text:
John Fleming (American politician)
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 4th district
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2017
Jim McCrery
John Calvin Fleming, Jr.
(1951-07-05) July 5, 1951 (age 68)
Meridian, Mississippi, US
Cindy Fleming
University of Mississippi (BS)
University of Mississippi, Jackson (MD)
John Calvin Fleming Jr. (born July 5, 1951) is an American politician, physician, military veteran, and businessman who has served in the Trump Administration as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development since March 2019. He previously served for two years in the administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Information Technology Reform.
From January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2017, Fleming was the representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district. He resides in the city of Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. A second cousin (five generations removed) to the former House Speaker Henry Clay of Kentucky, Fleming is a member of Sons of the American Revolution and Jamestowne Society. He is only the second Republican to hold his House seat since Reconstruction, the first was his predecessor, Jim McCrery.
1 Early life, education and family
2 Medical career
3 Business career
4 Webster Parish coroner
5 U.S. House of Representatives
5.1.1 2008
6 Congressional tenure
6.1 Legislation authored
6.1.1 Federal Duck Stamp
6.1.2 Stagg courthouse naming
6.1.3 Amtrak Secure Transportation of Firearms
6.1.4 Conscience Protection Act of 2016
6.1.5 The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA)
6.1.6 Seniors' Tax Simplification Act of 2015
6.1.7 H. Res. 615 of 2009
6.1.8 American Health Care Reform Act of 2013
6.1.9 Tax cuts and increases
6.2 Activities in Congress led by Fleming
6.2.1 Co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus
6.2.2 Attempt to impeach the Commissioner of the IRS
6.2.3 Social media to connect with constituents
6.2.4 Work on religion in the military
6.2.5 Israel
6.2.6 Long Range Strike Caucus
6.2.7 Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus
6.2.8 House Values Action Team (VAT)
6.2.9 2012 abortion post
6.2.10 Budget Control Act of 2011 and budget sequestration of 2013
6.3 Political positions
6.3.1 Abortion
6.3.2 Affordable Care Act
6.3.3 Other social issues
6.3.4 Same-sex marriage
6.4 Committee assignments
6.5 Caucus memberships
7 Health and Human Services tenure
8 Assistant Secretary of Commerce
9 Potential candidate for governor, 2019
Early life, education and family[edit]
John Fleming receiving Navy Family Advocacy Award 1981
Fleming was born in Meridian in Lauderdale County in eastern Mississippi. He was reared in a working-class home. While he was still young, his mother became disabled and could no longer work. Just prior to Fleming's high school graduation, Fleming's father died of a heart attack. This forced him to finance his education with odd jobs and loans.[1] Fleming attended the University of Mississippi at Oxford, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. He later attended medical school at the Jackson campus of the same university, earning an M.D. in 1976.[2] In 1979, Fleming completed a Family Medicine residency with the United States Navy. Subsequently, Fleming stayed in the Navy another three years, serving until 1982 when he moved his family to and set up a private family medicine practice in Minden, Louisiana. He has served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and Sunday school department director at First Baptist of Minden.[3][4]
Fleming also trained for years in karate attaining the rank of third-degree black belt.[5] He took his first piano lesson at age 43 and ultimately studied for 14 years afterwards, playing the occasional recital and concert.[1] Fleming and his wife, Cindy, married in 1978. The couple has four children.[6]
Medical career[edit]
Fleming was chief resident in Family Medicine at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Camp Pendleton, California. He also trained at the drug and alcohol treatment unit at the Navy Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California.[6] Serving in the Navy after his residency, Fleming practiced family medicine on the island of Guam.[7] From 1979 to 1981, he was the director of drug and alcohol treatment and chairman of the Navy Family Advocacy Committee. He subsequently performed similar duties in Charleston, South Carolina.[6]
After leaving the Navy, Fleming established a practice in Minden in August 1982. His first clinic was on Pearl Street across from the United States Post Office. He chose Minden for his city of residence because, in his words, it "has small-town charm, warm essence of life, long, lazy summer days with watermelon cuts and family reunions."[8] To attract patients to his new practice, Fleming announced evening and Saturday morning hours to accommodate working people and students.[9]
Fleming is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine[6] He joined the staff of the Minden Medical Center.[10] Fleming is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians (LAFP). In 2007, he was chosen as the LAFP "Louisiana Family Practice Physician of the Year."[6]
Fleming previously worked with chemically dependent persons through the program called "New Beginnings" at the Minden Medical Center.[11] In 1994, the Minden Press-Herald revealed Dr. Fleming's call "to end violence and drug addiction. I link these two together because I believe most of the violence we see is caused by addiction to, or buying and selling of drugs."[12]
In 2006, Fleming wrote Preventing Addiction: What Parents Must Know to Immunize Their Kids Against Drug And Alcohol Addiction. In the book, Fleming argues that alcohol, among other addicting substances, can serve as a gateway for broader and more problematic drug use, and that the immature brain development of children make them vulnerable to drug addiction later in life. Therefore, delaying the use of alcohol and other addicting substances until later adolescence or adulthood can sharply reduce the risk of later addiction according to scientific studies initiated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and others.[13]
Business career[edit]
Fleming is also a businessman who started a suite of diverse businesses and commercial real estate ventures during the mid 1980s. His business interests stretch from Brownsville, Texas to Oxford, Mississippi with corporate centers in Killeen and Houston in Texas and Shreveport/Bossier City in Louisiana. He owns over thirty-six Subway individually franchised sandwich shops in north Louisiana employing over 500 Louisianans.[14][15] Among several other franchised concepts, he also owns Fleming Expansions, LLC, a regional developer and master franchise for The UPS Store, with over 182 outlets in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.[14]
Webster Parish coroner[edit]
In 1995, Dr. Fleming ran for coroner defeating the nonpartisan candidate, Dr. Carlos A. Irizarry, 7,842 votes (60.4 percent) to 5,143 (39.6 percent). Fleming succeeded Democratic incumbent Dr. Carl A. Hines, from Minden, who did not seek re-election. He served from 1996-2000.[15][16][17]
U.S. House of Representatives[edit]
Official House photo
Elections[edit]
2008[edit]
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana, 2008 § District 4
Fleming entered the race for the District 4 House seat after the 21-year Republican incumbent Jim McCrery announced his retirement from the House. He received political support from the LAFP and the American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) political action committee for his campaign.[18] Fleming supported the FairTax,[14] which would eliminate the federal income tax and replace it with a flat sales tax.[19] In the October 4, 2008, Republican closed primary, Fleming ran against Jeff R. Thompson, a lawyer from Bossier City, and Chris Gorman.[20] In the election, no candidate received a majority of the votes. Fleming led with 14,500 votes (35.1 percent), followed by Gorman with 14,072 votes (34.1 percent), and Thompson with 12,693 votes (30.8 percent).[21] This established a primary runoff between Fleming and Gorman. In the runoff, Fleming defeated Gorman, 43,012 votes (55.6 percent) to 34,405 (44.4 percent) and carried all but one of the thirteen parishes in the district.[22]
Outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney appeared in Shreveport on November 21 to speak at a fundraiser for Fleming.[23] Politico.com indicated that McCrery supports Fleming but had made no official endorsement and had not appeared at any of Fleming's campaign events.[15] On December 2, McCrery spoke on Fleming's behalf in an appearance on The Moon Griffon Show radio program, which is syndicated in most Louisiana media markets. He used the argument that Carmouche, if successful, would cast his first vote for Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.[24] On December 10, 2008, Paul Carmouche formally conceded the election to Fleming.[25]
Fleming was unopposed in the Republican primary in 2010 but was challenged by the Democratic nominee, David R. Melville. Governor Buddy Roemer, a former Democrat, then a Republican and later a failed candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination; supported David Melville, his brother-in-law,[26] in the general election.[27] Fleming was reelected saying that Democratic policies were out of step with his district and most of America.[28][29]
Fleming was unopposed by a Democratic candidate in his 2012 re-election bid in his district that is 2 to 1 Democratic registration but had a Cook PVI of R +11. In the November 6, 2012, general election, Fleming instead faced opposition from a Libertarian candidate, Randall Lord of Shreveport, a former chiropractor studying psychology at Louisiana State University in Shreveport.[30] Fleming defeated Lord, 187,790 (75.3 percent) to 61,587 (24.7 percent).[31] Lord was subsequently sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for financial scams related to illegal narcotic drug distribution.[32]
On April 4, 2013, Fleming announced that he would not in 2014 seek the United States Senate held since 1997 by the Democratic Mary Landrieu. Instead his colleague, U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge, had announced on April 3 that he would challenge Landrieu. In his statement, Fleming said: "For me to enter the race now would risk a contest between two experienced Republican congressmen, potentially offering Senator Landrieu a path back to Washington. I can't let that happen."[33]
On December 10, 2014, KTBS, a Shreveport based ABC television station, reported that Fleming was considering running for the Senate seat held by David Vitter, who ran in the 2015 gubernatorial election. Vitter would have had to vacate his seat had he been elected as governor. In a statement, Fleming said "If Senator Vitter is elected as Governor, I would certainly be interested in running for the seat he would vacate."[34]
See also: United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2016
U.S. Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana speaking at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland
On December 7, 2015, Fleming officially announced his candidacy for the United States Senate.[35] He was a candidate to succeed fellow Republican David Vitter, who did not seek a third term in 2016. Vitter lost the gubernatorial runoff election on November 21, 2015, to the Democrat John Bel Edwards. Others who sought the Senate seat that Vitter vacated were Fleming's House colleague and fellow physician, Charles Boustany of Lafayette, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, Foster Campbell of Bossier Parish, a Democratic member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and an advisor to John Bel Edwards, Democrat Caroline Fayard, and State Treasurer John Neely Kennedy of Madisonville, the ultimate winner of the position.
"I not only fought the liberals in Washington, I also fought the leadership of my own party when they were all too willing to compromise on our conservative principles," Fleming said in his statement of candidacy.[36] Fleming finished in fifth place in the primary election with 204,026 votes (11 percent), just behind the Democrat Caroline Fayard, who drew 12 percent of the ballots cast. He amassed pluralities in seven parishes, six of which are in his House district: Bossier, Claiborne, Grant, Lincoln (Louisiana's 5th congressional district), Sabine, Webster, and Vernon.[37]
Congressional tenure[edit]
Mamie Love Wallace seen on Barack Obama's inauguration day bracketed by John and Cindy Fleming on 20 January 2009.
Fleming served four two-year terms in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2017.[38] The newly minted Congressman was on stage with many other dignitaries and congressional members at the historic first inauguration of an African American President, Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009. Mamie Love Wallace, one of Fleming's constituents who was an early activist in the Civil Rights Movement, was his special guest at the event. Fleming's wife, Cindy, gave Mrs. Wallace her spouse's seat on the platform in her honor.[39][40]
Legislation authored[edit]
Federal Duck Stamp[edit]
Fleming served on the Committee on Natural Resources and chaired the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs. As such he introduced legislation to raise the price of the Federal Duck Stamp by $10 to $25, bringing the stamp in line with inflation as an increase had not occurred for many years.[41] The purpose of the legislation was to preserve habitat in critical migratory waterfowl flyways to allow duck populations to grow. The legislation was supported by hunting groups, including Ducks Unlimited, the National Rifle Association, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. For his work on the Committee on Natural Resources on behalf of migratory birds, Fleming was given an award by Ducks Unlimited and the 2014 North American Migratory Bird Joint Venture Champion award for a Legislator by the Association of Joint Venture Management Boards.[42][43] The Fleming Duck Stamp bill passed the House and Senate by voice vote and was signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2014, as it had broad bipartisan support.[44] Hunters and conservationists liked it as it generated more revenue to preserve habitat for waterfowl. Conservatives supported it because all additional revenues were dedicated to land easements rather than federalizing private land.[45]
Stagg courthouse naming[edit]
In 2016, Fleming introduced legislation to rename the Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Shreveport, Louisiana in honor of federal judge Tom Stagg of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, who died the previous year. It was signed into law on December 8, 2016.[46][47][48]
Amtrak Secure Transportation of Firearms[edit]
On October 13, 2009, Fleming introduced the Amtrak Secure Transportation of Firearms Act.[49][50] It was supported by the National Rifle Association.[51] The bill passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Obama in December 2009.[52]
Conscience Protection Act of 2016[edit]
On March 22, 2016, Fleming introduced the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 which "amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against the federal government and state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortion."[53] If enacted it would give access to courts (heretofore unavailable) by healthcare providers who feel they have been discriminated against because of their refusal (based on conscience) to provide abortion services. For legislative expediency the text was put into a Senate shell bill S. 304. It was ultimately passed by the House and Senate, but President Obama refused to sign it into law.[54][55][56][57]
The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA)[edit]
By federal law, federal funding is required to be withheld from states who do not enforce the Weldon Amendment that prevents discrimination against healthcare providers if they refuse to provide abortion services.[58] In 2014, California began enforcing a 1975 state law requiring all insurance companies to charge and cover all subscribers for abortion services, even if they object based on religious or conscience beliefs. Fleming and other Republicans accused President Obama of failing to enforce the Weldon Amendment.[59][60] Fleming introduced legislation to provide health insurance subscribers a choice to purchase plans that do not cover abortions.[61]
Seniors' Tax Simplification Act of 2015[edit]
With each congressional session, Fleming introduced this bill designed to improve convenience and lower tax-filing costs to seniors. Though a senior's income may be limited to only Social Security benefits, the IRS requires all senior citizens to use the long form 1040 to file taxes. This act was designed to reduce the senior taxpayer filing to one simple page saving time, complexity and cost.[62][63]
H. Res. 615 of 2009[edit]
In 2009, Fleming introduced H. Res. 615, "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, federal government-run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option."[64] The resolution created a public outcry, after an interview of Fleming by Fox News' Meghan Kelly, demanding that members of Congress should also be subject to Obamacare. Consequently, language was placed in the Affordable Care Act requiring members of Congress and their staff to leave the more affordable Federal Employees Health Benefits Program with much lower premiums and deductibles, and obtain healthcare insurance through the DC Exchange, a product of the Affordable Care Act.[65][66][67]
American Health Care Reform Act of 2013[edit]
Fleming was a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law in 2010[68] and was the subject of more than 50 repeal attempts by the Republican-controlled House.[69] Realizing that Democrats would ultimately demand the elimination of the private insurance market and demand a government-run, single-payer health care system, Fleming called the ACA "the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed by Congress." When asked about fixing the healthcare law instead of repealing it, he said it was "not fixable or repairable."[70][71] Fleming helped write, cosponsored and introduced the Republican Study Committee's American Health Care Reform Act of 2013, which was re-introduced in 2015. The legislation would have repealed the ACA and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and implemented different health care related provisions.[72][73]
Tax cuts and increases[edit]
In a September 19, 2011, interview on MSNBC in which Fleming was critical of President Obama's proposed plan to increase taxes, he was questioned about the reported $6.3 million of gross revenues his private restaurant company received the previous year. Fleming responded to host Chris Jansing by saying, "that's before you pay 500 employees, you pay rent, you pay equipment, and food" (business overhead); "the actual net income was a mere fraction of that...It is more like $600,000 of that $6.3 million...So by the time I feed my family I have, maybe $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, buy more equipment." When Jansing asked Fleming if he thought the "average person" might be unsympathetic to Fleming's position, Fleming responded, "Class warfare never created a job...This is not about attacking people who make certain incomes. You know in this country, most people feel that being successful in their business is a virtue, not a vice, and once we begin to identify it as a vice, this country is going down."[74]
Fleming's remarks were widely reported and resulted in considerable commentary. Bruce Alpert, of Louisiana newspaper The Times-Picayune, reported that "on liberal blogs, Fleming was portrayed as insensitive to millions of working Americans who are struggling to meet expenses in the face of high unemployment and stagnant wages."[74] Conservative sources including Bill O'Reilly and the Drudge Report defended Fleming's remarks. Josh Beavers, publisher of the Minden Press-Herald in Fleming's hometown, wrote an editorial which stated, "[Fleming's] sentiment was only that the more taxes he pays the fewer people he can employ. High taxes on business owners thwart economic activity. Subsequently, President Obama pushed for and attained tax increases as the Bush-era tax cuts expired. Economic growth remained relatively slow under Obama's presidency until President Trump's election and Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Just as Fleming predicted, job and economic growth dramatically improved with the tax cuts."[74][75][76][77][78][79][80]
Activities in Congress led by Fleming[edit]
Co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus[edit]
Fleming, and his fellow congressional Republicans, began the 111th Congress in 2009 with Democrats attaining a supermajority in the House and Senate, and the Presidency. In reaction to a series of progressive bills enacted into law including the Stimulus bill, the Affordable Care Act, and the Dodd-Frank Act; conservatives across America created a number of local activist groups, collectively called the Tea Party Movement. Republicans in the House and their supporters became determined to regain the House to stop the sudden progressive shift in federal government policy. Republican House members, led by then House Minority Leader John Boehner, created the Pledge to America that outlined a platform to reverse the growth in government spending as well as to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank Act and other items. During the 2010 elections, many House Republican candidates ran on the Pledge to America platform with enthusiastic support from the Tea Party Movement. The 2010 election year ended with Republicans taking the majority by winning 63 seats from Democrats.[81][82][83]
The high expectations of conservative constituents of Republican House members, generally, and Speaker John Boehner, particularly; led to conflict and division among House members. A number of conservative members from within the House Republican Study Committee, began to resist initiatives led by Speaker Boehner when he appeared to be overly cooperative (in the view of conservatives) with House Democrats and President Obama on issues like taxes, the Affordable Care Act and illegal immigration and appeared to be not committed to the Pledge to America. When Speaker Boehner was reluctantly forced by conservative members to lead a shutdown of the federal government over the implementation and funding of the Affordable Care Act, John Boehner began to retaliate against individual Republican members who were critical of Boehner and the rest of the House leadership for not adequately (in the view of conservatives) resisting the progressive policies of President Obama and congressional Democrats. Retaliations ranged from removing House members from congressional committees and positions of committee leadership, to supporting Republican primary candidates to oppose them. Also, the Republican Study Committee, through its open policy to all Republican members (growing to over 170 members), transitioned from a smaller conservative group to one that aligned itself with the more establishment-oriented policies of Speaker Boehner.[84][85][86][87]
In January 2015, feeling that the Republican Study Committee had become too establishment-aligned and insufficiently conservative, and citing Speaker Boehner's continued political battle against conservative members; nine House members came together in a series of meetings to consider and ultimately create a more nimble, consistently conservative group consisting of approximately forty conservative House members. They formed an official congressional caucus and named it the House Freedom Caucus. Congressman Fleming of Louisiana was among the nine founding members.[88] Once fully organized, the House Freedom Caucus began to oppose Boehner policies leading to continued divisions and conflicts within the Republican House Conference. In July 2015, Freedom Caucus member, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, without warning; submitted a written motion to vacate the chair (of the Speaker of the House). Though rarely done, it is a privileged motion meaning that any member can submit and trigger a series of parliamentary procedures culminating in a new vote for Speaker of the House.[89][90] The motion accelerated the pressure on Boehner, whose popularity had declined considerably, nationally and among House Republicans in general. Spurred by the timing of the visit to the Capitol by Pope Francis; Speaker Boehner, a devout Catholic, announced his resignation as Speaker and as a member of Congress on September 25, 2017.[91] Fleming, in addition to being among the nine founding members of the House Freedom Caucus, also served on the first Freedom Caucus board of directors and led the effort to impeach the Commissioner of the IRS.[92]
Attempt to impeach the Commissioner of the IRS[edit]
Soon after the Tea Party Movement began in 2009, local and national Tea Party organizations began to complain that the IRS would not approve their applications for tax exempt status, a certification necessary for the viability of nonprofit organizations. In 2013, Lois Lerner, a high level IRS employee, disclosed as Director of Rulings and Agreements in the Exempt Organizations, that the conservative Tea Party organizations were targeted by the IRS to be denied tax exempt status while liberal groups were given the appropriate certifications. This created the appearance that Lerner was using her power in the IRS for political and ideological benefit. Because of the IRS targeting controversy, Lerner was forced to retire and John Koskinen was appointed to replace the acting Commissioner to restore integrity of the IRS.[93]
Investigations into the IRS targeting controversy were held by the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Jason Chaffetz. Koskinen was instructed to protect and turn over all records relating to the controversy. However, under Koskinen, the vast amount of documentation, including computer backup tapes, were destroyed. Chaffetz issued a document to begin impeachment proceedings against Koskinen saying, "he failed to comply with a congressionally issued subpoena, documents were destroyed on his watch, and the public was consistently misled. Impeachment is the appropriate tool to restore public confidence in the IRS and to protect the institutional interests of Congress."[94] However, Republican House leadership did not bring the impeachment to the floor for a vote.[95]
With the support of the House Freedom Caucus, Fleming utilized a rarely-used parliamentary procedure called a privileged motion[96] to force a vote on impeachment of Koskinen. Fleming went to the floor of the House and read the motion on July 13, 2016, after filing it in writing the day before.[97] Though the motion required a vote on impeachment, House leadership and the Freedom Caucus negotiated a compromise for Koskinen to return for an additional hearing to learn more about his actions in the scandal. Koskinen returned, voluntarily, on September 21, 2016, to face an impeachment hearing during which he admitted to his "failings" in getting to the bottom of the IRS targeting controversy.[95][98][99]
Social media to connect with constituents[edit]
As Fleming entered Congress in 2009, use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter emerged as methods for members to connect directly with their constituents. In 2010 the House Republican Conference created the "New Media Challenge" to spur Republican members to acquire more followers. Fleming was awarded first place in both 2010 ad 2011 by his Republican peers.[100]
Work on religion in the military[edit]
Beginning about 2005, critics claimed that Christians in the military caught proselytizing should be court-martialed. Subsequently, military members came forward claiming they were being punished by their military superiors for what they viewed as reasonable religious expression, a violation of the First Amendment.[101][102] In June 2013, Fleming sponsored an amendment to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the military "to accommodate, except in cases of military necessity, actions and speech, reflecting the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the member." The amendment drew objections from the White House, with a spokesman saying that commanders need discretion to, "address potentially problematic speech and actions within their units" and that the measure would "have a significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale and mission accomplishment." The amendment passed with a bipartisan vote by the House Armed Services Committee. A similar measure passed the Senate and compromise language was adopted into the final NDAA signed into law.[103]
During 2013, attempts were made by an atheist to join the military as a chaplain.[104] In July 2013, the U.S. House passed a measure, sponsored by Fleming, that bars the Defense Department from appointing atheist chaplains. Fleming said, "The notion of an atheist chaplain is nonsensical; it's an oxymoron." Democratic Congressman Rob Andrews of New Jersey said that it was "wrong" to tell an irreligious service member that they "must go to a mental health professional in order to receive counseling, rather than someone who comes from their philosophical faith or tradition."[105] Fleming ended the debate by saying, "an atheist chaplain is the last person in the world that a dying soldier should meet with when they need that last moment of counseling in their life." The amendment passed into the 2014 House DOD appropriations bill[106] For his work on religious freedom and material support of the military chaplaincy during his tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, Fleming was given the first ever Torchbearer for Religious Freedom award in 2014 by the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.[107][108][109]
Dr. Fleming, while in Congress, was a strong supporter of Israel. Like most members of Congress during their freshman term, he visited Israel courtesy of the American Israel Education Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of the AIPAC. However, he returned to Israel in November 2011 with a small group of Congressmen as a member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, meeting with high level Israeli leaders and learning more about important issues impacting Israel and the Jewish people courtesy of the US Israel Educational Foundation.[110][111]
Long Range Strike Caucus[edit]
In 2009 Fleming stood up and co-chaired this bipartisan congressional caucus to "sustain both the land- and sea-based long range strike capabilities."[112]
Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus[edit]
Fleming, based on his training, experience and interest, was the Republican co-chair of this bipartisan congressional caucus that promotes addiction treatment and prevention.[113]
House Values Action Team (VAT)[edit]
Fleming served as co-chair of VAT, a House caucus, that met regularly with interest groups in support of legislation and court decisions that are pro-life and pro-traditional family.[114][115]
2012 abortion post[edit]
In 2012, Fleming attracted attention when an article from the satirical news source The Onion (titled "Planned Parenthood Opens $8 Billion Abortionplex") was posted on his Facebook page with the apparently sincere message, "More on Planned Parenthood, abortion by wholesale". The post was deleted after commenters highlighted the article's satirical nature.[116][117][118][119]
Budget Control Act of 2011 and budget sequestration of 2013[edit]
After Republicans took control of the United States House of Representatives In 2011, a debate emerged over how to bring deficit spending under control after it ballooned to over $1.3 trillion annually from 2009-2011.[120] A compromise deal was struck, called the Budget Control Act of 2011, between Republican Speaker John Boehner and President Obama that would create a bipartisan and bicameral "super committee" in Congress to decide how to equitably lower discretionary spending. According to the act, automatic and substantial cuts would be made to both national defense and non-defense discretionary spending in the federal budget if the committee did not come to an agreement to specific and targeted budget cuts. The "super committee" could not come to an agreement leading to the automatic cuts to national defense and domestic spending. Fleming opposed and voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011 as he feared it would ultimately lead to devastating cuts to national defense, which it did.[121][122][123][124][125]
Fleming was quoted in Forbes as saying: "Republicans in general, we desperately want a reduction in spending to get government back into balance. We would rather take some cuts in areas that we are not comfortable with than have no cuts at all."[126] Forbes noted that Fleming's district includes Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk, both major military installations.[126] At a discussion in February 2013 in DeRidder; Fleming, a military veteran, stated he would not vote to allow the government to cut $600 million from the defense budget.[127] Fleming was well known to be a supporter of the military and its personnel and the need to reverse the devastating cuts since the Budget Control Act of 2011 was implemented.[128][129][130] He was quoted as saying, "One way my service in the military changes the way I do my job is that I understand our next conflict is not a matter of 'if' but 'when,' and that we need to equip our military with the resources and tools they need to protect our nation at home and abroad."[131][132] Fleming voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011,[133] that caused the automatic budget sequestration in March 2013. On November 21, 2011, Fleming criticized the Budget Control Act because of what he called "devastating cuts to military spending."[134]
Political positions[edit]
Abortion[edit]
Fleming was a staunch opponent of abortion. Fleming voted to bar federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage including coverage of abortion. Fleming also voted to remove federal funding from Planned Parenthood (which does not use federal money to fund abortions, but accepts federal Title X funds for non-abortion family planning programs). Fleming was a cosponsor of the Sanctity of Human Life Act, which declared that "each human life begins with fertilization." He also sponsored legislation that, among other things, would have made it a crime to "perform an abortion that is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child."[135]
Affordable Care Act[edit]
Fleming supported the company Hobby Lobby in its legal challenge to the application of the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate to the company; the Supreme Court of the United States ultimately ruled in favor of the company in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc..[135]
Other social issues[edit]
Fleming, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, proposed an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) providing that "Except in cases of military necessity, the Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs, actions, and speech" of members of the armed forces.[136] This amendment was supported by Christian Conservative groups such as the Family Research Council, which asserted that religious freedom was under attack in the military, and opposed by atheist groups such as the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, which asserted that the amendment was unconstitutional and would enable harassment of LGBT people in the military.[136][137][138]
Same-sex marriage[edit]
In 2012, before the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, Fleming condemned a marriage-like ceremony that took place at Fort Polk, Louisiana, between an enlisted woman and civilian woman. (Fort Polk, a U.S. Army base, lies within Fleming's congressional district.) Fleming said that the ceremony "should not have occurred at Fort Polk, especially since the people of Louisiana have made it abundantly clear that our state does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions" and characterized the event as part of a "liberal social experiment with our military."[139]
Fleming condemned the Supreme Court's 2015 decision of Obergefell v. Hodges, which found a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Fleming stated that he was "greatly disappointed" and disagreed with the decision.[140] Fleming was also a co-sponsor of The First Amendment Defense Act, a bill designed to protect religious institutions from being forced to perform marriage or other ceremonies that violate their teachings.[141]
Committee assignments[edit]
Upon his election to the United States House of Representatives, Fleming was assigned to these committees:
Committee on Armed Services,
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces;
Committee on Natural Resources,
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs (Chairman)
Caucus memberships[edit]
The Republican Study Committee
The Tea Party Caucus
The Israel Allies Caucus[142]
Co-chair of the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus
Co-chair of the House Values Action Team (VAT)[143]
Co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus[144]
Co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus[145]
Co-chair and founder of the Long Range Strike Caucus[112]
Congressional Constitution Caucus[146]
Congressional Arts Caucus[147]
Health and Human Services tenure[edit]
After completing four terms in the United States House of Representatives, Fleming was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health Technology Reform in Health and Human Services on March 23, 2017 by President Donald Trump. On being appointed, Fleming said that his goals were to remove barriers to health care innovation[148] and to promote greater usability and interoperability of healthcare information technology systems. Fleming lamented the fractured nature of electronic health record technology and said that he supported "every American having a single, unified health record that resides in the cloud."[149][150] Fleming advocated the use of accountable care organizations in addition to the fee for service system still dominant in U.S. health care, and called for more pay-for-value systems tied to the collection and use of data.[149] He said he planned "to advocate policies that would encourage physicians to use technology in their medical practice." He hoped "to remove barriers to data transfer."[151][152]
He was assigned to the Office of the National Coordinator, an agency within HHS. Not only was Dr. Fleming among few physicians in Congress during his tenure, but he implemented the first private practice EHR in Louisiana in 1997. His private medical practice was fully paperless by 1999. As a result it was felt by the Trump administration that he would be a perfect fit for ONC. Fleming's work was primarily focused in the area of streamlining required workflow in the use of technology and the reduction of health care clinician burden. He noted that various studies have shown that as much as 50% of clinician work flow is spent inputting data into EHRs.[153][154][155] He explained that the cause of this burden is due primarily to three major areas: outdated clinical record guideline requirements designed for billing purposes, prior authorization requirements, and health care quality measurement and reporting. He anticipated that a new, rapidly developing clinician burden in response to the nationwide opioid crisis, PDMPs, will need better design and streamlining as they are being implemented. While serving in the Office of the National Coordinator Fleming led an effort, working with CMS, to modernize CMS's 2019 physician fee schedule to reduce the need for low value, time consuming, potentially inaccurate, and excessively documented medical records primarily for billing purposes. He also worked closely with government and private sector organizations to bring automation to the prior authorization process. Finally, he called for merging state and regional PDMPs into a single national database, easily accessible by clinicians with proper authorization and privacy security.[156][157][158]
Assistant Secretary of Commerce[edit]
On June 20, 2018, President Trump nominated Fleming to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, leading the Economic Development Administration.[159] His appointment was approved by a vote of 15–5 in the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on August 1, 2018.[160] On March 7, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 67–30 in the full senate.[161][162] After assuming office, Fleming promoted the benefits of the new tax law, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; especially the Opportunity Zone portion as a new EDA tool to enhance the agency's effectiveness in revitalizing economically depressed communities. His stated goal for the EDA: "We don't try to make successful communities more successful. We want to make uncertain, unsuccessful communities successful, and hopefully even more successful over time."[163]
Potential candidate for governor, 2019[edit]
Sources[164] close to Fleming said that he is considering entering the nonpartisan blanket primary on October 12, 2019 against Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, a candidate for a second term. Columnist Sam Hanna, Jr., of the Ouachita Citizen weekly newspaper in West Monroe, said that Fleming could run because neither of the two announced Republican candidates, U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham of Louisiana's 5th congressional district or Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone, have yet to make much impact toward unseating Edwards. Of Fleming, Hanna wrote:
There was a time when Fleming, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, was known as an arch-conservative Republican who wasn't necessarily adored and loved by the Republican establishment. For some strange reason, Fleming stepped back from articulating his strong conservative views in the [2016] U. S. Senate race and pursued a more moderate approach akin to what's expected of your run-of-the-mill Republican candidate in the mold of the Paul Ryans and Jeff Flakes of the world. Accordingly, he got his tail kicked.
Perhaps Fleming learned his lesson and perhaps lessons learned could be put to good use in this governor's race, which is void of a conservative voice along the lines of what we witnessed in the 2016 presidential campaign. After all, Fleming's style -- at least when he was a mere congressman -- was somewhat a mirror image of Trump's. ...[165]
Physicians in the United States Congress
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^ Staff (January 5, 2011). "Ten Southern Baptists sworn in as new reps". Baptist Press. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
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^ a b c d e Brown, Ida (June 27, 2007). "Meridian native named Family Doctor of Year". The Meridian Star. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
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^ Minden Press-Herald, September 2, 1982, p. 10
^ "Physicians". Minden Medical Center. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
^ "Dr. Fleming will help chemical dependents", Minden Press-Herald, October 18, 1987, p. 10
^ Fannie Moore, "Citizens list top priorities for 1994", Minden Press-Herald, January 6, 1994, p. 1.
^ Fleming, John C. (2006). Preventing Addiction: What Parents Must Know to Immunize Their Kids Against Drug And Alcohol Addiction. Hannibal Books:A Christian Evangelical Publishing Company. Garland, Texas. ISBN 0929292456
^ a b c "Minden's Fleming running for Congress". Minden Press-Herald. January 18, 2008. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
^ a b c Kraushaar, Josh (November 11, 2008). "GOP fights to hold onto Louisiana seat". Politico. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
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^ Submitted by Fleming for Congress. "John Fleming, MD, Wins the Republican Nomination for 4th Congressional District". Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2008. On Friday, October 31, Dr. Roberts, LAFP Past President, presented Dr. Fleming with a check from FamMedPac, the AAFP's Political Action Committee. 'We were honored to receive another check from FamMedPac. I have received lots of support from fellow physicians, and I want to sincerely thank each one who has helped my campaign.'
^ Regnier, Pat (September 7, 2005). "Just how fair is the FairTax?". Money Magazine. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
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^ "H.R.5069 - Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014". Congress.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
^ "U.S. House Passes Rep. Ron Kind's Duck Stamp Legislation to Protect American Wetlands". Rep. Ron Kind (D). Retrieved May 22, 2017.
^ "H.R.5011 - To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 300 Fannin Street in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the "Tom Stagg Federal Building and United States Courthouse"". Congress.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ "To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 300 Fannin Street in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the "Tom Stagg United States Court House"". Congress.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
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^ "Overview of Federal Statutory Health Care Provider Conscience Protections". HHS.GOV. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Sullivan, Peter (January 29, 2016). "Republicans accuse Obama of failing to enforce abortion law". Retrieved June 1, 2017.
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^ a b c Alpert, Bruce. "Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana catches flak for income remarks." The Times-Picayune, September 20, 2011.
^ The O'Reilly Factor. Fox News. September 22, 2011. Transcript.
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^ "It's Official: Trump Tax Cuts Are Boosting Growth And Mostly Paying For Themselves". Investor's Business Daily. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
^ "Economic Boom: Media Rewrite History To Credit Obama Instead Of Trump". Investor's Business Daily. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
^ Cox, Jeff. "Trump has set economic growth on fire. Here is how he did it". CNBC. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
^ Durden, Tyler (April 18, 2019). "Initial Jobless Claims Tumble To Fresh 50 Year Lows". Zero Hedge. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
^ Peoples, Steve (December 8, 2010). "Final House Race Decided; GOP Net Gain: 63 Seats". Roll Call. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Cohen, Tom (February 28, 2014). "5 years later, here's how the tea party changed politics". CNN Politics. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Ray, Michael. "Tea Party movement". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
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^ Wong, Scott (June 15, 2015). "Boehner defends retaliation against unruly Republican members". The Hill. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Martosko, David (January 6, 2015). "The speaker's revenge: John Boehner punishes conservative Republicans who 'p***ed him off' by trying to oust him by removing high-profile committee posts". Daily Mail. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ French, Lauren (January 13, 2015). "Conservatives split off from Republican Study Committee". Politico. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ French, Lauren (January 26, 2015). "9 Republicans launch House Freedom Caucus". Politico. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Bialik, Carl (September 25, 2015). "The Hard-Line Republicans Who Pushed John Boehner Out". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ Dickinson, Tim (October 6, 2015). "Meet the Right-Wing Rebels Who Overthrew John Boehner". The Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
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^ McPherson, Lindsey (November 29, 2016). "House Freedom Caucus Elects Board Members, Meadows to Run for Chairman". Roll Call. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
^ "Rep. Fleming: Impeach the IRS commissioner". USA Today. September 14, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ "House Republicans introduce measure to impeach IRS Commissioner Koskinen". Fox News Politics. October 27, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ a b "IRS boss Koskinen takes heat at impeachment hearing for faulty testimony". Fox News Politics. September 21, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ "Robert's Rules". RulesOnline.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ Bade, Rachael (July 13, 2017). "Freedom Caucus goes all-in on IRS impeachment". Politico. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ Richard Rainey, Louisiana Rep. John Fleming calls for vote to impeach IRS commissioner, Times-Picayune (September 13, 2016).
^ Richard Rainey, Rep. John Fleming-led vote to impeach IRS commissioner on hold, Times-Picayune (September 15, 2016).
^ Moire, Jennifer (July 8, 2011). "Who's Winning The Facebook War On Capitol Hill?". Adweek. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
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^ "Fleming proposal to require free religious expression in military draws White House objections". The Times-Picayune. June 12, 2013. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
^ Tilghaman, Andrew (June 18, 2015). "Navy lawyers defend rejection of atheist chaplain". Military Times. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
^ "House passes Rep. John Fleming's measure to ban atheist military chaplains". The Times-Picayune. July 24, 2013.
^ Kasperowicz, Pete (July 24, 2013). "House votes to block DOD from hiring nonreligious chaplains". The Hill. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
^ "Fleming receives Religious Freedom Award from military chaplains". bossierpress.com. Bossier Press-Tribune. October 2, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
^ Bob, Eschlman. "Congressman Awarded for Dedication to Military's Religious Liberty". Charisma News. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
^ Cavalier, Richard. "Chairman, member of House Armed Services Committee to receive Chaplain Alliance Torchbearer Award" (PDF). Chaplain Alliance for Religious Freedom. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
^ Ronen, Gil. "Congressional 'Judeo-Christian' Samaria Tour". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
^ "Congressional Junket Front-Page News Unless It's a Trip to Israel". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
^ a b Tasista, Michelle (April 19, 2011). "Global Strike commander talks long-range strike". Air Force Global Strike Command. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
^ Slaton, Hunter (May 13, 2013). "Two Congressmen Talk Addiction With The Fix". The Fix. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
^ "Hartzler, Pitts, Fleming to POTUS: mandate treats children as pawns in political agenda; urge withdrawal". Rep. Vicky Hartzler. May 13, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
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^ "Congressman links to Onion story". Politico. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
^ "Planned Parenthood Opens $8 Billion Abortionplex". May 18, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
^ Grandoni, Dino. "Congressman Falls for The Onion's Planned Parenthood 'Abortionplex' Story". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
^ "Oops! Politician posts link to The Onion". NY Daily News. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
^ de Rugy, Veronique. "Debt and Deficit under Obama Administration". George Mason University. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ Bash, Dana (December 12, 2013). "House approves budget deal aimed at averting shutdown". CNN.com. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ "Congressman Fleming opposes Pentagon proposal to make further cuts to US Military". February 24, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ "Military warns cuts would create 'hollow force' akin to 1970s". Washington Times. February 10, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ Cohen, Zachary. "Desperate for planes, military turns to the 'boneyard'" (July 14, 2016). CNN Politics. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ "The U.S. Military Is Suffering A Crisis Of Strategy, Not Just One Of Readiness". The Natural Interest. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ a b Thompson, Loren (February 4, 2013). "Republicans Target Their Own Voters In Defense Budget Switch". Forbes. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
^ Fleming speaks about budget, Fort Polk at town hall meeting – News – Beauregard Daily News – Beauregard, LA
^ "Fleming: We've Got To Begin Taking Our Defense Seriously". The Hayride. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ "John Fleming on Homeland Security". On the Issues. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ "Changes on the Hill - Vets in Congress". MOAA. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ "Congress at War". Politico Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ Roll call vote 690, via Clerk.House.gov
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^ a b "Fleming on Abortion". On the Issues. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
^ a b Corrie Mitchell, Conservatives say religious freedom is 'under attack' in military, Religion News Service (July 10, 2013).
^ "Atheist Group Demands That Military Boycott Prayer Event". Fox News Insider. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
^ Flock, Elizabeth. "Military Chaplains Launching Campaign to Protect Religious Freedoms - for Christians". US News and World Report. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
^ Alan Duke, Same-sex ceremony on Army post draws fire, CNN (June 7, 2012).
^ Bruce Alpert, Louisiana GOP congressional members condemn ruling for gay marriage, Democrats say it advances freedom, The Times-Picayune (June 26, 2015).
^ Bruch Alpert (July 23, 2013). "Supporters of bill to protect rights of same-sex marriage foes open to compromise". The Times-Picayune.
^ Gil, Ronen. "Congressional 'Judeo-Christian' Samaria Tour". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
^ "Rep. Vicky Hartzler". Retrieved June 10, 2017.
^ "Meet the Freedom Caucus". National Review. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
^ "Dr. Fleming named new Co-Chair for GOP Doctors Caucus". InsuranceNewsNet. October 20, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
^ "Members". Congressional Constitution Caucus. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
^ Rainey, Richard (March 20, 2017). "Former Louisiana Rep. John Fleming to join HHS under Trump". Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ a b Leventhal, Rajiv (May 25, 2017). "HHS' New Health IT Lead Speaks Out on EHR Usability, Interoperability". Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ "Former Rep. Fleming Named to HHS Health Technology Post". March 21, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
^ Amdt, Rachel. "Former Louisiana Rep. John Fleming heads to HHS". Modern Healthcare. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
^ Blake Branch (March 21, 2017). "Former Rep. John Fleming to join HHS under Trump". Minden Press-Herald. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
^ Young, Kelly. "Half of Physician Time Spent on EHRs and Paperwork". Journal Watch. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ Monegain, Bernie. "EHRs eating up half of doctors' workday, and they are not getting paid for it". HealthcareIT News. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ Arndt, Brian. "Physicians Spend More than Half of Work Day on Electronic Health Records". Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ Rajiv, Leventhal. "EXCLUSIVE: John Fleming Settles into Government Role with Full Focus on Reducing M.D. Burden". Healthcare Innovation. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ "HIStalk Interviews John Fleming, MD, Deputy Assistant for Health Technology Reform, ONC". HIStalk. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
^ "ONC's John Fleming on Emerging Tech for Reducing Health Provider Burden". governmentCIO Media and Research. March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
^ Broach, Drew. "Trump White House picks John Fleming, former Louisiana congressman, for Commerce post". nola.com. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^ "Committee Approves CEQ, EDA, & EPA Nominations, Legislation at Business Meeting". www.epw.senate.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^ "John Fleming, of Louisiana, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development,". Congress.gov. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
^ "Vote Summary". United States Senate. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
^ "Ex-Congressman John Fleming settles into new role in Trump administration with eye on economic development". The Advocate. July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
^ Alford, Jeremy. "Fleming considering run for governor". Lapolitics.com. Maginnis Publishing. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
^ Sam Hanna, Jr., "Paging Dr. John Fleming", The Colfax Chronicle (Grant Parish), February 7, 2019, p.4.
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text:
Darlington sign utility man Kris Taylor
Last updated on 1 June 20111 June 2011 .From the section Football
Taylor made 26 appearances for Port Vale in League Two last season
FA Trophy winners Darlington have signed utility player Kris Taylor on a one-year deal following his release by Port Vale last month.
The 27-year-old, who lists Walsall and Hereford among his former clubs, operates on the left of defence or in central midfield.
"It's a big signing for us," said Quakers boss Mark Cooper.
"Kris has a great range of passing and is a set-piece specialist, he's certainly a player who will excite."
Cooper continued: "I tried to sign Kris last summer but it didn't work out, so I'm delighted to get him this time and look forward to working with him."
Taylor has made 233 league appearances and scored 18 goals for four clubs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Google India's top executive Rajan Anandan quits; to join Sequoia
Google's vice president of South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has quit the firm. His responsibility will be taken over by Vikas Agnihotri, country director, sales in the interim.
Unacademy raises $50 million led by Steadview Capital
Education technology startup Unacademy has raised $50 million (Rs 346 crore) in series D funding led by Hong Kong-based hedge fund Steadview Capital, which has backed companies like Ola and Flipkart.
Tunisia president in 'critical condition', attacks rock capital
The violence revived fears for the stability of the North African state, which is seen as a rare democratic success story of the Arab Spring uprisings but has been hit by repeated Islamist attacks.
Lucifer celebrations in capital city
Capital shame: 11 farmers killed self in Amaravati
Mounting debts forced 11 farmers in Andhra Pradesh's capital region of Amaravati to commit suicide over the past two years, a fresh RTI has revealed, underscoring how farmers were left neglected in and around an area touted to be developed as a world-class capital.
Charulatha play staged at the capital city
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<ShepherdHoodwin> To bring the group together, I'd like to suggest we start with a quiet meditation. Troy Tolley has been ill, although I heard he's doing better; perhaps we could all send him healing energy.
Let's also connect with Mother Earth and send her our blessings and care. If there's anyone else to whom you'd like to send healing energy, think of them now or say their name(s) aloud, asking that the group energy enfold them.
<ShepherdHoodwin> This has been a period of great growth for many of you. Often, that means a higher-than-usual stress level. Perhaps you could use this chat to consciously let go of accumulated stress from your body. You could visualize yourself being washed clean, moving into the future with all your new growth, refreshed and ready to have a higher experience of life. As you continue to direct the group energy to benefit others, you can also allow it to bring whatever cleansing and rebalancing that would feel good to you.
<ShepherdHoodwin> Dave, we can take a question now.
<Jeremy> Hello Michael and Shepherd, my question is about the moon. The theory of the day is the Giant Collision theory, which means that a planet about the size of mars collided with the earth to create the moon. I would like to know if this is correct and, if not how did it form?
<ShepherdHoodwin> The moon is basically an asteroid from a "broken" planet, but not from Earth.
<Jeremy> How did the earth "grab it" to the orbit it is today?
<ShepherdHoodwin> Earth used to have a higher level of gravity, and the moon was caught in it semi-randomly. We say "semi-" because it was guided into position by those beings whose job it is to build solar systems. However, they were working with the current dynamics.
<Jeremy> Thank you very much!
<fideelia> Past life connections with [name ommited]? We've known each other for 5 years. He is 25 years older than me. He adores me and has been in love with me all these years. He has written hundreds of poems about me. He keeps telling me how beautiful I am and he supports me. I am not sure why he does all of that.
<ShepherdHoodwin> There *are* shared past lives here. In one prominent one, he was your daughter. You were rather neglectful of him, and there was a longing for your attention that continues. However, the most significant factor that we pick up is that he suppresses his own self-expression and sees in you the freedom he seeks. His spiritual path here is to find in himself what he loves in you and begin to release his inhibitions. In effect, you are showing him his true self, but in his fear, he keeps projecting it onto you. Then he wishes to own you so as to not lose himself.
<fideelia> Was I his mother or father in the past life you mentioned?
<laughingboi> I would like to thank Michael for the Seven Steps to Spiritual Health, and I would like to ask if Michael has any insight on which Presidential Candidate might be most conducive to facilitating a long-term peaceful outcome in the Middle East.
<ShepherdHoodwin> Probably Barack Obama, followed by Al Gore. Hillary Clinton would likely start out well but has tendencies that suggest that she would go downhill in this regard.
<laughingboi> No. Thank you very much.
<tm> Hi Shepherd and Michael. Do I have any child agreements for this lifetime and if so, what can you tell me about them? I love being with children and I am curious whether I am meant one day to give birth to my own, or adopt, or just enjoy being with others� children. I am 42 years old.
<ShepherdHoodwin> You have five child agreements. This is not unusual, and it is also not unusual not to fulfill some or all of them. Your agreements are part of the framework of your Life Plan, a range of possibilities. They are not carved in stone. Those with whom you made child agreements also have made parent agreements with other souls, so they are covering their bases.
Fathers, of course, also usually have child agreements. A couple might, then, have ten between them. If a viable pregnancy occurs, all the interested parties get together and decide which soul would be most appropriate for that incarnation. This is a loose process--again, not carved in stone. One can fulfill child agreements by bearing children, obviously, but also by adoption and even being like a parent to someone else's child.
Your essence is still open to the possibility of your bearing a child sometime in the next three years. However, your personality isn't completely certain that that would be your preferred path. So you are continuing to think this through.
<tm> What does essence or Michael recommend I do in the coming days/weeks/months to address this question most effectively?
<ShepherdHoodwin> Picture various scenarios. Live out the experience of bearing or adopting a child in your imagination. Notice the challenges and rewards of each. Compare those with other scenarios, such has having children in your life in a different way. It's like trying on an outfit before purchasing it.
<ShepherdHoodwin> The group energy has come together nicely. We invite you to take a moment and feel into it. What is your experience? We will take a few comments here.
<heather_hamel> Sustained on a steady hum.
<laughingboi> Am here willing to listen, just a little tired behind my eyes.
<Jeremy> It has a very high yet smooth feeling to it. Very enjoyable.
<Jyoti_Shah> It feels like a group energy just raring to go!
<tm> Lively pockets within an overall calm.
<Cheryl> very high energy, I am meditating along with this session.
<ShepherdHoodwin> Feel old energies releasing and falling away from you.
<Jyoti_Shah> It feels like shedding an old garment and donning a new one!
<Chellbell126> I can feel the stress of the last week just wasting away!
<ShepherdHoodwin> Dave, we'll take another question (and perhaps you'd like to change the mode).
<allan> It is common history that someone asked the oracle at Delphi if anyone is wiser than Socrates and the oracle answered that none was wiser. Socrates himself thought it to be a riddle. I was wondering if this story is true and if Michael could elaborate on this. Anything important or interesting.
<ShepherdHoodwin> Socrates was wisest because he was keenly aware of what he did not know. He lived in questions rather than pat answers that satisfy most people. It was something of a riddle, but it was also meant somewhat seriously. The answer was meant to cause people to question what wisdom really is. Of course, that was Socrates' approach to it. Others just wanted to know who the "contest winner" was.
<allan> Yes, who's the wisest man on earth at the moment?
<ShepherdHoodwin> There are many women and men who know that they do not know, who live in the questions rather than in pat answers. We would not know how to rank them, because there are different strengths and weaknesses from person to person. However, we would say that there are probably thousands of "wisest" people alive today, who are in touch with the eternal while, at the same time, living heartily in the mundane. You have probably not heard of most of them, but some are brilliant writers and teachers who pierce the dark with their insights. They range from early young to late old souls; old souls do not have a monopoly on wisdom. However, we'd day say that the bell curve peaks at late mature. This is a time when many have worked hard to throw up their preconceptions and live authentically.
We would define wisdom as having an alive, evolving mind and heart that pierce through surfaces to see the underlying dynamics, with compassion. It is not simply possessing intellectual understanding. It has a keen appreciation of the human condition, as well as the eternal.
The answer to Socrates was not meant to imply that there were none others on earth in his league at that time; it only was relevant to that society, which was advanced in some ways but rigid in others. He was willing to rock the boat. As the most prominent local boat-rocker, he was entitled to be called the wisest.
<DaveGregg> Chellbell, you have the next general question.
<Chellbell126> I would like to know as a physical being, what can we do to become more attuned to the spiritual plane and recognize our spiritual guardians?
<ShepherdHoodwin> This is a rich question. This is a major aspect of the spiritual path. There is no one answer.
Most people are fairly earthbound, in the sense of being unaware of anything other than their own bodily hungers and mental concerns. Their hard-wiring rules. They grow, but the hard way, through bumping into things in the dark.
The first step to awakening to the larger world (which could be called "the spiritual world") is to recognize that you are more than your physical, emotional, and intellectual self. The question "Who am I?" opens the door. The next step is to start listening to the spiritual world, and everything within it. That means listening to other people in a new way: listening to the forces behind their actions. Listening to animals and plants, and the rest of nature. Listening for what is communicated through the various arts. And so forth.
This is another way of saying what we were speaking of relative to Socrates: living in the questions--and then listening for the answers. This establishes the climate for beginning to listen to your Self. Most who try to do it the other way around usually only hear their conflicted feelings. When listening "within" to your spiritual guardians and the higher levels of being in general, you have to have a sense of what to listen for. If you've been stuck in your own confined world your whole life, you are likely to hear only more of the same. Does this answer your question?
<Chellbell126> Thank you, Michael and Shepherd. I will work on a new way of "listening".
<from_mexico_> My husband is 21 and Im 49. I have been his ballet teacher for 4 years. I was very much in love but always thought this wouldn't last, now it has for 3 years. He has acted very selfishly by lying, stealing, and now he has gotten involved with a 14 yr old, who was also my student. She lied and I'm very hurt by what the girl did. On the other hand, he says he loves me and wont leave even when i have stopped all economic support. He has also helped me through cancer treatments.
I would like to know if we have known each other in past lives and the relationships-will we meet in other future lives. How can I forgive and what are best actions for my growth? Non karmic actions.
<ShepherdHoodwin> There are three levels of karma. The major ones are highly compelling and whole lifetimes may be established around their repayment. An example might be murder. Intermediate-level karmas are compelling and still need to be repaid but their repayment tends to be woven into the fabric of lives that are mainly set up for other reasons. Minor karmas are more at the level of nuisance and don't require repayment to the person involved, although they often will be anyway if the person crosses your path.
Your relationship with Victor involves some minor karmas from past lives. For example, you once abandoned him as a baby. You left him with people who took care of him, so it was not a major karma, but before then, you had been rather neglectful and it left him scarred. So he has been getting back at you for that.
You do not have an agreement to be together in a long-term relationship. Of course, you could both choose that, but we don't see it going that way. It looks more like you are using this to tie up loose ends with each other (there are quite a number). It is likely that you will choose to again be together in a future life, in a more peaceful manner, because you are growing so much from your interactions and getting to know one another quite well.
<from_mexico_> What actions can I take right now?
<ShepherdHoodwin> It would help you a great deal if you could detach from the situation a bit and recognize that Victor is still finding his way. We don't think that he means any harm. There is much confusion. Your greatest growth is in surrounding him with love and giving him some room to figure out who he is and what he wants. Observe our own feelings and surrender into the burning of karmic ribbons--feel them burn off, and work to not react to them in such a way as to cause new problems.
<from_mexico_> I will try that. Thank you very much and will probably get in touch with you later. Thank you Michael.
<mheinze> Though I have moments of feeling that I've come more into myself of late - I also feel lost and anxious A LOT. Can you perceive any blind spots or areas of denial worth exposing .. anything to help me get calm & be focused on my life plan?
<ShepherdHoodwin> Your spiritual path at this time is centered around your creativity and self-expression. We would suggest that you put that first, and delve more deeply into it. When your gifts are more fluidly moving out of you, a lot of the rest of your life will fall into place.
<mheinze> Make the art then..
<ShepherdHoodwin> Yes, but not only that. Writing, too. Whatever you feel called to do. It would be a mistake to think that you need to get your life more together before you create. Creating will help your life come together.
<Jyoti_Shah> AM I blocking out material abundance because of a CNF or is it essence blocking it out because that will provide an avenue for growth?
<ShepherdHoodwin> Neither. Our sense is that you simply need to sharpen your money-making skills.
<Jyoti_Shah> Then what should I do in order to experience material abundance or rather find ways to increase my personal income? What avenues should I explore, I mean, what talents should I explore in order to increase personal income?
<ShepherdHoodwin> We could see you using writing, translation, and computing skills to make more money. That is not a comprehensive list. We also sense that doing more networking would help--meeting more people who would be in a position to benefit from your many gifts. Perhaps just being more aggressive in trying new things and putting yourself out there with more confidence. This area needs a burst of energy and creativity.
<Jyoti_Shah> OK Thanks. It is exactly this that I have been considering. Thanks Shepherd, Michael and Dave.
<yy2> Recently I have been feeling a void or a hole in me. It's like something unsettled in my heart yet I don't know what it is. Can you help me to identify the source of my feelings?
<ShepherdHoodwin> There *is* a hole--that's why you're feeling it. You let go of an old focus and you have not yet found a new one. Start imagining different possible life paths. When you come up with one that feels rewarding to you, take steps in that direction and see what you find. It might involve taking a class in something that is new for you--perhaps a computer class, for example. Learning something new is always rewarding for you. You might also consider a gourmet cooking class. Look through a catalog of available classes and let yourself imagine what they might be like. See what calls to you.
<yy2> Was my old focus my life task?
<ShepherdHoodwin> You were focused on your involvement in Falun Gong; now that is gone. It was not your life task, but it involved you. Now, you need something new.
<yy2> Yes. Thank you. I will find something new to do. Gourmet cooking sounds good. Love to you Shepherd and Michael.
<heather_h> Hi Michael and Shepherd. My question concerns past-life dreams. Can they be "viewed" as through a picture window or must they be experienced directly as happening to you?
<ShepherdHoodwin> Past-life dreams will more often be "viewed" when you are mostly resolved around the events of that lifetime and you are just reminding yourself of the lessons. They will be more directly experienced when you are struggling with the repercussions of that lifetime. In the latter scenario, you might want to work with past-life regression so that you can resolve it more consciously. Or, you could journal about your dreams and talk yourself through the experience as a therapist might.
<heather_hamel> Can one be accompanied by others while viewing the past-life? I mean as within the dream - well - I was with others that braced me for what I would see... It was upsetting but I felt okay as it did feel resolved. It had to do with the treatment of animals for self gain.
<ShepherdHoodwin> In a past-life dream, you will sometimes be accompanied by guides to help you deal with it. Does that answer your question?
<parker> Hi Michael and Shepherd. I would like to know my life task.
<ShepherdHoodwin> Your task is quite interesting and unusual. A symbol for it might be your taking a page from each of a thousand books, and creating a new book from them. Your task is the synthesis of a very wide range of perspectives, and showing what ties them all together. There is much teaching involved in this, much of it informal. Does that fit for you?
<parker> I have to think more about it.
<ShepherdHoodwin> We would like the group now to again focus on the collective environment. Feel the energy move in your body. What is it like?
<parker> Feels like pulsing energy.
<Jeremy> It has grown calm in the last 1/2 hour, feeling very centered.
<Jyoti_Shah> Am feeling a lot of energy in my left palm, almost as if a circle of energy is vibrating round it and moving outward.
<heather_hamel> Tingling, like a climbing up.
<from_mexico_> dear group, just to share I just received a long distance call from my husband. Energy is working fine. Thank you so much.
<ShepherdHoodwin> If you feel so moved, imagine the collective energy of the chat participants as like a ball of energy that is radiating healing into the earth beneath it.
<laughingboi> What does our energy look like to the Michaels? Is it colorful like a topographical map?
<ShepherdHoodwin> It looks like a matrix, perhaps a hexagonal shape that is beginning to fill with different colors of light. Roughly.
Notice, if you wish, that remaining stresses stored in your body from recent growth are now fully releasing from it, leaving you feeling clear and light. Experience yourself as a spiritual being who happens to live in your particular body at the moment. Notice happiness spreading throughout your being.
We will conclude here. Love and blessings to each of you. Goodnight.
<Kathryn41> Thank you Shepherd. Thank you Michael.
<yy2> Thank you. Michael and Shepherd.
<Jeremy> Thank you Michael and Shepherd for all the kind words.
<seaglass> Thanks D and S and M! LoVE!
<chknltl> Thank you Michael and Shepherd.
<susantheoboist> Shepherd, you, as usual ROCK!


This world is not God's world, and of that we may all be thankful. It is now in its very last days. This illness has impressed heavily on my mind, more than ever before, the uselessness of this present evil world. Thank God we are all very near to its end. And closer to God's wonderful world tomorrow. I thank you, beyond words to express, for your loving concern and for the many thousands of cards and well wishes that have been coming in from great numbers of you from all over the world.


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#### According to
International Plant Names Index

#### Published in
null

#### Original name
Cupressus tongmaiensis Silba

### Remarks
null

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub