I am going to the Taxpayer March on Washington

MachinePolitick is going to Washington DC!

September 10 – 13, 2009, I will be joining thousands of other Patriotic Americans who are fed up with the growth of government, federal spending, and bureaucratic intervention in our personal lives. The Tea Party Movement and it's supporting foundations have organized a March on Washington for 9/12. Some of us will be visiting Walter Reed Hospital on the evening of the 11th to say thanks to our wounded soldiers as well.

There is an itinerary of events and speakers for the event in addition to the March that will occur on 9/12.

I was not expecting to attend the event, but a generous fan of my art has offered to take me along. I will be making posters and T-Shirts for the March to the Capitol on 9/12. The posters are handmade, signed and numbered. If you see me there and you would like to have one, be sure to ask. I will gladly give you one while they last. Thanks you to all of you who continue to support my work and efforts with your encouragement and inspiration. I appreciate the opportunity to fight for my country in the only ways that I can – through activism and artistic expression.

Local Updates for Atlanta

I will be participating in the one day show in Norcross as planned, thanks to friends and family who are handling the artwork for me while I am gone. I will be unable to attend the show because I will be in Washington, but I would still urge those of you in Atlanta who can make it to go. The paintings included in this show are: The World According to Alice, Don't Cry for Me Amerika, Silence of the Lambs, and How to Exorcise Conservative Thought in an Artist.

I now have 4 paintings at the Duluth Art Gallery, along with my handmade jewelry. The paintings are: The Sun is Setting on Liberty; The Jersey Girls...; Drill, Drill, Drill; and Spinning With the Winds of Change.

I have a hand-painted violin blank on display at Chocolate Perks, in downtown Duluth. The month of September, Duluth Art Gallery and Huthmaker Violins are sponsoring Street Strings, a community art project. Violins are hanging throughout the shops and along the streets of downtown Duluth, representing the talents of over 100 local artists and organizations.

Check back with me at MachinePolitick.com in the weeks to come, as I will have lots of information and projects to share after the March on 9/12. There is also new work to be added, and an online store should be up soon for those of you who are interested in T-Shirts and other merchandise.

Thanks, and keep up the fight,

Frances

http://www.machinepolitick.com/

An Unexpected Visit and the Encouragement it Brought

This article may not be interesting to those of you who enjoy my political posts, but it's nice to have something positive to write about. I had an unexpected visit yesterday, and I would like to take a minute to share the story.
Occaisionally, people contact me via email to let me know they like my artwork. At this point in my career, that is a huge encouragement. Better still, are the people who check in on me regularly to ask how I am doing and let me know they keep up with the blogs. In an age of computer driven anonymity, it is nice to know people care enough to reach out and encourage one another. This is how I first met Laura, who is a dance instructor from Brooklyn. The main focus of her program is to pass on family histories and personal experiences through the medium of dance.
As it turns out, she was on a road trip with her sister's family this week, from New Hampshire to Texas. I received an email from Laura on Monday night asking if my work was available for viewing. She wanted to 'stop off' in Atlanta on her way home if I didn't mind. Seeing as how my work is just hanging around the house, I said come on by. To be honest, I didn't expect her to call me. However, yesterday afternoon, Laura called to say she was heading to Atlanta, and would like directions to my house.I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet Laura, and not just because she likes my work. She is an interesting and intelligent woman who faces many of the same obstacles I do. Imagine being a dance instructor in the Northeast, surrounded by Liberals, while being politically Conservative in your views.
Needless to say, our common experiences led to a lengthy conversation on how we can make a place for like-minded people in the arts.Luckily, Christopher and I have already laid the groundwork here at Liberatchik. Being at the forefront of a movement is a very demanding, and sometimes lonely, endeavor. I spend long hours on the computer, away from my family and my art. However, meeting Laura, and seeing her enthusiasm for my work and ideas is all the encouragement I need to persevere. Who knows how many other people are out there, with the same passions and vision, who are afraid to be openly political with their Liberal friends.
I hope that I will soon have the opportunity to introduce Laura to you as well, through Liberatchik. I feel that she will be a wonderful addition to our team.

This article is cross posted @ Liberatchik

Playing Catch Up

Hello everyone. I've been incredibly busy, but the dust is starting to settle and my focus is sharpening. Thank you all for being patient with my frequent absences from machinepolitick and lack of comments on your own sites. I am preparing to move forward at full steam and hope you like what I have in store for this blog. There are a couple of projects that I am working on and I will let you know when they are launched. For now, I will leave you with a tardy posting of my pictures from the Tax Day Tea Party in Atlanta on April 15th. I hope you were able to attend tea parties in your cities if you were so inclined.
To those of you who are new followers, thank you for your support. I am glad to see so many freedom-minded people coming out in support of Liberty.

My Tax Day Letters to Congress

Yesterday was an extremely busy day. As a matter of fact, I am still recovering. I have the unfortunate habit of working too much, and all the late nights have started to add up. Regardless, I rattled off some letters yesterday to my Representatives in the Senate, as well as President Obama. I seem to have misplaced Mr. Obama's letter, so I will add it in a later post. It is similar enough to this one that you will get the point. To Mr. Linder, my Representative in the House, I sent a thank you card. He does a good job and seldom disappoints me. I am willing to excuse the approval of Hillary to Obama's cabinet in view of the fact that it removes her from the Senate. It is one of the few things the President has done right in recent months. So, without further ado, my letter. Make of it what you will. Rumor has it I'm a Right Wing Extremist.

Mr. Chambliss and Mr. Isakson,
I am writing you this letter in the hope that you will give me a few minutes of your time to understand my point of view. I have long been disappointed with your performances as my representatives in the Senate. You do not uphold the Conservative principles of limited government and individual liberty that are the cornerstones of Republicanism. To be fair, you are not the only guilty parties in Congress. However, you are the ones who represent me and I feel it is past time to make my opinions clear to you. You have not only lost my vote, but I will make sure every Republican I know is aware of your voting record and the affect your decisions have on the lives of the people. You have been in office too long, and signed off on too much spending and regulation. It is time for you to be replaced in the Senate by truly Conservative politicians who will fight back against the Democrat majority and represent the views of the people. Because I know you are busy men, I will not burden you with criticism and diatribe. I will simply give you some suggestions to do with as you will.
1. I suggest you read Atlas Shrugged. I am sure you're sick of hearing about it, so in the interest of brevity, I am including copies of the more important pages from my own edition of the book. Ms. Rand left Communist Russia because of the tyranny and poverty imposed on the people by her government. She saw first-hand what an over-bearing government does to its people.
2. Please take the time to read some history. This will back up the points made in Ms. Rand's book. Collectivism does not work, and you cannot make it work. It doesn't matter why you want an earmark or an entitlement, the results are the same -bigger government and higher taxes.
3.Making everyone equal only brings people down. Who do you expect to keep the country going when we are all equally poor? You can print money all day, but we all know that makes things worse. The only way government has to generate income is through taxes. I appreciate that you opposed the recent bailouts. However, you supported Bush's stimulus package which was both unnecessary, and unfair to the people who have worked hard and made the appropriate decisions in their personal lives. It is not government's job to help people or redistribute wealth. By supporting the stimulus, you helped open the door for the current round of bailouts and regulation. It is hypocritical for you to say that you support one and not the other. Both were wrong.
America is a great country, and I would like it to stay that way. You were elected to do a job, not enforce your personal ideology, or to try to help people. I hope you will take a moment to evaluate your actions and the consequences they have for the rest of us. Please consider putting forth some real solutions that will instill the American people and the world with the confidence we need to move forward in a positive direction. My suggestion to you is that we need less government, not more. Less regulation, not more. America was founded on the principles of individual liberty and freedom. It is time to reacquaint ourselves with the concept. The Fair Tax would be a good place to start. Thank you for your time and consideration, Senators. I hope that you will not simply disregard my letter because you don't like what I have to say. Whether you agree with me or not, I have a right to my opinion. I respect you as my representatives in Congress, for better or worse. I hope you will extend me the same respect as a citizen under your governance. We both have a huge responsibility as Americans. I hope you prove yourself worthy of that distinction in the future.

After I wrote the letters, I stood in line at the post office for 45 minutes to mail them. After all, everyone was trying not to pay those nasty taxes just yet. After getting my son from school and taking him to a friend's house, I was on my way to the Tea Party with 15,000+ people, where I was happy to hear that some of them had sent similar letters and copies of Atlas Shrugged. There's hope for this country yet.
More on the Tea Party later...

Let's See What Congress is up to

Make Congress pass DownsizeDC.org's “One Subject at a Time Act”
Most Americans probably believe a bill has to have majority support in Congress before it can become the law of the land. Sadly, this common sense expectation is totally wrong. Congressional leaders routinely pass laws that a majority opposes. DownsizeDC believes every bill should have to stand or fall on its own merits. Toward this end we have crafted the “One Subject at a Time Act” (OSTA).

Please go to the DownsizeDC website and check out all of their efforts to reign in government. If you are wondering why you should care, take a look at what Congress is currently working on (see list below), then judge for yourself whether or not they even know what their jobs are any more. The list of Bills is courtesy of Liberty Maven. You can get detailed info on individual Bills at GPOAccess.gov.

HR1296 - To achieve access to comprehensive primary health care services for all Americans and to reform the organization of primary care delivery through an expansion of the Community Health Center and National Health Service Corps programs.

HR1295 - To mitigate mortgage foreclosures, facilitate and include fairness in housing recovery, and combat mortgage fraud, and for other purposes.

HR210 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance.

HR1316 - To provide for appropriate notification of communities and homeowners of establishment of flood elevations for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program.

HR1297 - To establish the Hawai’i Capital National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.

HR1253 - To require that limitations and restrictions on coverage under group health plans be timely disclosed to group health plan sponsors and timely communicated to participants and beneficiaries under such plans in a form that is easily understandable.

HR1259 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the distribution of the drug dextromethorphan, and for other purposes.

S-525 - A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.

HR1298 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.

HR1262 - To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds, and for other purposes.

HR1256 - To protect the public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products.

HR1303 - To require the Attorney General, through the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, to establish a 5-year competitive grant program to establish pilot programs to reduce the rate of occurrence of gun-related crimes in high-crime communities.

SR64 - A resolution recognizing the need for the Environmental Protection Agency to end decades of delay and utilize existing authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to comprehensively regulate coal combustion waste and the need for the Tennessee Valley Authority to be a national leader in technological innovation, low-cost power, and environmental stewardship.

HR1313 - To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 so that any local educational agency receiving funding under part A of title I of such Act or public charter school is eligible for a Troops to Teachers participant.

HR1310 - To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify that fill material cannot be comprised of waste.

HR1309 - To codify the definition of terms used in subheading 1604.14 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, relating to tuna products.

S-523 - A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish pilot project offices to improve Federal permit coordination for renewable energy.

HR1307 - To authorize improvements to flood damage reduction facilities adjacent to the American and Sacramento Rivers near Sacramento, California, and for other purposes.

S-522 - A bill to resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon Lake in the State of Alaska and to provide for the conveyance to the Bering Straits Native Corporation of certain other public land in partial satisfaction of the land entitlement of the Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

HR204 - Congratulating the American Dental Association for its 150th year of working to improve the public’s oral health and promoting dentistry, supporting initiatives to improve access to oral health care services for all Americans, and emphasizing the benefits of prevention of disease through support of community prevention initiatives and promotion of good oral hygiene.

HR203 -Expressing support for designation of a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day”.

HR1290 - To allow for permanent residence of Kumi Iizuka-Barcena, a 42-year-old Japanese woman with breast cancer, and whose husband was killed in 2004.

S-519 - A bill to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to implement pesticide-related obligations of the United States under international conventions.

S-518 - A bill to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission

S-517 - A bill for the immigratory relief of Alejandro Gomez and Juan Sebastian Gomez.

S-516 - A bill for the immigratory relief of Majan Jean.

S-514 - A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance vocational rehabilitation benefits for veterans, and for other purposes.

HR217 - Recognizing the week of March 15 through March 21, 2009, as “National Safe Place Week”

HR215 - Congratulating the Minority Business Development Agency on its 40th anniversary and commending its achievements in fostering the establishment and growth of minority businesses in the US

H214 - Recognizing the efforts of the countless volunteers who helped the Commonwealth of Kentucky recover from the ice storm of January 2009.

HR213 - Urging the establishment and observation of a legal public holiday in honor of Cesar E. Chavez.

HR211 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women’s History Month

HR1372 - To allow for special treatment of Vicente Beltran Luna with regards to immigratory status.

HR1371 - To require the establishment of regional consumer price indices to compute cost-of-living increases under the programs for Social Security and Medicare and other medical benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act.

HR1370 - To improve the protections afforded under Federal law to consumers from contaminated seafood by directing the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program, in coordination with other appropriate Federal agencies, to strengthen activities for ensuring that seafood sold or offered for sale to the public in or affecting interstate commerce is fit for human consumption.

HR1366 - To protect innocent parties from certain fees imposed by depository institutions for dishonored checks, and for other purposes.

HR1364 - To amend the Social Security Act and the Public Health Service Act to provide for sex education, substance abuse treatment and prevention, and for other purposes.

HR1363 - Establishes the GothamCorps program. Directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide, through such program, for the award of grants to certain units of local government to carry out volunteer projects. Requires local government units to provide each participant in a volunteer project with a scholarship equal to the cost of one year’s tuition at a local public college. Authorizes grant funding from amounts made available in the National Service Trust.

HR1362 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of permanent national surveillance systems for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease...

HR1361 - (also S-538) To increase the recruitment and retention of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists by low-income local educational agencies.

HR1359 - To amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for take-back disposal of controlled substances in certain instances, and for other purposes.

HR1358 - To reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationship of the Burt Lake Band as a distinct federally recognized Indian Tribe, and for other purposes.

HCR69 - (also SR65) Honoring the 100th anniversary of Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin

HR1346 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to liability under State and local requirements respecting devices.

HR1341 - To amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to provide the Special Inspector General with additional authorities and responsibilities, and for other purposes.

HR1340 - To provide for the admission to the United States of certain Tibetans.

HR1339 - To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans provide coverage for treatment of a minor child’s congenital or developmental deformity or disorder due to trauma, infection, tumor, or disease.

HR1337 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the United States domestic energy supply.

HR1332 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply.

HR1330 - To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and title 5, United States Code, to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans and Federal employees health benefit plans provide coverage of colorectal cancer screening.

HR1329 - To amend title 49, United States Code, to support efforts by States and eligible local and regional entities to develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and for other purposes.

HR1327 - To authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran’s energy sector, and for other purposes.

HR1326 - To prohibit the conducting of invasive research on great apes, and for other purposes.

HR1325 - To require financial literacy counseling for borrowers, and for other purposes.

HR1324 - To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to improve the nutrition and health of schoolchildren and protect the Federal investment in the national school lunch and breakfast programs by updating the national school nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold outside of school meals to conform to current nutrition science.

HR1322 - To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide emergency protection for retiree health benefits.

HR1321 - To provide affordable, guaranteed private health coverage that will make Americans healthier and can never be taken away.

HR1319 - To prevent the inadvertent disclosure of information on a computer through the use of certain “peer-to-peer” file sharing software without first providing notice and obtaining consent from the owner or authorized user of the computer.

HR1356 - To reduce foreclosures of residential mortgages.

HR1355 - To amend the National Labor Relations Act to require employers to provide labor organizations with equal access to employees prior to an election regarding representation, to prevent delays in initial collective bargaining, and to strengthen enforcement against intimidation of employees by employers.

HR1354 - To make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available at a discount to certain veterans.

HR1353 - To extend the registration and reporting requirements of the Federal securities laws to certain housing-related Government-sponsored enterprises, and for other purposes.

HR1352 - To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to clarify that the value of certain funeral and burial arrangements are not to be considered available resources under the supplemental security income program.

HR1351 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat computer technology and equipment as eligible higher education expenses for 529 plans, to allow certain individuals a credit against income tax for contributions to 529 plans, and for other purposes.

HR1350 - To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, post-abortion depression and psychosis.

HR1349 - To establish the Federal Accounting Oversight Board to approve and oversee accounting principles and standards for the purposes of the Federal financial regulatory agencies

HR1347 - To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment and implementation of concussion management guidelines with respect to school-aged children, and for other purposes.

SR66 - A resolution designating 2009 as the “Year of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the United States Army”.

HR1343 - To provide immunity from civil liability to first responders engaged in lawful efforts to prevent acts of terrorism, and for other purposes.

HR1342 - To amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to provide for the reduction of greenhouse gases

S-533 - A bill to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a grant program to ensure waterfront access for commercial fisherman, and for other purposes.

HR1338 - To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States for assistance in hiring additional school-based mental health and student service providers.

S-530 - A bill to extend Federal recognition to the Muscogee Nation of Florida

S-529 - A bill to assist in the conservation of rare fields and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of countries within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.

HR1334 - To provide for livable wages for Federal Government workers and workers hired under Federal contracts.

S-541 - A bill to increase the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

S-540 - A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to liability under State and local requirements respecting devices.

S-539 - A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to require the President to designate certain geographical areas as national renewable energy zones, and for other purposes.

S-536 - A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to modify the definition of the term “renewable biomass”.

S-534 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce cost-sharing under part D of such title for certain non-institutionalized full-benefit dual eligible individuals.

S-532 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a business credit against income for the purchase of fishing safety equipment.

S-531 - A bill to provide for the conduct of an in-depth analysis of the impact of energy development and production on the water resources of the United States, and for other purposes.

S-527 - A bill to amend the Clean Air act to prohibit the issuance of permits under title V of that Act for certain emissions from agricultural production.

HR221 - Recognizing and honoring Johnny Grant for his work as the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, California for more than a quarter of a century.

HR220 - Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

HR1381 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend existing elective tax treatment for Alaska Native Settlement Trusts.

HR1380 - To establish a grant program for automated external defibrillators in elementary and secondary schools.

HR1379 - To prohibit the commercial harvesting of Atlantic striped bass in the coastal waters and the exclusive economic zone.

HR1378 - To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to develop guidelines to be used on a voluntary basis to develop plans to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools and early childhood education programs, to establish school-based food allergy management grants, and for other purposes.

HR1377 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility

S-543 - A bill to require a pilot program on training, certification, and support for family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces to provide caregiver services to such veterans and members, and for other purposes.

HR1376 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Waco Mammoth National MonumentTexas. in the State of

HR1373 - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a resource study along the “Ox-Bow Route” of the Butterfield Overland Trail in the States of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, and for other purposes.

SR68 - A resolution recognizing the contributions of the Pennsylvania National Guard in service to the Nation.

HR1374 - To prevent the abuse and exploitation of older individuals.

HR1289 - To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

HR1287 - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a partnership with the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission regarding the use of the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center as a visitor center for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and for other purposes.

HR1286 - To amend the Act titled “An Act to provide for the establishment of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and for other purposes” to clarify the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to accept donations of lands that are contiguous to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and for other purposes.

HR1285 - To establish the Commission on the Foreclosure and Mortgage Lending Crisis.

HR1284 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the “Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office”.

HR1271 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2351 West Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach, Florida, as the “Elijah Pat Larkins Post Office Building”.

HR1281 - To provide for the return of the Fresnel Lens to the lantern room atop Presque Isle Light Station Lighthouse, Michigan, and for other purposes.

HR1278 - To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Shirley Chisholm.

HR1275 - To direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah

HR1274 - To permit employees to request, and to ensure employers consider requests for, flexible work terms and conditions, and for other purposes.

HR1273 - To honor Susan B. Anthony by celebrating her legacy on the third Monday in February.

HR1270 - To reauthorize community development block grants, and for other purposes.

HR1268 - To amend the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit issuance of residential mortgages to any individual who lacks a Social Security account number.

HR1265 - To restrict the use of offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters to inappropriately avoid Federal taxation, and for other purposes.

HR1264 - To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to provide for the national flood insurance program to make available multiperil coverage for damage resulting from windstorms or floods

HR1263 - To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of new participants in the Thrift Savings Plan, and to clarify the method for computing certain annuities based on part-time service; to allow certain employees of the District of Columbia to have certain periods of service credited for purposes relating to retirement eligibility; and for other purposes.

HR1261 - To protect the public health by establishing the Tobacco Harm Reduction Center within the Department of Health and Human Services with certain authority to regulate tobacco products

HR1258 - To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit manipulation of caller identification information, and for other purposes.

HR1257 - To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require the disclosure of information relating to the fair market value and safety of damaged motor vehicles.

SR70 - A resolution congratulating the people of the Republic of Lithuania on the 1000th anniversary of Lithuania and celebrating the rich history of Lithuania.

HJR39 - Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy.

HR227 - Recognizing and appreciating the historical significance and the heroic human endeavor and sacrifice of the people of Crete during World War II and commending the PanCretan Association of America.

S-554 - A bill to improve the safety of motorcoaches, and for other purposes.

S-553 - A bill to revise the authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota to include existing hiking trails along Lake Superior’s north shore and in Superior National Forest and Chippewa National Forest, and for other purposes.

S-552 - A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make their land available for access by the public for maple-tapping activities under programs administered by States and tribal governments.

S-544 - Provides for special immigratory treatment of Ashley Ross Fuller, despite the rules of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the contrary.

S-550 - Provides for special immigratory treatment of Francisca Lino, despite the rules of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the contrary.

S-549 - Provides for special immigratory treatment of Simeon Simeonov, Stela Simeonova, Stoyan Simeonov, and Vania Simeonova, despite the rules of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the contrary.

S-548 - A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal energy efficiency resource standard for retail electricity and natural gas distributors, and for other purposes.

S-547 - A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for enrollees of Medicaid managed care organizations by extending the discounts offered under fee-for-service Medicaid to such organizations.

HR226 - Recognizing the plight of the Tibetan people on the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being forced into exile and calling for a sustained multilateral effort to bring about a durable and peaceful solution to the Tibet issue.

HR224 - Supporting the designation of Pi Day, and for other purposes.

HR223 - Honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Paul Harvey, affectionately known for his signature line, “This is Paul Harvey. . .Good Day”.

S-545 - A bill to develop capacity and infrastructure for mentoring programs.

HR230 - Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.

HR1388 - Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act: To reauthorize and reform the national service laws.

HR1415 - To provide for a demonstration project regarding Medicaid reimbursements for stabilization of emergency medical conditions by non-publicly owned or operated institutions for mental diseases.

HR1413 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain public employees a deduction for distributions from governmental plans for health and long-term care insurance, and for other purposes.

HR1412 - To increase public confidence in the justice system and address any unwarranted racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal process.

HR1411 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Primary and Public Health Scholarship Program.

HR1410 - To provide assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries, and for other purposes.

HR1409 - (Also S-560) To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes.

HR1408 - To require all newly constructed, federally assisted, single-family houses and town houses to meet minimum standards of visitability for persons with disabilities.

HR1407 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce cost-sharing under part D of such title for certain non-institutionalized full-benefit dual eligible individuals.

HR1406 - To direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to reinstate the “uptick rule” on short sales of securities and to suspend the application of mark-to-market accounting principles.

HR1405 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Head Start teachers the same above-the-line deduction for supplies as is allowed to elementary and secondary school teachers.

HR1404 - To authorize a supplemental funding source for catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities on Department of the Interior and National Forest System lands, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy, and for other purposes.

HCR70 - Expressing support for the District of Columbia school scholarship program.

SR72 - A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding drug trafficking in Mexico.

HR1425 - (Also S-564) To establish commissions to review the facts and circumstances surrounding injustices suffered by European Americans, European Latin Americans, and Jewish refugees during WWII

HR1424 - To name the front circle drive in front of the Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as “Sergeant First Class James D. Priestap Drive”.

HR1422 - To reauthorize through 2014 certain programs under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.

HR1421 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide Medicaid coverage of drugs prescribed for certain research study child participants.

HR234 - Expressing support for designation of a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day”

HR233 - Recognizing the thousands of Freemasons in every State in the Nation and honoring them for their many contributions to the Nation throughout its history.

HR232 - Recognizing and commending the Toys for Tots Literacy Program for its contributions in raising awareness of illiteracy, promoting children’s literacy, and fighting poverty through the support of literacy.

HR231 - Supporting the goals and ideals of “Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month” and “National DVT Screening Day” and supporting efforts to educate the public about deep vein thrombosis, in memory of former Representative Jennifer Dunn.

HR566 - A bill to create a Financial Product Safety Commission, to provide consumers with stronger protections and better information in connection with consumer financial products, and to give providers of consumer financial products more regulatory certainty.

HR565 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide continued entitlement to coverage for immunosuppressive drugs furnished to beneficiaries under the Medicare Program that have received a kidney transplant and whose entitlement to coverage would otherwise expire

S-563 - A bill to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah

S-562 - A bill to require accurate and reasonable disclosure of the terms and conditions of prepaid telephone calling cards and services, and for other purposes.

S-558 - A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to nutrition labeling of food offered for sale in food service establishments.

S-557 - A bill to encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, to authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults, and for other purposes.

S-556 - A bill to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to modernize the process by which interstate firearms transactions are conducted by Federal firearms licensees.

S-555 - A bill to provide for the exchange of certain land located in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

HR1451 - To amend title 23, United States Code, to allow an exception for the weight limits for certain towing trucks.

HR236 - Urging Turkey to respect the rights and religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

HR1452 - To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into negotiated rulemaking to modernize the Medicare part B fee schedule for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust the fee for collecting specimens for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under the Medicare Program.

HR1450 - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to counterfeit drugs

HR1449 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the qualification standard for exterior windows, doors, and skylights.

HR1445 - To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require nationally registered statistical rating organizations to provide additional disclosures with respect to the rating of certain structured securities

HR1444 - To establish the Congressional Commission on Civic Service to study methods of improving and promoting volunteerism and national service, and for other purposes.

HR1443 - To ensure that all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, children, older individuals, and individuals with disabilities, are able to travel safely and conveniently on and across federally funded streets and highways

HR1441 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to permit certain Medicaid eligible individuals who have extremely high annual lifelong orphan drug costs to continue on Medicaid notwithstanding increased income.

HR1438 - To prohibit any Federal agency or official, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock.

HR1435 - To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the trails in the System, and for other purposes.

HR1432 - To reduce youth usage of tobacco products, to enhance State efforts to eliminate retail sales of tobacco products to minors, and for other purposes.

HR1430 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit physical therapy services to be furnished under the Medicare Program to individuals under the care of a dentist.

HR1429 - To provide for an effective HIV/AIDS program in Federal prisons.

HR1426 - To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the issuance of permits under title V of that Act for certain emissions from agricultural production.

S-575 - A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to develop plans and targets for States and metropolitan planning organizations to develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and for other purposes.

S-573 - A bill to improve the efficiency of customs and other services at the Wild Horse, Montana port of entry.

S-572 - A bill to provide for the issuance of a “forever stamp” to honor the sacrifices of the brace men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart.

S-571 - A bill to strengthen the Nation’s research efforts to identify the causes and cure of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, expand psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis data collection, and study access to and quality of care for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and for other purposes.

S-569 - A bill to ensure that persons who form corporations in the United States disclose the beneficial owners of those corporations, in order to prevent wrongdoers from exploiting United States corporations for criminal gain, to assist law enforcement in detecting, preventing, and punishing terrorism, money laundering, and other misconduct involving United States corporations, and for other purposes.

S-568 - A bill for the relief of Sali Bregaj and Mjaftime Bregaj.

And lastly, for a change of pace, here’s a bill that we can all get behind:

S542 - A bill to repeal the provision of law that provides automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress.

Senators http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Representatives https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

My first protest!

These pictures are all from the Atlanta Tea Party Protest. The little girl's sign read:
Don't Mortgage My Future

By Frances at Machine Politick

I attended the Tea Party protest at the Atlanta Capitol building yesterday. Because this was my first protest, it was very exciting to be there. Hopefully it is the beginning of a much larger movement to restore our country to the Constitutional Republic it was meant to be.

First, let me say how impressed I was by the turnout. It was cold and rainy all day yesterday. When I left home, I was afraid there would not be a significant turnout because of the weather. Boy, was I wrong, and happily so. In the spirit of the original Tea Party in Boston ,people from Atlanta showed up with their tea bags and their signs to protest the recent escalation of government spending that can only lead to higher taxes. I spent all day on Thursday making my sign and getting ready for the protest. When I got into downtown Atlanta, and drove past the Capitol building, the steps were packed. I couldn't say how many people, but it was impressive, given the weather. A gentleman was nice enough to share his umbrella with me on the way over from the parking garage, and everyone seemed in high spirits when I got there. Passers by were honking and waving, possibly in response to some of the protestors' signs. The girl next to me had a sign that read: Honk if you're paying my mortgage. And, honk they did. One of my favorite signs from the rally was a large banner that read: Read Atlas Shrugged before it happens. I couldn't have said it better. I hope to post some of my pictures later today on my blog.

Several Atlanta officials spoke, as well as the organizer of the protest and a few people from the crowd. Many of the participants had video cameras and posted live video to YouTube. I will provide the links at the bottom of the article. Chip Rogers gave a good speech. Some of his points had great impact; encouraging the crowd to raise their voices and their signs. He said, "We owe our Founding Fathers for their sacrifices to build this country, ...It's time to kick out the Socialists in our government, ...The time to stand by and be nice is over, ... and Let's stand up for our Freedom!"

John Oxendine was there as well, and got the crowd motivated with his comments: "This economy was caused by government intervention in the private sector...This bailout teaches irresponsibility... This is a revolution, we are going to take back control..." I was not close to the speakers, and it was too wet for a notepad, but you get the idea. I was closer to the street most of the protest, and was happy to see how well the people driving by were reacting to the protest. In fact, people were honking and waving at me after the rally as I made my way back to the car, soaking wet in a coat that probably weighed as much as I do. I think if it had been held on an evening or weekend, there would have been a much larger turnout. Many people who were discussing the event during the planning stages were unable to attend because of work.

I was very impressed by the level of organization and the number of people involved. Many of the people who were there had only just gotten word of the protest and quickly made signs to join in. I am glad to see that conservatives are learning to network and use the internet to organize events. In the past, we have always been afraid to get in other peoples' business or expose ourselves publicly for political issues. Yesterday, I saw many people who were fed up and fired up. I hope this will lead to future events and spark a movement to have our voices heard. Whether we are the majority or minority, our rights remain the same and we have to stand up for them. Standing quietly by in fear of offending other people will only lead to oppression of our principles and freedom. In a few short weeks, Obama and Congress have shown a willingness and ability to push their agenda with no regard for its effect on the American people or the economy. We must fight back before it is too late.

If we are to save our country and preserve our freedoms, we must return to the principles on which it was built. My sign for the rally read: Give me Liberty or Give me Death, Restore America to a Constitutional Republic. We have to scale back the government to its Constitutionally mandated powers and function. Socialism does not and cannot work. History has proven, the only way to achieve collectivism is through force and tyranny. The productive must be punished in the name of the 'common good'. There is no longer any incentive to be productive, and everyone suffers as a result. Socialism does not raise up the meek and the downtrodden. It brings down the successful members of society who produce the wealth and provide the jobs and services that we all need. People need to learn personal responsibility and the fact that our actions have consequences. If the government steps in and rewards failure, there is no reason to make the right decision.

My favorite sign from the protest was dripping and tattered by the time I saw it, but I was able to get a picture. There was a family not far from me, and one of their little girls had a sign that was dragging on the ground. It read: Don't mortgage my future. As the mother of a five year old boy, that says it all for me. I don't want my child growing up in the kind of country that America is becoming. For that reason, this was the first of many protests to come for me.

Pictures from Dennis in Atlanta

Pictures and News from James Arone in LA

Other sources of information on the Atlanta and National Rallies include: The AJC, The LA Times, Jacksonville, Santelli, and YouTube, as well as a long list on Google.

I have cross posted this article at Modern Conservative