FroshUpdate: Freshmen Take Heat On Medicare During Recess

Written by Tim Mak on Monday April 25, 2011

We enter the second week of this recess session with freshmen taking heat on medicare back home in their districts, a glowing profile of Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06) in Human Events, and Allen West telling women to raise little Spartan warriors. This is FroshUpdate for April 25, 2011.

The Next Goldwater? John Gizzi at Human Events has a glowing piece on the career of Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-06), who served in the U. S. Air Force for 26 years before running for Congress. Gizzi compares Johnson to Barry Goldwater, naming the piece "Freedom Is His Flight Plan," after one of Goldwater's early biographies. http://bit.ly/gvdBGs

Gosar Takes Heat From Both Sides - In what is probably not a unique situation nationwide, an NPR radio segment shows the difficulties facing Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-01), as he takes heat from both sides - local Tea Party groups and national Democrats - over his votes on the continuing resolution and the Ryan budget bill, respectively.http://n.pr/geR4Xz

Pay Cut! -Rep David Schweikert (AZ-05) coauthored an op-ed in the Washington Times calling for a 5% congressional pay cut, saying "it sends an important message to American families."  http://bit.ly/emCL0W

FroshUpdate is a regular look at how the freshman class is making news. Add us on twitter @freshmenFF, or tell others to join our mailing list by emailing frosh@frumforum.com with 'subscribe' in the subject line.

VIDEO: Allen West: American Women to Breed American Warriors – West told women how to impact the nation: Raise strong, Spartan men. http://bit.ly/g8jtBw

Meehan Faces Tough Crowd – Unhappy town hall crowds meant an unhappy recess for Rep. Pat Meehan (PA-07), who took hostile questioning from seniors in his eastern PA district over his vote to alter Medicare funding in the Ryan budget plan.http://bit.ly/fKNJ7i

Nuclear Power - Reps. Joe Walsh (IL-08) and Robert Dold (IL-10) toured the shuttered Zion nuclear plant in northern Illinois on Saturday. Dold said that onsite storage of the spent fuel rods was unsustainable and that Congress should open the Yucca Mountain storage site in Nevada as a permanent solution. http://bit.ly/eTxBhW

Bucshon Gets A Challenger -Former Indiana state representative ready to file papers for a 2012 challenge to Rep. Larry Bucshon (IN-08), in a more Democratic-friendly 8th district following this year's redistricting. http://bit.ly/hy4ydt

Freshmen Targeted on Medicare: Progressive group Americans United For Change is running ads targeting Republicans for their votes on Medicare reform. The ads will run in the districts of freshmen Chip Cravaack (MN-08) and Sean Duffy (WI-07), among others. http://bit.ly/h1vVVr

More Targets On Medicare: Democrats are launching a campaign against Republicans - DCCC Video Says Republicans 'Lied' About Protecting Medicare. Among those singled out in the spot are Reps. Dan Benishek (R-Mich.), Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), all freshman members who rode fear of health care reform and alleged cuts to Medicare into office. http://huff.to/gcveSf

What’s the Plan on Libya? Rep. Steve Southerland (FL-02) remains skeptical of President Obama's objectives in Libya and the fact that the president has not yet consulted Congress on his military intervention there, saying that servicemen "deserve an explanation of what we're fighting to achieve." http://bit.ly/hVOPuj

Category: Freshmen Blog