Watching Congress

[Don M.]

Don... I DON'T genuflect at the mention of Liberal or Democrat.... I am very politically informed and I happen to DETEST 99% of the Republican ideaology.. So It's not the R behind names... it's the stupidity of what they are trying to do... All you need to do is look at the bills they have been trying to push through in only their first week in control of Congress..... Fortunately...they probabley won't be able to get much past the filibusters and the vetos.. but they are certainly showing their colors.. Just in time for 2016..

If I had to sum up the biggest problem this nation faces, in One Word, that word would be "PARTISANSHIP". This attitude is reflected by a Very Vocal 10% of our population, on Both ends of the spectrum, and they get all the media attention...while the 80% of our population recognize that we are All Americans, and are willing to compromise. This Partisanship sends politicians to Washington, who are unwilling to talk to each other and work out sensible solutions that benefit the vast majority. I know people who lean both Left and Right, and none of them are Evil. Adult discussions about the issues with these people invariably show the strengths and weaknesses of the extreme Left and Right positions.

Unfortunately, these radical politicians have created the scenario whereby millions and billions of dollars from the wealthy, on BOTH sides of the fence, are allowed to WARP the thinking of our populace, with their endless attack ads leading up to election, and the people are left with little more than trying to figure out who is the least corrupted candidate. We have media sources such as Fox News, and MSNBC, which are both little more than mouthpieces for those who would keep the people of this nation divided, and arguing amongst themselves. Meanwhile, the !% continue to lavish money and perks on Washington, and the rest of us are left behind.

It's just too bad that there isn't a "None of the Above" option on our election ballots.

 

[rt3]

On the otherhand... HERE we have a photgraph of snipers pointing assault rifles DIRECTLY at US agents on the Bundy Ranch... NOW THIS IS AMERICAN? In addition... it was supported by the GOP as not a word was said by them to renounce this TREASON... I guess it depends what color the hands are that are holding the weapons huh? lol!! Oh KCvet.... you make it way to easy...hahahahaha

OH lookie kcvet!! A whole bunch of GOP State legislators even formed a caravan to go to the Bundy ranch in support of the protestors... That would mean they agreed with weapons being pointed at Government agents and US Marshalls... But that is just FINE and dandy with you?

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRang...blican-legislators-caravan-to-the-bundy-ranch

Don't you DARE point a finger at Democrats... kcvet....as being anti- American... FOUR of your fingers are pointing right back at you.

they weren't assault rifles they were long range sniper rifles. Some of them were local sheriff deputies,. Guess it just in the definition of who is American.

 

[rt3]

Poor Gabby after she broke the family tire business, found politics easier. To bad her husband tried to buy a firearm illegally and the voters got wind of it.

 

[kcvet]

On the otherhand... HERE we have a photgraph of snipers pointing assault rifles DIRECTLY at US agents on the Bundy Ranch... NOW THIS IS AMERICAN? In addition... it was supported by the GOP as not a word was said by them to renounce this TREASON... I guess it depends what color the hands are that are holding the weapons huh? lol!! Oh KCvet.... you make it way to easy...hahahahaha

OH lookie kcvet!! A whole bunch of GOP State legislators even formed a caravan to go to the Bundy ranch in support of the protestors... That would mean they agreed with weapons being pointed at Government agents and US Marshalls... But that is just FINE and dandy with you?

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRang...blican-legislators-caravan-to-the-bundy-ranch

Don't you DARE point a finger at Democrats... kcvet....as being anti- American... FOUR of your fingers are pointing right back at you.

that's the militia. they came from far and wide to defend Bundy

Don't you DARE point a finger at Democrats

this communist never looked better

 

[QuickSilver]

What an enormous waste of my precious time....

 

[Jackie22]

[h=1]Sudden Thunder From the Center-Left -make big tax-break pitch for middle class[/h]January 12, 2015 9:34 AM Democrats, in a stark shift in messaging, to make big tax-break pitch for middle class So Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-MD), very close to the House Democratic leadership and not known as a lefty firebrand, is unveiling a rather large proposal to pay for a significant set of lower-to-middle class benefits via caps on tax breaks for the 1%, and a fee on financial transactions. There are some other interesting provisions involving tweaks in tax writeoffs for employers who do or don’t raise wages or offer training to employees, and we haven’t seen the whole package. But suffice it to say it’s one of the more frankly redistributive proposals coming from anywhere other than the Progressive Caucus in a good while, and the central prominence of the financial transaction tax makes it a direct shot at Wall Street. Aside from a virtual endorsement by Nancy Pelosi, it may be significant that Van Hollen is formally making this proposal at the Center for American Progress, an organization generally thought to be the beating heart of Hillaryland. So expect speculation that this could be the first step towards a “populist” repositioning of HRC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...438468-9999-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html

 

[QuickSilver]

Sudden Thunder From the Center-Left -make big tax-break pitch for middle class January 12, 2015 9:34 AM Democrats, in a stark shift in messaging, to make big tax-break pitch for middle class So Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-MD), very close to the House Democratic leadership and not known as a lefty firebrand, is unveiling a rather large proposal to pay for a significant set of lower-to-middle class benefits via caps on tax breaks for the 1%, and a fee on financial transactions. There are some other interesting provisions involving tweaks in tax writeoffs for employers who do or don’t raise wages or offer training to employees, and we haven’t seen the whole package. But suffice it to say it’s one of the more frankly redistributive proposals coming from anywhere other than the Progressive Caucus in a good while, and the central prominence of the financial transaction tax makes it a direct shot at Wall Street. Aside from a virtual endorsement by Nancy Pelosi, it may be significant that Van Hollen is formally making this proposal at the Center for American Progress, an organization generally thought to be the beating heart of Hillaryland. So expect speculation that this could be the first step towards a “populist” repositioning of HRC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...438468-9999-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html

Wouldn't that be nice.. BUT... what chance does ANYTHING that would help US have in a Republican controlled congress? Especially when it would involve their Puppet masters paying for it in any way shape of form... Remember... "THE JOB CREATORS!!!".. BS.. Of course explaining how financial transactions creates anything might be a problem, but they'll figure a way.

When in reality, putting some more money in the hands of the rest of us would actually create jobs.. The Middle Class spends it's money on goods and services.. and THAT demand is what creates jobs... Parking one's money in offshore tax havens or Swiss Bank Accounts does NOTHING to create jobs or improve the economy..

 

[Jackie22]

[h=1]If this is not a move back to the dark ages, I don't know what is.......


Ted Cruz, Longtime Foe Of NASA And Science, Will Oversee NASA And Science In New Congress[/h]Source: Huffington Post

Following the ratification of Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committtee last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was named chair of the Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness, where he will oversee NASA and science programs.

Appointed Jan. 8, Cruz is expected to be confirmed to the new role by the end of the month as one of many changes to the new Republican-controlled Congress. But the Republican senator's words and actions during his time in office have painted him to be a far cry from an advocate for the sciences, leaving many concerned about the future of space and science funding.

Cruz's infamous hours-long speech in September 2013 led to a 16-day government shutdown barring 97 percent of NASA employees from appearing for work. Interns to the agency were temporarily displaced when the NASA-provided housing was closed during the shutdown, and many have said the agency suffered lasting damage due to the freeze.

And NASA wasn't the only agency hit by the shutdown: research programs run by the National Institute of Health suffered a blow when new clinical trials were suspended, affecting 200 new patients each week of the shutdown. Environmental Protection Agency programs were also compromised, with 90 percent of employees on furlough.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/ted-cruz-nasa_n_6456270.html

 

[Jackie22]

The House voted 239-186 today to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the latest effort by the Republican-controlled chamber to scrap the law.

The measure also would direct panels to come up with a replacement for the healthcare law — though it doesn't provide a timeline on any new legislation or what provisions it may contain.

The House-approved measure likely will be defeated in the Senate, where the GOP has a smaller majority. President Obama has threatened to veto any legislation that rips up his signature achievement.

The Associated Press notes the House has voted more than 50 times in the past two years to repeal the law. What was different about today's vote? NPR's S.V. Date writes in our It's All Politics blog: "What makes today a milestone is that, for the first time, House Republicans plan to vote on whether to actually take health coverage away from millions of Americans who now have it."


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/03/383621170/house-votes-to-repeal-affordable-care-act


This makes 56 times your hard working representatives have tried to repeal ACA.

 

[AZ Jim]

I have in all my years as a voter, both as a Republican and Democrat been so sickened by today's republicans! They are so obvious and anti "the not wealthy" they absolutely gag me. I do believe their actions the next two years will undo them!!!

 

[darroll]

The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
This sure helps the poor working class.

 

[QuickSilver]

The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
This sure helps the poor working class.

Again.... Darroll..... N O N E of the oil tar sands traveling down the keystone pipeline will be USED in the USA.. After it is refined it is going for EXPORT...and the profit going to TransCANADA.... WHY do you keep repeating the fallicy that it is going to decrease our gas price.. Can you not understand that? It's not even being denied by anyone. This has been said over and over and you choose to ignore it.

 

[Josiah]

I have in all my years as a voter, both as a Republican and Democrat been so sickened by today's republicans! They are so obvious and anti "the not wealthy" they absolutely gag me. I do believe their actions the next two years will undo them!!!

I certainly hope you're right Jim but I've been thinking the same thing for a long time and every off year election they prove me wrong.

 

[QuickSilver]

I certainly hope you're right Jim but I've been thinking the same thing for a long time and every off year election they prove me wrong.

That's because Democrats don't vote in midterms... the only people bothering are the far Right base.. If we would have turned out like we do in Presidential years this never would have happened. But on the bright side... Republicans have two years to show the American electorate what their true colors are..

 

[AZ Jim]

What an enormous waste of my precious time....

QS you do realize you are trying to reason with Republicans?

 

[AZ Jim]

The people against the pipeline also throw their butts in front of trains hauling crude oil.
What do these people want? An egg in their beer?
The dems must love four bucks a gallon gas.
This sure helps the poor working class.

You obviously don't understand the issue at all. This has NO bearing on gas prices. Read up on where the refined oil is going.

 

[QuickSilver]

You obviously don't understand the issue at all. This has NO bearing on gas prices. Read up on where the refined oil is going.

Like talking to a freaking brick wall.

 

[Jackie22]

[h=1]More Bold GOP Leadership! Another Bill To Sell Off National Forests, At Taxpayer Expense, Of Course[/h]A proposal to seize and sell off America’s national forests and other public lands could make its way into the House GOP’s budget resolution when it is announced this week. In a recent memo to the House Budget Committee, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, proposed that America’s public lands be transferred to state control. He then requested $50 million of taxpayer money to be spent to enable transfers to “start immediately.” The memo states that public lands “create a burden for the surrounding states and communities,” and “the solution is to convey land without strings to state, local, and tribal governments.”

Bishop’s plan and similar proposals to give away America’s public lands are controversial. A majority of voters in those regions believe the proposals would likely result in states having to raise taxes, open prized recreation areas to drilling and mining, or sell lands to private interests to cover the substantial costs of management.

Despite these concerns — and despite the fact that these proposals are extremely expensive, unpopular, and most importantly, unconstitutional — there is a strong likelihood that Rep. Bishop’s request will be included in the House GOP’s budget, thanks to intensive lobbying efforts by a handful of right wing politicians and special interest groups.

As reported by E&E Daily, the American Lands Council (ALC), an organization founded by Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory (R), hired a lobbyist at the end of last year to “educate congressional lawmakers on the benefits of relinquishing federal lands to the states.” Federal lobbying disclosure forms show that the ALC paid the lobbyist, Michael Swenson, $150,000 for just three months of lobbying work. Swenson, whose other clients include a Utah mining company, has denied being paid the sum. He told E&E the lobbying disclosure form was a “mistake,” and that he was paid just $20,000 in the last quarter of 2014.

EDIT

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/16/3633814/gop-budget-public-lands/


.......if this happens, these forest will wind up in the hands of the Koch Bros, for their paper products....its the big plan.

 

[QuickSilver]

Good reporting Jackie... then there's this

Apparently the Congress is trying to pass a new federal regulation bill on toxic chemicals. Somehow it was discovered... that it was actually written by the Chemical Industry lobbyists.. Are you surprised? Not me.. These people have now got to pay the piper.. and the price is passing legislation favorable to their donors.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/...bby-set-to-gut-U-S-toxic-chemical-regulations#

The last time U.S. toxic chemical regulations were updated was 39 years ago. Since then many states have opted to enact stricter safety standards than those Federal standards of the past to keep pace with newer chemicals and innovations developed over the years as well as the latest methods to evaluate toxic chemical hazards more accurately. These state standards are now in jeopardy as new Federal regulations are in the making that would cap and essentially override safer more complete laws in some states. California is one of those states. There are many more. A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle discovered that a Microsoft Word draft of the new Federal regulations soon on its way to congress was authored by the American Chemistry Council. The Lobbying firm has denied they wrote the Bill. Further investigation by IT experts proved that denial to be untrue.

In recent days, a draft of the bill — considered the product of more than two years of negotiation and collaboration between Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and both chemical industry and environmental groups — was circulated by Udall’s office ahead of the hearing. The draft bill, obtained by Hearst Newspapers, is in the form of a Microsoft Word document. Rudimentary digital forensics — going to “advanced properties” in Word — shows the “company” of origin to be the American Chemistry Council.​

oooops! We weren't supposed to find that out!

Senator Barbara Boxer weighed in:

Call me old-fashioned, but a bill to protect the public from harmful chemicals should not be written by chemical industry lobbyists. The voices of our families must not be drowned out by the very industry whose documented harmful impacts must be addressed, or the whole exercise is a sham,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Monday. Boxer, who chaired the committee when the Democrats held the majority, and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., have introduced an alternative version of the bill with much more stringent regulatory provisions.

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, who will testify against the bill at Wednesday’s hearing had this to say:

“We’re apparently at the point in the minds of some people in the Congress that laws intended to regulate polluters are now written by the polluters themselves,”

​

​

 

[Jackie22]

Good reporting Jackie... then there's this

Apparently the Congress is trying to pass a new federal regulation bill on toxic chemicals. Somehow it was discovered... that it was actually written by the Chemical Industry lobbyists.. Are you surprised? Not me.. These people have now got to pay the piper.. and the price is passing legislation favorable to their donors.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/...bby-set-to-gut-U-S-toxic-chemical-regulations#



oooops! We weren't supposed to find that out!

Senator Barbara Boxer weighed in:

​

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, who will testify against the bill at Wednesday’s hearing had this to say:

​

[/INDENT]

It just never ceases, QS, I'm not surprised at all......don't you just love Senator Boxer, she has always been a fighter for just causes and we will miss her for sure.

 

[QuickSilver]

It just never ceases, QS, I'm not surprised at all......don't you just love Senator Boxer, she has always been a fighter for just causes and we will miss her for sure.

Just the pure laziness of ACTUALLY letting the Chemical Lobby WRITE the legislation amazes me. You would think that the sponsors of the bill could at least write it. BUT.. then again, they wouldn't want to accidentally leave anything out of the lobby wish list.. so safer to let them pen it I guess.

 

[Don M.]

Just the pure laziness of ACTUALLY letting the Chemical Lobby WRITE the legislation amazes me. You would think that the sponsors of the bill could at least write it. BUT.. then again, they wouldn't want to accidentally leave anything out of the lobby wish list.. so safer to let them pen it I guess.

The Key Word is "Sponsor". I doubt that ANY legislation of any importance is Ever written by a member of Congress. Rather, they spend most of their time pandering to the Lobbyists on K Street, and "Sponsor" bills in Congress which have been written, almost in entirety by these Lobbyists. In the vast majority of cases, the end result is more favoritism to the 1%'rs, at the expense of the rest of us.

 

[Davey Jones]

I don't know about anybody else on here but I really,after the last 3 Presidents and Congress,don't give a damn what they do in D.C. anymore.

NOTHING is going to change no matter what the voters do or say.

 

[Jackie22]

[h=1]"American Energy Renaissance Act" DISASTER by Senators Cruz & Bridenstine[/h]http://bakken.com/news/id/235248/cruz-bridenstine-author-proposed-energy-bill/[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

Cruz, Bridenstine author proposed energy bill[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla, introduced on Wednesday[/FONT]the “American Energy Renaissance Act” that would rollback or end several federal regulations on the nation’s oil and gas industry.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The proposed legislation, introduced into the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,[/FONT]would leave the regulation of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to the states rather than the federal government.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]HERE IS THE CORE of this BILL: [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif].[/FONT].. proposed legislation would speed up the permitting process for new refineries, phase out and repeal the Renewable Fuel Standards over five years, end federal regulation of greenhouse gases that have been linked to global climate change, open up national reserves in Alaska and Native American reservations for oil and coal production, and immediately approve the Keystone pipeline, among others.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip) Opening federal lands to oil and gas development, allowing exports and infrastructure improvements, and stopping regulatory overreach will greatly expand U.S. energy production.” [/FONT]




[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip) Cruz said ".... will we instead shut off our borders, erect walls, and allow our friends and allies to be dependent on tyrants like Vladimir Putin or Nicolas Maduro? We need to come together in a bipartisan manner..." [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](snip)[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Neither Cruz or Bridenstine addressed the possible environmental impact that the proposed legislation might have. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif].........got to keep pushing those fossil fuel profits, the environment and climate be dammed.[/FONT]

 

[Jackie22]

[h=1]A Quiet Corporate Coup on Capitol Hill[/h]Instead of lobbying congressional staff, lobbyists are now becoming the staff.
By Jim Hightower
Being a Congress critter isn’t the cushy job many people assume. After all, they must draft laws, organize hearings, write speeches, round up votes, and do all sorts of other things.
Oh, wait… my mistake. Members have staff to do all that, including telling the esteemed legislators how to vote.
Few people realize that congressional staffers have gained far-reaching control over legislation. While the mass media has ignored this power shift, which further removes the people from the making of our laws, corporate lobbyists have long understood it and assiduously wooed staff members with flattery and gifts.
But then it dawned on lobbyists that instead of wooing staff, they should simply become the staff. So when Republicans took charge of the Senate in January, K Street lobbyists moved right into the Capitol Hill offices of the new corporate-hugging majority.

Glyn Lowe Photoworks./Flickr
​

What a sight to see Tom Chapman, a former top lobbyist for US Airways, now sitting atop the legal staff of the Senate aviation panel that oversees — guess who? — US Airways.
And there’s Joel Leftwich, who pushed furiously to water down nutrition standards for school lunches as a senior lobbyist for Pepsico. Now he can do it directly as the new staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee, which will re-write the school lunch funding law this year.
What a coincidence.
How about mega-lobbyist Mark Isakowitz, whose specialty is punching loopholes in the Wall Street reform law? As new chief of staff for Senator Rob Portman, Mark is now punching from the inside. And he’s already slipped a special regulatory exemption into law on behalf of big derivative traders like GE and the Koch brothers.
If you voted Republican last fall, is this the change you wanted?