Keeping Up with the House

Ever Wish There Was A Way?     There Is and Here It Is.

Here is an easy way for you to track the bills in Congress that affect the issues you care about. Politicians don't exactly go out of their way to keep you in the loop.     At election time the less you know the better for them so we at Amherst County Virginia Democratic News will offer you this simple way to keep up with all three of the circus rings known as the House of Representatives.     These bills have recently been introduced and with a few clicks of your mouse you can know in-depth information about any that interest you.     An informed population is the best defense against the silliness that passes for politics today.     Book mark this page and come back anytine you need information on a bill.

Who actually writes the bills that the members of congress sponsor and vote for?

If you want to know who actually puts pen to paper, it’s nonpartisan staff lawyers who work for Congress who know the exiting law they are affecting inside out.     Thats an answer for our young school age children.     Below this point the answer takes on tones of adulthood.

They do that under the direction of office staff for Members of Congress and congressional committees, who vet the bill with outside experts, big supporters and advocates.      Advocates is the nice term for lobbyists.     Sometimes those advocates propose changes in the form of legislative language.      But did the Sponsor write the bill?     No, probably not.       Did the Advocate or Outside Expert write the bill?      They may have suggested a large part of the language.      Big supporters may also be repaid for their support with favorable language.     The politician will claim complete lack of knowledge of anything in this paragraph and partisan members of his or her party will believe them.

Here's the hard core ACVDN Bottom Line.     When you look with an honest and critical eye at the people we vote for and elect you will understand why they are seldom the authors of anything other than a self serving book ghost written by a political alley.     Why waste time researching and writing a bill when a lobbyists will do it for you and fund your next campaign at the same time.     Welcome to 21st century American politics.    

These are the best politicians money can buy and most of them are owned by big business or other groups who don't give a hoot about you.     Were it not for their election to public office odds are they would be serving time in the grey bar hotel which by the way houses a large number of them even with the advantage of holding public office.

ACV Democratic News




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H.R.397 - Reform Americans Can Afford Act of 2011


To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and
to take meaningful steps to lower health care costs and increase access to health insurance coverage without raising taxes, cutting Medicare benefits for seniors, adding to the national deficit, intervening in the doctor-patient relationship, or instituting a government takeover of health care.


Introduced Jan 24th 2011

Health Insurance Exchanges are part of the plan the Republicans want to destroy.      This bill, H.R. 397, is the wrecking ball.     The Senators and Congressmen already enjoy all the benefits they are seeking to curb for you.      Its ok for them just not for you and they will protect you from being covered by the health care their families rely on.      Sweet guys and gals these Republicans.     Surprise,  Robert Goodlatte [R-VA 6} who opposes everything that could possibly help normal people has not signed on as a co-sponsor.     I'm sure its just an oversight he will correct.    Birther Bob doesn't want you to have insurance coverage.

Exchanges are designed to make it easier for individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance, and are crucial to more efficiently managing health care costs, increasing price and quality transparency, and expanding access to health insurance for many of the nation’s uninsured, as well as small businesses struggling to afford health benefits.


They allow for greater choice and flexibility for not only the human resource decision-makers within small firms, but also for workers and their families.      By making a defined contribution toward employees’ health care benefits, employees who obtain their coverage through the exchange can choose from a variety of choices and enjoy greater flexibility when switching plans at year’s end.     The primary goal of health reform was, after all, to make it easier for consumers to purchase health insurance; in the end,
the Senate bill that became law included provisions requiring each exchange to standardize coverage options.


How do exchange plans work?

Each option will be included in one of four benefit tiers with different out-of-pocket limitations.     Bronze tier plans will cover at least 60 percent of costs;   silver plans 70 percent;   gold plans 80 percent; and finally,   rich platinum plans will cover at least 90 percent of costs.     Catastrophic plans will be available to individuals who are exempt from the individual mandate because no affordable plan is available to them or they are under the age of 30.     These plans should help stem the tide of uninsured, young adult “invincibles,” a population often stymied by the prohibitive cost of individual insurance.    To encourage health plans to participate fully in the exchange, each plan that wants to to become a qualified health plan must offer at least one plan in both the silver and gold benefit tiers.

While the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide guidance on how exchanges will be established, each state that chooses to institute an exchange must create two different exchanges that must both be operational by Jan. 1, 2014.     The American Health Benefit Exchange will serve individuals, including those receiving premium reduction and cost-sharing subsidies.     Small businesses will be able to purchase coverage through Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchanges.     At first, only firms with up to 50 employees will be eligible to purchase coverage through SHOP exchanges.     Beginning in 2016, they will be expanded to allow larger employers with up to 100 employees to participate.     In parts of the country with separate and distinct insurance markets, states will be allowed to form geographically distinct sub-exchanges, or even partner with neighboring states to structure regional exchanges.     States have also been granted the authority to merge their individual and small-group markets to enhance the size and formidability of their risk pools.

Republicans are hard at work to kill all this before it begins on Jan. 1, 2014.     Some of you actually think repeblicans are your friends.








Buffalo Hill Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.202 - EEOICPA Ombudsman Extension and Enhancement Act of 2011


To amend the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to extend and increase the authority for the ombudsman under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.


Introduced Jan 24th 2011








City Gomingo Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.108 - Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2011


To protect voting rights and to improve the administration of Federal elections, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 24th 2011







Colony Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.370 - Preventing Affinity Scams for Seniors Act of 2011


To require financial institutions to offer services to protect seniors from affinity scams, to report suspected affinity scams, and for other purposes


Introduced Jan 20th 2011

The Congress finds the following:



(1) Financial exploitation of the elderly is becoming an increasingly familiar problem.     Regular review of news headlines reveals that elders and vulnerable adults are victimized routinely by frauds and scams at the hands of strangers as well as loved ones.


(2) Older individuals may be targeted merely because they possess more assets, such as savings, annuities, and retirement accounts, stocks and bonds, insurance policies, and property than younger people.     People over 50 years of age control at least 70 percent of the net worth of the Nation's households.


(3) Those elders with cognitive impairments, mental health conditions, or physical disabilities may be dependent upon others (family members, friends, formal and informal caregivers, or court-appointed representatives) for assistance in making financial decisions or carrying out daily transactions, and therefore may be even more vulnerable to theft, exploitation, or undue influence.


(4) Affinity scams on seniors involve transactions in which a person trusted by the senior uses the relationship to defraud the senior.     Millions of elderly are scammed each year, losing at least $2,600,000,000 a year to thieves, many of whom are in their own families (conservative estimate given of the schemes left unreported).


(5) Elder financial abuse is commonly linked with other forms of abuse and neglect and threatens the health, dignity, and economic security of millions of older Americans.     Elder financial abuse has received limited attention because it is not regarded as visible, life-threatening, or newsworthy as is the physical or sexual abuse of elders.
(6) Financial exploitation can be devastating to the victim and is often traced to family members, trusted friends, or caregivers.     Financial abuse often occurs with the implied acknowledgment and consent of the elder person and can be more difficult to detect.

(7) Elder financial abuse affects elders and their families in significant and long-lasting ways by putting enormous emotional duress on the elders, increasing their risk of depression, decreasing their quality of life, and increasing unnecessary institutionalization.


(8) The financial services industry is often the first to detect a change in the pattern of customers with whom they have regular contact.      This puts institutions in a unique position to assist in protecting customers and upholding the inherent trust relationship with clients.

ACVDN Asks?     Who will oppose this Bill?     Which table are you eating from if you oppose the passage of this bill?







Fancy Hill Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.J.Res.21


Disapproving a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Approval and Promulgation of
Implementation Plans; Texas; Revisions to the New Source Review (NSR) State Implementation Plan (SIP); Flexible Permits; Final Rule".


Introduced Jan. 20th 2011








Five Forks Virginia News, Amherst County================================


H.R.302 - Preserve Land Freedom For Americans Act of 2011


To provide for State approval of national monuments, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 20, 2011

Lets look at this bills sponsor.    Virginia Foxx (born June 29, 1943) is the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 5th congressional district, serving since 2005.      She is a member of the Republican Party.      The district takes in much of the northwestern portion of the state and a portion of Winston-Salem.     Virginia Foxx specializes in hate, bigotry and diminished witt and in these areas is quite gifted tacking a back seat to nobody.     She is extreme even for the part of North Carolina she represents.     Virginia Foxx is to North Carolina what Robert Goodlatte is to Virginia.


In September 2005, Foxx was one of 11 members of Congress to vote against the $51 billion aid package to victims of Hurricane Katrina.     She was also one of only 33 Republicans to vote against the extension of the Voting Rights Act in July 2006.

In April 2009, Foxx expressed opposition to the Matthew Shepard Act, claiming that the murder of Matthew Shepard was not a
hate crime.      While debating the act at the House of Representatives, which was attended by Matthew Shepard's mother, she called the incident a "very unfortunate incident" but also "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a
robbery.      It wasn't because he was gay."     She continued that "It's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing hate crimes bills."


When commenting on the House version of the reform bill that funds counseling for end-of-life issues, Foxx said,  "Republicans have a better solution that won't put the government in charge of people's health care,"  and  "(The plan) is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."     She later said that "we have more to fear from the potential of [the Affordable Health Care for America Act] passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country."


Virginia Foxx is a member of Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans since 2005. Her son-in-law is a Turkish businessman, Mustafa Özdemir.







Forks of Buffalo Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.284 - Veterans, Women, Families with Children, and Persons With Disabilities Housing Fairness Act of 2011


To authorize funds to prevent housing discrimination through the use of nationwide testing, to increase funds for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 18, 2011







Galts Mill Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.213 - Regulation Audit Revive Economy Act of 2011
To establish a moratorium on regulatory rulemaking actions, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 07, 2011

Alaskan Congressman Don Young has introduced two bills aimed at curbing the overregulation of the American people.     Both H.R. 213, the Regulation Audit Revive Economy Act of 2011 (RARE Act of 2011), and H.R. 214, the Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis Creation and Sunset and Review Act of 2011, intend to not only review existing regulations but limit future ones as well.

“Quite often contentious regulations are issued through agencies, thus bypassing Congress and the voice of the people,”  said Rep. Young.  “This legislative trick by the Executive Branch has contributed to our massive federal deficit and overall debt, while sometimes restricting small business growth."     Hundreds of thousands of pages of regulations are on the books, making the amount of red tape industry has to navigate almost paralyzing.     And more often than not, these regulations are written in convoluted legalese making them near impossible to understand.

“With the abundance of regulations already coming from legislation such as the health care bill and the inevitability of thousands more this year, it is incredibly important that we do this review sooner rather than later.    The excess of government has gotten out of hand, and with these bills I am calling on Congress to finally take a hard look at these overreaching rules that stifle American freedoms.”

• There are over 160,000 pages of regulations on the books right now


• In 2005, the Small Business Administration study found that enforcing all the regulations costs $1.1 trillion per year


• 3,500 new rules were adopted in 2009 alone at a cost of $13.6 billion, most of these new rules were a result of the outgoing Bush Administration


• For the last couple of decades, the federal government has issued on average 4,000 new rules each year in the Federal Register


• The Code of Federal Regulations in 2006 had 33 percent more pages than in 1980


• Three years into the George W. Bush Administration, the cost of new regulations hit $4 billion.










Gidsville Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.J.Res.9


Disapproving a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the National Emission Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants from the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement
Plants.


Introduced Jan 12, 2011







Joshua Falls Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.22 - Pipeline Safety and Community Empowerment Act of 2011


To amend title 49, United States Code, to enhance pipeline safety, to provide communities with access to improved information concerning the equipment and operations of pipeline facilities, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 06, 2011








Monitor Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.81 - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2011


To promote and encourage the valuable public service, disaster relief, and emergency communications provided on a volunteer basis by licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service, by undertaking a study of the uses of amateur radio for emergency and disaster relief communications, by identifying unnecessary or unreasonable impediments to the deployment of Amateur Radio emergency and disaster relief communications, and by making recommendations for relief of such unreasonable restrictions so as to expand the uses of amateur radio communications in Homeland Security planning and response.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011






Sandidges Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.153 - Ensuring Affordable Energy Act


To prohibit funding for the Environmental Protection Agency to be used to implement or enforce a cap-and-trade program for
greenhouse gases, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011

Ensuring Affordable Energy Act – Prohibits any funds appropriated or otherwise available for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being used to implement or enforce:  (1) a cap-and-trade program;  or (2) any statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of one or more greenhouse gases from stationary sources that is issued or becomes applicable or effective after January 1, 2011.     Defines: (1) “cap-and-trade program” as any regulatory program established after the date of enactment of this Act that provides for the sale, auction, or other distribution of a limited amount of allowances that permit the emission of one or more greenhouse gases;  and (2) “greenhouse gas” to include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or any other designated anthropogenic gas.

Rep. Robert Goodlatte [R, VA-6] is a co-sponsor.

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)

The global warming potential of SF6 is 23,900, making it the most potent greenhouse gas the IPCC has evaluated.     SF6 is a colorless, odorless, nontoxic, nonflammable gas with excellent dielectric properties.      SF6 is used for insulation and current interruption in electric power transmission and distribution equipment, in the magnesium industry to protext molten magnesium from oxidation and potentially violent burning, in semiconductor manufacturing to create circuitry patterns on silicon wafers, and as a tracer gas for leak detection.


Like the other high GWP gases, there are very few sinks for SF6, so all man-made sources contribute directly to its accumulation in the atmosphere.       Measurements of SF6 show that its global average concentration has increased by about 7% per year during the 1980s and 1990s, from less 1 ppt in 1980 to almost 4 ppt in the late 1990’s (IPCC, 2001).










Oronoco Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.192 - Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection


To expand the boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and for other purposes


Introduced Jan 05, 2011







Pera Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.96 - Internet Freedom Act


To prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from further regulating the Internet.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011







Brandywine Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.25 - Fair Tax Act


To promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the
Internal Revenue Service, and for other purposes


Introduced Jan 05, 2011

At ACVDN we find this Bill fascinating and at the same time frightening.    There is a pig in a poke aspect to the Fair Tax Act and it changes so much so dramatically that even the experts are bewildered when predicting the direction it takes.

The Fair Tax Act is designed to replace all federal income taxes (including the alternative minimum tax, corporate income taxes, and capital gains taxes), payroll taxes (including Social Security and Medicare taxes), gift taxes, and estate taxes with a national retail sales tax.     The legislation would remove the Internal Revenue Service (after three years), and establish an Excise Tax Bureau and a Sales Tax Bureau in the Department of the Treasury.

The FairTax is a proposed change to the federal government tax laws of the United States intended to replace all federal income taxes with a single broad national consumption tax on retail sales.

The plan was introduced into the United States Congress as the Fair Tax Act (H.R. 25).     The tax would be levied once at the point of purchase on all new goods and services for personal consumption.      The proposal also calls for a monthly payment to all family households of lawful U.S. residents as an advance rebate, or "prebate", of tax on purchases up to the poverty level.     The sales tax rate, as defined in the legislation for the first year, is 23% of the total payment including the tax  ($23 of every $100 spent in total—calculated similar to income taxes).      This would be equivalent to a 30% traditional U.S. sales tax   ($23 on top of every $77 spent—$100 total).       The rate would then be automatically adjusted annually based on federal receipts in the previous fiscal year.

With the rebate taken into consideration, the FairTax would be progressive on consumption, but would also be regressive on

income at higher income levels (as consumption falls as a percentage of income).      Opponents argue this would accordingly
decrease the tax burden on high income earners and increase it on the middle class.     Supporters contend that the plan would decrease tax burdens by broadening the tax base, effectively taxing wealth, and increasing purchasing power.      The plan's supporters also argue that a consumption tax would have a positive effect on savings and investment, that it would ease tax compliance, and that the tax would result in increased economic growth, incentives for international business to locate in the U.S., and increased U.S. competitiveness in international trade.      Opponents contend that a consumption tax of this size would be extremely difficult to collect, and would lead to pervasive tax evasion.     They also argue that the proposed sales tax rate would raise less revenue than the current tax system, leading to an increased budget deficit.

During the transition, many or most of the employees of the IRS (105,978 in 2005) would face loss of employment.     The Beacon Hill Institute estimate is that the federal government would be able to cut $8 billion from the IRS budget of $11.01 billion (in 2007), reducing the size of federal tax administration by 73%.     

In addition, income tax preparers (many seasonal), tax lawyers, tax compliance staff in medium-to-large businesses, and software companies which sell tax preparation software could face significant drops, changes, or loss of employment.     The bill would maintain the IRS for three years after implementation before completely decommissioning the agency, providing employees time to find other employment.

There are concerns regarding the proposed repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, removal of tax deduction incentives, transition effects on after-tax savings, incentives on credit use, and the loss of tax advantages to state and local bonds.


If the FairTax bill were passed, permanent elimination of income taxation would not be guaranteed; the FairTax bill would repeal much of the existing tax code, but the Sixteenth Amendment would remain in place.     Preventing new legislation from reintroducing income taxation would require a repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution with a separate provision expressly prohibiting a federal income tax.

ACVDN Bottom Line
Before you jump on he Republican bandwagon take the time to study this issue.     As you think and study what it would change and how I'm sure you can add to the topics discussed here.     The Congress needs to have an open discussion of all the issues on the topic of the Fair Tax.     Both sides need to work together to come up with something that works first time, right out of the box.     Both sides need to deal honestly and openly with each other.     Then everybody needs to accept responsibility for the joint decision.     Getting this right has nothing to do with politics.     This does not affect the State Tax only Federal










Edgewood Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.116 - Robo COP Act


To direct the Federal Trade Commission to revise the regulations regarding the Do-not-call registry to prohibit politically oriented recorded message telephone calls to telephone numbers listed on that registry.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011







Glenwood Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.97 - Free Industry Act


To amend the Clean Air Act to provide that greenhouse gases are not subject to the Act, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011

Republicans live in the pocket of big industry and big business and are doing all they can to do away with any enviromental regulation or restriction.      There are many bills that weaken the EPA.     H.R. 97 would declare various gasses not to be ‘air pollutants’ so EPA couldn’t regulate them.

Introduced by Rep. Marsha Blackburn [R-TN7]


Free Industry Act – Amends the Clean Air Act to:   (1) exclude from the definition of the term “air pollutant” carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride;   and (2) declare that nothing in the Act shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming.


H.R. 97 is just one of several bills designed to limit the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency.     The Ensuring Affordable Energy Act is another ( H.R. 153).    It was Introduced by Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX2] and is co-sponsored by Robert Goodlatte [R-VA 6].      It is listed seperately on this page and represents another attempt by hard right wing republicans to hog tie the EPA.






Great Oaks Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.166 - Internet Investment, Innovation, and Competition Preservation Act


To prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from regulating information services or Internet access services absent
a market failure, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011








Holiday Acres Virginia News, Amherst County
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H.R.61 - Controlling Our Air-travel Costs at Home Act of 2011


To amend title 5, United States Code, to require Federal employees to use coach-class air travel in the United States except in limited circumstances, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011








Ivanhoe Forest Virginia News, Amherst County===============================



H.R.190 - Protecting America's Workers Act

Sponsor: Woolsey (D - CA)


To amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to expand coverage under the Act, to increase protections for
whistleblowers, to increase penalties for high gravity violations, to adjust penalties for inflation, to provide rights for victims or their family members, and for other purposes.


Introduced Jan 05, 2011

This bill seeks to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to broaden the scope of the legislation, increase the protections for individuals deemed to be “whistleblowers,” and increase the civil and criminal penalties for OSHA violations.

Specifically, H.R. 190 revises the language of Section 17 of OSHA (29 U.S.C. Section 666) to provide greater criminal penalties for employers who knowingly violate any standard, rule, or order promulgated under OSHA, or any regulation prescribed under OSHA.      This lowers the level of criminal intent required for criminal sanction under OSHA from its current “willfully” standard.

For violations causing or significantly contributing to the death of an employee, the bill would provide for criminal sanctions of up to 20 years imprisonment, fines under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, or both.

This compares to the six months imprisonment currently authorized under section 666 of Title 29, U.S. Code.      For violations causing or significantly contributing to the serious bodily harm of an employee, the bill would provide for criminal sanctions of up to five years imprisonment, fines under Title 18 of the U.S. code, or both.

This would be a new avenue for criminal liability under section 666 of Title 29, U.S.Code. H.R. 190 would also increase the criminal penalty for knowingly impeding or interfering with an OSHA inspection through the provision of advance notice to an employer. A violation previously punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, would now be subject to up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.




Recent studies have shown that the greater the knowledge base of the individual the less likely they are to cast a republican ballot.       ACVDN Bottom Line       The more you know about the issues the more likely you are to vote Democrat.
Lakeview Virginia News, Amherst County