by | Feb 28, 2024 | Aggregate
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a victory against the Biden administration as a federal judge deemed the $1.7 trillion spending bill passed by the Democrats at the end of 2022 unconstitutional.
This ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Judge Wesley Hendrix of the Lubbock Division of the Northern District of Texas, opens the possibility of blocking Biden’s allocation of billions in taxpayer funds through subsequent litigation.
The omnibus bill, signed by Joe Biden in 2022 amid a family vacation in St. Croix and flown to the location to meet a December 30 deadline, earmarked 45 billion for Ukraine among other contentious allocations.
These included the passage of the Electoral Count Act, 2.6 billion towards January 6 investigations, nearly 600 million for the Environmental Protection Agency, and 11 million targeting gun owners. Notably, the bill lacked funding for border security, a critical point of contention for many Americans and Republicans.
AG Paxton filed a lawsuit early in 2023 challenging the implementation of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, bringing into question the constitutionality of the House’s quorum during its passage. The bill was passed with less than half of U.S. Congress physically present.
“Texas filed this case in mid-February 2023 challenging parts of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023–a $1.7 trillion appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in December 2022. Texas claims to be injured by two unrelated provisions of the Act: (1) a $20 million allocation to DHS’s “Alternatives to Detention” case management pilot program, which uses less expensive and more humane tools like GPS to monitor noncitizens who would otherwise be unnecessarily detained; and (2) the “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” which newly requires covered employers–defined to include states as employers–to provide certain accommodations for pregnant employees. Although Texas seeks only to block these two provisions, its legal claim is that the Act is invalid because the House of Representatives allegedly did not have a quorum when it passed the Act (some members voted by proxy, which Texas argues was invalid),” Litigation Tracker wrote.
The suit highlighted that the House permitted proxy voting, a move that Paxton argued contradicts over two centuries of legislative practice under the Constitution’s Quorum Clause.
According to the press release at the time:
Attorney General Paxton is suing President Biden and members of his Administration over the unlawful signing and implementation of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which was the latest omnibus spending bill.
The U.S. Constitution requires that a quorum of members of the U.S. House of Representatives be present for the lower chamber of Congress to conduct business. When the House passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 in December 2022, fewer than half of its members were present and more than half voted by proxy.
The U.S. Constitution empowers a quorum-less House only to “adjourn from day to day” or “compel the attendance of absent members.” Because “attendance” means physical presence, the U.S. Constitution does not allow voting by proxy to constitute a quorum. And because the omnibus spending bill wasn’t passed when a quorum of the House was present, it was never lawfully enacted, is unconstitutional, and the federal government should be enjoined from implementing it.
Judge Hendrix’s 120-page opinion meticulously dismantled the Justice Department’s defense of the spending bill, addressing the arguments one by one. In particular, he dismissed the notion that federal courts lack jurisdiction to scrutinize the legislative process, citing Supreme Court precedent that requires resolving any challenges to a quorum rule before applying the enrolled bill doctrine.
Hendrix wrote in his ruling:
“For over 235 years, Congress understood the Constitution’s Quorum Clause to require a majority of members of the House or Senate to be physically present to constitute the necessary quorum to pass legislation. This rule prevents a minority of members from passing legislation that affects the entire nation. But despite the Constitution’s text and centuries of consistent practice, the House in 2020 created a rule that permitted non-present members to be included in the quorum count and vote by proxy. Pursuant to that novel rule, the House passed a new law included within the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and that particular provision affects Texas. Like many constitutional challenges, Texas asserts that this provision is unenforceable against it because Congress violated the Constitution in passing the law.
[…]
And because the House only had a quorum due to this unconstitutional provision of its proxy rule, the House violated the Quorum Clause when it passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Finally, the Court finds that Texas has carried its burden to show its entitlement to a permanent injunction of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. In light of these conclusions, the Court enjoins the defendants from enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act against the State of Texas.”
You can read the full ruling here.
“Congress acted egregiously by passing the largest spending bill in U.S. history with fewer than half the members of the House bothering to do their jobs, show up, and vote in person,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi abused proxy voting under the pretext of COVID-19 to pass this law, then Biden signed it, knowing they violated the Constitution. This was a stunning violation of the rule of law. I am relieved the Court upheld the Constitution.”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation served as co-counsel. “This meticulous, 120-page opinion was written after a full trial on the merits,” said TPPF senior attorney Matt Miller. “The Court correctly concluded that the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 violated the Quorum Clause of the U.S. Constitution because a majority of House members was not physically present when the $1.7 trillion spending bill was passed. Proxy voting is unconstitutional.”
Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement in response to Judge James Hendrix’s ruling:
Article I of the Constitution has always made it clear that House and Senate members be physically present when conducting certain legislative business. For our constitutional system to work, it must be followed.
During passage of Pelosi’s $1.7 trillion lame duck FY 2023 omnibus in December 2022, I noted a physical quorum was not present. Indeed, a majority of Members – 226 – elected to vote by proxy on the bill’s final passage.
While this ruling’s reach will not be immediate, it is a critically important first step in forming judicial precedent against unconstitutional proxy voting. Thank you to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Texas Public Policy Foundation for leading this effort in court. And thank you to the Mountain States Legal Foundation for their work on the amicus brief we led in the case. I also want to thank former Speaker Kevin McCarthy for working with me to challenge the constitutionality of proxy voting which the Supreme Court did not take up, but represented the right legal and philosophical position — a position underscored by yesterday’s judgment.
The post Landmark Victory for Texas AG Ken Paxton as Court Strikes Down Biden’s $1.7 Trillion Spending Bill – Unconstitutional appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
by | Feb 28, 2024 | Aggregate
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The ongoing war against America’s food supply is being waged mostly from one side. Corporate media ignores those of us warning against the machinations of the powers-that-be who are actively and aggressively gunning for complete control over what we eat. When they do mention insect proteins and lab-grown “meat,” they do so as propaganda arms for those who want to control us.
“More people are waking up,” said Jason Nelson, co-founder of Prepper All-Naturals. “They’re asking questions that they never even considered asking just a couple of years ago. This is a good thing. I just hope it’s not too late.”
Nelson and his partners launched Prepper All-Naturals in 2022 in anticipation of exactly what we’re seeing today. Food prices are going up, as everyone now realizes. But there are less-known events happening daily as the walls go up around the food supply chain. Major food suppliers in the United States are pushing for insect protein as a replacement for standard meat. Legal measures are being taken against farmers and ranchers who dare to keep their products natural. Plutocrats like Bill Gates are heavily promoting unnatural replacements for food staples.
As farmers across Europe protest for their livelihood, Bill Gates is promoting a company called Savor, in which he’s investing.
Savor is working to replace animal-based butter with synthetic butter. In a recent ad, Gates said:
“Animal fat is the secret ingredient that gives… pic.twitter.com/v0uIMnl13A
— Ben Swann (@BenSwann_) February 27, 2024
Henry Kissinger said, “Who controls the food supply can control the people.”
When the actions by the powers-that-be are seen individually, they often seem innocuous enough. But seen as a whole, as Nelson is forced to do on a daily basis, a very nefarious picture is painted that is downright scary for those who are not firmly secure with their personal food chain. It’s what Nelson simple calls, “The Plan.”
“When the time is right and they have their public-private partnerships fully established with Big Ag, Big Pharma, and Big Beef, they will be in position to provide the ‘solution’ to the problem they are manufacturing,” Nelson said. “The combination of climate change, pseudo-healthy living, and economic strife will be the predicate from which they will become the primary distributors of food to Americans.”
Only those who have built up their own personal food supply will be able to hold out, Nelson noted. This is one of the reasons the company has launched their biggest sale of the year. For a limited time, they are offering 25% off all purchases with promo code “veterans25” at Prepper All-Naturals.
“We wanted to do three things,” he said. “First, we are in the middle of a rebrand and we have thousands of the original bags still in inventory. Rather than throw them away, I’d rather fill them with beef and ship them out.
“Second, we are going to be donating 10% of our profits to a veterans charity. It makes sense to ramp up sales in the short term so we can make the biggest impact. As a combat disable veteran, this part is very important to me.
“Third, we know the time is short for Americans to stockpile before beef prices skyrocket. This is why we specialize in real cuts of beef like Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin instead of the ‘beef crumbles’ or ‘beef chunks’ that other survival food companies offer.”
The writing is on the wall. “The Plan” is underway and the vast majority of Americans are going to be poorly positioned when it accelerates. Those who have moved away from cities and who are producing their own food or cooperating with locals will be best positioned, but even the best-prepared should be stockpiling beef that has a 25-year shelf life like the products at Prepper All-Naturals. And for those who are not able to abundantly produce their own food supply, it’s absolutely essential to have plenty of beef in inventory if they don’t want to eat bugs or lab-grown “meat.”
The post Deep Discounts on Long-Term Storage Steaks as More Americans Wake Up to “The Plan” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
by | Feb 28, 2024 | Aggregate
Just brazen corruption.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) carved out an exemption for Panera Bread from the state’s new insane $20 minimum wage law because its billionaire CEO Greg Flynn donates to his political campaigns.
In September California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a law raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour.
“Eighty percent of the workforce, these fast food places – 80 percent of people of color, two thirds…are women, the majority are breadwinners and we have the opportunity to reward that contribution, reward that sacrifice and stabilize an industry in turn. What a remarkable moment,” Newsom said in September during the bill signing.
According to Bloomberg, Newsom pushed for Panera Bread to be exempt from the new minimum wage law. Flynn, a billionaire restaurant franchisee, is a Newsom donor and was involved in business dealings with the California Governor.
Newsom told reporters of the exemption that it’s “part of the sausage-making” of politics.
Greg Flynn previously criticized the minimum wage bill dubbed the FAST Act. He said it would destroy the franchising in California – and next thing you know his restaurants are exempt.
How did Panera escape the Democrats’ new minimum wage bill?
Panera is given an exemption because it ‘bakes bread and sells it as a stand-alone item.’
Bloomberg reported:
Billionaire Greg Flynn, who made his fortune running one of the world’s largest restaurant franchise operations, is getting a new boost from sourdough loaves and brioche buns.
That’s because a California law that’s about to raise the state minimum wage at fast-food spots to $20 an hour from $16 offers an unusual exemption for chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item.
Governor Gavin Newsom pushed for that break, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the main beneficiaries is Flynn, a longtime Newsom donor whose California holdings include two dozen Panera Bread locations.
The specificity of the exemption has puzzled observers for months, especially after the governor told reporters last year that it came about as “part of the sausage-making” of politics. In response to detailed questions, Newsom’s office said the wage law was the “result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years” — and will make a real difference for hundreds of thousands of Californians.
Flynn, who has been involved in business dealings with Newsom in addition to contributing to the governor’s political campaigns, said in a brief conversation that he didn’t play a role in crafting the bread exemption. He didn’t respond to requests for comment about his connections to Newsom.
Pizza Hut wasn’t so lucky.
In December two major Pizza Hut operators in California announced they would be laying off all of their delivery drivers thanks to a new law that raises the minimum wage to $20 per hour for fast food employees.
Newsom is once again facing a recall effort, the second in three years, as a conservative group initiates a new campaign to oust him from office.
The post Newsom Exempts Panera Bread From California’s New $20 Minimum Wage Law Because Its CEO Donates to His Political Campaigns appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
by | Feb 28, 2024 | Aggregate
James O’Keefe on Wednesday released footage from an encounter with creepy New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who recently hit President Donald Trump with a massive $355 million judgment for his honest business practices and job creation in the state of New York.
O’Keefe received tips from others who had seen Engoron at the Equinox Gym in Long Island and decided to follow up.
One source sent him a video of Engoron checking a woman out and appearing to flirt with her. The message says he’s often “creeping girls out” and “does this every visit.” In the video below, one woman is seen putting her hand up to gesture “back off.”
Engoron was in the gym wearing a creepy muscle shirt and revealing loose sweatpants. He should probably put on some underwear…
Arthur Engoron’s crotch visible in sweatpants
far left Judge Arthur Engoron fleeced $355 million from President Trump for taking out loans in New York State and paying them back on time and with interest. The charges were brought against Trump by crazed New York State Attorney General Letitia James. There were no victims in the so-called crime. The banks did their due diligence before they loaned Donald Trump the money and testified they would gladly do it again.
The non-jury Soviet-style show trial played out in court for eleven weeks. Judge Engoron delayed the verdict to mid-February after he
demanded information about possible perjury by Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg at the eleventh hour.
Judge Engoron called Trump’s loan agreements a crime and ruled that President Donald Trump owed the state $355 million.
Billionaire investor and Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary recently chimed in on this ruling in an exclusive interview with The Gateway Pundit, calling it “an attack on the 11th sector of the S&P 500 and an attack on every entrepreneur in America,” adding, “That’s 100% what it is; It’s 100% Wrong.
But that’s not all. As Volokh Conspiracy reported, Engoron also put a Clinton-appointed judge in control of Trump’s business empire in New York State:
Judge Engoron also appointed retired U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones to continue in her role as an “independent monitor” of the Trump business empire but expanded her authority to review financial disclosures before they are submitted to third parties. Judge Jones can hire an independent director of compliance, and she has the authority to compel Trump to sell some or even all of his businesses down the road. This is all punishment for Trump allegedly committing fraud by falsely in inflating and deflating the value of his real estate assets to pay lower state taxes and to receive more favorable loans from banks.
The $355 million judgment PLUS daily interest has swelled to $464 million.
This is the definition of tyranny. New York state stole President Trump’s company from him because they don’t like his politics and psychopath Letitia James has been taunting Trump by posting a daily calculator of compounding interest on the judgment.
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that President Trump will post a $100 million bond and ask for a stay of the $464 million judgment in Letitia James’ Soviet-style NYC fraud trial as he appeals the corrupt ruling.
Judge Arthur Engoron, a committed Democrat, has ruled repeatedly against Trump in the three years he’s been presiding over James’ lawsuit. According to the AP, he’s forced Trump to sit for a deposition, held him in contempt, and fined him $110,000.
According to reports, Judge Engoron has been married three times and has four children.
But Arthur Engoron is no boy scout. He’s just a weirdo and a seemingly sexually deviant old man.
Recently, Engeron came under scrutiny for posting half-naked photos of himself on an alumni newsletter he oversees.
The peculiar “BonusTorsoPhoto” showcased a malnourished torso, presumed to be his own, and left many questioning the appropriateness of such content in a school alumni newsletter.
Source: Wheatley Alumni Association Newsletter
The newsletter presented a before-and-after pictorial of the same torso, ostensibly to display physical improvements over time. These images, intended to flaunt muscle gains, instead cast a shadow of doubt over the judge’s judgment.
The Gateway Pundit also reported last week that the creepy pervert judge was caught by a defense attorney banging the secretary of opposing counsel during a previous case – a complete ethics violation.
Apparently, O’Keefe Media Group found the old gym rat in his natural habitat:
Tune into James O’Keefe’s live X space, where he will break down this new release until 6 pm ET.
Tune in here -> https://t.co/Ogp8l82qlT
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 28, 2024
When O’Keefe arrived at the gym, one member recognized him and said, “I love you. Can I take a selfie with you?” He then said, “I know why you’re here too… Absolutely 100%.”
O’Keefe approached Engoron, saying, “Huge fan, thank you for what you did.” Engoron laughs, and James says, “Man, that must have felt good. We gotta get these MAGA people out of NY state. Just thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Engoron was clearly flattered, saying “I’m strong” when James and him were discussing the hate he has received for Communist-style persecution against President Trump.
Watch below:
BREAKING: Judge Arthur Engoron Tells James O’Keefe on hidden camera inside his Gym he gets “lots of hate mail” but he’s “strong”.
An insider where the Judge works out at Equinox in Great Neck, NY, also recorded Judge Engoron “creeping girls out.” Sources say Engoron does this… pic.twitter.com/KSXT7OLSlA
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 28, 2024
The post BREAKING: O’Keefe Media Group Confronts Total Creep New York Judge Arthur Engoron After Sources Tell Him Engoron Frequently Goes to Gym and is “Creeping Girls Out” – Engoron Wears Revealing Sweatpants and No Underwear? (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
by | Feb 28, 2024 | Aggregate
Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered remarks on his so-called ‘actions to fight crime and make communities safer.’
This is while he’s allowing millions of military-age males from some of the most dangerous parts of the world to invade the US.
Venezuela emptied its prisons and some of its most dangerous gang members and murderers have illegally crossed into the US on Joe Biden’s open border invitation.
Biden’s open borders policies are getting Americans killed.
22-year-old Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student, was murdered by a Venezuelan illegal last week.
According to an affidavit unsealed, the barbaric savage who murdered Laken Riley “disfigured her skull.”
Lakin Riley was brutally murdered by one of Joe Biden’s illegal aliens last week and he didn’t even mention her name during his remarks on crime.
Biden also hasn’t called Lakin Riley’s parents.
He ignored reporters after mumbling through remarks.
WATCH:
Biden’s contempt for the American people is truly pathetic, embarrassing, and sad pic.twitter.com/HbLXJhJVTt
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 28, 2024
Biden did however have time to crack a joke about himself.
Of course he did.
A reporter asked Biden about his annual physical at Walter Reed Medical Center this morning.
“They think I look too young,” Biden said.
WATCH:
Biden on his physical exam: “They think I look too young” pic.twitter.com/xpPBwzqP0g
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 28, 2024
The post Biden Cracks a Joke About His Age After Refusing to Mention Georgia College Student Killed By One of His Illegal Aliens (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
