Obama Video Questions

1. If the republican minority members were so worried that their party was going to be overshadowed for generations, why haven’t we made it that the houses of congress aren’t equally divided in partisanship?

2. Why did Obama initially try so hard to get republicans on his side if they’re in the minority anyway?

3. What is the electorate?

4. What was the great bargain even referencing?

5. Why was there a time limit on the debt ceiling that was so pressing that they had to make a decision in order to prevent a seemingly catastrophic event?

Ben Carson's Campaign Finance Chief Resigns

Ben Carson's campaign finance chairman resigned right before the Republican presidential candidates were supposed to get together for a debate in South Carolina. There is no public explanation as to why Dean Parker (telecommunications entrepreneur) quit the job that awarded him a salary of $20,000 per month, and required immense effort as he built the fund-raising organization from the ground up. Other staff members have followed Parker's lead and also turned in their resignations, which has caused Carson's poll numbers to drop quickly in recent months and raised questions about Carson's presidential abilities.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/14/

Bernie Sanders' Financial Transformation

Bernie Sanders has officially laid out his financial transformation plan, which includes an idea to convert credit rating agencies into nonprofit organizations. The remodeling would occur over the course of two years until agencies are funded by a fee paid by issuers. The Sanders campaign plans to improve companies that had said that mortgage securities had close to no risk of default, which was proven false when they triggered a financial dilemma. Sanders thinks the ratings agencies' work should be appointed by an independent investor board, who would be chosen by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Sanders envisions the board to be filled with "representatives from pensions, mutual funds and organized labor."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-credit-rating-agency-reform-plan_56955d02e4b086bc1cd57afd?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics&section=politics

Supreme Court Elders

ABC's "This Week" recently showed an interview with Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, in which Breyer noted that he will be turning 78 by the time the next president is sworn in. It has been brought to attention that aside from himself, four of Breyer's colleagues are well over 75 years old and three are over the age of 80. It makes sense for the members of the Court to be more elderly, because appointments can be for a lifetime (usually 16 years). Breyer also explained that the job must be performed by people with an "ongoing ability to engage in the complicated work" and that experience is needed. Court members' ages are important, because they suggest that the next president will probably get to appoint multiple new members to the Court. Members of the Supreme Court rarely retire in groups, which is what makes this occurrence so interesting. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/27/so-there-are-going-to-be-a-lot-of-people-older-than-75-on-the-supreme-court-in-2017/

Gunmaker's Liability

California Representative Adam B. Schiff (Democrat) and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) are proposing a bill that would invalidate the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and therefore make gunmakers accountable in cases of gun violence, and prevent "straw purchasers," or gun traffickers, who buy guns and sell them. The goal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was to protect the gun industry from small and unneeded lawsuits, however Mr. Schiff argues: “Guns are the only industry that is immune to liability, and I don’t think it should be. Good actors don’t need immunity, and bad actors don’t deserve it.” Mr. Schiff and Mr. Blumenthal's bill, the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, is "much the same as any gun violence prevention bill, but it’s profoundly important.”

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/13/2-democrats-seek-to-take-gunmakers-liability-shield/

Human Traffickers In U.S. Visa System

More than half of human traffickers used work in the visa business and abused their power to bring victims into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report states:  "from 2005 to 2014 visas were the primary means by which 17 of 32 known traffickers brought victims into the United States.” DHS found out that traffickers were bringing their victims into the country with the help of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who kept data on traffickers a secret. Shockingly, most of the victims in the United States are U.S. citizens, but many others are foreigners brought from other countries. With this new information, hopefully the government and DHS can work together to take more preventive measures in order to eventually end human trafficking in the United States. 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/politics/human-traffickers-visa-waivers/index.html

Exploring Congress; How it Works - Part 2

S. 1177: Every Student Succeeds Act: enacted and signed on December 10, 2015
Sponsor: Lamar Alexander (Senior Senator from Tennessee--Republican)
Full title of bill: An original bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every child achieves.
Summary: It was brought to the attention of the senate by the HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) committee. The chairmen of the HELP committee and bill sponsor, Lamar Alexander, explained that  the bill would "assess student learning" and "give states authority based on those results." The bill enlarges the scope of state government's responsibility and involvement in schools, provides grants to schools, and reduces the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) system.
Amendments: 
1. S.Amdt. 2107 -- limits federal authority to create new regulations without Congressional approval

2. S.Amdt. 2139 -- allows federal funds for the education of disadvantaged children 

Timeline:

Lamar Alexander

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1177/summary

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1177