Month: November 2018

Democrats are expected to leverage their new majority to wield Congress’ oversight powers. They could demand Trump’s tax returns, subpoena his Cabinet members and investigate suspected ties to Russia. And they can block the president’s legislative priorities, whether it’s funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border or curbing entitlement programs. That being said and done, the mid-term election was a historic one for people of color and the LGBTQ community, and female candidates spearheaded a significant amount of Democratic gains.

Ayanna Pressley became Massachusetts’ first black congresswoman. Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women elected to Congresss. Jared Polis was the first gay man to win a governor’s race. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman elected to Congress.

All this in the midst of Trump blathering on about a new concept he’s just heard of called “bi·par·ti·san·ship”, which he now implores the incoming House Democrats to partake in, in order to avoid his wrath. However, I’m happy to report that the #NewDem2019Crew have pretty much said, “FU Mr. President” (politically speaking, of course).
On their proposed agendas, — top being Trump’s impeachment, indictment, hopefully to be followed by an embarrassingly swift removal from office, despite what proposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says — they’ve got plenty of bigger fish to fry, primarily damage control over the fires set by this Sad Satan after he’s removed from the whitehouse, if not in 2019 when the Dems take over the House and a large portion of the Senate, then by God in 2020!

Trump, trying hard to save face after the 2018 midterm elections, Nov 7, 2018.

CLEANING UP THE MESS. THE LAUNDRY LIST:

• lower health care costs and prescription drug prices
• increase pay through economic growth
• campaign finance reform bill
• infrastructure
• gun control legislation
• renewable, sustainable energy

On September 10, 2018, The House Committee on Appropriations — comprised of 30 Republicans and 22 Democrats – published a press release stating that the House was expected to consider the conference report on a three-bill “minibus” that includes the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills. This bill will still be on the table in Januaury and is expected to be pushed forward for ratification. The Democratic priorities include:

Rejection of The Trump Budget

The conference report rejects President Trump’s extreme budget cuts, restoring $8.1 billion in funding for important priorities that create jobs, strengthen our economy, and build a better future for all Americans.

Increase Funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

The conference report provides $2.38 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs in the Department of Energy to support the development of clean, renewable, and energy efficiency technologies across the country. The conference report reverses a House cut of $243 million and provides $57 million above the FY 2018 enacted level.

Support for Advanced Energy Technology Research and Development

The conference report provides $366 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which promotes and funds research and development of advanced energy technology. The conference report reverses a House cut of $28 million, rejects President Trump’s proposed elimination of the agency, and provides $12.7 million above the FY 2018 enacted level.

Improvement of VA Infrastructure

The conference report provides the second installment of $2 billion for VA infrastructure needs. The funding includes $800 million for Medical Facilities for non-recurring maintenance, $750 million for seismic improvements, $300 million for Major Construction, and $150 million for Minor Construction.

Expansion of Opioid Prevention and Treatment for Veterans

The conference report provides $348 million for opioid treatment and prevention programs and $52 million to continue to implement opioid safety initiatives outlined as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, as well as to develop programs aimed at ensuring that non-VA providers treating veterans through community care programs are informed and in compliance with all VA standards for opioid safety and prescription guidelines.

Creation of New Compensation for House Interns

The conference report provides $8.8 million in a new dedicated funding stream for Member’s offices to pay interns. Each Member’s office may use $20,000 of that money to pay interns over the course of the calendar year. Interns paid through this account do not count against the limit on paid employees. (“I suppose the thinking behind this proposal is to generate an incentive for youth to get more involved in politics.”) – The House Committee on Appropriations

And what this writer would also like to see is an agenda to reinstate country-wide police reform, that fired/resigned ex attorney general Jeff Sessions thought necessary to shelve as a parting gift just hours before he resigned/was fired. The action sharply curtailed the ability of the federal government’s civil rights attorneys to police the police in regards to unconstitutional acts against citizens. Also a reversal of the militarization of local and state police.

Then there’s also the Voting Rights Act section 5 and section 4b that must be restored, for obvious reasons. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court declared the two provisions unconstitutional, reasoning that they were no longer responsive to current conditions. Yeah, right.

I’m looking toward to the new Senate and Pelosi, if she’s to win SOTH, pushing back hard and keeping these important issues on the front burner for presidential candidates in 2020. I intend to make my concerns known to all the fresh, new lawmakers who make themselves available on social media. You should too!

Democrats say they are fighting for the people, in direct opposition to Republicans, who they state fight for the powerful. That’s sounds endearing enough, but an even more gratifying prospect would be to see the beginnings of a solid third party coming out of all this “new car smell” activity. You know, a sort of antithesis to the Tea Party that totally brexited the GOP back in 2009. A true Coffee Party perhaps?
But that’s another post …

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Do you get the idea that Donald Trump started reading the United States Constitution, got to “We,” decided it didn’t apply to him, and never went back to it? Of course, that assumes that you are giving him the benefit of actually starting to read the document. Or read.

Appointing an Attorney General without the consent of the Senate seems to me to be outside the realm of the president’s duties. Never mind that the person he appointed, Matthew G. Whitaker, doesn’t understand the sometimes fragile system of checks and balances upon which our government rests, having said that the judiciary is supposed to be the weakest branch. He also doesn’t like it when the Supreme Court weighs in on the legality of laws. I suppose he thinks that’s his job.

Of course, the real reason Mr. Whitaker was chosen was to try and shut down the Robert Mueller investigation into whether the president obstructed justice when he fired James Comey as FBI Director. I know that the press and the president are fixated on Russian interference in the election and the extent to which the Trump campaign played along, or worse, but the real issue is the obstruction. And the president knows that, which I think is why he keeps focusing on collusion.

Then there’s the tale of Jim Acosta, the CNN reporter the president threw out of the press pool for asking too many difficult questions. Does anybody remember due process rights? (Does anybody remember laughter?) At least the hated federal judiciary is reading the constitution and ordered the White House to restore Mr. Acosta’s press credentials.

And the elections? Immediately reaching into his vocabulary bag and finding the phrase, “voter fraud,” (the only other words in that bag are witch, hunt, collusion, not, fair, I, me, I, me, and I) to describe the achingly close results in Florida and Georgia, demonstrates that the president has no real respect for the electoral system, nor can he even be respectful, call for a calm, judicious process, and work on a winning issue, such as repairing railroads and airports.

Clearly, the non-stop confrontational attitude is wearing thin as the other results of the election prove. The Democrats are poised to win more than 40 seats that Republicans held in the House, and it’s possible that the Senate will be just as close as it was before. The president and his advisers will now need to answer for their actions in front of less friendly legislators. They’ll put up a fight, but they’ll also show how disdainful they are about the law.

In any event, the next two years will be difficult ones for the president unless he decides that he needs to get something done and works with the Democrats. If not, he will have a difficult time convincing people that he needs a Republican majority in order to succeed.

We’ve been there. And all we got was chaos.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

Not bad. Could have been a little better, and will be if Florida and/or Georgia recounts change those races, but overall, a good result on Tuesday.

And yet, when all is counted, it looks like maybe 48% of eligible voters went to the polls. That’s terrible. Here we are, the world’s greatest democracy and we can’t even muster a majority of voters exercising their precious right. I honestly have no patience for people who complain or say they want to make this country better, or are seriously upset at the people who are already serving in office, yet do not bother to register, vote and make their voices heard. It’s our duty and our responsibility as citizens.

Moving on.

Democrats garnered more overall votes for both the House and Senate races nationally, which is good news for the party and the country. Midterm elections have traditionally been excuses for the left to be ignorant and stay home while the angry right takes over the Congress and statehouses. I hope this happens no more. And I also hope that, especially in New Jersey, these same voters come out next year when we elect the state legislature and senate, offices that have far more power over our day-to-day existence than federal representatives and senators. Traditionally, only about 25% of voters turn out for those elections. Then they have the temerity to complain about property taxes, school funding, the state of the beaches, and transportation. Again; no patience.

There was a great deal of discussion about what this past election means. There were a number of Democratic Socialists and other far left candidates who won elections, but the real story is that the party is (and must) moving towards the center. This is how the process usually works. The American people are not ready to support Medicare for all or free college tuition or a more liberal immigration policy.

Yet.

These ideas will eventually become part of mainstream discussion in the same way that far right policies that seemed fringe 30 years ago have now become mainstream, such as anti-environmental and pro-business deregulation, and tax cuts that funneled billion of dollars to those who were already wealthy.

But for now, Democrats have to return to the issues that they have traditionally championed; a fairer tax system, being more responsive to the middle and working classes, affordable health care and housing, protecting the rights of all people to vote, to gain a livable wage, and to protect children from exploitation and poverty, not to mention a fairer immigration system. If the Democrats focus on these issues, which most exit polls said were voters’ key concerns, then the party can regain voters who defected to the Republicans in 2016 and build a base of support for future national and state elections.

The party also needs to stay away from talk of impeachment or appearing to be burying the administration under a blizzard of subpoenas in order to satisfy the far left flank that sees the president as illegitimate. Make sure that any actions are defensible, reasonable, pointed, and specific. Fight fire with fire, not a flamethrower. Present an argument for people who should be voting for Democrats to do so. Getting caught up in the minute-to-minute rantings of the president will not show the broader population that it is a party that will get things they want done.

Even with Congressional majorities and the White House, the Republicans were still only able to pass one major piece of legislation, which was a tax cut that didn’t help them a bit on election day, and neither did an economy that continues to create jobs. That’s extraordinary and it demonstrates the extent to which the president’s rantings have muddied, diluted, and just plain blocked what should have been a winning issue. Democrats can build a better tax cut and an economic program that helps the majority of Americans who earn a paycheck but are still struggling.

Let’s rebuild the trust with the American people, fight the groups that espouse hatred and bile, and show that we can truly be a model for the rest of the world.

It starts now.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest