#U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker

[minnesotafollower]

Bipartisan Group of U.S. Senators Call for Reassessment of So-Called Havana Syndrome 

On April 12 a bipartisan group of eight U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Biden calling for a “renewed assessment . . . to identify the cause behind directed energy attacks” . . . and “review of the March 2023 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) of AHHs.”[1] This letter said, “Most recently, some . . . [former intelligence officials, service members and diplomats] have told Congress…

[association-of-freed-people]

Here’s the bipartisan list of slime you need to shit on this November if given the chance.

Davos 2022 includes the usual components of WEF’s “you’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy” totalitarian eco statist agenda. Topics discussed and panels at the 2022 meeting will include:

Experience the future of cooperation: The Global Collaboration Village

Staying on Course for Nature Action

Future-proofing Health Systems

Accelerating the Reskilling Revolution (for the “green transition”)

The ‘Net’ in Net Zero

The Future of Globalization

Unlocking Carbon Markets

And of course, a Special Address by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine

The American contingent will include 25 politicians and Biden Administration officials. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will join Climate Czar John Kerry as the White House representatives there. They will be joined by 12 democrat and 10 republican politicians, including 7 senators and two state governors

Without further delay, I’ve provided the entire list of attendees who are showing up to Davos next week. I’ll list the Americans below and the rest are linked below that in an attached document.

Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce of USA USA

John F. Kerry Special Presidential Envoy for Climate of the United States of America

Bill Keating Congressman from Massachusetts (D)

Daniel Meuser Congressman from Pennsylvania (R)

Madeleine Dean Congresswoman from Pennsylvania (D)

Ted Lieu Congressman from California (D)

Ann Wagner Congresswoman from Missouri (R)

Christopher A. Coons Senator from Delaware (D)

Darrell Issa Congressman from California (R)

Dean Phillips Congressman from Minnesota (D)

Debra Fischer Senator from Nebraska (R)

Eric Holcomb Governor of Indiana (R)

Gregory W. Meeks Congressman from New York (D)

John W. Hickenlooper Senator from Colorado (D)

Larry Hogan Governor of Maryland (R)

Michael McCaul Congressman from Texas (R)

Pat Toomey Senator from Pennsylvania (R)

Patrick J. Leahy Senator from Vermont (D)

Robert Menendez Senator from New Jersey (D)

Roger F. Wicker Senator from Mississippi (R)

Seth Moulton Congressman from Massachusetts (D)

Sheldon Whitehouse Senator from Rhode Island (D)

Ted Deutch Congressman from Florida (D)

Francis Suarez Mayor of Miami (R)

Al Gore Vice-President of the United States (1993-2001) (D)

[usafphantom2]

U.S. senators say Pentagon should donate fighter jets to Ukraine

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 07/20/2022 - 9:41 PM in Military, War Zones

On Monday (07/18), a bipartisan group of six senators urged the Pentagon to do more to help Ukraine defend its cities and military facilities from Russian air and missile attacks.

In a letter, Republicans Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Roger Wicker (Misissipi), Robert Portman (Ohio) and Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), and Democrats Tammy Duckworth (Illinois) and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), urged defense leaders to consider the recommendation to include fourth-generation fighter aircraft, along with funding for the necessary flight training in future military aid packages.

Senators insist on the need to transfer modern fighter jets to Ukraine to significantly increase its ability to combat deadly missile attacks on civilian cities. They also said in a letter that they met in June with a delegation of Ukrainian fighter pilots and air defense officers to hear firsthand what they need to defend Ukrainian cities and military facilities from Russian airstrikes and missiles.

A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing, 194th Fighter Squadron, of Fresno National Air Guard Base, California, taxis in front of Ukrainian fighter Sukhoi Su-27 Flankers during Clear Sky 18 exercise at Starokostiantyniv Air Base, Ukraine, on October 3, 2018. (Photo: U.S. Air National Guard / Tech. Sgt. Charles Vaughn)

This week too, members of the U.S. Congress took a big step towards granting Ukraine's desire to defend its territory from Russia with American F-16 fighters when the House approved an amendment to train Ukrainian pilots in this fighters, but the obstacles remain to overcome fears of an escalation with Russia.

The concerns of the Biden administration are that the supply of fighter planes could increase tensions between the United States and Russia, since jets could be used for attacks on Russian territory.

An amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act was passed on July 14, authorizing $100 million to train Ukrainian pilots and maintainers on American fixed-wing aircraft for air-to-air and air-ground combat.

Seven U.S. National Air Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft stopped at Mirgorod Air Base, Ukraine, ramp on July 19, 2011.

The amendment followed a June bill that called for the same amount of funds to train Ukrainian pilots on platforms such as the F-15 and F-16 fighters with Sidewinder missiles.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now in its 145 days, has become increasingly bloody. Russian missiles hit the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, killing at least 24 people, including three children, in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called "an open act of terrorism".

The noon attack on a city hundreds of kilometers from the front line of the fighting and far from invading Russian troops occurred when European Union authorities met in The Hague to discuss Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. The Russians also hit the shopping mall in Kremenchuk, where dozens of dead and do not stop the daily bombing of Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and frontline cities.

Tags: Military AviationF-16 Fighting FalconUkrainian Air ForceWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) led a bipartisan majority of Senators in calling on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to continue to use America’s influence to push back against the International Criminal Courts’ recent politically motivated decision to illegally and unfairly pursue alleged war crimes investigations against the State of Israel.

The letter states in part:

“The ICC does not have legitimate territorial jurisdiction in this case. As articulated by State Department Spokesman Ned Price in response to this ICC decision, ‘the United States has always taken the position that the court’s jurisdiction should be reserved for countries that consent to it, or that are referred by the U.N. Security Council.’ Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, and therefore has not consented to the ICC’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, ICC rules prohibit it from prosecuting cases against the citizens of a country with a robust judicial system willing and able to prosecute atrocity crimes committed by its personnel and officials. The ICC’s mandate should not supersede Israel’s robust judicial system, including its military justice system.”  

After sending the letter, Senators Portman and Cardin released the following statement: “We are again pleased that so many of our Senate colleagues joined us on this important effort to push back against the politically motivated persecution of Israel. We commend Secretary Blinken’s statements condemning the ICC’s decision and we urge the Biden Administration to partner with Congress to work together in this effort. The ICC has no jurisdiction over disputed territories and this decision creates a dangerous precedent that undermines the purposes for which the court was founded. This effort is discriminatory against Israel and will serve to make a lasting solution, based on direct negotiations between the two parties, more difficult to achieve.”

Joining Portman and Cardin in the letter to Blinken are: Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Mike Braun (R-IN), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), James Lankford (R-OK), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), James E. Risch (R-ID), Joe Manchin III (D-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Thune (R-SD), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Michael S. Lee (R-UT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tina Smith (D-MN), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Boozman (R-AR), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), John Hoven (R-ND), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Todd Young (R-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Charles E. Grassley (R-IA).

The full text is available below and here.  

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Because Republicans in the U.S. Senate changed the rules last year to prevent the filibuster of a Supreme Court nomination, President Trump can basically appoint anyone he wants to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement on Wednesday — Trump doesn’t need a single Democratic yea vote to reach a majority. Instead, the operative question is this: Will any Republican vote against Trump’s choice?

That’s a difficult question to answer before Trump makes his pick; presumably some Republicans would balk at an extreme enough nominee, either ideologically or personally. But I think it’s likely that Trump will select another figure in the vein of his first Supreme Court pick, Neil Gorsuch — someone who has clear and deep conservative credentials but doesn’t have a long record of politically-charged rhetoric, like (for example) publicly saying, “I will vote to strike down Roe v. Wade.” So let’s assume that kind of pick and look at the process from there.

First, let’s say all 49 Democrats1 oppose Trump’s pick. That’s not at all a given — remember that Democrats Joe Donnelly (Indiana), Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) all voted for Gorsuch last year; others red-state Democrats, particularly Missouri’s Claire McCaskill, may also feel like they can’t buck Trump this close to the election. But we want to focus on the Republicans for now..

In theory, Republicans, with 51 seats, can afford one defection and have Vice President Mike Pence case the tie-breaking vote. In practice, however, remember that Arizona Sen. John McCain, suffering from brain cancer, has not been in Washington for months. So if McCain doesn’t vote and it’s the 99 remaining senators, then 49 Democrats plus one Republican could stop this nomination.

So one big question is this: If Republicans needed another vote for this new justice, would McCain, if he couldn’t make it back to Washington, resign, thereby allowing Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, to appoint his replacement? I would assume a Ducey pick would back Trump’s nomination.

Aside from McCain’s health, it’s worth thinking about five other Senate Republicans in particular: Maine’s Susan Collins, Tennessee’s Bob Corker, Arizona’s Jeff Flake, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Nebraska’s Ben Sasse. That group, according to FiveThirtyEight’s Trump Score, represents five of the eight GOP members who have opposed the president’s position in congressional votes most often.

How often GOP senators vote with Trump’s position

As of June 27, 2018

Senator State Trump Score Rand Paul Kentucky 74.6 Susan M. Collins Maine 79.7 Mike Lee Utah 82.4 John McCain Arizona 83.0 Lisa Murkowski Alaska 83.6 Jeff Flake Arizona 84.3 Bob Corker Tennessee 84.7 Ben Sasse Nebraska 87.7 Lindsey Graham South Carolina 89.2 John Kennedy Louisiana 89.2 Steve Daines Montana 89.2 Michael B. Enzi Wyoming 90.5 James E. Risch Idaho 90.5 Patrick J. Toomey Pennsylvania 91.5 Mike Crapo Idaho 91.8 Joni Ernst Iowa 91.9 Ron Johnson Wisconsin 91.9 James Lankford Oklahoma 91.9 Chuck Grassley Iowa 91.9 Cory Gardner Colorado 91.9 Ted Cruz Texas 91.9 Dean Heller Nevada 91.9 Tom Cotton Arkansas 93.2 Mike Rounds South Dakota 93.2 Deb Fischer Nebraska 93.2 John Barrasso Wyoming 93.2 Richard Burr North Carolina 94.4 Lamar Alexander Tennessee 94.4 Dan Sullivan Alaska 94.4 Jerry Moran Kansas 94.5 David Perdue Georgia 94.5 Rob Portman Ohio 94.6 Bill Cassidy Louisiana 94.6 James M. Inhofe Oklahoma 94.6 Todd Young Indiana 94.6 Johnny Isakson Georgia 94.7 Thom Tillis North Carolina 95.9 Richard C. Shelby Alabama 95.9 John Thune South Dakota 95.9 Tim Scott South Carolina 95.9 Mitch McConnell Kentucky 95.9 Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia 95.9 Roy Blunt Missouri 97.3 John Hoeven North Dakota 97.3 Pat Roberts Kansas 97.3 John Boozman Arkansas 97.3 Orrin G. Hatch Utah 97.3 Roger F. Wicker Mississippi 97.3 John Cornyn Texas 97.3 Marco Rubio Florida 97.3 Cindy Hyde-Smith Mississippi 100.0

The other three are McCain, as well as Utah’s Mike Lee and Kentucky’s Rand Paul, both of whom have, at times, opposed GOP initiatives from the right. They are very unlikely to try to block a fairly conservative Supreme Court justice. Why not? Because they are likely to line up ideologically with a conservative pick, and because they are believed to have presidential aspirations of their own and wouldn’t want to annoy the party base, which cares deeply about judicial nominations.

Let’s dispense quickly with Sasse, who has sharply criticized the president, but almost exclusively for his tone,2 particularly Trump’s tweets and attacks on the press. I think it’s fairly unlikely that Sasse, who also seems to have presidential ambitions, will block a conservative Supreme Court justice.

Corker and Flake are more interesting. Both are retiring at the end of this term, so have little to fear from the Republican base. Both have been sharply critical of the president in the past and not just on tone: The two senators are right now strongly attacking Trump over his tariff policies. Flake is even threatening to withhold his votes for other Trump initiatives over the tariffs, so the Supreme Court pick gives him more leverage. But here’s the thing: Corker and Flake are fairly conservative on a wide range of issues. In terms of abortion (Trump’s pick is almost guaranteed to be anti-abortion), both have traditionally opposed abortion rights and both backed an anti-Planned Parenthood provision last year.

Instead, I think Collins and Murkowski are the ones watch. They voted against that Planned Parenthood provision and have opposed a number of anti-abortion measures in Congress.

They also, of course, joined Democrats (and McCain) in killing the “skinny repeal” of Obamacare that the GOP hoped to pass last year, so they have shown the gumption to buck Trump with the world watching and a major political victory at stake. Electorally, they may have some freedom too — Collins is not up for reelection until 2020 and represents a Democratic-leaning state, while Murkowski is not on the ballot till 2022.

Ultimately, a conservative pick to replace Kennedy is a huge priority for the Republican Party — and Collins and Murkowski will be under immense pressure to back whomever Trump chooses, even if he or she is an ardent opponent of abortion rights. It’s just hard to imagine any Republicans in the Senate joining with Democrats to block Trump’s nominee, unless that person is found to have some kind of personal scandal. Such a vote would virtually guarantee the offending GOP senator a primary challenge in their next election — and likely a challenge with strong support from the party base.

But I wonder if the more moderate members, either privately or publicly, are able to constrain Trump in the nomination process, pushing him to pick someone who is likely to vote like Kennedy and Roberts (meaning mostly with the conservatives but not always), instead of a justice in the mold of Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas or Gorsuch, who are more conservative? Someone who might be hesitant to strike down Roe vs. Wade or rule in favor of a broad exemption for religious people who want to avoid offering services to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Americans.

In other words, the most important fight over this nomination will likely be during Trump’s selection process, not during the confirmation hearings or the votes, when I suspect party loyalty will outweigh other concerns about the nominee, particularly for Republicans. Are the red-state Democrats and the more moderate Republicans able to push Trump to pick a more centrist person — or are they basically ignored in the process and dared to vote against whomever the president wants? I strongly expect the latter, both because the more centrist members of the Senate seem to have little influence in Washington and because Trump has not shown much inclination to bend to the will of the more moderate members of his party.

If the past 18 months have been any indication, expect some complaining from senators such as Collins and Flake about how partisan this nomination process is — and then for them to vote Trump’s way.

[libamericaorg]

Murkowski Calls Trump's Bluff - Takes His Threats And Doubles Down (VIDEO)

Murkowski Calls Trump’s Bluff – Takes His Threats And Doubles Down (VIDEO)

Although Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has received much of the media attention for stopping the Republicans’ planto eliminate healthcare for millions of people, he is not the only Republican who stood up to President Donald Trump and his crew of flunkies. Two other Republican Senators, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also voted against the so-called “Skinny Repeal” of the…

[party-hard-or-die]

Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Mr. Rubio did not specify what action was needed to lift the hold.

Last week, Guatemala’s highest court threw out the family’s convictions and sent their case back to the trial judge, with orders to reconsider their case. They could be released from jail this week.

The United Nations commission “has been doing terrific work on a whole host of issues with the attorney general of Guatemala,” said Eric Olson, a Guatemala expert with the Wilson Center in Washington. “It would be unfortunate if this led to some irreparable harm to those efforts.”

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who has supported the commission, warned against using the Bitkov case to attack it. “If Mr. Velasquez is removed for specious reasons or Cicig is shut down, it would set back the cause of justice and seriously jeopardize U.S. assistance to the government of Guatemala,” he said on Sunday.

The family’s plight caught the attention of William F. Browder, a prominent investor who has led an international campaign to punish Russian human rights abusers. After a Guatemalan court sentenced Igor Bitkov to 19 years in jail, and his wife, Irina, and daughter, Anastasia, to 14 years for using false documents, Mr. Browder began working to free the family. He made Mr. Velásquez and the commission one of his targets.

Mr. Browder argues that the Russian government, through the state-owned bank VTB, pushed for the commission and the Guatemalan attorney general’s office to wrap the Bitkovs into a longstanding investigation into a scheme at the government’s passport office to sell fake passports.

“All of these people who are screaming about the sacred cow of the Cicig are doing an injustice to the Cicig because the Cicig is clearly involved with the Russians in a vendetta against the Bitkov family,” Mr. Browder said in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Cicig said it had identified the Bitkovs’ purchase of the passports independently.

Despite widespread support for the commission in Congress and among members of the Trump administration, Mr. Browder’s zeal for the Bitkovs’ case struck a chord with Mr. Rubio.

Three Republican lawmakers — Senators Roger F. Wicker of Mississippi and Mike Lee of Utah, and Representative Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey — joined Mr. Rubio in writing to the chairmen of the House and Senate committees on foreign relations to suspend funding to the commission.

The post Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2jylc06 via Breaking News

[newestbalance]

Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Mr. Rubio did not specify what action was needed to lift the hold.

Last week, Guatemala’s highest court threw out the family’s convictions and sent their case back to the trial judge, with orders to reconsider their case. They could be released from jail this week.

The United Nations commission “has been doing terrific work on a whole host of issues with the attorney general of Guatemala,” said Eric Olson, a Guatemala expert with the Wilson Center in Washington. “It would be unfortunate if this led to some irreparable harm to those efforts.”

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who has supported the commission, warned against using the Bitkov case to attack it. “If Mr. Velasquez is removed for specious reasons or Cicig is shut down, it would set back the cause of justice and seriously jeopardize U.S. assistance to the government of Guatemala,” he said on Sunday.

The family’s plight caught the attention of William F. Browder, a prominent investor who has led an international campaign to punish Russian human rights abusers. After a Guatemalan court sentenced Igor Bitkov to 19 years in jail, and his wife, Irina, and daughter, Anastasia, to 14 years for using false documents, Mr. Browder began working to free the family. He made Mr. Velásquez and the commission one of his targets.

Mr. Browder argues that the Russian government, through the state-owned bank VTB, pushed for the commission and the Guatemalan attorney general’s office to wrap the Bitkovs into a longstanding investigation into a scheme at the government’s passport office to sell fake passports.

“All of these people who are screaming about the sacred cow of the Cicig are doing an injustice to the Cicig because the Cicig is clearly involved with the Russians in a vendetta against the Bitkov family,” Mr. Browder said in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Cicig said it had identified the Bitkovs’ purchase of the passports independently.

Despite widespread support for the commission in Congress and among members of the Trump administration, Mr. Browder’s zeal for the Bitkovs’ case struck a chord with Mr. Rubio.

Three Republican lawmakers — Senators Roger F. Wicker of Mississippi and Mike Lee of Utah, and Representative Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey — joined Mr. Rubio in writing to the chairmen of the House and Senate committees on foreign relations to suspend funding to the commission.

The post Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2jylc06 via Everyday News

[cleopatrarps]

Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Mr. Rubio did not specify what action was needed to lift the hold.

Last week, Guatemala’s highest court threw out the family’s convictions and sent their case back to the trial judge, with orders to reconsider their case. They could be released from jail this week.

The United Nations commission “has been doing terrific work on a whole host of issues with the attorney general of Guatemala,” said Eric Olson, a Guatemala expert with the Wilson Center in Washington. “It would be unfortunate if this led to some irreparable harm to those efforts.”

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who has supported the commission, warned against using the Bitkov case to attack it. “If Mr. Velasquez is removed for specious reasons or Cicig is shut down, it would set back the cause of justice and seriously jeopardize U.S. assistance to the government of Guatemala,” he said on Sunday.

The family’s plight caught the attention of William F. Browder, a prominent investor who has led an international campaign to punish Russian human rights abusers. After a Guatemalan court sentenced Igor Bitkov to 19 years in jail, and his wife, Irina, and daughter, Anastasia, to 14 years for using false documents, Mr. Browder began working to free the family. He made Mr. Velásquez and the commission one of his targets.

Mr. Browder argues that the Russian government, through the state-owned bank VTB, pushed for the commission and the Guatemalan attorney general’s office to wrap the Bitkovs into a longstanding investigation into a scheme at the government’s passport office to sell fake passports.

“All of these people who are screaming about the sacred cow of the Cicig are doing an injustice to the Cicig because the Cicig is clearly involved with the Russians in a vendetta against the Bitkov family,” Mr. Browder said in a telephone interview on Sunday.

Cicig said it had identified the Bitkovs’ purchase of the passports independently.

Despite widespread support for the commission in Congress and among members of the Trump administration, Mr. Browder’s zeal for the Bitkovs’ case struck a chord with Mr. Rubio.

Three Republican lawmakers — Senators Roger F. Wicker of Mississippi and Mike Lee of Utah, and Representative Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey — joined Mr. Rubio in writing to the chairmen of the House and Senate committees on foreign relations to suspend funding to the commission.

The post Guatemala Corruption Panel Has New Foe: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2jylc06 via News of World

[worldlatestnews-all-blog]

Chris McDaniel of Mississippi to run in GOP Senate primary again, sees political winds change

LAUREL, Miss. — Chris McDaniel is keeping a close eye on the U.S. Senate race in neighboring Alabama as he mulls whether to mount his own Trump-style bid to challenge Sen. Roger F. Wicker in the Republican primary in Mississippi next year. Sitting in his law office in Laurel, Mr. McDaniel, a state senator, said the political environment is “10 times better” for a candidate in his mold than it was…

[tiffanywillis]

Murkowski Calls Trump's Bluff - Takes His Threats And Doubles Down (VIDEO)

Murkowski Calls Trump’s Bluff – Takes His Threats And Doubles Down (VIDEO)

Although Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has received much of the media attention for stopping the Republicans’ planto eliminate healthcare for millions of people, he is not the only Republican who stood up to President Donald Trump and his crew of flunkies. Two other Republican Senators, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also voted against the so-called “Skinny Repeal” of the…

[hottytoddynews]

Lt. Gen. Caldwell and U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker talk with Afghan police officers during a tour. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Bill Would Empower VA Secretary to Implement Greater Accountability

The first week in June marked the anniversaries of two significant World War II events: D-Day and the Battle of Midway.  It was also an appropriate time for important legislation.  On June 6, the Senate passed the “Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act,” taking another significant step forward in the ongoing reform of the VA system.

We can never truly repay the brave soldiers who stormed the shores of Normandy or decisively confronted a Japanese fleet in the Pacific, turning the tides of World War II toward an Allied victory.  But we can ensure that these troops – and the men and women who have followed in their footsteps – receive the high-quality care and benefits they deserve for their service.

That requires an efficient and effective VA system, making every effort to eliminate persistent problems and rampant mismanagement.  By enacting the “Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act” in 2014, Congress has already put in place some necessary measures to improve the system and its leadership.  For example, the law gave the VA Secretary the authority to remove poor-performing senior executives expeditiously.  It also instructed the VA to establish disciplinary action in its human resources policies for the falsification of data concerning patient care. 

The new bill, which I have cosponsored, adds to those reforms.  The VA Secretary would have more flexibility to discipline or remove employees who are not upholding the department’s best practices and delivering quality care.  It would also strengthen measures to protect whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting problems.  The VA Secretary should have the tools to implement staffing changes that can bring change and a culture of accountability.  Under this bill, any VA employee engaging in misconduct would be subject to an expedited removal process.  

The Senate bill still needs to be passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Trump.  But its support by outside groups has been enthusiastic.  The legislative director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an organization with nearly 200,000 post-9/11 veterans, has called it “the strongest VA accountability measure that can be signed into law.” 

With nearly 200,000 veterans in our state, Mississippians understand the obligations of military service as well as the care and respect owed to our service members in return.  The late G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, who represented Mississippi in Congress for 30 years, was a steadfast champion for our veterans.  He knew the sacrifice of military service, having served in World War II and the Korean War.  His legacy and the momentous enactment of the Montgomery GI Bill continues to inspire those of us seeking the best benefits for our veterans today.

Other needed improvements to the VA system are coming at the same time as reforms for greater accountability.  On June 5, VA Secretary David J. Shulkin announced his decision on a next-generation Electronic Health Record system for veterans.  The VA will no longer use a system separate from the Department of Defense but adopt the same technology.  With health records in a unified system, veterans can receive more comprehensive treatment and care. I have been an advocate for this type of system for years.

The future of our all-volunteer military is linked to the care we extend to our veterans today.  As an Air Force veteran myself and as an elected official representing our state’s many veterans, I remain committed to keeping our promises to those who serve this country.  I will continue my work in Congress to ensure the VA system does a better job of meeting the needs of America’s heroes.

Courtesy of Senator Roger Wicker’s Office 

For questions or comments email Hottytoddynews@gmail.com.

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The post Wicker Praises Senate Action on VA Reform appeared first on HottyToddy.com.