Tag: Trump White House

A Bad Budget for America’s Place in the World

The following article by John Norris was posted on the Center for American Progress website February 13, 2018:

President Trump walks from Marine One upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House, August 27, 2017. Credit: Getty/Saul Loeb

As President Donald Trump dreams of a military parade in the streets of the nation’s capital and dishes out enormous tax breaks to billionaires, he continues to hobble American diplomacy and international development to an unprecedented degree.

The just-released budget, while thin on details, calls for devastating cuts of more than 30 percent to diplomacy and development programs from the levels enacted in 2017. These cuts, if adopted, would leave America less equipped to tackle conflict, pandemic disease, and extremism before they reach the nation’s shores; ill-prepared to champion American exports overseas; and more likely to end up in military conflict. It will also cause untold suffering for millions of people—particularly the most vulnerable women and children across the developing world. Continue reading “A Bad Budget for America’s Place in the World”

Sarah Sanders is at her worst at a strange time — when she’s talking about respect for women

The following column by Margaret Sullivan was posted on the Washington Post website February 13, 2018:

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Feb. 12 that President Trump “hopes for the best for all American citizens.” (Reuters)

She dripped disdain.

She oozed contempt.

“If you were paying attention to what I just read to you . . .” she huffed, like an exasperated teacher reprimanding a classroom troublemaker. Continue reading “Sarah Sanders is at her worst at a strange time — when she’s talking about respect for women”

FBI director contradicts White House account on background investigation of aide accused of spousal abuse

The following article by Ellen Nakashima and Shane Harris was posted on the Washington Post website February 13, 2018:

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said Feb. 13 the FBI submitted a partial report on former White House aide Rob Porter’s background check in March 2017. (Reuters)

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray on Tuesday contradicted the White House’s account of when the bureau informed officials about the status of a senior aide’s security-clearance investigation.

White House officials said that they were first contacted in the summer by the FBI about senior aide Rob Porter’s clearance. They also said that the investigation was never completed and that they did not know the extent of the allegations against Porter. He stepped down last week after accusations of spousal abuse by his two ex-wives. Continue reading “FBI director contradicts White House account on background investigation of aide accused of spousal abuse”

White House tells $7 trillion lie about Trump’s budget proposal

The following article by Rebekah Entralgo was posted on the ThinkProgress website February 13, 2018:

The White House wants you to believe its budget will cut the deficit.

Credit: Mandel Nganan/AFP/Getty Images

Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning to defend President Trump’s 2019 budget.

“So it’s a great plan, but it also has serious deficit reduction […] It has over $3 trillion dollars in deficit reduction, which is the largest deficit reduction of a budget in terms of a 10-year outlay that we’ve ever seen,” he said. “It lays down a path toward fiscal responsibility, it allows us to keep this booming economy growing, and it funds this president’s priorities that he campaigned on and the American people voted for in support.” Continue reading “White House tells $7 trillion lie about Trump’s budget proposal”

Blumenthal Dubious of White House Interim Security Clearance Trend

The following article by Griffin Connolly was posted on the Roll Call website February 13, 2018:

Between 30 and 40 White House staffers have not been issued full security clearance

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo

Democratic lawmakers have grown increasingly concerned — and frustrated — over the White House’s position on matters of security confidentiality.

Last week, President Donald Trump withheld the release of a Democratic House Intelligence Committee memo rebutting one from the Republican side, citing the need for heavy redaction to protect national security interests.

Yet, some lawmakers are arguing, between 30 and 40 people on the president’s own staff — including his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner — are operating on interim security clearances because they have not yet cleared an FBI background check. Continue reading “Blumenthal Dubious of White House Interim Security Clearance Trend”

‘Crisis Budgeting’ Likely Ahead Despite White House Claim

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website February 13, 2018:

‘All sorts of riders’ could bring new shutdown threats, experts say

White House officials contend the two-year budget deal that became law last week will end Washington’s spending crises and government shutdown threats. But President Donald Trump’s new budget request suggests otherwise.

Trump himself was lukewarm about the spending package he signed last week, which raised defense and domestic spending caps for the remaining seven-and-a-half months of this fiscal year and the next. And the president had little to say about the fiscal 2019 budget blueprint his administration sent to Capitol Hill on Monday. But his top aides painted each one as game-changing documents. Continue reading “‘Crisis Budgeting’ Likely Ahead Despite White House Claim”

Omarosa on Mike Pence: ‘He thinks Jesus tells him to say things’

The following article by Helena Andrews-Dyer was posted on the Washington Post website February 12, 2018:

Former reality star turned White House aide turned reality star Omarosa Manigault is spilling the tea on her days at the White House. (Taylor Turner/The Washington Post)

Former reality star turned White House aide turned reality star Omarosa Manigault is still going strong — and spilling tea — as a contestant on “Celebrity Big Brother.”

Omarosa, who previously declared on the show that she wouldn’t vote for Donald Trump again “in a million years,” said during Monday night’s episode that a Mike Pence administration would actually be worse. Continue reading “Omarosa on Mike Pence: ‘He thinks Jesus tells him to say things’”

Democratic senators pressure Trump on Russia sanctions

The following article by Elana Schor was posted on the Politico website February 12, 2018:

“The lack of seriousness shown by the administration in the face of a clear national security threat and even clearer congressional intent is alarming and cannot continue,” Sen. Ben Cardin said in a statement.

Three senior Democratic senators on Monday introduced a resolution pushing President Donald Trump to use the new authority over Russia sanctions that Congress overwhelmingly gave him last year.

The symbolic measure from Sens. Ben Cardin of Maryland, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Robert Menendez of New Jersey marks the latest Democratic effort to pressure the Trump administration on its delay in implementing a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill — designed in part as a response to Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 election — that the president signed only reluctantly.

The administration’s decision last month to hold off on new penalties targeting the defense and intelligence sectors of President Vladimir Putin’s government infuriated Democrats, who pointed out that the bipartisan bill Congress approved with only five opposing votes last year had designed the sanctions as mandatory. Continue reading “Democratic senators pressure Trump on Russia sanctions”

Trump wants to overhaul America’s safety net with giant cuts to housing, food stamps and health care

The following article by Tracy Jan, Caitlin Dewey, Amy Goldstein and Jeff Stein was posted on the Washington Postwebsite February 12, 2018:

The White House’s spending priorities for 2018 renege on President Trump’s promises to lower the deficit and keep Medicare and Medicaid spending without cuts. (Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The budget that President Trump proposed Monday takes a hard whack at the poorest Americans, slashing billions of dollars from food stamps, public health insurance and federal housing vouchers, while trying to tilt the programs in more conservative directions.

The spending plan reaches beyond the White House’s own power over the government social safety net and presumes lawmakers will overhaul long-standing entitlement programs for the poor in ways beyond what Congress so far has been willing to do. Continue reading “Trump wants to overhaul America’s safety net with giant cuts to housing, food stamps and health care”