Where is Congress?

Dear Editor,

Where in the heck is Congress? They should be in session debating a course of action for Iraq. Instead they are on a five-week recess running for reelection instead working for the security of this country.

Protecting their cushy jobs is more important than protecting the USA.

They take the month of July off, work eight days in August and then take five weeks off to run for reelection, then people get upset over a salute.

Here’s a real scandal. One-third of our embassies do not have an ambassador. The Russian ambassador was finally confirmed when the Ukraine crisis broke. The rest are blocked by the GOP in the senate. There are hundreds of judicial and cabinet appointments still waiting on the GOP senators.

There is no infrastructure bill, job bills and all veteran bills are killed or underfunded. We have no immigration reform, no equal pay for equal work, no raising the minimum wage, but we can cut SNAP and increase subsidies to huge agri-business.

They can protect subsidies to huge oil companies while fighting renewable energy programs and shutting down the government to the tune of $26 billion cost to taxpayers. They’re wasting money on phony investigations and voting 52 times to repeal the ACA. They’re letting unemployment extension die, but allow corporations to offshore money to evade taxes through phony overseas headquarters.

Wall Street steals from the general public, and Congress wants to turn Social Security over to them. They want to do away with Medicare and Medicaid, turn Medicare and Tricare into a voucher program and force seniors to seek health insurance though private plans, and knowing the GOP, the vouchers won’t pay for ditty.

You youngsters ready for mom and dad to move in and YOU pay their healthcare, food and lodging cost?

This November is important. Get off your couches and VOTE for people who have your interest, not the corporate bought-and-paid-for stooges we now have in Congress.

Larry Allen

Easley

An open letter to the President

Dear President Obama,

My husband and I are angered and distressed over the recent beheading of Colleen Hufford. This act of terrorism happened on American soil! And due to your not taking immediate action by addressing this heinous crime, I am sure there will be more.

A Muslim attacked and beheaded Colleen in Oklahoma. He sawed off her head with a knife while chanting Islamic verses. Can you imagine the terror and the pain this woman felt? She refused to convert to his Islam religion, so he followed the Quran and beheaded her. He even attempted to kill a second person, but was shot by another employee.

Thank God for the right to bear arms, or another innocent victim would be dead.

To date you have said absolutely nothing about this woman’s murder. It is as if it did not happen. You spent Friday at the Democrat National Committee Fundraiser and have spent way too many days on the golf course — which I do believe is the same place you spent the day after journalist James Foley was executed by Muslim.

You also have done absolutely nothing about changing the status of the Fort Hood massacre from workplace violence to terrorism. In fact, you had to do a “shout out” before you even addressed this terrorist act by a professed terrorist Muslim.

You had plenty to say about Treyvon Martin (he could have been your son). You even made reference to the shooting in Ferguson, Mo., of Michael Brown by a white police officer at the United Nations! But you have remained silent when a white American woman is beheaded on our own soil by a black Muslim? You should have called an immediate press conference and made it clear the United States of America will not tolerate a beheading on our soil and that justice will be swift for anyone committing such a heinous terrorist crime.

For the first time in our lifetime, my husband and I are truly ashamed of our president. This is the first time we have even contacted a president of the United States on an issue. There are many other areas politically we disagree with you on, but that’s just politics. This, sir, is an issue that is not political — it is innocent Americans’ safety, which should be your number one concern!

It is time you take your oath of office seriously and protect American citizens from terrorists!

Tommy and Johnnelle Raines

Pickens