FREEDOMWORKS 08/30/2015

John Koskinen: The Case for Impeachment - by Logan Albright Key members of the House Freedom Caucus are demanding that IRS Commissioner John Koskinen be removed from office. In an op-ed written for the Wall Street Journal, Reps. Jim Jordan and Ron DeSantis told President Obama that if the Commissioner is not removed, they will begin the proceedings to impeach him. Modern Americans view impeachment with a sort of awe and reverence. To most, it seems like an inconceivably drastic thing to do. But it was not always this way, nor was it the intention of the founders. Impeachment has always been a practical tool for getting rid of bad actors in government and, given the amount of government corruption we see today, a tool that should be used with much greater frequency. Read more here... Impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen ObamaCare Enrollees in Several States Plagued by Narrow Doctor Networks - by Jason Pye Enrollees in several states face a severe lack of options in physician networks for plans offered on the ObamaCare exchanges, according to a brief released on Monday by the Leonard David Institute of Health Economics and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Limited physician networks is a part of the health insurance industry's effort to mitigate mandates in the so-called Affordable Care Act that have increased costs. For consumers, some of whom may have already lost the doctor when their pre-ObamaCare coverage was canceled, the lack of physicians in a provider network can be a headache. Unfortunately, it is commonplace as a result of the law. The Leonard David Institute of Health Economics and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation looked at Silver plans available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2014 and compared the provider networks available. Researchers found several states that had a high percentage of ObamaCare plans with limited physician networks, defined as 25 or fewer doctors available on the network. Read more here... FreedomWorks Announces Over 60 Local Partners for 9.12 Grassroots Summit - by Iris Somberg Over 60 local conservative groups from Florida and the surrounding states are partnering with FreedomWorks to host the 9/12 Grassroots Summit. The summit in Orlando, Florida on September 12, 2015 for grassroots activists to engage with conservative leaders and members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are some of the most principled conservatives leading the charge for change in Washington. Confirmed speakers include event host Andrew Wilkow, Glenn Beck, FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Steve Moore, and Member of the House Freedom Caucus to include Reps. Ron DeSantis, John Fleming, Mark Meadows, and Ted Yoho. Read more here... Amid Rockey Markets, the Need for Spending Restraint Is Clear  -by Logan Albright The volatility in the stock market in recent days offers a clue to the dangerous power of the Federal Reserve, and further underscores the need to get government spending under control and finally start tackling the national debt. The federal reserve has kept interest rates at near zero for almost a decade, based on the theory that easy money will stimulate the economy and create growth. But seven years after the Great Recession, the economy is still barely expanding, and any hint of higher interest rates sends markets into a panic. To top it all off, the Fed’s easy money policies have pumped up stocks, housing prices, and student loans to the point where another bubble-burst is inevitable, along with all the accompanying economic pain. Read more here... Unleashing Prosperity with Stephen Moore  'Why I Can't Get a Mortgage' - by FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Stephen Moore via The Washington Times Last month I bought a house in Potomac, Md., a trade up on my current home, and was shocked to learn in the ensuing weeks that I couldn’t get a mortgage loan. First, I went to PNC bank. Then Wells Fargo. Then another. Denied. Denied. Denied. No, I don’t feel entitled to a loan, and the banks have every right not to lend me money. But my tale of woe tells a broader tale of what is going on in the lending industry these days. Read more here... FreedomWorks Hosts Statewide Tea Party and Liberty Group Meeting in North Carolina - by Kathy Hartkopf On Saturday, August 22, tea party and liberty group leaders from across North Carolina joined FreedomWorks for fellowship and information. The packed room included over 40 activists from the far regions of the state. Outer Banks Tea Party Chairwoman, Mattie Lawson drove five hours to be with us! Activists shared information about their organizations and the important work they are doing. I was happy to share information about the FreedomWorks upcoming 9-12 Activist Summit to be held in Kissimmee, Florida and information about the important issues FreedomWorks is currently working on. I gave both a state legislative and federal issue update. Activist were especially interested in our Empower work and in our work in Criminal Justice reform. I was delighted to be able to introduce Clarence Henderson, a recent FreedomWorks Activist of the Month. Clarence is one of our Empower Panelists and is a civil rights leader who participated in the Greensboro Woolworth Lunch Counter Sit-In. Clarence received a round of applause for his amazing activism! Read more here... Federalism in Action: How Conservative States Got Smart on Crime - by Jason Pye Justice reform has become a hot topic on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress from both parties are pushing for substantive reforms that would bring rehabilitative programs to the federal corrections system, modify out-of-date sentencing laws, make communities safer, and reduce burdens on taxpayers. But reform would not be possible if conservative states had not previously paved the road. Writing in 1932, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandies explained one of the core tenets of the United States' constitutional system. "It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory," he wrote, "and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country." This principle, which we know as "federalism," allows states to test the waters on certain ideas and policies and, perhaps, provide a framework that could be replicated by other states. Read more here... Sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update If you want an update like this newsletter twice a week, be sure to sign up for the FreedomWorks Morning Update! The Morning Update is your tool to keep up-to-date with all the threats to your freedom. Sign up here. Make freedom work, Iris Somberg Press Secretary, FreedomWorks