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You are here: Home / Archives for Politics / Politicans

Politicans

Friday Morning Open Thread: Minimum Wage vs. Pandemic Relief?

by Anne Laurie|  February 26, 20217:19 am| 168 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Open Threads, President Biden, Republican Venality, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

Minimum wage increase imperiled in covid relief bill by Senate official’s ruling https://t.co/d9CKdRrFDH

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 26, 2021

Accursed Friday news dump, per the Washington Post:

… Democrats had been anxiously awaiting the decision, but their next steps are not clear. Liberals are pressuring Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to challenge the ruling on the Senate floor, although the White House has dismissed that idea.

Schumer released a brief statement Thursday night vowing to fight on, without saying how…

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that Biden was “disappointed in this outcome” but “respects the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate’s process.”

“He will work with leaders in Congress to determine the best path forward, because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty,” Psaki said. “He urges Congress to move quickly to pass the American Rescue Plan.”

The ruling was made by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan official who is little known outside Washington but might command tremendous influence over certain elements of Biden’s agenda. Her ruling pertains only to the Senate, where the legislation will move forward under complex rules that prohibit certain items that don’t have a particular effect on the budget. MacDonough determined that, as written, the minimum-wage increase did not pass that test — an outcome that had been predicted by a number of Democrats, including Biden himself.

Despite her ruling, the House is preparing to vote Friday to pass the stimulus relief package with the $15 minimum wage included and send it to the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Thursday…

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Pelosi’s decision to pass the $1.9 trillion relief bill with the minimum-wage language intact means Schumer will face a potentially consequential decision. He could take out the minimum-wage language before putting the bill on the Senate floor, or try to keep it in the bill — whether by challenging the parliamentarian’s ruling or trying to rewrite the provision in such a way that it could pass muster under the Senate’s complicated rules…

… White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has publicly ruled out trying to overrule the parliamentarian, and Democrats probably would not command the necessary votes to succeed anyway, since at least one Senate Democrat — Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) — has said he would not vote to overrule the parliamentarian…

Several liberal Democrats said Thursday they need to do whatever it takes to raise the minimum wage — including eliminating the filibuster, the 60-vote rule that gives the minority party enormous sway in the Senate. Manchin and Sinema have said publicly they oppose taking that step.

“We still need to pass the minimum wage, and if that means getting rid of the filibuster, so be it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said.

.@SpeakerPelosi:

“House Democrats believe that the minimum wage hike is necessary. Therefore, this provision will remain in the American Rescue Plan on the Floor tomorrow. Democrats in the House are determined to pursue every possible path in the Fight For 15.”

— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) February 26, 2021

Media Village Idiots gleeful over prospects of Dems in Disarray!; more cautious observers wonder if Repubs are the ones stepping on their own… agenda:

A 15 dollar min wage won 60% of vote in Florida in 2020. A political reporter thinking this some kind of risky vote is equivalent of doctor recommending you balance your humors. https://t.co/eqtuFPX6ib

— Alex Hazanov. (@alexhazanov) February 26, 2021

Walk the plank? I can’t think of a district where the $15 wage is less popular than the Democratic member of congress https://t.co/aq3EWNO5oA

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) February 26, 2021

reminder that this could be prevented if a mere 17/50 republican senators did NOT regard poor people as vermin https://t.co/THPSFKyI9k

— josh ???? (@josh_posts) February 26, 2021

indeed. it all totally glosses over the reason for all these contortions, which is that approximately zero senate republicans are going to vote for major dem proposals https://t.co/S81annNzhE

— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) February 26, 2021

Needless to say, I place my trust in Nancy Pelosi. (Worse comes to worst — and there will be a lot of words said before the final legislation is sent to President Biden — we Democrats have gone on the record as supporting an essential economic upgrade.)

I do assume there will be some form of Recovery Act passed before mid-March, because either enough Repubs will realize they’re better off doing the right thing, or Manchin & Sinema will decide that posturing as ‘centrists’ for their voters won’t be enough to save them come the next primaries.

Friday Morning Open Thread: Minimum Wage vs. Pandemic Relief?Post + Comments (168)

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Because It’s the Right Thing to Do

by Anne Laurie|  February 25, 20216:20 pm| 213 Comments

This post is in: LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, NANCY SMASH!, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

House votes to pass Equality Act, sweeping legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity https://t.co/oASHSzm7gt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 25, 2021

A possible explanation for MTG’s latest outbreak of public bigotry. Gonna be interesting, shall we say, for Sen. Krysten Sinema to reconcile her support for LGBTQ rights with her defense of the filibuster here…

The House voted Thursday to pass the Equality Act, a far-reaching measure that has been decades in the making and would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The legislation was passed by the House in 2019 but blocked in the Republican-led Senate. This time, Democrats control the White House, House and Senate. President Biden has signaled his support for the measure, but it still faces an uphill fight in the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to break a legislative filibuster.

“The Civil Rights Act is a sacred pillar of freedom in our country. It is not amended lightly,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a House floor speech Thursday afternoon. She thanked members of the Congressional Black Caucus who “gave their imprimatur to the opening of the Civil Rights Act to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.”

After a tense and often personal debate, the House voted 224 to 206 for the measure, with three Republicans joining all Democrats to vote yes…

The Equality Act has been a pillar of the LGBTQ civil rights movement since similar legislation was first discussed after the Stonewall riots in 1969. Democratic Rep. Bella Abzug of New York was the main sponsor of the Equality Act in 1974; other prominent supporters of the legislation included Rep. Ed Koch (D-N.Y.).

In the ensuing decades, public opinion has shifted dramatically toward support of such protections. More than 8 in 10 Americans favor laws that would protect LGBTQ people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing, according to a 2020 Public Religion Research Institute American Values Survey…

(Rep. Abzug, along with Rep. Shirley Chisholm, was my adolescent legislative hero. I’m glad she gets the credit she earned here.)

Thursday Evening Open Thread: Because It’s the Right Thing to DoPost + Comments (213)

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Process

by Anne Laurie|  February 25, 20217:34 am| 238 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Excellent Links, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

Possibly because the BBC is not American, this is the best analysis of the Recovery Act I’ve seen:

Biden's Covid stimulus plan: It costs $2tn but what's in it? https://t.co/9e2p3EUTZW

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 24, 2021


Suspect it’s a general consensus that the $15 minimum wage will have to be sacrificed, for the moment, but I hope & believe that Biden will dig in hard on providing aid to local governments. Conclusion:

Congressional Republicans are lining up to oppose the entire Covid-19 relief bill, even though there has been little organised national effort to turn public opinion against it.

Conservatives will object to the $1.9tn price tag as too high given the skyrocketing US national debt and then specifically focus on more controversial items like the minimum wage increase and payments to Democratic-controlled states and cities.

In the end, there may be a few Republicans who break ranks and reluctantly support the bill rather than be seen opposing the legislation’s popular measures.

On Tuesday, Biden told reporters that he was optimistic the legislation would pass, but it wouldn’t be “by a lot”. He is probably right on both counts.

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Elsewhere:

Biden also signed a proclamation suspending all of one and part of another proclamation that restricted visa issuing because of the pandemic. The suspension of entry "does not advance the interests
of the United States. To the contrary, it harms the United States," new text says

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) February 24, 2021

Asked if he’s disappointed more of his cabinet not confirmed, @POTUS says he doesn’t blame US Senate, he blames Trump. “I blame it on the failure to have a transition that was rational.” pic.twitter.com/hF1wHiYqlz

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 24, 2021

Thursday Morning Open Thread: ProcessPost + Comments (238)

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Keep the Faith

by Anne Laurie|  February 24, 20218:03 am| 144 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Sports

Breaking: President @JoeBiden to travel to Houston on Friday https://t.co/V6tYFeH2lt via @houstonchron

— Ben Wermund (@BenjaminEW) February 23, 2021

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U.S. House plans vote on COVID-19 aid bill on Friday https://t.co/uFhH3tJc00 pic.twitter.com/GCavSu79Je

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2021

New Gallup polling:

Biden approval rating is 56%, with 40% disapproval

• On coronavirus response: 67% to 31%
• On foreign affairs: 56% to 40%
• On the economy: 54% to 44%

Key point here: One-third of Republicans approve of his coronavirus response. https://t.co/YAq3uWbfmq pic.twitter.com/4zJ0CELyz2

— Kevin Robillard (@Robillard) February 22, 2021

Unrelated, but this is an excellent read:

Perspective: Tiger Woods’s genius has never been a free gift. Now his only task is to heal. https://t.co/3zKQb2O2vU

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 24, 2021

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Keep the FaithPost + Comments (144)

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Our President

by Anne Laurie|  February 23, 20217:59 am| 153 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Open Threads, President Biden, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

"We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic," Biden continued, speaking from his own experience about the "black hole" experienced by those who've experienced profound grief.

— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) February 22, 2021

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"We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow"

US President Joe Biden marks "grim milestone" of 500,000 deaths to Covid-19 https://t.co/ZraXMNQRrS pic.twitter.com/8LK9I16jzR

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 23, 2021

Democrats begin the final push for Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill this week, dropping any pretense of bipartisanship to quickly pass the package before an earlier round of benefits runs out.@elwasson @laurapdavison https://t.co/9smFOwSDBg

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 22, 2021

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Our PresidentPost + Comments (153)

Monday Morning Open Thread: Sweet, Refreshing “Boredom”

by Anne Laurie|  February 22, 20217:35 am| 111 Comments

This post is in: Activist Judges!, domestic terrorists, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

Monday Morning Open Thread

(Mike Luckovich via GoComics.com)
.

Not really the right word — more like ‘decency’:

Tomorrow President Biden will give a speech on the lives lost to coronavirus and hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown, per the White House.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 22, 2021

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Joe Biden is a month into his presidency and one pattern is clear. He doesn't want to talk about Donald Trump, the man he's called “the former guy." From day one, Biden has aimed to break from Trump's legacy on matters of policy, symbolism and style. https://t.co/dgEyRhavT1

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) February 20, 2021

By this point in the Obama and Trump presidencies, the opposition to both presidents' agendas was a lot more organized and unified than the opposition to Biden's. Obviously a long way to go til 2022 midterms, but if I were an R, I'd be concerned about that.

— We did it, Joe?? (@snowmanomics) February 21, 2021

Important issue. Dem outside groups and DNC should run high saturation of ads highlighting members refusal to support highly popular relief bill in every remotely contestable district. And in every like case. Governance goes hand in glove w building constituencies to support it. https://t.co/XK42qmIvrY

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 19, 2021

Then again, this should get the right-wing activists angried up:

JUST IN: AG Nominee Merrick Garland opening statement for confirmation hearing Monday. Calls 1-6 "a heinous attack" and says he'll prosecute "white supremacists & others" involved. Heavy on DOJ's civil rights duties. Also: a vow to apply #FOIA 'generously' https://t.co/r6TUC9x9tY

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) February 21, 2021

Merrick Garland says that as attorney general he will fight discrimination, domestic terrorism https://t.co/kb85GTEq7u

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 22, 2021

… In his prepared remarks, Garland also highlighted how his experience handling domestic terrorism is particularly relevant now.

“From 1995 to 1997, I supervised the prosecution of the perpetrators of the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building, who sought to spark a revolution that would topple the federal government. If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 — a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government.”

That work, he said, is “but a part” of the broad range of Justice Department responsibilities to protect the country from “environmental degradation and the abuse of market power, from fraud and corruption, from violent crime and cybercrime, and from drug trafficking and child exploitation.”

Monday Morning Open Thread: Sweet, Refreshing “Boredom”Post + Comments (111)

Late Night Open Thread: Repercussions, of A Sort

by Anne Laurie|  February 21, 20212:06 am| 62 Comments

This post is in: Cruz-ifiction, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity

I get it now. Ted and Heidi Cruz wanted their children to be safe, to have basic sanitary services like heat and running water, to leave behind a third-world apocalyptic nightmare for a safer place. Like so many parents before them, they decided to cross the Mexican border.

— Julie Roginsky (@julieroginsky) February 19, 2021

To the surprise of no one (including, probably, Ted Cruz), his kids’ schoolmates’ parents don’t like him, either…

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Cruz family's Cancun trip rattles their elite private school

Parents demand enforcement of quarantine rules that will keep the senator’s children out of class. https://t.co/PrngXdYcpB

— Jon Cooper ???? (@joncoopertweets) February 20, 2021

Late-night hosts, TV pundits slam Cruz for taking "the world’s shortest spring break" to Cancun https://t.co/Q3ZZJNEQRM

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 19, 2021

… “One poor Texan,” Trevor Noah noted during his monologue on Thursday, “had to travel 800 miles just to get heat, water and electricity.”…

“I’m not even mad that you were selfish,” Noah said, addressing the senator directly. “I’m mad that you were so stupid. How can you be in politics for 10 years and still have no idea how bad this would make you look?”…

Do you know why we can fly a helicopter on Mars, but can’t turn on a light in Texas?

Because scientists are in charge of Mars, and Republicans are in charge of Texas

— Sylvester Tweetycat (@STweetycat) February 19, 2021

Late Night Open Thread: Repercussions, of A SortPost + Comments (62)

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