The 111th Congress, the most unpopular and corrupt Congress in our history, ended with a flurry of legislative activity that set a record for a lame-duck Congress. Although the media crows that this session reflected a new era of bipartisanship, actions show otherwise. The lame-duck Congress ignored the election results of Nov. 2 by trying to force through a huge spending bill, the DREAM Act (amnesty) and the START Treaty, which LEAVES AMERICA WITH NO FUTURE missile defense.

While everyone was watching the busy lame-duck Congress RUSH THROUGH 2,000-PAGE BILLS, the Obama administration was showing how it WILL govern in 2011, with BUREAUCRATIC RULE, BACK-ROOM DOUBLE-DEALING AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS. Toward the end of December, the Federal Communications Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health & Human Services Department took action.

The HHS unveiled new price controls for the health insurance industry through Obamacare. Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said this year, health insurance companies must receive permission from the Obama administration before they can raise rates by more than 10 percent. Unfortunately, this INTERFERENCE WITH THE FREE MARKET will lead to shortages and poor quality of health care. Also, it came to light that the Obama administration secretly slipped “end of life planning” — AKA “death panels” back into law by means of new Medicare regulations. Never mind that Americans are strongly against this on moral and ethical grounds.

On Dec. 21, the FCC released its “net-neutrality” rules, which allow the federal government to begin regulating the Internet, despite opposition from Congress and a contrary federal court ruling. In typical Obama administration fashion, no one was allowed to read the document.

Finally, the EPA announced it would begin regulating power plants and oil refineries in an attempt to stop global warming. These regulations will seek to cut greenhouse gas emissions by making it more expensive to turn fossil fuel into energy. Also, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued rules that would make it even harder to develop natural resources on government-owned land. These new regulations will lead to higher electricity prices, higher gasoline prices and more dependence on foreign sources of energy.

The year 2011 will be a pivotal year. There will be a battle between Big Government and “We the People.” The newly elected House of Representatives will challenge President Barack Obama and his progressive agenda. One thing for sure, the powerful Tea Party Movement will be watching and keeping score. The 2012 elections are not that far off.

Diana Thorn
Carpinteria