For America First patriots who opposed Kevin McCarthy’s ascension to Speaker of the House, Friday night was a loss. But to get there on the 15th vote, McCarthy had to make a lot of promises and concessions to the Freedom Caucus. Will he honor those commitments?
Our role as patriots is to make certain he does and to call him out when he doesn’t. Unfortunately, the GOP failed miserably to stop the midterm steal in the Senate, so getting any legislation to Joe Biden’s desk will be very hard. Then, there’s the veto that the GOP cannot overcome. But they can still hold hearings. They can still use the power of the purse. McCarthy has moves that he and the GOP caucus can make.
To that end, here are five of the promises he made that need to be fulfilled.
Defund Biden’s 87,000 New IRA Agents
“I know the night is late, but when we come back, our very first bill will repeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents.”
Kevin McCarthy: "I know the night is late, but when we come back, our very first bill will repeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents." pic.twitter.com/vuEkmIYJ9O
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 7, 2023
Hold the Swamp Accountable
“We will hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of Afghanistan to the origins of COVID to the weaponization of the FBI. We will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done.”
Speaker McCarthy: "We will hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of Afghanistan to the origins of COVID to the weaponization of the FBI."
"We will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/miQ5xD5fLl
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 7, 2023
Investigate China’s Role in Destroying America
The Chinese Communist Party is at war with America. It’s not a shooting war yet, but they’re hitting us in every other possible way from cyberattacks to economic sabotage. McCarthy promised to go after them with investigations.
BREAKING: Speaker McCarthy announces Congressional Special Committee to investigate the CCP
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 7, 2023
Church Committee 2.0
The Deep State is at it again. They’re gaslighting, indoctrinating, and engaged in direct propaganda through their proxies in media and Big Tech. This MUST be exposed, and apparently McCarthy promised to do just that.
With the rules agreement we negotiated, we will have a powerful Church-style committee to go after the weaponization of the federal government – the FBI, DOJ, DHS, and all the rest.
This is a victory for the Constitutional rights of all Americans.
I'm ready to get to work.
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) January 7, 2023
More Power to the Freedom Caucus
Of all the promises made in public and private, this is the most important one for McCarthy to keep. It will truly separate him from Paul Ryan and John Boehner who actively battled conservatives in their caucus more than they battled Democrats. Here are some of the promises, according to Mark Pellin at Headline USA:
Among the key concessions won by the Freedom Caucus:
- Any one member can call for a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, lowered from a required five members; McCarthy-aligned super PACs agreed to not meddle in open Republican primaries in safe seats
- Hold votes on bills to include a balanced budget amendment, congressional term limits and border security; Pair spending cuts with any efforts to raise the national debt; Move appropriations bills individually, scuttling omnibus spending sprees
- Appoint more Freedom Caucus members to committees, including the powerful House Rules Committee
- Cap discretionary spending at fiscal 2022 levels; Allow at least 72 hours to review bills before they come to floor; Changes to make it easier for members offer more amendments on the House floor
- Create an investigative committee to probe the “weaponization” of the federal government; Restore the Holman rule, which can be used to reduce the salary of government official
Aside from McCarthy’s reported embrace of the negotiated concessions, McCarthy’s acceptance speech after clutching the gavel played to the Republican conservative base.
Conspiracy Bonus
For those of us with more of a conspiratorial mindset, our expectations of Kevin McCarthy go beyond keeping promises and properly empowering conservatives. We need to watch his moves to see when he’s doing the bidding of the globalist elite cabal. It’s going to happen whether he’s a useful idiot, a middle manager, or one of the chief bad guys like Barack Obama or Mitch McConnell.
Now that he’s in power we can get a much better idea of where he lands on the “Powers-That-Be Scale.” If I were guessing, he acts like a middle manager similar to John Boehner, but he could be higher up on the scale like Paul Ryan. We won’t know for sure until we see his actions. Even in his role in the shadows we’ve seen enough to know that he is, at the very least, a useful idiot. If that’s the case then there’s an opportunity to use him for some good just as the elites use him for lots of bad.
As the McCarthy era begins, we need to keep all of these promises in mind and remind everyone if McCarthy fails to fulfill any of them. And he will. That’s just in his nature.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
