Sessions, J Sen

capt 2/17

==

<a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/jeff-sessions-laying-groundwork-authoritarian-action">http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/jeff-sessions-laying-groundwork-authoritarian-action</a>

ith Donald Trump appearing to be on the verge of blowing up the world, it stands to reason that people might not be paying attention to his attorney general’s attempt to consolidate support for the administration among local law enforcement by selling off the rights of the American people. Add to that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/april-ryan-sean-spicer-holocaust_us_58ed204ce4b0ca64d919e852" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">suggestion</a> Thursday that Hitler never used chemical weapons “on his own people,” or revelations of the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html?tid=hybrid_collaborative_1_na&utm_term=.1fe58977dace" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">FBI’s investigation</a> of a former Trump foreign policy adviser as a possible Russian espionage asset, and your brain may have absorbed all it can about the present political moment.

But while you weren’t looking, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been courting local and federal law enforcement with the promise of lax oversight of police abuses against citizens, punishment for cities that choose not to use local resources to hunt down undocumented immigrants, and a renewal of the so-called war on drugs that for decades was little more than a war on people of color. On Tuesday, <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/sessions-forensics-dc974a67ea38" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">Sessions disbanded</a> the independent, nonpartisan National Commission on Forensic Science—the people who evaluate the scientific soundness of evidence admitted in criminal trials. The idea seems to be to task law enforcement with deciding the means by which it determines which evidence is permissible, even as the administration seeks ways to lock up people on the pretext of drug possession. The responsibility for making recommendations on the scientific soundness of various means of evidence collection will now fall to prosecutors.

It doesn’t stop there. On April 4, Sessions demonstrated his contempt for his department’s past interventions on local law enforcement in jurisdictions where abuses of citizens are shown to be systemic, and promised to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/03/politics/sessions-police-reform-review/" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">lighten up</a> on the use of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/03/politics/sessions-police-reform-review/" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">consent decrees</a> that place offending police departments under Justice Department monitoring for a period of time. He’s also been on a speaking tour of <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/here-sanctuary-cities-2017-map-sessions-threatened-funding-574861" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">threats</a> against the (mostly Democratic) political leadership of the nation’s great cities, promising to slash their federal funding unless local law enforcement is turned into a locally funded arm of the federal government by participating in the roundup of immigrants who don’t have papers. (So much for the right’s love of local control.) For good measure, Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is calling on Republicans in Congress to include these proposed funding penalties against so-called sanctuary cities in the spending bill Congress must soon take up in order to keep the government running—a move that could <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/sanctuary-cities-crackdown-government-shutdown-237121" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">lead to a government shutdown</a>.

We need to sit a minute to take this in, because surely it cannot mean what it looks like, right? At a moment when the White House is occupied by a unilaterally acting authoritarian populist, his top law enforcement officer is signaling an expansion of law enforcement powers and the reduction of rights for citizens.

By now, every well-informed person knows that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/19/war-on-drugs-statistics-systematic-policy-failure-united-nations" style=" color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration: none;">war on drugs failed</a> to ameliorate America’s thirst for illegal substances, and that the war’s selective targeting yielded an absurdly high proportion of non-white prisoners. Soon, those law enforcement entities can return to entering into evidence, without compunction, test results yielded by methods the forensic science panel had deemed unreliable. If police have all the power, who needs reliable evidence?

,,,

==

seesions harkens back to 1925? golden age?

face so

The very country to which many of our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries."

So <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/donald-trump-muslim-ban-african-union-refugees-slaves-immigration-a7553041.html" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(25, 106, 212); outline: none; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">said</a> African Union head Nhosazana Dlamini-Zuma as she addressed the group's members during this week's summit in Ethiopia. Dlamini-Zuma was speaking about President Donald Trump's controversial executive order suspending the U.S. refugee program for at least 120 days and banning travel from seven majority Muslim countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — for at least 90 days.

As the United States once again grapples with contentious issues at the intersection of immigration and racial justice, her words underscored how the same white supremacy that's long troubled the nation's domestic affairs has also been expressed in its immigration policy.

A hundred years ago this month, for instance, Congress passed the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/588-immigration-act-of-1917.html" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(25, 106, 212); outline: none; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Immigration Act of 1917</a>, effectively banning Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean people from entering the United States, along with the poor, political radicals and those with mental or physical disabilities.

Seven years later, Congress passed the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/immigration-act" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(25, 106, 212); outline: none; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Immigration Act of 1924</a>, also known as the Asian Exclusion Act. The law created a quota system that prioritized immigrants from Northern and Western Europe, drastically restricted immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Africa, and completely banned Arabs, Asians and Indians. The law's stated purpose was to "preserve the idea of American homogeneity."

At the same time U.S. policy was restricting immigration by people of color, it was denying full citizenship rights to native-born people of African descent whose ancestors had been forced into bondage. It robbed them of their voting rights, deprived them of labor rights, and forced them into segregated facilities.

Then came the civil rights movement....

---

<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-jeff-sessions-helped-kill-equitable-school-funding-in-alabama" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486144374446_108803" style=" -webkit-padding-start: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background: transparent; outline: none;">HOW JEFF SESSIONS HELPED KILL EQUITABLE SCHOOL FUNDING IN ALABAMA:</a> A lawsuit in the 1990s had Alabama poised to fund poor black school districts as fairly as wealthy white schools. As state attorney general, Sessions fought the effort passionately. (1/30/2017)

===

COI

In the wake of Donald Trump's firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to defend his unlawful immigration ban, Senator Jeff Sessions faces renewed questions about whether he is too close to Trump to serve independently in the post.

Peppered with numerous questions from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions <a href="http://www.exposedbycmd.org/2017/01/30/jeff-sessions-dc-is-dodge-city/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">refused to say</a> he would step aside from any matters involving alleged wrongdoing by the President or his family, despite Department of Justice rules requiring recusal.

Senator Leahy skewered Sessions for "willful blindness" about Trump's ethical challenges during the Committee's debate over the nomination this morning.

But Sessions brings similar unexplored conflict of interest issues to the DOJ when it comes to his <a href="http://www.pogo.org/our-work/reports/2017/at-least-one-third-of-attorney-general-nominees-top-donors-have-matters-involving-doj.html" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">biggest campaign contributor</a>, Southern Company.

The nation's second largest utility, Southern is deeply invested in controversial "clean coal" and traditional coal power plants, was exposed in 2015 for <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/willie-soons-climate-denial-southern-company-caught-polluting-science/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">paying climate denier Wei-Hock Soon</a> more than $400,000, and owns Alabama Power in Sessions' home state.

Sessions has done a lot for Southern Co. and the industry over the years, denying the impact of pollution on climate change and <a href="http://earthjustice.org/features/what-you-should-know-about-jeff-sessions-the-u-s-attorney-general" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">opposing almost every bill</a> to deal with its impact. Sessions has voted to block EPA's carbon pollution standards for power plants, pushed to weaken clean water laws, and opposed clean energy tax incentives.

And he has been well rewarded.

Over the past ten years, Southern Co. and the firm that lobbies on its behalf, Balch & Bingham, have pumped more than half a million dollars into Sessions' campaign committee, his leadership PAC, and political committees that contribute to Sessions, according to records at opensecrets.org. In addition, Southern Co. bankrolls a number of politically active <a href="http://investor.southerncompany.com/information-for-investors/corporate-governance/political-contributions/default.aspx" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">trade associations and lobby groups</a>, to the tune of $1.4 million in 2015 alone.

The utility giant's generosity to Sessions is now paying off big time.

Not only is Sessions headed to the AG post, but President Trump has temporarily placed Southern Co.'s lead lobbyist in charge of enforcing environmental laws at the Department of Justice.

As first reported by <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/27/coal-doj-trump/" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">The Intercept</a>, President Trump picked Jeff Wood on Inauguration Day to be the acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division. <a href="http://www.pogo.org/our-work/reports/2017/at-least-one-third-of-attorney-general-nominees-top-donors-have-matters-involving-doj.html" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Southern Co. paid Wood</a>, a former staffer for Sessions, $240,000 in 2016 to lobby full-time for the company and its Alabama subsidiary—at the same time that Wood served alongside Sessions as an advisor to the Trump campaign.

Under the Obama Administration, that DOJ division <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/27/coal-doj-trump/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">prosecuted coal companies and power utilities</a> for violating environmental laws. Whether it will continue that work under Wood and Sessions is now seriously in doubt.

While working for Southern Co. at Balch & Bingham, Wood opposed the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan, both filing an amicus curiae in a suit filed by several states and serving as an attorney in a separate suit brought by over 200 congressmen and companies.

<a href="http://www.pogo.org/our-work/reports/2017/at-least-one-third-of-attorney-general-nominees-top-donors-have-matters-involving-doj.html" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Three other</a> former Sessions staffers currently lobby for Southern Co. or work directly for the utility giant.

"The ties between Sessions and Southern Co. run as deep as the darkest coal mine," <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-01-09/southern-co-gains-powerful-ally-in-trump-attorney-general-pick" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">said Jamie Henn</a>, co-founder of 350.org. "There's never been such a strident advocate for the fossil fuel industry nominated for the role of attorney general."

"These personal ties to Senator Sessions, while legal, present situations where potential conflicts of interest, including bias or special access, could arise should Senator Sessions be confirmed as Attorney General," concluded the Project on Government Oversight.

Sessions and Woods will soon be in a position to intervene—or not—on numerous matters involving environmental and financial violations by Southern Co.

Southern Co. has frequently violated federal laws meant to protect the environment, its own workers, and American taxpayers. During an inspection of Alabama Power's steam plant in June 2016, the EPA found a Southern Co. subsidiary to be <a href="https://echo.epa.gov/detailed-facility-report?fid=110043792651" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">in "significant violation" of the Clean Air Act</a> and assessed a $200,000 penalty as a result. <a href="http://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/southern-company" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Good Jobs First</a> reports that in 2015 alone the EPA found Southern Co. subsidiaries in violation of environmental regulations six times, imposing $2.6 million in penalties. And between 2010 and 2015, OSHA found Southern Co. subsidiaries to be in violation of workplace health and safety laws three times, resulting in $73,750 in penalties.

Perhaps most disturbing are the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/science/kemper-coal-mississippi.html?r=2" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">numerous legal issues</a> surrounding Southern Co.'s <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-05/southern-facing-federal-probe-on-clean-coal-plant-costs-startup" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">$6.7 billion</a> Kemper "clean coal" power plant, which will likely end up before the DOJ. "Clean coal" is an extremely expensive and unproven technical fix to reduce carbon pollution from burning coal that many believe that will never work on a commercial scale.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-05/southern-facing-federal-probe-on-clean-coal-plant-costs-startup" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">currently investigating</a> Southern Co. for huge cost overruns and construction delays after the company received $245 million in grants from the Department of Energy and another $234 million in federal tax credits. Proposals pending in Congress could provide Southern Co. with another <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-27/after-2-6-billion-writedown-clean-coal-giant-set-for-opening" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">$4.5 billion in tax breaks</a>.

Given Sessions' answers to questions posed by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, it seems unlikely that Sessions will recuse himself on those legal matters involving Southern Co. or, for that matter, any other of his many corporate political backers.

When Senator Leahy cited POGO's finding "that approximately one-third of your top donors have 'current, known matters involving the Department of Justice," Sessions responded with <a href="http://www.exposedbycmd.org/2017/01/30/jeff-sessions-dc-is-dodge-city/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">his pat answer</a>: "I am not aware of a basis to recuse myself from such matters."

It sure looks like Southern Co. has a lock on the inside track at the Department of Justice if Sessions is confirmed.

===

<a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/05/what-are-steve-mnuchin-and-jeff-sessions-hiding-trumps-cabinet-appointees-have-huge-gaps-in-their-records/" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">http://www.salon.com/2017/01/05/what-are-steve-mnuchin-and-jeff-sessions-hiding-trumps-cabinet-appointees-have-huge-gaps-in-their-records/</a>

no link

Then there is Jeff Sessions, Trump’s nominee to take over as attorney general. The progressive advocacy group Alliance for Justice recently reviewed the questionnaire the Alabama senator submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the routine vetting all Cabinet nominees receive before confirmation hearings. And Sessions left some gaps that, when filled in, could lead to questions he would probably rather not answer.

The Alliance for Justice’s major complaint against Sessions revolves around the paucity of documentation he submitted for a 20-year period in his career, stretching from when he took the job as United States attorney for southern Alabama in 1981 through his first term in the Senate, which ended in 2003. As a public figure during that time frame (he also served as Alabama’s attorney general), Sessions should have left a huge paper trail of interviews, speeches, writing and other public statements. A large enough collection would give a wide-ranging look at how he might approach the job of attorney general for the entire nation, one of the biggest and most consequential positions in the government.

But Sessions has submitted only 20 interviews and 16 speeches (nine of which were press conference statements), plus a couple of op-eds and articles. This is hardly a comprehensive archive for someone who has been in the public eye for so long.

What is particularly interesting is that this period covers Sessions’s 1986 nomination to a federal judgeship. His nomination hearings before the Senate turned into a carnival of testimony about his supposed racism, turning up multiple witnesses who claimed that Sessions had made racially insensitive remarks. The Senate Judiciary Committee eventually rejected his nomination, making Sessions only the second nominee to a federal judgeship that the committee had rejected in half a century.

Perhaps Sessions figures that, having served as a senator for 20 years now, his colleagues will go easy on him in the spirit of Senate comity. It’s a safe bet. After all, it is likely that Republicans in the Senate share his lack of commitment to enforcing civil and voting rights. His nomination is likely to get rubber-stamped, even if Democrats make the hearings as uncomfortable as possible.

Still, this offers a sign of just how insecure Republicans are about their position, even with control of both houses of Congress and the White House. They are trying to shove two major nominees through the Senate without a thorough examination of their records: participating in some of the worst economic abuses of the last couple of decades, in Mnuchin’s case, or rolling back the civil rights advances of the 1960s, as seems to be the case with Sessions. Democrats probably can’t stop these two men from being confirmed. But they can help to expose these two nominees on their way into office — if the Democrats choose to fight.

==

==

jefferson (davis) beauregard 1st to endorse trump 2/16

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-trumps-gop-sessions-rockets-from-the-fringe-to-prime-time/2016/07/18">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-trumps-gop-sessions-rockets-from-the-fringe-to-prime-time/2016/07/18</a>

==

<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" style=" text-decoration: none;">Donald Trump</a>'s election win and his pick for attorney general could be a big boost to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/bayer-confident-it-can-still-strike-deal-with-monsanto-merger-could-sp-1891142782.html" style=" text-decoration: none;">Bayer AG</a>'s <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/bayer-buys-monsanto-2004657068.html" style=" text-decoration: none;">$66 billion purchase</a> of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-dupont-weed-killer-gmo-crops-1910876805.html" style=" text-decoration: none;">Monsanto Co.</a> that is currently undergoing state and federal <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-bayer-merger-2084832217.html" style=" text-decoration: none;">antitrust investigations</a>.

<a href="http://www.investopedia.com/news/trumps-ag-pick-boosts-odds-monsanto-bayer-deal-mon-bayry/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Investopedia</a> reports that Monsanto stocks have risen more than 4 percent since Trump's surprise victory. Additionally, Terry Haines of the investment banking advisory firm Evercore ISI said that the president-elect's nominee for attorney general—Sen. Jeff Sessions, a pro-business conservative from Alabama—is good news for any pending mega-deals.

"Sessions' likely nomination and confirmation by the Senate, in which he has served since 1997, is a market positive for merger and acquisition activity," Haines, who heads Evercore's Political Analysis team, <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/11/18/donald-trump-attorney-general-analysts/" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">wrote</a> in a note last week.

"Sessions as attorney general would shift immediately from the current mostly 'red light' Obama antitrust/competition policy and move towards one that would be friendlier to M&A activity," Haines added.

A successful merger between the German pharmaceutical company and the St. Louis-based agritech giant will form the largest seed and pesticide company in the world. Critics are concerned that the consolidation of the two multinational juggernauts will increase pesticide and herbicide prices for farmers, and will have less incentive to compete and introduce better and cheaper products.

"Farmers get paid less for their crops, more pesticides are used and there are fewer options for consumers at the grocery store," <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/community/wenonah_hauter" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Wenonah Hauter</a>, the executive director of <a href="http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Food & Water Watch</a>, told EcoWatch after Bayer and Monsanto announced acquisition plans in September.

imgs

Haines, however, pointed out that Sessions might not think that big businesses unfairly reduces competition. "[Sessions may decide] that no reflexive test for the disapproval of a merger should be applied, as Obama regulators did with their 'no four into three' doctrine," he wrote.

Although, legal experts told <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-sessions-whitecollar-idUSKBN13E049" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Reuters</a> that as U.S. attorney general, Sessions would be tough on any corporate crime. Daniel Richman, a former federal prosecutor and Columbia Law School professor, told Reuters that the senator will be "a strong supporter" of corporate enforcement.

Regardless, as Carey Gillam of U.S. Right to Know <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-mike-pompeo-cia-2098420368.html" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">wrote</a> that President Trump's era signals "[dark days] ahead for America's burgeoning <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">food movement</a>," which has been advocating for more transparency and fewer <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">pesticides</a> in food production. Case in point, he has picked U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo to be CIA director, a "designated hitter for Monsanto and the other Big Ag chemical and seed players."

In October, Trump <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/donald-trump-blames-intern-for-tweet-insulting-monsanto-ben-carson-and-1882110214.html" target="_self" style=" text-decoration: none;">blamed an intern for retweeting</a> an insult to Monsanto.

"#BenCarson is now leading in the polls in #Iowa. Too much #Monsanto in the #corn creates issues in the brain? #Trump #GOP," the post read.

The retweet shunned Monsanto, which has a <a href="http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/unitedstates.aspx" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">major presence in Iowa</a>, with facilities in 18 different cities in the state. The company also happens to be a <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00042069" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">major GOP donor</a>.

Trump, <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/31/3-surprisingly-controversial-stocks-in-donald-trum.aspx" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">who reportedly</a> holds between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of Monsanto stocks, <a href="http://2016election.procon.org/view.answers.election.php?questionID=002069" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">does not support</a> the labeling of foods made with <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-genetically-modified-organism/" target="_self" style=" text-decoration: none;">genetically modified</a> ingredients.

When asked by the Iowa Farm Bureau, "Do you support the use of biotechnology in food products and oppose efforts to require mandatory labeling for foods simply because they contain ingredients derived from biotechnology?" Trump allegedly responded, "Yes."

Not only that, <a href="http://modernfarmer.com/2016/09/2016-election-candidates-food-farming/" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">Modern Farmer</a> noted that Trump, a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/09/us/politics/donald-trump-diet.html" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">junk food lover</a>, does not seem to have an interest in organic food or organic farmers, and assembled an <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-agriculture-team-policy-227083" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none;">agribusiness-friendly agriculture advisory council</a> during his presidential campaign.

<div>

<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Pessimistic Interpretation: Why Trump Will Probably be That Bad

Trump is a national populist with a zero-sum worldview.  His long opposition to trade with Japan and now China and Mexico shows that he doesn’t understand how voluntary exchanges are mutually beneficial.  Opinions on trade and immigration are tightly correlated.  His 2013 <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/iowa-donald-trump-warns-republicans-about-hillary-immigration-f6C10893666" target="_blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">statements</a> on immigration reform could mean that he thought the Senate’s 2013 bill would destroy the Republican Party.

Trump’s immigration <a href="https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Immigration-Reform-Trump.pdf" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">position paper</a> is detailed, specific, and terrible.  It <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/president-trumps-immigration-plans" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">supports</a> drastic cuts in legal immigration and refugees as well as harsh new enforcement measures like a border wall, mandatory E-Verify, and a greatly expanded deportation force.  Many think this plan was inspired by Ann Coulter’s recent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2015/08/03/did-ann-coulters-new-book-inspire-donald-trumps-mexican-rapists-comment/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">book</a> on the subject and some of his <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/trump-doubles-down-anti-immigration-position" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">statements</a>support that theory.  In return, Coulter <a href="http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/08/coulter-on-trumps-immigration-plan-greatest-political-document-since-magna-carta/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">called</a> Trump’s immigration position paper, “the greatest political document since the Magna Carta.”

When Trump looked like he was <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/25/trump-says-government-can-work-with-illegal-immigrants.html" target="blank" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">wavering</a> from his immigration position in the final week of August 2016, Coulter <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/ann-coulter-mocks-trump-immigration-227392" target="blank" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">mocked</a> him.  In her recent book <em style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Trump We Trust, she <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ann-coulter-trump-immigration-2016-8" target="blank" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">wrote</a>, “There’s nothing Trump can do that won’t be forgiven … Except change his immigration policies.”   Trump’s response was a blistering <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-donald-trump-immigration-speech-transcript-20160831-snap-htmlstory.html" target="blank" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">speech</a> in Phoenix on August 31, 2016, where he doubled-down on his immigration stance and even read out portions of his <a href="https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Immigration-Reform-Trump.pdf" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">position paper</a>.  Coulter gave the speech her seal of approval, declaring it “<a href="http://www.vice.com/read/how-ann-coulter-created-donald-trump" target="_blank" style=" background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">better than Lincoln’s Gettysburg address</a>.”

Virtually every time Trump looked like he was wavering in his opposition to legal immigration or stepped up enforcement, he quickly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/03/21/donald-trump-flip-flops-then-flips-and-flops-more-on-h-1b-visas/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">reversed course</a>.  When he has spoken off the cuff about immigration, it has almost always been negative and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-immigration-flip-flop_us_57bb9743e4b03d51368a7e24" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">supportive of deportations</a>, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/10/3285521/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">cutting legal immigration</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">linking immigrants to crime</a>.  If speaking off the cuff reveals Trump’s real opinions then they are largely consistent with his policy positions.

Trump’s presumptive picks for positions in his administration are opposed to immigration reform, support more enforcement, and generally favor cutting legal immigration.  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Bannon" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Steve Bannon</a>, the former executive chairman of the nativist Breitbart News and chief executive office of Trump’s 2016 campaign, looks to be on the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/politics/transition-briefing-passing-the-presidency-to-donald-trump.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">shortlist for Chief of Staff</a>.  Breitbart’s <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/immigration/" target="_blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">immigration position</a> is well known.

Trump’s picks for his immigration transition team are uniformly supportive of increased immigration enforcement and, as far as I can tell, large cuts in legal immigration.  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kobach" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Kris Kobach</a> is the first member of the transition team.  He is the Kansas secretary of state and architect of many of the immigration enforcement laws around the <a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/economic-case-against-arizonas-immigration-laws" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">country</a> in the last decade.  Just yesterday he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/10/the-wall-is-going-to-get-built-immigration-hard-liner-joins-trump-transition/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">said</a>, “the wall is going to get built.”  The second member of the transition team is Danielle Cutrona, the chief counsel in Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) judiciary committee.

The connection with Senator Sessions is important and it runs throughout Trump’s other appointments – the Senator himself could even be appointed to an important <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/11/09/sen-jeff-sessions-is-known-for-fighting-immigration-now-he-could-lead-trumps-pentagon/" target="blank" style=" background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">position</a>.  He is the most outspoken <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/rebuttal-sen-sessions-anti-legal-immigration-oped" style=" background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Republican Senator who opposes immigration reform, supports enforcement-first policies, and favors slashing legal immigration</a>.  Trump is reportedly also considering <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/10/exclusive-here-is-a-list-of-people-donald-trump-is-considering-for-senior-white-house-jobs/" target="blank" style=" background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Stephen Miller</a>, former communications aide to Senator Sessions, for one of many potential positions.  <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/10/exclusive-here-is-a-list-of-people-donald-trump-is-considering-for-senior-white-house-jobs/" target="_blank" style=" background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Rick Dearborn</a>, Sessions’ chief of staff, is also being considered for leading the office of legislative affairs.

There are also a few leaked lists circulating around DC that say Trump is supposedly considering Cindy Hayden as head of the Department of Homeland Security.  There isn’t much information available on Ms. Hayden except that she was Sessions’ former <a href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/6/6/senate-section/article/s5353-1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22Cindy+Hayden%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=1" target="_blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">chief counsel</a> on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sessions’ praise for Ms. Hayden is deep and effusive.  Upon her departure from the Senate in 2008, he <a href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/6/6/senate-section/article/s5353-1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22Cindy+Hayden%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=1" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">said</a>, “Cindy was just fabulous, and I depended on her.  Day after day, her work and the respect she engendered throughout the country played a big role in the final result, in which the [immigration reform] bill was pulled down without passage in that form.”  Senator Sessions himself wasn’t alone in his praise.  He <a href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/6/6/senate-section/article/s5353-1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22Cindy+Hayden%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=1" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">quoted</a> his former chief counsel William Smith and executive director of the Americans for Limited Government Research Foundation at the time, “The only group I know that will truly celebrate her departure will be illegal aliens.”  Brian Darling, then director of Senate Relations for the Heritage Foundation, was <a href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/6/6/senate-section/article/s5353-1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22Cindy+Hayden%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=1" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">quoted</a> as saying, “Without Cindy and ‘Team Sessions’’ tireless efforts to educate the American public on the contents of the secretly drafted amnesty bill, the bill may have become law.”  Joe Matal, then-counsel for Senator Kyl was also quoted by Sessions as <a href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/6/6/senate-section/article/s5353-1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22Cindy+Hayden%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=1" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">saying</a>that, “If you look closely at the corpse of last year’s immigration bill, you will find a series of small squares holes in its back. Those holes were produced by Cindy’s heels, stomping that bill to death.”

Trump has frequently <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/immigration" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">cited</a> the <a href="http://www.humanlifereview.com/hijacking-immigration/" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">Center for Immigration Studies</a>, <a href="https://cei.org/studies-web-memo/drought-reason-and-investigation" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">a</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/public-increasingly-pro-immigration" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">think</a>-<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/cis-exaggerates-cost-immigrant-welfare-use" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">tank</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/center-immigration-studies-exaggerates-immigrant-welfare-use" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">that</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/center-immigration-studies-report-exaggerates-immigrant-welfare-use-part-2" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">produces</a><a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/cis-all-job-growth-2000-went-immigrants-flawed" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">near</a>-<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/immigrant-welfare-use-response-cost-cheap-labor" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">uniformly</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/immigrants-are-attracted-jobs-not-welfare" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">shoddy</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/serious-problems-e-verify" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">research</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/immigrants-are-not-causing-low-skill-natives-quit-working" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">and</a> <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/low-skilled-immigrants-are-not-harming-low-skilled-natives" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">supports</a> cutting legal immigration.  It’s safe to assume that Trump facts, specific enforcement ideas, and message on immigration during his administration will be more influenced by them than any other group outside of the government.  Ending or severely curtailing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/22/us/politics/trump-immigration-ban-how-could-it-work.html" target="blank" style=" box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 94, 153);">refugee resettlement</a> will be an early move.

None of Trump’s actions since his election, from his statements to the people on his immigration transition team to those he’s considering for important positions, indicate that he is changing his position on immigration.  Trump looks like he partially wavered occasionally on the campaign when it came to high-skilled immigrants and some form of amnesty.  His instincts over the last several years show that his instincts aren’t uniformly nativist.  However, those few bits of optimism are overwhelmed by his other statements and actions to the contrary.

</div>

==

<a href="http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-cabinet-who-is-bio-secretary-of-defense-state-senate-alabama-senator-immigration-tpp/">http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-cabinet-who-is-bio-secretary-of-defense-state-senate-alabama-senator-immigration-tpp/</a>

==

june 2013

gang of 8 immigration?

SINCE HIS first presidential campaign, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have expressed support for the immigrant community and promised comprehensive immigration reform. In reality, however, Obama has deported a record number of undocumented immigrants, resulting in the expansion of the private-prison industry that profits from detentions and deportations.

While Obama, Democrats and their supporters back the comprehensive reform bill presented by the bipartisan Gang of Eight, human rights and labor rights violations, inhumane detentions, deportations and separation of families will continue. Meanwhile, the private-prison industry keeps on winning.

The first Obama administration failed to pass promised legislation for comprehensive immigration reform, as well as the DREAM Act of 2010, which would have given undocumented youth and students who were brought here as kids a path to citizenship. Instead, the Obama administration has focused on rampant criminalization and deportation.

While the number of deportations under Obama has already surpassed 1.5 million--and is expected to reach 2 million by 2014--anti-immigrant legislation has been proposed with greater frequency at both the state and federal levels during the last decade. Obama has faced growing criticism from Latino and other immigrant communities as aggressive enforcement has resulted in the mass deportation of "low-priority" undocumented immigrants--mothers, fathers and children--separating millions of families and terrorizing millions more. Currently, Latinos make up 97 percent of deportees.

Obama and his apologists excuse his administration's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform as the result of a hostile environment in Washington, where Republicans in Congress have created political gridlock. During his second presidential campaign, Obama talked about post-partisanship, collaboration and cooperation from both parties on this issue.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THIS LONG-hoped-for bipartisanship seemed to have finally materialized in May when an 844-page immigration reform bill was presented to Congress by the U.S. senators working on immigration ,reform known as the Gang of Eight--Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

The bill, however, includes a long and conditional path to legalization. Applicants would only have a Registered Provisional Immigrant status during a 13-year (at least) wait for legalization. Guest worker and E-verify programs would be expanded without strengthening labor laws that would protect existing workers and incoming guest workers. Increased militarization of the border, enforcement and deportations would also continue.

When the already dense bill got to the Judiciary Committee, there were more than 300 proposed amendments. Anticipating the amendment markup, <a href="http://americasvoiceonline.org/about/" style=" background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none;">America's Voice</a>, a nonprofit that support immigrants rights, quickly dubbed five Republican senators--Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Cornyn of Texas, Ted Cruz of Texas and David Vitter of Louisiana--a "Gang of Hate" that is opposed to the bill.

Some of the amendments they proposed include banning any undocumented immigrant who ever lived in the U.S. from applying for citizenship, requiring enforcement and border security programs to be fully implemented and successful before immigrants can apply for legalization, and the building of a DNA database of immigrants directly linked with the FBI.

America's Voice accused these senators of trying to gut a "progressive" immigration reform bill. They have even suggested that Marco Rubio, a Gang of Eight member, should "revoke his membership" because of his backing of some of these amendments.

Since then, <a href="http://americasvoiceonline.org/tag/gang-of-hate/" style=" text-decoration: none;">their online blogs</a> have focused on creating a narrative that glorifies the Gang of Eight's alleged bipartisanship and vilifies the opposition. In this lesser-of-two-evils narrative, the Gang of Eight is a product of an effective Democratic initiative on comprehensive immigration reform and a weakened Republican Party trying to redeem itself, while the Gang of Hate is the product of an ultraconservative Republican faction that has yet to turn the page on the issue.

Many prominent immigrant rights organizations, networks, unions, advocates and the mainstream media are increasingly following along in this narrative. <a href="http://cambio-us.org/" style=" text-decoration: none;">The Campaign for an Accountable, Moral and Balanced Immigration Overhaul</a> (CAMBIO) recently released a press statement declaring:

CAMBIO is troubled by recent comments attributed to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) regarding the future of the immigration reform bill. Until now, Senator Rubio has played an essential leadership role in moving this legislation forward and for that we commend him. But the Gang of Eight bill represents a bipartisan approach. Undermining it could collapse the entire effort and be yet another failed attempt at comprehensive immigration reform.

</blockquote>

This campaign brings together prominent immigrant rights' groups, unions and advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and many others.

Left out of this narrative, however, is any real criticism of the fact that the Gang of Eight has put forth a bill without the immigrant and Latino communities they claim to represent and support at the table--despite the nationwide growth and mobilization of grassroots organizations opposed to anti-immigrant policies.

CAMBIO and other boosters of the Gang of Eight have not pointed out that politicians from both parties fundamentally agree, despite minor differences, on a bill that includes a strenuous and conditional path to legalization, which will create yet another class of undocumented people. Meanwhile, employers will continue to exploit workers, as will the racist criminalization and deportation of immigrants on a mass scale.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THIS IS because private-prison corporations that run the detention facilities have spent years and massive amounts of money lobbying these politicians to ensure a steady stream of bodies to fill their cages. There is no lesser of two evils, but rather <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/top-private-prison-operators-geo-corrections-corp-america-worry-about-fewer-illegal-immigrants-jail" style=" text-decoration: none;">one gang of politicians and their corporate backers who have politically and financially benefited</a> from an expanding prison-industrial complex.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the GEO Group (GEO), the two largest private-prison companies in the United States, have profited enormously from the expansion of the prison-industrial complex. According to a <a href="http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/gaming_the_system.pdf" style=" text-decoration: none;">report by the Justice Policy Institute</a>, in 2010 alone, GEO raked in $1.17 billion in annual revenues. CCA took in $1.69 billion, and the private-prison industry as a whole got more than $5 billion.

In the last decade, these corporations have influenced legislation by lobbying and through financial contributions to politicians of both parties--by means of their political action committees (PACs)--in order to have direct input in the drafting of these laws. "Since 2000, the three largest private-prison companies--CCA, GEO and Cornell Companies--have contributed $835,514 to federal candidates," according to the Justice Policy Institute report, while giving to "state-level politicians during the last five election cycles was much higher: $6,092,331."

GEO and CCA are also members of the <a href="http://www.alec.org/" style=" text-decoration: none;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a>--or ALEC--a right-wing public-private nonprofit organization made up of legislators, businesses and foundations. Together, these companies have become the principal forces behind anti-immigrant policies. Through these relationships with politicians from both parties, they have had direct influence over the writing and passage of anti-immigrant bills such as Arizona's SB 1070 and many similar proposals in states across the country.

To date, some of the senators in the Gang of Eight have been among the top recipients of contributions from such corporations and PACs. The Migrant Power Alliance, the Dream Action Coalition and other organizations <a href="http://familiesforfreedom.org/news/migrant-power-alliance-denounces-deportations-and-senator-schumer%E2%80%99s-ties-immigration-detention" style=" text-decoration: none;">rallied in March outside of Schumer's New York City office</a> to denounce his ties to such anti-immigrant lobbying groups.

Schumer, a leading Democrat among the Gang of Eight, has been a public advocate for immigration reform and also a supporter of the federal DREAM Act. Yet he has accepted more than $100,000 in contributions from CCA. Rubio has received close to $27,300 from GEO, while McCain has received more than $32,146 from CCA.

The relationship between these corporations and congressional representatives proposing anti-immigrant bills are much more intimate than simply the financial support they receive--many federal legislators are direct shareholders in these companies.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IN THE face of all of this, the immigrant community has demonstrated strength, resilience and an immense ability to self-organize. Not only has the immigrant rights movement successfully defeated many of these policies, but there has also been a flowering of local groups and national networks made up of grassroots organizations. Undocumented youth and students--known as the Dreamers--successfully pressured Obama to sign deferred action, obtaining work authorization.

Undocumented workers have successfully organized and won the ability to unionize at a time when the labor movement has been under continuous attack. They have stopped the detention and deportation of thousands, keeping their families and loved ones together. They have done this by challenging the racism and discrimination they face and by criticizing and holding politicians accountable by means of grassroots organizing, boycotts, strikes, direct action and civil disobedience.

Nonetheless, they have been absent from the table and left out of the debate around comprehensive immigration reform. The proposed bill, as it stands today, is legislation not only written in the interest of corporations, but it has also completely excluded the very community it affects. Their stories and experiences have fallen on the deaf ears of the politicians who most claim to support them.

Immigrant rights groups, nonprofit organizations, unions and other advocates for genuine reform must continue to challenge these politicians, question their ties to these corporations and criticize this bill for what it really is. We must continue to build the immigrant rights movement that has transcended nationalities.

While we have brought the issue of immigration to the forefront of the political debate, the struggle must continue until we are sitting at the table--and able to shape the changes that we've fought so hard to obtain.

<a href="https://socialistworker.org/2013/06/11/one-big-gang-of-hate">https://socialistworker.org/2013/06/11/one-big-gang-of-hate</a>

===

The End Game

CCA’s public relations campaign proved to be too little too late. The Tennessean, the Nashville Scene and the Associated Press all ran articles casting doubt on Puryear’s judicial nomination. The Nashville Post reported that Puryear should “keep his day job.”

Even the right-leaning Nashville City Paper referred to his nomination as “stalled.”

Senators Edward Kennedy and Dianne Feinstein, both members of the Judiciary Committee, reportedly put a hold on Puryear’s nomination, deeming him a controversial candidate rather than a consensus nominee. “I understand they have put Puryear in the ‘controversial’ category,” said Vanderbilt University law professor Brian Fitzpatrick. “It’s very rare for a district court nominee to become controversial.”

Finally, on September 23, 2008, after no movement on Puryear’s nomination in the Judiciary Committee for seven months, Senator Lamar Alexander, Puryear’s chief standard bearer, raised the white flag and acknowledged it was “not going to happen.”

Ironically, it was one of Puryear’s ardent supporters, Alabama attorney Ed Haden, who may have driven the final nail into Puryear’s judicial nomination coffin. In an August 14, 2008 Associated Press article, Haden was quoted as saying Puryear could still be confirmed based on quid pro quo deal-making. “At the end of the session, it’s, ‘Who wants a bridge in Vermont?’” he said, in a not-so-subtle reference to Vermont senator and Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy.

While that may in fact be how things are done in Washington – and Haden would know, as he previously served as nominations counsel for Senator Orrin Hatch and chief counsel for Senator Jeff Sessions – it isn’t prudent to say it publicly. Upon being informed of Haden’s cavalier comment, Senator Leahy’s chief counsel noted dryly that Haden “seems to have no idea how Senator Leahy approaches nominations.”

In the end, the Puryear nomination concluded with a whimper, not a bang. After the Senate adjourned on January 2, 2009, his nomination was returned to the White House, closing the door on Puryear’s hopes for a federal judgeship. The vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee will now be filled by President Obama; in a written statement, Puryear blamed the demise of his nomination on “election-year politics.”

The Puryear opposition campaign declared victory in a January 22, 2009 press release. “While some may consider it ironic that a former CCA prisoner managed to derail the judicial nomination of CCA’s general counsel, the fact remains that Mr. Puryear was a questionable, partisan candidate who had conflicts and problematic issues, both past and present, that ensured his nomination would not survive scrutiny,” Friedmann stated. “The opposition campaign simply provided the necessary level of scrutiny.”

==

Jeff Sessions of Alabama was, in 2012, outraged when confronted with the fact that 97-98 percent of scientists agree on anthropogenic climate change. “I am offended by that, I’m offended by that — I didn’t say anything about the scientists. I said the data shows [sic] it is not warming to the degree that a lot of people predicted, not close to that much.” He later added of the 97-98 percent figure: “I don’t believe that’s correct.”

==

after 86 election massive purge of voter rolls of dems, j sess as US Atty  prosecuted marion Al  ppl for helping elderly and bl voters get to polls holy cow 2000; RR nom for fed ct failed

---

, "<a href="http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/toxic_power_the_20_most_expose.html" target="_hplink">Both senators from eight states of the 'Toxic 20' states</a> -- Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi -- supported a resolution by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to repeal the health-protective mercury and air toxics standard."

===

1st mtg in 3 yrs:

...

The hearing attracted an overflow crowd, and the half-dozen senators who attended quickly made it clear that the partisan divide over the issue hadn't narrowed. Republicans either questioned whether global warming is actually occurring or whether curbing U.S. emissions would be worth the economic cost. Inhofe used his opening remarks to attack the Obama Administration's energy policies and the reliability of climate science. "What drove the collapse of the global warming movement was that the science of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] was finally exposed," said Inhofe, who has called climate change a hoax. "For years I had warned that the United Nations was a political body, not a scientific body."

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) also questioned climate research, including computer models that forecast rising global temperatures over the next century. New data have "invalidated the computer models … that's fact, that's science," he said.

Boxer immediately challenged Sessions’s analysis. The vast majority of climate researchers disagreed with Sessions’s views, she noted, adding that there were also "probably 1% to 2% of scientists who don’t believe that lung cancer is associated with smoking." Sessions, clearly irate, responded that he wasn’t “talking about the scientists” but the quality of the data. Boxer responded: "You shouldn't be offended by that," she reassured him, since "the conclusion you are coming to is shared by 1% to 2% of scientists," drawing audible laughter from some onlookers in an overflow viewing room.

Later, Sessions clarified his position: "I would acknowledge that we may have some warming and it may be human-caused," he said. His concern, he added, was “how much we can spend to alter it.”...

Given Congress's apparent gridlock on climate-related legislation, however, it seems unlikely that Christy will get his wish anytime soon. Boxer alluded to the stalemate near the end of the hearing: "We start off, unfortunately, where we left off," she said, noting that the two parties appeared to agree on little. Almost on cue, Sessions disagreed, noting that he and other Republicans had joined with Democrats to help curb greenhouse gas emissions by supporting efforts to improve auto mileage standards and improve energy efficiency. Fair point, Boxer said: "Let's keep talking."

===

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Party_U.S.A." title="Republican Party U.S.A." class="mw-redirect">Republican</a>, has represented the state of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Members_of_the_U.S.Congress_from_Alabama" title="Category:Members of the U.S. Congress from Alabama">Alabama</a> in the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Senate" title="U. S. Senate" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Senate</a> since 1996.

<tr>

<td>

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="javascript:toggleToc()" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Record_and_controversies">1 Record and controversies</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Environmental_record">1.2 Environmental record</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Oil_Record">1.3 Oil Record</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Hurricane_Katrina_and_estate_tax_cuts">1.4 Hurricane Katrina and estate tax cuts</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Opposition_to_torture_ban">1.5 Opposition to torture ban</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Claims_of_racism">1.6 Claims of racism</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Executive_power">1.7 Executive power</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Young_bribery_scandal">1.8 Young bribery scandal</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Money_in_politics">3 Money in politics</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Oil_and_Coal_Money_in_Politics">3.1 Oil and Coal Money in Politics</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Committees_and_Affiliations">4 Committees and Affiliations</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Committees">4.1 Committees</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Committee_assignments_in_the_109th_Congress_.282005-2006.29">4.2 Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Coalitions_and_Caucuses">4.3 Coalitions and Caucuses</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Boards_and_other_Affiliations">4.4 Boards and other Affiliations</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#More_Background_Data">5 More Background Data</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Contact">6 Contact</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#2008_Campaign_Contact_Information">6.1 2008 Campaign Contact Information</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Articles_and_resources">7 Articles and resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Sources">7.1 Sources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Resources">7.2 Resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Articles">7.3 Articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#Local_blogs_and_discussion_sites">7.4 Local blogs and discussion sites</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

</tbody></table>

<h2>Record and controversies</h2>

<div style=" margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:U.S._legislation" title="Category:U.S. legislation">articles on legislation</a>. You can add information you find on how Jeff Sessions voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Help:References" title="Help:References">cite your sources</a>!</div>

Sessions voted for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Iraq_Resolution_of_2002" title="Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002">Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002</a> that started the Iraq War.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a>

On May 27, 2007, Sessions, a longtime supporter of the Iraq War, said that he was open to the idea of withdrawing some U.S. troops from the country later in 2007. He stated, "We have to be realistic...We have to know that we can’t achieve everything we’d like to achieve. We have a limited number of men and women we can send to Iraq, and we can’t overburden them." He continued that come September, "I think most of the people in Congress believe, unless something extraordinary occurs, that we should be on a move to draw those surge numbers down." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a>

Following remarks made by Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Lugar" title="Richard Lugar" class="mw-redirect">Richard Lugar</a> on June 25, 2007 calling for an immediate change of course and troop reduction in Iraq, Sen. Sessions responded favorably to Lugar's comments. Although Sessions stated he still wanted to give the president's troop "surge" in Iraq more time to succeed, he stated that troop levels should be reduced "as soon as it is realistic to do it."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a>

<div style=" margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">For more information see the chart of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Senate_votes_on_the_Iraq_War" title="U.S. Senate votes on the Iraq War">U.S. Senate votes on the Iraq War</a>.</div>

<h3>Environmental record</h3>

For more information on environmental legislation, see the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Energy_and_Environment_Policy_%28U.S.%29" title="Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.)">Energy and Environment Policy Portal</a>

<h3>Oil Record</h3>

According to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Oil_Change_International" title="Oil Change International">Oil Change International</a>, Pete Sessions has voted in favor of big oil companies on 100% of important oil-related bills. These bills include Iraq War funding, climate change studies, clean energy, and oil import reductions. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a> See below for oil money in politics.

<h3>Hurricane Katrina and estate tax cuts</h3>

Sessions drew considerable controversy after <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hurricane_Katrina" title="Hurricane Katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a> hit the Gulf Cost. He suggested to a colleague a way to rejuvenate his bill to repeal the estate tax, which had lost momentum: "Arizona Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jon_Kyl" title="Jon Kyl">Jon Kyl</a> and I were talking about the estate tax. If we knew anybody that owned a business that lost life in the storm, that would be something we could push back with."<a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1106213,00.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1106213,00.html" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>

<h3>Opposition to torture ban</h3>

Sessions opposed Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_McCain" title="John McCain">John McCain</a>'s anti-torture amendment in 2006. Sessions was one of nine senators to oppose the amendment, and supports Vice President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Dick_Cheney" title="Dick Cheney">Dick Cheney</a>'s proposal to exempt the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CIA" title="CIA" class="mw-redirect">CIA</a> from the torture ban.

<h3>Claims of racism</h3>

Prior to being nominated to federal court, Sessions had unsuccessfully prosecuted three civil rights workers (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Turner" class="extiw" title="w:Albert Turner">Albert Turner</a>, a former aide to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr" class="extiw" title="w:Martin Luther King, Jr">Martin Luther King, Jr</a>) on a scant case of voter fraud. Sessions had spent hours interrogating black voters in predominately black counties, which produced only 14 allededly tampered ballots out of the more than 1.7 million cast in the 1984 election. The three men were acquitted in four hours. Civil rights groups accused Sessions of aggressively looking for voter fraud in black communities while overlooking any violations among whites.

During his nomination to federal court, it was revealed that Sessions had once labeled the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People" title="National Association for the Advancement of Colored People">National Association for the Advancement of Colored People</a> (NAACP) and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Civil_Liberties_Union" title="American Civil Liberties Union">American Civil Liberties Union</a> (ACLU) "un-American," "Communist-inspired," and that they "forced civil rights down the throats of people." At his confirmation hearings, Sessions claimed that the groups could be un-American when "they involve themselves in un-American positions" in foreign policy. <a href="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021230&s=wildman123002" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021230&s=wildman123002" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

<h3>Executive power</h3>

In July 2006 Sessions expressed opposition to a bill by Sen. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Arlen_Specter" title="Arlen Specter">Arlen Specter</a> (R-Pa.) that would allow Congress to file a lawsuit to get <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Presidential_signing_statements" title="Presidential signing statements">presidential signing statements</a> declared unconstitutional, saying the Act would "transfer the power to the courts, and throws the courts directly between the Congress and the president."<a href="http://public.cq.com/public/20060726-specter.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://public.cq.com/public/20060726-specter.html" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>

<ul>

<li>See the Congresspedia article on <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Presidential_signing_statements" title="Presidential signing statements">presidential signing statements</a>.</li>

</ul>

<h3>Young bribery scandal</h3>

On October 4, 2007 Time reported that Clayton Lamar (Lanny) Young Jr., a lobbyist and landfill developer, told a group of prosecutors and investigators on May 8, 2002 he paid tens of thousands of dollars in apparently illegal campaign contributions to big names in Alabama Republican politics. Young said that among the receivers of the contributions were Jeff Sessions, the state’s former attorney general and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=William_H.Pryor,Jr." title="William H. Pryor, Jr.">William H. Pryor, Jr.</a>, his successor and current federal judge.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a>

Young was reportedly a key witness in a major case that brought down former Governor of Alabama <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Don_Siegelman" title="Don Siegelman">Don Siegelman</a> (D) who was convicted in 2006 of corruption charges. Forty-four former state attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats, cited “irregularities” in the investigation and prosecution. Young pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges and received a shortened sentence for his cooperation with the government.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-5" title="">[6]</a>

According to federal documents obtained by Time, Young “personally provided Sessions with cash campaign contributions.” In an FBI memo of a Young interview, he said that he provided Sessions with $5,000-$7,000 using intermediaries, none of who were listed as contributors to Sessions’ 1996 U.S. Senate campaign. At the time Young said he made the contributions, it was illegal to give a candidate more than $1,000 for a primary or general campaign. Lawyers from a U.S. Attorney’s office, representatives of Alabama’s Republican attorney general and an attorney from the Justice Department‘s public integrity unit all reportedly heard Young’s evidence against Sessions and Pryor. However, nearly all the allegations went uninvestigated. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-6" title="">[7]</a>

Steve Feaga, a career prosecutor involved in the case that led to Siegelman’s conviction on October 5, 2007 said Young never claimed to receive anything in return for the contributions to other officials while making such allegations about Siegelman. “At the time Lanny was detailing having made contributions to other public officials, he characterized these contributions as legitimate. There was no understanding he would get something in return,” Feaga said. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-7" title="">[8]</a>

On October 8, 2007 the Alabama Democratic Party called for Sessions’ recusal from any Judiciary Committee investigations or hearings dealing with the case of former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-Ala.). <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-8" title="">[9]</a>

Sessions was born December 24, 1946 in Selma, Alabama as the son of a country store owner. He spent most of his life in Hybart, Alabama. In 1964 he became an Eagle Scout. In his adult life, he became a recipient of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Eagle_Scout_Award" class="extiw" title="w:Distinguished Eagle Scout Award">Distinguished Eagle Scout Award</a> from the Boy Scouts of America. After attending school in nearby Camden, Sessions studied at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama in 1973.

Sessions became a practicing attorney first in Russellville and then in Mobile where he now lives. He was also an army reservist in the 1970s, achieving the rank of captain.

Following a two-year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975-1977), Sessions was nominated by President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama's Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. Sessions was nominated for a federal judgeship by Reagan in 1986, but the Senate did not approve his appointment, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama, whom Sessions would eventually succeed. Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995, stepping down midway through his four-year term after his election to the Senate.

In 1996 he was elected to the Senate, succeeding <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_States_Democratic_Party" title="United States Democratic Party">Democrat</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Heflin" class="extiw" title="w:Howell Heflin">Howell Heflin</a>. He was only the second freshman Republican Senator from Alabama since <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction" class="extiw" title="w:Reconstruction">Reconstruction</a>. He was easily reelected in 2002 becoming the first (or second, if one counts his colleague <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Shelby" title="Richard Shelby">Richard Shelby</a>, who switched from Democrat to Republican in 1994) Republican reelected to the Senate from Alabama.

Sessions is one of the most conservative members of either house of Congress, backing conservative Republican stances on foreign affairs, taxes, and social policy. He opposes abortion, and is wary of immigration. Sessions serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is its only member to have unsuccessfully faced the Committee before becoming a senator. Sessions was a strong supporter of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nuclear_option" title="Nuclear option">nuclear option</a>, a tactic favored by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Majority_Leader" class="extiw" title="w:Senate Majority Leader">Senate Majority Leader</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Frist" title="Bill Frist">Bill Frist</a> to stop <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Filibuster" title="Filibuster" class="mw-redirect">filibusters</a> of judicial nominees. When 14 senators led by Republican <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_McCain" title="John McCain">John McCain</a> of Arizona and Democrat <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ben_Nelson" title="Ben Nelson">Ben Nelson</a> of Nebraska struck a deal to avert the nuclear option, Sessions was one of the agreement's most severe critics.

Sessions has been active in particular as an advocate for the armed services. On September 24, 2005, he spoke at a rally attended by 400 people in Washington, D.C. in favor of the war in Iraq. It was held in opposition to an anti-war protest held the day before that attracted 300,000 people. Sessions spoke of the anti-war protestors, saying "I frankly don't know what they represent, other than to blame America first."

On October 5, 2005 he voted against a bill restricting torture of terrorist suspects.

<h2>Money in politics</h2>

<caption class="download" style=" text-align: right; white-space: nowrap; height: 5.5em;">Download: <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/db2dl/?q=MemContrib&cid=N00003062&cycle=2012&output=CSV&type=C"><img src="file:///C:/DATAleno/BRAINS/webodec3_brain/Files/95E5FB55-E061-938D-9386-3B8A59287FEE/PersonalBrain Notes/downloadedimagefile0.gif" alt="CSV" name="csvButt" id="csvButt" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('csvButt','','http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/csv_over.gif',1)" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" height="18" width="30" /></a> <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/db2dl/?q=MemContrib&cid=N00003062&cycle=2012&output=XML&type=C"><img src="file:///C:/DATAleno/BRAINS/webodec3_brain/Files/95E5FB55-E061-938D-9386-3B8A59287FEE/PersonalBrain Notes/downloadedimagefile1.gif" alt="CSV" name="xmlButt" id="xmlButt" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('xmlButt','','http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/xml_over.gif',1)" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" height="18" width="30" /></a> <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/db2dl/?q=MemContrib&cid=N00003062&cycle=2012&output=JSON&type=C"><img src="file:///D:/DATAfugazi/BRAINS/webodec3_brain/Files/95E5FB55-E061-938D-9386-3B8A59287FEE/PersonalBrain Notes/downloadedimagefile2.gif" alt="CSV" name="\jsonButt" id="jsonButt" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('jsonButt','','http://assets.opensecrets.org/img/json_over.gif',1)" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" height="18" width="30" /></a><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/downloadkey_pop.php" onclick="return popup(this, 'chart')"><img src="file:///D:/DATAfugazi/BRAINS/webodec3_brain/Files/95E5FB55-E061-938D-9386-3B8A59287FEE/PersonalBrain Notes/downloadedimagefile3.gif" alt="About OpenSecrets.org's download options" border="0" /></a> | View Top 20 | <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00003062&cycle=2012&type=C&newMem=N&recs=100">Top 100</a>

Click on arrows to view detailed data.</caption>

<tbody>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000168">Southern Co</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000021862">Balch & Bingham</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000025591">Drummond Co</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000104">Lockheed Martin</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000186">Koch Industries</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000087">American Bankers Assn</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000105">American Dental Assn</a></td>

</tr>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000170">Northrop Grumman</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000126">AFLAC Inc</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000109">Blue Cross/Blue Shield</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000171">International Paper</a></td>

</tr>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000471">HealthSouth Corp</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000025729">European Aeronautic Defence & Space</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000029725">Vulcan Materials</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000089">FedEx Corp</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000662">WPP Group</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000334">Honeywell International</a></td>

</tr>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000021679">BGR Group</a></td>

</tr>

</tbody></table>

</div>

*registrants, or active lobbying firm

===

</div>

<td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td>

</tr>

<td>Retired</td>

</tr>

<td>Real Estate</td>

</tr>

<td>Health Professionals</td>

</tr>

<td>Lobbyists</td>

</tr>

<td>Insurance</td>

</tr>

<td>Commercial Banks</td>

</tr>

<td>Defense Aerospace</td>

</tr>

<td>Leadership PACs</td>

</tr>

<td>Electric Utilities</td>

</tr>

</tr>

<td>Building Materials & Equipment</td>

</tr>

<td>Pharmaceuticals/Health Products</td>

</tr>

<td>Forestry & Forest Products</td>

</tr>

<td>TV/Movies/Music</td>

</tr>

<td>Business Services</td>

</tr>

<td>Misc Defense</td>

</tr>

<td>Misc Finance</td>

</tr>

<td>General Contractors</td>

</tr>

<td>Retail Sales</td>

</tr>

</tbody></table>

==

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00003062&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

<tr>

<th colspan="3">Links to more campaign contribution information for Jeff Sessions

from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> site.</th>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>Fundraising profile:</td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>Top contributors by organization/corporation:</td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>Top contributors by industry:</td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td>

<td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00003062" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td>

</tr>

</tbody></table>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Sessions%2C+Jeff" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Sessions%2C+Jeff" rel="nofollow">Revolving door profile for Jeff Sessions</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00003062" rel="nofollow">2006 privately funded travel profile for Jeff Sessions</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00003062" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00003062" rel="nofollow">Personal finance profile for Jeff Sessions</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

</ul>

<h3>Oil and Coal Money in Politics</h3>

Jeff Sessions has received $79,750 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $58,500 of those dollars were from industry PACS. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-9" title="">[10]</a> In total, Sessions has accepted $185,200 from oil companies since 2000, which makes him one of the top recipients of oil money in the United States Senate. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-10" title="">[11]</a> In addition to oil money, Jeff Sessions has received $126,415 in coal contributions during the 110th congress. $34,000 of those dollars were from industry PACS. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_note-11" title="">[12]</a> See above for oil and energy voting record.

<h2>Committees and Affiliations</h2>

<h3>Committees</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_the_Budget" title="Senate Committee on the Budget">Senate Committee on the Budget</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="Senate Committee on the Judiciary">Senate Committee on the Judiciary</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Strategic Forces - Ranking Member</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Armed_Services" title="Senate Committee on Armed Services">Senate Committee on Armed Services</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Airland</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Energy_and_Natural_Resources" title="Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources">Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Energy</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests</li>

<li>Subcommittee on National Parks</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h3>Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joint_Economic_Committee" title="Joint Economic Committee">Joint Economic Committee</a></li>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Airland</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Strategic Forces - Chair</li>

</ul>

</li>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Corrections and Rehabilitations</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Immigration Border Security and Citizenship</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Senate_Committee_on_Health,Education,Labor,_and_Pensions" title="Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions">Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Retirement Security and Aging</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h3>Coalitions and Caucuses</h3>

<ul>

<li>US Attorney General's Advisory Committee, 1987-1989, Vice-Chair 1989</li>

<li>US Attorney's Committee on Legislation and Rules, 1983-1985</li>

<li>Chair, Republican Steering Committee</li>

<li>Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control</li>

<li>Chair, US Attorney General's Advisory Committee, Controlled Substances Subcommittee</li>

<li>Chair, US-Mexico Interparliamentary Group</li>

</ul>

<h3>Boards and other Affiliations</h3>

<ul>

<li>Board of Trustees, Mobile Bay Area Partnership for Youth, 1981-present</li>

<li>Vice-President, Mobile Lions Club, 1993-1994</li>

<li>Advisory Committee, Mobile Crimestoppers Program, 1983-1986</li>

<li>President, Huntingdon College National Alumni Association, 1981-1983</li>

<li>Delegate, Alabama Methodist Conference</li>

<li>American Bar Association</li>

<li>Former Administrative Board Chair, Lay Leader, Sunday School Teacher, Ashland Place United Methodist Church.</li>

</ul>

<h2>More Background Data</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC034032" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC034032" rel="nofollow">Background information on Jeff Sessions from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC034032" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BC034032" rel="nofollow">Interest group scorecard ratings for Jeff Sessions from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s001141" class="external text" title="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s001141" rel="nofollow">Voting record for Jeff Sessions from the Washington Post database</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=congressmerge" class="external text" title="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ALJR&site=congressmerge" rel="nofollow">Information on Jeff Sessions from Congress Merge</a></li>

</ul>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> also has an article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" rel="nofollow">Jeff Sessions</a>. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" rel="nofollow">GFDL</a>.

<ul>

<li><a href="http://whereistand.com/JeffSessions/wizard" class="external text" title="http://whereistand.com/JeffSessions/wizard" rel="nofollow">See how you compare to Jeff Sessions</a></li>

</ul>

<h2>Contact</h2>

DC Office:

335 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510-0104

Phone: 202-224-4124

Fax: 202-224-3149

<a href="http://sessions.senate.gov/email/contact.cfm" class="external text" title="http://sessions.senate.gov/email/contact.cfm" rel="nofollow">Web Email</a>

<a href="http://sessions.senate.gov/" class="external text" title="http://sessions.senate.gov/" rel="nofollow">Website</a>

District Office- Huntsville:

AmSouth Center, Suite 802

200 Clinton Avenue N.W.

Huntsville, AL 35801-4932

Phone: 256-533-0979

Fax: 256-533-0745

District Office- Birmingham:

341 Vance Federal Building

1800 Fifth Avenue North

Birmingham, AL 35203-2171

Phone: 205-731-1500

Fax: 205-731-0221

District Office- Mobile:

41 West I-65 Service Road, Suite 2300-A

Mobile, AL 36608-1291

Voice: 251-414-3083

Fax: 251-414-5845

District Office- Montgomery:

7550 Halcyon Summit Drive, Suite 150

Montgomery, AL 36117

Phone: 334-244-7017

Fax: 334-244-7091

<h3>2008 Campaign Contact Information</h3>

Friends of Sessions

Senate Committee

P O Box 42780

Montogomery, Alabama 36103

Phone: 334-271-6780

<h2>Articles and resources</h2>

<h3>Sources</h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml" class="external text" title="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml" rel="nofollow">Roll call vote</a>, Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.</li>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> Klaus Marre, <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sessions-time-to-draw-down-troops-is-coming-2007-05-27.html" class="external text" title="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sessions-time-to-draw-down-troops-is-coming-2007-05-27.html" rel="nofollow">"Sessions: Time to draw down troops is coming,"</a> The Hill, May 27, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/26/gop-senators-back-lugars-iraq-shift/" class="external text" title="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/26/gop-senators-back-lugars-iraq-shift/" rel="nofollow">"GOP Senators back Lugar’s Iraq shift,"</a> Think Progress, June 26, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php" class="external text" title="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php" rel="nofollow">Vote Tracker</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-4" title="">↑</a> Adam Zagorin, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" class="external text" title="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" rel="nofollow">“Selective Justice in Alabama?”</a> Time, October 4, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-5" title="">↑</a> Adam Zagorin, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" class="external text" title="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" rel="nofollow">“Selective Justice in Alabama?”</a> Time,’’ October 4, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-6" title="">↑</a> Adam Zagorin, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" class="external text" title="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" rel="nofollow">“Selective Justice in Alabama?”</a> Time, October 4, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-7" title="">↑</a> Adam Zagorin, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" class="external text" title="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1668220,00.html" rel="nofollow">“Selective Justice in Alabama?”</a> Time, October 4, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-8" title="">↑</a> Laura McGann, <a href="http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004408.php" class="external text" title="http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004408.php" rel="nofollow">“Alabama Dems Demand Sessions’ Recusal”</a> TPMMuckraker, October 8, 2007.</li>

<li id="cite_note-9"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-9" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" class="external text" title="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" rel="nofollow">Follow the Oil Money</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-10" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php" class="external text" title="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php" rel="nofollow">Vote Tracker</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions#cite_ref-11" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://coalmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" class="external text" title="http://coalmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" rel="nofollow">Follow the Coal Money</a></li>

</ol>

<h3>Resources</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://sessions.senate.gov/" class="external text" title="http://sessions.senate.gov/" rel="nofollow">Official website</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021230&s=wildman123002" class="external text" title="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021230&s=wildman123002" rel="nofollow">THE SENATOR WHO'S WORSE THAN LOTT: Closed Sessions</a></li>

<li><a href="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" class="external text" title="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" rel="nofollow">Follow the Oil Money-Senate</a></li>

<li><a href="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php?chamber=S" class="external text" title="http://oilmoney.priceofoil.org/voteTables.php?chamber=S" rel="nofollow">Vote Tracker</a></li>

<li><a href="http://coalmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" class="external text" title="http://coalmoney.priceofoil.org/federalRaceGraph.php?type=congress" rel="nofollow">Follow the Coal Money- Senate</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.appvoices.org" class="external text" title="http://www.appvoices.org" rel="nofollow">Appalachian Voices</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>Articles</h3>

<ul>

<li>Alan K. Ota, <a href="http://public.cq.com/public/20060726-specter.html" class="external text" title="http://public.cq.com/public/20060726-specter.html" rel="nofollow">"Few Republicans Back Specter Bid to Curb Bush’s Use of Signing Statements,"</a> CQ, July 25, 2006.</li>

<li>Eric Pfeiffer, <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070527-111503-2313r.htm" class="external text" title="http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070527-111503-2313r.htm" rel="nofollow">"GOP senator predicts troop decrease in fall,"</a> Washington Times, May 28, 2007.</li>

</ul>

<h3>Local blogs and discussion sites</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.alabama-democrat.blogspot.com/" class="external text" title="http://www.alabama-democrat.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Alabama Democrat</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.leftinalabama.com/" class="external text" title="http://www.leftinalabama.com/" rel="nofollow">Left in Alabama</a></li>

</ul>

Corresponding article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Jeff_Sessions" rel="nofollow">Cause Caller</a>. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Senator" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Senator" rel="nofollow">senators</a> and <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Representative" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Representative" rel="nofollow">representatives</a>.)

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Sessions</a>

United States Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama opened the Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention with an address to all registrants on November 10, 2011. He was introduced by Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of The Federalist Society.

Welcome and Opening Address

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Grand Ballroom

<ul>

<li>Hon. Jeff Sessions, United States Senate, Alabama</li>

<li>Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society</li>

</ul>

Mayflower Hotel

Washington, DC

===

<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2010/06/05/176825/crawford-kagan-smear/?mobile=nc">http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2010/06/05/176825/crawford-kagan-smear/?mobile=nc</a>

==

backed health care town hall disruption:

The memo above also resembles the <a href="http://www.freedomworks.org/files/FW_July%204%20Recess%20Action%20Kit_6-26-09.pdf">talking points</a> being distributed by FreedomWorks for pushing an anti-health reform assault all summer. Patients United, a front group maintained by Americans for Prosperity, is currently <a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/BUSS23_20090722-222402/281595/">busing people all over the country</a> for more protests against Democratic members. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the NRCC, has endorsed the strategy, telling the Politico the days of civil town halls are now “<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25646_Page2.html">over</a>.”

Meanwhile, AHIP, the trade group and lobbying juggernaut representing the health insurance industry is sending staffers to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124891353497192109.html">monitor town halls</a> and other right-wing front groups are <a href="http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/07/30/the-looming-ad-war-over-health-care-reform.aspx">stepping up their</a> ad campaign to smear reform efforts. The strategy for defeating reform — recently outlined by an influential lobbyist to the Hill newspaper as <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/default/2009/07/28/53011/kyl-pretends-notobstructing/">“delay” then “kill”</a> — is becoming apparent. By delaying a vote until after the August recess, lobbyists are now <a href="http://recessrally.com/">seizing upon recess town halls</a> as opportunities to ambush lawmakers and fool them into believing there is wide opposition to reform.

----

</div>

Sessions, J Sen

Attachments