Re: tOfficial 118th US Congress Thread - Watching the Republicans "Govern"

[Robert J Sakimano]

in an effort to lose control of the House in 2024, the "personal freedom" lovin' republican/libertarians are planning to expunge the two impeachments of the racist, bigoted christian sexual predator.

GOP reps push to ‘expunge’ Trump impeachments from the record

Caution: Mainstream Media Link

[Trapper Gus]

https://michiganadvance.com/2023/06/23/u-s-senate-spending-panel-sets-funding-levels-for-annual-bills/

WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday approved funding levels for dozens of federal departments for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 — setting up a likely clash with House Republicans as a deadline approaches later this year.

The move to advance the spending plan was essential if Congress is going to avoid a partial government shutdown or a series of stopgap funding bills. But the levels agreed to by the Senate Appropriations Committee are significantly different from the ones their House Republican counterparts adopted last week. The panel approved the numbers following a party-line 15-13 vote.

Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, noted the panel is restricted in what it can spend by the debt limit and budget agreement that President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy brokered earlier this year.

U.S. House Republicans on that chamber’s Appropriations Committee approved spending allocations for fiscal 2024 that are significantly lower than the spending levels included in the debt limit deal. That will make conferencing the bills later this year more challenging than had the House GOP written the bills to the numbers in the bipartisan agreement.

[Trapper Gus]

Remember when Republican members of Congress were up in arms over amendments being added to bills which had nothing to do with the purpose of the bills, earlier this year?

They don't.

On Friday, House Republicans narrowly passed their version of an annual defense bill 219–210, after stacking it with controversial amendments on social issues that are dead on arrival in the Senate.

Chief among these was an amendment that rolls back the Defense Department’s commitment to paying for abortions for service members who travel to obtain them, which passed 221–213, with Republicans and one Democrat (the anti-abortion Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar) voting in favor. Another amendment — which passed 222–211 — would deny funding for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapy for trans service members. And a third amendment that passed 214–213 was dedicated to getting rid of the Pentagon’s office on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/7/14/23795178/house-defense-bill-republicans-abortion-trans-rights-culture-war

What a coward sounds like:

Although the amendment to curb military funding for abortion was broadly backed by Republicans, at least one moderate member complained about the linking of the defense bill with this issue. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) reportedly argued that the two shouldn’t be tied together and that it made the NDAA more partisan.

“We should not be taking this fucking vote, man. Fuck,” Mace reportedly told a staffer, according to Politico. “It’s an asshole move, an asshole amendment.” Mace went on to tell the publication that she was concerned Republicans weren’t doing enough regarding policies that could help women on issues including rape kits and child care costs. She ultimately backed the bill, however, arguing that doing so was necessary to show support for the military.

“It’s not going to pass the Senate anyway; it doesn’t matter,” Mace said. “So if you vote against the NDAA, you’re going to be voting against the men and women in uniform.”

[Trapper Gus]

The Senate today passed the $886 billion annual defense bill by a strong bipartisan margin of 86 to 11 after refusing to load it up with all the partisan measures Republican extremists added to the House bill. Now negotiators from the House and the Senate will try to hash out a compromise measure, but the bills are so far apart it is not clear they will be able to create a bipartisan compromise. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has passed on a bipartisan basis for more than 60 years.

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-27-2023

[sεяεηιτλ]

Are Republicans starting a never ending cycle of impeachment?  Inane talk of impeachment Joe Biden is heating up within republican circles.  For what, exactly? The Republicans themselves can't/won't even say. They just keep referring to mounting mountains of damning evidence (of what, exactly? I dont know). They think we are stupid. Sadly, many of us are. They would however have us believe the impeachment of Trump were purely political in nature, despite the openly egregious offenses, and that THEY would NEVER  do such a thing like Nancy did.  None the less they want impeachment for what largely seems like hunter Biden being a spoiled child of someone else famous.  The gall they have to depict the previous attempts on Trump as being political only is absolutely incredible.  These people are just professional liars.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Are Republicans starting a never ending cycle of impeachment?  Inane talk of impeachment Joe Biden is heating up within republican circles.  For what, exactly? The Republicans themselves can't/won't even say. They just keep referring to mounting mountains of damning evidence (of what, exactly? I dont know). They think we are stupid. Sadly, many of us are. They would however have us believe the impeachment of Trump were purely political in nature, despite the openly egregious offenses, and that THEY would NEVER  do such a thing like Nancy did.  None the less they want impeachment for what largely seems like hunter Biden being a spoiled child of someone else famous.  The gall they have to depict the previous attempts on Trump as being political only is absolutely incredible.  These people are just professional liars.

besides being the most productive US President in my 53+ years on the planet, what are they going to impeach Biden for?

[Trapper Gus]

Are Republicans starting a never ending cycle of impeachment?  Inane talk of impeachment Joe Biden is heating up within republican circles.  For what, exactly? The Republicans themselves can't/won't even say. They just keep referring to mounting mountains of damning evidence (of what, exactly? I dont know). They think we are stupid. Sadly, many of us are. They would however have us believe the impeachment of Trump were purely political in nature, despite the openly egregious offenses, and that THEY would NEVER  do such a thing like Nancy did.  None the less they want impeachment for what largely seems like hunter Biden being a spoiled child of someone else famous.  The gall they have to depict the previous attempts on Trump as being political only is absolutely incredible.  These people are just professional liars.

besides being the most productive US President in my 53+ years on the planet, what are they going to impeach Biden for?

That is the problem, mostly Hunter Biden I guess.

[kingstonlake]

I know polls are garbage but why in the hell are most showing a Biden/trump matchup statistically a dead heat? Am I looking at bad polling?

[Trapper Gus]

I know polls are garbage but why in the hell are most showing a Biden/trump matchup statistically a dead heat?  Am I looking at bad polling?

It's a reflection of how divided the country is, probably.

Also, the MSM keeps telling all of us lies about what a shitty job Biden has done, and too many people believe it.

edit - adding this link about the narrative war ongoing between Biden & the Republicans

WoPo Opinion on Biden Fighting for Positive Preception

[sεяεηιτλ]

I know polls are garbage but why in the hell are most showing a Biden/trump matchup statistically a dead heat? Am I looking at bad polling?

i thought i saw one the other day that had biden in a big lead, like 7 or 8 points. Could be wrong.

basically when you look at Biden's presidency, he's seemingly dragged us out of an economy that was spiraling a drain thanks to Covid repercussions and EXTREMELY loose financial policy designed to inflate the stock market. Trump was obsessed with his "numbers" going up in general because he requires adulation and praise and that's the easiest way to get it. In his world the stock market was the ultimate indicator of a booming economy. So in his mind, any president that doesnt do whatever they can to boost the stock market is being stupid. Except the problem is there are tons of things that can boost the stock market that are neither advisable or healthy for the country. Trump just pumped it up and pointed at it saying see, see, i'm the greatest everrrrr. That was his only real move to prove he was doing a good job.

I honestly thought we were headed to a pretty rough recession thanks to trumps policies and covid fall out, but so far inflation seems to be coming under control and recession is no longer predicted. Combine that with the way Biden admin has played republicans for big gains (infrastructure, eliminating their hostage scenario on the debt), he seems to be doing solid - and all without a 3 branch majority. Republicans will claim he had one for two years but let's be honest, in practice what biden had was the house and a 50/50 senate that didn't allow him to punch through democratic priorities.

My biggest disappointments so far is Biden not starting a veritable political campaign to bring back net neutrality. Not sure on the details of why he hasn't done that but maybe there's some FCC process i don't know about. I also don't understand why that post office guy dejoy still has a job. I'll be honest i don't know if dejoy's done a good job or not but he seemed like a trump toadie at the time and a lot of people were upset with him. post office guy is less important, the net neutrality thing seriously irks me though.

[Trapper Gus]

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/7/28/23809119/republicans-hiv-aids-pepfar-george-w-bush

You may not have heard of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). But you should: It has saved more lives than any other US government policy in the 21st century. And now, for the first time in the program’s history, it is at risk of losing a critical vote in Congress — for reasons that say a lot about today’s Republican Party.

First passed in 2003 under President George W. Bush, PEPFAR is a vehicle for distributing HIV/AIDS drugs to people in poor countries who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. It has been astonishingly effective: The most recent US government estimates suggest it has saved as many as 25 million lives since its enactment. It is currently supporting treatment for over 20 million people who depend on the program for continued access to medication.

Given its success, PEPFAR has historically enjoyed bipartisan support. In 2018, Congress reauthorized PEPFAR for another five years without a fuss. But this time around, things look different. Some House Republicans, prodded by an array of influential groups, are threatening to block another five-year reauthorization. Their argument is pure culture war: that PEPFAR has become a vehicle for promoting abortion.

[GRR Spartan]

The GOP House with its Freedom Caucus want to “Yezhov” Trump’s political and criminal record rather than govern in the traditional manner.

[Trapper Gus]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fitch Ratings has downgraded the United States government’s credit rating, citing rising debt at the federal, state, and local levels and a “steady deterioration in standards of governance” over the past two decades.

The rating was cut Tuesday one notch to AA+ from AAA, the highest possible rating. The new rating is still well into investment grade.

The decision illustrates one way that growing political polarization and repeated Washington standoffs over spending and taxes could end up costing U.S. taxpayers. A lower credit rating, over time, could raise borrowing costs for the U.S. government.

https://apnews.com/article/credit-rating-downgrade-deficit-68fb6c578190d8361b6639e603714e5a

For Republicans "winning" is the destruction of the United States

[Trapper Gus]

Politico’s defense reporter Paul McLeary wrote that as of today, there are 301 senior military positions filled by temporary replacements as Tuberville refuses to permit nominations to go through the Senate by the usual process. Two more members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will retire before the end of September.

Two days ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in a memo that the “unprecedented, across-the-board hold is having a cascading effect, increasingly hindering the normal operations of this Department and undermining both our military readiness and our national security.” Today he reiterated: “The failure to confirm our superbly qualified senior uniformed leaders undermines our military readiness.” He added, “It undermines our retention of some of our very best officers. And it is upending the lives of far too many of their spouses, children and loved ones.”

Tuberville, who did not serve in the military, likes to say "there is no one more military than me.” And yet, thanks to him and the Republican conference that is permitting him to hold the nominations, we are down two chiefs of staff tonight.

Meanwhile, on July 26, when soldiers took charge in Niger, a country central to the fight against Islamic terrorists and the security of democracy on the African continent, the U.S. had no ambassador there. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was blocking the confirmation of more than 60 State Department officials the same way that Tuberville was blocking the confirmation of military officials.

As of July 17, the current Senate had confirmed only five State Department nominees. On that day, Blinken wrote to each senator to express “serious concern” about the delays. He told reporters that he respects and values the Senate’s “critical oversight role…but that’s not what is happening here. No one has questioned the qualifications of these career diplomats. They are being blocked for leverage on other unrelated issues. It’s irresponsible. And it’s doing harm to our national security.”

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-4-2023

[DWags]

Politico’s defense reporter Paul McLeary wrote that as of today, there are 301 senior military positions filled by temporary replacements as Tuberville refuses to permit nominations to go through the Senate by the usual process. Two more members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will retire before the end of September.

Two days ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in a memo that the “unprecedented, across-the-board hold is having a cascading effect, increasingly hindering the normal operations of this Department and undermining both our military readiness and our national security.” Today he reiterated: “The failure to confirm our superbly qualified senior uniformed leaders undermines our military readiness.” He added, “It undermines our retention of some of our very best officers. And it is upending the lives of far too many of their spouses, children and loved ones.”

Tuberville, who did not serve in the military, likes to say "there is no one more military than me.” And yet, thanks to him and the Republican conference that is permitting him to hold the nominations, we are down two chiefs of staff tonight.

Meanwhile, on July 26, when soldiers took charge in Niger, a country central to the fight against Islamic terrorists and the security of democracy on the African continent, the U.S. had no ambassador there. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was blocking the confirmation of more than 60 State Department officials the same way that Tuberville was blocking the confirmation of military officials.

As of July 17, the current Senate had confirmed only five State Department nominees. On that day, Blinken wrote to each senator to express “serious concern” about the delays. He told reporters that he respects and values the Senate’s “critical oversight role…but that’s not what is happening here. No one has questioned the qualifications of these career diplomats. They are being blocked for leverage on other unrelated issues. It’s irresponsible. And it’s doing harm to our national security.”

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-4-2023

My daughters future FIL went to DC for some three star generals retirement this week. Evidently they were West Point buddies. I was with him last weekend when he brought it up. I was warned by my wife to not speak politics last weekend as we’re a bit more liberal than they are and it was best. So I slipped and said, “they have a replacement?” That’s all the politics I spoke. He said, “Tuberville doesn’t have a fucking clue”. That’s from a conservative West Point grad. That was the extent of politics.

I think this issue as abortion will hurt them in the election.

[Trapper Gus]

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-4-2023

My daughters future FIL went to DC for some three star generals retirement this week. Evidently they were West Point buddies.  I was with him last weekend when he brought it up. I was warned by my wife to not speak politics last weekend as we’re a bit more liberal than they are and it was best. So I slipped and said, “they have a replacement?”   That’s all the politics I spoke.  He said, “Tuberville doesn’t have a fucking clue”.   That’s from a conservative West Point grad.   That was the extent of politics.

I think this issue as abortion will hurt them in the election.

As an active or reserve officer he is trained not to express political opinions.

There is a tin-foil-hat point of view that Tuberville is holding those positions open so that when Trump wins, he can put officers loyal to Trump, not to the United States, in those positions.

edit - also just to note, the two senior military academies, West Point & Annapolis, are more demanding in grades and any other qualifications for entry than any other private or public institution of higher education. Their graduates have been screened by admission to those Universities as being top performers in their age groups. Not sure what that means, individually, but it is something to remember.

[Trapper Gus]

House Republicans have passed four out of 12 appropriations bills – the three voted on Thursday, plus military construction and veterans affairs, which passed in July. The Senate hasn't passed any.  (All bills that spend money have to start in the House, since these are the first the House has passed of course the Senate hasn't passed any - TG)

But the appropriations bills passed by the House are filled with right-wing policy riders and mostly kept spending at 2022 levels; lower than the budget caps set out in both the bipartisan debt ceiling deal and the appropriations bills marked up in the Senate.

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/29/government-shutdown-house-spending-bill-mccarthy

[Zurn]

mostly kept spending at 2022 levels

Given budget deficits of $1,000,000,000,000/year, that seems like a good idea.

[AvgMSUJoe]

mostly kept spending at 2022 levels

Given budget deficits of $1,000,000,000,000/year, that seems like a good idea.

When you own/create money (and the GDP is $25,462,700,000,000) the major concern is inflation from the amount of money. After the pandemic blip, that is under control.

Nothing to see here.

And if you are actually concerned with this, the W and trump tax cuts added more to the deficit then anything Biden has done.

[Trapper Gus]

mostly kept spending at 2022 levels

Given budget deficits of $1,000,000,000,000/year, that seems like a good idea.

I keep hearing $2,000,000,000,000 for FY2023, which will end in two days, but I keep seeing numbers more like $1.7 trillion.

However, if the Republicans cared about deficits, they would first raise taxes on the 1% and second, enact programs to put more money into the pockets of the people who will spend it, namely the bottom 50% in particular, which would increase the GDP and create more tax revenue. So that dog won't hunt as an excuse for what the Republicans are doing.

Furthermore, if you really want to discuss this, it can only be done rationally in terms of percentage of GDP, not dollars, as inflation & population growth both cause the GDP dollars & the deficit dollars, to be higher in number.

[Zurn]

Joe and Trapper: thanks for the reassurance. I guess the $1,000,000,000,000/yr deficits are not really a problem

So should be no need to raise anybody's taxes.

[GRR Spartan]

Zurn making a big deal on deficits.

Never mentions that the Federal Deficit was reduced in the Clinton Administration when taxes were raised.

Being a deficit hawk, does Zurn have a mortgage; car loan; credit cards? Does Zurn have a problem with states selling bonds to finance highways?

Let’s talk about the GOP being responsible like passing an amendment to cut the Sec of Defense salary to $1.00 per year.

GOP is the party of domestic terrorism.

[Zurn]

Zurn making a big deal on deficits.

Not making a "big deal". Just saying that spending restraint is probably a good idea when you are spending $1,000,000,000,000 more than you are taking in, especially when what you are taking in is at record levels.

[Trapper Gus]

Joe and Trapper: thanks for the reassurance. I guess the $1,000,000,000,000/yr deficits are not really a problem

So should be no need to raise anybody's taxes.

There are other reasons to raise taxes on the 1% to do with the huge imbalance in power the 1% gain via money.

GDP is $25,462,700,000,000, the deficit is about 7% of that. To be covered by GDP growth should be about 2% of that, about $500 Billion. Would need to dig into why the jump between FY2022 & FY2023 to discuss this further.

[Trapper Gus]

Zurn making a big deal on deficits.

Not making a "big deal". Just saying that spending restraint is probably a good idea when you are spending $1,000,000,000,000 more than you are taking in, especially when what you are taking in is at record levels.

Tax increases work just as well to resolve the issue you are having.

[AvgMSUJoe]

Joe and Trapper:  thanks for the reassurance.  I guess the $1,000,000,000,000/yr deficits are not really a problem

So should be no need to raise anybody's taxes.

There are other reasons to raise taxes on the 1% to do with the huge imbalance in power the 1% gain via money.

GDP is $25,462,700,000,000, the deficit is about 7% of that.  To be covered by GDP growth should be about 2% of that, about $500 Billion.  Would need to dig into why the jump between FY2022 & FY2023 to discuss this further.

Since 2000 the GDP per Capita had more than doubled (Over 10% in the last 5 years... with the pandemic)... You know where the wealth went? To those NOT paying taxes.



Just remember "deficit" is not the same as your credit card debt & mortgage.

[GRR Spartan]

Joe I know a deficit isn’t a credit card or mortgage but deficit complainers want to use the excuse we need to run our government like a household.

The government borrows money (debt limits) to pay liabilities. But no one especially at the top wants to admit the GOP is starving government by refusing to roll back tax law. Not to 1950’ levels but back to tax levels in place before the Bush2 tax cuts.

The next shoe to drop is happening. Some of the folks and capital funds who got the huge tax breaks are now using the money they’ve accrued to buy up family homes and turning them into rentals. Often just as or before a single family home ever hits the market.

[Zurn]

Joe and Trapper: thanks for the reassurance. I guess the $1,000,000,000,000/yr deficits are not really a problem

So should be no need to raise anybody's taxes.

There are other reasons to raise taxes on the 1% to do with the huge imbalance in power the 1% gain via money.

An admission that you support tax increases not to increase revenue but to somehow solve some kind of "imbalance of power". Raising tax rates won't do that but at least your motives are out in the open.

[Zurn]

But no one especially at the top wants to admit the GOP is starving government by refusing to roll back tax law.

Anyone else around here think the government is being starved for money?

[sεяεηιτλ]

There are other reasons to raise taxes on the 1% to do with the huge imbalance in power the 1% gain via money.

An admission that you support tax increases not to increase revenue but to somehow solve some kind of "imbalance of power". Raising tax rates won't do that but at least your motives are out in the open.

You're just not that much of a thinker, are ya?

[Trapper Gus]

There are other reasons to raise taxes on the 1% to do with the huge imbalance in power the 1% gain via money.

An admission that you support tax increases not to increase revenue but to somehow solve some kind of "imbalance of power". Raising tax rates won't do that but at least your motives are out in the open.

Reagan & the Republicans did it in the opposite way in the 1980's and the 99% have been suffering for it ever since. This history of the United States is a history of economic class warfare, I just happen to be on the side of the 99%. Glad to see Biden & the Progressive Democratics trying to do something about it and archiving small steps in a good direction.

[AvgMSUJoe]

But no one especially at the top wants to admit the GOP is starving government by refusing to roll back tax law.

Anyone else around here think the government is being starved for money?

You notice when the majority of infrastructure was built in this country? Until Biden's investment shit was crumbling all over the place....

[Zurn]

You're just not that much of a thinker, are ya?

Let me think about it ...

[Zurn]

You notice when the majority of infrastructure was built in this country? Until Biden's investment shit was crumbling all over the place....

I gotta give that guy Biden credit. Ever since his "investment", shit has stopped crumbling. Combined with Obama's stopping the oceans from rising and Whitmer's fixing the damn roads, why things have never been better!

[AvgMSUJoe]

You notice when the majority of infrastructure was built in this country? Until Biden's investment shit was crumbling all over the place....

I gotta give that guy Biden credit. Ever since his "investment", shit has stopped crumbling. Combined with Obama's stopping the oceans from rising and Whitmer's fixing the damn roads, why things have never been better!

Construction is everywhere. So much so it's irritating... and the first time in my life like this.
Remember when Engler was going to fix the roads and he put a thin layer of blacktop over some that lasted about as long as his re-election campaign? Yeah, that wasn't anywhere near the construction currently going on.
Major reconstruction projects on 96,94,75,69... just being obtuse denying that.

[sεяεηιτλ]

going to fix the roads and he put a thin layer of blacktop over some that lasted about as long as his re-election campaign?

This year i've been so damn annoyed. I feel like my house is boxed in with crazy amounts of construction. Never happened quite like this. So annoying but It's a good thing i suppose, in the long run.

[kingstonlake]

Jordan going to lose first attempt at becoming speaker. More no votes than anticipated.

[Robert J Sakimano]

Jordan going to lose first attempt at becoming speaker. More no votes than anticipated.

didn't it take McCarthy, like, 10-12 votes?

I don't pretend to understand how the GOP works, other than the very basic uninformed, anti-America, christian, racist, bigoted, misogynistic way they consistently conduct themselves, but I'll never understand how someone can suddenly be a "no" then change their mind to a "yes".

[kingstonlake]

20 no votes.

Time to start negotiating your power away.

Ask McCarthy how that worked out.

[Trapper Gus]

20 no votes.

Time to start negotiating your power away.

Ask McCarthy how that worked out.

So the farthest RWNJ is going down. Will they find a "moderate" that everyone accepts

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