Pete King's Thoughts & Whereabouts: 6/30 - 7/2
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
10:45-11:00 a.m.- Meet in office with the Israeli Defense and Armed Forces Attache, Major General Gadi Shammi. Discuss recent flotilla crisis as well as Iran nuclear program and Hezbollah. Have to leave early because votes called on House floor.
11:05-11:25 a.m. – Routine votes on House floor.
Noon-1:00 p.m.- To Intelligence Committee for briefing by FBI Director Mueller and CIA Director Panetta on the recent arrests of Russian agents in the US. Very informative.
1:05-1:40 p.m. – Votes on House floor. I voted against legislation (H.Res. 1487) to waive House rules and allow vote today in the Financial Regulation Reform Bill (H.R. 1473).
5:05 – 5:45 p.m.- To B340 in Rayburn Building to speak at Washington Ireland Program (WIP), students from Ireland and Northern Ireland interning in Washington for the summer. My intern from last summer Marty Leer (Armagh) was the M.C. Niall Rogers (my current intern) was a main speaker. Very pleasant event.
6:15-7:00 p.m.- To House floor for votes.
Thursday July 1, 2010
9:00-10:00 a.m. – House Select Committee classified briefing on al Qaeda.
12:30-1:00 p.m.- Votes on House floor.
1:05 -1:15 p.m. – Interviewed in office by C-SPAN regarding the books I’m reading this summer.
1:45-2:05 p.m. – At Union Station for press conference with DHS Secretary Napolitano, Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Lautenberg regarding train security including my legislation “If You See Something, Say Something”
2:20-3:15 p.m.- Votes on House floor.
5:10-5:45 p.m.- to House floor for votes.
7:15-8:00 p.m.- to House floor for votes.
Rather than allow the House to simply vote yes or no on providing the additional funds that our troops need in Afghanistan and Iraq (which is what the Senate did) the Democrats are insisting that billions of extra dollars for entirely unrelated spending programs are added. They have spent most of the last two days trying to presure enough Democrats to vote for a rule to even allow the debate on this bill. After a lot of arm-twisting the Rule passed 215-210, even though the Democrats have a majority of 78 votes.
10:00-11:05 p.m.- I voted against all the amendments
(1) adds billions of dollars in undisclosed spending
(2) eliminates all funding for Afghanistan
(3) limits funding in Afghanistan to withdrawal of troops
(4) requires new reports on Afghanistan and another vote by Congress if troops are not being drawn down by July 2011. This is Congress attempting to micromanage the war.
Unfortunately, the 1st amendment passed and now it goes to the Senate. Hopefully these extraneous matters can be eliminated and our troops can get the funds they need.
Friday July 2, 2010
9:00-10:25 a.m. – US Air Shuttle to LaGuardia.
12:15-12:45 p.m. - interview by Channels 7, 11 & 12 at American Legion Post in Massapequa which was vandalized last night. I demand the strictest possible sentence for the criminals who did this horrible vandalism.