The State of the World

Current Issues and The Constitution

The State of Our World –

What is the state of our world in early 2015? What about the ramifications happening now that will impact us for years? Here is a birds eye view of some of the topics we discuss today. Be sure to get out a copy of your US Constitution – it helps get a grasp of what is taking place and how the country foundation helps put it all into perspective.

SHOW Notes:

In The News:

• Obama’s continuing decline – 37% approval, 55% disapprove
• ISIS continues its hold on territory in Syria and Iraq – SOU: “We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we have done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies.”
• Charlie Hebdo massacre …
• Paris Je Suis Charlie march …all major world leaders join except Putin, Kim Jong Il, and Obama
• French, German and Belgian police arrested more than two dozen suspects in anti-terrorism raids Friday, as European authorities rushed to thwart more attacks by people with links to Islamic extremists in the Mideast.
• 5 more Yemeni terrorists released from Gitmo – Obama scheme to close Gitmo? – Senate to block?
• Duke University, ISLAM religion was be given more of a voice as the Duke Muslim community would begin chanting the adhan, the call to prayer, from the Duke Chapel bell tower on Fridays beginning this week …was to be chanted by Muslim students prior to the jummah prayer service that takes place in the chapel basement each Friday afternoon – after much protest Duke withdraws permission. Free Zones?
• Pew Research on American families – 46% of children live in traditional family, down from 61% in 1980
• Jeb Bush taking heat over common core

Nineteen Republican candidates ranking – The first number is the percentage of ballots the candidate was named on, whether as first, second or third choice (which may be more revealing at this early point in the race than the first place choices alone). The second is the percentage the candidate received of first place votes.

• Scott Walker–44/18.
• Ted Cruz–35/16.
• Ben Carson–26/10.
• Mitt Romney–24/12.
• Bobby Jindal–20/3.
• Jeb Bush–18/8.
• Marco Rubio–18/4.
• Rand Paul–16/6.
• John Kasich–15/4.
• Rick Perry–15/3.
• Mike Huckabee–12/3.
• John Bolton–10/3.
• Mike Pence–9/2.
• Chris Christie–8/2.
• Rick Santorum–7/2.

State of the Union – The State of the World

Article 2, Section 3

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REPUBLICAN AND A DEMOCRAT

Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person. Romney gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.
Hillary was very impressed, so when they came to another homeless person, she decided to help. She walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into Romney’s pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for her administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.
State of the Union Message:

• Theme – Conflict
• Veto Keystone XL pipeline
• Veto GOP bills that would chip away at Obama Care, financial regulations and his recent immigration actions.
• Tax hikes on high earners & firms totaling $320-billion over 10 years.
• Free community college – federal government to cover 75 percent of the cost, states fund the rest
• Called anew for Congress to raise the minimum wage
• Lower down-payment requirements on qualified applicants for FHA loans.
• Protecting as many as 5 million law-abiding undocumented immigrants from the risk of summary deportation – stretching executive power
• Normalize relations with Cuba …Iran
• Cyber security reform

New Congress – 114^th – The State of the World

What does congress look like to date? And – what does the constitution have to say?

CONSTITUTION:

Article 1, SECTION 5, Clause 2.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

SECTION. 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Characteristics of the 114^th Congress:

• The new Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male and 92 percent Christian
• House: 246 Republicans – 188 Democrats – 58 margin – Biggest Republican advantage in 70 years
• Senate: 54 Republicans – 44 Democrats – 2 Independents

Minor Glitches:

• Tea Party vs. Centrists – both houses, McConnell …Boehner challenged by Reps. Louie Gohmert of Texas and Ted Yoho and Daniel Webster of Florida.
• Michael Grimm (R, NY) announced late Monday night plans to resign from Congress, after pleading guilty to a felony tax evasion charge last week.
• Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R, LA) spoke to a white supremacist group, European-American Unity and Rights Organization.

Five bills in motion:

• Keystone Pipeline
• Regulatory reform to limit federal agencies ability to write rules
• Alter a key section of Dodd Frank in a way that would give banks more freedom to operate
• Bill to block Obama’s amnesty plan
• Hire More Heroes Act – ACA exemptions for Vets so businesses can avoid the employee mandate.

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