Senators Introduce Semper Fi Act of 2008

[DixieBelle]

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008. The bill would rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-California) is introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Last week, the City Council of Berkeley voted to oust Marine Corps recruiters from their downtown office, saying the Marines were "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Berkeley officials also voted to give the radical protest group Code Pink space outside the recruitment office and urged them to "impede, passively or actively" the work of Marine Corps recruiters.

One earmark provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization Chez Panisse to create gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to "environmental harmony" and their menu features "Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad," "eyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis," and "Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast."

Another earmark would spend $975,000 in taxpayer dollars for the University of California in Berkeley Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, to create a new endowment and cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. U.C. Berkeley currently already has a $3.5 billion endowment.

Senator DeMint: "Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences. Patriotic American taxpayers won’t sit quietly while Berkeley insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town. Berkeley City Council members have shown complete ingratitude to our military and their families, and the city doesn’t deserve a single dime of special pet project handouts."

Senator Cornyn: "The Berkeley City Council insulted our troops and offended people across the country. If the U.S. Marines are not good enough for Berkeley, neither are taxpayer dollars Congress would have sent there this year. That city closed its doors on the same individuals taking bullets on the front lines while fighting for the safety and freedom of families in Berkeley and throughout America."

Senator Vitter: "The actions of the City Council of Berkeley are in stark contrast to beliefs of the vast majority of Americans who recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of our U.S. Marines. This is simply unacceptable and those funds could be better utilized by the Marine Corps."

Dr. Coburn: "The actions by the city of Berkeley are deplorable and insulting to those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the very freedoms that are being exercised to insult them. I know I stand with the majority of Americans in thanking our service men and women for their selfless service to our nation."

Senator Inhofe: "Unfortunately, those on the Berkeley city council do not seem to understand the sacrifice of the brave men and women of the United States Marine Corps. By interfering with military recruiting, the city of Berkeley is hampering our ability to protect this nation. While the city of Berkeley and the protestors are free to say whatever they like, free speech is not a protection from consequence."

Senator Chambliss: "We need to send a strong message that our military personnel deserve our strongest support. Georgia is a proud military state, and my constituents will be out outraged to know that during a time of war, their taxpayers dollars have been used to reward folks who have insulted and disparaged those who defend this nation every day."

http://www.jiminhofe.com/News/Read.aspx?guid=0c1287a4-a6eb-4b13-a951-729dcc266631


 

 

[Chris_]

Looks like this has some legs.  I think at first Berkeley thought the movement against them wouldn't get any support, but some of these are very serious legislators.

[franksolich]

Well, this was my question some months ago, when Oakland, California, decided it wasn't going to cooperate with enforcement of federal immigration laws.

The city of Oakland has been a substantial beneficiary of federal dollars; everything from financial aid to its schools to social security payments to grants to its libraries and law-enforcement to food stamps, &c., &c., &c.

It seemed rather peculiar to me, that a place would tell the government, yes, yes, yes, we want your money, but no, no, no, we aren't going to cooperate with your enforcing laws in our place.

It's sort of like the Vermontese separatists, who want that Godforsaken place to be an independent nation, free of the United States.....but who at the same time expect that Patrick "Joe McCarthy" Leahy and Jr. from Vermont could continue representing them in the U.S. Senate.

[djones520]

Reading what some of those earmarks are, I'm pissed that something like this was what drove to remove them.  Gourmet "organic" foods for school?  WTFO?

[Lord Undies]

The baseless assumption of liberalism's universal appeal encourages people like this city council to do outrageous things they truly believe will be applauded by the general public.   It is always a stunning shock to them when they are rebuked.  They cannot understand from where the opposition is coming or how it could possibly have a louder voice than theirs. 

[VelvetElvis]

The Feds are never shy about using things like the threat of cutting Federal highway funds to mandate 55 mph speed limits or 21 year old drinking age laws, so why should they allow Moonbat sanctuaries to spit in their eye?

[franksolich]

The Feds are never shy about using things like the threat of cutting Federal highway funds to mandate 55 mph speed limits or 21 year old drinking age laws, so why should they allow Moonbat sanctuaries to spit in their eye?

My question, exactly, in both this instance and in the case of Oakland.

[Chris_]

The Feds are never shy about using things like the threat of cutting Federal highway funds to mandate 55 mph speed limits or 21 year old drinking age laws, so why should they allow Moonbat sanctuaries to spit in their eye?

My question, exactly, in both this instance and in the case of Oakland.

They need to add Toledo to the mix as well....

doc

[Chris_]

Update:

Reid’s move delayed rap on Berkeley

Senate Democrats left two days of legislative business officially open last week, hobbling GOP efforts to bring up a bill punishing a liberal California city for scolding Marine Corps recruiters.

Republicans said Democrats clearly wanted to avoid being forced to choose between the Marine Corps or Berkeley, Calif., known for its liberalism and fervent anti-war positions.

Instead of adjourning at the end of a day as usual, the Senate “recessed” twice, a move that, under Senate rules, slows the process of adding new bills to the calendar. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) did not adjourn until last Friday, effectively pushing back floor consideration on the GOP bill until Tuesday — the same day that the city council is likely to tone down its call for Marine Corps recruiters to leave town.

“The only reason to recess is to block something, and the thing that got blocked by Reid’s stall tactic was the Semper Fi Act,” said spokesman Wesley Denton, referring to the bill introduced by his boss, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

“Democrats have chosen not to defend the Marine Corps, but to pander to anti-war protesters and Berkeley officials that are actively trying to impede military recruitment.”

 

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[DixieBelle]

He's a deplorable f*ckstick.

How's that Mandate for Change coming Nancy??? Ugh. Useless idjits.

[Chris_]

Well, despite that lovely Democrat roadblock, I must say, I am proud of Saxby Chambliss for taking the right stand on this issue.  After the whole immigration bill debacle, I was this close to making sure he did not see another term (He and Isakson backed off after many folks here sent many e-mails and faxes to their offices).  Slowly, but surely, he has redeemed himself.