When will Obama say the San Bernardino attackers were terrorists?

I issued a statement today commending the FBI for investigating the San Bernardino massacre as an act of terrorism, and calling on President Obama to acknowledge that the shooting was a terrorist attack. You can read the statement here.

Discussing water on KMJ at 11:00 am PST

I'll be discussing the latest developments on the California water crisis today with Ray Appleton on KMJ at 11:00 am PST. Listen live here: http://www.kmjnow.com/.

Fox News discussions of intel manipulation

I'd like to wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving. During the holiday week, please take a look at some Fox News discussions about allegations of intelligence manipulation at U.S. Central Command. To watch the reports, click on the picture below:

Syrian refugees and my appearance on CNN Sunday

Yesterday I voted for the SAFE Act, which passed the House of Representatives on an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The bill would suspend President Obama's program to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States until much stronger security standards are adopted for vetting the refugees.

One of the main problems in vetting these refugees is that we often don't have any information about them in our databases. FBI Director James Comey has acknowledged these security gaps. He told Congress that "the challenge we're all talking about is that we can only query against that which we have collected. And so if someone has never made a ripple in the pond in Syria in a way that would get their identity or their interest reflected in our database, we can query our database until the cows come home, but there will be nothing [to] show up because we have no record on that person."

ISIS operatives openly proclaim that they are smuggling terrorists into the West amid the current wave of refugees. In ISIS videos, the group explicitly vows to attack the United States. Under these circumstances, I don't believe we can risk taking in thousands of Syrian refugees for whom our security agencies "have no record." The Paris terror assault shows that ISIS is ruthless, dedicated, effective, and treacherous in attacking the West. Our response requires fierce vigilance.  

I'll be discussing these issues and other topics on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday in the 6:00 am hour PST. The show will rebroadcast at 9:00 am PST. If you missed my interview on Fox News' Special Report this week, you can watch it at this link.

Discussing Paris terror attacks on Fox News in 3:00 PST hour

I'll be discussing the Paris terror attacks on Special Report with Bret Baier today on Fox News in the 3:00 PST hour.

Face the Nation appearance tomorrow 8:30 am PST

I will be discussing the Paris terror attacks on CBS' Face the Nation this Sunday. In most Central Valley locations the show will begin airing at 8:30 am PST For a full list of local broadcast times, click this link. To see some of my previous discussions of terrorism on the show, click here and here.

Keystone rejected and Monday KMJ Appleton show appearance

After a seven-year-long review process, President Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline today. The pipeline received widespread backing from the American people and bipartisan support in Congress. That’s not surprising – for most people, deciding whether to create more jobs, boost economic growth, and secure more oil from a stable, friendly nation like Canada is pretty easy to do.

President Obama, however, sees things differently. Time and again, he has chased after his utopian dream of a “green economy” at the expense of the real economy. His presidency is littered with taxpayer guarantees for green-energy boondoggles, impossible promises to churn out a million electric cars, and attempts to implement destructive power plant regulations. As he showed when he visited the Central Valley last year and treated us to a monologue on global warming, for him, even the California water crisis is mainly a problem of climate change.

Regardless of how much President Obama wants our economy to be powered by rainbows and unicorns, we need real sources of fuel. Keystone was an important project that would have had real economic benefits. Like the California water supply, however, it's been sacrificed on the altar of environmental extremism.

Separately, I'll be on the Ray Appleton show on Monday at 1:00 PST on KMJ. You can listen live at this link. 

Speaker Ryan's request that I continue as Intel Chairman

I have consented to a request by Paul Ryan, the new Speaker of the House, to continue serving as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. You can read my full statement here.

I will be discussing the Intelligence Committee, what we can expect from Paul Ryan's Speakership, and other issues on the Ray Appleton radio show on KMJ at 11:00 am PST on Friday. You can listen live here.

The military is not a political bargaining chip

On Thursday President Obama vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds the American military. There was strong bipartisan support for the bill, which passed the House of Representatives on a 270-156 vote and was approved in the Senate on an even more lopsided vote of 70-27.

Because of the obvious importance of funding our military, a presidential veto of the NDAA is rare – it’s only happened four times before. It is especially unusual this year because the bill’s funding level met the President’s request. But Obama is now demanding more funding for domestic programs and is also objecting to the NDAA’s restrictions on his ability to close the GITMO prison in Cuba and transfer the terrorists there to the United States.

We already know this president really likes to spend money – we’ve seen his failed stimulus programs and green-energy boondoggles. But holding our military hostage in order to raise spending even more is beyond the pale. Our servicemen and servicewomen are making huge sacrifices for their country, and they deserve to know their missions will not be exploited as a political bargaining chip in Washington. And it’s simply inexplicable that President Obama would jeopardize their missions in order to realize his bizarre scheme to bring some of the world’s worst terrorists into America.

I look forward to Congress’ upcoming vote to override the President’s veto.

Separately, I will be appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation this Sunday. In most Central Valley locations the show will begin airing at 8:30 am PST. For a list of broadcast times, click this link.

Interested in attending a U.S. Military Academy?

 

This month my office will be hosting Academy Night, which provides young Americans living in my congressional district an opportunity to get information about attending U.S. Military Academies. Representatives of the Air Force Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Military Academy (West Point), Naval Academy, and ROTC will be on hand to answer questions about the application process, admissions, academy life, duty commitments, and other topics.  

Academy Night will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Clovis Unified School District Professional Development Building at 1680 David E. Cook Way, Clovis. (See map here.) I strongly encourage students who are interested in attending a military academy to stop by. Parents are also welcome.

 

For more information about Academy Night, see the flyer here. For information on the nomination and application processes, see my website here.

Nunes on Appleton show 11:00 PST on KMJ

I’ll be on the Ray Appleton show today at 11:00 am PST. We’ll be discussing the Middle East and other issues, so if you have a question, please call in at (559) 490-5858. You can listen to the interview live on KMJ here.

This Week interview video

Yesterday I discussed Russia, Syria, terrorism, and other issues on ABC’s This Week. You can watch the interview by clicking on the picture below:

Nunes on ABC's This Week

I will be appearing tomorrow on ABC’s Sunday morning news show This Week. The show airs from 9:00 am to 10:00 am PST in most Central Valley locations. For a full list of local air times, click here, scroll to the map of the United States at the bottom of the page, and click on your state.

Tickets available for Pope Francis appearance in DC

Pope Francis will be visiting Washington D.C. next Thursday, September 24, to give a speech to a Joint Session of Congress. My office has standing-room tickets for spectators to watch the address on jumbotrons on the West Lawn of the Capitol. After his speech, the Pope is expected to make an appearance on the Speaker’s Balcony, which looks out to the West Lawn. If you’re a constituent of my district and would like a ticket for the Pope’s appearance, please contact my D.C. office at (202) 225-2523. Tickets are limited and will be given out on a first come, first served basis.

Nunes office seeking interns

Fall and spring internships are available in my Washington, D.C. and Visalia offices. If you know someone who is interested in politics and public affairs, wants to gain professional experience, and can excel in a fast-paced environment, please pass along this message.

Interns provide critical staff support and are often called on to work at public events, conduct research, and help with special projects. The application process is now open for both part-time and full-time applicants.    

All interns must have a high school diploma. Additionally, they must be enrolled in or have recently graduated from an accredited college or university. Applications can be downloaded from my website here.  

For answers to questions about my intern program, please call (559) 733-3861 or (202) 225-2523.

#HetchHetchyHypocrites

A recent UC Davis study projected the costs of the California water crisis this year. The researchers found:  

·         The net water shortage will be 2.5 million acre-feet in 2015.

·         In response, farmers will fallow 542,000 acres of land.

·         The crisis will cost the California economy $2.74 billion this year, with the loss of 21,000 jobs.  

The study finds that California agriculture is faring better than many predicted. Some areas are suffering much more than others, however. As the researchers previously noted, “The impacts are concentrated mostly in the San Joaquin Valley.”

For decades, elites in the Bay Area, which is a primary support base for many radical environmental groups, have successfully fought to divert huge amounts of Delta water from Central Valley families and communities to environmental causes. Meanwhile, the Bay Area’s own water supply is not subject to these diversions. San Francisco and other coastal communities enjoy an uninterrupted water supply piped in across the state from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. As Valley farmers fallow their dried up land, take a look at Hetch Hetchy – these photos were sent to my office by a Valley farmer who visited Yosemite last month:   

It’s quite amazing how much water the Bay Area has kept for itself by exempting Hetch Hetchy from the punishing water regulations it has foisted on the Central Valley.   

Let’s see if we can draw the Bay Area’s attention. If you have pictures of Hetch Hetchy brimming with water, please post them on your social media accounts with the hashtag #HetchHetchyHypocrites.

Global warming overload

Since its inception, the Obama administration has engaged in an all-out push to adopt ever-stricter global warming regulations. Recall that Barack Obama was the only presidential candidate – at least as far as I can remember – who took office vowing to bankrupt any company in an entire American industry that refuses to adhere to his environmental agenda.  

When President Obama’s attempt to impose a carbon-trading scheme on the U.S. economy proved too extreme even for a Democrat-controlled Congress to approve, the President remarked that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. And since then, his administration has passed crushing global warming regulations through unilateral, administrative means. Despite the extensive list of taxpayer subsidized green energy disasters – Solyndra, Fisker Automotive, Beacon Power, A123 Systems Inc, EnerDel, to name a few – the administration’s green policies march ever forward.   

The latest salvo is the president’s new “climate action plan,” which mandates drastic reductions in carbon emissions from power plants over the next few decades. The plan provoked a thoughtful Wall Street Journal article discussing the administration’s claim that these regulations will not result in higher electricity prices that hurt the poor. That argument, the Journal noted, is refuted by the plan itself, which demands that states launch redistribution schemes to lessen the regulations’ impact on poor communities.

The climate plan also led to observations that despite the massive harm it will do to the economy, it will barely have any effect at all on global warming – the problem it ostensibly aims to address. However, the plan did have at least one immediate effect – an array of business groups and states is vowing to sue the government to stop these punitive regulations.   

To drum up support for these economically destructive policies, global warmists resort to apocalyptic rhetoric, with President Obama claiming there is “no greater threat to our planet.” As Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have to, respectfully, disagree.   

Separately, the Nunes Digest is updated here.

Updated Nunes Digest for your weekend reading

Click on the picture below to get your weekend reading at the Nunes Digest:

Greece: A cautionary tale

As Greece prepares to enter another round of seemingly endless negotiations with its creditors, it’s a good time to consider how the cradle of Western civilization became a bankrupt and broken nation.  

While its adoption of the Euro has clearly damaged Greece’s ability to respond to its various crises, the core problem is that the Greek government ran up hidden, unsustainable debts. It turned to international creditors for a series of bailouts and had to adopt austerity measures such as higher taxes and spending cuts. The fiscal crisis spiraled into an economic, social, and political crisis punctuated by the following:

·         A disastrous rise in long-term unemployment.

·         The closure of banks, causing major economic disruptions.

·         The rise in support for a far-right extremist party, and the assumption of power by a far-left Marxist party.

·         The emigration of 3 percent of the population, mostly young people, between 2010 and 2013.

 

How did Greece reach this point? A 2010 exposé in Vanity Fair describes how the government was shoveling money into the public sector, which had doubled in size over the previous decade. Taxes from private sector workers, who earned on average just one-third the salary of public employees, could not cover the bill, especially since tax evasion and bribery had become a kind of national sport. The writer explains the damaging moral effect this collectivist system had on the Greek people:

 

“No success of any kind is regarded without suspicion. Everyone is pretty sure everyone is cheating on his taxes, or bribing politicians, or taking bribes, or lying about the value of his real estate. And this total absence of faith in one another is self-reinforcing. The epidemic of lying and cheating and stealing makes any sort of civic life impossible. . . . The structure of the Greek economy is collectivist, but the country, in spirit, is the opposite of a collective. Its real structure is every man for himself.”      

At a time when the U.S. national debt is approaching $19 trillion, and when the country continues to accumulate tens of trillions more in unfunded liabilities on entitlement programs, Greece offers a cautionary tale showing that government over-spending is not generous or charitable – it’s destructive and it’s selfish, since it imperils a nation’s future generations. Balancing the budget is not just the first step in correcting our own perilous fiscal situation, it is a moral imperative.       

Dangerous times

The killing of four U.S. Marines in Tennessee yesterday is a stark reminder of the severe threats now facing the U.S. homeland. Radicalizing recruits worldwide through social media and using encrypted digital chatrooms to plot attacks, ISIS and other jihadist groups are looking for every possible opportunity to strike at the U.S. homeland. Americans everywhere ought to remain vigilant to these threats and resist demands to handcuff our intelligence community, which is working hard to identify and track foreign terrorists.

Unfortunately, the nuclear agreement that the Obama administration signed with Iran will not diminish these threats and may even intensify them. Iran remains the world’s primary sponsor of international terrorism, and there is nothing in the agreement that will change the regime’s behavior. To the contrary, the deal will relieve both internal and external  pressure on the mullahs, giving them access to new sources of cash to continue spreading turmoil throughout the Middle East and beyond.

I’d like to hear your thoughts as Congress debates and ultimately votes on the Iran agreement. I invite you to read the agreement for yourself here and let me know what you think by emailing me here. 

House acts to ease CA water crisis

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed its fourth major California water bill in less than four years. Once again, we are moving legislation that will ease the devastating water crisis that is wreaking havoc on the Central Valley economy and pushing useful farmland out of production.

Although the White House and many congressional Democrats resisted all our previous efforts and are already opposing the new bill, we are working to convince them that something has to be done. As thirsty Central Valley farmers and families continue to watch their water get flushed into the ocean due to ever-expanding environmental regulations, it’s long past time that the government stop prioritizing fish over families.

You can read my extended article on the water crisis here and see my comments about the new bill by clicking on the picture below:

Video: Nunes on Face the Nation

You can watch my appearance on Face the Nation yesterday by clicking on this picture:

 

Separately, if you missed it, you can read my recent essay on the California water crisis here.



Water crisis culprits exposed at Investor’s Business Daily

 

As Governor Jerry Brown continues to wring his hands amid the California water crisis, I offer my take on the problem in an extended essay for Investor’s Business Daily. I’m sure the governor’s anguish about global warming and over-population is sincere, but those issues have little connection to the water crisis. The bottom line is this: the crisis is the direct result of a long-term plan by radical environmentalists to cut the water supply to San Joaquin Valley communities. Read how they did it and what we can do about it in my essay here.

Back to the Future with Tulare Union High

This morning I was honored to attend the 2015 graduating class breakfast for Tulare Union High School. I graduated from Tulare Union, so I enjoyed visiting with the outgoing senior class. They struck me as bright and ambitious – I was happy to give them a few bits of advice based on some lessons I’ve learned in my political career as well as my personal life, and I discussed how we are lucky to live in one of the most unique places in the world. As shown here, I had a chance to chat with Tulare Union senior Alex Galvan, whose grandfather Ed once worked on my staff. Meanwhile, my daughters Evelyn and Margaret got to meet another Tulare Union graduate, Jason Oliveira from the ABC 30 Action News team. Thank you Tulare Union for inviting me to your breakfast, and congratulations to the Class of 2015. Go Redskins!

Art Competition winners and my Face the Nation interview

The winners were recently announced of the 2015 Congressional Art Competition. High school artists from every Congressional District are invited to submit artwork to the competition, and the first-place submissions from each district are displayed in the U.S. Capitol. I’d like to congratulate Lauren Nichols, winner of the competition in California’s 22^nd District, along with second-place winner Paxton Hergenroeder and third-place winner Vivian Napoles. Their submissions are below:

 

 

Self-Portrait

         by Lauren Nichols

      Buchanan High School

 

 

Self-Portrait

   by Paxton Hergenroeder

     Buchanan High School

 

"The Endeavor for Peace"

    by Vivian Napoles

     Redwood High School

If you know high school artists who may like a chance to see their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol, please recommend this competition. For more information, click here.

  

Separately, you can watch my recent appearance on Face the Nation by clicking on the picture below:

  

 

 

Nunes on Face the Nation Sunday

I will be appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation this Sunday. In most Central Valley locations the show will begin airing at 8:30 am PST. For a list of broadcast times, click this link.

A gathering threat

Terrorists struck on American soil last weekend when two armed jihadists attempted to storm an event in Garland, Texas, that was displaying cartoons of Mohammad. Thanks to quick action by a police officer, the casualties were limited to one security guard being shot in the foot – as well as the two attackers, who were killed before they could commit the atrocity they had planned.

The threat posed by Islamist extremists has rapidly grown more severe. The Islamic State controls wide swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, while al Qaeda groups continue to spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Many of these groups now have battlefield experience and terrorism credentials, deep support networks, and the ability to broadcast their propaganda worldwide through social media.

This critical threat is not confined to the Middle East. Like the murderous attacks in Paris earlier this year, the Garland assault shows that Islamist terrorists have a wide reach throughout the world. Those who believe the jihadists will spare the U.S. if we simply withdraw from our position of world leadership are deluding themselves. This movement does not make limited demands that can be appeased. Like Communism, its adherents are openly, proudly intent on world domination, and they will continue pursuing that goal until they are decisively defeated.

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

Water update "CA Guac"

This week, the media continued to bemoan the California drought while downplaying how much water we’re losing due to environmental regulations. I took on some of the media spin about the water crisis last week in an article for National Review. Writing for the same magazine, Kevin Williamson has a piece out today debunking the common argument that global warming is to blame for the crisis. Read his piece “Global Warming Guacamole” here.  

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

Fox News story and other water wars updates

The effects of Governor Jerry Brown’s water restrictions continue to reverberate across the state. A lot of the media coverage blames farmers for the crisis without even mentioning the environmental regulations that have been decimating the Central Valley water supply for decades. I offer a corrective to the media’s reporting in a new article here, and I argue my points in a Fox News report here. And in case you missed it, you can see my comments on the House floor last year on the water crisis by clicking on the picture below:

 

 

Water woes

The national media suddenly took notice of the California water wars this week after Governor Brown announced state-wide water restrictions. It’s nice to see some media interest in the problem, though they’re coming pretty late to the game. It’s amazing how a decades-long crisis in the Valley turns into a big story once the effects hit San Francisco and other coastal enclaves.

Governor Brown, President Obama, and many others are blaming the water crisis on global warming, but I have a different take. To watch my remarks during a water debate on the House floor last year, click here. For a comprehensive rebuttal of our opponents’ arguments, click here.

Additionally, take a look at articles by Victor Davis Hanson on this issue here and here.   

Thoughts on my Middle East trip and new water restrictions

I just returned from a trip to Europe and the Middle East, where a highlight was the chance to meet with U.S. troops stationed overseas. I also spoke to representatives of our Middle Eastern allies, who are rightfully worried by spreading instability and violence. Aside from the battle against ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and northern Africa, Iran is a major concern. Using proxy militias as well as their own special forces, the mullahs are aggressively expanding their influence in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and elsewhere.

The specter of Iran gaining nuclear capabilities hangs over the region. Unsurprisingly, the framework agreement that the Obama administration recently signed with Iran did not ease our allies’ concerns. Instead of forcing the mullahs to completely abandon their nuclear program, the Obama administration will allow numerous nuclear sites, thousands of centrifuges, and other key parts of the program to remain intact. Our allies struggle to understand why the Iranian regime – the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism –  can extract so many concessions from the world’s superpower. This is part of a strange pattern with the Obama administration – stridently anti-American regimes in Iran and Cuba are persistently courted, while relations with close allies like the Kurds, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt are diminished.

Separately, as you know, Gov. Brown has announced mandatory water restrictions for the first time in California history. This provoked the New York Times to dutifully parrot talking points that connect the drought to global warming. As I mentioned in a press statement, neither the drought nor global warming has caused the water crisis in the Central Valley, where the irrigation system was designed to withstand five years of drought. The crisis exists because our water is being diverted for environmental causes, as Victor Davis Hanson explains here. Now that the Governor resorted to water rationing, I hope he will reconsider his opposition to all the bills we passed in the House of Representatives that would alleviate the water crisis.            

On another note, I wanted to draw your attention to the Fresno Bee article here about Pete Dern, the Fresno firefighter who was critically injured after falling through a roof while battling a blaze. The article provides information on where you can donate to Dern and upcoming blood drives for him.  

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

Real Heroes in Fresno

I recently attended the Red Cross Real Heroes program in Fresno, where exceptional individuals are recognized for acts of courage, heroism, and service. An amazing group of people was recognized – soldiers, law enforcement officers, and numerous everyday people who performed extraordinary acts in their communities.

Along with U.S. Marshal Albert Najera, I had the honor of presenting the Congressional Badge of Bravery to Deputy U.S. Marshal Stephen Mroczka, who was shot twice while apprehending a dangerous fugitive in Fresno. The suspect, who was wanted in connection with a violent sexual assault, opened fire on U.S. Marshals who came to capture him at a house where he was staying. Despite being shot in the chest and abdomen, Deputy Mroczka fired back and immobilized the fugitive. It was one of many astounding stories we heard about a truly extraordinary group of Americans. My thanks to the Red Cross for hosting this outstanding event.  

A week in the Valley

 

 

I was back in the Valley this week, where I enjoyed having a townhall meeting with around a hundred Cigna employees who discussed ObamaCare, jobs, water, and other issues with me. Hundreds of Cigna jobs in Visalia had been jeopardized by ObamaCare regulations that put U.S. insurers at a disadvantage with foreign-based companies in issuing health plans for Americans living overseas. However, a bipartisan group of House members passed a law I co-authored to cancel those regulations, and the cancellation was enacted into law in December. You can read about the townhall meeting here and here.  

 

I also had some good exchanges this week with local media and radio callers, who questioned me on ISIS, Hillary Clinton’s private emails, Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, and other topics. Here are some quick links to my interviews:  

 

·         ABC 30

·         CBS 47

·         KMJ’s Ray Appleton

·         Powertalk’s Christopher Gabriel
 

·         Connect with Me’s John Malos 

The FCC's Internet power grab

Democratic commissioners on the FCC have adopted net neutrality rules, which will allow the FCC to regulate Internet Service Providers as public utilities. It’s hard to see the need for this action, since the Internet has been thriving without these regulations. Furthermore, these rules may stifle innovation and could be exploited to ram through Internet taxes and price controls. A Forbes article discusses the many drawbacks of net neutrality here.

 

Separately, the Tax Foundation published an analysis of my tax reform proposal, finding that it would expand the economy by 6.8 percent and create “more jobs, higher incomes, and better opportunities.” You can read the write-up here. National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru comments on my plan here.

 

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated here.

Starting a business could get easier

I have developed a tax reform proposal that would make it far easier for people to start up, operate, and expand their own business. The Hill recently published an analysis of my plan, which you can read here.