410 posts tagged with Congress.
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Moving beyond the two-party system
The US's two-party system has many faults. But what can be done about it? The proposed Fair Representation Act in the US congress: fewer congressional districts, but with multiple congress members per district elected by ranked-choice voting. [SLWaPo]
Rep. Matt Gaetz & DOJ trafficking inquiry
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz faces investigation over relationship with teen girl (USA Today, March 31, 2021) Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said he is under investigation for his sexual conduct after a report Tuesday that the Department of Justice is looking into whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, and he claimed the investigation is related to an effort to extort him. The New York Times reported that, according to three sources briefed on the issue, an inquiry seeks to uncover whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws by paying for a teen girl to travel with him. Charges have not been filed against the Florida congressman. [more inside]
Government is back: The first 50 days of the Biden-Harris administration
The administration is putting Congress to work: confirmations, COVID relief, and voting rights take shape halfway through the first 100 days. [more inside]
Non-Metro Congress-people mover under the Capitol
US Senators and members of the House can ride
a
special system of below-ground trains in Washington, DC. One of them may utilize Linear Induction Motors, a fascinating form of electrical propulsion (with magnetic levitation, even) made possible by Triple Phase Electricity. [more inside]
Oh, this and that. You?
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-NY-14] raised two million dollars in less than a day for Texas relief efforts. [more inside]
All Eyes on Georgia
The key to passing Biden's agenda and disabling Mitch McConnell rests on Georgia. There could not be a more consequential runoff election. While incumbents Loeffler and Perdue run a "Save Our Majority" campaign in the midst of election fraud claims, Rev. Warnock and Jon Ossoff form a Black-Jewish coalition that could be key to opening a new era of civil rights in America, beginning with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Whether the U.S. becomes more or less democratic hinges on the Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, 2021. [more inside]
Your Money: A Hub for Help During the Coronavirus Crisis
If your income has fallen or been cut off completely in the United States, this guide will connect you to the basic information you’ll need to get through this, including on government benefits, free services and financial strategies. (NYT) [more inside]
The lost Congressman
The turbulent life and mysterious death of Jeremiah Haralson, the last black Congressman from Alabama until 1992.
ITMFA VI: Again & Again
According to Rolling Stone, at an impeachment acquittal 'celebration,' the president "started rambling about his behavior in Ukraine, calling himself a victim, while also seeming to get somewhat paranoid, telling the crowd the Democrats will say, “let’s impeach him” again." However, after Republicans voted almost unanimously to acquit him on impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Trump’s constant commentary and increasing willingness to flout traditional legal processes signal that the president feels emboldened and unrestrained, said Chris Whipple, author of “The Gatekeepers,” a history of White House chiefs of staff. As noted by over 2600 former DOJ officials in an open letter calling for AG Barr to resign, "[g]overnments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies." Based on the framing and ratification debates for the U.S. Constitution, impeachment scholar Cass Sunstein says to "[t]hink about what the American Revolution was fought for, and you’ll have a good clue of what impeachment is all about." [more inside]
ITMFA V: Carry On, Wayward Senate
As Trump’s lawyers begin their defense in the impeachment trial and Republicans rally around the president, an unpublished draft book by John Bolton asserts Trump tied Ukraine aid to the inquiries he sought (reprint), and provides an outline of what Mr. Bolton might testify to if he is called as a witness (reprint). Depending on what comes next, a final vote on whether to remove Donald Trump from office could happen before his State of the Union address on February 4. [more inside]
“It is love, not reason, that is stronger than death.”
Movies, Music, and Books That Enter the Public Domain Today [Center for the Study of Public Domain] “On January 1, 2020, works from 1924 [entered] the US public domain, where they will be free for all to use and build upon, without permission or fee. These works include George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, silent films by Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, and books such as Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India, and A. A. Milne’s When We Were Very Young. These works were supposed to go into the public domain in 2000, after being copyrighted for 75 years. But before this could happen, Congress hit a 20-year pause button and extended their copyright term to 95 years. Now the wait is over. The list below may not be completely comprehensive, but it’s a good place to start. (To find more material from 1924, you can visit the Catalogue of Copyright Entries.)” [more inside]
ITMFA IV: Then the door was open and the wind appeared
At a time when local newspapers are struggling and misinformation is widespread, access to reliable information is the thread that keeps our democracy intact. Pelosi may have had the last word in 2019, but if we've learned anything from the past year, Trump won't take long to respond in 2020. Trump, Mulvaney, Sondland, and Giuliani are not saying they didn’t do the things that Trump was just impeached for ordering. They’re saying they did, but it’s fine. The Republican-run Senate will have to decide if they agree. [more inside]
ITMFA III: The Search for Articles of Impeachment
The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has invited President Donald Trump to its first impeachment hearing, scheduled for Dec. 4, starting a new phase of the inquiry that could lead to formal charges against the president within weeks. In the meantime, Lawfare has written a Starr Report, based on the impeachment investigation hearings, which serve as "the narrative backbone for the articles of impeachment the House Judiciary Committee will now prepare and on which members will vote." [more inside]
It’s Not Watergate, It’s Reconstruction
“But history does not actually repeat itself, and the differences between that era and ours are perhaps even more important than the similarities. Reading Wineapple’s book, one is struck by the degree to which the Radical Republicans controlling Congress (in the House, especially) were not cowed by the prospect of reprisal at Johnson’s hands. Congress repeatedly acted aggressively and decisively, with no cringing fear of backlash. A Johnson-supporting lawyer, Charles Woolley, refused to cooperate with a House committee investigation into possible corruption in the impeachment vote itself. So the House arrested him for contempt of Congress and locked him in the basement of the Capitol.“ Making Impeachment Matter (New Republic)
Seriously, ITMFA
As the House gets serious about the next phase of the impeachment inquiry, confirmation of the Ukraine quid pro quo allegations keep piling up, and
two volatile meetings at the White House have become central to the impeachment inquiry. [more inside]
ITMFA
"It’s not a pretty picture, but in a sense, it’s Federalist 51 in action." The Washington Post offers an annotated calendar that will be updated: What’s next in the Trump impeachment inquiry, and will Trump cooperate with it? as well as ongoing reporting and analysis. [more inside]
NYT: The Internet Is Overrun With Images of Child Sexual Abuse (CW)
In its reporting the New York Times "reviewed over 10,000 pages of police and court documents; conducted software tests to assess the availability of the imagery through search engines; accompanied detectives on raids; and spoke with investigators, lawmakers, tech executives and government officials. The reporting included conversations with an admitted pedophile who concealed his identity using encryption software and who runs a site that has hosted as many as 17,000 such images." Their shorter "What You Need To Know" article summarizes: reports are increasing, victims are younger and the abuse is worse, the Justice Department has neglected its duties for years, the police and non-profits are overwhelmed, and tech companies are often slow to react if they do at all. Almost 66% of reports were from Facebook Messenger. [more inside]
"Need to find different words for unprecedented."
The Washington Post breaks the news that the whistleblower complaint at the center of a tense showdown between Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire and the House Intelligence Committee involves President Trump’s communications with a foreign leader that included a “promise” regarded as so troubling, it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with the inspector general for the intelligence community. The New York Times reports today, "During a private session on Capitol Hill, Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, told lawmakers he was unable to confirm or deny anything about the substance of the complaint, including whether it involved the president." This morning on Twitter, Trump denied he said anything inappropriate but did not dispute he made such a promise. [more inside]
Mueller Under Oath
On Wednesday, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller will testify before Congress about his Report On the Investigation Into Russian Interference In the 2016 Presidential Election (EPUB) (PDF vol. I, vol. II). U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler believes there is “substantial evidence” that President Donald Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors, and he plans to ask Mueller to present those facts at the hearing. After Mueller requested guidance, Trump's DOJ instructed him not to answer a wide variety of questions in a letter sent Monday. The DOJ also signaled they don’t intend to place lawyers in the room during his testimony, instead relying on Mueller to self-police his remarks, confident that he still wishes to let "the office’s written work speak for itself". [more inside]
"For nothing can seem foul to those that win"
While there is no indication that Mueller does not wish to appear before Congress on July 17, Attorney General Barr says the DOJ will support Mueller if he “doesn’t want to subject himself” to congressional testimony, and the DOJ will seek to block any attempt by Congress to subpoena members of the special counsel’s team. In the meantime, the House Judiciary Committee votes this week to authorize a bevy of new subpoenas, including for Jeff Sessions, the former attorney general; Michael T. Flynn, the president’s first national security adviser; John F. Kelly, the former White House chief of staff; Rod J. Rosenstein, the former deputy attorney general who appointed Mr. Mueller; Corey R. Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager; David J. Pecker, who as the head of American Media took part in a hush money scheme; and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser. [more inside]
Ten Minutes Of Righteous Outrage
Surely some revelation is at hand;
In a surprise public statement, Special Counsel Robert Mueller resigned from the DOJ and announced (NBC) that he does not believe it is appropriate to provide information beyond what is already public in any appearance before Congress, emphasizing, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” (Vox, full transcript). [more inside]
“Did he just call us g--d--- communists?”
“There are definitely days when I wake up now and I am, like, I am not equipped to do this,” Innamorato said later. “But I’ll figure it out. It’s a system. There are rules. It’s imperfect because it’s run by human beings, and I’ll figure it out.” These Women Were Elected As Democratic Socialists, Now They’re Trying To Figure Out What That Means (Washington Post)
How To Survive The Crash
“The importance of the progressive beachhead on Financial Services may not be felt this year or even this session, but after the next financial crisis. Having progressives willing to carry forward structural responses to financial misconduct could make a huge difference. “In 2008 the public was alerted and alarmed and angry to do something, but there wasn’t the Washington leadership necessary,” says Marcus Stanley of Americans for Financial Reform, a coalition formed to bridge that gap. “It’s unpredictable what would happen in another crash, but if there is one, we won’t miss the opportunity again.” The House Financial Services Committee—long a landing place for pro-bank Democrats—now includes AOC and a flock of leftists. And Maxine Waters is its new chair. (American Prospect) What Will It Take For The Progressive Congressional Caucus To Win? (Splinter)
At the beginning I never thought of becoming a candidate myself.
Immigrant, math Ph.D., farmer, and judge Dalip Singh Saund wasn't just the first Asian American elected to the US Congress. He was also a cofounder of the India Association of America and an activist whose work helped lead to the 1946 passage of the Luce-Celler act, which allowed immigrants from India and from the Philippines to be naturalized as US citizens. Ten years later, he won Burbank, California's seat in the House. "In the winter of 1957 I was able finally to keep the promise I had made in the campaign that if elected to Congress I would go to India and the Far East and present myself as a living example of American democracy in practice." [more inside]
The Liberal Argument For a Green New Deal
“Candidates and opinion-makers can do this by describing a Green New Deal as a remedy for personal and local issues that people experience every day: air and water pollution and high energy costs in low-income and minority communities. Mass transit inadequacies, congestion, and sprawl in urban and suburban communities. Stagnating economic growth and shrinking union jobs set against dwindling wildlife and agricultural yields in rural communities. The loss of culture and community by encroaching sea levels in coastal towns and aggressive expansion of fossil fuel industries on public and Indigenous lands.” What’s Your Green New Deal? “The fact that the implications are “radical” has led many people to overlook a simple fact: Climate change may be “human-made,” but it is not made by all humans equally, and if some are responsible for knowingly doing damage to others, they must be held legally liable.“ If Property Rights Were Real Climate Destroying Companies Would Be Sued Out Of Existence (Current Affairs)
the nicest sense of personal honor
CHRIS HAYES [podcast, "Why Is This Happening" 11 DEC 2018, transcript of podcast]: There is a mythos about like, "When we founded the country we broke with the old ways of Europe that were blood-soaked."
JOANNE FREEMAN [professor of history and american studies, Yale] [twitter]: Right.
CHRIS HAYES: "We created the rule of law and the revered Constitution, where we banished all of that stuff and we ... " And it's bullshit. That moment, that's just Mafia warlord-ism in a committee of Congress.
JOANNE FREEMAN: For sure. There is this level of violence. You're absolutely right, that there is a pretty shiny narrative of early America that goes on for quite some time in the way we understand the past, and there wasn't a shiny moment. [more inside]
They’re Gonna Rock It
Let’s Get To Work
With a new nationally representative survey of registered voters shows that 81% support a “Green New Deal” for the U.S and strong bipartisan support, what even is The Green New Deal? A Primer on the Green New Deal—the Plan to Literally Save the Planet (Paste) “CJA says any jobs plan should restore and protect workers’ rights to organize and form unions, and it should be predicated on non-extractive policies that build “local community wealth that is democratically governed.” Any deal must ensure “free, prior and informed consent by Indigenous peoples,” CJA insists, and should be directed by those communities bearing the brunt of the “dig, burn, dump” economy.” We Have To Make Sure the “Green New Deal” Doesn’t Become Green Capitalism. (In These Times) “There is an uncomfortable scientific truth that has to be faced: economic growth is environmentally unsustainable.” (Degrowth.org) Is there any green policy plan that can go far enough or be global enough (Naked Capitalism) considering the U.S Military is one of the largest polluters on the planet?
Bring Democracy To America
“There is a solution, however, that could gain immediate popular support: Abolish the Senate.” I Served in Congress Longer Than Anyone. Here’s How to Fix It. John D. Dingell, former Michigan Representative. (Atlantic)
But How Will We Pay For It?
“Now, a Nation investigation has uncovered an explanation for the Pentagon’s foot-dragging: For decades, the DoD’s leaders and accountants have been perpetrating a gigantic, unconstitutional accounting fraud, deliberately cooking the books to mislead the Congress and drive the DoD’s budgets ever higher, regardless of military necessity. DoD has literally been making up numbers in its annual financial reports to Congress—representing trillions of dollars’ worth of seemingly nonexistent transactions—knowing that Congress would rely on those misleading reports when deciding how much money to give the DoD the following year, according to government records and interviews with current and former DoD officials, congressional sources, and independent experts.” Exclusive: The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed (The Nation)
New Green Deal Now
With 66% of the US supporting a New Green Deal and congresspeople and activist groups joining forces, a question arises. What can the New Green Deal learn from the old New Deal about how to get the changes we need? (Previously Degrowth/New Green Deal)
When will there be enough women in Congress? When there are 535
Why Aren't U.S. Workers Working? - "Labor force participation among U.S. men and women ages 25 to 54 has been declining for nearly 20 years, a stark contrast with rising participation in Canada over this period. Three-fourths of the difference between the two countries can be explained by the growing gap in labor force attachment of women. A key factor is the extensive parental leave policies in Canada. If the United States could reverse the trend in participation of prime-age women to match Canada, it would see 5 million additional prime-age workers join the labor force." [more inside]
Monopoly, fascism and antitrust
Extreme economic concentration creates conditions ripe for dictatorship - "In the 1930s it contributed to the rise of fascism. Alarmingly, we are experimenting again with a monopolized economy." [more inside]
"This is treason"
The Supreme Court confirmation hearing continues Wednesday with the questioning of nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Despite low popularity, views out of step with the majority of the country, tens of thousands of pages of documents produced at the last minute, and over 100,000 pages of documents withheld from the Senate (with all the documents reviewed not by the National Archives, but by a lawyer who represents the Bush Library, White House Counsel Don McGahn, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon), his confirmation appears to be on cruise control. The Times examines How Brett Kavanaugh Would Transform the Supreme Court. SCOTUSBlog offers a liveblog of the hearings and a 16-part series on Kavanaugh's record. Wednesday's questioning can be streamed live on C-SPAN starting at 9:30 ET. [more inside]
The New 1930s.
“The hearings in 1935 that were held before the Labor subcommittee on the Lundeen Bill are a remarkable historical document, “probably the most unique document ever to appear in the Congressional record,” at least according to the executive secretary of the IPA. Eighty witnesses testified: industrial workers, farmers, veterans, professional workers, African-Americans, women, the foreign-born, and youth. “Probably never in American history,” an editor of the Nation wrote, “have the underprivileged had a better opportunity to present their case before Congress.” The aggregate of the testimonies amounted to a systematic indictment of American capitalism and the New Deal, and an impassioned defense of the radical alternative under consideration.” Are American Workers Really Opposed to Socialism? The lost history of the Worker’s Bill, a radical 1930s era attempt to change Americans’ relationship to work.
Data For Progress
The New Progressive Agenda Project gives policymakers and advocates reliable congressional district and state-level polling data that would normally be out of reach for even the best-funded campaign. In the coming weeks, we’ll be periodically releasing new data on progressive proposals that are message-tested and ready to be introduced in the 116th Congress. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand makes the case for family leave - Senator Tammy Baldwin makes the case for employee governance (also known as worker co-determination) - Senator Cory Booker makes the case for a federal investment in fair housing - State Senate candidate Zellnor Myrie looks at public housing from a state perspective - State Senator Kevin de León makes the case for free college - Political scientist David Faris makes the case for DC, Puerto Rico and territory statehood. Polling The Left Agenda: numbers show support for broad leftist policy among rural, urban, and suburban voters.
Military Vet Mom MJ Hegar Is Running for Congress in Texas's District 31
And she might just break the internet with the most persuasive political campaign ad ever created. (SLYT)
We have always been at war for Net Neutrality
In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted historic Internet rules (CNN Money), when the Democratic-led commission approved 3-to-2, split along party lines, to assert extra government authority over the Internet and permitted enforcement of net neutrality rules that would prevent Internet providers—including cellular carriers—from blocking or throttling traffic or giving priority to Web services in exchange for payment (Ars Technica). That came to an end on Monday, June 11, 2018 (CNN Money), following another FCC vote, split on party lines again (CNN Money), but breaking for the GOP. The FCC's Net Neutrality rules are dead, but the fight isn't (Wired). [more inside]
It’s Coming Through A Crack In The Wall
“Rather than shy away from being called a socialist, a word conservatives have long wielded as a slur, candidates like Mr. Bynum are embracing the label. He is among dozens of D.S.A. members running in this fall’s midterms for offices across the country at nearly every level. In Hawaii, Kaniela Ing, a state representative, is running for Congress. Gayle McLaughlin, a former mayor of Richmond, Calif., is running to be the state’s lieutenant governor. In Tennessee, Dennis Prater, an adjunct professor at East Tennessee State University, is running to be a county commissioner.“ Yes, I’m running as a Socialist, why candidates are embracing the label (NYT) Congress is wealthy, the people are not - How to get more working-class candidates like Kerri Harris to run for office (The New Republic). One out of every five Americans has taken part in a rally, speech, or protest in the last two years. (The Nib)
The Case for A Populist Democratic Party
FIRST
This report shows that a pivot toward the “center” is poison with the Democratic primary electorate, using historical data to show the increasing liberalism of Democratic voters on core progressive values.
SECOND
This report shows that marginal voters and nonvoters support key progressive policies and could form a durable base for the Democratic Party.
FINALLY
This report shows that many Democratic incumbents are failing their constituents by opposing progressive policies with broad-based support. Future Of The Party.
Effective graphic design can help communicate your message
Floor Charts.com |
Join me as I archive government charts & props from Congress, the White House and more. (Avg. cost per chart: $20 - $60)
Will they ride again?
The Sedona 5's Excellent Adventure On the morning of November 19, 1995, a federal budget stalemate between President Clinton and the U.S. Congress had forced the national park system to shut down, and the entire Grand Canyon had been closed to visitors for the past five days.”
Working From Within
While the DSA National Convention (previously) made headlines, another political convention met in Chicago - The People's Summit - a Bernie Sanders headlined, multiple group organized, 4,000 strong meeting of American Progressives. The Katie Halper Show interviews several uo and coming candidates looking to turn the Democratic Party left. Larry Krasner, civil rights attorney running for Philadelphia DA; Paula Jean Swearengin, a coal miner's daughter running against Senator Joe Manchin to represent West Virginia; Stephen Jaffe running against Nancy Pelosi; Ginger Jentzen, running for Minneapolis City Council Ward 3, and Andre Vasquez, executive director of Reclaim Chicago/Chicago Progress.
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) Online Reading Room offers streaming access within the United States to nearly 10,000 public television and radio programs from the past 60 years. Read their blog, view their curated exhibits or browse media by topic. [more inside]
Raymond Pfeifer
Raymond Pfeifer died on May 28, at the age of 59. Ray was retired from the FDNY, where he had served for almost 28 years. After 9/11, Ray spent 8 months at Ground Zero, and, after being diagnosed with cancer resulting from that work, he spent years advocating for Congress to pass the Zadroga Act, which now provides that those exposed to the 9/11 disaster continue to receive monitoring and treatment services for 9/11-related health problems through at least 2090. He was remembered by his friend, Jon Stewart. [more inside]
Another wrestler in politics
On the eve of Election Day for Montana's special election for a new Congressional Representative, Republican candidate Greg Gianforte allegedly body slams Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. [more inside]
State of a divided union
Does Trump know he’s president? Tonight, President Trump will address Congress; "GOP lawmakers want guidance on how to handle Obamacare and tax reform." Trump's guests for his address: Scalia's widow, a private-school success story, three people who lost someone to an illegal immigrant. This morning, an interview with the president aired on Fox & Friends, where Trump discussed the leaks coming out of the White House, slain Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, who died in the Yemen raid, and the protests around the country that he believes President Obama is behind. [more inside]
Tracking Congress in the Age of Trump
An updating tally of how often every member of the House and the Senate votes with or against the president. The "votes" tab, organized by bill/nomination, is particularly useful.
How to stop an autocracy
The danger isn’t that Trump will build an autocracy. It’s that congressional Republicans will let him. "If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to compel Trump to release his tax returns, they could. If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to impeach Trump unless he agreed to turn his assets over to a blind trust, they could. If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to take Trump’s power to choose who can and cannot enter the country, they could." The problem is that the different branches of government, instead of balancing things out by being important checks on each other's power, have instead become simply different manifestations of one of two major parties. Our granfalloons are out of alignment. [more inside]