A Shameful Day in the House of Representatives

Phil Roe

by US Rep. Phil Roe, M.D- Last Wednesday, was a sad day in American history. House Democrats gave in to their party radicals and voted to impeach a duly-elected president because of a partisan, political agenda. Speaker Pelosi made clear in March that impeachment divides our country if it is not bipartisan. This process wasn’t bipartisan; this vote wasn’t bipartisan; and there was no evidence supporting impeachment. This was a rigged process with impeachment as the end goal and I proudly voted against the articles of impeachment.

The impeachment inquiry didn’t begin in September. It started the moment Donald Trump was elected president. For two years, many leading Democrats claimed they have evidence President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. It took a two-and-a-half year, $25 million investigation to prove there was no collusion. Rather than accepting these results and getting to work on the issues Americans care about, they continued on with impeachment. In July – before the call with Ukrainian President Zelensky ever occurred – 95 House Democrats voted to impeach the president. It wasn’t based on serious evidence then, and it’s not based on serious evidence now. Even as House Democrats claim this was a last resort, the truth is once they took the House majority, their goal was to impeach Donald Trump.

The American people are fundamentally fair. Rich or poor, president or factory worker – we believe all deserve fairness. This process has been anything but fair. The Democrats conducted over a month’s worth of hearings behind closed doors; blocked Republicans from calling their own witnesses; and prevented the president’s counsel from cross-examining witnesses. Imagine you were accused of a crime and were prevented from calling witnesses who could exonerate you. Worse still, you were prevented from questioning those accusing you. That is what happened these last few months in committee hearings. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff – whose staff advised the whistleblower prior to the complaint that started this charade – even read a fictional version of President Trump’s phone call transcript in the first public hearing. You can’t make it up.

When Democrats finally wrapped up their sham inquiry, they filed two articles of impeachment, neither of which constitute “high crimes” or misdemeanors, and neither of which have they proved the president is guilty. The Constitution states the president “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery or other high Crimes and misdemeanors.” The first article of impeachment claims “Abuse of Power.” They arrived at “abuse of power” only after polling showed the public didn’t believe their claims that the president engaged in “quid pro quo” or “bribery.” The only abuse of power that has occurred is by House Democrats.

The second article of impeachment claims “Obstruction of Congress.” If House Democrats were serious about this being an impeachable offense, they should have supported the impeachment of then-Attorney General Eric Holder, who refused to comply with congressional subpoenas. This is a standard they’re only willing to apply to President Trump. Further, there is no basis in law for an “obstruction of Congress” claim, and the Supreme Court is reviewing whether the Democrats’ claim is even constitutional. The White House has complied and released two unredacted call transcripts for the public to review. Furthermore, President Trump told Ambassador Gordon Sondland to testify before Congress and tell the truth. That is not an obstruction of anything, let alone Congress.

Even with Democrats using all their authority to push their presidential impeachment, no witness they called had firsthand knowledge or witnessed the alleged quid pro quo. No witness contradicted the key facts that have remained true since President Trump released his call transcript: the transcript showed no pressure on Ukraine to open an investigation; both presidents confirmed multiple times there was no pressure; the Ukrainian government was unaware U.S. security assistance was held at the time of the call; and aid was released on September 11 without any investigation occurring. How can there be a quid pro quo without a quid or a quo?

Impeaching a president with no evidence of a crime is a dangerous precedent to set and will create a new norm for what Congress considers impeachable conduct. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) stated in May that he is “concerned that if we don’t impeach this president, he will get re-elected.” That says it all. Democrats made this impeachment process as partisan as possible, turning a solemn process into a political sham. This was an embarrassment and I am ashamed by what occurred in the House.

Phil Roe represents the First Congressional District of Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is physician and co-chair of the House GOP Doctors Caucus and a member of the Health Caucus. Prior to serving in Congress, he served as the Mayor of Johnson City, Tennessee.

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America and Refugees

By Jay Nordlinger, National Review, September 27, 2019 - A few weeks back, we had an issue devoted to “What We Love about America.” One of the things I love is our traditional openness to refugees (with some shameful lapses, of course, as in the case of the St. Louis). We have provided a haven to the desperate and persecuted.

We have helped them, yes — but they have helped us, too. Some of the best Americans — the most admirable and American of Americans — have been refugees. From Germany, Vietnam, and all over. Many of them have served, and are serving, in our military — sometimes in the countries that hounded them out.

Imagine that: returning in an American uniform. (Henry Kissinger is an example of a person who did this.)
….
Obviously, we can’t take everyone. No nation can be responsible for the fall of every sparrow. But we can do more. And obviously, we have to be careful — our security is paramount. But we don’t have to slam the door shut. Refugees enrich our land. As a rule, they out-American Americans. Plus, have you ever thought about what you would do, if you needed refuge? (Read the article)

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Gov. Bill Lee Announces Decision on Refugee Resettlement

Office of the Governor press release, Dec. 18th, 2019, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Gov. Bill Lee announced his consent to initial refugee resettlement in Tennessee in response to Executive Order 13888 issued by President Donald J. Trump on September 26, 2019.

“The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, particularly those suffering religious persecution,” said Governor Bill Lee. “My administration has worked extensively to determine the best outcome for Tennessee, and I will consent to working with President Trump and his administration to responsibly resettle refugees.”

Rod's comment: I support Gov. Lee's decision. It is the moral thing to do.

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18 Reasons Why No Country Should Ever Accept Refugees

18 Reasons Why No Country Should Ever Accept Refugees

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TNGOP Statement On The Vote To Impeach President Donald Trump

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released the following statement on the vote to impeach President Donald Trump:  

"Today is a truly sad day for America. Not because a president was impeached, however reckless and lacking in evidence, but because the assault continues on the bedrock principles and institutions of our government by left-wing, progressive Democrats. The impeachment of President Trump began well over two years ago, with the flames stoked by a media that recounted every detail of alleged Russian collusion, the Mueller Report, and Rep. Adam Schiff's 'evidence' that amounted to the complete exoneration of President Trump. Democrats have met in secret basements, denied opposition witnesses, selectively leaked and lied, and abandoned all reason in order to impeach the President on primetime TV the week before Christmas. But make no mistake: 2020 will be the most important election in the history of our nation when the American people will render their ultimate judgement on the disgraceful actions of this sad day."

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What happened at the Dec. 17th Council meeting: Baby changing stations mandate advances, transparency and oversight measures pass, permits to build a fence killed, teachers raise passes. ban on private streets killed.

This meeting is little over two hours long. If you are going to watch the meeting, follow this link to access the agenda, agenda analysis and my commentary on the agenda.

The Vice mayor announces there are two vacancies on the Community Oversight Board. These two vacancies are in the category that must be filled my someone nominated by a community organization or by petition. The nomination deadline is Jan. 7. To see the explanation of this see timestamp 13:15 -21:55. If anyone is interested in this, contact the Metro Clerk's office.

Resolutions.

Resolution RS2019-85 request the Metro Planning Commission to change the Subdivision Regulations to prohibit the creation of new private streets and require all new streets created as a part of the subdivision platting process to be public rights-of-way. This is a "request." It is a memorializing resolution. It does not in itself do anything. When Metro request something of the Federal or State government it is pretty much meaningless. However, when the Council request something of an agency of Metro government, it is taken seriously since the Council controls their budget and confirmation of appointees. Since this is a memorializing resolution the staff attorney does not provide an analysis of this resolution. When making a request of a Metro agency or department, I think the staff analysis should explain the importance of what is being requested. I have a concern with this resolution, I do not know if it is valid, however. My concern: The roads in gated communities are privately owned. If they were public roads, the public could not be kept from using the public road. Would this have the effect of ending gated communities? I emailed the sponsor, asking this question, but did not get an answer. The resolution is deferred indefinitely, which pretty much means it is dead.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2019-130 appropriated $7.6 million to fund the mid-year 3% cost of living raise for Metro teachers and support staff. Councilman Steve Glover explains that by doing this we are committing to continuing this level of pay explaining this raise cannot be taken away. He supports it but wants the action the Council is taking to be clearly understood. He says that going forward he hopes the school board will push every available dollar to the classroom. To see the discussion see timestamp 43:00 - 52:37. This passes on a voice vote. 

Bills on Second Reading.

Bill BL2019-30 bans barbed wire and razor wire fencing in the Urban Zoning Overlay District along arterial and collector roadways. This is one of those bills about which I am conflicted. I sympathize with those property owners who are trying to protect their property, but this type fencing creates a feeling of living in a war zone. It makes a street ugly and devalues enjoyment of public spaces. It passed 2nd reading on a voice vote.

Bill BL2019-49 authorizes a property tax exemption for historic properties owned by charitable institutions. I support this. I support efforts to encourage the preservation of historic properties. It passes on a voice vote. 

Bill BL2019-95 requires baby changing stations in buildings with public restrooms. There will have to be at least one diaper changing station per floor if located within a family, assisted-use, or unisex bathroom, or one per sex per floor if located within a separate-sex restroom. This legislation would not require a retrofitting of any buildings. However, newly constructed public bathrooms and public bathrooms that are altered so as to require a building permit would be required to install diaper changing stations in accordance with this requirement. I wonder how many baby changing stations in men's restrooms are ever actually used. I have never seen one in use. This is one of those things I think we should let market demand dictate. We should not mandate it. It passes on a voice vote. There were some "no" votes but the vote is not a recorded vote.

Bills on Third Reading.

Bill BL2019-3 authorizes Metro to opt into the historic properties tax abatement program under state law and would establish a historic properties review board. I support this. I don't want to require property owners to preserve historic properties but I support incentives that encourage historic preservation. This is deferred. 

Bill BL2019-31 (as amended) would require a permit for all new fencing. We have never had this requirement before and I am unsure what problem calls for more burdensome regulation. I oppose it. It is deferred indefinitely. 

Bill BL2019-46 would require more oversight of the Water and Sewer Department. It would have to submit annual reports to the Council which would include: 1. The Audited Financial Statements, including net position, capital assets, outstanding bonds payable, and other financial information. 2. The Annual Budget Review, including the adequacy of budgeted revenues to cover projected expenses and debt requirements. 3. Any other information deemed relevant by the director or upon request of the Council public works or budget and finance committees. It passes 

Bill BL2019-77 requires the disclosure of the full cost of a project prior to submission of capital expenditure authorization legislation to the Metropolitan Council. Currently the New sheriff's headquarters $17M over budget. This is not cost overrun. We simply started the project $17 million short of the cost to complete it. That should not happen. This bill should prevent it. It passes on a voice vote.

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Tennessee will continue accepting refugees, Gov. Bill Lee says, as legislative leaders signal disapproval

Tennessee will continue accepting refugees, Gov. Bill Lee says, as legislative leaders signal disapproval

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Beacon’s 2019 Pork Report. The "winner" is Murfreesboro's Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.

by Rod Williams - The Beacon Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, conservative think-tank and is one of those organizations I support by my end-of-year giving.  Beacon cares about the issues I care about: government waste, overreach and inefficiency; occupational licensing; criminal justice reform; property rights; educational choice; corporate welfare; and more. It was Beacon that discovered the State was sitting on a $732 million reserve of unused TANF dollars that could have been being used to fund programs to help lift people out of poverty.

Every year about this time the Beacon issues their "pork report," calling attention to examples of wasteful spending by local or State governments.  They feature one example as "Pork of the Year." This year it was a $14.5 million renovation to Murfreesboro's Richard Siegel Soccer Complex while at the same time the city officials raised property taxes by 36%. Beacon Center says Murfreesboro loses $150,000 each year on the complex, and it will take at least 127 years to pay off the debt.

Other example of wasteful spending highlighted in the 2019 Pork Report were this:

• Memphis gave Evil's Graceland $75 million in incentives after Graceland threatened to relocate. 
• Memphis gave Fed Ex $2 million to move its headquarters from one part of Memphis to another. 
• Metro Nashville Public Schools paid $1 million to Performance Matters to help students prepare of test taking. The contract was illegal and no one knows what we actually got for the money.
• Nashville's Tax Increment financing. The example to illustrate the folly of the program is that the owner of a condo in the Veridian high rise downtown would pay $2600 in property taxes but only $l15 of that would go to the city

To read the full pork report follow this link. To learn more about the Beacon Center, follow this link.  Please join me in contributing to this fine organization. Contribute. 

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What's on the Council agenda for 12-17-2019: Permits to build a fence, mandated baby changing stations, pay raise for teacher, new oversights of Water department.

by Rod Williams - The Metro Council will meet Tuesday, Dec. 17th  at 6:30 PM in the Council chamber at the Metro Courthouse. Here is a link to the Council agenda and the Council staff analysis. For those who want to watch the Council meeting and follow along, the meeting are more interesting if you know what the heck is going on. You don't have to watch it and yet you can still be informed however, because I will watch it for you and then a couple days later post a summary of the most important Council actions and I will post a video of the meeting and highlight the interesting parts. Below is a summary of the agenda, highlighting what I deem to be the most important items.

Resolutions. Most are routine things. Tese is the only ones of interest.

Resolution RS2019-85 request the Metro Planning Commission to change the Subdivision Regulations to prohibit the creation of new private streets and require all new streets created as a part of the subdivision platting process to be public rights-of-way.  This "request." It is a memorializing resolution.  It does not in itself do anything.  When Metro request something of the Federal or State government it is pretty much meaningless. However, when the Council request something of an agency of Metro government, it is taken seriously since the Council controls their budget and confirmation of appointees.  Since this is a memorializing resolution the staff attorney does not provide an analysis of this resolution.  When making a request of a Metro agency or department, I think the staff analysis should explain the importance of what is being requested. 

I have a concern with this resolution, I do not know if it is valid however. I hope this is answered in committee. My concern: The roads in gated communities are privately owned.  If they were public roads, the public could not be kept from using the public road.  Would this have the effect of ending gated communities?  I have emailed the sponsor, asking this question. 

RESOLUTION NO. RS2019-130  appropriated $7.6 million to  fund the mid-year 3% cost of living raise for Metro teachers and support staff. I support this. 

Bills on Second Reading.

Bill BL2019-30 bans barbed wire and razor wire fencing in the Urban Zoning Overlay District along arterial and collector roadways. This is one of those bills about which I am conflicted. I sympathize with those property owners who are trying to protect their property, but this type fencing creates a feeling of living in a war zone. It makes a street ugly and devalues enjoyment of public spaces. 

Bill BL2019-49 authorizes a property tax exemption for historic properties owned by charitable institutions. I support this. I support efforts to encourage the preservation of historic properties. 

Bill BL2019-95 would require baby changing stations in buildings with public restrooms.  There would have to be at least one diaper changing station per floor if located within a family, assisted-use, or unisex bathroom, or one per sex per floor if located within a separate-sex restroom. This legislation would not require a retrofitting of any buildings. However, newly constructed public bathrooms and public bathrooms that are altered so as to require a building permit would be required to install diaper changing stations in accordance with this requirement. I wonder how many baby changing stations in men's restrooms are ever actually used.  I have never seen one in use. This is one of those things I think we should let market demand dictate. We should not mandate it. 

Bills on Third Reading .

Bill BL2019-3   authorizes Metro  to opt into the historic properties tax abatement program under state law and would establish a historic properties review board.  I support this. I don't want to require property owners to preserve historic properties but I support incentives that encourage historic preservation.

Bill BL2019-31 (as amended) would require a permit for all new fencing. We have never had this requirement before and I unsure what problem calls for more burdensome regulation. I oppose it. For the sponsor's explanation see time stamp 1:08:40 at this link where it was discussed on second reading.  It passes on a roll call vote of 27 to 9 and one abstention at that meeting. 

Bill BL2019-46   would require more oversight of the Water and Sewer Department. It would have to submit annual reports to the Council which would include: 1. The Audited Financial Statements, including net position, capital assets, outstanding bonds payable, and other financial information. 2. The Annual Budget Review, including the adequacy of budgeted revenues to cover projected expenses and debt requirements. 3. Any other information deemed relevant by the director or upon request of the Council public works or budget and finance committees. In my view this does not go far enough but it is an improvement.

Bill BL2019-77 requires the disclosure of the full cost of a project prior to submission of capital expenditure authorization legislation to the Metropolitan Council. Currently the New sheriff's headquarters $17M over budget. This is not cost overrun. We simply started the project $17 million short of the cost to complete it. That should not happen. This bill should prevent it. 

To watch the Council meeting, you can go to the courthouse and watch the meeting in person, or you can watch the broadcast live at Metro Nashville Network's Government TV on Nashville's Comcast Channel 3 and AT&T's U-verse 99 and it is streamed live at the Metro Nashville Network's livestream site. It is also available live on Roku. You can catch the meeting the next day (or the day after the next) on the Metro YouTube channel.   If can stand the suspense and just wait I will post the video here and provide commentary. 

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