What I saw in the Middle East

 

I recently returned from a trip to the Middle East that included visits to the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Erbil. There was some good news out of Iraq recently, as Kurdish fighters – helped by U.S. airstrikes – pushed back ISIS forces around the town of Sinjar. This advance broke ISIS’s siege of Mount Sinjar, where thousands of civilians had fled after ISIS launched a calculated campaign of mass murder. Despite this progress, ISIS’s recent publication of a manual approving the beating and trading of Christian and Jewish sex slaves, alongside harrowing reports of the widespread murder and forced conversion of Christians – including the killing of children – should remind us of the terrible fate that will befall millions if these depraved zealots are not defeated.    

Not many Americans would want to live amid this dangerous war. Yet in Iraq, I met U.S. servicemen and women who are risking their lives to assist the battle against ISIS. I am in awe of their selfless courage. These Americans are spending Christmas there – in a warzone far from friends and family – so that we can celebrate Christmas in safety here.

So I’d like to offer my gratitude and appreciation to military veterans as well as active duty, reserve, and national guard servicemembers, especially those now on deployment, and wish my friends and constituents a Merry Christmas.        

U.S. Senate to Central Valley: “No water for you!”

The House of Representatives this week passed its third bill in three years to alleviate the California water crisis. Based on extensive, bipartisan House-Senate negotiations, the California Emergency Drought Relief Act (H.R. 5781) included numerous Senate demands. The bill did not even strive to permanently solve the crisis, instead proposing measures simply to bring some short-term relief to families and to help farmers get through the upcoming growing season. Nevertheless, the Senate refused to approve even these minimal, temporary actions, just as it declined to act on the previous House water bills. The House was also prepared to pass the measures as part of the Omnibus spending bill, but the effort was killed by Senate opposition.   

Having rejected all our initiatives, the senators should explain their plan for relieving the water crisis. As I argued on the House floor, by the way they’re acting, it’s almost as if they have no plan at all . . .  

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated here. 

Nunes on KMJ Appleton show at 11 PST today

I will be dropping by the Ray Appleton show on KMJ today at 11:00 am PST. Listen live here. 

Humbled and honored

I was honored today to have been appointed as the next Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. You can read Speaker of the House John Boehner’s announcement here, my statement here, and Chairman Rogers’ statement here.   

President Obama, His Royal Highness

One would think President Obama would interpret his latest Election Day shellacking as a resounding vote of no confidence in his agenda by the American people. But bizarrely, the president reportedly feels “liberated” by his party’s loss of control of the Senate. Even before the new Congress is seated, he plans to dramatically change the immigration system by signing executive orders, apparently unconcerned that such brazen moves would severely damage efforts at bipartisan cooperation on immigration and many other issues.

Although Obama previously admitted he does not have the authority to undertake these actions, he now argues that he is tired of waiting for Congress to act. If there is a clause in the Constitution that allows the president to usurp Congressional authority when he feels impatient, I haven’t seen it. Please take a look at the Constitution and tell me if you find it.  

The President is also reportedly planning a slew of dramatic executive actions to fight global warming. If his goal is to suppress economic growth and job creation, he’s on the right path.     

Turning to foreign policy, Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has been busy lately, dispatching Russian troops and new weapons systems into Ukraine, threatening the Baltics, announcing plans to send Russian bombers to the Gulf of Mexico, and possibly sending a submarine into Swedish territorial waters. Although Obama did not have much of a response to these provocations, his week was not free of accomplishments – he concluded a global warming agreement with China.

So we have that going for us.

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated here. 

A conversation with our future leaders

This week I had the opportunity to do some Q&A with students of Mike Perales’ U.S. history class at Buchanan High School in Clovis. They were well-prepared with great questions on government and history, leading to an excellent discussion. Thank you to Mr. Perales, his students, and Buchanan High for hosting me.   

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here. 

Nunes on KMJ Appleton show at 1:00 PST

I’ll be on the Ray Appleton show today on KMJ at 1:00 pm PST. Listen live here.  

Fighting the Ebola outbreak

As the number of Ebola-related deaths in West Africa surpasses 4,500, President Obama still refuses to implement a common-sense temporary travel ban on the region. He has, however, ordered thousands of U.S. military personnel into the danger zone on a dubious mission to fight the disease. If you want the facts on Ebola, including symptoms, causes, and prevention techniques, see the Mayo Clinic write-up here.  

On a lighter note, I recently visited the Little Caesars franchise in Clovis owned by Scott and Shelly Hellam, who won the pizzeria’s Franchisee of the Year award. Below is a picture with Scott, and another with Scott, Shelly, and store manager Taryn Coneley.

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here. 

A day in Dinuba

I recently spent a great day in Dinuba, where I was honored to present Fred Ruiz with a resolution commemorating the 50-year anniversary of Ruiz Foods. I also want to thank Reda and Brenda Bennani for the excellent lunch they provided at Bennani’s restaurant.  

Separately, I’d like to draw your attention to this Washington Post article about the use of water as a weapon in Iraq by the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group. According to the Post, “The idea of a radical, non-state group gaining authority over critical water infrastructure has raised particular worry.” Luckily, here in the Central Valley, “radical, non-state groups” could never “gain authority” over “critical water infrastructure” and use it as a weapon to enforce their will, right? (Click here for the answer.)

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here. 

Another Islamic State atrocity

The Islamic State is continuing its atrocities, most recently with its destruction of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in the Syrian town of Der Zor. The attack, whose results are shown above, was a typical act of Islamic State barbarism, this time aimed at a Christian minority group that has long suffered oppression and even genocide in the region. For my take on fighting the Islamic State and other terror groups, listen to my recent interview with Chris Daniel here. 

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.   

Interview with Chris Daniel today at 2:30 PST on KMJ

I will be discussing terrorism with Chris Daniel today on KMJ 580 am at 2:30 pm PST. Listen live here. 

Today's radio excitement

I spoke with Ray Appleton today about President Obama’s plans to fight the ISIS terror group, as well as the latest developments in the water wars. You can listen to our talk here. Judging by my daughter’s reaction to the interview, I’d say it was riveting radio: 

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here. 

Discussing ISIS with Ray Appleton tomorrow 11 am PST

I’ll be discussing ISIS and the growing worldwide terrorism threat with KMJ’s Ray Appleton on Friday at 11:00 am PST. Listen live at this link. For thoughts from Dick Cheney, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, and myself on whether the Obama administration has reverted to a pre-9/11 mentality, read the American Thinker article here.  

Resisting international aggression

As crises erupt throughout the world, the Washington Examiner published a two-part interview with me about two major international aggressors: Russia and the Islamic State. You can read Part I here and Part II here.  

Talking Russia with John Batchelor

Vladimir Putin

Yesterday John Batchelor and I discussed Russia’s latest aggression. You can listen to our talk here, beginning at the 30:30 mark. If you missed my recent article about Russia, you can read it here.

I also wanted to note a Weekly Standard article by Stephen Hayes, who writes about the Obama administration’s strange reluctance to disclose a trove of documents seized from Osama bin Laden’s compound. You can read that article here.   

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

Labor Day weekend reading: Taxes, Russia, and more

We learned this week that Burger King will buy a Canadian restaurant chain and open a headquarters for the new, merged company in Toronto, a move that may allow the fast-food giant to lower its tax burden. The announcement sparked denunciations of Burger King and threats of boycotts – the same response that apparently caused Walgreens to stop considering a similar move abroad. The White House is reportedly thinking about circumventing Congress yet again and adopting new regulations to stem corporate flight.

We can’t afford to sit back and watch U.S. businesses pull up stakes and move away. But I don’t believe the answer lies in exerting ever-more government control over businesses. Like people, businesses respond to incentives. If the U.S. taxes them much more than other countries do, then U.S. businesses have an incentive to move.

So I suggest we remove that incentive – and while we’re at it, we should revamp the entire way businesses are taxed and provide new incentives for businesses to stay here, expand, and bring money home that is now parked in foreign tax havens. I have proposed using 100 percent expensing as a way to accomplish those goals. You can read more about my proposal here.      

Separately, I have a new op-ed outlining a more effective response to Russia’s belligerence. You can read it here.  

Finally, I wanted to share a few pictures of my trip this week to Sequoia National Park, one of central California’s great natural treasures. Portuguese Ambassador Nuno Brito and I had an instructive talk with the park rangers, who led a ceremony declaring my daughters Julia and Margaret to be junior rangers after they climbed to the top of Moro Rock.  

Not long ago, my daughters saw something they seemed to like as much as Sequoia National Park – John Boehner’s toy monkey.

Nunes office seeking interns

I am looking for college interns for the fall and spring semesters to work in my Visalia, Clovis, and Washington, D.C. offices. My current interns drew up a list of reasons to apply:

Top 10 Reasons You Should Intern for Congressman Nunes

10.  You will encounter political figures whom you have only seen on television.

 9.    You will never be hungry because the offices have infinite amounts of jelly bellies and pistachios to snack on, and sometimes you’ll even get doughnuts.

8.      You will have a unique and often comical story to share with your friends and family after every workday. 

7.      You will constantly be amused by the staff’s sense of humor. (Some may call it sophomoric.) You’ll get this once you meet Chief of Staff Johnny Amaral. 

6.      You will become buddies with the Capitol Police, the Sparkletts Water Guy, and Art the Mailman. 

5.      You will never be bored because you will get to talk to new people on the phone all day and conduct tours for visiting constituents. 

4.      You will start answering your personal cell phone by saying, “Office of Congressman Nunes.” 

3.      You will become an expert at Google and acquire a whole new government-themed vocabulary. 

2.      You will always look snazzy because business casual is totally in. 

1.      You will develop lifelong friendships, and your résumé will look great. 

You can find more information and applications for internships on my website here or by calling (559) 733-3861. 

Courtroom pushback on California water

Environmentalists are looking to complete their destruction of the California water supply by pushing legislation to regulate groundwater usage. For a glimpse of what the enviros have already wrought, look at the U.S. Drought Monitor’s list of the top U.S. cities that are running out of water – every one of them is in California and six are in the San Joaquin Valley. There was some pushback this week, however, when a group filed a lawsuit to end the double standard by which San Francisco, with its uninterrupted water supply from Hetch Hetchy, is exempt from the water cutbacks that have plagued the Valley. Read the court filing here.  

Separately, as the Department of Veterans Affairs in D.C. struggles to overcome years of neglect, I received a briefing today at the Fresno VA about how it’s working to improve care for our vets. We owe our veterans a lot, including a functioning VA system that is responsive to their needs.  

Additionally, in case you missed it, you can hear my discussion yesterday with Ray Appleton here.

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

KMJ interview at noon Thursday

I’ll be discussing the day’s issues with Ray Appleton on KMJ 580 am at noon PST tomorrow. Listen live here.  

Separately, along with Tulare Vice Mayor Carlton Jones, today I visited the Aspens Apartments, which uses tax credits to provide affordable housing for Tulare families. These sorts of public-private partnerships are an innovative way to enlist the private sector in fighting poverty and assisting low-income families.

 

Good intel on bad terrorists

I recently published an op-ed about the need to maintain strong intelligence capabilities as chaos engulfs the Middle East. You can read the article here. If you missed my previous op-eds, you can read them here and here.  

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading. Click on the link below:

Addressing the immigration crisis

With the immigration crisis roiling the southern border and President Obama seemingly paralyzed to act, I am supporting an effort in the House of Representatives to amend a 2008 law – originally meant to combat sex trafficking – that is exacerbating the problem. The change would accelerate the screening and repatriation of many unaccompanied children who cross the border illegally. This crisis demands immediate action from both Congress and the President to address growing threats to public safety and to our national security.  

On a lighter note, I had some special guests in D.C. this week – my wife and daughters came from our home in Tulare to visit me. My daughters had some interesting meetings here, including one with Senator Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy, and another with NASCAR driver Kurt Busch.

Seems like they enjoyed making some new friends.

Separately, if you missed my recent articles on U.S. national security, you can read them here and here. And click on the icon below for the updated Nunes Digest:

The response to Iraq begins with Keystone

I recently outlined my thoughts on the connection between America’s energy policy and the chaos now engulfing the Middle East. You can read my article at the Washington Examiner here.

Separately, click on the icon below for the updated Nunes Digest:

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend. 

Salute to Central Valley Honor Flight Vets

Today I had one of my favorite events – meeting participants of the Central Valley Honor Flight program at the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. I am always amazed by these veterans’ humility and courage. Here are a few pictures with these patriots:

 

Thank you all for your service.

 

Separately, you can read my new article on America’s battle against jihadist terrorism here.   

IRS in the hot seat

 

Today, the Ways and Means Committee heard testimony from IRS Commissioner John Koskinen as to how his agency lost copies of emails sent by Lois Lerner and other IRS officials who targeted conservative non-profit groups. Mr. Koskinen claimed the emails were lost in computer crashes – which were convenient if these officials had something to hide. We’ve heard a lot of excuses from the IRS since this scandal was revealed last year, but this “dog-ate-my-emails” story might be the dumbest. Along with my fellow members of the Ways and Means Committee, I will continue investigating this issue until we learn the whole truth and until all those who broke the law face justice.
 
Separately, the Nunes Digest has been updated for your weekend reading. Click on the picture below.

Commemorating D-Day

Today is the 70^th anniversary of D-Day, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. Thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of U.S. troops and their allies on June 6, 1944, the world was soon rid of Adolf Hitler’s bloody regime.

In honor of these courageous veterans, here are a few D-Day-related links:

 

·       Ronald Reagan’s speech commemorating the 40^th anniversary of D-Day: click here.

·       Scenes from D-Day, Then and Now (clickable photos of D-Day that show what those exact locations look like today): click here.

·       And last but not least, the fantastic story of an 89-year-old British veteran who snuck out of a nursing home this week and went to France for D-Day commemorations: click here.   

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated here.

Unanswered questions about the Taliban prisoner swap

I wanted to draw your attention to two articles, here and here, about the Obama administration’s release of five Taliban prisoners from Gitmo in exchange for the release of U.S. POW Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban under murky circumstances.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about both Bergdahl’s capture and the deal for his release. I expect more details about this will come to light in the near future.  

Benghazi interview and weekend reading

I recently appeared on Fox and Friends to discuss the creation of the new Benghazi investigative committee. Click on the picture below to watch the clip:

 

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading. Click on the picture below:

 

Discussing the news with Ray Appleton

I had a wide-ranging interview with Ray Appleton this week that hit on Ukraine, al Qaeda, Syria, the Benghazi investigation, water, the Keystone XL pipeline, Edward Snowden, tax reform, and other topics. You can listen to the interview here.

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

Get your weekend reading at the Nunes Digest

The Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

Follow the headlines with the Nunes Digest

The Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

Comments on tomorrow's water rally

 

Although I’ll be in Washington, I hope there will be a good turnout at the water rally slated for tomorrow at 6:30 pm at Tulare’s International Agri-Center. I was surprised, however, to see that the event’s sponsors include Friant Water Authority and other groups that have not supported H.R. 3964, which is the only California water bill this Congress has passed in either the House or the Senate. As the event flyer makes clear, a zero-allocation in the East Side is a major problem – so why don’t these groups back the one bill that will finally resolve the water crisis? 

Let’s take a short stroll down memory lane: here is a letter I sent to Friant farmers in 2008 casting doubt on Friant’s claim that the San Joaquin River Settlement would provide water “certainty” and end litigation by environmental activists. (Yes, Friant lawyers and lobbyists actually made that argument.) And here is a letter I sent earlier this year reminding farmers that Friant did not support the previous House-passed water bill, H.R. 1837.  

It’s possible that Friant will be persuaded at tomorrow’s rally to support the House bill or to finally reveal its own proposed solution to the water crisis – but I doubt it. (If you missed them, you can see clips of me arguing for H.R. 3964 on the House floor here.)  

We could really use allies who stand up and fight for Central Valley water rights – because we’re not only battling the left-wing politicians, and the environmentalist activists, and the lawyers, and the judges, and the bureaucrats, but the media, too. Here’s a great example: a supposed news story by the L.A. Times essentially advocating the confiscation of all our remaining water. It reads like a press release from the National Resources Defense Council.      

As shown in the past, attempts to appease these radicals don’t work – those efforts always end up with us getting less water. The only option left is to fight. And for me, the fight goes on – as it does for countless thirsty families and farmers throughout the Valley.

San Joaquin Valley tells DC: “We need water!”

I’d like to thank the several thousand Central Valley residents who joined me and other Members of Congress on Wednesday for a water rally in Fresno. It was a great, energized crowd, and it sent a loud and clear message to the Senate, the Governor, the President, and the nation that we can’t wait any longer for action on the water crisis. Afterward, the House Natural Resources Committee held a field hearing on the crisis before a standing-room only audience.

You can read my opening remarks from the hearing here, and listen to Ray Appleton, John Batchelor, and I discuss the day’s events here. Additionally, you can watch a Fox News report on the rally and hearing by clicking on the picture below:

 

 

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.  

The smelt strike again

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld restrictions on water allocations meant to protect the Delta smelt. I comment on this obnoxious  ruling in a news report here, and I discuss it with John Batchelor here.

The water crisis will be the topic of a House Natural Resources Committee field hearing in Fresno on Wednesday, March 19. At 9:00 a.m., just before the hearing, I will join other Members of Congress for a water rally at the Fresno City Council Chambers at 2600 Fresno Street. If you want to show your support for more water for the Central Valley, come to the rally with signs, friends, and family.

Tulare farmer explains water crisis, and don't forget to listen to KMJ at 11

Mark Watte Zina Saunders

For a good summary of the California water crisis, read the Wall Street Journal’s interview with Tulare farmer Mark Watte at this link.

Separately, remember to tune in to KMJ 580 am today at 11:00 am PST to hear Ray Appleton and I discuss the water issue and our field hearing in Fresno next Wednesday. Listen live here.