Congressman John Hall makes Lou Dobbs' Hall of Shame

John Hall’s Idea of Fiscal Responsibility: White House Ratchets Up Deficit Projection by $2 Trillion

Yet Another Hit Delivered to Democrats’ Big-Spending Agenda

Washington- John Hall will surely be backpedaling today as yet another vote for his party’s ongoing government spending spree has come back to bite him. Hall, who voted in favor of his party’s egregious and bloated federal budget, is now on the hook for an additional $2 trillion as the White House attempts to quietly ratchet up its deficit projections in the midst of a slow August news cycle.

“As was reported last week, the Obama administration announced today that it has revised its 10-year cumulative budget deficit projection to around $9.051 trillion, up from its February projection of $7.1 trillion.

“Administration officials said Monday that these numbers put their projection in line with the Congressional Budget Office’s June projection. These out-year deficits are about 4 percent of GDP, which the administration says is ‘higher than desirable.’” (Karen Travers, “White House: Budget Deficit Will Be $2 Trillion Higher than Projected,” ABC News, 8/25/09)

Was this what Hall had in mind just a few short months ago when he cast his vote in favor of yet another one of President Obama’s and Speaker Pelosi’s runaway spending plans? After Hall supported the Democrats’ budget in April, he boldly bragged that he had helped strengthen a struggling economy:

“Today, U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19) joined a majority of the House of Representatives in approving a vision for America's long-term economic success and fiscal responsibility by passing President Obama's budget blueprint. With smart, growth-targeted investments in health care, education, and clean, renewable energy sources, this blueprint will build upon the economic incentives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to ensure the nation's economic revival, while also managing to cut the federal deficit by more than half by 2013.” (Press Release, 4/2/09)

“Did John Hall recklessly misjudge the economy to the tune of two trillion dollars of deficit or was he simply duped by his party bosses into voting for a budget that they couldn’t pay for?” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Two trillion might not seem like much to someone as out-of-touch as John Hall, but the New York families who will be stuck paying down that deficit would probably prefer to disagree. Hall owes an explanation to the folks back home as to why he put a nine trillion dollar deficit on the backs of their children and grandchildren.”

Unfortunately for New York families, it looks like they’ll be stuck paying down John Hall’s reckless budget vote for a long time to come.

Hall Owes an Explanation: Six Months After ‘Stimulus,’ Americans Still Asking, ‘Where Are the Jobs?’

Budget-Busting Disaster Still Hasn’t Yielded Results

Washington- Today marks the six month anniversary of the signing of the Democrats’ $787 billion economic stimulus, and New York’s hard-working taxpayers are still wondering when they will see any positive effects on the economy – and still waiting for an explanation from John Hall about his vote to pile a mountain of new debt on their backs with no results to show for it.

“Despite all the spin coming from the White House and Capitol Hill, New York families know that the last six months of John Hall’s stimulus swindle have amounted to little more than a monumental waste of money,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “John Hall and his Democrat friends embraced a ‘Washington knows best’ mentality that put nearly a trillion taxpayer dollars in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians. Six months after he handed over their hard-earned tax dollars to his buddies in Washington, New York families are still wondering: Where are the jobs?”

According to a new poll, Americans have lost confidence in the big-spending agenda that Hall and his allies in Washington continue to force through:

“Six months after President Obama launched a $787 billion plan to right the nation's economy, a majority of Americans think the avalanche of new federal aid has cost too much and done too little to end the recession.

“A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found 57% of adults say the stimulus package is having no impact on the economy or making it worse. Even more —60% — doubt that the stimulus plan will help the economy in the years ahead, and only 18% say it has done anything to help improve their personal situation.” (Brad Heath, “Poll: 57% Don’t See Stimulus Working,” USA Today, 8/17/09)

After declaring that he was “not satisfied” with a pattern of slowed spending in June, President Obama set an ambitious goal to speed the Recovery Act’s pace. The pace of stimulus spending, however, has dropped severely in recent weeks, despite Obama’s demands to speed it up:

“Taxpayer groups say the numbers show spending decisions are random and prove that the $787 billion stimulus program has had no effect on the economy…. Spending as of Aug. 7, the 172nd day since Mr. Obama signed the bill, stood at $200 billion obligated. To meet the goal of $225 billion, the government will have to spend nearly $1 billion each day over the next four weeks -- or nearly double the pace of the past four weeks.” (Stephen Dinan, “Pace of stimulus spending plummets,” The Washington Times, 08/14/2009)

In January, the White House warned the American people that without the passage of the so-called stimulus package, unemployment would reach over 9 percent. Then, President Obama promised Americans that unemployment would slow and peak at less than 8 percent if the stimulus passed. Now, six months after the stimulus was signed into law, America faces a $1.6 trillion deficit and 9.4 percent unemployment. (Source: Department of Labor)

With no real progress to show since January, John Hall and his fellow Democrats owe New York families an explanation. After mortgaging the country’s future with a trillion dollars in new debt, will he finally take responsibility for a runaway spending spree that has failed to yield results?

Pelosi Says Town Halls “Very Healthy,” Listening is “Essential”

San Francisco Speaker Reverses Herself and Sends Democrats into Full Retreat Mode, Just Two Days After Interview from Martha’s Vineyard is Aired

Washington- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can’t seem to get her position straight when it comes to town hall meetings with constituents. Just a few days ago, Pelosi declared war on voters by calling town hall attendees ‘un-American’ in a widely-read piece in USA Today. But in a newly-released video, Pelosi praised the town hall process as “healthy,” “wholesome,” and “essential to any success” that Democrats might have with their healthcare agenda:

Click to Watch: http://www.plumtv.com/videos/nancy-pelosi-speaker-of-the-house-of-representatives/index.html

PELOSI: During the break, [members] go home and are invigorated by the ideas and the issues brought forth by their constituents, so that’s very healthy. I think it will only serve to advance the cause of healthcare reform, which we will pass in the Congress…What’s important about the break is that it gives you a chance to your constituents, and the outside mobilization is really essential to any success we can have with our inside maneuvering in Washington, D.C. It’s the most wholesome part of what we do. Our job titles and our job descriptions are one and the same: Representative. So we listen to our constituents, we have to inform them of what is happening in Washington, listen to their comments on that, and come back enriched by that dialogue.

As Pelosi continues her two-faced campaign for and against town hall meetings, it seems that only one message is actually reaching her caucus. Unfortunately for constituents across the country who are concerned about Pelosi’s healthcare takeover, rank-and-file Democrats are regularly refusing to “come back enriched” by any sort of dialogue with the people they claim to represent:

“Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, is also steering clear of town-hall-style meetings. He stumped for reform with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at a Poughkeepsie hospital on Monday and plans to continue the push this month in various ways, none of which involve the type of gatherings that have proved perilous for fellow Democrats.” (Chris Mckenna, “Local reps say no health-care forums planned,” Times Herald-Record, 08/08/09)

“Rep. Tim Bishop (D., N.Y.) stopped holding town-hall meetings after a June event.” (Janet Adamy and Naftali Bendavid, “Lawmakers Rethink Town Halls”, The Wall Street Journal, 8/08/2009)

“Representative Alan Grayson's spokesperson told FOX 35 that his boss will not host a traditional town hall meeting because he wants to keep things ‘civilized.’” (Holly Bristow, “Health care war,” WOFL-TV, 8/10/09)

“Meanwhile, you can smell the fear under the Capitol dome. From College Station to Cleburne, District 17 constituents of Rep. Chet Edwards are waiting for a health care town hall. They should not hold their collective breath. His Washington office told me Tuesday that they don’t have one on the calendar. He knows the crowd that would surely flood such an event could jeopardize his precarious grip on the district for Democrats.” (Mark Davis, Fight Obamacare hard, but smart, Dallas Morning News, 08/04/09)

“All hail Nancy Pelosi, the queen of contradictions,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “As she praises the August recess as a way to connect with the public and resurrect her dying healthcare takeover she demonizes Americans for exercising their first amendment rights and has clearly sent a message to loyal rank-and-file members to turn a deaf ear on their constituents. Unfortunately for Pelosi and her party, they can’t have it both ways. While Pelosi and her fellow Democrats might try to shy from the spotlight now, they are only further ensuring that they will be hearing from shunned voters on election day.”

Will John Hall Continue to Side with Nancy Pelosi on Gitmo?

Key Democrat Chairman Opposes Shipping Prisoners to U.S. While Hall Stays Silent

Washington- Although John Hall sided with Nancy Pelosi earlier this summer and voted to pave the way to bring Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States, a key Democrat has spoken out against a plan touted by the Obama administration and leading members of his own party. Now the question remains: Where does John Hall stand?

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) implored the Obama administration to reconsider moving Guantanamo Bay detainees to a federal prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas:

“A senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday warned against sending detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas, saying it could endanger U.S. relations with Muslim countries.

“It was also another thorn in President Barack Obama’s effort to quickly close the controversial U.S. prison in Cuba.”

“Skelton is the first senior Democrat to raise issues with moving the Guantanamo detainees to Kansas, but follows a news conference last week in which Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback and Republican Representative Jerry Moran blasted suggestions of moving the detainees there.” (Jeremy Pelofsky, “Democrat opposes sending Guantanamo detainees to Leavenworth,” Reuters, 8/10/09)

“John Hall has a track record of disregarding the concerns of New York families and American citizens who hold serious reservations about closing a valuable detention center and sending terrorists to the United States,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “As leading voices on both sides of the aisle continue to speak out against the Democrats’ plan to import terrorists to the United States, will John Hall finally heed their advice or will he continue to side with Nancy Pelosi’s dangerous agenda?”

With recent polling showing that Americans have little interest in moving terrorists into their own back yards, John Hall finds himself on the hot seat. Will he continue to ignore the dangers of bringing Gitmo prisoners to the United States, or will Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco values finally take a back seat to the concerns of New York families?

As Democrat Leaders Attack Concerned Citizens, Hall Chooses To Ignore Them

Goes to Bat For Party Bosses While Leaving Constituents Out in The Cold

Washington- While healthcare continues to take center stage and Democrats make headlines for verbally assaulting constituents, John Hall has chosen to remain absent from it all. Despite Hall’s strong support for his party’s massive takeover of healthcare, town halls are noticeably absent from his August schedule. But apparently Hall has plenty of time for staged photo-ops with Democrat Leader Steny Hoyer to pump some steam into Democrats’ deflating healthcare agenda:

“Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, is also steering clear of town-hall-style meetings. He stumped for reform with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at a Poughkeepsie hospital on Monday and plans to continue the push this month in various ways, none of which involve the type of gatherings that have proved perilous for fellow Democrats.” (Chris Mckenna, “Local reps say no health-care forums planned,” Times Herald-Record, 08/08/09)

“It’s unfortunate for Hudson Valley families that their Congressman has time on his schedule to go to bat for his party bosses, but can’t find time for them,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “John Hall has chosen the easy way out. Rather than taking the time to meet with constituents and hear their concerns regarding the future of their healthcare coverage, Hall would rather plot a sales pitch for his party’s increasingly unpopular government takeover. Hall’s constituents deserve to be heard, but he seems to have little interest in listening to their concerns.“

Hall’s own spokespeople admit to the lack of dialogue between the Congressman and his constituents:

“‘It's a concern for me that a constructive dialogue won't be allowed to take place,’ said his spokeswoman, Meaghan Smith. ‘He wants to hear people's opinions, but he wants to make sure people are informed.’” (Chris Mckenna, “Local reps say no health-care forums planned,” Times Herald-Record, 08/08/09)

Rather than standing up for Steny Hoyer, it’s time for John Hall to stand up for New Yorkers. If New York families are lucky, perhaps Hall could find some time in his busy schedule for his constituents this August.

Will John Hall Vote to ‘Destroy Medicare?’

Dem Lawmaker Says Healthcare Takeover Devastating for Medicare; Will Hall Follow Suit or Turn His Back on New York Seniors?

Washington- As Democrat leaders use the August recess to resuscitate their failing healthcare agenda, John Hall has a choice to make when he gets back to Washington: he can side with New York seniors or he can side with his party bosses by casting a vote for a government healthcare takeover that, in the words of one Democrat lawmaker, will ‘destroy medicare.’ Given Hall's history of choosing Nancy Pelosi’s priorities over his district’s, New York seniors have reason to be concerned. Hopefully for Hall's constituents, he will heed the words of fellow Democrat Eric Massa:

“Rep. Eric Massa said Tuesday he opposes the health care reform bill being considered by the House of Representatives because he's concerned it will ruin Medicare or that it could force tens of millions of Americans to buy supplemental insurance they don't need.

“‘I will not vote for something that I perceive will destroy Medicare,’ Massa, a Democrat from Corning, said in an afternoon meeting with the editorial board of the Star-Gazette.” (Roger Neumann, “Health Plan Would Hurt Medicare, Massa Says,” Elmira Star-Gazette, 8/5/09)

“New York seniors can only hope that John Hall will take a hint from fellow Democrats who are lining up to oppose Nancy Pelosi’s disastrous healthcare agenda,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Unfortunately, Hall's history of marching in lock-step with his party leaders does not bode well for those seniors that actually want to keep the healthcare plans that they have. With millions of Americans concerned about losing their current coverage, John Hall seems poised to once again turn his back on the people he claims to represent in order to deliver a vote for Nancy Pelosi and the rest of his party bosses.”

As Hall's constituents and his Democrat comrades alike voice their disapproval of Nancy Pelosi’s healthcare agenda, will Hall finally make the right call? New York seniors are still waiting for an answer.