Former Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced this morning on the Fox and Friends program on Fox News that he was endorsing Marco Rubio as the Republican nominee for President, noting that while others merely wanted to repeal Obamacare, Senator Rubio has already acted to save taxpayers $2.5 million in parts of Obamacare.
Thanksgiving was a tradition in New England from the very beginning celebrating the feast often popularly described with the new arrived Pilgrims and Native Americans. However, its national adoption has been much more recent. It was first made national by our first President, George Washington by Presidential Proclamation in 1789. The Proclamation reads as follows:
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go. Washington
May you and yours enjoy a wonderful day together and remember the purpose of this day, which is to give thanks for the many blessings we have been afforded as Americans.
47 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to pause the Syrian Refugee Program and establish new standards for review of participants in the program. Of course, the bill faces a more difficult challenge in the Senate. Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged to block the bill in the Senate. Of course President Obama has already promised to veto the bill.
The strength of the vote demonstrates there is a growing sense of the President’s weakness within his own party and is a serious blow to the President’s – and Hillary Clinton’s – attempts to paste Republicans as “uncaring” or lacking compassion. It is also in line with polling that shows that a clear majority of Americans are opposed to resettling more Syrian refugees in the United States.