President Trump Receives a Briefing on Hurricane Maria

On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump received two briefings on hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and announced an amendment to the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands disaster declarations. These amendments will provide additional disaster assistance by authorizing additional federal funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures over the next 180 days. “Over the last several weeks our Nation has been tested by the destructive force of Mother Nature,” the President said in yesterday’s press conference, “but we will respond to it with an even mightier force: the resolve of the American spirit.” Those who have been affected can apply for assistance through FEMA here.

The President of Spain Visits the White House

President Trump welcomed President Mariano Rajoy Brey of Spain to the White House yesterday. Both leaders spoke about their strong relationship and their views on foreign policy issues. President Brey highlighted Spain’s current economic recovery and his country’s commitment to fighting terrorism. In a joint White House press conference held in the Rose Garden, President Trump called on the European Union and other nations to unanimously condemn the Maduro regime and impose sanctions on Venezuela.

Read more

Access to High-Quality Coding and Computer Science Education
 
Senior Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump arrived at Detroit Design 139 in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday to participate in an event highlighting a public and private-sector commitment promoting access to high-quality coding and computer science education programs in K-12 schools. “Computer science and coding are priorities for the administration as we think about pathways to jobs and alignment of education to in demand jobs in the modern economy,” she said.

Photo of the Day

President Donald J. Trump receives a briefing on Hurricane Maria relief and recovery efforts | September 26 (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

POTUS and VP TODAY

Today, President Trump will be traveling to Indiana to deliver remarks on the need for tax relief for the American economy. Watch live at 3PM EST. Vice President Pence will participate in tax reform meetings with conservative leaders.

Coming Up

On Thursday, the Vice President will be in Wisconsin and Michigan to meet with business leaders and families to discuss the need for tax reform.

New evidence that claims of a worker shortage are false

Employers fail to fill up H-2B visa expansion suggesting their claims of a worker shortage are false

For years, we've heard the cries from employers who claim they can't find enough American workers to fill temporary and seasonal jobs across the country. But when it came time to prove their claims were real, they couldn't produce.

You may remember that Congress authorized then-DHS Secretary John Kelly earlier this year to increase the number of H-2B visas by around 70,000 for the 2017 fiscal year. The H-2B visa is mostly used by landscaping, hospitality and food service industries to fill jobs that are seasonal or temporary in nature.

Much to the disappointment of the employers, Kelly made only 15,000 of the 70,000 available. And we learned this week, that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has stopped accepting applications after receiving just 13,534 applications.

The same employers who complained that the increase was too small couldn't file enough applications to fill it!

Kelly did add two extra hurdles for employers who wanted the extra foreign workers. First, they were required to demonstrate that their business would "suffer irreparable harm" if they didn't get more foreign workers. Second, they had to show that they exhausted every attempt to recruit American workers. Based on those requirements, it's entirely possible that not all of those 13,534 applications will actually get approved.

Research from both the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Immigration Studies suggests that there is no labor shortage in the industries that most rely on H-2B visas. The fact that employers couldn't use the full 15,000 additional visas proves their point and shows that employers really don't need foreign workers; they just prefer them over American workers.

We can only hope that Congress learns from this lesson and will reject future calls from employers to increase the number of foreign guest workers. Of course, Congress tends to have a short memory, so it will require your activism efforts to remind them of this most recent event.

TRUMP ADMIN APPROVES NEARLY 6,000 INITIAL DACA APPLICATIONS

In the months leading up to Pres. Trump's decision to end the unconstitutional DACA executive amnesty, his administration approved 5,860 new DACA applications between April 1 and June 30 and approved 96,708 renewals.

What stands out most, however, is the number of denials. The Trump administration denied 32% of the initial applications where a decision was made. The denial rate is nearly double the rate for all of 2016. While our hope was for Pres. Trump to end the DACA amnesty back in January, if there is a bright side, it's that his administration added more scrutiny to the applications and approved fewer requests.

NumbersUSA mobile apps see an early retirement

Take a Knee?

What will you do? I can only speak for myself, but I won’t be watching any NFL games this season. Why? Because my conscious and personal convictions say no. My reasons go beyond what the following author wrote, but he touches upon a very big part of why.  Joe Milardo

Image source unknown

Take a knee, but before you ...

Take a little trip to Valley Forge in January. Hold a musket ball in your fingers and imagine it piercing your flesh and breaking a bone or two.. There won't be a doctor or trainer to assist you until after the battle, so just wait your turn. Take your cleats and socks off to get a real experience. Then take a knee.

Then, take one at the beach in Normandy where man after American man stormed the beach, even as the one in front of him was shot to pieces...the very sea stained with American blood. The only blockers most had were the dead bodies in front of them, riddled with bullets from enemy fire.

Take a knee in the sweat soaked jungles of Vietnam. From Khe San to Saigon...Anywhere will do. Americans died in all those jungles. There was no playbook that told them what was next, but they knew what flag they represented. When they came home, they were protested as well..and spit on for reasons only cowards know. 

Take another knee in the blood drenched sands of Fallujah in 110 degree heat..Wear your Kevlar helmet and battle dress..Your number won't be printed on it unless your number is up! You'll need to stay hydrated but there won't be anyone to squirt Gatorade into your mouth.. You're on your own.

There are a lot of places to take a knee Americans have given their lives all over the world. When you use the banner under which they fought as a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories of those who bled for the very freedoms you have. That's what the red stripes mean. It represents the blood of those who spilled a sea of it defending your liberty.

While you're on your knee, pray for those that came before you, not on a manicured lawn striped and printed with numbers to announce every inch of ground taken...but on nameless hills and bloodied beaches and sweltering forests and bitter cold mountains..every inch marked by an American life lost serving that flag you protest.

No cheerleaders, no announcers, no coaches, no fans...just American men and women...delivering the real fight against those who chose to harm us...blazing a path so you would have the right to "take a knee." You haven't inkling what it took to get you where you are...but your "protest" is duly noted. Not only is it disgraceful to a nation of real heroes, it serves the purpose of pointing to your ingratitude for those who chose to defend you under that banner that will still wave long after your jersey is retired...

If you really feel the need to take a knee, come with me to church on Sunday and we'll both kneel before Almighty God. We'll thank him for preserving this country for as long as He has. We'll beg forgiveness for our ingratitude for all He has provided us. We'll appeal to Him for understanding and wisdom. We'll pray for liberty and justice for all...because He is the one who provides those things. But there will be no protest. There will only be gratitude for His provision and a plea for His continued grace and mercy on the land of the free and the home of the brave. It goes like
this... GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

By Yasnaia Poston

Senator Brown - Alerting Ohioans to Forced Arbitration Clauses

EDITOR'S NOTE: While I've requested our other representative put The South Central Bulldog on their mailing list, so far, Senator Brown is the only one to do so. You have a right to hear what your representatives are saying and doing. Publishing the senator's news letters is not an endorsement.

The recent fake account scandal at Wells Fargo and the data breach at Equifax have brought to light so-called “forced arbitration.” These clauses, tucked in the fine print, force Ohioans to sign away their rights to access the court system if they are cheated.

And these clauses don’t end with financial institutions. From nursing homes to for-profit colleges, Ohio’s working families should not be forced to sign away their right to a day in court.

Last week, I talked with an Ohioan whose wife suffered physical and mental abuse while undergoing care in a nursing home. This would be bad enough on its own, but because of forced arbitration clauses in the nursing home’s paperwork, the family can’t seek relief in court.

Any family who’s been through the transition of admitting a loved one into a nursing home will tell you it’s a difficult time in the best of circumstances. Forcing those families to sign away their rights is not only wrong, it’s dangerous.


We see similar issues in banks and other financial contracts, like those signed by Equifax and Wells Fargo customers. And we’ve seen it in the shady for-profit college industry. Schools close and leave students tens of thousands of dollars in debt, with no degree, and unbeknownst to students, their enrollment agreements contained forced arbitration clauses.


Thankfully, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Department of Education took action to protect consumers.

But now action by Congress and the Administration puts those protections in jeopardy.
The House already passed a law overturning the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s rule, voting to leave consumers vulnerable to these sneaky clauses by banks and payday lenders. Now the Senate is considering doing the same as early as this week.


On top of that, the Trump Administration announced it will roll back rules that were meant to protect students and nursing home patients, before they even go into effect.

I’m supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s rule and fighting efforts in the Senate to overturn it, making it easier for banks like Wells Fargo to deny rights to their customers. And I’m urging the Administration to do the right thing and move forward with protections at the Department of Education and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

As elected officials, it’s our job to protect the people we serve – not banks and corporations trying to scam consumers.

Sherrod

PS: Have questions about healthcare? Join me for my Facebook Live town hall tomorrow, September 26th at 6:00pm EST, where I’ll talk about healthcare and answer your questions. Submit your questions by commenting here.

This Week's "American Political Zone"

The American Political Zone - A Political Commentary on Current Events

One of the best political discussion programs you can find, our hosts possess a vast knowledge of current affairs and they share this with us in a lively and interesting fashion.  Featuring Daria Novak, 2nd District Congressional Candidate and President of the Institute for American Politics, and Frank Vernuccio, New York Analysis Policyand Government, The American Political Zone is now a regular feature in the Middletown Insider.

If You are an American Citizen . . .

This Week's "American Political Zone"

The American Political Zone - A Political Commentary on Current Events

One of the best political discussion programs you can find, our hosts possess a vast knowledge of current affairs and they share this with us in a lively and interesting fashion.  Featuring Daria Novak, 2nd District Congressional Candidate and President of the Institute for American Politics, and Frank Vernuccio, New York Analysis Policyand Government, The American Political Zone is now a regular feature in the Middletown Insider.

Today's topics are:   . . . Defense Myths

Rob's Rundown: Week of September 18 - 22, 2017

This week, Senator Portman testified before the Senate Commerce Committee during a hearing on his Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. Also testifying was Yvonne Ambrose, whose daughter, Desiree Robinson, was trafficked on Backpage.com and tragically murdered. The hearing demonstrated there is a strong bipartisan consensus for passing this narrowly-crafted bill. Also this week, Portman secured key victories for Lima, Toledo, Dayton and others as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. For more on Senator Portman’s week, please see the following:
bipartisan

Monday, September 18

Portman Helps Secure $15 Million for New Toledo Air Base Hangars as Part of Senate-Passed NDAA

Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that the Senate-passed FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes $15 million to support the construction of upgraded fighter aircraft hangars for the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo, Ohio. Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) included this funding after Portman sent a letter earlier this year urging them to do so. The 180th Fighter Wing, which Portman visited just last month as part of his Ohio Defense Tour, carries out the critical Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) mission to protect America’s airspace.

“Last month, I saw firsthand how our Airmen at the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo are carrying out one of our nation’s most important homeland defense missions: protecting our skies through the Aerospace Control Alert,” said Portman. “Defending the homeland remains the number one national security mission for our military, so it is critical that the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo has the best equipment available. The current ACA hangars are outdated and don’t provide the protection needed for the aircraft and the airmen maintaining them. They must be replaced. I am pleased the Senate has authorized funding to upgrade these hangars as part of the NDAA. I will continue to work to ensure that the men and women serving our country in Toledo have the resources they need.”

For more information, go here.

Portman Helps Secure Funding to Modernize Stryker Vehicles, Increase Production of Abrams Tanks

The NDAA also authorizes funding for the Abrams Tank and Stryker Vehicle. Critical work is done on both systems at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima, where Portman hosted an employee town hall just last month as part of his Ohio Defense Tour. The NDAA includes more than $1.8 billion to increase the rate of production of the newest upgraded Abrams tanks that are just starting production at the JSMC and 695.5 million in funding to modernize Stryker vehicles. The funding, included by Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) in the NDAA following a letter sent by Senators Portman and Gary Peters (D-MI), builds on last years’ NDAA which included $652 million to support modifications to the Abrams Tank and $579 million for the Stryker Vehicle.

“In today’s dangerous global security environment, it is critical that we give our troops the tools they need to accomplish our national security objectives. Manufactured at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, the Stryker is the Army’s most versatile and deployable combat vehicle and the Abrams Tank is the world’s most capable battle tank. By providing the funding to make important upgrades to Stryker vehicles and increase the rate of production of the Abrams tank, Congress will ensure our forward deployed soldiers have the vehicles they need to be effective and keep them safe,” said Portman. “This funding will also benefit Lima, the local economy, and the skilled employees I met with just last month who are providing a unique capability to support and strengthen America’s national security. I look forward to this funding being put into action.”

For more information, go here.

Portman, Murphy Build on Efforts to Counter Foreign Propaganda

Trump - Week 35 America First

TRUMP PENCE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
9.23.17

 

AMERICA FIRST

This week, President Trump delivered his first address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. It was praised as the best speech of his presidency by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, and many others. In his remarks, President Trump outlined his Administration’s policy of “Principled Realism,” a clear pronouncement of America First principles as applied to the greatest threats the world faces today. The President said that America is “among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world, and the greatest defenders of sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.” Trump supporters around the country should be very proud of how the President called for accountability on behalf of all countries to own their futures and join the United States under his leadership in a new vision for peace in the world, including addressing threats we face from North Korea, Iran, ISIS, and more.



HURRICANE MARIA

President Trump and the White House are coordinating with FEMA and other agencies to monitor and provide support for those affected by Hurricane Maria that struck Puerto Rica just a week after Hurricane Irma. The President quickly approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico, providing Federal assistance to supplement the Commonwealth’s and local response efforts, including addressing the power outage affecting nearly the entire island territory. Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Puerto Rico, as well as all the other areas affected by Hurricane Maria and the other recent natural disasters.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE US AIR FORCE

JUST ONE RETIRED GI’S OPINION:

Photo from af.mil

Editor's Note:  The author was one of my Small Arms Specialist tech school instructors at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, 1979.

The United States Flag, “Old Glory” and our National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” are DIRECTLY SYMBOLIC of America…The United States of America…my Nation.

I spent 20 years plus serving our Country in the U.S. Military, defending our nations’ principles, heritage, founded Republic, and the U.S. Constitution.

I had assignments, deployments, and TDY’s to countries where I NEVER ONCE disrespected that country’s customs or national flag, nor did I show disrespect by NOT standing during the playing of their National Anthem.

I surely do not expect American Citizens, within the borders of our homeland, to so profoundly disrespect our county, our heritage, our flag, our national anthem, our elected leaders, our military women and men, and our Law Enforcement sisters and brothers.

It is my opinion that ANY person, group, or political entity showing disrespect to America DESERVES NEITHER THE FREEDOMS OR PROTECTIONS offered by this GREAT NATIONS’ defenders and enforcers.

Our Country is NOT a Democracy. But, through our Republic, and the U.S. Constitution, the mechanism of representation is in place for any and everyone to voice their opinions and have their opinion heard. If one does not like what their Representative is doing, voice that opinion to them, RESPECTFULLY. Then speak loudly through the act of voting.

Until the current disrespectful culture in professional sports has done a “COMPLETE ABOUT-FACE,” I pledge to:

~ NO longer watch ANY professional sport displaying and/or condoning disrespect to America, in any form!

~ NOT buy any NBA or NFL league or team items!

~ NOT attend any professional sporting event where denigration and disrespect is allowed toward our Nation!

~ STOP purchasing from business and companies that advertise during these sporting events that support the allowed disrespect to our Country.

As a retired military member and patriot, it is my opinion that ANY PERSON supporting the NFL, NBA or any other group blatantly showing disrespect to our Nation, our Flag, our National Anthem, our elected Leaders…then YOU TOO are supporting DISRESPECT to our COUNTRY!

Just one retired GI’s opinion.

Hoot Gibson
MSgt/FSgt, USAF (Ret.)