FW Newsletter: Obama Ignores the Law to Bail Out Insurers

Obama Administration Blatantly Disregards Law to Bail Out Insurers Following the release of a letter signed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to Obama administration officials that questioned an illegal bailout of health insurance companies through ObamaCare’s reinsurance program, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: “The Obama administration is blatantly disregarding the law at the expense of taxpayers. Congress has already taken steps through the appropriations process to prevent bailouts through ObamaCare’s risk corridors program. But more steps need to be taken to hold the administration accountable for ignoring the law and to ensure that taxpayers are protected.” Read more here... Back Stage With the Candidates at FreedomWorks' Rising Tide Summit Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Unanimously Passes Florida House, Heads to Governor's Desk - by Jason Pye The momentum for civil asset forfeiture reform continued Tuesday. The Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed SB 1044 less than a week after it passed the state Senate without opposition. SB 1044 requires law enforcement to make an arrest before property believed to be connected to a crime is seized and requires the government to present proof beyond a reasonable doubt before property can be forfeited to the state. In most states, law enforcement does not need to arrest, formally charge, or even convict some before taking permanent possession of their property. Some states, though, have established a criminal conviction as a prerequisite to forfeiture. Those states include New Mexico and Montana, both of which, just last year, passed this essential property rights protection for innocent owners. While a criminal conviction would not be required in Florida under SB 1044, the evidentiary standard it sets -- "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" -- is the same the government needs to secure a conviction. Read more here... FreedomWorks' Statement on the Passing of Nancy Reagan Following the passing of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: “Nancy Reagan was a woman of grace and class who was deeply devoted to her husband. We are saddened to learn of her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Reagan family, and we join them in mourning the loss of this great woman.”  Read more here... FreedomWorks Backs Senate Judiciary Panel Refusal to Hold SCOTUS Hearing - via The Washington Post FreedomWorks, the conservative activist group rooted in the tea party movement, is throwing its support behind Senate Republicans who are refusing to hold confirmation hearings for President Obama’s eventual nominee to the Supreme Court. “On behalf of our 5.7 million members nationwide, we strongly urge you to avoid holding hearings to consider any nominee to the Supreme Court until the next president is sworn into office,” FreedomWorks chief executive Adam Brandon writes in a letter to Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The letter, which copies Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), is to be sent to the lawmakers Wednesday. Read more here... Civil Asset Forfeiture Civil asset forfeiture is a practice that allows law enforcement to seize property if they suspect it was involved in a crime. It is then up to the property owner to prove their innocence, even if they are never charged with a crime. This inverts the classic American principle of innocent until proven guilty, and denies citizens their Fifth Amendment right to due process. Read more here... House Acts to Save American Brick Industry - by Curt Levey The House took a stand Thursday against an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that threatens the survival of the small companies that make up the bulk of the American brick industry. The EPA's Brick Maximum Achievable Control Technology (Brick MACT) rule will require brick plants to install costly new emission reduction equipment, after first tearing out the expensive equipment they installed to comply with a previous, less stringent version of the rule. The new equipment will cost about $2.2 million per kiln, yet will eliminate only a negligible amount of mercury emissions per year, far less than is in the teeth of the American population. The bill passed by the House Thursday, H.R. 4557, the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act, would delay enforcement of the onerous new EPA regulation until the courts can resolve legal challenges to the rule. That seems like common sense—don't force Americans to comply with a rule before it's determined to be lawful—yet 163 members of the House (all Democrats) voted against the bill. Read more here... FreedomWorks Urges Republican Members of Judiciary Not to Consider Any Supreme Court Nominee FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon sent a letter to Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday morning urging them not to consider any nominee to the Supreme Court until the American people express their views on the matter in November, through their choice of the next president. FreedomWorks’ community of grassroots conservative activists sent nearly 300,000 messages to Senate Republicans in less than 24 hours between February 29 and March 1. Since the initial round of messages, another 265,000 messages have been delivered, bringing the total to well over half a million. The refrain was simple and direct: Give the people a say in determining the future direction of the Court. No hearings, no votes on Supreme Court nominees until the next president takes office. Read more here... FreedomWorks in Action Sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update If you want an update like this newsletter twice a week, be sure to sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update! The Morning Update is your tool to keep up-to-date with all the threats to your freedom. Sign up here. Make freedom work, Jason Pye Communications Director, FreedomWorks           Forward To A Friend | Update Your Email Preferences 400 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 765 Washington, DC 20001