FREEDOMWORKS 08/20/2015

1. Boehner Tries, Fails to Paint Himself as a Fiscal Hawk - by Logan Albright In recent a post on his official site, Speaker John Boehner attempted to defend his record as a conservative leader, highlighting a series of statistics that supposedly prove that he has cut spending and practiced fiscally responsible governance. This comes as a reaction to the recent effort by Rep. Mark Meadows to solicit support for a resolution to remove Boehner as Speaker, due to the way he has conducted his office. It is said that numbers don’t lie, but they rarely tell the whole story, and the figures Boehner highlights, while nominally true, do not accurately portray the kind of Speaker Boehner has been. By now, most people are aware of the culture of revenge Boehner has cultivated in the House, but he wants to talk fiscal policy, so let’s talk fiscal policy. Read more here... 2. Keep Talking About ObamaCare Repeal - by Iris Somberg  Following the release of Gov. Scott Walker's health care plan and Sen. Marco Rubio's Politico op-ed on fixing health care, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon commented: "It's good to see the Republican presidential candidates coming out with some promising, market-based solutions to health care reform. We hope this will start a conversation among all the candidates to push for a free market in health care." Read more here... 3. You will soon be able to review the TSA and other federal agencies on Yelp - by Jason Pye You have got to love the Internet. Yelp, a popular social networking site devoted to business ratings and review, has entered into an agreement with the federal government to allow users to post reviews for several federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, Social Security offices, and national parks. Yelp announced the agreement with the General Services Administration's (GSA) DigitalGov on Tuesday. "It’s clear Washington is eager to engage with people directly through social media," Yelp explained in blog post. "Earlier this year a group of 46 lawmakers called for the creation of a 'Yelp for Government' in order to boost transparency and accountability, and Representative Ron Kind reiterated this call in a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA)." "Luckily for them, there’s no need to create a new platform now that government agencies can engage directly on Yelp," the announcement continued. "As this agreement is fully implemented in the weeks and months ahead, we’re excited to help the federal government more directly interact with and respond to the needs of citizens and to further empower the millions of Americans who use Yelp every day." Read more here... 4. Chinese Market Drops Despite Government Aid 5. Jeb and Christie are Wrong on the NSA - by Iris Somberg Following comments by Jeb Bush that Congress should revisit changes to the Patriot Act and the National Security Agency needs broader powers, FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon said: "Jeb Bush is wrong on civil liberties. The NSA needs more oversight and should not have a blank check to spy on all American citizens. We have warrants for a reason. There is no reason to track innocent civilians, especially after what we've seen with the government overreach at the IRS." Read more here... Iris Somberg Press Secretary, FreedomWorks