Norman Singleton

Farm Bill Follies

by Norman Singleton | Dec 24, 2018 | Blog

Here is a detailed summary of the policies and politics of the Farm Bill that passed Congress last week. Details of the 800-page bill were kept under wraps until last Monday night. The reason might have been that, in the words of House Agricultural Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-07), “There’s a concern on some of the members’ part that when people find out what’s in the bill, it will start unraveling.” Looking at the details of the bill, it is clear why it would start unraveling when people find out what’s in it. Not only does the bill not include the Grassley Amendment giving...

US Involvement in Yemen–Update

by Norman Singleton | Dec 15, 2018 | Featured Articles, Op Eds

S.J.Res. 54, which ends U.S. involvement in Yemen’s civil war, passed by a vote of 56-41. Here are the 8 Republicans who voted for the resolution: Susan Collins (ME) Steve Daines (MT) Jeff Flake (AZ) Mike Lee (UT) Jim Moran (KS) Rand Paul (KY) Todd Young (IN) Before passing the resolution, the Senate defeated an amendment by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton that allowed the U.S. military to intervene in Yemen to stop the Houthi from attacking targets outside Yemen. That amendment was defeated 45-54. You can see the vote here. Concerns have been raised that the resolution has an “Al Qaeda”...

Will Paul Ryan and Co. Deny Another Vote on Yemen?

by Norman Singleton | Dec 7, 2018 | Blog

Remember when the House leadership squashed a vote on a resolution ending US involvement in Yemen by removing it’s privileged status? Well, the leaders of that resolution have reintroduced it as H.Con.Res.142 and I just heard from a friend on the Hill that the House leadership may pull the same trick and they may do it as early as Monday! So, Campaign for Liberty members and all decent American humans should call their Representatives and tell them to vote NO on any legislation that removes H.Con.Res 142’s privileged status!

URGENT UPDATE: VOTE on Yemen Today

by Norman Singleton | Nov 14, 2018 | Blog, Politics

Today, November 14, the U.S. House will consider H.Res. 1142, the “rule” bill allowing for debate on HR 6784, which removes the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The House Rules Committee inserted a provision declaring that “the War Powers Act does not apply to H.Con.Res. 138,” which directs the president to cease all hostile actions in Yemen. This provision removes the resolution’s “privileged” status, so if the rule passes, House leadership will be able to delay a vote indefinitely. The Rules Committee is called the “Speaker’s Committee,” so Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions...

This Week in Congress

by Norman Singleton | Nov 14, 2018 | Featured Articles, Politics

The parties will also begin appointing committee and subcommittee chairs. I’ll have a full analysis of the House and Senate leadership committee chairs when they are finalized. The Senate will be considering the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill as well as nominations. The most significant is the nomination of former Kansas Banking Commissioner Michelle Bowman to the Federal Reserve Board. Bowman’s nomination is expected to sail through. Bowman fulfills the requirement that at least one member of the board “have primary experience serving or working with community banks,” as she worked with a...

Trump’s Budget: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

by Norman Singleton | Feb 18, 2018 | Economics, Featured Articles

The Good Reduces spending by $48.4 billion, including $25.8 billion from eliminating programs. Increases the ability of Medicare Part D plans to negotiate for lower drug prices. Adopts a two-year penny plan to reduce no-defense discretionary spending by 2 percent per year after 2019. Zeros out funding for global climate change initiative. Zeros out funding for “development assistance” for foreign countries. Privatizes the international space station. Privatizes Reagan National and Dulles airports. Cuts the Environmental Protection Agency by 25%. Cuts the Department of Education by $3.6...

Ron Paul on State of the Union

by Norman Singleton | Jan 31, 2018 | Economics, Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s State of the Union address: “President Trump began his speech by celebrating the benefits of lower taxes. Sadly this was the only pro-liberty part of the speech. The bulk of President Trump's remarks was devoted to a massive increase in government— from an over trillion dollar infrastructure plan to new federal education programs to a new federal entitlement to paid family plan to increasing the war on drugs. The most disappointing part of the night was when President Trump engaged in crude...

Liberty at the Movies: Kong: Skull Island

by Norman Singleton | Nov 27, 2017 | Featured Articles, Libertarianism

Kong: Skull Island, the latest cinematic incarnation of the legendary big ape King Kong, is not just a thrilling monster movie, but an anthology of the follies of military intervention. Set in the early seventies, the movie takes place in the backdrop of the end of the Vietnam war. The film begins with a government agent seeking continued support for his secret project to find monsters. He wishes to lead an exploration to a "hidden" island where he believes he will find monsters. Fortunately he gets permission, or this would be a really short movie. He hires a crew to accompany him--...