Category: US Senate

Corker Unloads on Republicans for Being Afraid of Trump

The following article by Eric Garcia was posted on the Roll Call website June 12, 2018:

Tennessee Republican said Republicans fear upsetting POTUS before midterms

Sen. Bob Corker unloaded on his fellow Republicans for cowering from President Donald Trump.

The retiring Tennessee senator was angered that his amendment to the defense authorization measure that would reclaim congressional prerogatives on trade and tariffs would not be up for a vote, and he mocked his colleagues for not standing up to the president, including the chamber’s no. 2 Republican, Majority WhipJohn Cornyn. Continue reading “Corker Unloads on Republicans for Being Afraid of Trump”

Republicans blast Trump for siding with Russia against our allies

The following article by Eric Boehlert was posed on the Shareblue.com website June 8, 2018:

Trump’s own party is appalled at his latest decision to stand with Putin instead of America’s closest allies.

Credit: AP Photo, Evan Vucci

In doing the bidding for his ally Vladimir Putin by suggesting Russia should be allowed rejoin the G-7, the world’s most influential group of economic powers, Trump’s move on Friday produced guffaws among several Republican lawmakers.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse slammed Trump’s suggestion as a “weak” move. Continue reading “Republicans blast Trump for siding with Russia against our allies”

Letter was filled with contradictions

On June 14, this paper published a letter to the editor titled “Rule of law being cast aside.” For almost 500 words, the author espoused conspiracy theories, partisan rhetoric and toxic ideology.

The letter is a hateful tirade against the core values of Americans, one that begs for a response. So I’ll answer.

The author begins by writing off Democratic opposition to Trump and Congressman Erik Paulsen as as an “act orchestrated by the Dems.” Continue reading “Letter was filled with contradictions”

Republicans’ laser focus on tax reform sparks backlash from midterm voters

The following article by Addy Baird was posted on the ThinkProgress website June 7, 2018:

The issue Republicans see as central to their success is a major part of what activists say drives them to fight against the GOP.

Pres. Trump listens to US Rep. Renacci (L). Credit: Nicholas Kamm, AFP, Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OHIO — When Katie Jones realized Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH) was going to be the Republican Senate nominee in her state, she said she felt “sick.”

Jones has been a community activist in Medina County, Ohio since 2011, mainly fighting a proposed pipeline in her community. That same year, Renacci “unfortunately,” as Jones put it, took office as her representative. Continue reading “Republicans’ laser focus on tax reform sparks backlash from midterm voters”

Corker unveils bill to check Trump’s tariff authority, rebuffing a personal request from the president

The following article by Erica Werner was posted on the Washington Post website June 6, 2018:

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) Credit: Joshua Roberts, Reuters

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would give Congress new authority to check the president’s trade moves, going forward with the legislation despite a personal appeal from President Trump to back off.

Corker’s bill would require congressional approval when the president enacts tariffs under the auspices of national security, as Trump did last week in imposing levies on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The legislation, which Corker released with a total of nine Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, is the most forceful congressional response to date to Trump’s protectionist trade agenda. For the first time, at least some Republicans are uniting behind a concrete plan to force the president to change course on trade, after months of pleas and appeals achieved little.

The development comes as Trump prepares to travel to Quebec for a meeting of the Group of Seven nations, a gathering expected to include confrontations between Trump and foreign leaders — including close U.S. allies and major trading partners — over the president’s tariffs and other policies. Continue reading “Corker unveils bill to check Trump’s tariff authority, rebuffing a personal request from the president”

Lawmakers’ Challenge to Trump Finances Faces Court Test

The following article by Todd Ruger was posted on the Roll Call website June 6, 2018:

‘We cannot approve, we cannot consent to, what we don’t know’

A federal district court will consider arguments about a Democratic lawsuit regarding President Donald Trump’s business practices. Credit:mSarah Silbiger CQ Roll Call

A federal district judge will hear arguments Thursday about whether Democratic lawmakers can pursue a lawsuit over President Donald Trump’s vast business interests and whether he must get congressional approval before accepting payments or gifts from foreign governments.

More than 200 Democrats filed the lawsuit a year ago, in the first months of Trump’s presidency, when their concerns included payments from governments at the Trump International Hotel in Washington and trademarks issued by the Chinese to Trump and his companies.  Continue reading “Lawmakers’ Challenge to Trump Finances Faces Court Test”

FBI was right to deploy informant, senior GOP lawmaker says

The following article by Kyle Cheney was posted on the Politico website May 29, 2018:

“I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got,” Trey Gowdy said in an interview on Fox News. Credit: Andrew Harnik, AP Photo

A senior House Republican who was part of a highly classified Justice Department briefing last week said on Tuesday that the FBI acted properly when it deployed an informant to gather information from advisers to President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) said last week’s briefing, convened by the Justice Department under pressure from Trump, convinced him even further that the FBI’s information-gathering steps were appropriate. Continue reading “FBI was right to deploy informant, senior GOP lawmaker says”

These Are The Real Republican Family Values

The following article by Terry H. Schwadron was posted on the DC Reports website May 29, 2018:

Trump Separates Immigrant Families, Losing Children in a Screwed-Up Detention System

In a weekend tweet, Trump criticized Democrats for a law that calls for separation of immigrant families who cross the border illegally, sending children into detention centers to assure that parents will show up for deportation meetings.

It is a horrible practice, but the policy is that of the Trump administration, not the Democrats, and it’s not a law.

In a tweet on Saturday, Trump urged Americans to “put pressure” on the Democrats to “end the horrible law that separates children from there [sic] parents.” Continue reading “These Are The Real Republican Family Values”

Forget about broad-based pay hikes, executives say

The following article by Steve LeVine was posted on the Axios website May 27, 2018:

Credit: Woodcock88 via Morguefile.com

Very few Americans have enjoyed steadily rising pay beyond inflation over the last couple of decades, a shift from prior years in which the working and middle classes enjoyed broad-based wage gains as the economy expanded.

Why it matters: Now, executives of big U.S. companies suggest that the days of most people getting a pay raise are over, and that they also plan to reduce their work forces further. Continue reading “Forget about broad-based pay hikes, executives say”

More than 60 Dem lawmakers demand ethics investigation into Trump’s relationship with China

The following article by Mary Tyler March was posted on the Hill website May 27, 2018:

More than 60 Democratic representatives are demanding an ethics investigation into President Trump‘s ties to China, following the president’s recent push to rescue Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) posted a letter to David Apol, acting head of the federal government’s ethics office, to Twitter on Sunday, stating that the request was prompted by Trump “advocating” for ZTE just days after the Chinese government gave one of the president’s business endeavors a $500 million loan. Continue reading “More than 60 Dem lawmakers demand ethics investigation into Trump’s relationship with China”