Category: US House

Dear Republicans: No More Fiscal Hypocrisy, Please

Nothing is more predictable than Republicans complaining about budget deficits and federal spending — as soon as a Democrat enters the White House.

Wasteful fiscal decisions, especially cutting taxes for their wealthiest donors, never trouble these self-proclaimed “conservatives” in the slightest. But let a liberal spend a few dollars on a hungry child’s breakfast or a teacher’s salary and suddenly their hair catches fire.

So now that their old friend Joe Biden is president, Senate Republicans are roaring with indignation over his restrained, sensible proposals to lift America out of the deep hole dug by former President Donald Trump. Once a fiscal hawk himself, Biden has tried to explain that spending more now is required to defeat the pandemic, maintain vital services, save our people from starving — and eventually pay down the debt. Continue reading.

Tensions running high after gun incident near House floor

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Lawmaker tensions are running high this week after a Republican lawmaker nearly brought a gun onto the House floor, further stoking concerns about Capitol security and whether members of Congress need protection from one another.

The renewed anxiety just two weeks after the deadly Jan. 6 attack was sparked by Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) when he set off a newly installed metal detector off the House floor with a concealed gun, despite a longtime ban on firearms in the chamber.

The incident followed numerous reports of other Republicans, accustomed to bypassing metal detectors in the Capitol, chafing at the new security measures. Some Democrats are now openly expressing that they don’t feel safe around certain colleagues. Continue reading.

Brace yourselves for a whole lot of moaning about “divisiveness”

Republicans are in something of a predicament these days. The party willingly hitched its wagon to a horse that, in addition to being loose in a hospital, has managed to drag the GOP firmly out of the White House and decidedly, albeit narrowly, into the congressional minority as well. And now, out of power and stuck with an ex-president who would just as readily blow them up as he would help them out, Republicans are stuck navigating their way through a Scylla and Charybdis of their own making.

There are Republicans — the Matt Gaetzes and Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the caucus — who see the way forward as a wholehearted embrace of, if not Trump himself, at least his legacy, and the sizable MAGA base that comes with it. Others — your Mitt Romneys and Mitch McConnells and the like — believe the best thing they can do for the party is to treat Trump as an aberration and try to put him in their rearview mirrors as quickly as possible without pissing off his base too much.

There’s no “right” answer here. And like all things Trump, the GOP is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. With that in mind, get ready for four years of bad-faith Republican attacks on Democrats for irrevocably dividing the country, simply by not being Republicans. In fact, it’s already begun.  Continue reading.

Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland sets off metal detector while carrying gun near House chamber

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The U.S. Capitol Police department has launched an investigation after Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) set off a magnetometer near the House chamber while carrying a concealed gun Thursday afternoon, according to a Hill staffer with knowledge of the incident.

Harris set off the magnetometer — installed after the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol — as he was on his way to the chamber, leading security to pat him down, said the staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the incident.

“One security official present saw a firearm on the person of Rep. Harris and relayed that to his superiors,” the staffer said in a text message. “To be clear, Harris did not enter the Floor.” Continue reading.

Some Republican Freshmen Pledge To Work With Biden

Just 17 of the 44 newly sworn-in Republican members of Congress signed a letter on Wednesday congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and pledging to work with him to find common ground. But even most of these lawmakers who now urge unity voted to overturn his victory just two weeks ago.

In their letter, the “freshmen class” Republicans wrote that they “are hopeful that — despite our ideological differences — we may work together on behalf of the American people we are each so fortunate to serve.” They cited COVID-19 relief, pre-existing conditions, infrastructure, antitrust enforcement, and the economy as potential areas for collaboration.

“I firmly believe that what unites us as Americans is far greater than anything that may divide us,” tweeted Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) as he shared the letter. “Proud to join my colleagues in a pledge to rise above the partisan fray to deliver meaningful change for Long Islanders.” Continue reading.

Republican says ‘classified briefings’ revealed that the Capitol riot was ‘much worse than people realized’

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Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), the first Republican lawmaker to publicly support efforts to impeach former President Donald Trump, is speaking out about the deadly Capitol riots that erupted on Jan. 6 as lawmakers worked to complete the Electoral College certification.

Although the American public watched in shock and dismay as the disturbing series of events unfolded, Katko insists the riots were far worse than reported on television. During an interview with Syracuse.com, Katko shared details about the day of the deadly U.S. Capitol riots.

While he could not offer specific details about the classified briefings he has received, he did reveal that the incident was far worse than reported. Continue reading.

Trump pardons former congressman whose actions helped prompt earmark ban

Former Republican Reps. Rick Renzi and Robin Hayes also pardoned

Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham of California became a lead example of how lawmakers can abuse their office for financial gain and prompted lasting changes to the congressional appropriations process when he went to prison 15 years ago for taking $2.4 million in bribes that involved a yacht named the “Duke-Stir.”

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump gave a full pardon to Cunningham and two other former Republican members of Congress as one of his final acts in office, extending a streak of giving a break to politicians who faced corruption charges.

Also on a list of more than 140 pardons and commuted sentences was former Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona, who was sentenced to two years in prison on 17 charges of fraud, racketeering and public corruption.  Continue reading.

Rep. Dean Phillips: Small Business Relief is Available

Hi Neighbors,

I’m reaching out today to spread the word about new assistance available to small business owners as a result of the bipartisan coronavirus package signed into law last month.

It will take all of us, working together, to overcome the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please share the information below with the small business owners in your network and let them know that new relief is available now!

Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips: Small Business Relief is Available”

‘Right on schedule’: GOP backers of tax cuts for the rich resume deficit-mongering hours before Biden inauguration

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Just 24 hours before the inauguration of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, Republican senators who did not hesitate to approve unpaid-for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and bloated Pentagon budgets over the past four years suddenly rediscovered their concern for the rising deficit and national debt Tuesday as Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen made the casefor a robust coronavirus relief package.

Republican lawmakers have been signaling a return to their hypocritical deficit-mongering for months, leading some to warn of a conscious GOP effort to impose crippling austerity on the incoming Biden administration in the name of “fiscal responsibility.”

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) hinted in that direction during Yellen’s confirmation hearing Tuesday, using his time to lament the “massive amount of debt that we continue to rack up” and complain that Congress appears “to have no concern” about the problem. In 2017, Thune was one of 51 Republican senators to vote yes on the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which blew a massive hole in the deficit and disproportionately benefited the rich and large corporations. Continue reading.

House will transmit article of impeachment to Senate on Monday, Schumer says

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the House will deliver the article of impeachment against former President Trump for “incitement of insurrection” on Monday.

Why it matters: The Senate is required to begin the impeachment trial at 1 p.m. the day after the article is transmitted. 

  • Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had been pushing for the trial to begin in mid-February to allow senators more time to gather evidence and to give Trump proper due process.
  • Schumer had countered that it would force the Senate to delay other important business, such as passing COVID relief.

What they’re saying: “I’ve heard some of my Republican colleagues argue that this trial would be unconstitutional because Donald Trump is no longer in office. An argument that has been roundly repudiated, debunked by hundreds of constitutional scholars — left, right, and center — and defies basic common sense,” Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor. Continue reading.