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"Conflicted" is the word that comes to mind when I recall Dennis Kucinich of Ohio asking me on the floor of the House, whether or not I would join a bipartisan group that planned to file a federal lawsuit against the President for violating the War Powers Act of 1973. This ALP was approved over the veto of President Richard M. Nixon.
As a Methodist minister pretending to practice law, it does appear that President Barack Obama has failed to comply with the law because he has not received Congressional authorization for the military mission in Libya.
The War Powers Act stipulates that Congress must authorize wars and military engagements that last more than 90 days. The NATO-led effort to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi already exceeded that mark, which means that the operation is illegal.
Although it won't mean much to you, at least now, Congress is slowly losing its constitutional authority to declare war. Think about this: most of you reading this (including me) were not even born the last time Congress formally authorized a war. The last time such Congressional action was taken occurred after the U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor.
The Obama Administration will seek to calm the growing bipartisan anger by providing documents to House Speaker John Boehner by today (Friday) which outline the scope, cost, and why the U.S. is borrowing money to bomb Libya and how that fits into our interest.
"No, I don't think I'll join the suit," I told my friend Rep. Kucinich, the former mayor of Cleveland. So why didn't I join challenging something that I see as wrong and wouldn't I do it quickly if George W. Bush had bombed Libya and ignored Congress?
My hope is that Congress will move quickly to call hearings on the War Powers Act in search of ways to modernize the law. The U.S. military has been called on repeatedly to fight in conflicts quite different from the two World Wars or even Vietnam. Those strange conflicts where the U.S. fights, but not with its full arsenal, may be the wave of the future. So let's update the act to make it compatible with the new world.
Yes, I support President Obama and will not sue him. I will not go after him in court. No, I would not have joined a suit against President Bush. While I had immense political differences with him, it would have taken more than a perceived violation of the War Powers Act to motivate me to litigate. The reason is based on my non-legal opinion that unless I have misread the act, it does not specify what recourse Congress has if Presidents ignore it. My slogan is don't litigate, rehabilitate! After all, I am a preacher.
Hurting Those Who Need It Most
As your Representative, I want to share with you some facts about my colleagues' legislative efforts. This week, I voted against the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2112 ).
For tens of millions of American households, putting food on the table did not get any easier last year. I voted against this bill because I cannot agree with spending billions to continue the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and tax breaks for oil companies and corporations shipping jobs overseas, while making drastic cuts that will take food out of the mouth of babes, increase the risk of food-borne illnesses, hurt the very heart of farm country, undercut common-sense financial regulations, and protect Wall Street speculators that are driving up gas prices. I cannot vote to hurt those who need it most. - The bill cuts WIC for pregnant women, infants and children by $650 million or 10%—denying food and health counseling for up to 350,000 low-income women and young children for next year. In Missouri, between 3,300 and 5,800 eligible applicants—that means struggling mothers, their children, and their infants in need—will go hungry.
- The bill also cuts food aid for low-income seniors (Commodity Supplemental Food Program) and help for food banks (Emergency Food Assistance Program).
- The bill slashes the Food and Drug Administration by $572 million or 21% below the President's request and by $285 million or 12% below this year. These deep cuts will severely undermine food safety efforts and increase the risk of food-borne illnesses – preventing the implementation of the landmark Food Safety Act enacted at the end of the 111th Congress. This law requires the FDA to significantly step up scrutiny of domestic and imported food and requires development of a new food safety system that is focused on preventing contamination before it occurs, rather than simply responding to contamination outbreaks.
- The bill slashes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the agency charged with policing price speculation in commodities, futures, and derivatives markets and implementing common-sense Wall Street reforms to prevent another financial crisis, by 44 percent below the President's request.
With speculation at an all-time high, American families are paying a speculative "fear premium" of anywhere between $20-30 per barrel of oil which equates to a 60-70 cent increase per gallon at the pump.
International Food Aid: The bill would cut an international food assistance program that provides emergency aid by more than $450 million, or one-third of its budget. These cuts would prevent distribution of emergency food aid to over 1.1 million beneficiaries.
The bill passed by 217-203 margin, with 19 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against it.
An Update From FEMA
As your Member of Congress, this information was provided to me by FEMA, the agency tasked with supporting our citizens and first responders to ensure that, as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Please use it to better protect yourself and your families.
FEMA URGES PREPAREDNESS AS REGIONAL WATERWAYS REMAIN AT OR NEAR RECORD FLOOD STAGE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region VII office continues to support state officials who are dealing with rising floodwaters along the Missouri River Basin in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska—which is also coping with floods along North Platte River. The message is—be prepared for more flooding.
Missouri River Basin flooding
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been and will continue to let flow water that cannot be held back due to upstream dams and lakes being full and, for some, recent rain fall is exacerbating the flooding.
Releases from Gavin's Point Dam are currently around 150,000 CFS, which is a record-setting outflow and equates to nearly two Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water per second. This will further raise water levels along the Missouri River downstream of the Dam. The USACE expects to maintain the 150,000 CFS for approximately two months.
North Platte River
The water level in North Platte River in western Nebraska is currently at 9.48 ft. and remaining steady for now; record flood stage is 6.7 ft. The high water level is due to increased releases of water from upstream reservoirs in Wyoming and Lake McConaughy, and recent rainfall.
FEMA is closely coordinating to support tribal and state governments, voluntary agencies, private businesses and other federal partners and organization that are planning and responding to the flooding, but every resident should stay informed and have a plan to protect him or herself.
Prepare today!
FEMA encourages residents to quickly complete flood-preparations if they live along the Missouri River Basin or the North Platte River. Now is a good time to review flood insurance policies.
In the event of flooding, residents should follow the instructions of state and local officials and listen to local radio or television stations for updated emergency information about flooding and severe weather threats.
IMPORTANT FLOOD SAFETY TIPS- Do not drive or walk through floodwater. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths which occur after individuals drive or walk through floodwater. Turn around and find an alternate route if a road is flooded; it is almost always more dangerous than it appears.
- Create an evacuation plan before flooding occurs.
- Discuss flood plans with your family; everyone should know what to do in case family members are not together when a flood occurs.
- Evacuate immediately if advised to do so.
- Keep emergency supplies on hand, such as non-perishable food, medicine, maps, a flashlight (with batteries stored separately) and first-aid kit.
- Store important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
- Use extreme caution when returning to flood damaged homes or businesses.
- Become familiar with the terms that are used to identify flooding hazards:
- Flood Watch: Flooding is possible. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
- Flood Warning: Flooding is occurring or will occur soon; if advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
- Flash Flood Watch: Rapid rises on streams and rivers are possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; listen to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
- Flash Flood Warning: Rapid rises on streams and rivers are occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately.
- The National Weather Service is the official source for weather watches and warnings.
For more information on being prepared for disaster and flood preparedness and safety, visit Ready.gov.
Federal Support
"As so many people across our region fight to save the things they value most, FEMA continues to monitor the flooding situation by staying in constant contact with emergency management personnel from all of the potentially-impacted states and is providing requested support," said Beth Freeman, regional administrator, FEMA Region VII. "This is a team effort and we're in this with all our partners, for the long haul," she said.
FEMA is supplementing state activities. The Regional Response Coordination Center, in Kansas City, Missouri, is operating seven days a week and the agency has pre-staged emergency commodities across the region and country in case they are needed. State Liaison Teams have been deployed to the State Emergency Operations Centers in all four states to support flood planning and response-related efforts. The Civil Air Patrol is providing photographs and videos of the impacted areas and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is doing Flood Inundation Imagery (mapping).
FEMA is coordinating with the American Red Cross (ARC) and other Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to determine if there are unmet needs within flood-affected communities. Missouri currently has five ARC shelters on standby for flooding in Atchison, Holt, and Buchanan Counties. In Iowa, one ARC shelter is open in Sidney (population of two) and two shelters are on stand-by—one in Monona and the other in Woodbury. There are currently two open ARC shelters in Nebraska at South Sioux City and Fort Calhoun (population of five), ten ARC shelters are on stand-by in Murray, Wyandotte, New Castle, North Platte, Omaha, Bellevue, and Macy. To locate a shelter, call 2-1-1 in most areas, or, in Nebraska, go online to www.uwmidlands.org/211, in Missouri, www.211missouri.org/, in Kansas www.211kansas.org, or in Iowa visit https://www.uweci.org/what-we-do/our-impact/2-1-1/.
When flooding occurs, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and numerous private interest groups. This collection of agencies helps provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety to meet immediate needs.
Current Hydrological Forecasts for the Missouri River Basin and the North Platte River USACE is answering public inquiries about their efforts on the rivers via email and phone. Call 402-996-3877, or 877-214-9110, or reach them by E-mail at MRJIC@usace.army.mil. Representatives are receiving a high volume of calls, so please be patient when calling.
For more information about the current flooding situation in the Missouri River Basin flooding, visit https://www.weather.gov/mbrfc. Information about North Platte River flooding can be found online at https://www.cnppid.com/Elevation_Flows2.htm.
Good News You may have seen the excellent article in the Kansas City Star this week, Growing Jobs in KC's Green Impact Zone, by Karen Dillon. I'd like to share it with you here.
Growing Jobs in KC's Green Impact Zone
By KAREN DILLON
The Kansas City Star
 | FRED BLOCHER
Deirdre Brooks (center) worked the EnergyWorks KC booth Saturday during the Convoy of Hope event in Swope Park. Brooks, who lives in Kansas City's Green Impact Zone, says the zone helped her get back into the work force. She now helps the working poor find resources to rehabilitate their homes. |
Deirdre Brooks has spent years helping people as a school security officer, medical counselor and hurricane relief worker. Brooks, who lives in Kansas City's Green Impact Zone, believes those jobs have helped her prepare for her newest challenge — helping the working poor find resources to rehabilitate their homes.
And the work is right in her neighborhood.
"These people are my neighbors," Brooks said. "A lot of people know me. I have to make good on my word."
Brooks is one of about 100 people who have gotten work through U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's project to give a 150-square-block area a facelift. Cleaver has been able to acquire tens of millions of dollars to weatherize and refurbish homes, bolster public transportation and fix aging infrastructure.
In several cases, the project has been able to hire people who lost jobs because of the recession. Brooks, who has three grown children, is one of those.
"I was laid off for seven months," she said. The impact zone "enabled me to get back into the work force." The zone is bordered on the west by Troost Avenue, on the north by 39th Street, on the south by 51st Street and on the east by Prospect Avenue and Swope Parkway. Bruce R. Watkins Drive cuts a swath through its center.
The goal is to weatherize every home that needs it. That includes replacing windows and furnaces with energy-efficient ones and making other improvements that will reduce energy bills for residents.
"In our first 18 months, the Green Impact Zone has helped bring a lot of grant funding to the Kansas City area," said Twana Hall-Scott, assistant director of the Green Impact Zone. "What I'm most proud of is the difference we're making in people's lives. About 100 people have found employment because of the zone."
The zone plan also calls for: - Training the jobless to do weatherizing work, and possibly other tasks, in the zone.
- Developing a sustainable land-use plan.
- Locating a green sewer demonstration project.
In addition, Kansas City Power & Light has a smart-grid energy project, which includes wiring homes with plug-ins for electric cars and computers that control household appliances. Cleaver has created several partnerships including the green zone, KCP&L and the Metropolitan Energy Center to carry out the project.
Brooks helps people who are not qualified for government help because their income is just over the cutoff for assistance. Yet they can't afford the usually extensive repairs to their homes. She is given a list of names of residents and then works with them to find the resources to fix their homes.
Others who have found jobs include Michael Rentie, who lives in the Ivanhoe neighborhood, and Anwar Jones, who lives in the Blue Hills neighborhood. Both areas are part of the zone.
Rentie was born in Kansas City, raised in Los Angeles, and then moved back to Kansas City. He is the president of his neighborhood block association. He, too, lost his job because of the recession.
When he learned about the Green Impact Zone, he organized a meeting and invited some of the zone officials to explain how it would help him and his neighbors.
The meeting was held on Rentie's front lawn. He was invited to help out with the smart grid and was given training as a computer support specialist.
Earlier this year he got a new assignment: to be one of the zone's "engagement ambassadors." That means he is going door-to-door to talk to residents to evaluate whether they qualify for assistance.
"There are so many who need help," Rentie said.
Including Rentie.
He qualified for assistance and is getting a couple of new windows installed, the door repaired and his furnace worked on. "This makes it easy to encourage others to sign up," he said.
Rentie and Brooks said some residents are nervous or leery about signing up and have to be persuaded. And when some people are close to qualifying but don't, finding financial assistance can be difficult.
"It's been very hard to find those things," Brooks said. "I have been successful at it, but it takes a lengthy process. The grant money may be there one month and gone the next."
Anwar Jones is a field ombudsman for the Green Impact Zone who formerly worked as a collections agent for Citibank. Jones said he took the job to follow his passion to educate people about personal finances.
In addition, with his new job, he has found he likes being involved and engaged with the community. As ombudsman, Jones walks people through the process of applying for assistance.
Jones said the Green Impact Zone is providing a model for ways to tap resources around the green movement.
"The green movement and environmental literacy are going to be important going forward," Jones said.
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Emanuel Cleaver, II
Member of Congress
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101 W 31st St.
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: 816-842-4545
Fax: 816-471-5215 | Independence Office
211 West Maple Avenue
Independence, MO 64050
Phone: 816-833-4545
Fax: 816-833-2991 | Washington Office
1433 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-4535
Fax: 202-225-4403
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