Lamar Smith

White House Signals Intent To Work With GOP On Their Immigration Ideas

Jillian Rayfield | December 29, 2010, 8:45AM

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TN)

Immigration groups eager to see reform might not have been happy with Rep. Lamar Smith's (R-TX) proposal to expand the E-Verify program, but they're unlikely to be any more pleased with the White House's response to it. President Obama has previously expressed support for the program, and the White House today left open the possibility of working to achieve Smith's vision.

Read more »

David Barton

Bachmann: Scalia Will Teach Constitution Class For New Conservative Caucus

Jillian Rayfield | December 14, 2010, 12:58PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann is planning a series of seminars so that her new conservative caucus can get a weekly refresher on the Constitution -- and she says that she has already enlisted Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as the first speaker.

Read more »

Tea Party Caucus

House Tea Party Caucus Members Requested Over $1 Billion In Earmarks

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 10:40AM

The Tea Party Caucus after its initial meeting on July 21

Hmm, something seems odd about the House Tea Party Caucus -- the group founded to promote cuts in government spending. As National Journal reports, a new study finds that the caucus' 52 members requested a total of more than $1 billion in this past Congress.

According to a Hotline review of records compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, the 52 members of the caucus, which pledges to cut spending and reduce the size of government, requested a total of 764 earmarks valued at $1,049,783,150 during Fiscal Year 2010, the last year for which records are available.

"It's disturbing to see the Tea Party Caucus requested that much in earmarks. This is their time to put up or shut up, to be blunt," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste. "There's going to be a huge backlash if they continue to request earmarks."

Read more »