Congressman Ron DeSantis was one of the more outspoken Republicans critical of the Obama administration in what was a busy week in the nation's capital.
WASHINGTON DC -- This week, it was revealed that the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny, the Department of Justice had seized phone records of the Associated Press, and that the administration is apparently unaware of the actions their own agencies are taking.
This is in addition to the fact that serious and troubling questions regarding the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi still remain.
On Saturday, I joined Tucker Carlson on Fox And Friends to discuss last week's Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the terror attacks in Benghazi.
We need to know who issued the stand down order that prevented our military from potentially rescuing American lives.
Photo for Headline Surfer / Congressman Ron DeSantis, R-St. Augustine, shown at far right, listens to Attorney General Eric Holder testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on the seizure of AP phone records, the IRS targeting of conservative groups, Fast and Furious, and the terror attack in Benghazi.
I will continue working with my colleagues to learn the answers to this important question. On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee. You can watch a video of my questioning here.
My questions of the attorney general focused on the following three issues:
1. The Attorney General’s testimony regarding the AP leak story was completely insufficient. Although this was by his own admission the most significant leak case in 40 years and something that put the American people “at risk,” Holder does not remember when he recused himself, has no record of recusing himself, and never told his superior that he recused himself in a matter of national security.
2. The President and Press Secretary are wrong to refer to the IRS as an “independent agency.”
The IRS is an executive branch agency whose head is appointed by the President and who reports to the Secretary of the Treasury. Indeed, the IRS Commissioner can, by statute, be removed from office at the will of the President. Holder would not concede that the IRS is an executive branch agency. An independent agency exists outside the executive branch and its head is not subject to presidential control. This is important because the IRS must ultimately be held accountable by the President himself.
3. The pursuit of justice against those who committed the terrorist attacks in Benghazi on 9-11-12 needs to be detailed. Nobody has yet been brought to justice and it is not clear to me whether the administration is treating this as a law enforcement matter or a military matter.
It seems to me that those jihadists are unlawful, alien enemy combatants, not common criminals who should be tried in U.S. courts. No single piece of legislation rests so squarely on a foundation of broken promises as ObamaCare.
That is why this week I joined 228 of my colleagues and voted to repeal ObamaCare.
The full and complete repeal of ObamaCare is one of the most critical issues of our time. The law's budgetary costs are prohibitive, its bureaucracy is vast and unaccountable, and it harms Medicare recipients, jeopardizes the health plans of millions of Americans, and causes insurance costs to soar.
The full and complete repeal of ObamaCare is one of the most critical issues of our time. The law's budgetary costs are prohibitive, its bureaucracy is vast and unaccountable, and it harms Medicare recipients, jeopardizes the health plans of millions of Americans, and causes insurance costs to soar.
The sordid history of the law's legislative genesis has been matched by the calamitous nature of the law's implementation.
That the law requires enforcement by the IRS, an admitted rogue agency, is further testament for the need to start anew. As the law's chief author, Senator Max Baucus, recently admitted, the law is a train wreck.
This train wreck will continue to do harm if Congress fails to short circuit it as soon as possible. Congress should replace ObamaCare with policies designed to strengthen Medicare, facilitate consumer choice, reduce costs, and allow the doctor-patient relationship to flourish.
Lastly, I recently shared with you that the Senate had passed an internet sales tax bill.
This legislation is bad for consumers, unfair to small businesses, and sets a dangerous precedent for allowing states to tax individuals and businesses beyond their borders.
Internet tax special order: Taxation without representation
On Wednesday, I took to the House of Representatives floor with Congressman Thomas Massie and Congressman Steve Daines to express my objection to the internet sales tax.