Category: US Senate

This is the week that the GOP truly became the party of Trump

The following article by Dan Balz was posted on the Washington Post website February 3, 2018:

President Trump appears to have won over the Republican establishment, as shown in its blessing of the release of a House Intelligence Committee memo alleging wrongdoing by the FBI and the Justice Dpt. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

This was the week when the Republican Party finally went all in with President Trump. What once seemed unlikely is now reality. The Republican establishment — there are a few dissenting voices, of course — has succumbed to the power of the presidency, and this president in particular.

This coming together has taken place gradually. The path has been rocky at times. But the embrace of the president by elected Republicans could not have been warmer or fuller than shown in the past week. Continue reading “This is the week that the GOP truly became the party of Trump”

How Trump’s Allies Fanned an Ember of Controversy Into Flames of Outrage

The following article by Mark Mazzetti was posted on the New York Times website February 2, 2018:

Outside a meeting room used by the House Intelligence Committee on Friday. Credit: Eric Thayer, The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The release of the memo mattered less than #releasethememo.

After weeks of buildup, the three-and-a-half-page document about alleged F.B.I. abuses during the 2016 presidential campaign made public on Friday was broadly greeted with criticism, including by some Republicans. They said it cherry-picked information, made false assertions and was overly focused on an obscure, low-level Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. Continue reading “How Trump’s Allies Fanned an Ember of Controversy Into Flames of Outrage”

Why I am Leaving the FBI

The following commentary by Josh Campbell was posted on the New York Times website February 2, 2018:

An F.B.I. agent going door to door in Missouri. Credit Eric Thayer for The New York Times

One of the greatest honors of my life was walking across the stage at the F.B.I. Academy and receiving my special agent badge from the director at the time, Robert Mueller. After 21 weeks of intensive training, my class swore an oath and became federal agents entrusted with the solemn duty of protecting Americans and upholding the Constitution.

After more than a decade of service, which included investigating terrorism, working to rescue kidnapping victims overseas and being special assistant to the director, I am reluctantly turning in my badge and leaving an organization I love. Why? So I can join the growing chorus of people who believe that the relentless attacks on the bureau undermine not just America’s premier law enforcement agency but also the nation’s security. My resignation is painful, but the alternative of remaining quiet while the bureau is tarnished for political gain is impossible. Continue reading “Why I am Leaving the FBI”

Release of disputed GOP memo on FBI surveillance unleashes waves of recrimination

The following article by Devlin Barrett, Karoun Demirjian and Philip Rucker was posted on the Washington Post website February 2, 2018:

President Trump approved the release of a controversial and classified congressional memo on Feb. 2. Here are some of its main claims. (The Washington Post)

A GOP memo declassified on Friday accused senior law enforcement officials of misleading a court in order to conduct surveillance on a former Trump campaign adviser, fueling a growing distrust between the White House and Republicans on one side and the Justice Department and FBI on the other.

The four-page document, which the FBI said is inaccurate, had been the focus of weeks of partisan fights leading up to its release by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, and that acrimony intensified after its publication. Continue reading “Release of disputed GOP memo on FBI surveillance unleashes waves of recrimination”

Republicans Continue to Fail to Address the Priorities of the American People, Undermine the Rule of Law to Protect the President

The following message from Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer was emailed February 2, 2018:

 

On Tuesday, President Trump gave his first State of the Union address, in which he took credit for building “a safe, strong, and proud America.” Unfortunately, the actions he has taken during the first year of his presidency prove otherwise. A look at his record over the last year shows he has made Americans less safe, less strong, and less proud. In addition, his speech was divisive and appealed to his partisan base, instead of reaching across the aisle.

In addition, Congress is facing another deadline to fund the government next week. Democrats continue to call for a budget agreement that provides an equal increase in defense and non-defense spending so that we can responsibly fund government – as Speaker Ryan has agreed to for the last four years. We must also reauthorize critical health programs, aid our fellow Americans recovering from natural disasters, provide funding for the urgent opioid crisis, and protect hardworking Americans’ pensions.   Continue reading “Republicans Continue to Fail to Address the Priorities of the American People, Undermine the Rule of Law to Protect the President”

A process that tarnishes the House

The following commentary from the Editorial Board of the Washington Post was posted on their website February 1, 2018:

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

“WHAT THIS is not is an indictment of our institutions, of our justice system,” House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday about the now infamous “Nunes memo.” “It does not impugn the Mueller investigation or the deputy attorney general,” the speaker insisted. Is this cynicism or naivete?

Discrediting law enforcement is the memo’s transparent purpose and why it has been embraced by President Trump. Written mainly by the staff of Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the loose-cannon chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the memo reportedly makes the case that the FBI abused spying authorities as it sought permission to surveil a former Trump adviser. The Justice Department called its potential release, which Mr. Trump reportedly intends to approve, “extraordinarily reckless.” The FBI released its own startling public statement citing “grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.” Adam Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, wrote in a Post op-ed that the Nunes memo “cherry-picks facts, ignores others and smears the FBI and the Justice Department.” Continue reading “A process that tarnishes the House”

Senate Democrats Ask Why Trump Let Russian Spy Chief Into United States

The following article by Niels Lesniewski was posted on the Roll Call website January 30, 2018:

Also question Treasury secretary on Russia sanctions implementation

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, pressed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about Russian sanctions Tuesday. Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Leading Senate Democrats want to know why the Trump administration allowed a top Russian spy onto U.S. soil.

Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer led other Democrats in raising concerns Tuesday about a reported visit by Sergey Naryshkin, Russia’s foreign spy chief and an ally of President Vladimir Putin.

“The Trump administration must immediately come clean and answer questions: Which U.S. officials did he meet with? Did any White House or National Security Council official meet with Naryshkin? What did they discuss?” Schumer said. Continue reading “Senate Democrats Ask Why Trump Let Russian Spy Chief Into United States”

Pence: Republicans Will Maintain Majorities in House, Senate After 2018

The following article by Joe Williams was posed on the Roll Call website January 31, 2018:

VP notes that ‘conventional wisdom’ didn’t play out in 2016

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Paul D. Ryan to members during the GOP retreat in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday predicted Republicans would maintain their majorities in the House and Senate after the midterm elections, but urged GOP lawmakers to tout last year’s conservative victories to constituents.

Pence, who was speaking here at the annual Republican retreat said the White House would be with the members “every step of the way in 2018.”

“We’ve got an incredible story to tell,” the vice president said, citing specifically the record amount of appellate judges the Senate confirmed last year. Continue reading “Pence: Republicans Will Maintain Majorities in House, Senate After 2018”

Reality Check: Trump’s State of the Union Vision Blurred By Congress

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website January 30, 2018:

‘The state of our union is strong because our people are strong,’ president says

2018 State of the Union in 3 Minutes

In his first State of the Union address, President Donald Trump described an ambitious vision of Democratic members joining him and Republicans in overhauling immigration policy and rebuilding the country’s aging infrastructure. Reality, however, shows how difficult it all will be.

Trump, after a year of harsh comments and tweets about Democrats, struck a new tone Tuesday — at least for one night — by describing a country in which “all of us” should come “together, as one team, one people, and one American family.” The president who has yet to pass major legislation with a single Democratic vote said he wants “both parties to come together.” Continue reading “Reality Check: Trump’s State of the Union Vision Blurred By Congress”

Four-Star General Hayden Warns Against GOP Assault On National Security Agencies

The following article by Caroline Orr was posted on the National Memo website January 30, 2018:

Four-star general Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and NSA, issued a grave warning Monday night, telling CNN’s Don Lemon that partisan attacks on the FBI and other agencies are “chiseling away at institutions we are going to need again.”

Hayden made the remarks during a discussion about congressional Republicans’ failure to hold Donald Trump accountable for his attacks on democratic principles and institutions, from undermining special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe to calling on the Department of Justice to investigate his political opponents. Continue reading “Four-Star General Hayden Warns Against GOP Assault On National Security Agencies”