BREAKING: GOP Senators Request Explanation From NEA Chairman Regarding Possible Violations of Federal Law
by Big HollywoodPress release from U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee:
Enzi Leads GOP HELP Committee Inquiry
Into Alleged NEA Political Activity
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today led his fellow Republican HELP Committee members in requesting an explanation regarding possible violations of federal law at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Enzi and his colleagues sent the request to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman.
In the letter delivered today the Senators questioned the possibility of “taxpayer dollars to engage in lobbying activities to promote the President’s health care legislative agenda and other legislative priorities” during several August conference calls with NEA grant recipients and community stakeholders.
The letter also raises serious questions regarding how the NEA’s participation in these calls may have violated federal criminal restrictions on lobbying Congress, the Hatch Act, appropriations restrictions on spending funds for such purposes and possible contradictions with the entity’s mission under its authorizing statute.
“…The promotion to NEA grant recipients of topics that are at the top of the President’s legislative agenda and urging a call to action creates a serious conflict of interest,” wrote the Senators.
The full text of the letter to Landesman is below:
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55 Comments
calling all conservatives this is the signal i repeat this is the signal attaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack all u lib it is futile to resist
It is embArrassing the majority party won't make this request. Send Holder over and have him get answers under oath.
boy! and they'll get Eric Holder RIGHT on it…
We're not sure what's worse. The crime itself, or the fecklessness of the Republicans who are bringing, belatedly, the charges.
Who is minding the store here? If it wasn't for Andrew Breitbart and perhaps Glen Beck, Van Jones would still be the gleam in Valerie Jarret's eye, Obamacare would be installed (big assist to sexy Sarah) and ACORN would be everywhere unchecked.
Don't invest too much stock in the so-called 'loyal opposition'…
It probably won't get very far, but it's a start.
I also so think those who do not know how to write their names shuld be sent home. Good grief!
Art is for the Dem party.
sooooo
How about the majority of doctors in America having blue and red appointment books. They get crap reimbursement under obama, they ask patients if they are dem or republican. If republican, we see ya today. if democrat, patients get an appointment when Teddy care starts paying on time which will be never.
It's nice to see the GOP getting assertive here.
Of course, 'til 2010 rolls around, this is something of an uphill battle, but…
2010 is coming!
http://firebreathingchristian.com
The wheels of justice turn mighty slow, but they do turn. Harry Reid will come to NEA's rescue like he is trying to do with ACORN….what a crooked jerk he is.
Good job again
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Zeph Daniel. Zeph Daniel said: BREAKING: GOP Senators Request Explanation From NEA Chairman Regarding Possible Violations of Federal Law http://is.gd/3BRmt [...]
I wonder if President Obama is aware of the fact that the Administration that succeeds his, more importantly the Attorney General that succeeds Holder, can prosecute the previous Administration for their illegal actions and policies? Hum…….I wonder.
For the record, I emailed my state senator Judd Gregg (D-NH) a few days ago with a link to the audio and transcripts from here at BH, with as forceful and eloquent a condemnation as have been mustered here for over a month now. I checked the Senate letter posted here and was pleased to see Sen. Gregg's signature. That result illustrates two key points.
First. that we CAN make a difference if we keep the heat on when crap like this happens. Two, results like these helps us identify the Good Guys in Congress. Every US Senator who signed that letter is a Good Guy today. Though it is primarily Obama Democrats who are behind all this corruption and politicization, we must keenly be aware of Republicans who have no interest in implementing reform, or lack the courage to do so, and instruct them to change course of change jobs. If they will not serve the public, why should we elect them again?
I encourage my fellow patriots to keep a log of the "good guys" and keep score as these events unfold. For far too long, many of us have just gone along with whatever the republicans have shoveled out. I dont think so anymore. But its encouraging to see some of them grow some internal fortitude once in a while. Also we need to keep the pressure on, 14 months is an eternity in politics, Thanks to Andrew and this site for getting this stuff out, or we might have never found out, and this request would have never happened.
Re ACORN [from Hotair]
"War: ACORN sues Breitbart, O’Keefe, and Giles"
Good. Bring on discovery and subpoena every democrat cretin remotely associated with ACORN. Subpoena the anorexic jugeared dimwit in the White House.
Re ACORN [from Hotair]
"War: ACORN sues Breitbart, O’Keefe, and Giles"
Good. Bring on discovery and subpoena every democrat cretin remotely associated with ACORN. Subpoena the anorexic jugeared dimwit in the White House and his demented chief of staff.
I agree. The Republican dogs are the same who spent like drunken pirates, refused to address illegal immigration and biggered government during the Bush administration. Both Republican and Democrats are destroying America. It's time for a new party but until that happens don't vote for any incumbent, regardless of party. Lifetime politicians are destroying America.
Http://bethemob.com
Most signed the letter for cover. There is no political risk in signing a letter that asks for an investigation. The important thing to watch is what elected officials do when there is a political risk. Do they stand on principles, do they bend to the will of the voters who put him there, or does he or she ignore both and bend to the will of whoever contributes the most. These are the times that count not a meaningless request for an investigation.
as reformed Republicans we couldn't agree more…
We trusted the Bushies. Big mistake. In college they taught of the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. Both the same, basically- just the Mensheviks were a little nicer about it… until freedomlovers like yourself hire fellow citizens who are NOT CFR, or Trilateralists, or Club of Rome, or Skull and Bones- you know the acronyms- and take back this sovereign Jeffersonian Republic from the internationalist scum that poses as human beings we are all at the mercy of this lot.
Give em' the business, Mobster!
Well put John T.
Someone with better writing skills than I should look at drafting a call to arms to get people more involved in the process of picking party representatives. I don't know of any other way to implement the kind of change this country needs. There are a lot of incumbents who haven't earned the priviledge of continued public service.
I wonder what happens if the chairman ignores this request…
Agreed
Who ever runs on the platform of Term Limits for Congress and repealing all stimulus bills will get my vote.
[...] The full text of the letter to Landesman is below: (more…) [...]
I agree with your sentiment, it would be great to send a signal to all of Congress by outvoting all the incumbents, but I have a suspicion that the DNC, with all its 'funds' and 'activities' at its fingertips, would simply win the subsequent ballots.
Not sure that voting out all incumbents would necessarily work for our side.
I also agree.
Republicans grow backbones only when they see a populist uprising against a leftist position.
I noticed John McCain's signature on this letter. Where was he when Acorn was being investigated on charges of voter registration fraud?
We need a conservative leader that will go after these scum before this type of cr@p happens.
Term Limit to ONE term! No pay. No lifetime medical – let them use Medicare. And NO retirement!
I just hope that we keep the fire to the feet of these fair weather warriors after they become the majority in Congress again. We saw what happened when they became the majority party last time. They became Wilma Flintstone with Fred's credit card……CHARRRRRRRGE IT!
I'm not sure how excited Republicans are about being forced to fire the first shot inside the ammo depot.
Republican and Democrat a like serve their most important constituents first; lobbyist's and special interest groups. The People….don't even come in third and we should be first and only, there shouldn't even be a line.
I think one of the other reasons some of these Senators were able to vote against defunding Acorn is because they know that both sides are doing the exact same thing. I think both parties are trying to figure out how to keep the fall out from hitting every corner of congress.
we heartily applaud all of the above comments…
Conservatism, which really is classic liberalism/progressivism before Alinsky and Co. coopted these terms is a great philosophy. Grow, become enlightened but don't throw overboard what works, don't accept nihilsm or other regressive constructs.
Unfortunately, the Republicrats like McCain (MK Ultra, maybe? just asking) or the rest of this lot are just liberal lite.
Otherwise known as slow death rather than a guillotine. Either way you're dead. And so is our freedoms.
Vote for those of any party who have NO affiliation with any East coast elites, or internationalist ties.
Heck, replace all of congress with 500 odd people from Fargo SD. Maybe we'll get a few Margies…
"Most signed the letter for cover."
You've got that right. It's cheap and easy to sign a letter.
Throwing this crop of congress critters with a handful of exceptions out is the task at hand in 2010.
The NEA should be cut off from all federal funding immediately until they fire everyone connected with this. I still marvel at how the artistic community would have shunned anyone working with the prior administration… as well they should have. However, they sprint to serve their new master – or messiah. They bow at his feet begging to serve him; it's disgusting. Maybe when they grow up, or eventually die, they will discover they served the wrong master. In any event, I fear any investigation led by Eric Holder will be a farce. Irrelevant heads will role while the big dogs are protected.
Won't work, because the Government will make it illegal to pay for healthcare with cash. That's the way it is in Great Britain right now!
Let the bodies pile up where they fall, both sides. A dirty pol is a dirty pol, a pox on both houses.
for abstrution of justice for one of many things they can go to jail for from holder to franks coyers ragle the justice dept the turbo tax tim i owed 9000 once in back taxs for 4 years they too m97 a week out of me next year if i owe im gonna tell them acorn helped me they will say ok you pass
Start with the former council and lead benefactor, Barak Hussein Obama.
bingo john
I bet ya all the goose stepping stopped cold, when they opened that letter. Really brought the party down. What a bummer dudes!
Eliminate this partisan org., fire all the staff, empty the building, clean it out, rent it to the highest bidder and be DONE with the N.E.A. This is a sample of N.E.A.'s past contribution to ~art~ :
Mapplethorpe is best known for his homoerotic photographs that captured New York City's gay community in the late 1970s and the self-portraits that unflinchingly traced his physical deterioration from AIDS a decade later.
One of his black-and-white prints is titled "Larry and Bobby kissing". Others are photographs of black male nudes with gleaming muscles. Among his self-portraits is one from 1978, which displays a playful Mapplethorpe, clad in cowboy gear, bending over to expose his bare buttocks to the viewer. In one hand, he is holding a whip.
Nothing like a gay guy in cowboy gear to promote and *expand* the arts! Every child should be shown this piece of garbages' work, right? NO F—ING WAY! ELIMINATE N.E.A. N-O-W!
Eliminate this partisan org., fire all the staff, empty the building, clean it out, rent it to the highest bidder and be DONE with the N.E.A. This is a sample of N.E.A.'s past contribution to ~art~ :
"Mapplethorpe is best known for his homoerotic photographs that captured New York City's gay community in the late 1970s and the self-portraits that unflinchingly traced his physical deterioration from AIDS a decade later.
One of his black-and-white prints is titled "Larry and Bobby kissing". Others are photographs of black male nudes with gleaming muscles. Among his self-portraits is one from 1978, which displays a playful Mapplethorpe, clad in cowboy gear, bending over to expose his bare buttocks to the viewer. In one hand, he is holding a whip."http://www.heroism.org/class/1980/maplethorpe.htm
Nothing like a gay guy in cowboy gear to promote and *expand* the arts! Every child should be shown this piece of garbages' work, right? NO F—ING WAY! ELIMINATE N.E.A. N-O-W!
They should subpoena NEA. Let us see who they gave the money to. I wonder if Ashton Kucher got some money to produce the hideous "I Pledge" infomercial?
I agree with keeping tabs on the good guys. But then how is that info shared with others? There needs to be a web site with every congressman listed and what they have done to earn the people's trust, and how they have voted on legislation.
If all of this could be compiled into an easy to use site with factual information, not just opinions, we might be able to weed out the few good guys, and get rid of the corruption. Just an idea.
Democrats ALWAYS overreach when they manipulate the public into voting for them. It's in Democrats' DNA to do so.
Rich, I understand your cynicism. Who isn't cynical these days? But credit where credit is due, huh? Though it may be symbolic, this letter did make the news as it did here. It also ratchets up the pressure. It is simple acts like this that help us separate the political wheat from the chaff vis-a-vis our elected officials, and is far preferable to silence.
Had Sen. Gregg not signed that letter, that would have spoken volumes too.
I think his office is on the same floor.
Agreed. Didn't like the last administration and I don't understand how the new one is any different. I remember when artist actually gave a damn about speaking out against corrupt and powerful entities. Sad day for the world.
"I Pledge" was amazing. So many young people thought it was a crock of @#$%. And outside of Twitter, the star of such classics as "Dude Where's My Car" doesn't have much sway.
Finally,I must say I am proud it is my Senator leading the charge…Go Mike!!
Indeed
Jump on it, Gentlemen. The Dems sure aren't going to do it! We are going to start cleaning up Washinton DC, one corrupt politician at a time, starting in 2010!! You can take this to the bank!
our representative government needs to be returned to the people. Not particularly fond of term limits because the staffs become the permanent power brokers- but a cut in pay, and huge reductions in benefits and retirements will disabuse the career bureaucrats (Dick Durbin, etc) from the permanance and faux royalty they enjoy; indeed think somehow their birthright (Maxine Waters)or their own path of self righteousness (McCain). Until we, the people make these demands- and the police and military powers join in this- we will be systematically looted, subjugated and put into indentured servitude.
May the Higher Authority see us through this mess…
[...] Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is leading a complimentary effort on the Senate side. Tags: NEA, White House Comments are closed. 60 Democratic Senators [...]
[...] The full text of the letter to Landesman is below: (more…) [...]
[...] The full text of the letter to Landesman is below: (more…) [...]
Notice to all politicians, we are taking names and those who stay on the sidelines will be ousted!!!!!!
Good call. I belong to a group, some of which can run sites, I will bring that up. Many of the political sites out there are hard to weed out, but surely it can be done in scorecard-style spanning all issues important to us.
Thank you for your interest in the National Endowment for the Arts. Please see this link for a September 22, 2009 statement by NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman regarding the August 10 conference call:
http://www.arts.gov/news/news09/statement.html
Please note, on September 24, 2009 Yosi Sergant submitted his resignation from the National Endowment for the Arts. His resignation was accepted.
Thank you for your interest in the National Endowment for the Arts. Please see this link for a September 22, 2009 statement by NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman regarding the August 10 conference call:
http://www.arts.gov/news/news09/statement.html
Please note, on September 24, 2009 Yosi Sergant submitted his resignation from the National Endowment for the Arts. His resignation was accepted.
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