House Republicans have charted an ambitious legislative agenda under House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that includes reforming the tax code, securing the border and repealing and replacing Obamacare, just to name a few. And if this is going to happen, much of the financing and budgeting of these plans will derive from the House Budget Committee.

Opportunity Lives Editor in Chief John Hart sat down with the newest House Budget Committee Chairwoman: Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) on Wednesday. 

As one of the few women leading a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Black has the responsibility of ensuring Republicans deliver on a number of campaign promises. Americans voted for decisive change and Black tells Opportunity Lives that House Republicans plan to deliver.

Along with sharing some valuable insight into how Republicans plan to repeal the costly and onerous Affordable Care Act, Black also opens up to Opportunity Lives about her early struggles living in poverty before eventually representing Tennessee’s 6th congressional district.

Full interview below:

For the last several decades, feminists have claimed there isn’t enough parity in business, politics, and other leadership positions. This has been especially true of conservative politicians. But upon closer inspection, it’s clear that women have been making significant gains, particularly in politics.

And in some notable cases, Republican women have been leading the way.

Recently, the Congressional Women’s Caucus, a bipartisan group of female elected officials, gathered on the House floor to celebrate how far women have come in politics since Jeanette Rankin — the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress — shattered a glass ceiling by asking, “Why not me?”

Rankin became the first woman to ever serve in the United States Congress on April 2, 1917. “The gentlewoman from Montana, who previously called my district in Eastern Washington home, was elected to Congress prior to women having the right to vote, and helped western states lead the nation down the road to universal women’s suffrage,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), House Republican Conference Chair. “She wants to be remembered, she said, as the only woman who ever voted to give women the right to vote.”

Since then, 300 women have served in Congress, breaking down barriers, making accomplishments, marking firsts, and standing up for their district’s interests. Their backgrounds are as diverse as their political views, but they have one thing in common: they are women who care about women’s issues.

Several Republican women currently serving in Congress can boast of many “firsts.” Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) was the first in her family to go to law school; Kay Granger (R-Texas) was the first woman to be elected mayor of Fort Worth; Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) was the youngest woman elected to the Wyoming legislature; Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) was the first female fighter pilot; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) is the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. The list goes on. Many of these women juggled careers in law, finances, education and medicine — not to mention raising children — before entering politics.

Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), co-chair of the caucus-led the event, was among several who women spoke about how important this milestone was for women around the country.

“Because of Rankin’s groundbreaking achievement 100 years ago, hundreds of women across the country have made history in Congress, drawing attention to the pressing issues of their time and creating policies that have impacted generations of Americans,” she said.

McMorris Rodgers said this wasn’t just about gender or politics but rather a celebration of the American spirit. She painted a picture every Republican and Democrat who yearns for progress for future generations, beyond equality just for equality’s sake, could get behind.

“After 100 years, we stand on the shoulder of giants — but we stand there to lift the next generation higher than ourselves,” Rodgers said. “We stand there so that every woman has a voice, and has an opportunity to be legendary, and so that women can keep making history for years to come.”

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), the first woman to chair the powerful House Budget Committee, pointed out the stories of 300 women coming to Capitol Hill from diverse backgrounds to represent their districts shouldn’t be unique. Her story, like many of the women who’ve been elected to the House, is particularly inspiring.

I spent the first years of my life in public housing…I was prepared to live a life of unfilled potential. I started to believe…that maybe the American Dream wasn’t for me. But in time, doors of opportunity were opened that helped me realize a plan for my life that was greater than I could ever imagine. …I have traveled far corners of the world and have seen the struggle that women endure for access to education, a paycheck, and for real independence. And I’m keenly aware that only here in this country is my story even possible. Only here could someone like me go from living in the halls of public housing to serving in the halls of the United States Capitol. …As we celebrate 100 years of women in Congress, we must resolve that stories like ours are not unique. The work we have done here in Congress must reach today’s young women with the truth that they have God-given talents waiting to be used, and that the American Dream is theirs to share as well.

As the first Republican woman to represent American Samoa, Delegate Amata Radewagen has pioneered a new path for women and also praised Rankin’s legacy for inspiring her — and all the women who represented in Congress before her.

While it’s tempting to give in to the feminist claim that women in America haven’t made nearly as much progress as in other countries, celebratory occasions like this are good reminders of just how far we have come.

Of course, there’s always room for improvement and there are millions of girls watching — hoping — for a future where they too can be active in politics, business, finance, education, medicine: All they need do is look to the women who went before them as a source of inspiration.
Speeches can be viewed here.

Soldiers are duty-bound to protect the people who hate them most.

That’s the reality of life in the U.S. armed forces: facing protest and criticism upon deployment, protest while overseas and protest upon returning home.

But that’s also what makes American military men and women so extraordinary: Faced with such harsh criticism, they still put their lives on the line anyway.

“I myself can’t imagine a more frustrating feeling than trying to preserve and protect someone’s right to criticize you in the process of your service,” said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking at a forum organized by Concerned Veterans for America. “But to the members of our armed services, I say that’s exactly why your elected officials must strive to be the best stewards of your own rights as Americans.”

For many veterans, though, that freedom has been corroded over the past eight years. Deliberate and calculated attempts by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under the Obama Administration have silenced veterans — or else punished them severely — all because they were trying to receive fair treatment for themselves and their fellow vets.

It’s a cruel kind of irony: Having put their lives on the line to protect our freedom of speech, these men and women return home only to find inadequate care, a dehumanizing bureaucracy and an institution that punishes those who speak out.

For Brandon Coleman, a veteran of the U.S. Marines and a former care-worker at the Phoenix VA hospital, the moment to speak out came after six veterans under his care committed suicide.

“Each one was a punch in the gut,” Coleman said. “I went to my supervisor about how these veterans had been ignored, and she told me that if I spoke out, that’s how people get fired.”

It turns out the damage was already done. Following that meeting, Coleman was instantly blackballed by the department. He was transferred from his position and forced to work with a social worker who combed through his medical records, hoping to find a past history of mental strain that would justify discrediting Coleman.

“That’s what they do every time,” Coleman said. “We’re veterans who witnessed extremely traumatic events, and they try to use that as a reason to discredit all of our concerns.”

He was called crazy, he was dismissed and he was shunned — all because he was looking out for the wellbeing of fellow veterans.

All for exercising his right to speak out.

And that was only the beginning.

The notice arrived on April 20, 2015: a gag order from the federal government, forbidding Coleman to speak to any VA employees, without any explanation.

“It would have been illegal, according to that order, for me to receive care as a disabled veteran of the United States,” Coleman said. “And I’m only one small guy who was able to fight this. Just think about how many gag orders they’ve placed on people without the means to fight back. That’s the scary part. Think how many veterans they’ve shut up.”

Coleman was luckier than most: He teamed up with Concerned Veterans for America and, with the help of a legal team, was able to prevail on a court that the gag order was an unconstitutional infringement of his freedom of speech.

But Coleman is aware that he is just one case, one man out of many who was denied his freedom of speech, and although groups like Concerned Veterans for America are fighting on, the problem of silenced veterans remains dire.

When 22 veterans a day commit suicide, the system is clearly broken. But if no one is able to speak up, nothing will ever change, and our veterans will continue to suffer long after they return home from battle.

Evan Smith is a Staff Writer for Opportunity Lives. You can follow him on Twitter @Evansmithreport.

On Thursday, Editor-in-Chief John Hart joined WIZM to talk about this week’s battle over the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE).

OL Senior Policy Editor Kara McKee joined WNDB to talk about why HHS pick Rep. Tom Price and Speaker Ryan will be the right leaders for the health care battle. She also talked about new reports about Russia’s hacking of email accounts.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Republicans will control the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Now the GOP is under intense pressure to deliver and follow through on many of the promises they have made during the Obama administration and over the course of the most recent campaign.

Among those prepared to hit the ground running on behalf of the American people is U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). Lee, who was reelected to second term last November, spoke exclusively to Opportunity Lives about what he hopes to accomplish as a member of the Judiciary Committee and as the Chairman of the powerful Senate Steering Committee that is largely responsible for deciding the legislative agenda for the upper chamber.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish most as a member of the Senate, the Utah lawmaker said, “I want to return as much power, as possible, to the people – that is my main goal.”

But what about the president-elect’s pick for Attorney General – Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)? What is Lee looking for? What are the most important qualities to lead the Department of Justice?

To find out, check out our conversation with Senator Lee below:

U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the first African-American senator from the South since Reconstruction, officially endorsed his senate colleague Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for the position of U.S. Attorney General. The South Carolina Republican said in a press release that he took it upon himself to “do his homework” on Sessions’ record both as a Senator and as a U.S. Attorney from Alabama.

Scott said:

After his nomination, I invited Senator Sessions to Charleston, South Carolina in December of 2016 to meet with African-American pastors, law enforcement and leaders of color. We had what both the attendees and I believe to be a very productive conversation, which gave us all a clearer picture of not only Jeff’s policy positions, but what is in his heart. I have also talked on multiple occasions with leaders from Alabama, closely reviewed both the Congressional testimony and news coverage of Senator Sessions’ hearing in 1986, and studied Jeff’s career as a whole.

While many of the allegations brought up 30 years ago were and are disputed, there are many facts that are absolutely clear. Jeff is committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States. He joined multiple desegregation lawsuits while serving as a U.S. Attorney, protecting the civil rights of students seeking equal educational opportunity. He ensured a KKK murderer received the death penalty. He voted for the first black Attorney General of the United States, and championed the effort to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal.

And Mike Warren of the Weekly Standard reports on the significance of Scott’s endorsement:

The announcement came just hours after it was announced that New Jersey senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, would testify as a witness against Sessions’s nomination—the first such time a sitting U.S. senator will testify against another senator for an executive confirmation. Scott and Booker are the only two black senators currently serving. In 1986, Sessions (then a U.S. attorney) was nominated for a seat on a federal circuit court, after which he was accused of making racially insensitive remarks by four Justice Department colleagues. Sessions denied these accusations and that he was a racist, but his nomination failed to move forward out of the Senate Judiciary committee.

You can read Scott’s full statement here.

U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has done his best to rest any notion that he’s a racist and bigot in his Senate confirmation hearings for Attorney General.

“Let me address another issue straight on, I was accused in 1986 of failing to protect the voting rights of African-Americans . . . and of condemning civil rights advocates and organizations and even harboring, amazingly, sympathies for the KKK. These are damnably false charges. I abhor the Klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology,” Sessions said yesterday.

He added, “I deeply understand the history of civil rights and the horrendous impact that relentless and systemic discrimination and the denial of voting rights has had on our African-American brothers and sisters.”

Sessions also said that under his leadership the Department of Justice will, “never falter in its obligation to protect the rights of every American, particularly those who are most vulnerable.’’

Sitting behind Sessions for part of the hearing was Bob Woodson, who I’ve described as a four-star general in the war against poverty. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) considers Woodson his “mentor.” After the 2012 election Ryan toured anti-poverty groups Woodson has helped connect and empower. Ryan’s tour is captured in our Comeback series at OL.

Writing in National Review, Woodson called Sessions a friend of underprivileged minorities:

I have known and worked with Senator Sessions for more than 15 years and know firsthand that his leadership, his compassion, and his actions to uplift “the least among us” far outweigh the weak allegations brought against him.

In an interview with ABC News, Woodson said Sessions was a strong supporter of local poverty groups. Woodson said Sessions has, “demonstrated by his actions that he cares for the least of these.” Woodson, himself a veteran of the civil rights movement, said Sessions critics are “abusing the civil rights legacy” by calling him a racist and said civil rights leaders have a “double standard” by lauding the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), a former Klan member, while vilifying Sessions who was never a member of the Klan and has disavowed the Klan.

Woodson said the people who will be testifying against Sessions today are part of the “the race grievance industry” who use race to “bludgeon” ideological opponents.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) are among the African-American members of Congress to testify against Sessions during the hearings. Booker’s choice to testify against Sessions has come under criticism, as he is the first sitting Senator to testify against a colleague’s nomination.

Sessions’ hearing continues today.

John Hart is the Editor-in-Chief of Opportunity Lives. You can follow him on Twitter @johnhart333.

Senior writer Ellen Carmichael joined KTSA to break down what’s really behind the attacks on HHS nominee Tom Price.

Two prominent Democratic Party leaders have strongly criticized the Obama administration for its refusal to veto a United Nations Security Council measure condemning the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East, Israel. The measure, which Israel says was orchestrated secretly by U.S. representatives, is believed to be part of a larger effort by hostile nations to further isolate the Jewish state from the international community.

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) excoriated the Obama administration, arguing that their complicity in the U.N. vote against Israel “will move us further from peace in the Middle East.”

He followed up with a tweet on Thursday, December 23, 2016, saying: “Extremely frustrating, disappointing & confounding that the Administration has failed to veto the UN resolution.”

To Schumer, “an abstention isn’t good enough.” Instead, he said, “anyone who cares about the future of Israel and peace in the region” should oppose a “one-sided” resolution meant to put undue pressure upon the country at the United Nations.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) echoed Schumer’s sentiments, explaining that the Obama administration’s cowardice sent mixed signals to friends and foes about America’s commitment to Israel. Instead, he said, the White House must “signal unequivocally to the entire world that we will continue to stand by our ally Israel as it seeks to build a future of peace and safety as a Jewish state and an equal member of the family of nations.”

Outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry disagrees with Hoyer’s view, claiming in a televised speech Wednesday that Israel could not be simultaneously an inherently Jewish nation and a democratic society.

“If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic. It cannot be both, and it won’t ever really be at peace,” Kerry said, before proclaiming that the Palestinians could not “realize” their own aspirations as a people without their own state.

Schumer also issued a scathing statement following Kerry’s speech, lamenting that the Secretary of State “has emboldened extremists on both sides” with his words and refusal to defend Israel at the United Nations.

“While Secretary Kerry mentioned Gaza in his speech, he seems to have forgotten the history of the settlements of Gaza, where the Israeli government forced settlers to withdraw from all settlements and the Palestinians responded by sending rockets from Gaza into Israel,” he explained. “This is something that people of all political stripes in Israel vividly remember. While he may not have intended it, I fear Secretary Kerry, in his speech and action at the UN, has emboldened extremists on both sides.”

This latest public conflict is yet another rift in a Democratic Party that moves ever leftward, even as the American people have roundly rejected their policies and politicians throughout all levels of government since President Obama took office in 2009. With prominent progressives outwardly demonstrating antagonism toward America’s most reliable Middle East ally, pro-Israel Democrats will continue to remain at odds with those steering the policy course of their party.

Ellen Carmichael is a senior writer for Opportunity Lives. Follow her on Twitter @ellencarmichael.