Mediaboss Marketing

Joe Biden, Far Left Democrats, and morally bankrupt university leaders have allowed antisemitic, pro-terrorist mobs to overrun colleges and universities across the country. Enough is enough. It is time to restore law and order, academic integrity, and moral decency to Americas higher education institutions. That is why on Tuesday,Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) launched a House-wide probe into campus antisemitism. This probe will not stop until Jewish students can feel safe on campus and the leadership of these universities are held accountable. Today, as part of that effort, House Republicans are bringing to the floorH.R. 6090 the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023, which was first introduced by Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY). This bill expresses the sense of Congress that discrimination against Jewish students may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and requires the Department of Education to take into account the 2016 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and its contemporary examples as part of its assessment of whether antisemitic discrimination transpired. FACTS ABOUT THE ANTISEMITISM AWARENESS ACT OF 2023 (Courtesy of House Judiciary Committee Republicans):

Excerpt from:
House Republicans Are Standing Up Against Antisemitic Mobs That Have Overrun America's Colleges & Universities - GOP.gov

Social Security income is a necessity for most retirees. Based on more than two decades of annual surveys undertaken by national pollster Gallup, no fewer than 80% of then-current retirees rely on their monthly benefits to cover some portion of their expenses. The mere existence of Social Security ensures that most seniors can make ends meet.

That's what makes this next statement such a gut-check: Social Security is in trouble.

Although America's top retirement program is in no danger of going bankrupt or becoming insolvent, the foundation that supports the existing payout schedule, including annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), may be less than a decade from breaking. Social Security needs attention, and the American public is counting on their elected officials in Washington, D.C., to get to work.

While lawmakers on Capitol Hill have laid out no shortage of Social Security reform proposals, it's one completely off-the-wall approach from the current highest-ranking Republican, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), which could raise eyebrows.

Image source: Getty Images.

Before diving into the nuts and bolts of Johnson's proposal, it's important to understand why America's leading retirement program is facing an ever-widening funding obligation shortfall estimated to have reached $22.4 trillion through 2097.

The biggest concern is that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund (OASI), which pays monthly benefits to over 50 million retired workers and roughly 5.8 million survivors of deceased workers each month, will exhaust its asset reserves by 2033. If and when these asset reserves are depleted, sweeping benefit cuts of up to 23% may be necessary to sustain payouts, without the need for any further reductions, through 2097.

While social media message boards are rife with fairy tales about "Congress stealing funds" and "undocumented workers receiving benefits," the reality is that visible and off-the-radar demographic shifts are responsible for Social Security's struggles.

For example, most people are likely well aware that baby boomers are retiring from the workforce and that longevity has increased since the first retired-worker benefit was mailed out in January 1940. But people may not realize that a historically low U.S. birth rate, a more-than-halving in net legal immigration into the U.S. since 1998, and a steady rise in income inequalityhave also contributed to the program's growing long-term funding obligation shortfall.

Although Social Security will absolutely be there for you when you retire (assuming you've earned the requisite number of work credits to receive a benefit), the amount you receive each month could be far less than expected if Congress doesn't act soon.

The OASI's asset reserves are on pace to be exhausted by 2033. US Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund Assets at End of Year data by YCharts.

Despite being relatively tight-lipped about Social Security since becoming House Speaker, Mike Johnson has historically not been shy about supporting proposals designed to reduce the program's long-term outlays.

During the 116th Congress, Johnson was the Chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a conservative caucus of House Republicans. For fiscal 2020 (the federal government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30), the RSC and Mike Johnson released a nearly 200-page budget that aimed to reduce costs in all facets of government -- including Social Security. The RSC's budget proposed implementing the Social Security Reform Act that former House Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) first introduced in 2016.

The 10 Social Security changes Mike Johnson's budget supported are as follows:

These sweeping reforms supported by the RSC and then-Chair Mike Johnson were estimated to reduce spending on America's top retirement program by $756 billion over 10 years.

Image source: Getty Images.

Although the scope of the RSC's proposal is unlike anything we've seen before from Capitol Hill, it, like other legislation before it, would struggle to get off the ground in the House and/or Senate.One of the biggest issues with Social Security reform is that all proposals result in some group of people being worse off.

For example, President Joe Biden and his Democratic colleagues have proposed reinstating the 12.4% payroll tax on earned income above $400,000. Currently, only earned income (wages and salary but not investment income) between $0.01 and $168,600 is subject to the payroll tax. Though reinstating this tax would provide Social Security with an immediate influx of revenue, it wouldn't provide an added cent in benefits for the high earners paying this extra payroll tax.

On the other hand, Republicans (including Mike Johnson) have often touted a gradual increase to the full retirement age as a viable solution to reducing long-term outlays. The problem is that raising the full retirement age will lower the long-term benefits collected by lifetime low-earning workers.

Fixing Social Security means making a hard decision and putting a certain group of Americans on worse financial footing than they were prior to reforms.

What's more, both parties' proposals have unique flaws. The GOP plan takes decades to yield significant cost reductions, which wouldn't provide any help to the OASI's impending asset reserve depletion in nine years. Meanwhile, taxing the rich by itself doesn't come close to overcoming Social Security's $22.4 trillion funding shortfall.

Just as we witnessed when the Social Security Amendments of 1983 were signed into law, the best approach to strengthen Social Security's foundation will be one that incorporates solutions from both parties. Since it takes 60 votes in the Senate to amend Social Security, fixing this program will require collaboration.

Though Mike Johnson is unlikely ever to gain bipartisan support for his broad-reaching Social Security plan, it serves as a reminder that off-the-wall solutions from both parties may be necessary to shore up this program for future generations of retirees.

View post:
This High-Ranking Republican Supports an Off-the-Wall Solution to Tackle Social Security's $22.4 Trillion Cash Shortfall - The Motley Fool

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

See more here:
Stapilus: It's not how many Republicans there are, but what kind - Idaho Press

Podcast: How House GOP Is Responding To Campus Protests : The NPR Politics Podcast Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Columbia University with fellow members of the House Republican conference and met with students who said they felt unsafe on campus in the midst of protests calling on the university to shed its investments related to Israel. Now, Johnson is moving forward with legislation aimed at combating campus antisemitism though some Democrats are criticizing the effort as a political stunt that could curb legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.

This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, national political correspondent Mara Liasson, and congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to the media on the Low Library steps on Columbia University's campus in New York, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Stefan Jeremiah/AP hide caption

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to the media on the Low Library steps on Columbia University's campus in New York, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Columbia University with fellow members of the House Republican conference and met with students who said they felt unsafe on campus in the midst of protests calling on the university to shed its investments related to Israel. Now, Johnson is moving forward with legislation aimed at combating campus antisemitism though some Democrats are criticizing the effort as a political stunt that could curb legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.

This podcast was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Casey Morell. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

Visit link:
How House Republicans Are Responding To Campus Protests : The NPR Politics Podcast - NPR

OPINION:

Having been burned by mail-in ballots in a handful of places across a couple of election cycles, it is not surprising that Republicans are hesitant to fully embrace the imperative to be competitive with Democrats with respect to voting by mail. Every person of goodwill wants to ensure ballot integrity. At the same time, campaigns, especially those contested at the margins, should do everything in their power to maximize votes for their cause.

To meet these essential twin imperatives, at the beginning of this year, the Republican State Leadership Committee PAC, the Keystone Renewal PAC and the Sentinel Action Fund announced the largest Republican statewide mail-in-ballot effort an investment of millions of dollars in Pennsylvanias history. This effort was designed to reduce the Democrats dominance in voting by mail in both the upcoming elections this fall and in future election cycles.

As Jessica Anderson, president of the Sentinel Action Fund, correctly stated: Conservatives can and should do two things at once: maintain our calls for election integrity while we simultaneously utilize all legal tools and tactics to turn low propensity voters out and win in November.

The reality is that as the Republican Party changes, it will need to focus on identifying and turning out voters, of whom an increasingly larger proportion are only partially attuned to the tempo and deadlines of election cycles. More importantly, Republican voters tend to be busy people, with families, jobs, and community and neighborhood commitments. Whatever can be done to make voting more convenient for such voters should be pursued.

Having embraced the challenge, the Republican State Leadership Committee and its partners did not want to wait for the general election, so they launched their effort in advance of the April 23 primary election in Pennsylvania. The team sent vote-by-mail applications mailers to over 1.5 million Republican voters, launched digital advertisements delivering over 20 million impressions, and sent more than 475,000 text messages to voters.

The results?

In the primary cycle, Republicans produced about 236,000 vote-by-mail ballot requests, an 18% increase from the 2022 primary cycle and just 50,000 fewer requests than the 2022 general election in Pennsylvania. The Republicans also had more than 160,000 ballots turned in by mail last month, a 7% increase compared with the 2022 primary.

While the Democrats had more requests for mail-in ballots and more ballots returned, the Republicans chipped away at their advantage. In the 2022 primary, Democrats had about 400,000 more ballots returned than did Republicans; last month, that difference shrank to a bit more than 300,000 ballots returned. Perhaps more importantly, the Republicans continued to build a cohort of voters comfortable with voting by mail.

Why is all of this important?

In the 2022 general election in Pennsylvania, Democrats went into Election Day with 825,000 votes in the bank, compared with about 250,000 votes for the Republicans. In that cycle, the Republicans lost a Senate race by about 264,000 votes. Similarly, in 2020, then-President Donald Trump lost to President Biden by 80,000 votes of about 7 million votes cast. This years elections in Pennsylvania are certain to be equally close.

The world in the 21st century is pretty simple either you are a master of technology and process or you are a victim of technology and process. The Republican State Leadership Committee and its partners are determined to make sure that the Republicans are the masters of election technology and process. Their efforts in Pennsylvania have given them a head start on the general election and demonstrated that they have the right formula for success.

Michael McKenna is a contributing editor at The Washington Times and a co-host of the podcast The Unregulated.

Go here to see the original:
Republicans catching up with Democrats on mail-in voting - Washington Times