2/5/09

‘Commission to Study Reparation

Proposals for African-Americans Act’.

(Hidden from Americans until now!!)

by  Justicereq'd~ Political Writer

 This bill never made it out of committee in 1999 --- lets hope it has a repeat performance and stays buried in committee. We as a nation can not afford this with all the other spend crazy ideas getting rammed thru congress. Should our children, grand and great grand children continue to pay retribution for the past work done on General Robert E Lee's plantation and the like?  Is this how the Liberal Obama is going to help his people? As President all US citizens are 'his people'. I do not believe there are African Americans any more than there are American-Jews or German-Americans. You/we are either American citizens or NOT American Citizens! If you don't like it here, go back to the place you came from and claim your 'rights in your COUNTRY'!
 
HR 40 IH

111th CONGRESS 1st Session

H. R. 40

To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 6, 2009

Mr. CONYERS (for himself and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 13 American colonies between 1619 and 1865 and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery, subsequently "de jure and de facto racial and economic discrimination" against African-Americans, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, to make recommendations to the Congress on appropriate remedies, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings- The Congress finds that--

(1) approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and colonies that became the United States from 1619 to 1865;

(2) the institution of slavery was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789 through 1865;

(3) the slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of Africans’ life, liberty, African citizenship rights, and cultural heritage, and denied them the fruits of their own labor; and

(4) sufficient inquiry has not been made into the effects of the institution of slavery on living African-Americans and society in the United States.

(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission to--

(1) examine the institution of slavery which existed from 1619 through 1865 within the United States and the colonies that became the United States, including the extent to which the Federal and State Governments constitutionally and statutorily supported the institution of slavery;

(2) examine de jure and de facto discrimination against freed slaves and their descendants from the end of the Civil War to the present, including economic, political, and social discrimination;

(3) examine the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery and the discrimination described in paragraph (2) on living African-Americans and on society in the United States;

(4) recommend appropriate ways to educate the American public of the Commission’s findings;

(5) recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Commission’s findings on the matters described in paragraphs (1) and (2); and

(6) submit to the Congress the results of such examination, together with such recommendations.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES.

(a) Establishment- There is established the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘Commission’).

(b) Duties- The Commission shall perform the following duties:

(1) Examine the institution of slavery which existed within the United States and the colonies that became the United States from 1619 through 1865. The Commission’s examination shall include an examination of--

(A) the capture and procurement of Africans;

(B) the transport of Africans to the United States and the colonies that became the United States for the purpose of enslavement, including their treatment during transport;

(C) the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and instrastate commerce; and

(D) the treatment of African slaves in the colonies and the United States, including the deprivation of their freedom, exploitation of their labor, and destruction of their culture, language, religion, and families.

(2) Examine the extent to which the Federal and State governments of the United States supported the institution of slavery in constitutional and statutory provisions, including the extent to which such governments prevented, opposed, or restricted efforts of freed African slaves to repatriate to their homeland.

(3) Examine Federal and State laws that discriminated against freed African slaves and their descendants during the period between the end of the Civil War and the present.

(4) Examine other forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed African slaves and their descendants during the period between the end of the Civil War and the present.

(5) Examine the lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery and the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) on living African-Americans and on society in the United States.

(6) Recommend appropriate ways to educate the American public of the Commission’s findings.

(7) Recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Commission’s findings on the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4). In making such recommendations, the Commission shall address among other issues, the following questions:

(A) Whether the Government of the United States should offer a formal apology on behalf of the people of the United States for the perpetration of gross human rights violations on African slaves and their descendants.

(B) Whether African-Americans still suffer from the lingering effects of the matters described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4).

(C) Whether, in consideration of the Commission’s findings, any form of compensation to the descendants of African slaves is warranted.

(D) If the Commission finds that such compensation is warranted, what should be the amount of compensation, what form of compensation should be awarded, and who should be eligible for such compensation.

(c) Report to Congress- The Commission shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Congress not later than the date which is one year after the date of the first meeting of the Commission held pursuant to section 4(c).

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

(a) Number and Appointment- (1) The Commission shall be composed of 7 members, who shall be appointed, within 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, as follows:

(A) Three members shall be appointed by the President.

(B) Three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(C) One member shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate.

(2) All members of the Commission shall be persons who are especially qualified to serve on the Commission by virtue of their education, training, or experience, particularly in the field of African-American studies.

(b) Terms- The term of office for members shall be for the life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the powers of the Commission, and shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.

(c) First Meeting- The President shall call the first meeting of the Commission within 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, or within 30 days after the date on which legislation is enacted making appropriations to carry out this Act, whichever date is later.

(d) Quorum- Four members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.

(e) Chair and Vice Chair- The Commission shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members. The term of office of each shall be for the life of the Commission.

(f) Compensation- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), each member of the Commission shall receive compensation at the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, for each day, including travel time, during which he or she is engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Commission.

(2) A member of the Commission who is a full-time officer or employee of the United States or a Member of Congress shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of his or her service to the Commission.

(3) All members of the Commission shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties to the extent authorized by chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

(a) Hearings and Sessions- The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and at such places in the United States, and request the attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production of such books, records, correspondence, memoranda, papers, and documents, as the Commission considers appropriate. The Commission may request the Attorney General to invoke the aid of an appropriate United States district court to require, by subpoena or otherwise, such attendance, testimony, or production.

(b) Powers of Subcommittees and Members- Any subcommittee or member of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission is authorized to take by this section.

(c) Obtaining Official Data- The Commission may acquire directly from the head of any department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive branch of the Government, available information which the Commission considers useful in the discharge of its duties. All departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the Government shall cooperate with the Commission with respect to such information and shall furnish all information requested by the Commission to the extent permitted by law.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

(a) Staff- The Commission may, without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as the Commission considers appropriate.

(b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws- The staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that the compensation of any employee of the Commission may not exceed a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.

(c) Experts and Consultants- The Commission may procure the services of experts and consultants in accordance with the provisions of section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the highest rate payable under section 5332 of such title.

(d) Administrative Support Services- The Commission may enter into agreements with the Administrator of General Services for procurement of financial and administrative services necessary for the discharge of the duties of the Commission. Payment for such services shall be made by reimbursement from funds of the Commission in such amounts as may be agreed upon by the Chairman of the Commission and the Administrator.

(e) Contracts- The Commission may--

(1) procure supplies, services, and property by contract in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriations Acts; and

(2) enter into contracts with departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government, State agencies, and private firms, institutions, and agencies, for the conduct of research or surveys, the preparation of reports, and other activities necessary for the discharge of the duties of the Commission, to the extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriations Acts.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits its report to the Congress under section 3(c).

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

To carry out the provisions of this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000.

 

'The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.' Cicero ~ 55 BC

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Your Congressman Should Pull Welcome Mat For CAIR

By TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty

February 2, 2009 – The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is attempting to lobby Members of Congress this session in order to promote radical Islam in American foreign and domestic policy.
Traditional Values Coalition is joining with North Carolina Rep. Sue Myrick (R) in encouraging American citizens to join in a grassroots effort to warn legislators against being duped by CAIR’s façade of moderation.
Rep. Myrick recently sent out a letter of concern to other Members of Congress warning them to avoid dealing with CAIR.
TVC is encouraging its supporters to contact their Representatives urging them to reject any attempts by CAIR to lobby their offices for Islamic causes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recently cut off ties with CAIR because of its radical Islamic ties due its close relationship with Hamas, the terrorist group that attacked Israel during the Christmas holidays. The decision to cut off ties with CAIR resulted from evidence exposed in the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) trial in Texas last summer. The HLF was convicted in November of illegally routing money to Hamas. CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
CAIR’s name appears on a roster of “Palestine Committee” members. CAIR founders Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad appear in a telephone listing of the Palestine Committee. The Muslim Brotherhood, the group that founded Hamas, also created the Palestine Committee. Both Ahmad and Awad participated in a secret 1993 meeting with Hamas members to discuss ways to “derail” U.S.-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
CAIR has deep ties to Hamas and other radical groups. CAIR leaders from around the country have been implicated in helping fund terrorist activities. Here are a few examples:

• CAIR director Muthanna al-Hanooti’s home was raided by the FBI in 2006. He funneled $6 million to Hamas.
• CAIR civil rights coordinator Randall Todd Royer was sentenced to 20 years in prison on weapons charges for working with al Qaeda and the Taliban.
• CAIR fundraiser Rabih Haddad was arrested on terrorism charges and deported.
• CAIR director Abdurahman Alamoudi is serving 23 years for terrorism-related activities in support of Hamas and Hezbollah.
• CAIR founding director Rafeeq Jaber is a supporter of Hezbollah.
• CAIR founding director Ghassan Elashi, was convicted in Texas for shipping computers to terrorist states Libya and Syria.
• CAIR former community affairs director Bassem Khafagi, was convicted and deported for bank fraud. Khafagi had founded the Islamic Society of North America and had funneled money to terrorist groups.

 CAIR Wants Israel On Trial For War Crimes!

One of CAIR’s latest activities is to call upon the U.S. government to request that the United Nations refer Israel for war crimes trials to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
CAIR claims that Israel has committed war crimes against Muslims in the Gaza Strip. Its ideological ally, Hamas, has engaged in a terrorism campaign against Israel for years. During the Christmas holiday, Hamas began shooting rockets into Israel and continues to do so. Israel has responded with force to defend its citizens and land.
CAIR has praised President Barack Obama for his conciliatory statements about Islam and America’s response to terrorism. This Islamist group has also praised George Mitchell as Obama’s new envoy to the Middle East.
CAIR also recently praised a CBS “60 Minutes” special that trashed Israel. The show aired on January 25th and focused on the alleged mistreatment of Islamists by Israel. 
TAKE ACTION: Write to your U.S. Representative and to your two U.S. Senators and ask that they refuse to permit any CAIR representative into their office. CAIR’s portrayal of itself as a moderate Islamic group is a façade. The group has Islamic terrorist roots and many of its members have been arrested or deported for engaging in terrorist fundraising efforts here in the United States. 

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Bill creates detention camps in U.S. for 'emergencies'
Sweeping, undefined purpose raises worries about military police state

Posted: February 01, 2009
7:19 pm Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

 

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla.

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., has introduced to the House of Representatives a new bill, H.R. 645, calling for the secretary of homeland security to establish no fewer than six national emergency centers for corralling civilians on military installations.

 

The proposed bill, which has received little mainstream media attention, appears designed to create the type of detention center that those concerned about use of the military in domestic affairs fear could be used as concentration camps for political dissidents, such as occurred in Nazi Germany.

 

Heed the warning of a former Hitler Youth who sees America on the same path as pre-Nazi Germany in "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie" from WND Books!

 

The bill also appears to expand the president's emergency power, much as the executive order signed by President Bush on May 9, 2007, that – as WND reported – gave the president the authority to declare an emergency and take over the direction of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments without even consulting Congress.

 

As WND also reported, DHS has awarded a $385 million contract to Houston-based KBR, Halliburton's former engineering and construction subsidiary, to build temporary detention centers on an "as-needed" basis in national emergency situations.

 

According to the text of the proposed bill, the purpose of the National Emergency Centers is "to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster."

 

Three additional purposes are specified in the text of the proposed legislation:

• To provide centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the coordination of federal, state and local first responders;
• To provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response and recovery efforts of government, private, not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations;
• To meet other appropriate needs, as defined by the secretary of homeland security.

The broad specifications of the bill's language, however, contribute to concern that the "national emergency" purpose could be utilized by the secretary of homeland security to include any kind of situation the government wants to contain or otherwise control.

 

Rep. Hastings created controversy during the 2008 presidential campaign with his provocative comments concerning Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

 

"If Sarah Palin isn't enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with Barack Obama, then you damn well had better pay attention," Hastings said, as reported by ABC News. "Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through."

 

H.R. 645, which seeks to allocate $360 million for developing the emergency centers, has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and to the Committee on Armed Services.

 

CAGW Names Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Porker of the Month Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named newly-minted Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood its January 2009 Porker of the Month.  In his new position, Secretary LaHood will preside over the distribution of tens of billions of tax dollars for transportation projects in the stimulus package that is moving forward in Congress.  In addition to control over these vast sums, Secretary LaHood will be involved in the transportation reauthorization bill that will be implemented in 2010.  Similar legislation, including the 2005 reauthorization bill, has increasingly become a vehicle for billions in congressional pork-barrel earmarks, including the notorious Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska. As a member of Congress from Illinois between 1995 and 2008, then-Rep. LaHood made the most of his seat on the House Appropriations Committee and over time became adept at spending more and more of the taxpayers’ money.  His congressional rating with the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste went from a mediocre 68.8 percent during his freshman year to an abysmal 11 percent in his last year in Congress.  In fiscal year 2008 alone, Rep. LaHood was responsible for securing 52 earmarks totaling $58.9 million, among them a $250,000 earmark for the Lakeview Museum Planetarium along with an additional $198,000 for the installation of green technology in the Planetarium at a time when the nation faced tens of billions in transportation maintenance backlogs.  A January 14 Washington Post article noted that in 2008 he sent $9 million worth of earmarks to campaign contributors, and that he ranked in the top 10 percent of all members who obtained earmarks.  Secretary LaHood expressed his derision for the taxpayers’ money when he told the Peoria Journal Star last year that the reason he “went to the Appropriations Committee, the reason other people go on the Appropriations Committee, is they know that it puts them in a position to know where the money is at, to know the people who are doling the money out and to be in the room when the money is being doled out.” In October 2005, CAGW named then-Rep. LaHood Porker of the Month for his role in preventing the closure of 713 of the 2,351 Farm Service Agency offices, which would have saved taxpayers $50 million per year.  He also submitted a proposal to reject the 2005 base closing commission’s recommendations to close or realign 182 military bases.  As a representative from Illinois, Mr. LaHood has supported the controversial and exorbitantly costly O’Hare Modernization Project (OMP), with an estimated price tag of $20 billion.  The OMP is entangled in legal battles and is now even opposed by the airlines that must fly through O’Hare.  The current stimulus package contains $3.4 billion in money for the Airport Improvement Program, and there is apprehension that the new secretary will direct some of it to the OMP, instead of higher priority and less controversial projects. For his long-standing disregard for the taxpayers’ money and an abundance of concern over how he will administer the Department of Transportation, CAGW names Ray LaHood January Porker of the Month. Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers. http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage ####

Weekend Editorials Slam House Democrats' Trillion-Dollar Spending Bill
House GOP Promotes Alternative that Would Creat 6.2 Million New Jobs

House Republican Leader, John Boehner

Washington, Feb 2 -

The House Democrats’ trillion-dollar spending bill continues to come under withering criticism for its wasteful borrowing and spending and its lack of focus on creating jobs for middle-class families and small businesses.  On Friday, the Associated Press published a devastating analysis of the bloated measure, saying the Democrats’ bill would “devote tens of billions of dollars to causes that have little to do with jolting the country out of recession.”  The Democrats’ proposal stands in direct contrast to the superior alternative offered by House Republicans that would create twice the jobs (6.2 million) at half the cost.  This weekend, more and more editorials boards weighed in on House Democrats’ plan as well, criticizing the attempted spending spree that does little to create jobs.  Here is what just some of the editorials are saying:

• “[T]axpayers deserve a closer examination of the bill’s details -- and this President’s actions on the bill will go a long way toward revealing his true commitment to fighting pork, earmarks and other wasteful nonsense.” – “Stimulating Pork,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 2, 2009
  
• “President Obama and congressional Democrats have emphasized that their proposal isn’t the typical exercise in pork-barrel politics. … But too many of the items have little apparent connection with economic growth – witness the nearly $5 billion for prevention, wellness, ‘comparative effectiveness research’ and training in the health field, the $2.1 billion for Head Start and the $300 million to improve teacher quality, just to name a few examples from the 647-page House bill.” – “The Nation Needs Jobs, Not a Political Agenda,” Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2009
  
• “[T]he Democrats seem determined to add their perennial to-do list to what was to be a temporary stimulus, and as a result there are permanent spending commitments (health and entitlement spending, educational grants, etc.) with no permanent funding mechanism. There’s no sense of priorities or targets; everything is thrown in as a priority.” – “The Stimulus Bill That Isn’t,” Washington Times, February 2, 2009
  
• “But experts are voicing skepticism about the composition of the $825 billion measure that emerged from the Democratic-controlled House last week -- and which the Senate is now increasing. The concern: Instead of giving the economy a “targeted, timely and temporary” injection, the plan has been larded with spending on existing social programs or hastily designed new ones, much of it permanent or probably permanent -- and not enough of it likely to create new jobs.” – “Take Charge,” Washington Post, February 1, 2009
  
• “The bill approved by the Democratic-controlled House would spend too much money on items that won’t create jobs.” – “Economic Stimulus,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 1, 2009
  
• “Contraception is economic stimulus? The idea was so weird that President Obama later urged Democrats to drop that item from the stimulus bill approved Wednesday by the House.  But that was hardly the only questionable provision. Hey, pick your line item. The way they’re talking in Washington, everything is stimulus: Money for the arts, money for new federal vehicles, money for digital TV coupons. Stimulus is anything and everything.” – “‘Temporary’ Stimulus Equals Lasting Trouble,” Kansas City Star, February 1, 2009
• “Then there’s ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Already funded with millions of dollars in taxpayer money -- and responsible for bullying the financial sector to give people mortgages who couldn’t afford them -- ACORN could receive up to $5 billion more in public money. And the rules regarding the use of this money are even less rigorous than those received in past extortions.” – “The ‘Stimulus’ Ruse: Democrat Rewards,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 1, 2009
• "Let’s at least be honest about the effects of that gazillion-dollar bill the House passed Wednesday: About the only thing it’s going to stimulate is liberal Democrats’ libido for government spending.,” – “Snake Oil Stimulus,” Panama City News-Herald (FL), February 1, 2009
  
•  “The House stimulus plan is loaded with favors for programs that may have merit but have little, if anything, to do with stimulating the economy. Here is a sampling: $54 billion to expand existing programs that the government’s own auditors have judged ineffective or unable to pass audits; $650 million for the coupon program to subsidize digital TV conversion; $150 million for the Smithsonian Institution; $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.  The list goes on.  The stimulus bill should not be an excuse to hand out money. Congress should focus on spending that will create jobs, shore up safety nets and pull the economy out of its tailspin. – “Aim Straight on Stimulus,” Wisconsin State Journal, February 1, 2009
  
•  “In short, this bill is little more than a giant bucket of lard – among the biggest Congress has ever produced – with plenty of borrowed money shunted off to government agencies and sweet payoffs to favored Democratic constituencies.” – “Plenty of Bacon, Little Stimulus in House Bill,” The Eagle Tribune (MA), February 1, 2009
• http://republicanleader.house.gov/

GOP Unleashes 2010 Salvo on First Day of Congress

The Hill
By Michael O'Brien
January 7, 2009

The first day of the 111th Congress marked the first vote at which Republicans took aim, marking an opening salvo in their 2010 electoral efforts.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) sent out a release in 54 districts, many of them held by newly-elected, first-term members of Congress, criticizing them for voting in favor of a House rules that abolishes term limits for committee chairmen and limits the GOP's opportunity to present alternatives to Democratic legislation.

The NRCC said the Democrats "quickly toed the party line" after being elected, and alleged the lawmakers reneged on campaign promises to foster an open and ethical Congress.

“Debbie Halvorson was happy to help Nancy Pelosi cement her grip on power so that members of Congress like Charlie Rangel and Barney Frank can forever wreak havoc on our financial system with their grossly negligent behavior,” NRCC Spokesman Ken Spain, said in a release targeting the newly-elected Illinois congresswoman, emblematic of language in releases aiming at 53 other Republican targets.

Spain added: “While middle-class families are struggling in the face of an economic crisis, Debbie Halvorson, on the same day she was sworn-in to office, ignored calls for relief from her constituents and instead voted to make it easier for her fellow Democrats to raise taxes.”

The NRCC cryptically promised that the lawmakers' rules vote today "will not be welcomed" by voters come 2010.