Trump Bashing Comes First
Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) is the new chairman of the Ways and Means Committee now that the Democratic Party has taken control of the House. His 30 years tenure in the House is his primary qualification to chair this most powerful committee through which all taxation bills must pass. Lobbyists pay the big bucks to influence these career pols because when it comes to complex spending legislation, every detail counts for something.
Rep. Neal’s report to the Federal Election Commission for his first quarter as chairman shows that he raised more than $520,000! Where does that money go? An article in the Boston Globe says we should “maintain a healthy sense of outrage over pay-to-play politics. They raise that money and turn around and spend it on their own high-class travel, dining, and entertainment.” The article details Rep. Richard Neal’s Washington high life.
Our Posters are life-long politicians and Neal is no exception. He was on the City Council (1979-83) and mayor (1983-89) of Springfield and then in Congress for 30 years, so far.
Article I of our Constitution outlines and limits the responsibilities and duties of Congress. Section 8 goes into the details including law-making, regulating commerce, declaring –and paying for—war, borrowing money, and much more. Doesn’t it seem that our elected representatives would be kept busy performing their prescribed duties? Oh no! Politics comes first to career pols.
All the new chairs of important House Committees – Waters of Financial Services, Nadler of Judiciary, Schiff of Intelligence, Cummings of Oversight, Engel
In Neal’s case, he hopes to get his hands on President Trump’s tax returns. He even issued subpoenas for the documents to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig. The Treasury Department had previously rejected Neal’s request for six years of the president’s tax returns. Mnuchin rejected Neal’s request for the president’s tax returns in a letter that stated, “the Committee’s request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, and pursuant to section 6103, the Department is therefore not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information.”
Neal also demanded copies of tax returns for Trump’s trust and for his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. It was the first such demand for a sitting president’s tax information in 45 years.
Rep. Neal’s voting record in his three decades in office show a tax and spend pattern that helps explain how our nation is now in debt to the tune of over $22 Trillions. The National Taxpayers Union scores him 17% with an “F” grade as a “Big Spender.” Citizens Against Government Waste gives him a lowly score of 4 out of 100 as “Hostile to Taxpayers.”
The Club for Growth rates on votes that affect economic growth such as lower taxes, balanced budgets, expanding free trade, implementing term limits, expanding school choice and other factors affecting freedom and prosperity –all of which was opposed by Neal at every vote. The Club gives Neal an economy-killing 7 of a 100 for his time in Congress.
Heritage Action is the policy advocacy affiliate of the conservative Heritage Foundation. As expected, it rates Neal 6% of 100%. On the liberal-left big government side, the Americans for Democratic Action gives Neal 90%.
And now, in his capacity as chairman of one of the most powerful committees of the Congress he chooses to harass the President in concert with the other committee chairs instead of pursuing committee responsibilities for the people. That is the Swamp!
It will not be drained until we get good citizens with knowledge and experience in the real world of business and the professions to spend a few years in government. Without term limits that won’t happen, and the lifetime career pols will continue to drag the country down for their own benefit. See www.termlimits.com
