What Will Come Next?

As you can imagine, within the past few weeks a lot has been going on in Congress and with me. I will try to summarize as best I can and cover as much as I can. I hope you guys enjoy.

Well, I will go on ahead and talk about the most pressing thing, the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare. In a 5-4 decision, the nation’s highest court declared the individual health insurance mandate constitutional, upholding the central provision of President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. I must admit I am disappointed the Court upheld the view that the federal government can tax you if you don't buy government- approved health care. I respect the Supreme Court, but the vast numbers of American citizens do not want, and do not need, a bureaucrat from Washington interfering in their doctor-patient relationships. That is not an inappropriate role for the federal government. The massive 2,000-page bill dictating health care for over 300 million Americans, written behind closed doors by fewer than a dozen people, remains the number one impediment to the creation of new jobs that would help our economy recover. However, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced that the House of Representatives would vote to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act after the Supreme Court issued its decision to uphold the law. The actual vote will not take place until tomorrow, with the debate taking place today.

Additionally, the House voted to Hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress as well as prepared to open a legal battle that could test the presidential and lawmakers’ constitutional powers. The 255-67 vote came at the end of a House debate, with Republicans turning aside Democratic maneuvers to avert the first-ever contempt against a sitting cabinet member. For those of you who don’t know, the dispute centers on Justice Department documents sought by Republican lawmakers investigating a bungled gun-trafficking operation called Fast and Furious. Mr. Holder has refused to provide documents that reflect how the department reacted last year to lawmakers' questions about the operation. This has led many to believe there is a cover up within the Administration.

On a lighter note, many of you already know that I have accepted the Field Representative position with the College Republican National Committee for the 2012 Election Year. As far as details go on my placement, all I know as of now is that I will be placed in Western half of the country. The states that are a possibility as of now are California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. I had personally requested California, New Mexico, or Washington. I won’t know my state until August, so I will keep all of you guys posted.

I would also like to take the time to thank the Republican Women of Indian River County for presenting to me the Leadership Award for 2012. It is needless to say that I was completely shocked when I got the phone call, but was overwhelmed with gratitude. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to the meeting yesterday, but I had my parents go in my place to accept the award. I would like to take the time to thank each of the members for this amazing award. I cannot tell you how much it means to me.

Hope you guys are having a great summer. Let me know if anyone has any thoughts, comments, or questions and I will get to them as soon as I can!

God Bless,

Wesley Davis

Opportunities

As all of you can imagine these past couple weeks have been very exciting in many different ways. I will go on ahead and talk about what many of you are wondering about, my new job with the College Republicans National Committee (CRNC). As of last week I was offered a job with the CRNC as a Field Operative starting this fall. After the interview I had to make the decision as to whether I would be willing to take a semester off of school in order to take this position that was offered to me that would be an opportunity of a lifetime. After much deliberation, and speaking with parents, friends, and colleagues in Washington I have decided to take it! Basically a field operative gets to recruit, train, mobilize and engage college students in support of Republican candidates, policies and principles. Specific tasks include recruiting on college campuses, signing up volunteers, and organizing College Republican phone banks and neighborhood walk operations designed to identify Republican voters and get them to the polls on Election Day. I will be sent to one highly competitive battleground state where young Republican voters will make a real difference for GOP candidates. I will be assigned one region of one state. I will not be assigned my state until August, but as details come out I will be sure to notify you following my blog posts.

                As far as Washington goes there has been quite a lot going on. First thing on the list is the House is expected Thursday to vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to hand over thousands of pages of internal Justice Department documents detailing why federal officials allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. The Fast and Furious-Scandal has been simmering for months, but it boiled over last week when a House committee voted to hold Holder in contempt of Congress despite an administration claim of executive privilege. If the House approves the measure, it will be the first time in U.S. history that one of the chambers has voted to hold a sitting attorney general in contempt.
                As of today the Supreme Court ruled largely in favor of the federal government Monday in a case involving Arizona's immigration law, but it upheld the most controversial provision involving police checks on people's immigration status while enforcing other laws. The decision rippled across the political landscape in a presidential election year. The court's 5-3 ruling struck down key parts of the Arizona law. However, the Supreme Court will rule Thursday on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. In my personal opinion the stakes cannot be overstated, what the justices decide will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, but also in areas of commerce.

                Also as a side note, I will be coming home for the week of the 4^th of July. I will get a chance to spend time with my much missed family and friends. I am also looking forward to volunteering with the festivities going on in Sebastian for the 4^th.

                Recently I had the chance to spend the day at Arlington National Cemetery. Typically when I go it’s usually timed and everything is rushed. But when you have a whole day to spend there and to take it all in, it is truly an amazing experience. Some of my favorite points of it were the Space Shuttle Memorials, the Flame of John F. Kennedy, and the obvious changing of the guard.

                I know that there is a lot going on in our nation’s capitol and some of it I didn’t hit on, but if there is anything in particular you want to hear my opinion of just comment below. Or if you just have random comments or questions I welcome those too. Hope everyone is staying safe and indoors from the tropical storms, definitely something I don’t miss. Can’t wait to see everyone next week!

God Bless,

Wesley Davis

Something New Everyday

Once again Washington D.C. has ceased to surprise me. Since my last post quite a few things have taken place here in our nation’s capitol.

Memorial Day was most definitely something that I will never forget. During the day, I was fortunate enough to visit some of the memorials. For those of you that have seen the magnitude of these memorials, it’s definitely incomparable when you visit them on during Memorial Day. The Vietnam Memorial was one of the most emotional; families were all there paying their respects. Wives, sons, daughter, cousins, aunts and uncles were there searching for their family member(s) on the wall that seemed to stretch forever. I came across one army wife that was emotionally breaking down, but fortunately her family was there to comfort and support her. That night my prayers went out to all the military families, veterans, and members of the military currently serving. However, the National Memorial Day Concert was definitely an experience. For those who don’t know what the concert is, it is a concert that PBS puts on in front of the Capitol Building; Trace Akins, Daughtry and the Secretary of State Colin Powell were just some of the people that took to the stage that night. The concert did have its moments, like where the crowd was in tears from a story of an army wife that had lost her husband.

However, the House of Representatives has been in session the past two week and we have seemingly never missed a beat. Due to the summer season, tours have been a constant in our office; families from Melbourne, Vero Beach, Sebastian, Cocoa Beach, Kissimmee, and so on have all been making visits to Washington D.C.  Tours are definitely a highlight of being up here. Being able to connect and talk to constituents on a personal level is an experience you cannot find anywhere else.

I was fortunate enough last week to have the opportunity to attend a House Budget Hearing. The topic of the hearing was “Removing the Boundaries to Free Enterprise and Economic Growth” and a witness to the hearing was Florida Governor Jeb Bush. With the Chairman of the Budget Committee being Congressman Paul Ryan, I knew that it wasn’t a hearing to miss. The Governor was very helpful in giving his personal opinion based on his Governorship and his experience in the private sector. However, there were members of Congress, like Congresswoman Kathy Castor as well as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who were just there to point out the supposed faults of his Governorship. I was particularly offended by the comments made by Congresswoman Castor; she remarked that the High School Online Classes have been a complete waste of the state’s time, that the public high school systems in Florida are at an all time low and not properly preparing their graduates for the “real” world, finishing up by saying that private colleges within Florida take advantage of federal loans and that graduates of the institutions aren’t prepared for the “real” world as well. She obviously hit just about all the aspects of my education. Because I personally experienced and am experiencing all three, I was completely appalled and astonished that she made those remarks. It was obvious that Governor Bush was taken aback by her remarks as well. Surprisingly, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz spent her speaking time on a campaign speech. These women are both Representatives of Florida for those of you that aren’t familiar with these members of Congress.

Something that I recently had the chance to do was visit the National Holocaust Museum. This definitely is a place that I highly recommend to everyone of a suitable age. The message and insight that this museum gives is remarkable. I went when I was in sixth grade, but the whole concept was hard to wrap my mind at such a young age, but now I understand the magnitude of the message. A majority of the population knows of the Holocaust, but the additional background information and images are unimaginable. The point that got to my roommates and myself was the room filled with shoes from just a small portion of the victims.

Last week, I learned that my eight year old cousin, Cassidy, just started to learn about government and she told her entire class that her “cousin works in the government.” She then printed off my blogs and pictures to show to the class. So I just wanted to give a shout-out to her: if you need anything, I’ll try my best to get it to you.

I’ll do my best to get some info out to anyone who wants to hear about any legislation. If you have any comments or questions feel free to add them below! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

God Bless,

Wesley Davis

Always Something New

Well this week was district week up here on the Hill. For all of you who have no idea what that means, it’s basically a week set aside for members of Congress to return to their districts for events, constituent meetings, and to get a chance to see their families. During this week we take time to slow down and catch up on letters to constituents, tours, and phone calls. To my surprise, dogs are actually allowed in the office during district weeks, which always seems to make the office surprisingly fun.

Something that has been all the buzz this week in our office was the launch of the Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket and its unmanned Dragon capsule which marked the first time a commercial spacecraft has been sent to the International Space Station. It is considered a test flight; the capsule was packed with a load of groceries and other supplies, but if all goes well with this mission and others like it, commercial spaceships could be carrying astronauts to and from Earth to the space station in three to five years!

Over the weekend, I plan on checking out the National Holocaust Museum. I have heard from a number of people how moving it is and how it is definitely something I should see. I do remember parts of it when I had went with my family a long time ago, but it will definitely be an eye opening experience from what I have heard.

Something that I always seem to look forward to is giving tours to constituents. Being that I am one of the three staffers that are from the district, I feel that I play a role in making a personal connection with the constituents. I try to keep in mind that because I am giving the tour, I am representing Congressman Posey, which I always feel honored to do each and every day. And it’s constantly a good feeling when the constituent sends a letter or email commending the interns on a job well done.

For the people that know me personally and know my ambitions, know that politics has a possibility of being in my future. While being in the office this week, I had the opportunity to speak with some of staffers about the future and whatnot. One of the staffers suggested I do some research on Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois. Surprisingly I have found that the Congressman is very easy for me to relate to, someone that I plan on following and supporting, and hopefully someone I will have a chance to meet while in Washington. Schock was elected to his county’s school board at the age of 19, and then at the age of 23 was elected to Illinois House of Representatives. Then at the age of 30 he was elected to the United States Congress. Schock is both the youngest currently serving U.S. representative and the first member of the Congress born in the 1980s.

As most are well aware, this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Please take time with your family and friends to thank our veterans who have served and pray for those who are fighting for our freedom across the world.

I hope that everyone enjoys their extended weekend, if you have one. Please stay safe. If you guys want to know about anything in particular please comment below. I want to make this enjoyable for you guys too!

 God Bless the United States,

Wesley Davis

Getting in the Swing of Things

I apologize for the lateness of this post. For everyone that has some sort of knowledge of Capital Hill, you will know that there is always something going on.

These past couple weeks have been my first weeks while the House has been in session. And while we are in session, everything is much more fast pace. I have known Congressman Posey for a while and have helped on past campaigns. However, I have not had a chance to actually see him while being an active Congressman, and from what I have seen, I know that my district couldn't have a better representative. Mr. Posey is one of the most personable Congressman I have yet to meet. Every day he walks through the front office door with a smile on his face and wastes no time with getting his day started. Always asking, when he has time, staff what constituents are calling about, what their concerns are, and what our personal thoughts are on a variety of issues.

Recently I had the chance to take a tour of the White House with Mrs. Posey. For all of you that know me, it will come as no surprise to you that I was just about speechless the whole time. To have the opportunity to tour the President's residence was hopefully not a one-time opportunity, but one I will never forget. Just the sheer idea of how many historical laws were signed into place, how many Presidents, Heads-of-State, and other historical figures have lived and stayed in this house was just about beyond comprehensible. Once I got over that, it was even more breath taking when I saw the view from the North Lawn. There are no words to describe it. Mrs. Posey did an awesome job as our group’s guide, providing personal stories and facts that made the whole experience so much better. One thing I found amusing was the fact that there is technically not a "back door" to the White House, only the North and South Lawn. Mrs. Posey later told me that this makes it impossible for anyone to "sneak" out the back door of the White House.

 One thing I cannot get enough of is answering phone calls. For me to be able to personally speak with constituents, listen to their problems, and know that I have the power to help someone with an issue couldn't please me more. Aside from that, tours are also something I am beginning to enjoy more and more. Today we had realtors come from our district for a lunch meeting with the Congressman and then a Capital Tour. Because of the size of the group, another intern and myself tag-teamed. Fortunately, I known a couple of the relators, one being Mrs. Vicky Santana, which always makes tours that much better. Being able to connect with constituents on a personal level gives me a sense of accomplishment and gratitude that I will never forget and always enjoy.

As far as legislation goes, recently the House passed the Republican version of the Violence Against Women Act on Wednesday. This version, passed 222-205, offers a plain contrast from the bill passed by the Senate in late April. The Violence Against Women Act was first enacted in 1994. It has been reauthorized twice since then with bipartisan support and very little controversy. The argument from the Democrats was that the coverage was not extended to illegal immigrants and members of the LBGT community. However, House Republicans oppose those changes, saying they were unnecessary because the law already covers all victims.

The Florida Senate race is also a topic that is getting a considerable amount of attention in Florida. With Governor Romney endorsing Congressman Mack, the race seems on the favorable side for the Congressman. However, Florida Republicans will soon have another choice for the Senate seat. Obviously until he declares his candidacy, I am not at liberty to reveal his name. But I give you my word that that race will definitely be shaken up.

On a lighter side, I have made the discovery that almost anything can be delivered in Washington, even groceries. I don't blame you for laughing if you are, but I have actually placed an order online for groceries and they were delivered! It goes to show you that I am easily impressed.

If you guys would like to hear my thoughts on anything specific please comment and I will do my best. Unfortunately I cannot speak on behalf of the Congressman; try to avoid those questions. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

God Bless the United States,

Wesley Davis

Starting of a New

Well, a week ago I arrived to our nation's capital with absolutely no idea what to expect. While I was riding into the city, I was fortunate enough to have Marine One fly across my path! From that point on, I knew that anything could happen while I was in D.C. As soon as I arrived, Gage Nicholas, another student intern from Florida Southern College, and his roommate invited me on a tour of the Capital Building: it was amazing! 

            Soon after, I decided to do some sight seeing during my first weekend. I started off with the National Air and Space Museum and then to the National Natural History Museum. With this being my fifth trip to Washington, I was already familiar with the basics of the city and had seen a majority of the museums. Still, I figured that it would be a great way to fill my off time. On Sunday and Monday, I went to a majority of the War Memorials: World War 2, Vietnam War, Korean War, etc. Anyone that has been to these memorials knows how moving they can be. The looks on some of the faces there were very emotional and completely moved me. However, one the biggest highlights of my first couple of days was the White House. No matter how many times I visit or who the current occupant is, it is immensely special knowing that the President of the United States is so close to me.

            Then finally Tuesday came around! My first day of my internship! Fortunately, last week was District Week for Congress, so I was told that everything was less hectic compared to the D.C. work week. On my first day, the Staff Assistant gave me a tour of where I would be working and where I would have to deliver things in the future (mainly where I would have to deliver flags). Because an army base is in our district (FL-15), Congressman Posey gets a lot of requests for flags to be bought and flown over the Capital. It is my job to make sure that the constituent's flag is bought and flown. I also had the chance meet all of the staff that I will be working with including another intern that will be helping me out. After all of the introductions were made, I then got started answering phone calls and inputting constituent's data information into our system. 

            As the second day came around, management moved me to the front office. I was really surprised that I was given this great opportunity because I wasn’t the first intern to arrive. Since I’m in the front, it is my responsibility to greet and direct all of our visitors, sort mail, and help out the staff assistant in any way I can. The main task that Tim, the other intern, and myself have been undertaking is going through our data base of constituents and making sure all of their information is up to date. Needless to say, we are still working on that.

            As the week progressed, I had the opportunity to help out Congressman Todd Akin's (MO-2) office in sending out mail to constituents. I had the chance to meet and talk with interns from California and New Jersey during that time, which was an awesome experience as well. That afternoon, we were able to fold and seal over 8,000 letters! And I’m proud to say I was the last intern "standing" in the office. 

            Thursday was mainly work relating to constituent data and answering phone calls. To my surprise, answering phone calls is one of the things I enjoy the most. It is the time when I get to personally talk and listen to our constituents, hear their concerns about our country, listen to how the federal government is effecting their lives, and what Congressman Posey can do to help them out. However, not every phone call is as pleasurable. Sometimes you have deeply unsatisfied constituents call in that are unhappy with the congressman and the federal government. But it is very important that I always think positive and make sure that these constituents know their voice is being heard and that Congressman Posey is doing everything in his power to put our country back on track.

            I would have to say that Friday was the highlight of Washington so far. The staff assistant offered to walk me around the Capital Building to show me places I would need to go that he wanted me to see. To my astonishment, he surprised me by taking me to the House Floor! For me, it was a moving experience. The kind where you stand there in amazement without any words coming to mind to describe it; I was certainly speechless. For me to stand in a room where some of our most historic Presidents have given their State of the Union Addresses and where some of our country’s most historic votes have been cast was completely mind altering. I also had the chance to see the balcony where the President gives his inaugural address and is sworn in. Later that day, I was informed that I would be touring the White House on May 16th!

            All in all, I would say that Washington D.C. is a place that has something new around the corner everyday. Whether it be learning that I am living right down the street from the Capital Hill Club or that I am simply living in Washington D.C! Nevertheless, I know to take advantage of every opportunity I have while interning here and that there are no "stupid" question.

            You may have notice that I titled this blog E Pluribus Unum, which is translated to Out of many, one. While I have been here, this motto has had a great effect to me. It has reminded me that if you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, black, white, Hispanic, a plumber, a member of Congress, a mother, or even the President of the United States, at the end of the day, it does not matter because we are first and foremost citizens of the United States. To me, there can be no greater honor.

            Thanks for reading. There are so many things I could keep going on and on about but I like to keep things short and sweet. If you guys have anything specific you want to hear about, don't hesitate to comment and I'll do my best to answer all of your questions.

God Bless the United States, 

Wesley Davis