Maureen Rossi
Congressman Lee Zeldin was the keynote speaker at last Wednesday’s luncheon at the Watermill. During the fundraiser for Eddie Wehrheim, the officials present, including Suffolk County Chair John Jay LaValle and Congressman Zeldin made it a point to stress the importance of re-electing Councilman Bob Creighton and Tax Receiver Dianna Varricchio as well. The Congressman earned a standing ovation from the entire room as he emphasized the vital importance of local government officials during an alarming time for Washington.
Congressman Lee Zeldin served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and still serves as a major in the Army Reserves. He has a comprehensive take on our present military and the complexities of and inner workings of foreign affairs. Irate at a series of President Barack Obama’s actions, he made no secret of them.
“He is negotiating with Iran for the purpose of cutting a deal,” he shared. Zeldin said Obama is hurting our relationships with our friends and making friends with our enemies. Obama just brokered a deal with Iran and it essentially leaves their Nuclear Program intact. “Iran’s Prime Minister was already on Twitter refuting our fact sheets within twenty-four hours,” added Zeldin.
Congressman Lee Zeldin was right on target. Since last Wednesday a series of what some would say are ominous events surround our brokering attempts with Iran have occurred. According to Reuters and the Associated Press Iran is now calling for all sanctions, not just United Sanctions to be lifted. They are also going back on the number of reactors and the amount of plutonium allowed. Many critics of the talks and initial negotiations are critical of what is to come. However, the good news is they are not solidified. Zeldin professed his great disdain for brokering a deal with Iran in the first place.
He also accuses the president of running a Monarchy – with his countless Executive Orders. He says, they arrive one after another. “That’s not the process, that’s not how it’s supposed to work; we have checks and balances in place – Congress for one,” he stated. Most displeased by the countless Executive Orders with a dictatorship flavor Zeldin professed his great disdain for the President providing amnesty to people who are not here legally.
After speaking to the packed house – he opened the floor to questions. Smithtown Today asked about the etiology of ISIS, if it indeed rose from our early exodus from Iraq, one that was premature.
“ISIS, a key factor of its uprising was that we withdrew from Iraq in 2007, yes it was too early,” he explained. A book explaining the brave take-down of Fallujah came out this year. Called Lava Dogs it explains how a group of Marines, saw some of the heaviest fighting in attempt to secure the city for the first Democratic elections in 2004/2005. Nick Misiano penned the book about he and his military brothers and their heroic efforts in some of the most intense urban fighting in the history of our military. His father is a Kings Park High School graduate. “It was an operation that was supposed to take months and it took only weeks; Fallujah was one of the safest place in Iraq for almost a decade after that,” he added.
Today Fallujah resembles nothing of the Fallujah those Marines left behind. Rockets, morter rounds and the sound of death live inside of Fallujah now that ISIS has invaded the once safe city. ISIS even beheaded an Iraqi soldier in the town square. Beheadings of women, children and Christians continue throughout Iraq at the hands of the what many call the most heinous of all Jihadi groups.
Zeldin says ISIS is a complex organization and complex solutions will be needed to take them down. When asked by Smithtown Today if he could confirm that they were the most media savvy and sophisticated terrorist group our nation has ever dealt with he said definitely and added most well-funded in addition.
The freshman Congressman continued to engage the luncheon crowd about ISIS, Iran and foreign affairs. For more information about Congressman Lee Zeldin and the work he and his team are doing in Washington, sign up for his free newsletter which include media links and the latest news on the most critical issues facing this nation. Contact: email@zeldinforcongress.com For resourceful newsletters.
Executive Orders
According to the Presidency Projects Executive Orders are somewhat common, however, the numbers vary from President to President. Many critics of Obama say he uses the maneuver far too often, Zeldin is one of these critics. In order to get a clear look at the amount of Executive Orders issued by a President, one must also look at the unnumbered ones to the far right. Executive Orders essentially give the President complete power to override other factions of the government like Congress.
Sources Cited:
Lord, Clifford L., ed. 1944. Presidential Executive Orders, Numbered 1-8030, 1862-1938. Prepared by the Historical Records Survey, New York City. New York: Books Inc.
Lord, Clifford L., ed. 1943. List and Index of Presidential Executive Orders (Unnumbered Series, 1789 – 1941). New Jersey Historical Records Survey, Works Progress Administration, Newark, NJ