NEWS AND OPINION:
The U.S. has a dedicated population of those who mind and monitor the nation’s coastlines, which run 95,471 miles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security will host a hearing Thursday on securing those borders.
“Our maritime borders are one of our nation’s most frequented points of entry, and they are in the midst of a national security crisis under this administration,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, Florida Republican and chairman of the committee, in a statement.
“In the last two years, communities in South Florida and across the country have witnessed rampant drug smuggling and human trafficking by criminal cartels, who have continued to reap the benefits of President Biden and Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas’ reckless open-border policies. Securing America’s maritime border is crucial to the security of our nation,” Mr. Gimenez said.
On hand to speak: Rear Adm. Jo-Ann F. Burdian, assistant Coast Guard commandant for response policy; Jonathan Miller, executive director for operations, air and marine operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Brig. Gen. Sean T. Boyette, Florida National Guard; and Heather MacLeod, homeland security and justice director, Government Accountability Office.
The hearing will be streamed live from the committee website and on YouTube at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Find the details at Homeland.House.gov.
BIDEN’S FIRST VETO
White House watchers noted that President Biden vetoed the first bill of his presidency on Monday, sending back to Congress a measure that would have prohibited retirement plan managers from using environmental, social, and corporate governance factors to influence investment decisions.
“Biden vetoed this bipartisan bill not because it lacked merit or is not justified, but because it undermines his attempt to take over the economy under the guise of fighting climate change,” said H. Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate & Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute, in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
VETOES EXPLAINED
Meanwhile, Ballotpedia.com — a precise political information site — offers a brief tutorial on vetoes for all of us who are veto challenged.
“Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers,” wrote staffer Samuel Wonacott in the site’s “Daily Brew” column on Wednesday, in reaction to President Biden’s first veto.
“Presidents have issued 2,585 vetoes in American history, and Congress has overridden 112. President Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills, the most of any president. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Q. Adams, William H. Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and James A. Garfield did not issue any vetoes,” he noted
“Dating back to 1981, President Ronald Reagan issued the most vetoes with 87. Biden has issued the fewest, followed by President Donald Trump with nine,” Mr. Wonacott said.
THE DeSANTIS WAY
So what kind of leadership can we expect from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should he land in the White House one day? His management style is already well established.
“In terms of my approach to leadership, you know, I get personnel in the government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda. If you bring your own agenda in, you’re gone. We’re just not going to have that,” Mr. DeSantis said in an interview with Fox Nation host Piers Morgan.
“So, the way we run the government, I think, is: No daily drama, focus on the big picture and put points on the board. And I think that that’s something that’s very important,” the governor said.
AL GORE’S CLIMATE CRISIS
Former Vice President Al Gore remains convinced that climate change will harm the world, and is still delivering that message through the Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit group he founded in 2005.
He’s got some plans.
“Starting April 6, I’ll be leading a free online training program called Power Up: From Acts to Action, with the Climate Reality Project and an all-star lineup of White House officials and other government leaders, advocates, and experts,” Mr. Gore said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
Mr. Gore will offer some of the training himself, along with Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, among others.
“Who is the training for? Individuals and business owners looking to electrify their homes and workplaces. Elected officials, policymakers, and government workers at all levels interested in green jobs, clean energy, and other climate solutions,” a program guide states.
It also cites “community members, advocates, educators, and organizations working for clean air, safe water, and environmental justice.”
Find Mr. Gore’s outreach at ClimateRealityProject.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 42% of U.S. adults say they follow news of what’s going on in government and public affairs “most of the time”; 48% of Republicans, 33% of independents and 44% of Democrats agree.
• 27% overall say they follow what’s going on “some of the time”; 25% of Republicans, 22% of independents and 32% of Democrats agree.
• 17% overall say they follow what’s going on “only now and then”; 17% of Republicans, 21% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.
• 11% say they follow what’s going on “hardly at all”; 8% of Republicans, 15% of independents and 8% of Democrats agree.
• 4% are unsure about the matter; 2% of Republicans, 8% of independents and 2% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted March 19-21.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
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