New Gun Legislation Is In Working Order.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland reported that new gun legislation passed by congress in June of 2022 is working and so far has blocked over 500 firearms from being bought.  That's 500 plus less guns on the streets of America.  The new gun legislation was part of President Biden's ongoing attempt to tighten the rules and loopholes when purchasing a firearm.  

The legislation that was passed in 2022 was passed by the democratic controlled congress with support from the GOP and was the most sweeping gun legislation in decades and requires extra checks for any gun purchase by people under 21 years of age.  Other safety provisions were also added.  President Biden noted after the announcement that the legislation was working and that he will continue to consider other methods to keep America and its people safe from gun violence.

And once again, it is a democratic President and a democratic controlled congress with GOP assistance who led the fight for common sense gun legislation.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

Note: The Bill passed the House 234-193 and in the Senate 65-35.  All democrats voted for the legislation and totaled 274 votes for, while a total of 228 republicans voted no on the legislation. 14 republican members in the House voted with the democratic majority, while in the senate 15 republicans voted with the democratic majority.  All Louisiana republican house members voted against the bill, while Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy voted for the bill.  Senator John Kennedy voted against the bill.  Democratic representative in the House Troy Carter voted for the bill.  The vote tells the story of a GOP where their own majority is on the wrong side of a basis solution to reduce the violence of gun deaths. 

The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and The Unemployment Rate for December 2023.

 The U.S. Labor Department reported the economy added 216,000 jobs in December and that the unemployment rate came in at 3.7%, same as in November.  It was the 35th straight month of positive job growth (Feb. 2021 - Dec. 2023) and the unemployment rate has stayed in the 3% range for the past 25 months, the longest string since the 1960's.  Hourly wages were up 4.1% from a year earlier and the hourly wage has outpaced inflation over the past year.  October and November's job numbers were lowered by 71,000 total as adjustments are nothing new and are revised up or down through the year.

The year 2023 ends on a good economic note for the country and its people.  Thirty five steady months of economic progress, an economy that has proved the negative voices wrong over and over again, the American people still willing to spend because they have jobs with higher wages, a SANE President in the White House confident his policies will continue to work for the nation and its people and at the same time protect our democratic way of life.  On the other side is just the opposite, a GOP party that is not a real party, just a bunch of Trump ditto heads who share his corruptive and traitorous acts against the United States, its people, the constitution, our legal system and democracy itself.  They, along with a media that enables them are the greatest threat to democracy internally.

The United States now turns to a new year with high economic expectations to start it off.  The future looks bright with a democrat still in the White House.  The negative voices and the crazies are just that and have nothing else to offer.  And that really says it all.  

This commentary written by Joe Lorio