“Don’t let Mitch McConnell fool you: this is nothing but an attempt to sabotage the movement we are building,” Markey warned Wednesday.
“He wants to silence your voice so Republicans don’t have to explain why they are climate change deniers. McConnell wants this to be the end, this is just the beginning.”
.@Senatemajldr: "I've noted with great interest the Green New Deal. And we're going to be voting on that in the Senate. Give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the #GreenNewDeal." pic.twitter.com/1HP5lSDjzM
Bizarrely, Markey not only claimed that holding a high-profile public Senate vote on the proposal would somehow “silence” the far-left, he also insisted it would “avoid a true national debate.”
“This isn’t a new Republican trick. By rushing a vote on the #GreenNewDeal resolution, Republicans want to avoid a true national debate & kill our efforts to organize. We’re having the first national conversation on climate change in a decade. We can’t let Republicans sabotage it.”
In reality, holding a vote would do just the opposite.
But why would Democrats not want to vote on legislation they’ve been championing for the last week?
Because it would expose and separate the Democrats who’ve been politically posturing on the proposal from the far-left wing vying for power, potentially creating a rift within the party.
Several users on Twitter pointed out as much.
“This is called a backfire. You’re admitting you sponsored a bill you didn’t want a vote on,” one user said. “Now you and all your friends have to go on record voting for the Green New Deal monstrosity that would destroy our country OR admit you’re hypocrites. Mitch McConnell is undefeated.”
“Hello Ed….IT IS YOUR LEGISLATION…..normally people that sponsor legislation want a vote on it……BUT then again you are a Democrat, which might explain your angst,” said another.
The Democrats will either scare off independent and moderate voters with their radical plan by voting for it, or anger their far-left base by voting against it.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday that he will be setting up a vote on Ocasio-Cortez’s insanely radical Green New Deal.
There is no way Ocasio-Cortez’s radical plan will pass the Senate because it needs 60 votes, but Mitch McConnell is forcing Democrats, many of whom are running for president in 2020, to go on the record about something as radical as eliminating airplane travel — this vote would give the Republicans great fodder for the 2020 presidential election cycle.
“I’ve noted with great interest the Green New Deal. And we’re going to be voting on that in the Senate. Give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal,” McConnell told reporters on Tuesday.
Notice McConnell’s green tie and smirk as he trolls Senate Democrats on the radical Green New Deal.
VIDEO:
.@Senatemajldr: "I've noted with great interest the Green New Deal. And we're going to be voting on that in the Senate. Give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the #GreenNewDeal." pic.twitter.com/1HP5lSDjzM
Democrat darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released information on the Democrat Party’s radical and lunatic Green New Deal last Thursday.
It was a complete disaster.
The Green New Deal is a Communist scam that included guaranteed income for Americans ‘unwilling to work.’
The 14-page Commie wishlist also included a plan to transition to all electric cars and completely eliminate airplane travel — because trains over the ocean is a genius idea!
The Democrats also want to get rid of cow flatulence — which means all cows would be eliminated.
Within hours, the Green New Deal was yanked from Ocasio-Cortez’s webpage.
President Trump mocked the Democrat-Green-New-Deal-clown-show last Saturday evening, calling the resolution, “Brilliant.”
Senator McConnell’s move to force a vote on Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal is just glorious — thank you, Mitch!
The Senate on Thursday rejected both the Democratic and GOP proposals to end theongoing partial federal government shutdown, with both measures falling far short of the 60-vote threshold needed to pass.
Although each of the dueling measures was expected to fail even before Thursday, it was hoped twin defeats might spur the two sides into a more serious effort to strike a compromise. Almost every proposal needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate, which is under 53-47 Republican control.
The final vote on the GOP bill was 50-47. West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin was the lone Democrat to cross over and support the GOP package, which would have provided $5.7 billion for President Trump’s proposed border wall while also offering several immigration-related concessions and tightening asylum rules. GOP Sens. Tom Cotton and Mike Lee voted against the Republican measure.
“If this had been a vote to begin debate on a deal to end the shutdown, I would have happily voted yes,”Lee told Fox News. “But this was a vote to end debate on a bill that I believe is fundamentally flawed. In fact, after specifically asking for assurances that we would be allowed to offer amendments, no assurances were given. This bill as is simply does not do enough to reform our immigration system or address the crisis at our southern border.”
The Democrats’ plan would have reopened agency doors through Feb. 8 while bargainers seek a budget accord, but included no wall funding. The vote was 52-44 on the Democratic bill, with all Democrats voting yes and several Republicans crossing over, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson, and Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander. Not voting on the bill were Sens. Richard Burr, Rand Paul, James Risch, and Jacky Rosen.
Both the GOP and Democratic measures would have reopened federal agencies and pay 800,000 federal workers who are about to miss yet another paycheck amid the shutdown, now in its 34th day.
In the wake of the failed votes, a bipartisan colloquy was underway on the Senate floor between senators trying to forge a bipartisan solution to reopen the government.
Several House Democratic representatives, including Reps. John Lewis, Bobby Scott, Gregory Meeks, and Jamie Raskin, were gathered in the back of the Senate chamber during the vote, apparently to protest the Senate’s failure to consider several bills to end the shutdown that passed the Democratic-controlled House.
Border Patrol agents in Yuma, Arizona apprehend a group of over 100 Central Americans who illegally scaled the border wall.
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate, told Fox News before the votes that she would support both of the proposals, and that Congress has an obligation to work on further negotiations through the weekend.
“I personally think both of them are flawed, but having said that, I’m going to vote for both of them,” Murkowski said. “We’re going to have two show votes, and my hope is that after that, it will allow us to really get down to work.”
Murkowski continued: “So to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, if you don’t like the provisions that have been laid down, then let’s let’s work them through. Let’s get to yes here. I don’t like the asylum provision, quite honestly, that the president laid out there. So let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about this. But if we do these two votes this afternoon and then everybody skedaddles for the weekend –Wow. What kind of a message is that?”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the Democratic plan was a “down the middle (to) reopen government and has received overwhelming support from both sides before President Trump said he wouldn’t do it.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., countered that the GOP proposal was “a compromise package the president will actually sign,” calling Schumer’s alternative a “dead-end proposal that stands no chance.”
“It’s hard to imagine 60 votes developing for either one,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. GOP moderates such as Murkowski and Susan Collins of Maine are expected to vote for the Democratic plan, as is Cory Gardner of Colorado, one of the few Republicans representing a state carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The White House was eagerly watching Thursday’s votes. Officials think it will be harder for Democrats to keep sticking together amid Trump’s offers, according to a person familiar with White House thinking who was not authorized to speak publicly. They are hopeful for defections by Democrats who may cross party lines to vote with the president.
At a panel discussion held by House Democrats on the effects of the shutdown, union leaders and former Homeland Security officials said they worried about the long-term effects. “I fear we are rolling the dice,” said Tim Manning, a former Federal Emergency Management Agency official. “We will be lucky to get everybody back on the job without a crisis to respond to.”
The partial shutdown began just before Christmas after Trump indicated that he wouldn’t sign a stopgap spending bill backed by top Republicans like McConnell, who shepherded a bill through the Senate that would have funded the government up to Feb. 8. The House passed a plan with money for the wall as one of the last gasps of the eight-year GOP majority.
On Thursday, almost five weeks later, House Democrats continued work on a package that would ignore Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion for a wall with Mexico and would instead pay for other ideas aimed at protecting the border.
How do past border proposals stack up to President Trump’s? GOP strategist Lauren Claffey explains.
Details of Democrats’ border security plan and its cost remained a work in progress. Party leaders said it would include money for scanning devices and other technological tools for improving security at ports of entry and along the border, plus money for more border agents and immigration judges.
A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research was the latest indicator that the shutdown is hurting Trump with the general public. While his approval among Republicans remains strong, just 34 percent of Americans like his performance as president and 6 in 10 assign a great deal of responsibility to him for the shutdown, about double the share blaming Democrats, according to the poll out Wednesday.
“Steve’s remarks are beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America.”
By Katherine Rodriguez
House Republican leaders voted Monday to remove Rep. Steve King (R-IA) from all of his assigned committees after the Iowa Republican came under fire for his comments about white nationalism in a New York Times interview.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)announced Monday that the Republican Steering Committee voted not to give King any committee assignments in the current session of Congress.
McCarthy, in his statement announcing the decision, called King’s comments “beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America.”
“Steve’s remarks are beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America. His comments call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity,” McCarthy said in a statement.
“House Republicans are clear: We are all in this together, as fellow citizens equal before God and the law. As Congressman King’s fellow citizens, let us hope and pray earnestly that this action will lead to greater reflection and ultimately change on his part,” McCarthy added.
In the previous session of Congress, King had served on the House Agriculture, Judiciary, and Small Business committees. He also chaired the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice and was on his way to becoming a ranking member of that committee in the current session before the Steering Committee’s vote.
The Iowa Republican decried the committee’s decision as a “political decision that ignores the truth,” adding that the committee misinterpreted his remarks:
King faced pushback on Thursday after he told the Times that he raised questions about why the terms “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” are considered offensive.
His comments caused an uproar, prompting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to call his remarks “unworthy” of the office he holds.
“If he doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work,” McConnell said.
King released a statement clarifying his comments soon after the Times article went live, stating that the Times‘ assumption that he was “an advocate for white nationalism” was incorrect.
King also “condemned” people who support bigotry and rejected “those labels and the evil ideology that they define.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) held the line Thursday and blocked two House-passed bills that would reopen the government and stiff President Trump on border wall funding.
Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) and two dozen Democrat colleagues in the Senate tried to bring two House-passed bills to the floor that would fund the DHS through early February along with a separate package that would fund the remaining agencies through September.
McConnell dug in his heels and blocked both bills, arguing they would be “show votes” and that he’s not going to waste time.
“The last thing we need to do right now is trade pointless, absolutely pointless show votes back and forth across the aisle,” McConnell said.
According to Senate rules, any Senator can try to force a vote, but any Senator can also block them.
McConnell blocking the Democrat Senators from forcing a vote reaffirms his commitment that he will not allow a vote on a Democrat bill that the President won’t sign.
Thank you, Leader McConnell!
VIDEO:
NEW: Sen. Cardin asks for unanimous consent for Senate to consider bill to end shutdown.
Leader McConnell objects. "The last thing we need to do right now is trade pointless, absolutely pointless, show votes back and forth across the aisle," he says. https://t.co/n9IQ5KR9jjpic.twitter.com/v6uOcB0XOm
Today is Speaker Paul Ryan’s last day in office. The Republican leader shafted President Trump, Republican lawmakers and conservative-populist voters.
Paul Ryan repeatedly promised to fund the Trump Border Wall.
But at every opportunity he denied the Republican President funds for his border wall.
It was not until President Trump threatened to shut down the government the Speaker Paul Ryan FINALLY pushed legislation that included ONLY $5 BILLION to fund the border wall.
President Trump promised to build a border wall with Mexico at nearly EVERY campaign stop he held in 2015-2016.
The president won the election in an electoral landslide with a promise to build a border wall with Mexico.
In January 2017 Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to pass funding of $12-15 billion to build the Trump border wall.
But it was all a lie.
Paul Ryan later told Tucker Carlson he would fund the Trump border wall.
It was all a lie.
Paul Ryan did not once include funding for the Trump border wall in any financial package since Trump’s election — until Trump threatened a shutdown.
Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell lied. But they did fund a border security barrier in Tunisia and Jordan.
Last week President Trump called on the GOP Congress to finally pass funding for the border wall — With the threat of a shutdown Paul Ryan left the White House and finally included funding for the Trump border wall which passed with ease in the GOP House.
The Pelosi Democrats take over today.
This is Paul Ryan’s last day as Speaker of the House.
Paul Ryan is a liar.
Never forget.
No issue encapsulates the weakness of republicans and their simultaneous adherence to the UniParty position on illegal immigration more than the aftermath of illegal aliens killing U.S. citizens. No-one ever forces democrats to own the consequences to their position; it is very frustrating.
No other issue is as easy to frame, and supported by the majority of American voters, as the issue of illegal alien impacts on local communities. Yet, we never see republican politicians making democrats own and defend these toxic negative outcomes. The reason is likely because both wings of the UniParty benefit from massive lobbying to keep the problem in place.
CTH has tracked this issue so closely through the years it often feels futile for another reminder. However, with the insufferable political games surfacing, yet again, over the issue of illegal aliens – perhaps it is worth another visit.
Understanding The Big Racket.
Massive illegal immigration is supported by both sides of the professional political machine. There are few issues more unifying for the K-Street purchased voices of DC politicians than keeping the borders open and the influx of illegal aliens as high as possible. The U.S. Chamber of Commercepays politicians to keep this system in place.
All Democrats and most Republicans support mass immigration. Almost no DC politicians want to take action on any policy or legislation that stops the influx. There are billions at stake. None of the GOP leadership want to actually stop illegal immigration; it’s a lucrative business. Almost all of the CONservative groups and politicians lie about it.
The religious right is also part of the problem. In the past 15 years illegal immigration and refugee settlement has been financially beneficial for them. The prior actions of Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck et al show they are as committed to facilitating illegal immigration as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Jeff Flake, Ben Sasse, Kevin McCarthy, Lisa Murkowski and the rest of the Decepticons.
Washington DC and the activist media, are infested with illegal immigration supporters; the issue is at the heart of the UniParty. Follow the money. It’s the Acorn model:
There is no greater disconnect from ordinary Americans on any singular issue than the policy positions of Democrats and Republicans in Washington DC surrounding immigration. President Donald Trump is confronting their unified interests.
All political opposition to the Trump administration on this issue is structured, planned and coordinated. The issue is a valuable tool for the professional political class to sow chaos amid politicians.
The resulting crisis is useful for them; therefore they fuel the crisis.
Through June 2018, Southwest Key was given $310,000,000, in taxpayer funds. That’s just one company, in one part of a year. Prior CTH research showed this specific “Private Company”nets 98.76% of earnings from government grants (link).
Today … [Houston Mayor Sylvester] Turner said he met with officials from Austin-based Southwest Key Programs, the contractor that operates some of the child shelters, to ask them to reconsider their plans. A spokeswoman for Southwest Key didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
“And so there comes a point in time we draw a line and for me, the line is with these children,” said Turner during a news conference Tuesday. (link)
“The thought that they are going to be putting such little kids in an institutional setting? I mean it is hard for me to even wrap my mind around it,” said Kay Bellor, vice president for programs at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which provides foster care and other child welfare services to migrant children. “Toddlers are being detained.” (link)
“Faith Based Immigration Services” is a code-speak for legalized human smuggling.
Human smuggling is big business. If you dig in to the IRS 990 forms you’ll see a lot of, well, “generous” wage/benefit perks. Golf, florists, cafe’s, mysterious leases, land purchases, third party mortgages, $$$ Spouses on the payroll, etc.
So when you’ve got each individual immigration business making multi-hundreds of millions; and politicians getting kick-backs (lobbyists); and bribes to Mexican government officials; and payments to smugglers;who do you think actually wants the business to stop?
The “faith-based” crew (Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck, etc.) don’t want it to stop, because facilitating illegal alien import is now the financial bread and butter amid groups in their base of support. The man/woman in the pew might not know; but the corporation minister, preacher or priest (inside the process) surely does.
The Wall Street, big GOPe, U.S. Chamber of Commerce crew doesn’t want it to stop because they benefit from it (cheap labor), and the taxpayers -not them- are the ones funding it.
Sad thing is, it’s you and me that are paying the South American human smugglers through U.S. taxpayer funds. Laundered through the immigration business bagmen at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and/or, U.S. Catholic Charities, or Southwest Key Programs Inc; or Baptist Child and Family Services Emergency Management Division (BCFS-EMD), just to name a few.
These immigration groups, get *MASSIVE* HHS grants and then pay-off the DC politicians and human smugglers, including MS13. Billions of dollars are spent, and the business has exploded in the past six years.
It’s a vicious cycle. Trafficked children are more valuable than adults because the organizations involved get more funding for a child than an adult. Each illegal alien child is worth about $56,000 in grant money. The system is full of fraud.
From our prior research approximately 65% of the money they get is spent on executive pay and benefits, opaque administrative payrolls, bribes, kick-backs to DC politicians and payoffs to the South American smugglers who bring them more immigrants.
As best it can be determined, approximately 35% ($19,000) is spent on the alien/immigrant child; maybe. It gets sketchy deep in their accounting.
All of those advocates gnashing their teeth and crying on television have no idea just who is controlling this process; and immigration idiots like Ted Cruz are only adding more fuel, more money, to the bottom line:
"This has to stop," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said when asked about the separation of migrant families at the border in his state.
He'll also be introducing legislation "that will mandate that kids must stay with their parents." pic.twitter.com/2j0Z515d88
President Trump is not only threatening to secure the border, he’s threatening a Washington DC-based business model that makes money for a lot of interests. The operation also has side benefits for the participants; child sexploitation, child labor, and yes, much worse (you can imagine).
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans need to “abandon” border wall funding if they want the government to reopen, just less than 24 hours into the partial shutdown.
Schumer, who has strongly opposed funding President Donald Trump’s border wall, saidthis on the Senate floor Saturday afternoon as the federal government is officially in a partial shutdown after Senate Republicans failed to receive enough votes to pass a short-term spending bill Friday that included funding for a border wall.
The New York senator also said Democrats are “open to discussing any proposal as long as they do not include anything for the wall,” showing Democrats are not willing to compromise on border wall funding.
Before the partial shutdown, Schumer said there was no way the wall was being funded on numerous occasions.
The two parties will now have to figure out an agreement, and the senators must be present for a vote on the Senate floor to send a bill to the president to sign and end the partial government shutdown.
Tom's Blog 