Tom Perriello: Foe to the American People

Last week, I took my daughter into Washington DC to experience something I've never done before. We went to a Press Conference held on the steps of the Capitol Building, then went to pay our Congressman a visit.

My daughter was very excited about riding a train (the Metro) into DC, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the company we kept on the way in: other freedom-loving patriots disgusted with the HR 3962 Health Care Bill being considered by the House of Representatives.

We ducked out of the Press Conference a little early to get a head start on the tens of thousands of other folks wishing to speak to their congressman face to face about this horrific bill being jammed down our throats. Along with about 20 other folks we were able to congregate in Mr. Perriello's office and share our disdain for this bill. (We were the first batch of folks to make his acquaintance that afternoon.)

I was impressed with the civility of some of the gentlemen speaking about the devastation to the small businesses this legislation would bring. My friend videotaped the entire exchange. Seizing the opportunity to follow up on my question to him at the town hall meeting held here this summer, I asked him regarding the constitutionality of this bill why he indicated he was willing to "let the courts fight it out". I enlightened him on the pending lawsuit in the Virginia Supreme Court that a citizen brought against the County of Fluvanna on behalf of the residents in Fluvanna County for the failure to recognize two petitions for a referendum. The BOS knew there were well over 10% of the voting population who wanted a referendum on the Joint Water Authority (on two separate occasions), but they were willing to ignore the law and "let the courts fight it out". Now, the taxpayers are not only paying for the JWA, but we're paying for the defense of the lawsuit being waged on our own behalf.

After all my ranting and my questioning as to why he would let the courts fight it out when he knew this bill was unconstitutional considering he swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, he gave his response: He didn't believe this bill was unconstitutional.

Oh, I couldn't dig fast enough to pull out my copy of the US Constitution before someone else had a crack at him. Needless to say, it got a bit heated in that room. When all was said and done, he promised he would not vote for this bill if it included taxpayer-funded abortions. However, he would not commit to voting "no" on the bill even if the abortion provision was stripped. He said he considered himself "undecided". Then, he had to rush out of his office (after giving us about 10 minutes) to get down to the house floor for a vote.

I made sure I left a copy of the US Constitution on his desk along with a letter I wrote him following his Town Hall meeting held in Fluvanna County a few months ago.

I'm sorry, but I think the man is a liar...his mind was made up. He defended portions of the bill to us, claiming they were needed, yet failed to recognize the points that we each were making. He "listened" in that he kept his mouth shut so we could speak, but he didn't engage in conversation with us about our concerns. Instead he defended the bill and thanked us for coming in.

I left there knowing in the pit of my stomach he was going to vote for this thing...and he did.

Tom Perriello is a smooth talker, but he's no friend to the Fifth District.

He voted for the Stimulus Package, claiming he was kept up to date on all that was in it through text messages, understanding we would have to print money in order to pay for it, and in light of the fact that the majority of the American public did not want this.

He voted for the Cap & Trade, without possibly ever reading the bill, going totally against the will of the people, and hid from us when we came to let him know how we felt about his vote.

And now, after a landslide victory for Republicans in Virginia's elections last Tuesday, a grassroots-driven 1,000,000+ patriot march on Washington on September 12th, and another grassroots-driven last minute 20,000 - 40,000 patriot onslaught on Washington this past Thursday, he voted for the Health Care Bill last night.

This man must be run out of office...starting today.

Join Me in DC to Stop Health Care Bill

The 1990 page Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) has been released and the House of Representatives is expected to vote on it next week. The original bill was only about 1000 pages, and it has now doubled.

It includes taxpayer-funded abortions, mandated health insurance coverage, a public option, ultimate single-payer option (page 92), "death panels", loss of more jobs and higher taxes. This is socialized medicine and we only have a small window of opportunity to stop this.

Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman from MN, has invited all Americans to join her in Washington DC on the steps at the Capitol Building on Thursday at noon where she's holding a press conference. Following the press conference she has asked us to join her as she walks the halls of Congress to speak to our representatives about this horrific bill.

Watch this interview between Ms. Bachmann and Sean Hannity:



I'm seriously considering going. Anyone interested in joining me? This truly is a line in the sand for our country. We must do everything we can to stop this bill. Let me know what you think.

Fluvanna Fire Station Gets Stimulus Funds

In a press release dated September 24th, 2009 Congressman Tom Perriello announced over $1.4 million in Federal Stimulus money has been granted to Fluvanna County to construct a new Fire Station in Fork Union.

While the headline "Construction of New Fire Station Will Employ 100 People, Benefit Numerous Area Businesses" sounds wonderful, I feel very sick over the whole thing. How can we in good conscience take this money?

I fought hard against the Stimulus bill and I believe passing that legislation was absolutely reckless.

Perriello indicated at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Ashlawn Grille in Lake Monticello shortly after his vote for this horrendous pork-filled package that our taxes would not go up. Instead, he confessed that we would have to print money in order to pay for this bill. He evidently did not have a problem with this.

However, I did. I thought "printing money" was a crime. I mean, I'm not allowed to do that, so why is the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank allowed to do so?

My sister then asked the Congressman, "Well, wouldn't that lead to inflation?" His reply? "Yes, but not right away."

What!? Oh, I can't tell you how many shades of red I saw at that moment. I kept quiet because I was trying to refrain from exploding at the man, but I was livid. He saw nothing wrong with this!

But this is so wrong. The value of the dollar diminishes every time the printing presses fire up. We work hard to earn a living, but the cost of living goes up whenever inflation comes into play, so what we earned (and saved) yesterday can no longer pay for tomorrow. Whatever the difference is has been stolen from us. So someone please explain to me why our Congressman thinks this is okay.

It's not. Unfortunately though, it's the way of the world...we've accepted it in the past and for some odd reason most folks are content with just accepting it going forward. I say, NO!

Printing money (with nothing to back it up) leads to deflating dollars, which essentially is stealing and that is morally wrong.

So this brings me to...if we know that we are having to print money on the federal level in order to pay for this grant, then how on earth can we in Fluvanna County accept these funds in good faith?

"Oh, but it's for a new fire station," you might say.

It shouldn't matter what the money is for. The fact is we (at the local level, state level and federal level) don't have the money to pay for it, and we don't have the right to steal it from anyone else in order to satisfy our own needs/desires...no matter how noble the cause.

It looks like I will be paying my local Board of Supervisors a visit in the next few weeks to discuss my concern with them. If you feel the same and you reside here in Fluvanna County, join me at the New County Courthouse in Palmyra on Wednesday, October 7th at 2PM and share your thoughts as well.

Congressman Tom Perriello: Oath of Office

I wrote a letter to my 5th District Congressman this evening. While I emailed a slightly abbreviated version to him, here is what I wrote in full:

Dear Congressman Perriello,

I contacted your office in DC today to follow up on my question that I posed to you at the Fluvanna Town Hall Meeting. The man who spoke before me pointed out the unconstitutionality of the Health Care Bill referencing the enumerated powers in Article 1 Section 8 of the US Constitution. He also pointed out that the 10th Amendment supports the idea of the federal government being limited in power to what is stated in the Constitution.

I considered the fact that this man spoke before me (I had no idea what he was going to say) and that there was a break in constituent comments/questions giving you an opportunity to respond to him was an act of God. Your response indicated that you were aware of constitutional issues concerning this bill but you were "willing to let the courts fight it out". Then it was my turn to speak.

I reminded you that you swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, and if you knew that there were constitutional issues concerning this piece of legislation, I asked why you were willing to let the courts fight it out. After addressing specific items in the bill and my personal concerns as a small business owner and tax-paying citizen, I asked the following question, "Knowing that this legislation without a shadow of a doubt is in violation of the US Constitution, who and/or what gives you the power to take away our God-given rights to life and liberty by casting anything but a "no" vote concerning this bill?"

To this you never replied.

So, I called your office in Washington today (9/4/09) and spoke with one of your staffers. I explained that I never got a response to my question. I said I could not understand why you would be willing to "let the courts fight it out" if you indeed recognized that this was unconstitutional. Perhaps you don't feel it is unconstitutional. Your staffer explained to me that there was an elastic clause at the end of Article 1 Section 8 that gives you the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper. However, I had a copy of the Constitution in my hand and read him the complete clause. It states,

"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all the Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."

Please note that it says "...the foregoing Powers..." referencing the enumerated powers laid out in the previous clauses. It also says "...the Powers vested by this Constitution..." reiterating that the powers being referred to are in the Constitution. It seems pretty clear to me that these are qualifiers in this "elastic clause". If you can make any law you feel like, then why did the founders lay out the specific powers in Article 1 Section 8 (to establish and maintain an army and navy, to establish post offices, to create courts, to regulate commerce between the states, to declare war, and to levy taxes for these purposes)?

Furthermore, your staffer mentioned "checks and balances" and that the Supreme Court was set up to be one of those when it comes to determining Constitutional power. I agree. However, the Legislative branch is a check as well. You don't have the right to do whatever you want and expect either the President or SCOTUS to step up and keep you in line. You swear an oath to uphold the Constitution for the purpose of stating your intention to act in a manner that supports the US Constitution. If you are willing to vote on a piece of legislation that knowingly conflicts with the Constitution, how are you upholding it?

Now if you honestly believe that the US Constitution gives you the power to lay and collect taxes for the purpose of providing a government-run health care option or dictating how the private sector will conduct its affairs, then please explain to me where you find that power listed in that binding document.

I also explained to your staffer the following, which I would like you to be aware of as well:

There are a few lawsuits pending right now in your district (Fluvanna County) as well as at the state level concerning the actions of our local Board of Supervisors who were willing to "let the courts decide" when they were served twice with a petition of more than 10% of the voters in the county requesting a referendum on the formation of a Joint Water Authority. The law gives the people the right to petition their government for this specific issue (formation of a Joint Water Authority)...they did it twice, but the County Attorney advised the Board to disregard the petitions due to a legal technicality in his mind. Now five months later, we, the taxpayers are still paying for the Board's "defense" in multiple courts since a citizen rose up to challenge the Board's decision to throw away our petitions...*and* we're paying for the formation of the Joint Water Authority. What if the courts decide the petitions were valid and a referendum should have been called? It is too late to have the referendum in the November election, so a special election will have to be called. This is going to cost even more money to the taxpayer. And this is a result of our governing body letting the courts fight it out.

Sir, you have an obligation to the people whom you represent as a US Congressman. You must uphold the US Constitution. The Constitution does not give you the power to make this Health Care Reform law. You know it. While a threat to not vote for you in November may not mean much to you (you already lost my vote when you voted "yes" on the Cap & Trade bill), I would hope doing what's right in the sight of God would matter more.

How can you in good conscience go against the US Constitution when you swore an oath to uphold it?

Sincerely,
Carrie Wigal

Perriello Fluvanna Town Hall Meeting Speech

Last night, August 17th, Congressman Perriello held a Town Hall Meeting at the Fluvanna Middle School in Fork Union. I along with hundreds of citizens from the area attended. After waiting over an hour in line to speak, I had my turn at the podium.

The full text of my prepared speech is below. While I believe everything I had to say was important, I felt the need to cut out some of it in order to save time and be effective in what I was trying to ultimately convey. The sections I cut are included below but the words in red are what I chose to say while standing at the microphone.

The person who spoke directly ahead of me was the first in a long line to mention that this bill was unconstitutional and the 1oth amendment confirmed it. He was surprised that this had not come up yet. Perriello responded to his comments stating that this had come up in other Town Halls and that while there was definitely an issue concerning its constitutionality, that was something that could be fought out in the courts and ultimately taken to the Supreme Court.

I did a little research on your background and found you are a Yale graduate of Law, and you have been involved in community organizing because of your concerns over social injustices. It is to that experience I would like to make my appeal.

First I appreciate your concerns for social injustice. I agree we need to get more involved in our communities as a whole. As Christians, we are called to "Love our neighbor as ourselves"...I believe it is our Christian duty to help those in need.

The problem we've seen over the years is the transition from individuals voluntarily working in an organized fashion to help their fellow citizens to federal government agencies providing these services, mandating all law-abiding, income-producing citizens to pay for these services. While we thought we were doing a good thing by collectively pooling tax dollars to fund such noble causes as social services, we have created a monster. We have not only created generations dependent on the state, but we also have burdened the American people through taxation without representation (with all of these bureaucratic agencies, created by the federal legislative branch, unaccountable to the American people) and less-than-stellar, barely-surviving services (such as Social Security and Medicare). This is a huge disservice to our communities.

We are all created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible. God is our source, sir...not the federal government. Our charitable work must begin in our own homes and in our own communities, not dictated to us from top levels of government.

Getting back to "health care reform"...I admit we have issues in our current health care industry that need addressing, but the solutions are not found in the charitable contributions of Congress.

Upon taking office you swore an oath to uphold the United States Constitution. Therefore, if you are presented with a piece of legislation that falls outside of the jurisdiction of the powers identified in the Constitution, then you are compelled by your oath to vote "no" regardless of how we feel about it on the simple grounds that it is unconstitutional.

While we may have personal convictions to serve our communities who are lacking in need, it is not the role of the federal government to assure affordable, quality health care coverage for every person living within our borders. This power is nowhere to be found within the United States Constitution, specifically it is not listed in Article 1 Section 8 where your Congressional Powers are laid out. And the 10th Amendment confirms this when it addresses the powers that are not delegated to the United States (meaning the Federal Government) by the Constitution, as being reserved to the states.

[I paraphrased these two paragraphs above and interjected some other thoughts since the person ahead of me had just addressed this. I specifically questioned why the Congressman felt it was okay to vote for something unconstitutional, leaving it up to the courts to fight it out especially since he swore the oath to uphold the Constitution in the first place.]

For your convenience here is a copy of the Constitution along with a copy of Federalist Paper #41 written by James Madison where he discusses these particular powers and explains that the often-misrepresented "common Defence and general Welfare" clause is a general phrase that is clearly defined by the detailed phrases following it in the Constitution. Congress is limited to those powers listed in that document. I encourage you to read both of these documents and pass them along to your colleagues in DC...I promise these are much shorter than this health care bill.

Now since you are holding these Town Hall meetings for the sole purpose of hearing the concerns/questions of your constituents on this particular bill, I would like to share just a few of mine:

I am a 40-year-old wife, mother of four (ages 14, 5,4 & 2) and a tax-paying small business owner. I'm a college graduate and in the past have worked for temporary employment agencies as well as small, mid-size and large corporations. During that time I have been insured, uninsured and uninsurable (due to becoming pregnant). Presently I have a Health Savings Account along with a low premium, high deductible Health insurance policy to cover my family.

While I choose to have this current plan vs. no insurance at all, I am disgusted with the idea that this bill will rob me of my choice. Section 401.59B on Page 167 indicates that I as an individual will be required to have "acceptable" health care coverage or else the federal government is going to fine me. If I choose to pay all of my medical expenses out of pocket without the assistance of anyone else (whether it be the government or some insurance company), I am going to be penalized by my own government?

Also, Section 313 on Pages 149-150 indicates that I as an employer must provide all of my employees regardless of whether they are full or part-time workers with the public option or else I'll be fined a certain percentage. And if I am successful in my business and hire more employees, creating new jobs, pushing me up to the next bracket, then I'll be fined at a higher rate.

So, not only am I being punished for paying my own bills, I am also being punished for not paying someone else's?

[Congressman Perriello had already indicated several times he had an issue with the mandates on individuals and small businesses. I wanted to make sure he knew I had an issue with it as well.]

Concerning my family, my husband and I are adamantly opposed to injecting our children with unnatural vaccinations. However, if we were to participate in this public option, then the vaccinations that the government deems necessary will be REQUIRED according to Section 1711 on Page 764. If we choose not to participate, we still have to pay to force others to get these shots regardless of their personal convictions.

My husband and I are even more adamantly opposed to killing innocent babies whether they are still in their mothers' womb or not. Yet according to Section 1713 on page 768 there is a "nurse home visitation service" which will cater to those who seek "improving maternal or child health and pregnancy outcomes or increasing birth intervals between pregnancies". Increasing birth intervals between pregnancies? Sounds like birth control to me...it also sounds like an open door to abortion.

[I omitted the above paragraph because Perriello already indicated he would not vote in favor of taxpayer-funded abortions. And I omitted the next paragraph because I wanted to drive home my main point without going all over the place.]

While these items I have just mentioned are just a few that really bother me personally about this bill (a few others include the rationing of health care, end-of-life planning, national health ID card, government committees and task forces, Federal government mandated school-based health clinics integrated into the school environment, surcharges for high income individuals, and government involvement in marriage & family therapy) the absolute number one biggest problem I have with all of this combined with the bailouts & federal acquisitions of private industry is that this whole scheme wreaks of socialism. In this particular case the US Congress is proposing to tax a portion of its people in order to exercise mandatory health care coverage, establish more government bureacracy, and ration health care as it deems necessary amongst the entire population...including non-US citizens! You and your colleagues are seriously considering nationalized health care, forcing the American people to succomb to the government for its health needs.

I understand we need health care reform, but the idea of the federal government taking over the health care industry in America is absolutely obscene. [Many people cheered at this statement.]

My question to you, Congressman is, "Knowing that this legislation without a shadow of a doubt is in violation of the US Constitution, who and/or what gives you the power to take away our God-given rights to life and liberty by casting anything but a "no" vote concerning this bill?"

One local FoxNews affiliate captured a portion of my question on her news report (the underlined text above). Unfortunately she failed to recognize my whole point that this bill is unconstitutional. Also, it would have been nice to include the statement before my question since it was so widely received. But I'm just glad it received some attention.