tax records. Thompson was on the board of trustees until 2005 and is now listed as a “trustee emeritus.”

Thompson’s chief of staff, Lanier Avant, said the earmark is actually for a consortium of institutions “to develop engineering capacity in the region ... for all kinds of engineering,” including civil and electrical engineering. Avant said the request includes Tougaloo, the Army Corps of Engineers facility at Vicksburg, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and Jackson State University, Avant’s alma mater. It would be up to the four institutions to divvy up the funding and figure out the roles that each will play in implementing the earmark, he said.

The money would be “an addition to existing programs” at the institutions, Avant said. Tougaloo “has one of the most renowned engineering programs of all the [historically black colleges and universities] in the country. ... It’s not like Tougaloo is some kind of new kid on the block,” he said.

But Tougaloo does not offer an engineering major. The school’s course catalog indicates that there is not a single engineering class being taught at Tougaloo this semester. The school does have a joint program with the Georgia Institute of Technology that allows students to transfer there to get their engineering degree after finishing their liberal arts coursework at Tougaloo.

George Armstrong, a chemistry professor who serves as the interim director of Tougaloo’s National Institute for Education and Training in Transportation Security, said he had heard about the earmark but had no details about it.

“That is something just coming out,” Armstrong said. “I wouldn’t have known about it except I just happened to be in a meeting” where the project was mentioned, he said last week. “It hasn’t been fully defined ... [though] I know our name is associated with that.”

He asked a reporter to e-mail whatever documentation was available about the earmark request and referred calls to the school’s provost, Abdul Turay, who did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment on the project.

Avant said, “We’ve been communicating with the [college] president’s office for months” about the earmark, adding, “we do think they are capable ... otherwise the Congressman never would have requested it.”

Tougaloo President Beverly Hogan did not return a call requesting information about the project.

A spokesman at Oak Ridge said the lab has a running agreement with the Army Corps facility in Vicksburg to cooperate on a broad range of technical issues and has collaborated with local colleges as well. But he said the lab had no specific information about Thompson’s earmark request. An Army Corps spokesman had no information about the earmark, and the public affairs office at Jackson State did not return a message requesting comment.

Tougaloo’s national training center is a year-old project stemming from the 2007 legislation that Thompson shepherded through Congress to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. The bill required the Department of Homeland Security to establish the transportation security center of excellence with Tougaloo and five other institutions, including more established programs at San Jose State University and Rutgers University.

Armstrong said the center has thus far conducted two training exercises — one in Jackson and one at the Port Authority terminal in New York — for transit employees to increase their awareness of suspicious behaviors.

But Tougaloo did not run those programs, Armstrong said. “We went outside and hired a vendor who is approved by Homeland Security who carried out these trainings.”

Thompson has also requested an additional $3 million for the Tougaloo training center to establish a new “state and local cyber security training program.”

In March, Thompson also hosted a committee event at Tougaloo to help contractors learn how to do business with the DHS.

The agenda for the event included presentations by DHS Centers of Excellence, but only Tougaloo, Jackson State and one other historically black college were listed as presenters at that session.

Campaign Dollars

The first quarter 2009 campaign financial reports for Mississippi congressmen is in. Here are their cash-on-hand numbers.

Bennie Thompson $1.2 million

Travis Childers $182,548 (includes a $150,000 loan from Childers to the campaign)

Gregg Harper $22,234

Gene Taylor $184,171

Harper Updates

Gregg Harper is backing a 3.4% pay increase for the military.

In Madison, he

used a Saturday Night Live skit to decry the $787 billion federal stimulus initiative and President Obama's new budget as he addressed the Mid Year Meeting of the Madison County Foundation Wednesday night at the Annandale Country Club. Entitled "Don't Buy stuff you Can't Afford," the skit is a parody of an infomercial where actor Chris Parnell offers Steve Martin and Amy Poehler the secret of success, which is to save money and then spend as opposed to relying on credit cards.

Harper attended the Jackson Tax Tea Party.

Gene Taylor Update

Gene Taylor on Pelosi, House Democrats:

"She has done a pretty good job of listening," said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss. "She hasn't put pressure on us, and I respect that." Taylor, a moderate who's broken with Democratic congressional leaders in the past, warned, however: "A lot of freshmen rode into town on President Obama's coattails, and they're not about to desert him." If Obama stumbles, they could, too.

On Obama Defense Cuts:

“The Navy’s decision to reduce the number of Zumwalts is based on affordability and the ship’s vulnerability to emerging threats,” said U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Bay St. Louis, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee’s seapower subcommittee. Taylor said that the Navy’s decision to reduce the number of the $5 billion DDG-1000s Zumwalt-class destroyers and restart production of the smaller, cheaper $1.3 billion DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers would benefit Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. “The Navy will realize additional cost savings through economies of scale in constructing larger numbers of DDG-51s in series production, rather than three or less DDG-1000s,” said Taylor. “The reason that this is good news for the state of Mississippi is that Northrop Grumman will begin building the first two DDG-51 restart ships beginning in 2010 and they will continue building these ships over the next decade,” said Taylor. “By agreeing to the DDG-1000-DDG-51 swap, Northrop Grumman is aligned with where the Navy sees its future.”

Here are these observations from an Armchair Admiral

Sounds like the deal is done. I agree with everything Gene Taylor is saying, and I would add it looks like the destroyer debate that began in the House last July just ended. By my estimate, the huge winner is... Gene Taylor (D-Miss), who is without question the most important politician for the US Navy, because without his support on this issue no deal would ever get done. Interesting times. I can't wait to see the budget, which appears to include 2 DDG-51s and the rest of the funding for DDG-1002 in FY 2010.

Gregg Harper Update

On Fox News (Hattip: Majority In Mississippi)

Fundraiser in Starkville

Please Join Congressman Gregg Harper (MS-3): Judiciary Committee, Budget Committee, House Administration Committee, Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, For a Fundraising Reception: Tuesday, April 14th, 2009, 5:30 PM - The Veranda Restaurant, 208 Lincoln Drive - Starkville, MS - Suggested Contributions: Maroon & White Club: $500/Bulldog Fan: $250/Cowbell Ringer: $100

On Obama's Defense Cuts (Hattip: Majority in Mississippi)

Harper said it’s “a horrible idea to cut missile defense by $1.4 billion” when countries like North Korea and Iran are potential threats. “At a time when we should be focusing resources and research into defense funding, it would be poor judgment by the Obama Administration to make a decision which would defer attention from the first rate equipment our service men and women deserve,” Harper said in a statement. “I hope that the President will reconsider his decision to scratch the F-22 Raptor program.” It’s not clear if jobs would be cut at Meridian if Congress approves Gates’ proposal. The plant also builds components of the C-130J transport plane.

In Madison County
Spends the day in Meridian

Harper met with local officials, including Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith and several Lauderdale County Supervisors and Meridian City Council members, Tuesday at the Lauderdale County Courthouse, where he talked mostly about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Harper brought along his copy of the stimulus bill to demonstrate its length. "1,073 pages," he said. "Not a single member of the House or the Senate got to read it." "The size of government has been out of control," he said. "This stimulus bill creates 33 new federal programs." He criticized deficit spending, saying, "You wouldn't run your home, you wouldn't run your business, and you sure wouldn't run your government here (in Meridian) that way." With that said, Harper said that, since the bill has already been passed, he felt it is his responsibility to "make sure Mississippi gets its slice." Harper was critical of President Obama's energy policy, saying the administration's goal ought to be to "make America energy independent" rather than to "reduce the use of fossil fuels." He expressed his skepticism at the idea of global warming, and advocating the increased used of nuclear power, saying "I've gotta think we can figure out a way to handle nuclear waste."

More in Meridian

"I'm afraid that this administration does have plans to cut defense spending in a number of areas, whether it's canceling the remaining ones on the F-22. They're showing a reduction in missile defense programs of $1.4 billion," Harper said. "So, there are a lot of things important for our national security that we need to rethink."

Visits Lockheed Martin

U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper toured a Mississippi Lockheed Martin plant Tuesday and said a Pentagon plan to cut missile defense spending could be bad for national security and the economy. Harper said it's "a horrible idea to cut missile defense by $1.4 billion" when countries like North Korea and Iran are potential threats. "At a time when we should be focusing resources and research into defense funding, it would be poor judgment by the Obama Administration to make a decision which would defer attention from the first rate equipment our service men and women deserve," Harper said in a statement. "I hope that the President will reconsider his decision to scratch the F-22 Raptor program."

Wednesday Update

Divided We Fail, a coalition that includes AARP, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union, will be hosting a town hall meeting with Gregg Harper.

Monday, Gregg Harper spoke at an AARP program in Rankin County.

Travis Childers has put a "Recovery Tracker" on his web site to see where stimulus money is going: a list of contacts for relevant Mississippi departments and organizations, as well as a constantly updated record of allocations for the First District and the State of Mississippi.

The Merchants Payment Coalition has begun an advertising campaign in the congressional districts of several junior members of the House Financial Services Committee including Travis Childers. The ads are intended to raise public awareness of the charges known as interchange fees imposed on the merchants by the major credit companies, Visa and Master Card. More here.

Gregg Harper talks with TRNS correspondent Christina Lovato at the 2009 House Republican Radio & Blog Row about how middle-class families and small businesses are having to make sacrifices in their budget for bailouts, the G-20 summit and how the U.S. is seeing the highest level of borrowing ever. Harper believes the biggest issue we are going to have is what to do about cap and trade. Audio clip.

Bennie Thompson is on the southern border along with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Bennie Thompson on DHS proposal to forgive Hurricane Katrina loans: "This is a great opportunity for the Gulf region to direct their resources to other recovery projects rather than worrying about how they are going to pay back the federal government. This was the most catastrophic disaster to ever hit the U.S." Gene Taylor on the proposal: "I know that several of our cities, counties, and school districts are still far below the revenues they had before the storm. They desperately need to have their loans forgiven. I thank Secretary Napolitano for taking this action and I am especially grateful to House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn for making Katrina loan forgiveness a priority when the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007."