You need to know this. The GOP elected their new Committee Chairmen last week. They will be the primary lawmakers in charge of crafting legislation and holding hearings when the House of Representatives reconvenes for the 112th session of Congress next year. And the new roster of leaders could spell trouble for the country moving forward. Heading up the Appropriation Committee - Kentucky Rep Hal Rogers. Don't anticipate any reduction in pork spending and pet projects under the new Republican Congress - as Rogers is known as the "King of Pork" on Capitol Hill. So let the wasteful spending continue. The new head of the Budget Committee is Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. Ryan has already declared war on seniors and now has the purse strings to enforce it. His "long-term budget roadmap" includes privatizing Social Security and drastically cutting Medicare. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will be the Chairwoman of the Foreign Relations Committee - and she's not exactly a fan of diplomacy. Back in 2006 - videotape surfaced of her advocating for the assassination of Fidel Castro. So much for restoring America's image around the world. The Homeland Security Committee will be now be headed by New York Congressman Peter King. He recently has declared wikileaks a terrorist organization. And - when Attorney General Eric Holder said he would be investigating CIA interrogation tactics - or torture - King quickly expressed his discontent calling the oversight "bull - 'crap'". And finally - to make sure nothing gets done in Congress next year - Republicans elected Darryl Issa to head the Government Oversight Committee. Issa has already pledged to investigate President Obama on a variety of issues from a Joe Sestak job offer to ACORN. Curiously though - back in 2007 - Issa was opposed to investigating Blackwater after the mercenary group killed countless Iraqi civilians in a massacre. Looks like Issa isn't motivated by justice - he's motivated by politics. Also - looks like there is plenty of corporate cash behind the new roster of Committee Chairs. USA Today is reporting that nearly 1.2 million dollars was donated to 7 new Chairmen by special interest PACs. Oh - and the majority of their new staffers are former lobbyists. There you have it - the Republican Committee leadership of the 112th Congress. Bought and paid for by corporations to do the bidding of the rich and legislating of the irrational.
-Thom
(Why do you think Republicans choose people who are so opposed to what they should be doing? Tell us here.)
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