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Doug Bach (Doug.Bach) [Message] Wheaton, IL 60187

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Illinois House Financial Services Committee Member Votes on HR 1207 Posted by Heather D

Posted 11/20/09

A couple of weeks ago, Congressman Watt of North Carolina, neutered HR 1207 in sub-committee. Dr. Paul was left with only one option, and that was to attempt to reinsert the original language via an amendment process, which took place yesterday, November 19. Please see this link to read full details on what took place and to see important details on what we need to do going forward.

Here is how the Illinois delegation voted:

Representative Gutierrez (CD-4) voted against HR 1207

Representative Bean (CD-8) voted against HR 1207

Representative Foster (CD-14) voted against HR 1207

Representative Biggert (CD-13) voted for HR 1207

Representative Manzullo (CD-16) voted for HR 1207

Please let these representatives know how you feel about their votes; you can find their contact information by clicking here.

Ron Paul's Amendment Passes Committee! Posted by John Tate

Posted 11/19/09

Thanks to your quick action in contacting Congress, the House Financial Services Committee earlier today rejected Representative Mel Watt's attempt to hijack Audit the Fed by voting 43-26 to pass Ron Paul's amendment to the financial regulatory reform bill.

Dr. Paul called me right after the vote to personally express his thanks to C4L members for all of your efforts!

It is an incredible testament to the growing power of the liberty movement that we were able to get such an audit passed by a major House committee, but this is by no means the end of our fight.

Financial Services leadership has seemed determined for several months that if an audit of the Fed were to get out of Committee, it should be attached to an overall regulatory reform package that would actually increase the powers of the Fed to interfere in our economy.

Congressman Paul's amendment gives the Government Accountability Office power to conduct a thorough audit of the Fed's entire $2 trillion balance sheet and replaces the Watt language that would have further restricted GAO audits of the Federal Reserve.

While this is a victory over an attempted hijacking of our cause, the audit authority is still being rolled into the Financial Stability Improvement Act, a bill that Campaign for Liberty will oppose.

This Act will be voted on as soon as the Committee returns from its Thanksgiving break, and we will then know if it will move to the floor.

And it's already becoming clear that Ron Paul's amendment may face challenges on the House floor.

Now is the time to turn up the pressure!

Keep contacting Congress and tell your representative that before Congress debates over giving the Fed any new powers, we need to know what they're doing with the ones they already have!

Urge your representative to support a standalone, up or down vote on Audit the Fed, H.R. 1207.

We've put too much work into this effort to see an audit bogged down in yet another Washington bureaucratic nightmare.

Make no mistake, though, the victory today proved we can get the votes to pass the thorough, historic audit we've been fighting for this past year. We have put the Federal Reserve on notice that the freedom movement is serious about reclaiming our country and that it is here to stay.

Thanks for all you do for the cause of freedom. Now, let's finish this fight!

Critical Vote on Audit the Fed This Thursday! Posted by John Tate

Posted 11/18/09 Last updated 11/19/09

A few weeks ago, we sent out an alert that Representative Mel Watt was attempting to water down H.R. 1207 in the House Financial Services Committee.

The latest reports we have received have informed us that a vote on the Watt amendment could come tomorrow!

There's still time for us to stop this attack on Audit the Fed! Click here to get a full list of Financial Services Committee members, along with their contact information.

Financial Services leadership seems determined to include Audit the Fed as part of a regulatory reform package instead of passing it as a standalone bill.

While C4L will still do everything in its power to fight for a standalone vote on Audit the Fed on the House floor, it is critical we challenge Watt's amendment in Committee.

It will become much easier for our representatives to claim they still support Audit the Fed on the House floor if the Watt version passes, when, in reality, Representative Watt's amendment puts restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Fed.

For example, Watt's amendment prevents the GAO from auditing or reviewing decisions to authorize, modify, extend, or terminate loans or liquidity facilities.

Congressman Paul will offer an amendment in Committee restoring an audit of the Fed's entire $2 trillion balance sheet, but we have received word that some of the Democrat members may be waffling on their support for his amendment.

Help us turn up the pressure on these members! Below is the list of Democrats on the committee who have cosponsored H.R. 1207. Please call them and urge them to vote "Yes" on Ron Paul's amendment. Click on their names to get their web contact information.

1. Rep. John Adler, NJ (202) 225-4765

2. Rep. Travis Childers, MS (202) 225-4306

3. Rep. Steve Driehaus, OH (202) 225-2216

4. Rep. Alan Grayson, FL (202) 225-2176

5. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, TX (202) 225-2531

6. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, FL (202) 225-2706

7. Rep. Dan Maffei, NY (202) 225-3701

8. Rep. Brad Miller, NC (202) 225-3032

9. Rep. Walt Minnick, ID (202) 225-6611

10. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, CO (202)-225-2645

11. Rep. David Scott, GA (202) 225-2939

12. Rep. Brad Sherman, CA (202) 225-5911

13. Rep. Jackie Speier, CA (202) 225-3531

When contacting these members, remember that up to this point, they have been allies on this issue. A civil yet firm tone should be kept during these calls. They should be thanked for their cosponsorship, told that Mel Watt's changes to the bill are unacceptable, and urged to hold the line and honor their promise to support transparency at the Fed by voting "Yes" on Ron Paul's amendment.

And don't forget to click here to get a full list of Financial Services Committee members.

For more information on the Watt amendment, check out this article by The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim.

We are continuing our work to achieve a standalone vote on H.R. 1207 on the House floor, but we must first stop the Watt amendment in the Financial Services Committee.

Make sure the Financial Services Committee members hear from you as soon as their offices open Thursday morning!

A vote could come any time tomorrow. Call, email, and fax the Financial Services Committee members to vote "Yes" on Congressman Ron Paul's amendment.

Ron Paul and Alan Grayson Offer Amendment to restore Audit the Fed Posted by Scott D

Posted 11/18/09 Last updated 11/18/09

Ron Paul and Alan Grayson issued their Amendment to restore the true spirit of Audit the Fed last week.

Huffington Post had a report about the two opposing Amendments being offered this week: one by Paul and Grayson, the other by Mel Watt.

A bipartisan effort to force transparency on the Federal Reserve is suddenly in jeopardy after a House Financial Services Committee member introduced an amendment that would let the multi-trillion dollar organization continue throwing tax dollars around in secret.

Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat from North Carolina, has introduced an amendment intended as an alternative to the measure to audit the Federal Reserve introduced by Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Alan Grayson's (D-Fla.) . But instead of increasing transparency, as the amendment claims to do, Watt's measure would instead make the institution more opaque.

Audit the Fed Amendment

Illinois Gubernatorial Debate - November 14, 2009 Posted by Doug.Bach

Posted 11/18/09 Last updated 11/18/09

Last Saturday, Savannah Liston and the Winnebago County Campaign for Liberty hosted a debate for 5(ish) candidates for governor.  See full details of the event here, and watch the full video below. 

Debate participants include:

• Bruno Behrend - Policy Director on behalf of Adam Andrzejewski (Republican)
• Lex Green (Libertarian)
• Dan Proft (Republican)
• Randy Stuffelbeam (Constitution)
• Michael White (Independent)

Thanks to all candidates for participating, and to Savannah for a wonderful job organizing!

Illinois Gubernatorial Debate November 14 2009 from Doug Bach on Vimeo.