THis Week in Congress

[JackLuis]

Jon Stewart ripped a subcommittee of the House Judiciary a new asshole yesterday

during a hearing on a bill to fund benefits for 9/11 first responders. Stewart chastised the "indifference" from Congress, saying that members should be "ashamed" of themselves, then singled out the subcommittee's ranking Republican for questioning Congress's ability to fund the program in five years. "They did their jobs with courage, grace, tenacity, and humility," an angry and emotional Stewart said. "Eighteen years later, do yours!" Shortly after the hearing, Stewart told CNN, "These are the most honored and venerated amongst us, and if we can't take care of them, what chance do the rest of us have?" [Video]

Eighteen years after 9/11, after spending a Trillion Dollars and more on the War in Iraq and we are still pouring money down the Afghan Rat hole, Congress is concerned that supporting the 9/11 responders health issues, "Costs too much" ,"How will we every pay it!"?

Well perhaps if we diverted some money from the PeeResident's Golf trips and the Congressional expense accounts, we could find the money? Perhaps if we "remembered" the sacrifice of these American Heroes we could find a way?

https://youtu.be/vgPEiILu_V4

 

[JackLuis]

IN other news

Attorney General Bill Barr is threatening to assert executive privilege over Census documents if Congress goes ahead with a planned contempt vote. The DOJ is apparently flummoxed that House Judiciary Chair Elijah Cummings is sick of being stonewalled over the GOP's attempt to rig elections in their favor.

The Washington Post reports Trump has become obsessed with being impeached, and says he'll "sue" Democrats if they try. Just as Democrats are divided on whether or not to impeach Trump, so is Trump World, with some worried that impeachment would forever overshadow everything he does, regardless of the outcome.

Donald Trump Jr. will trudge back up to the Hill for his second closed-door meeting with the Senate Intel Committee. DJTJ is expected to answer a number of questions, including about that Trump Tower meeting -- the one with Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, some Eurotrash, and a bunch of Russians -- as Democrats think the Trump spawn MIGHT have lied the last time around.

Meanwhile, over in the House, Democrats will hear from two former FBI officials who retired before the Trump-Russia investigations began in 2016 in their continued effort to turn the Mueller Report into a TV movie of the week.

 

[JackLuis]

Bill Barr Telegraphing His Punches Like A Frat Boy At A Kegger

In April, Donald Trump stood on the White House lawn and told reporters, "We're fighting all the subpoenas." This admission that the Trump administration is fighting just to fight, rather than based on the validity of any particular congressional inquiry, was distinctly unhelpful to Attorney General Bill Barr, whose job requires him to swear that he's defending the sacred privacy of the executive branch, rather than a petulant dotard who thinks he's America's god king. No one ever accused Trump of being a longterm, strategic thinker.

Meanwhile, over at the House Oversight Committee, Chairman Cummings is on Step 7 in the fight to get Census documents from the White House. Trumpland is extra-sensitive about this at the moment, since the Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to accept Wilbur Ross's laughable assertion that they added the citizenship question to protect the rights of minority voters, rather than entrench Republicans in power forever. Ross and his deputies appear to have lied to Congress, and they'd very much prefer not to hand over evidence of that, thankyouverymuch.

So, last night Barr's deputy Stephen Boyd sent a letter -- you want snitty, Steve will show you snitty! -- whining that mean Elijah Cummings never negotiates with the DOJ and threatening to have Donald Trump throw a blanket of executive privilege over the entirety of the Census if Cummings went ahead with the contempt vote against Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Just to make this extra clear, the Justice Department is threatening to make a sham invocation of executive privilege as a weapon to protect Barr and Ross personally and to "reevaluate its current production efforts in ongoing matters," an unsubtle threat to shut down document production entirely based on events that have nothing to do with Congress's right to see the disputed materials.

Cummings responded with a HAHA FUCK YOU letter saying, "The Committee has a responsibility under the Constitution to conduct rigorous oversight of the Census, and we will not delay our efforts due to your ongoing obstruction." So Oversight went ahead with the contempt vote this morning, and the DOJ invoked some non-existent, bullshit version of executive privilege over the Census documents. As we type, the committee hearing is ongoing, but there are 18 Republican Oversight members and 24 Democrats so ... not exactly a nailbiter. Then they'll schedule a contempt vote before the entire House, as Nadler did with the Judiciary Committee.

Handcuffs? When will there be handcuffs?

 

[JackLuis]

Ban On Abortion Funding Stays In House Bill As 2020 Democrats Promise Repeal

Democrats on the 2020 campaign trail are emphasizing their support for expanded abortion rights, but in Washington, House Democrats are preparing to retain a decadeslong ban on most federal funding for abortions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is one of many abortion rights supporters in Congress who have resigned themselves to supporting spending bills that include the Hyde restrictions.

"I do not think it is good public policy, and I wish we never had a Hyde Amendment, but it is the law of the land right now," Pelosi told an audience this week at an event sponsored by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. "I don't see that there is an opportunity to get rid of it with the current occupant of the White House and some in the United States Senate."

Couldn't they just "Oops" it, leave it out and let the Rethuglican Senate "Hold UP the Government" again? You know, 'Abort' the Hyde Amendment?

 

[JackLuis]

Rep. Duncan Hunter's Wife to Change Plea in Campaign Finance Misuse Case

After throwing his wife under the bus, Hunter is faced with the consequences!

Nearly a year after Congressman Duncan Hunter, of San Diego, suggested his wife was to blame for their alleged misuse of campaign funds, Margaret Hunter headed to court Thursday to change her not guilty plea. The move could pave the way for her to testify against her husband.

Margaret Hunter, who worked as her husband's campaign manager, was scheduled to appear in federal court in San Diego today to change her plea.

The California congressman's attorney, Gregory Vega, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Margaret Hunter's decision should have no impact on his client's federal corruption case. The case alleges the couple spent more than $250,000 in campaign money on a lavish lifestyle, bankrolling Italian and Hawaiian vacations, tequila shots and theater tickets while their household budget was in the red.

 

[JackLuis]

House Dems Do What They Do Best After Trump Invites Foreign Election Interference: Shrug

Is Nancy really holding the Dem's back? She doesn't want to 'Impeach His Ass Now,' but isn't she at least hinting that the Committees should Investigate his ass, subpoena the Trumpsters, holding them in contempt if they evade and using the courts to make them Obey Their Betters, or GO TO JAIL, fuckers!

In any event she is not leading, but hoping some White Knight will rid her of this meddlesome bigot!

To a person, Democratic lawmakers said on Thursday that President Donald Trump's stated comfort receiving election assistance from a foreign government was shocking, disqualifying, and even criminal. And then, they did what they’ve come to do best: shrug.

Inside the caucus, there was a sense of dejection the morning after ABC News released footage of an interview in which Trump said he would not reach out to the FBI if a foreign government tried to help his campaign. Members and aides admitted they have grown jaded and increasingly convinced that leadership will not move forward with an impeachment inquiry regardless of the ethically dubious and legally problematic steps the president takes.

If she would just unleash the Hounds of Hell on the Trumpsters and pressure him every day every way possible she can educate the great unwashed and coast to victory next summer, when Trumpski will be fighting the impending Impeachment instead of pumping his base.

By increasing the pressure on the Trumpites and perhaps putting a few of them in Jail, she would force him to do more things that are impeachable and rip his cabinet apart, while getting Wall St and the 1% on her side, as Trump will tear the economy apart in his panic. He is going to do it anyway, so why not make it apparent to the nations that he is the problem?

 

[JackLuis]

One Man, One Vote, One Dollar

A modest proposal for fixing congressional salaries.


Now that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has weighed in on Congressional pay, the issue has been given a quick death by acute political radiation poisoning: The freshman socialist supported raising congressional pay until it was discovered that Republican leadership also supported it so, obviously Democrats had to bail on the $4,500 cost of living adjustment.

It’s a quaint reminder of why we can’t have nice things.

Liz has plans, but what about this grassroots plan?

Or what about giving Social Security a 2.5% raise like Congress was about to vote for themselves? Sure it's not much but better than the 1% raise they got last go round?

 

[JackLuis]

Jon Stewart absolutely levels Mitch McConnell on Fox News for his inaction on 9/11 first responders

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, comedian Jon Stewart lashed out at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for congressional inactivity regarding the plight of the 9/11 responders.

Speaking with host Chris Wallace, the former host of “The Daily Show” singled out the Republican among all the other lawmakers who have failed to step up with renewed support.

“They asked Mitch McConnell about the testimony after it was done,” the comedian recalled. “He said,“‘Gosh, we haven’t looked at that in a while but we will look at it and I’m sure we’ll deal with it as compassionately as we have in the past’,” Stewart relayed.

“I want to make it clear that this has never been dealt with compassionately by Senator McConnell,” he said. “He has always held out until the very last minute and only then, under intense lobbying and public shaming has he even deigned to move on it.”

The comedian concluded by saying congressional inaction is “unacceptable.”

Mitch McConnell, the Rethuglican Cancer in our Republic.

 

[JackLuis]

Yarmuth says effort to unseat McConnell could be national marquee battle next year

Kentucky Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth said Friday his two top picks to challenge Mitch McConnell in 2020 are Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot whose unsuccessful House race last year caught national attention, and sports radio talk show host Matt Jones.

Yarmuth admitted, however, that either candidate would face long odds in the Bluegrass State.

“I think Amy’s probably the first target of the [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]. They’ve talked to her. I’ve talked to her. She is totally dedicated to public service and if she runs, it’ll be the Beto O’Rourke-Ted Cruz race of 2020 because the nation will be closely focused on that,” he said during a C-SPAN “Newsmakers” interview.

A long last the DNC is waking up to the fact that Mitch is the most dangerous ass in the country.

 

[JackLuis]

House Democrats’ Campaign Arm to People of Color: We’re Not Taking You for Granted

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, is launching a multi-year, multi-million dollar strategy to earn support from people of color and younger voters ahead of the 2020 cycle. At the heart of it is a message: they are not assuming those voters will automatically turn out for them.

“We don’t want to take any voter for granted,” DCCC Chairwoman Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) told The Daily Beast. “We know that it’s not good enough to show up the last month and ask for people’s votes.”

By chance, DCCC’s roll out, called the “Cycle of Engagement” program, works well with Bustos’ upcoming travel: She is heading to South Carolina, a state with a prominent African American voter bloc, to keynote the state party’s annual fundraising banquet.

Yes! more lip service from Congress!

 

[KeithD]

House Democrats’ Campaign Arm to People of Color: We’re Not Taking You for Granted



Yes! more lip service from Congress!

The House Democrats aren't "Congress."

 

[JackLuis]

The House Democrats aren't "Congress."

Thank you for your clarifying post Keith. You are keeping up with the times aren't you.
I should perhaps have said:
"House Democrats pay more lip service to the oppressed masses, as they ignore their duty to the Constitution."

 

[JackLuis]

Speaker Pelosi rips progressives in ‘The Squad’ for not having ‘any following’ in Congress

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) ridiculed four young female progressives who stood up to her on the recent border wall vote.

Pelosi was interviewed by Maureen Dowd for a story published Saturday by The New York Times.

“All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world,” she said. “But they didn’t have any following. They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got,” Pelosi replied.

This was in response to the "The Squad's" wanting to add protections in the $4.6 Billion Baby Jail funding act.

 

[JackLuis]

What The Hell Is Nancy Pelosi Doing?

Huff Po asking about Nancy's objectives.

This is not how Democrats told voters they would wield power. During the 2018 midterm elections, Pelosi and other Democratic leaders repeatedly made two campaign promises: Democrats would conduct rigorous oversight of a corrupt, lawless administration and fight to reduce sky-high prescription drug costs burdening American families.

“We have a constitutional responsibility for oversight,” Pelosi said on a media tour following the party’s November triumph. “This is a perilously constitutional moment.”

Over the past six months, that oversight has been a farce.

 

[JackLuis]

Congressman claims charging El Paso domestic terrorist with a hate crime will lead to putting preachers in prison

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told two (really bad) local television news reporters he opposes charging the man suspected of slaughtering 22 people at an El Paso, Texas Walmart with a federal hate crime because that will lead to locking up preachers in prison.

Rep. Gohmert, who brought America the racist term “terror babies,” has occasionally been called the “stupidest” Congressman, and his Monday interview with KETK did nothing to dispel the rumor.

“There is no death penalty under federal law,” Rep. Gohmert said, as Mediaite reports. That, too, is not only false (here’s the DOJ’s page on the death penalty), the DOJ just a week ago announced it is executing five death row inmatesstarting in December. “All of this screaming and yelling, ‘we need to punish him for hate crimes,’ you know, that’s just going to be something used to lock up preachers someday.”

Perhaps so if the preachers are hateful.

 

[KeithD]

Some preachers indeed belong in prison--for pretty must the same laundry list of corruption and crime that Donald Trump should be put in prison for.

 

[JackLuis]

Some preachers indeed belong in prison--for pretty must the same laundry list of corruption and crime that Donald Trump should be put in prison for.

Give it up, pilot. You can't out-Gomert Loonie Louis!

 

[JackLuis]

The Next Big Vote on Gun Control May Be in the Supreme Court

After this weekend’s mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, pressure to reform gun laws has focused on Congress—and, as usual, Congress seems stymied about what to do. But with far less attention, an important strand of the debate has now landed in the Supreme Court.

Last week, the gun-maker Remington, which had annual sales of approximately $600 million in 2017, asked the Supreme Court to overturn a Connecticut decision that gave Sandy Hook families the ability to sue the company over the way it marketed the weapon used in the 2012 school massacre.

The ability to bring suits against gun manufacturers would give American citizens a powerful tool to hold gun-makers liable for the damage their weapons cause—much as cigarette companies were vulnerable to suits for the harms of tobacco. It’s not clear whether John Roberts’ court will take the case, and if it does, whether it will side with the families or uphold protections that gun-makers have enjoyed since the Bush administration.

If Moscow Mitch refuses to take action, will the Supremes vote their hearts or pocket books?

 

[JackLuis]

Democrats demand McConnell convene Senate to pass background checks after mass shootings

Moscow Mitch has a boo boo. so no he's not going to make Rethuglicans vote against things that 90% of America wants. Don't be silly.


Pressure for the Senate to act on guns follows McConnell home to Kentucky

As Trump prepares to visit El Paso & Dayton, Dems press McConnell to act on gun control measures

As Trump prepares to visit El Paso & Dayton, Dems press McConnell to act on gun control measures 03:12

Louisville, Kentucky (CNN)Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a decision to make.
In the wake of two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio that left 31 people dead, the Senate's leading Republican -- a 35-year public servant who has earned a reputation as being hardened to the criticisms of Democrats and who relishes stopping House legislation at the Senate's edge -- is grappling with how his party can respond to a changing moment in American politics on guns.
Not just in Washington, but back home in Kentucky, McConnell is facing the kind of pressure that were it on any other member, might shift momentum even incrementally. At a vigil outside his office Tuesday night, more than 100 protesters gathered. They chanted "do your job" and carried signs urging McConnell to "let Congress vote."
"Work for all the people, not just your party," one sign said.

Linda Yuda, who said she once voted for McConnell, said she'd recently written her senior senator a letter.
"I used to be proud," she said of McConnell. Now, she said she wonders how he sleeps at night.
Asked if she thought there would be changes to the country's gun laws: "not unless President Trump tells them to."

 

[KeithD]

If Moscow Mitch refuses to take action, will the Supremes vote their hearts or pocket books?

It would be nice if the Supremes would actually read the Second Amendment to realize it doesn't say what the gun nuts says it does. It refers to a regulated militia (in today's terms, the National Guard), not unenlisted citizens, and it says nothing about what types of weapons it allows in private hands. Even now you can't go out and acquire a loaded Sherman tank or a nuclear missile for personal use. Nothing in the Constitution sanctions private citizen access to an assault weapon.

 

[JackLuis]

It would be nice if the Supremes would actually read the Second Amendment to realize it doesn't say what the gun nuts says it does. It refers to a regulated militia (in today's terms, the National Guard), not unenlisted citizens, and it says nothing about what types of weapons it allows in private hands. Even now you can't go out and acquire a loaded Sherman tank or a nuclear missile for personal use. Nothing in the Constitution sanctions private citizen access to an assault weapon.

The issue is, can Arms making Corporations be shielded from law suits for (any silly reason), just because they are vulnerable because of their product lines? Why not Ford for Pintos or GM for Corvairs?

Are the legal remedies for unintentional stupidity to be restricted?

 

[JackLuis]

Pelosi to Trump: Use the Constitution to force Senate action on guns

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called on President Donald Trump to use his constitutional powers to bring the Senate back into session, ramping up her efforts to force Republicans to act against gun violence.

The unusual request — which would be extraordinary if Trump were to agree — comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rejected Democratic demands to cut short the August recess and vote to require universal background checks on gun sales after two deadly mass shootings over the weekend.

Can Pelosi impeach Moscow Mitch?

 

[JackLuis]

In Case You Haven't Heard, We're Impeaching The Motherf*cker

Last night, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler gave everybody what they've been asking for, telling CNN's Erin Burnett that actually we are already in the formal impeachment process. Have we not been saying.

NADLER: This IS formal impeachment proceedings. We are investigating all the evidence, we're gathering the evidence, and we will at the conclusion of this, hopefully by the end of the year, vote articles of impeachment to the House floor, or we won't. That's a decision that we'll have to make. But that's exactly the process we're in right now.

In Summary And In Conclusion!

This fall is going to suuuuuuuuuuck for Donald Trump. And just like Rep. Rashida Tlaib said, we're impeaching the motherfucker. Stay tuned!

 

[JackLuis]

Pelosi: No UK trade deal if Brexit undermines Good Friday accord

An American trade pact with Britain is doomed if the latter’s withdrawal from the EU undermines the Northern Ireland peace accord, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Wednesday.

“Whatever form it takes, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Good Friday Agreement, including the seamless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland,” Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said in a statement.

“If Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress.”


“The peace of the Good Friday Agreement is treasured by the American people and will be fiercely defended on a bicameral and bipartisan basis in the United States Congress,” she said.

The Republican co-chair of the Friends of Ireland group in the US Congress, Pete King, reportedly said jeopardizing the open border was a “needless provocation” over which his party would have no hesitation defying Trump.

Kind'a blows a hole in old Boris' plans!

 

[JackLuis]

Nancy Pelosi Calls Moscow Mitch By His Name

What Pelosi said was completely on-topic. It's not like she was calling him naughty names for no reason, and she also didn't follow up with other mean names for Republican senators, like Russian Rand or Old "Jerks-Off-Into-Soup-Cans" Cruz (ALLEGEDLY!) or something equally mean for John Cornyn, not sure what it would be, but probably not a gross pun about how he's got a lot of CORNYN his poo. (ALLEGEDLY!) Speaker Pelosi is far more mature than Wonkette, after all.

Pelosi was talking about the behavior that earned McConnell his name (Moscow Mitch), namely the way he blocks any and all meaningful and good legislation passed by the House from coming to the Senate floor. He particularly blocks election security legislation, because obviously free and fair elections are antithetical to his Republican way of life.