House of Delegates Committee Rosters, MD Congressmen Split on Cromnibus & Business Leaders Launch Purple Line Effort

Friends, this may be one of the final few "Juiceblenders" I publish before being sworn into the General Assembly in January. After that, I plan to turn over curation of this blog to a handful of new Juicers. This would be an all-volunteer project and a potentially time-consuming labor of love, but if you're a progressive Maryland politico who might be interested in joining the team, shoot me a note at david---(AT)---marylandjuice.com, and I can explain what this'll entail. In the meantime, I have a few interesting updates for politicos:

JUICE #1: HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS // PLUS: MD JUICE CONSTRUCTS FULL LISTS OF NEW ROSTERS - Below we publish a press release from the Speaker's office highlighting which committees the 58 incoming Freshman Delegates will serve on. Note that the press release only indicates where the new members are headed and where incumbents who are changing committees are headed. As a result, below the Speaker's press release, I've constructed lists of each committee's full membership that includes the incumbents staying put alongside the new committee members.

PRESS RELEASE

SPEAKER BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
ANNAPOLIS, MD – House Speaker Michael E. Busch today announced committee assignments for six standing committees in the House of Delegates.  In the upcoming session, Appropriations will have 26 members, Health & Government Operations and Economic Matters each will have 24, and Environmental Matters, Ways & Means and Judiciary will have 22 members.

The committees are balanced to reflect the demographic, geographic and party makeup of the legislature.

The following Delegates and Delegates-elect were appointed today.  Delegates not included on this list will maintain their current committee assignments.

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Delegate Aruna Miller (District 15)
Delegate Benjamin S. Barnes (District 21)
Delegate-elect Brooke Lierman (District 46)
Delegate-elect Patrick Young (District 44B)
Delegate-elect Shelly Hettleman (District 11)
Delegate-elect Mark Chang (District 32)
Delegate-elect Marc Korman (District 16)
Delegate-elect Michael Jackson (District 27B)
Delegate-elect Carol Krimm (District 3A)
Delegate Andrew Serafini (Delegate 2A)
Delegate-elect Jeff Ghrist (District 36)
Delegate-elect Michael McKay (District 1C)
Delegate-elect Mary Beth Carozza (District 38C)
Delegate-elect David Vogt (District 4)
Delegate-elect Robin Grammer (District 6)

ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE
Delegate Luke Clippinger (District 46)
Delegate Kris Valderamma (District 26)
Delegate C. William Frick (District 16)
Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher (District 18)
Delegate Talmadge Branch (District 45)
Delegate C.T. Wilson (District 26)
Delegate-elect Mary Ann Lisanti (District 34A)
Delegate-elect Ned Carey (District 31A)
Delegate-elect Benjamin Brooks (District 10)
Delegate Mark Fisher (District 27C)
Delegate Steve Arentz (District 36)
Delegate-elect Christopher Adams (District 37B)
Delegate-elect Seth Howard (District 30B)
Delegate-elect Johnny Mautz (District 37B)

ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Delegate Kathy Szeliga (Delegate 7)
Delegate-elect Tony Knotts (Delegate 26)
Delegate-elect Clarence Lam (District 12)
Delegate-elect Cory McCray (District 45)
Delegate-elect Carl Anderton (District 38B)
Delegate-elect Andrew Cassilly (District 35B )
Delegate-elect Robert Flanagan (District 9B)

HEALTH & GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Delegate Herb McMillan (District 30A)
Delegate-elect Antonio Hayes (District 40)
Delegate-elect Angela Angel (District 25)
Delegate-elect Erek Barron (District 24)
Delegate-elect Terri Hill (District 12)
Delegate-elect Sheree Sample-Hughes (37A)
Delegate-elect Karen Young (District 3A)
Delegate-elect Matt Morgan (District 29A)
Delegate-elect Sid Saab (District 33)
Delegate-elect Christian Miele (District 8)
Delegate-elect Chris West (District 42B)

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Delegate-elect Will Campos (District 47B)
Delegate-elect Will Smith (District 20)
Delegate-elect David Moon (District 20)
Delegate-elect Marice Morales (District 19)
Delegate-elect Vanessa Atterbeary (District 13)
Delegate-elect Charles Sydnor (District 44B)
Delegate-elect Jay Jalisi (District 10)
Delegate-elect Deb Rey (District 29B)
Delegate-elect Brett Wilson (District 2B)
Delegate-elect Trent Kittleman (District 9A)
Delegate-elect William Folden (District 3B)

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE
Delegate Mary Washington (District 43)
Delegate-elect Andrew Platt (District 17)
Delegate-elect Eric Ebersole (District 12)
Delegate-elect Darryl Barnes (District 25)
Delegate-elect Diana Fennell (District 15)
Delegate-elect Jimmy Tarlau (District 47A)
Delegate-elect Edith Patterson (District 26)
Delegate-elect Bob Long (District 6)
Delegate-elect Ric Metzgar (District 6)
Delegate-elect Jason Buckel (District 1B)
Delegate-elect Meagan Simonaire (District 31B)
Delegate-elect Haven Shoemaker (District 5)
Delegate-elect Kevin Hornberger (District 35A)
Delegate-elect Teresa Reilly (District 35B)

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The lists above do not tell you what the full memberships of the new committees will look like, so I went ahead and tried to compile this information. If you see any errors, please email me at david---(AT)---marylandjuice.com.

JUDICIARY
1. Joe Vallario (D)
2. Kathleen Dumais (D)
3. Curt Anderson (D
4. Jill Carter (D)
5. Frank Conaway, Jr. (D)
6. Sandy Rosenberg (D)
7. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D)
8. Will Campos (D)
9. Will Smith (D)
10. David Moon (D)
11. Marice Morales (D)
12. Vanessa Atterbeary (D)
13. Charles Sydnor (D)
14. Jay Jalisi (D)
15. Deb Rey (R)
16. Brett Wilson (R)
17. Trent Kittleman (R)
18. William Folden (R)
19. Glen Glass (R)
20. John Cluster, Jr. (R)
21. Susan McComas (R)
22. Neil Parrott (R)

WAYS AND MEANS
1. Sheila Hixson (D)
2. Frank Turner (D)
3. Carolyn Howard (D)
4. Anne Kaiser (D)
5. Eric Luedtke (D)
6. Jay Walker (D)
7. Alonzo Washington (D)
8. Mary Washington (D)
9. Andrew Platt (D)
10. Eric Ebersole (D)
11. Darryl Barnes (D)
12. Diana Fennell (D)
13. Jimmy Tarlau (D)
14. Edith Patterson (D)
15. Kathy Afzali (R)
16. Bob Long (R)
17. Ric Metzgar (R)
18. Jason Buckel (R)
19. Meagan Simonaire (R)
20. Haven Shoemaker (R)
21. Kevin Hornberger (R)
22. Teresa Reilly (R)

APPROPRIATIONS
1. Maggie McIntosh (D)
2. James Proctor (D)
3. Tawanna Gaines (D)
4. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D)
5. Keith Haynes (D)
6. Adrienne Jones (D)
7. Barbara Robinson (D)
8. Ted Sophocleus (D)
9. Craig Zucker (D)
10. Aruna Miller (D)
11. Ben Barnes (D)
12. Brooke Lierman (D)
13. Pat Young (D)
14. Shelly Hettleman (D)
15. Mark Chang (D)
16. Marc Korman (D)
17. Michael Jackson (D)
18. Carol Krimm (D)
19. Andrew Serafini (R)
20. Jeff Ghrist (R)
21. Michael McKay (R)
22. Mary Beth Carozza (R)
23. David Vogt (R)
24. Robin Grammer (R)
25. Wendell Beitzel (R)
26. Tony McConkey (R)

ECONOMIC MATTERS
1. Dereck Davis (D)
2. Charles Barkley (D)
3. Cheryl Glenn (D)
4. Sally Jameson (D)
5. Ben Kramer (D)
6. Michael Vaughn (D)
7. Luke Clippinger (D)
8. Kris Valderamma (D)
9. Bill Frick (D)
10. Jeff Waldstreicher (D)
11. Talmadge Branch (D)
12. C.T. Wilson (D)
13. Mary Ann Lisanti (D)
14. Ned Carey (D)
15. Ben Brooks (D)
16. Susan Aumann (R)
17. Richard Impallaria (R)
18. Warren Miller (R)
19. Kelly Schulz (R)
20. Mark Fisher (R)
21. Steve Arentz (R)
22. Christopher Adams (R)
23. Seth Howard (R)
24. Johnny Mautz (R)

ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORTATION
1. Kumar Barve (D)
2. Pam Beidle (D)
3. Al Carr (D)
4. David Fraser-Hidalgo (D)
5. Barbara Frush (D)
6. Jim Gilchrist (D)
7. Anne Healey (D)
8. Marvin Holmes (D)
9. Stephen Lafferty (D)
10. Shane Robinson (D)
11. Dana Stein (D)
12. Tony Knotts (D)
13. Clarence Lam (D)
14. Cory McCray (D)
15. Jay Jacobs (R)
16. Tony O'Donnell (R)
17. Charles Otto (R)
18. Cathy Vitale (R)
19. Kathy Szeliga (R)
20. Carl Anderton (R)
21. Andrew Cassilly (R)
22. Bob Flanagan (R)

HEALTH & GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
1. Pete Hammen (D)
2. Shane Pendergrass (D)
3. Eric Bromwell (D)
4. Bonnie Cullison (D)
5. Ariana Kelly (D)
6. Dan Morhaim (D)
7. Nathaniel Oaks (D)
8. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D)
9. Kirill Reznik (D)
10. Antonio Hayes (D)
11. Angela Angel (D)
12. Erek Barron (D)
13. Terri Hill (D)
14. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D)
15. Karen Young (D)
16. Herb McMillan (R)
17. Nicholaus Kipke (R)
18. Susan Krebs (R)
19. Pat McDonough (R)
20. Justin Ready (R)
21. Matt Morgan (R)
22. Sid Saab (R)
23. Christian Miele (R)
24. Chris West (R)

JUICE #2: MARYLAND CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SPLITS OVER CROMNIBUS BUDGET VOTE // WALL STREET WELFARE VS. PASSING A FEDERAL BUDGET? - Last week, members of Congress came dazzlingly close to not passing a budget. But in contrast to past instances of budget showdowns, it was liberal members of Congress (spearheaded by Senator Elizabeth Warren and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi) joined by conservative budget hawks, who were raising a ruckus. The Boston Globe provided a summary of what went down (excerpt below):

BOSTON GLOBE: Last week in Washington was supposed to go like this: The House and Senate would each introduce a $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running through September; Senator Ted Cruz would briefly seize the spotlight with his diva routine; then both houses would pass their respective bills and go home....

Evidently, no one consulted Elizabeth Warren. You’d think by now they would have learned. Warren objected to two provisions slipped into the bill at the last moment. One increased by tenfold the amount of money rich donors can give to party committees. The other unwound a part of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms forbidding banks from gambling on risky swaps using government-guaranteed accounts. Appallingly, as Mother Jones revealed, Citigroup lobbyists wrote the language gutting this protection, a change that will directly benefit the bank.

Warren’s election to the Senate coincided with a change in the way the institution operates that she has masterfully exploited. In the days before crises and shutdowns were standard, senators exerted influence through legislation. But Congress has all but stopped legislating. The current one has passed the fewest bills in 60 years. Today, the senators most effective at influencing the national debate are not Old Bulls like Ted Kennedy but younger figures like Cruz and Warren whose ability to communicate clear, powerful ideas resonates with the public....

Interestingly, Maryland's Congressional Delegation split in half over this vote, with 50% of Maryland House Representative's supporting the budget, and 50% opposing it. The overall vote in the U.S. House was 219-206, and here's how Maryland members voted:

YES ON CROMINBUS

1. Rep. John Delaney (D)
2. Rep. Andy Harris (R)
3. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D)
4. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D)

NO ON CROMNIBUS

1. Rep. Elijah Cummings
2. Rep. Donna Edwards
3. Rep. John Sarbanes
4. Rep. Chris Van Hollen

If you want to hear more about the reason for the split on this vote, you can listen to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's floor speech decrying giving more power to big banks like Citigroup:



JUICE #3: MARYLAND BUSINESS LEADERS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE PURPLE LINE // READ THEIR LETTER TO GOVERNOR-ELECT LARRY HOGAN - With Governor-elect Larry Hogan's stance on the Purple Line coming down soon, Maryland business leaders have launched an effort to make the case for the project. Indeed, maintaining a predictable business environment, creating thousands of new jobs, and bringing millions in investment to Maryland are all goals pegged to keeping the light rail project on track. Below we publish a letter recently sent by business leaders to Mr. Hogan:

Dear Governor-Elect Hogan:

We are the Economic Partners of the Purple Line, a coalition of developers and business groups working in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. We are writing to you in support of the Purple Line light rail project. Many of us have been Purple Line advocates for over the last two decades, and we would like to meet with you to discuss this project’s overwhelming economic benefits to our businesses, our local communities, and the State of Maryland.

After many years of hard work and planning, the Purple Line is almost ready for construction, which is scheduled to begin in 2015. Cancelling or delaying this project at this late stage would have drastic consequences, including the loss of almost $1 billion in federal funding and approximately $170 million in state funds that have already been spent on engineering and right-of-way acquisition.

The federal funds come from the Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” program, and thus cannot be used for anything other than the Purple Line light rail project. If the project is delayed or canceled, these federal funds may instead fund another transit project in a different state. In fact, Congress recently approved a budget deal immediately appropriating $100 million for the Purple Line, which the state would have to repay if the project does not go forward. Furthermore, because of the “lockbox” amendment, for which many of us advocated, the Purple Line funds already programmed in the State’s CTP can only be used for transportation.

This transit project connecting Maryland’s first-ring suburbs will generate economic activity that far exceeds the initial investment of $2.45 billion in federal, state, and private dollars. It is projected to carry over 70,000 riders a day along its 16 mile alignment, and will connect Metro’s Red, Green, and Orange lines as well as MARC and local bus services. Essentially, it will function as an expansion of the Metro system at much less cost. Some of the economic benefits this transit enhancement will generate include the following:

• According to a 2014 study by the American Public Transportation Association, roughly every $1 billion spent on transit generates $3.7 billion in economic activity. Between 2003 and 2013, the expansion of Dallas’ light rail system generated $7.4 billion in additional activity, in return for the $4.7 billion investment—this represents a ROI of 157%. 

• Increasingly, residents want to locate or live near transit, and this preference is reflected in higher rental rates and land values. Attracting and retaining these younger, professional residents who want to live in urbanizing, transit-oriented neighborhoods is essential to growing our local economy. 

• The Purple Line will bring jobs to Maryland by making this area more competitive in the increasingly challenging market for federal agencies and private employers. For example, Prince George’s and Fairfax Counties are currently vying for the new FBI headquarters, which would bring 11,000 federal jobs to Maryland. 

• The Purple Line will be delivered as a public-private partnership, leveraging between $500-900 million in private funding for the project. Because the project will be financed, designed, built, operated, and maintained privately, this arrangement will allow for cost savings as a result of multiple efficiencies in labor management, materials, and scheduling. The fact that four multinational consortia, each consisting of several major construction and engineering firms, are bidding on the Purple Line is a strong  indication of the project’s strength and viability. 

• The Purple Line will better connect the researchers and students at the University of Maryland with the employers in Silver Spring and Bethesda— two of the state’s major job centers.

As you know, success in real estate and business requires long-term strategic thinking. Accordingly, many of our companies have made significant investments and business decisions in reliance on the expectation that the Purple Line would be built after so many years of intensive, detailed study. Thousands of hours have been spent scrutinizing and debating a variety of transit options and routes, and the plan that is now moving forward has been thoroughly vetted by community groups, developers, businesses, and local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, the four finalists bidding on the Purple Line have spent tens of millions of dollars preparing their proposals in response to the Maryland Transit Administration’s RFP process.

We are eager to work with you to ensure the project is delivered cost-effectively, and that the opportunity for transit-oriented development around the stations is maximized. However, halting this project at the eleventh hour would further undermine business confidence in Maryland—and we know this is exactly the opposite of your intention.

In Northern Virginia, business leaders successfully rallied to help secure the funding and construction of the Silver Line, which will bring enormous economic benefits to Tysons Corner and Reston. The existing road network inside Maryland’s Capital Beltway is essentially “built out,” so even if we wished to expand it significantly we would be unable to do so—which means that our innermost suburbs cannot continue to grow or compete with Virginia unless we expand our transit capacity. We are one state, and the continued prosperity and economic vitality of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties benefit all of Maryland.

We sincerely congratulate you on your victory, and share your goals of improving the state’s business climate, growing our economy, and putting Marylanders to work. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss how the Purple Line can help achieve these goals.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Bozzuto, Chairman and CEO
The Bozzuto Group

Rob Bindeman, President
Landmark Realty, Inc.

Chris Bruch, President and COO
The Donohoe Companies

Desiree A. Callender, President
Prince George’s County Association of REALTORS

Oliver Carr III, CEO
Carr Properties

John F. Collich, Senior Vice President
B.F. Saul Company

Robert O. Eisinger, Managing Member
ProMark Real Estate Services LLC

Thomas M. Farasy, President
Purple Rail Alliance, Inc.

Doug Firstenberg, Principal
StonebridgeCarras

Greg Ford, President
Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS

Georgette Godwin, President and CEO
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Evan Goldman, Vice President
Federal Realty Investment Trust

David Harrington, President and CEO
Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

Lori Graf, Chief Executive Officer
Maryland Building Industry Association

Charles A. Irish, Jr., President
VIKA Maryland, LLC

Ginanne Italiano, President and CEO
The Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce

Rich Jordan, Senior Vice President
The JBG Companies

David Kitchens, Principal
Cooper Carry

Bruce H. Lee, President
Lee Development Group

Sally T. Modjeska, Executive Director
NAIOP Maryland/DC Chapter

Charles K. Nulsen III, President
Washington Property Company

Richard Parsons, Vice Chair
Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance

Jane Redicker, President and CEO
Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce

Thomas L. Regnell, President and CEO
The Chevy Chase Land Company

Stacy Spann, Executive Director
The Housing Opportunities Commission

Bob Youngentob, President
EYA

POLL: Anthony Brown Survey Shows 22 Point Lead in MD Governor's Race // PLUS: Rep. John Sarbanes Endorses Brown

One day before Attorney General Doug Gansler is set to officially announce his campaign for Maryland Governor, rival candidate Anthony Brown has released a double-whammy of press releases. Early today, the Lieutenant Governor's team released internal polling results showing Brown with a 22-point lead over his closest rival. Note that the gubernatorial candidates have not really spent money on major voter outreach, so the race could easily change in a few months (note that Joe Lieberman was leading in presidential polls early in the 2004 race, likely due simply to higher name recognition). Even still, Brown's poll shows that this early in the race, only 31% of voters remain undecided.

In any case, the release of the polling numbers appears to be part of a strategy to rain on Gansler's kickoff, because hours later, Brown's campaign issued a second press release announcing the endorsement of Congressman John Sarbanes. You can see both press releases and a polling memo below:

PRESS RELEASE #1

POLL: Anthony Brown has 22 Point Lead in Race for Democratic Gubernatorial Nomination

September poll shows Lt. Governor Brown backed by 43% of likely primary voters, compared to 21% for Attorney General Gansler and 5% for Delegate Mizeur

Upper Marlboro, MD: A mid-September poll by Garin-Hart-Yang has found that Lt. Governor Anthony Brown takes 43% of the vote in Maryland’s June 2014 gubernatorial primary election, compared to 21% for Attorney General Doug Gansler. 31% of voters remain undecided, while Del. Heather Mizeur receives the support of 5% of voters.

Furthermore, Lt. Governor Brown leads Attorney General Gansler by 22 points in a head to head survey, supported by 46% of voters to Attorney General Gansler’s 24% with 30% undecided.

“With a 22 point lead in the Democratic primary for Governor, the momentum is clearly growing for Anthony Brown,” said Justin Schall, Campaign Manager for Brown Ulman 2014. “The excitement around the Brown Ulman team has been incredible and, while we still have a lot of work to do, we are energized by the broad and diverse support our campaign has received.”

The results show that Lt. Governor Brown has significantly increased his lead in the Democratic primary election since a similar September 2012 poll, expanding from a 14-point lead a year ago to his current 22-point lead in the three-way trial heat. He has similarly expanded his lead from 16 points a year ago to 22 points currently in the two-way trial heat. Lt. Governor Brown also has double-digit leads in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore media markets, while earning strong name recognition, favorability, and supporter intensity marks.

The survey was conducted between September 11 and 15, 2013 by Garin-Hart-Yang, which interviewed a statewide sample of 608 likely Democratic primary voters. The survey has a margin of error of +-4.0 percentage points and is fully representational of a 2014 statewide Democratic primary electorate by key geographic and demographic factors.

Click here to read the polling memo in its entirety.

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Anthony Brown for Maryland Governor Polling Memo - September 2013

PRESS RELEASE #2

Congressman John Sarbanes endorses the Brown Ulman Team

Sarbanes: Brown “is a proven and resourceful leader who will keep Maryland's recovery on track”

Baltimore, MD. - Today Congressman John Sarbanes announced his formal endorsement of Anthony Brown for Governor and Ken Ulman for Lt. Governor. In his endorsement, Sarbanes cited his work with Anthony Brown to implement the Affordable Care Act, and Brown’s commitment to investing in Maryland’s schools and infrastructure as well as his military service in Iraq.

“I am glad to support the Brown/Ulman team in 2014,” said Congressman John Sarbanes, “I have had the pleasure of working with Lieutenant Governor Brown on a variety of initiatives, including the effort to implement health care reform in our state and to ensure that the Baltimore region is maximizing the opportunities presented by BRAC.  He is a proven and resourceful leader who will keep Maryland's recovery on track with investments in infrastructure and education. The Lieutenant Governor's service to our country in the U.S. Armed Forces -- most recently in Iraq -- has set a powerful example of sacrifice and commitment. Ken Ulman and I have had the opportunity to collaborate on a number of health and environmental projects and I believe Ken will draw on his outstanding tenure as Howard County Executive for the benefit of all Marylanders.”

“I'm honored to have the endorsement of Congressman John Sarbanes, one of the hardest working leaders for Maryland's middle class families,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “Together, we've made health care more accessible and affordable, we’ve invested in our roads and schools and we’ve kept Maryland’s economy growing and creating jobs. We’ve made a lot of progress over the last seven years, and I’m looking forward to working with our growing and diverse coalition of supporters to build a better Maryland for more Marylanders.”

With this endorsement, Congressman Sarbanes joins Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, State Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr., Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and more than half of Maryland’s Democratic elected County Executives, Councilmembers and Commissioners who have endorsed Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman.

To see an updated list of all of Anthony Brown’s endorsements, click here.

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JuiceBlender: Hitler's Jewels in MD, Rushern Baker's Son for Delegate, More Syria Response & O'Malley on Saylor's Killing

Below Maryland Juice provides a few news items that may be of interest to Free State politicos:

JUICE #1: SALE OF HITLER'S NAZI JEWELS IN MARYLAND PROMPTS CRITICISM  - During the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah this year, a reader forwarded us news of a controversial sale of Nazi artifacts in Maryland. Jezebel.com provided a quick snapshot of the controversy (excerpt below):

Hitler's ring for sale (Jezebel.com)

JEZEBEL.COM: Raise your hand if you'd be willing to spend almost $110,000 on a super fancy swastika ring made especially for Hitler by a rabid anti-semitic jeweler. None of you should be raising your hands....

Nazi memorabilia enthusiasts (ew) are basically pissing themselves with excitement over this item's availability, because people are into some f*cked up sh*t.

The UK's Daily Mail provided further detail on the sick retail event in Maryland (excerpt below):

DAILY MAIL: A rare Nazi bling-ring once owned by Adolf Hitler is going up for auction in Maryland next week and is expected to fetch at least £70,000.... It is being offered for sale by the Alexander Historical Auctions House in Maryland and comes with documents come with it testifying that it was made for the Fuhrer.

The ring was crafted by the master goldsmith Karl Berthold who was a fanatical Nazi and kicked Jewish craftsmen out of his business in Frankfurt shortly after the regime came to power in 1933 - long before laws forbidding them from working came into place. He wrote to Hitler saying he had fired the "Bolshevik-Jew servants" and was commissioned by a party functionary to make the ring for the Nazi leader....

The Alexander Historical Auctions House is famous for selling Nazi-themed militaria and artefacts. Three years ago it sold the diaries of Auschwitz 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele - the camp doctor who performed terrible medical experiments on inmates - that he kept while on the run in Brazil....

Maryland Juice visited the website for the Chesapeake City, MD-based auction house "Alexander Historical Auctions House" and it appears Hitler's ring is not the only Nazi artifact they are selling. Based on their homepage, they appear to have a specialty in catering to Nazi collectors, which they categorize as items relating to "The Holocaust." Among the items for sale are anti-semitic children's books, and something tells me the potential buyers for these items may not be interested in the "never again" message of the post-Holocaust world. This stuff is sick!  

JUICE #2: PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER'S SON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT 22 HOUSE OF DELEGATES - The Washington Informer recently reported that Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker's son, Rushern Baker IV, launched a campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates on Labor Day (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON INFORMER: [Rushern Baker IV], 25, said he’s a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 22, and he used Greenbelt’s Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept. 2 as his first campaign event to shake hands and make his candidacy known....

Baker is seeking one of the three District 22 House seats in 2014. Currently those seats are occupied by delegates Tawana P. Gaines, Anne Healy and Alonzo T. Washington. All three will be up for re-election with the top three vote-getters taking office....

[Rushern Baker IV is] also the son of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and said he’s been inspired by his father’s leadership, which he called “undeniably beneficial for Prince George’s County.”

JUICE #3: CONGRESSMEN JOHN DELANEY & JOHN SARBANES SHARE THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL BOMBING OF SYRIA - Yesterday Maryland Juice provided a round-up of responses to the potential bombing of Syria from a range of our state's Democratic officials, including Chris Van Hollen, Elijah Cummings, Ben Cardin, Barbara Mikulski and Martin O'Malley. Below you can see additional commentary from Rep. John Sarbanes and Rep. John Delaney. While stumping for a candidate in Iowa (?), Delaney provided his current of state of thinking on intervention in Syria (excerpt below):

SIOUXLAND NEWS: While Representative John Delaney was in town supporting Jim Mowrer, a candidate vying for Iowa's 4th congressional district seat, he also gave a little insight into how the House and Senate are handling the debate over a military strike against Syria....

"I think there's more work to do. I think I need to understand the implications of this action to the American People and to our interests internationally and I want to know what good is going to come from this. I don't think this discussion is actually about Syria anymore. It's about our response to chemical weapons which I think is the right way of framing our discussion because that really is the issue," said Delaney. "Because what's been going on in Syria for the last 18 months or almost two years is terrible and tragic, and we weren't going to do anything so this situation is really not about Syria it's about them violating its international norm that really has been around for 100 years and making sure there's consequences."

Meanwhile, Rep. John Sarbanes released a press release outlining his thoughts on the Syria debate:

JOHN SARBANES: "On August 21, 2013, the Assad regime launched a chemical weapons attack into rebel-held areas of the Damascus suburbs, killing over one thousand people, including hundreds of children. This shocking and abhorrent use of a weapon that the civilized world has long banned demands a forceful and unequivocal response.

"President Obama has asked the Congress to authorize the use of military force in support of a strike against the Assad regime as punishment for this attack. In the coming days, Congress will debate the President's request and I look forward to hearing all competing perspectives and examining any additional information provided by the Administration or other sources. I find persuasive the President's arguments that a strike is warranted in order to give teeth to the international ban on chemical weapons and in order to demonstrate American resolve in the Middle East. However, I share the conviction of many of my colleagues that any strike be limited in time and scope and otherwise designed to minimize the risk of drawing the United States into a broader military engagement. Those are the standards I will use in determining my support for any resolution that members of the House of Representatives are asked to vote upon."

JUICE #4: FAMILY OF ETHAN SAYLOR DELIVERS 340,000 PETITION SIGNATURES TO GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY CALLING FOR ACTION ON FREDERICK POLICE KILLING OF MAN WITH DOWNS SYNDROME - Yesterday the widely-read progressive netroots blog DailyKos.com published an open letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley calling for Maryland to take concrete action on the death of Ethan Saylor in Frederick. Saylor's killing at the hands of off-duty Frederick cops sparked widespread outrage and accusations of a rigged "investigation," prompting 340,000 people to sign a petition calling for immediate action (excerpt below):

DAILYKOS.COM: Dear Governor O'Malley, This morning the family and supporters of Ethan Saylor will deliver over 338,000 signatures to you. They are asking you to do two things. First, call an independent investigation of the death of Ethan Saylor. Second, standardize training for police in how to handle situations like this in the future....

I assume your staff has read the 98-page report on Saylor's death produced by the Frederick County Sheriff and pronounced it sufficient. I disagree.... These officers decided to initiate contact. Why? Did they understand what they were doing?....

We're looking for justice here....  On that petition, hundreds of thousands of people have signed on, and your response will be, for many, their first interaction with you as a leader. Some are in Maryland, but this issue has gone national. If you want to be my president, if you want my vote in a Democratic primary, you will say yes. Whatever your decision, I'll be watching and waiting. And writing....

The Washington Post yesterday reported on O'Malley's response to the effort, noting that he is promising to create a plan on the training of police but is unsure about whether to launch an investigation (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is preparing to issue a plan related to the training of law-enforcement officers and first responders when interacting with people with disabilities, aides confirmed Thursday....

Family members presented the governor with three boxes full of petitions which they said contained more than 340,000 signatures from people across the country asking O’Malley to launch an independent investigation into Saylor’s death. The 26-year-old died in January as three Frederick County deputies sought to remove him from the movie theater.

Upon emerging from the late-morning meeting in the State House, Patti Saylor told reporters that O’Malley was going to continue to think about an investigation into her son’s death....

The chief medical examiner’s office in Baltimore ruled Saylor’s death a homicide as a result of asphyxia, but a Frederick County grand jury determined in March that no charges were warranted against the deputies. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the civil rights of Saylor were violated.... Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), who is running for governor next year, has been among those calling for an independent investigation....

MD U.S. House Members Respond to Survey on Deportations // Only 1 Congressman Speaking Out To End It Now - Guess Who!

Below Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky presents the results of a fascinating poll he conducted of our state's Democratic members of the U.S. House: Elijah Cummings, John Delaney, Donna Edwards, Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Chris Van Hollen. Furmansky previously called on Maryland's U.S. House Democrats to help end the Obama administration's record-setting number of immigrant deportations. Today, he presents a follow-up article with commentary from a range of Maryland's Democratic Congressman, but only one agreed to sign a letter to President Obama calling for a suspension of further deportations of those who would be eligible for deferred action under proposed immigration reform legislation. Guess who the one Maryland Democrat is to speak out clearly on this issue? The answer is within Dan Furmansky's article below. In the meantime, I'll remind you of some of the key facts Furmansky raised in his previous article on mass deportations:

• The United States is now deporting people at a faster rate than at any time in our modern history — an estimated 1,100 people per day. 

• According to data obtained by the news website Colorlines, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported nearly 205,000 parents of U.S. citizen children from July 1, 2010 to Sept. 31, 2012.

• A report from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute released earlier this year found that the United States spent more money on immigration enforcement — nearly $18 billion in the 2012 fiscal year — than on all of its other law enforcement agencies combined.  

• More than 410,000 undocumented workers were deported last year, an all-time high.

• The government spends about 15 times more on immigration enforcement than it did in the mid-1980s, adjusted for inflation, the report found. 

DAN FURMANSKY: A few weeks ago, I urged Maryland’s congressional delegation to call for a change in the terms of the immigration reform debate by asking the President — also known as the “Deporter in Chief” in some circles — to use his power to halt all deportations. There are a host of reasons why this is a good idea, and this is the right time to put such an idea into action. In case you missed it, here is more of the logic and background on the President’s zeal for deportations:

BACKGROUND: Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva and Rep. Yvette Clarke are circulating to their Congressional colleagues a sign-on letter to President Obama, urging him to suspend any further deportations and expand the successful deferred action program to all those who would be potential citizens under immigration reform.

I reached out to our state’s congressional offices about the letter and heard back from most of them. Unfortunately, despite repeated outreach, there was radio silence from Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, aka the man who still can’t decide if he is running for Governor, and a couple others. Also, I confess I got a little lazy and didn’t bother to reach out to Rep. Andy Harris’ office but — really — can you blame me?

Only one member of our Congressional delegation stated that at this point they would sign the letter to President Obama and urge a halt to all deportations now. And who, you ask, possesses the most willingness to publicly stand up against the repressive policies that are tearing apart immigrant families? Congressman John Delaney.

My fellow Juicer, aka Mr. Maryland Juice himself, was recently critical of Rep. Delaney for taking a right turn on some issues. So it’s particularly refreshing to see that Rep. Delaney is willing to step out on this important issue. Congressmen Delaney: Thank You.  Here’s the statement the Congressman’s office released when they notified us of intent to sign the letter calling for a halt to President Obama's mass deportation practices:

JOHN DELANEY: Last year, deportations of undocumented workers reached an all-time high.  I’m proud to join my colleagues in writing President Obama encouraging him to support common-sense use of selective enforcement of deportation to prioritize those who commit crimes and pose a public safety risk.  At the same time, I encourage the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Senate and come together in a bipartisan manner to implement comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented workers.

Unfortunately, for the time being, at least, our other Democratic members of Congress from Maryland are banking on movement from Republican House leadership, which I fear may be like Waiting for Godot.  Here are some statements from other Maryland Democrats (Note: We did not receive official statements from Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards by press time):

Office of Congressman Hoyer: Mr. Hoyer strongly supports President Obama's decision to defer deportation action against DREAMers and remains hopeful that Congress will address our broken immigration system by taking a comprehensive approach that will secure our borders while establishing a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, their families, and all law-abiding, undocumented individuals. He believes the House should take up comprehensive legislation, such as the bipartisan Senate bill, as soon as possible and is confident the Obama administration will fairly enforce existing law until Congress takes comprehensive action to fix our broken system.

Office of Congressman Sarbanes: Congressman Sarbanes looks forward to connecting with his colleagues on efforts to ensure that the United States implements a rational and humane deportation policy, particularly as we anticipate passage of comprehensive immigration reform. Congressman Sarbanes believes such reform must include a pathway to citizenship that keeps families together and in other key respects is fair and respectful of our nation's values and traditions.

Office of Congressman Van Hollen: The President’s deferred action for DREAMers has been a resounding success and Congressman Van Hollen remains committed to passing immigration reform to provide a pathway to citizenship for those DREAMers, their families, and other undocumented individuals.  His focus is on convincing House Republicans to stop obstructing the will of the people and permanently fix our broken immigration system. The Congressman is confident the Obama Administration will enforce the existing law in a fair and appropriate way.”

Unfortunately, the President is not enforcing existing law in a fair and appropriate way. Every day, families are being ripped apart. Children are being kept from their parents who are kept in detention, sometimes to the benefit of the private prison industry. And there are estimates that 30,000 people were deported in August alone. Here is just one example of a case that highlights the injustice:

MARYLAND CASE STUDY // A FATHER FACING DEPORTATION FOR A YOUTHFUL PRANK MANY YEARS AGO? - A Maryland of father of two — Manny Shoemaker — is being kept from his wife and two children (who are U.S. citizens) in a Worcester County Detention Center. Manny is the primary breadwinner for the family and covers them on his health insurance. This man has been in this country since he was 4-years-old, and has been a legal permanent resident since then. But Manny apparently committed a “crime of moral turpitude” as a youngster. He tried to steal a golf cart from a local golf course with a group of friends. His U.S. citizen friends got off with probation, while he served 6 months in jail. Now, years and years later, he is languishing in detention, which makes zero sense. You can learn more about Manny Shoemaker's case and join me in signing a petition on his behalf here.

Signing these petitions, incidentally, is crucially important when it comes to immigration cases like this. In fact, in many cases, community attention is the only thing that successfully defers deportation in these situations and keeps a parent with his or her children. Sadly, this case is hardly unique. It’s but one, sad example among millions.

In addition to the glaringly cruel deportation policy that taints this country every day — a policy that the President has the power to change — it is entirely unclear that movement is possible in the House on the bill passed by the Senate. According to the AP, voices opposed to immigration have been muted during this August recess, with some Republican Party activists claiming the focal point of energies have been trained on opposing the Affordable Care Act, not immigration reform. Pro-reform advocates claim they have turned some Republican members during this congressional recess. According to the AP, whether this adds up to the House taking up the Senate-passed bill is iffy at best (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS: GOP House leaders have rejected that approach, vowing instead to proceed with bills addressing individual immigration issues, beginning with border security. And although by advocates' count more than 20 House Republicans have now declared their support for some kind of citizenship path, the majority of House Republicans remain opposed, creating a potentially unbridgeable divide between the House and the Senate. Congress also faces looming deadlines on the debt ceiling and spending bills to keep the government running. It all adds up to a tough environment for getting an immigration bill to Obama's desk. 

Nonetheless, pro-immigrant advocates are claiming success in their August recess efforts to pressure House Republicans to act on immigration in the fall. An unusual and deep-pocketed alliance of Catholics and evangelicals, labor unions, business groups and others have been targeting dozens of GOP members viewed as open to hearing them out, and say they'll have momentum on their side when Congress reconvenes. 

"The big story I think of the August recess is that we haven't seen what some had predicted, this major anti-immigrant movement where members of Congress would be heckled into inaction," Galen Carey, vice president of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, said on a media call this week to announce a $400,000, 14-state radio ad campaign in support of immigration reform. "We've seen very much that that has been a muted voice, but actually the pro-immigrant voice has been rather prominent at many of the town halls that we have observed."

Unfortunately, other signs aren’t sign promising. House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) told a radio host that he opposes a path to citizenship even for young documented people brought to the United States as children. And The Hill reports that even Rep. Luis Guitierrez is feeling despondent (excerpt below):

THE HILL: The veteran Democrat is known as one of the Capitol’s eternal optimists, but as he chats with reporters before a rally in a Republican district, he is struggling to chart a path to final passage for comprehensive immigration reform, the issue he has championed for two decades in the House. “I was hopeful we would be in a better place today,” [Rep. Luis] Gutierrez (D-Ill.) conceded.

I’m not saying we should give up on passing comprehensive immigration reform. Hardly. I am saying that while the Senate bill languishes (a Senate bill that already possesses laboriously long waiting periods for immigrants to obtain citizenship) and the Republicans continue to drag their feet on crafting their own likely-Draconian proposal, the President can take the same bold action he took one year ago via executive order and at the same time dramatically propel the conversation forward....

Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, often says it best:

PABLO ALVARADO: Anyone who thinks the President should suspend deportations as a "Plan B" is missing the point.  The President should make a suspension of deportations and an expansion of deferred action part of a "Plan A" precisely to help move a bill forward in Congress.  His decision to grant deferred action to childhood arrivals (DACA) showed that we can make incremental progress and galvanize momentum for an omnibus bill at the same time.  But it also begged the question:  Why isn't the President doing more?

In a quote being spread widely, GOP Senator Marco Rubio said that Obama could issue “an executive order as he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago, where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen,” and doing so doesn’t require the intolerable compromises we’ve seen in Congress.  Rubio goes on to say, “We won’t get any E-Verify. We won’t get any border security. But he’ll legalize them.”

The precise action being discussed here makes Republicans very nervous. Let’s use that, shall we? And at the same time, we can put into practice the compassion we tout as Democrats committed to making life better for all families.

- Dan  Furmansky

P.S. You can read the full letter from Representatives Grijalva and Clarke to President Obama below:

Letter to Obama from Rep's Raul Grijalva & Yvette Clarke Calling for End to Mass Deportation

ROLL CALL: See How MD House Members Voted on NSA Mass Surveillance // HINT: Vote Edwards or Sarbanes for US Senate?

BACKGROUND: Yesterday Maryland Juice reported that in response to revelations that our government was engaging in constitutionally questionable mass surveillance of Americans, the U.S. House of Representatives would be voting on a proposal to end funding for the NSA's warehousing of your communications. For years Democrats berated President George W. Bush and his minions (Dick Cheney and John Ashcroft) over their post-9/11 war on civil liberties and the Constitution. But for years now, we've watched as the Democrats took power and used their status to continue and expand Bush's assault on our privacy and liberty.

Yesterday the nation got a chance to see who among the hundreds of members of the U.S. House would actually be willing to take a vote to restore due process. Unfortunately, the effort to protect civil liberties came breathtakingly close but fell short by a handful of votes in a 205 to 217 vote.

Maryland's eight U.S. House members split 50/50 on protecting due process and your privacy, and a switch of only seven votes would've changed the outcome in favor of the people. Below we highlight how the Free State's Congressional delegation voted on the effort to end the NSA's mass surveillance program, and we provide some political context for the pathetic anti-civil liberties votes from four of our U.S. House members. But first, The New York Times reported on the broad context of the anti-surveillance effort (excerpt below):

NEW YORK TIMES: A deeply divided House defeated legislation Wednesday that would have blocked the National Security Agency from collecting vast amounts of phone records, handing the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown over the N.S.A.’s surveillance activities since Edward J. Snowden’s security breaches last month.

The 205-to-217 vote was far closer than expected and came after a brief but impassioned debate over citizens’ right to privacy and the steps the government must take to protect national security. It was a rare instance in which a classified intelligence program was openly discussed on the House floor, and disagreements over the  program led to some unusual coalitions....

The amendment to the annual Defense Department spending bill, written by Representatives Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican from Western Michigan, and John Conyers Jr., a veteran liberal Democrat from Detroit, turned Democrat against Democrat and Republican against Republican. It would have limited N.S.A. phone surveillance to specific targets of law enforcement investigations, not broad dragnets....

Mr. Amash framed his push as a defense of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure, and he found a surprising ally, Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin and one of the principal authors of the Patriot Act. Mr. Sensenbrenner said his handiwork was never meant to create a program that allows the government to demand the phone records of every American. “The time has come to stop it,” Mr. Sensenbrenner said....

Ultimately, 94 House Republicans defied their leadership; 111 Democrats — a majority of the Democratic caucus — defied their president....

HOW DID MARYLAND'S U.S. HOUSE MEMBERS VOTE?- Though a majority of U.S. House Democrats voted to curb the NSA's sketchy mass surveillance program, a majority of Maryland's U.S. House Democrats voted to continue the erosion of their constituents' privacy rights and civil liberties. See the Maryland roll call below:

VOTED TO END SURVEILLANCE OF MARYLANDERS (GOOD VOTE)

• Rep. Elijah Cummings - CD7 Democrat
• Rep. Donna Edwards - CD4 Democrat
• Rep. Andy Harris - CD1 Republican
• Rep. John Sarbanes - CD3 Democrat

VOTED TO CONTINUE SURVEILLANCE OF MARYLANDERS (EVIL VOTE)

• Rep. John Delaney - CD6 Democrat
• Rep. Steny Hoyer - CD5 Democrat
• Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger - CD2 Democrat
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen - CD8 Democrat

SHADINESS FROM MARYLAND'S HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO SUPPORT NSA SPYING - Four Maryland Democratic House members voted to continue funding the NSA's mass surveillance program, joining a majority of Republicans, including policymakers like Michele Bachmann, John Boehner, and Eric Cantor. Let's explore the anti-civil liberties votes (and some hypocrisy) from a few of Maryland's Democrats below:

#1 - REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER: Ruppersberger's vote to continue funding the NSA's mass surveillance program should not come as a surprise to anybody. The NSA, after all, is headquartered in his district, and Dutch co-authored the controversial CISPA cybersnooping proposal which failed earlier this year (ironically with the backdrop of a White House veto threat that cited the privacy rights of individuals). But it is worth noting the numerous reports that Rep. Ruppersberger is one of the top recipients of contributions from the same Pentagon contractors who are doing much of the spying. The Washington Times reiterated this point last month (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON TIMES: Six of the largest government contractors doing “Top Secret” work for the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies have given more than $16 million to lawmakers since 2007, according to Maplight, a firm that tracks political donations.   

The biggest donors were Lockheed Martin, whose employees gave over $5 million; Boeing, Inc. whose workers chipped in more than $4.5 million; and Northrop Grumman, $3.3 million....

Democratic Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, whose Maryland district includes the Fort Meade headquarters of the NSA, and who is the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, received the second most in contributions, with just over $225,000....

#2 - REP. STENY HOYER: Steny Hoyer's vote to continue the mass surveillance of Americans is also not a shocker. Hoyer previously voted for the Patriot Act twice. Moreover, in past months, Hoyer was running around the country endorsing centrist/conservative Democrats in contested Democratic Primaries, presumably in the hope of finding allies in his quest to succeed Nancy Pelosi. But even more disturbing than Hoyer's positioning against progressives is his seeming use of the Patriot Act and government surveillance as political tools. For example, Maryland Juice located a 2005 press release from Mr. Hoyer where he hypocritically chastised Republicans over their use of the Patriot Act, before voting for it multiple times. Interestingly, the press release appears to have been removed from Hoyer's website, though I was able to track down a backed up copy (excerpt below):

STENY HOYER (CIRCA 2005):  House Republicans Abdicate Oversight on Patriot Act

Today, on this House floor, the American people will see no division in our willingness to do what is necessary to fight terrorism. What they will see today, however, is an absolute abuse of power by this Republican Majority – which has deliberately and purposely chosen to stifle a full debate on this important legislation, the Patriot Act.

This Republican rule is nothing less than a craven failure of our Congressional oversight responsibility on legislation that involves the government’s power to intrude on American lives. Every single year, Mr. Speaker, this Congress reauthorizes Department of Defense programs.  This reauthorization process allows us to assess, to re-examine and to re-calibrate our defense policies to the changing circumstances.

Today, however, we are being forced by this Republican Majority to permanently authorize 14 of 16 provisions of the Patriot Act.  And, we are being forced to extend the remaining two provisions – one that involves “roving” wiretaps; the other dealing with the FBI’s power to demand business records – for 10 years.

Democrats fought to sunset these provisions.  Why?  Because when it comes to the government’s power to intrude on the private lives of American citizens, the United States Congress should not be a participant in giving the government unchecked power to do so.  But our Republican friends seem to be afraid of a free, full debate on this issue.  Why are they so afraid of our democratic process?....

This Republican rule is an affront not only to Democrats – but to the American people and to our constitutional principles. And, history will record it as such.  Vote no on this rule.

#3 - REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Van Hollen is actually my own representative in Congress, so his vote to continue supporting the mass surveillance of Americans (including me) is very, very disappointing. Many of us expect a solid progressive voting record from Rep. Van Hollen, especially considering that his district is anchored in liberal Montgomery County. But the vote to continue eroding civil liberties and due process for Van Hollen's constituents appears to be the latest in a small string of support for the military industrial complex from someone who is often seen as Montgomery County's "golden boy."

In March of 2011, Van Hollen voted against winding down the war in Afghanistan (note that Rep. Donna Edwards was the only House member from Maryland to vote to end the war). Then in October of 2011, the Montgomery County Council introduced a completely symbolic resolution asking Congress to spend more money on social programs instead of war. The resolution had enough sponsors to pass, but strangely The Washington Post reported that it was withdrawn after lobbying by Lockheed Martin and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A Montgomery County Council resolution asking Congress to spend less on wars and redirect the funds to social programs has drawn the scrutiny of one of the county’s largest employers and other lawmakers.... The nonbinding resolution, introduced by County Council President Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), had gained a 5 to 4 majority on the council and was scheduled for a vote Tuesday.

But late last week, lawmakers and Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, a defense contracting giant that employs more than 5,000 workers in Montgomery, urged county officials against the resolution. Ervin has withdrawn the measure, citing lack of support.

Council members and county officials were called by one of Lockheed Martin’s top lobbyists, a state delegate, and the offices of County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D)....

Going back to the topic of the Patriot Act, it should be highlighted that like Steny Hoyer, Van Hollen sang a different tune in 2005. Check out his hilariously contradictory past statements about the Patriot Act (excerpt below):

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (CIRCA 2005): Mr. Chairman, I rise to explain my decision to vote against the Conference Report on the Patriot Act.... It is very important that, in our effort to defend the liberties that Americans cherish, we not enact measures that erode the very freedoms we seek to protect. We can ensure that the government has the necessary surveillance powers without sacrificing the privacy rights of Americans....

Unlike the Senate bill, the Conference Report allows the government to obtain personal information on a mere showing of “relevance,” thereby striking the safeguard contained in the Senate passed bill that required a three-part test.  This allows the government to obtain this information without demonstrating that the information that they are seeking has some connection to a terrorist or a spy....

It is important that any policy that is advanced to enhance our nation’s security always maintains appropriate “sunshine” and checks and balances on those law enforcement and intelligence agencies that are empowered to promote national security.  History reminds us that these law enforcement tools can be overzealously used and may also be directed at innocent parties....

#4 - REP. JOHN DELANEY: There's not much to say about John Delaney's vote to support the mass surveillance of his constituents. As a freshman lawmaker with no legislative record, politicos had little information available to try and predict how Delaney might vote in Congress. But I guess we're beginning to get a sense of him, and if this vote is any indication, it does not appear that Delaney prioritizes civil liberties or due process. This morning, however, I did receive the following press statement from Delaney's office "explaining" his vote:

JOHN DELANEY: In considering the Amash amendment, I do not believe that it represents the best approach to this critical national security topic. Oversight and smart reform deserve full deliberation and consideration. Unfortunately, this was a hurried debate on truly sweeping changes, via an amendment to the defense appropriations bill. Such an approach does not do justice to the seriousness of the issue, for either side.

The surveillance programs administered by the NSA and other agencies raise serious and troubling constitutional questions that need to be resolved. With new technologies emerging each day, we need to continually revisit our government practices. Our system of government has checks in place and Congress has an important oversight role. We should continue to be vigilant, ensuring that our constitutional rights are protected and I hope we have a serious debate about the future of this program. 

Basically it sounds like Delaney did not have enough time to think about whether the gutting of the 4th amendment and mass surveillance of his constituents was kosher. Um, okay. It was also reported this week that he stands to earn $69 million from the sale of his company, so maybe he's banking on being able to vote however he wants.


A HYPOTHETICAL OPEN SEAT PRIMARY FOR U.S. SENATE? -  So there you have it folks -- only four of Maryland's eight U.S. House members voted to curb the mass surveillance of their constituents, and one of the four "good" votes even came from Tea Party Rep. Andy Harris. Where does that leave progressives in the event that a U.S. Senate seat opens up down the road? At this point in time it seems like most of Maryland's congressional delegation would be interested in a promotion to the U.S. Senate, but there seem to be dwindling choices for those of us who are tired of the "inside" game when it comes to issues of justice and liberty. If the election were held today, based on the trajectory of these voting records, Maryland Juice would be forced to take a close look at Rep. Donna Edwards and Rep. John Sarbanes. I hate to say it, but a lot of other folks in our delegation are looking kind of suspect right now.... You can attribute this partly to their ambition, partly to their unwillingness to buck leadership, and partly to their feelings of invincibility in their current positions (*eye roll*).  But as one of my friends used to enjoy stating, "nobody's irreplaceable." And you can bet that if a U.S. Senate seat eventually emerges, Maryland's progressive primary electorate will be able to quickly rule out some of the potential options. But there's still time for these wayward lawmakers to make it right!


ANGRY TWEETS AGAINST THE FOUR MARYLAND DEMOCRATS WHO SUPPORTED MASS SURVEILLANCE - Maryland Juice is not the only one who is extremely irate about the assault on civil liberties from Congress. After the NSA vote, we saw a number of angry Tweets being directed at Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. John Delaney and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (samples below):

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR A CIVICS LESSON? - Amazingly, a wide range of telephone and Internet companies decided to give the NSA access to your user data (eg: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Skype, YouTube, etc). That is a situation that will need to be addressed by consumers very soon. But even more disturbing than the corporate misbehavior is that a large chunk of Congress (aka our representatives) apparently need a civics refresher course. After all, Maryland Juice would argue that this NSA surveillance vote was no ordinary vote. Whether the U.S. government can snoop without justification on the communications of millions of innocent Americans raises fundamental questions about due process, civil liberties, and abuse of power -- and more importantly, the issue begs the question of where these lawmakers draw the line when acting in the name of our safety. The slippery slope we all feared when Bush implemented the Patriot Act has become all too real, and Congress continues to let it happen. Enough already!

League of Conservation Voters Rates Maryland U.S. House Members // Rep. Sarbanes & Edwards #1 for Environment

The environmental advocates at the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) have released their annual scorecard for members of Congress on the environment. Below we show how Maryland's U.S. House delegation stacks up, including information on what bills led to their ratings. We didn't bother to write about Senators Ben Cardin & Barbara Mikulski, given that both had a 100% LCV rating in 2012. Here's a quick snapshot of Maryland's U.S. House members:

2012 LCV Rankings

1. Rep. Donna Edwards & Rep. John Sarbanes - 97%
2. Rep. Steny Hoyer & Chris Van Hollen - 91%
3. Rep. Elijah Cummings - 89% 
4. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger - 71% 
5. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett - 26%
6. Rep. Andy Harris - 16%   

Lifetime LCV Rankings 

1. Rep. Chris Van Hollen - 98%
2. Rep. Donna Edwards - 97%
3. Rep. John Sarbanes - 96%
4. Rep. Elijah Cummings - 94%
5. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger - 83%
6. Rep. Steny Hoyer - 80% 
7. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett - 20%
8. Rep. Andy Harris - 7% 

To come up with these ratings, LCV monitored votes on a range of issues. You can read the full LCV issue summaries below. But first, Maryland Juice highlights the environmental bills that our Congressional Democrats did not support. The numbers next to each issue correspond to the explanations in LCV document below.

Democratic Votes Against LCV Environmental Position:

Rep. Elijah Cummings (Good on 31/35 Issues):

• Bad Votes: (5) Freeway in St. Croix, (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare 
  
• Absent: (15) Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline, (21) Broad Assault on Federal Land & Wildlife

Rep. Donna Edwards (Good on 34/35 Issues):  

• Bad Votes: (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare

Rep. Steny Hoyer (Good on 32/35 Issues):

• Bad Votes: (5) Freeway in St. Croix, (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare, (19) Nuclear Energy Corporate Welfare

 
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (Good on 25/35 Issues):

• Bad Votes: (1) Oil Shale Exploration on Public Land, (5) Freeway in St. Croix, (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare, (19) Nuclear Energy Corporate Welfare
• Absent: (32) Climate Science Denial, (33) Clean Water Safeguards, (34) Smog & Air Pollution, (35) Broad Environmental Assault

Rep. John Sarbanes (Good on 34/35 Issues):  

• Bad Votes: (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare 

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Good on 32/35 Issues):  

• Bad Votes: (5) Freeway in St. Croix, (18) Fossil Fuel Corporate Welfare, (19) Nuclear Energy Corporate Welfare

Last year, Maryland's two Republican Congressmen (Roscoe Bartlett & Andy Harris) voted against most of the environmental protection bills in Congress. As a result, rather than highlight their bad votes, below we flag the good votes that the two GOP officials made. Again, the numbers next to each issue correspond to the explanations in LCV document below.
 

Republican Votes FOR LCV Environmental Position:

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (Good on 9/35 Issues):  

• Good Votes: (2) Offshore Drilling Corporate Welfare, (13) Climate Change Education, (14) Flood Insurance Reform, (17) Renewable Energy Funding, (21) Broad Assault on Federal Land & Wildlife, (23) Clean Air Standards, (25) Migratory Bird Protections, (30) Land Conservation Funding, (31) Minnesota Land Swap

Rep. Andy Harris (Good on 2/35 Issues):  

• Good Votes: (14) Flood Insurance Reform, (30) Land Conservation Funding

LCV House Ratings - Issue Summaries 2012