ATF agent says Obama admin ordered him to allow guns to Mexican drug lords

A senior ATF agent is openly contradicting President Barack Obama, telling CBS News the Obama administration expressly ordered him to allow Mexican drug lords to access weapons, including the guns that killed Agent Brian Terry.

"An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, (John) Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen," CBS News reports. "Agent Dodson and other sources say the gun walking strategy was approved all the way up to the Justice Department."

CBS also has video showing suspected drug cartel suppliers arming themselves with AK-47s.  The video was recorded by ATF, but the Obama administration ordered agents not to arrest criminals.

Agent Dodson tells CBS thousands of weapons supplied to Mexican drug lords by Obama are still in the hands of violent killers, which will continue to add the current number of over 300 murders with weapons supplied by Obama.

Read the full report at CBS News.

Congress takes aim at government ammo hoarding

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK-3) introduced in their respective chambers Apr. 29 the Ammunition Management for More Obtainability (AMMO) Act of 2013. The legislation would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report on the purchasing of ammunition by federal agencies, except the Department of Defense, and its effect on the supply of ammunition available to the public. The AMMO Act would restrict agencies from obtaining additional ammunition for a six-month period if current agency stockpiles are higher than its monthly averages prior to the Obama Administration.

"President Obama has been adamant about curbing law-abiding Americans’ access and opportunities to exercise their Second Amendment rights," said Inhofe.

"One way the Obama Administration is able to do this is by limiting what’s available in the market with federal agencies purchasing unnecessary stockpiles of ammunition. As the public learned in a House committee hearing this week, the Department of Homeland Security has two years worth of ammo on hand and allots nearly 1,000 more rounds of ammunition for DHS officers than is used on average by our Army officers.

"The AMMO Act of 2013 will enforce transparency and accountability of federal agencies’ ammunition supply while also protecting law-abiding citizens access to these resources.”

“After hearing from my constituents about the shortage of ammunition in Oklahoma and the Department of Homeland Security’s profligate purchases of ammunition,” said Lucas.

“We have introduced the AMMO Act of 2013 to curtail these purchases so Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights without being encumbered by the federal government.

"I was surprised to find out the DHS has the right to buy up to 750 million rounds of ammunition over the next five years, while it already has two years worth of ammo already. This is an issue that must be addressed, and I am pleased this legislation provides us the opportunity to do so.”

Congress demands answers on Common Core

WASHINGTON – Steadfastly opposed to federal bureaucrats rewriting education and student privacy policies without congressional approval, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Txas 36) signed on to a letter authored by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO 3) to Education Secretary Arne Duncan demanding information regarding the implementation of these new policies and the authority under which the Education Department has acted.

Dating back to the 1960s, Congress has authorized and allocated funding for K-12 education policy through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – the primary vehicle for education reform on the federal level. The letter notes since ESEA’s most recent expiration the Education Department has, without any Congressional input, moved forward with Common Core standards by enticing states with grants and waivers to adopt Common Core standards.

“Since the ESEA’s expiration, the Department of Education has moved forward with education policy reform without Congressional input.  Such action is, at best, in contravention with precedent,” read the letter signed by Stockman and 33 other members of the House of Representative.  “We believe that state-based education policies are vital to the successful education of a child.  As with most one-size-fits-all policies, Common Core standards fail to address the specific needs of our states.”

The letter also addresses two changes in which the government collects and distributes student data. Members of Congress request a detailed description of each change to student privacy policy that has been made during Duncan’s tenure and the need and intended purpose for such changes. Of particular concern were regulatory changes made without congressional review regarding parental access to student education records and limiting third party disclosure of that information.

“We also request that you submit to us the authority under which the Department has implemented Common Core and altered polices on student policy…” the letter asks.

Below is the text of the House letter to Duncan:

The Honorable Arne Duncan
Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C.  20202

Dear Secretary Duncan,

As you know, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allows Congress to authorize and allocate funding for public K-12 education and, most importantly, is the primary vehicle in which we implement education policy reform.  Most recently reauthorized through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the ESEA’s authorization expired on September 30, 2008, and has yet to be reauthorized.  Since the ESEA’s expiration, the Department of Education (Department) has moved forward with education policy reform without Congressional input.  Such action is, at best, in contravention with precedent.

In addition to expressing our concern with the Department’s circumvention of Congress to reform education policy, we are writing you to express our concerns with the implementation of Common Core standards and changes to federal data collection and disbursement policies.

In 2009, forty-six governors signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Governor’s Association committing their states to the development and adoption of new education standards within three years.  As we understand it, states then had the option of adopting Common Core standards or creating their own equivalent standards.  At the time, Common Core standards were simply an idea where states would collaborate to create uniformed education standards.  Details about Common Core were not only unknown to the states, they did not exist.  From there, the Department offered Race To The Top (RTTT) grants and NCLB waivers to states under the condition that each state would implement “college and career ready” standards.  At the time, the only “college and career ready” standards with the Department’s approval were Common Core.

In addition to serious concerns we have regarding the Department’s aforementioned coercion of states to opt-in to Common Core standards, many of which were and continue to have serious budgetary issues and specific issues with existing education policies, we have become increasingly concerned over the development of the Common Core standards themselves.  Though initially promoted as state-based education standards, Common Core standards, as they have been developed over the last few years, are nothing of the sort.  In just one very troubling instance, Common Core standards will replace state-based standardized testing with nationally-based standardized testing, the creation and initial implementation of which will be funded in full by the federal government.  The long-term, annual administering of the exams, the cost of which has not been specified by the Department, is to be funded by the states.

As representatives from states across the nation, we understand the diverse cultures and state-specific education needs that exist in America.  We believe that state-driven education policy is vital to the success of our children and that Members of Congress can best demonstrate the specific needs of their constituents.  As with most one-size-fits-all policies, Common Core standards fail to address these needs.

As you know, because states opted-in to Common Core standards, there is little Congress can do to provide any relief from these burdensome and misguided standards.  Instead, the ability to opt-out of these standards lies with the state.  With that in mind, we will be working with our respective state legislatures and governors to provide relief to our education systems.  In the meantime, we urge you to work with Members of Congress to reauthorize the ESEA in a manner that allows state-specific education needs to be addressed.

Separate from reauthorization, we are extremely concerned over recent changes the Department has made to the manner in which the federal government collects and distributes student data.

As you know, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was signed into law in 1974, guaranteeing parental access to student education records and limiting their disclosure to third parties. FERPA was intended to address parents’ growing privacy concerns and grant parental access to the information schools use to make decisions that impact their children.

Once again circumventing Congress, in 2011 the Department took regulatory action to alter definitions within FERPA.  With the technological advances that have occurred in recent years, changes to FERPA deserve the full scrutiny of the legislative process more so than ever before.

In addition, we understand that as a condition of applying for RTTT grant funding, states obligated themselves to implement a State Longitudinal Database System (SLDS) used to track students by obtaining personally identifiable information.

Regarding these two very concerning changes to the manner in which government collects and distributes student data, we formally request a detailed description of each change to student privacy policy that has been made under your leadership, including the need and intended purpose for such changes.

In addition, we request that you submit to us the authority under which the Department has implemented Common Core and altered polices on student policy, specifically relating to FERPA and SLDS.

It is our sincere hope that the Department works with the Legislative Branch to implement any changes to education standards and student privacy policy.  We look forward to your response and welcome the opportunity to address these issues in the future.

Uh-“O”!: May’s Obama Failometer score is an off-the-charts 1,166

WASHINGTON – The nation’s economy is worse off under Obama than under Bush for yet another month, according to an objective mathematical measurement of the nation’s economic indicators released Friday by Congressman Steve Stockman (R-Texas 36.)

May’s Obama Failometer Score is an astonishing 1,166, indicating widespread economic suffering, especially among blacks and Hispanics.

“Not only is Obama choking the life out of the economy, Obama is punishing blacks and Hispanics the harshest.  No wonder Obama has completely given up on the economy and is now focused on radical left-wing wedge issues,” said Stockman.

The Obama Failometer uses a fixed mathematical score to calculate four economic indicators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The figures from the monthly reports are weighted to provide a balanced total score, which ranges from zero to 1,000. A score of 0 represent economic stability and racial equality. The higher the score, the deeper the economic failure.

Obama can set the Failometer to zero simply by outperforming Bush on the economy and fulfilling his 2008 and 2012 campaign promises to help blacks and Hispanics gain economically.
So far, Obama is worse than Bush.

Since its creation Obama has failed to generate a Failometer score that can be contained within the chart’s range of zero to 1000.

The Obama Failometer Score was originally displayed on a ten-foot-long billboard displayed in the hallways of the Capitol’s Cannon House Office building.  House officials ordered it torn down in January after Democrats complained.

Here is how the Obama Failometer Score is calculated:

FACTORS MEASURED AGAINST BUSH

Monthly jobs created: The Hamilton Project, a liberal economic policy group, states the economy must create 321,000 jobs a month in order to return the economy to pre-recession employment levels by December 2016, the end of Obama’s term.

Obama promised to not only restore the economy to where it was under Bush, but grow it.  So far Obama has failed to even perform as well as Bush.

This Obama Failometer score portion is calculated by subtracting the number of jobs created in the previous month from the 321,000 jobs claimed necessary by the liberal Hamilton Project and dividing by 1,000 to balance it against other factors.

The BLS reports the economy created 165,000 jobs in April, 156,000 fewer than needed to restore the economy.  This portion of the Obama Failometer Score is 156.

Civilian labor force participation rate:  The civilian labor force participation rate, the ratio between those 16 and over in the labor force against the national population of those 16 and over, is an important measure of economic health.  After puttering along during the Bush administration, including through the “Bush years” of the recession, under Obama it has plunged sharply.

This Obama Failometer score portion is calculated by subtracting the monthly civilian labor force participation rate from the average Bush administration rate and multiplying by 100 to balance it against other factors. According to data from the BLS, under Bush the average monthly civilian labor force participation rate was around 66.2 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the monthly civilian labor force participation rate for April is stagnant at an abysmal 63.3 percent, close to the record low and a gap against Bush of 2.9 percent.  This portion of the Obama Failometer Score is 290.

FACTORS MEASURED AGAINST OBAMA’S OWN RHETORIC

Black unemployment:  No one has suffered more economically under Obama than black Americans. Obama’s election and re-election has meant crippling poverty for the black community.
This Obama Failometer score portion is calculated by taking the monthly unemployment rate for blacks and subtracting the monthly unemployment rate for all Americans, and multiplying it by 100 to balance it against other factors.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the black unemployment rate for April was a depressing 13.2 percent, while the national overall rate was 7.7 percent.  That is a gap of 5.7 percent, the same last month.  This portion of the Obama Failometer Score is 570.

Compare Obama’s performance to Bush’s.  The highest monthly unemployment rate ever for blacks under Bush was 12.1 percent.  Obama’s lowest rate was 12.7 percent in January, a figure he largely inherited.  He has never performed as well as Bush’s worst black unemployment rate.
Bush’s average black unemployment rate was 9.7 percent and an overall national average of 5.2 percent, a 4.5 percent gap that gives Bush a score of 450.

Hispanic unemployment:  Despite winning the Hispanic vote, Obama’s liberal policies have caused widespread damage to the Hispanic community.  Thanks to Obama, they continue to lag behind the national average in many economic factors.

This Obama Failometer score portion is calculated by taking the monthly unemployment rate for Hispanics and subtracting the monthly unemployment rate for all Americans, and multiplying it by 100 to balance it against other factors.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the Hispanic unemployment rate for March was a pitiful 9.0 percent, while the national overall rate was 7.5 percent.  That is a gap of 1.5 percent.  This portion of the Obama Failometer Score is 150.

The Hispanic unemployment rate hit its all-time historic low of 4.7 percent during Bush's last term.  It is almost twice that rate under Obama.

THEREFORE, APRIL’S OBAMA FAILOMETER SCORE IS 1166.

GOP says April jobs report shows more work to be done

WASHINGTON -  Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise Friday issued the following statement after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April jobs report.

            “On the heels of March’s lowest workforce participation in more than 30 years, today’s April jobs report shows there’s still much work to be done,” Scalise said. “According to recent reports, private sector job growth, the backbone of our economy, slowed to a crawl in April as companies hired fewer employees than they had each of the last seven months.  Contrary to the popular belief among Washington liberals, a bigger federal government is the problem not the solution.

            “There are common-sense solutions to address America's economic problems that House Republicans continue fighting for, like green lighting the Keystone XL Pipeline that will create 20,000 jobs and promote a healthy economy here at home.  Next week, the House will take another proactive step to protect America’s credit rating and safeguard our economy by passing the Full Faith and Credit Act.  It’s time for liberals in Washington to stop focusing on raising taxes and threatening default, and start working with us responsibly to finally balance the federal budget.”

Obama's new gun-grabbing Executive Order

“Gun Owners of America [has] spent the months since Newtown doing tremendous damage, insisting that expanded background checks will lead to a gun registry.” - New York Times, April 4, 2013

It’s quite a complement when the New York Times thinks that you are doing “tremendous damage.”

But you can be sure that the other side is not going to go away quietly.

And sure enough, the Obama Administration is trying to unilaterally undo our recent victory in the Senate - and to undo the “damage” that all of us inflicted together.

But first, a little history.

Remember when Senators Pat Toomey, Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer formed an unholy alliance during the recent gun battle on Capitol Hill?  Remember how their amendment would have encouraged your psychiatrist to turn you in to the FBI's gun ban list?

And you remember how we stopped that provision, because over 40 senators found it to be odious and a violation of the Second Amendment?

Well, guess what?  Barack Obama has just concluded that "he don't need no stinkin’ Senate."
Instead, Secretary Kathleen "ObamaCare" Sebelius - and her Department of Health and Human Services - has promulgated regulations which would, by executive fiat, waive all federal privacy laws and encourage you doctor to report you to the FBI.

Understand a couple of things:  First, the standard which your doctor would use to turn you in is embodied in Clinton-era ATF language and in the anti-gun Veterans Disarmament Act of 2007.

Specifically, you doctor would "drop a dime" on you if he suspected you were even a slight "danger to yourself of others" or were "unable to manage your financial affairs."

So if they say you can't balance your checkbook, then you lose your constitutional rights.

But there's another problem:  The day these regulations become law, lawyers will be lining up to sue "deep-pocket" psychiatrists for every case where they failed to turn in a patient to NICS - if the patient subsequently engages in a horrific act.

The bottom line?  Any psychiatrist who failed to report all of his patients to the NICS system risks losing everything if any of them engages in harmful conduct.  Soon the rule of thumb will be: See a shrink; lose your guns.

And the regulations will apply to private, as well as government-employed psychiatrists.

The bad news is that 165,000 military veterans have already lost their gun rights because of the “see a VA shrink, lose your gun rights” precedent from the Clinton-Bush era.

Sadly, what happened to military veterans has now begun in the private sector - especially in places like New York, after they recently passed their misnamed SAFE Act.

According to gun rights reporter, Dan Roberts, firearms are now being confiscated from gun owners because of their mental health information. For example:

“[John Doe] received a letter from the Pistol Permit Department informing him that his license was immediately revoked upon information that he was seeing a therapist for anxiety and had been prescribed an anxiety drug. He was never suicidal, never violent, and has no criminal history.”

So now taking anxiety pills can result in one’s forfeiting their Second Amendment rights in New York!

This is where the gun haters want to push their agenda.  And this is one reason why background checks are so dangerous - because they give government bureaucrats the opportunity to deny law-abiding people their constitutionally-protected rights.

But the good news is this:  The HHS rulemaking is still at an early stage, and HHS is (no doubt reluctantly) taking the views of the general public.

ACTION: Go to the Federal Register - at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-04-23/pdf/2013-09602.pdf - and respond to the regs entitled “HIPAA Privacy Rule and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).”

Let the HHS know how you feel about waiving all federal privacy laws for people who seek
counseling.

You may submit your comments at www.regulations.gov

Also, be sure to tell your congressmen that you oppose the “see a shrink, lose your guns” regs issued by the HHS.  Ask him to issue his own comments as well.

The regs themselves lay out several ways that you may submit your opposition.  The comment period ends on June 7, 2013.

Alert from Gun Owners of America