Draft cyber bill gives DHS controversial authorities

The draft version of the comprehensive cybersecurity bill could give the Homeland Security Department the ability to take "any lawful action" against contractors if their systems are under attack. Bob Dix, a former staff director for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and now vice president government affairs and critical infrastructure protection for Juniper Networks, said that could mean taking over a vendor's system that contains federal data. "There's some concern about what would be the criteria about that and how it would be the government has the ability under a provision of lawful action to take over a...

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Another Bill To Turn American Citizens Into Enemies Of The State

On the heels of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), otherwise known as the "Indefinite Detention Act," comes another draconian bill designed to give the federal government the power to turn American citizens into enemies of the state for virtually any reason it deems necessary. Stephen D. Foster, Jr. has the story. "Congress is considering HR 3166 and S. 1698 also known as the Enemy Expatriation Act, sponsored by Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Charles Dent (R-PA). This bill would give the US government the power to strip Americans of their citizenship without being convicted of being 'hostile' against the United...

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Indiana House Dems end chamber boycott, GOP plans initial vote on divisive labor bill

Indiana House Dems end chamber boycott, GOP plans initial vote on divisive labor billBy Associated Press, Published: January 9 INDIANAPOLIS — A divisive labor bill is back in Republican hands after Indiana House Democrats on Monday ended a three-day boycott of the chamber to stall the measure. Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said the right-to-work bill will get a committee vote Tuesday morning and could make it out of his chamber by the end of the week if Democrats continue to attend House sessions. **SNIP** Republicans want to make Indiana the first state in more than a decade to enact...

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Outpost Bill Making a Comeback

Reports of the death of Minister of Welfare and Social Services Zevulun Orlev's bill to normalize communities in Judea and Samaria may have been exaggerated. Betzalel Smotrich of the ‘Regavim’ movement told Arutz Sheva, "On the contrary, the bill is gaining momentum. We have a majority of ministers and MKs who support Orlev's bill to normalize the outposts." "We are convinced that, in a week and half, we will prevail in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and move to legislative proceedings in the plenum," he added. Orlev's bill would forbid eviction and demolition orders for Jewish communities in Judea and...

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Senate plans swift action on long-delayed transportation bill ($112 billion)

Senate plans swift action on long-delayed transportation billBy Alexander Bolton - 12/29/11 02:14 PM ET Senate Democrats expect to pass a long-delayed surface transportation bill soon after they return to Washington next month. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said her colleagues have identified a list of offsets that could be used cover the final $12 billion of the bill’s cost. Shortly before Congress left town for the holidays, Boxer told The Hill that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) had put together a variety of proposals to push the legislation over the...

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Sen. Boxer: GOP bill will kill 8,100 Americans (Obamacare not mentioned)

Sen. Boxer: GOP bill will kill 8,100 AmericansBy C.J. Ciaramella | The Daily Caller – 17 hrs ago **SNIP** “They have attached a poison pill — literally, colleagues — because it will kill 8,100 more people more than would have otherwise been killed from pollution,” Boxer said. “They attach that to the payroll tax cut. So have that for a Christmas gift.” “We have asked for a lot from Santa in our day but we have never asked for lead, arsenic and mercury,” Boxer concluded.

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Pelosi: GOP tax bill ‘doesn't have a shot’ (Is she still in charge of something?)

Pelosi: GOP tax bill ‘doesn't have a shot’By Mike Lillis - 12/09/11 01:01 PM ET Republican "extremism" is the only thing stopping Congress from finalizing an extension of the payroll tax cut and getting out of town for the holidays, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi charged Friday. The California Democrat hammered the tax package from House Republicans, warning that the addition of "poison pill" riders — particularly language expediting approval of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline — means the bill is dead on arrival. "Their proposal doesn't have a shot," Pelosi said during a brief press event in the...

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Repeal of sodomy, bestiality ban sparks fight on Defense bill (someone actually read it)

Repeal of sodomy, bestiality ban sparks fight on Defense billBy Jeremy Herb - 12/09/11 01:53 PM ET As the final Defense authorization bill gets hammered out in conference committee, one surprising issue is riling both social conservatives and animal rights activists: the repeal of a ban on sodomy and bestiality. The Senate bill, which was passed last week, removed an article from the Uniform Code of Military Justice stating “unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal is guilty of sodomy.” But the article is still included in the House bill, and...

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NEW FEDERAL PROBE! NEW MEX GOV HAD JOHN EDWARDS PROBLEM?

New probe into another failed 2008 presidential bid -- of New Mexico governor BILL RICHARDSON has a decidedly JOHN EDWARDS flavor du jour. He allegedly ponied up campaign funds to silence a woman’s affair claims.

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Don't Censor Censorship Opponents: Let Us Testify!

Irony Alert: The House is holding hearings on sweeping Internet censorship legislation this week -- and it's censoring the opposition! The bill is backed by Hollywood, Big Pharma, and the Chamber of Commerce, and all of them are going to get to testify at the hearing. But the bill's opponents -- tech companies, free speech and human rights activists, and hundreds of thousands of Internet users -- won't have a voice. As if you need a reminder: This is the most offensive Internet legislation we've seen in years. It will give the government and corporations new powers to block Americans'...

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Bill Clinton vs. Barney Frank on Freddie/Fannie

Closer to the actual event Bill Clinton blames the Democrats for blocking Republican efforts in reigning in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae problems. Recently Barney Frank tries to blame Republicans wholly for the mess. h/t to 116falconer: http://youtu.be/ti-1XaapR0s

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