BESIDES RACKING IN CAMPAIGN DOLLARS, WHAT ELSE DOES YOUR LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN DO?

Monday, February 12^th, l2024

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

BESIDES RACKING IN CAMPAIGN DOLLARS,

WHAT ELSE DOES YOUR LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN DO?

So have you been following the antics of your congressmen in Louisiana recently? Oh yeah, we all read were they had a huge gathering. in Washington DC last week. Lots of partying. And, of course, numerous obligatory fundraisers where all those national political PACs pour big dollars into the campaign coffers of our congressmen.

But what about how your congressman’s stands on major world and national issues?  Constituents used to be able to visit with their congressman at local civic clubs or coffee shops on weekends when they came home from Washington. We used to open our mailbox for a regular newsletter from the office of our legislators spelling out exactly what their position was on any number of important issues.  That way of keeping in touch with their district seems to be another communications relic that we see happening no longer.

So just what should we be hearing from our congressional delegation?  What are their positions on a number of important issues?  Many of these concerns involve billions of taxpayer dollars.  Here is a list.

A bipartisan group of Democrats and conservative Republicans drafted legislation to curtail the hundreds of thousands of immigrants crossing the southern border. It’s been a solution being called for by both parties for several years. Donald Trump opposes such legislation and is apparently OK with letting thousands of immigrants cross the borders illegally each day. How do you stand? Are you for the curtailment or do you support Donald Trump’s position?

How do you stand on sending billions of dollars to Ukraine to support their war against the Russians? Trump said last year that Russia should” take over “parts of Ukraine and says he can “resolve the war within 24 hours.”  The conservative Wall Street Journal has headlined that “Trump’s Russia  policy is appeasement.” Should the US continue sending military equipment and millions of dollars regularly to Ukraine?

The US has been pouring dollars into Israel for many years. Prime Minister Netanyahu shows little interest in allowing a cease-fire as 27,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war effort. Should the US keep pouring billions of dollars into Israeli coffers? Will you vote to keep the flow of dollars going to Israel?

If Trump is convicted on federal charges and turned down by any appeal to the Supreme Court, should he still be allowed to both run and serve as president if elected?

Should President Biden be allowed to carry on numerous military confrontations in the Middle East without prior congressional approval?  How satisfied are you with the actions of Biden in the Middle East that seems on the verge of exploding?  If you disapprove, what would you  recommend  doing differently?

A dozen United Nations employees took part in the Hamas raids on the October 7th assault on Israel. America has been pouring millions of dollars into the UN agency known as UNRWA, who has been sending this money in to Gazza. Should President Biden continue to send so many taxpayers dollars into an agency that allows employees to participate in these assaults?

Are both Biden and Trump too old to be president?  Should age be a factor in holding public office?

The US House of Representative overwhelmingly approved a new tax bill, loaded with subsidies that that the Wall Street Journal calls “corporate welfare.” In this day and time, with so many obligations around the world and so many needs for crime prevention, healthcare and huge infrastructure necessities, is it proper and timely to vote for corporate giveaways and new entitlements?

In my many years as both a close observer and a participant dealing with such public issues, I found that voters throughout the state are not that dumb and want more information from their public officials at all levels of government, including what’s happening nationally and internationally. Here’s hoping we can get more straight answers from those who represent us besides a request for campaign dollars.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.  You can also listen to his weekly podcast at www.datelinelouisiana.com.