2017 What Are Those Clowns in Washington Up To Now Thread

[cobainwasmurdered]

For all your wacky Senate and Congress news and ranting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/us/politics/with-no-warning-house-republicans-vote-to-hobble-independent-ethics-office.html

WASHINGTON — House Republicans, facing a storm of bipartisan criticism, including from President-elect Donald J. Trump, moved early Tuesday afternoon to reverse their plan to kill the Office of Congressional Ethics. It was an embarrassing turnabout on the first day of business for the new Congress, a day when party leaders were hoping for a show of force to reverse policies of the Obama administration.

The reversal came less than 24 hours after House Republicans, meeting in a secret session, voted, over the objections of Speaker Paul D. Ryan, to eliminate the independent ethics office. It was created in 2008 in the aftermath of a series of scandals involving House lawmakers, including three who were sent to jail.

Mr. Trump criticized House Republicans on Tuesday for their move to gut the office, saying they should focus instead on domestic policy priorities such as health care and a tax overhaul.

In a pair of postings on Twitter, Mr. Trump called the Office of Congressional Ethics “unfair,” but he said focusing on it now was a case of misplaced priorities. He appended the hashtag “DTS,” an apparent allusion to his promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington.

Good start to the new session guys! At least they were forced to back down.

 

[BruiserBrody]

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/01/04/rand-paul-reintroduces-his-audit-the-fed-bill-with-trumps-support/

Rand Paul (with Trump's ok) is pushing to audit the Fed.

---
https://sputniknews.com/us/201701041049242416-amendment-limit-congressional-terms/

It took one of the least popular men in the Senate to offer up a bill that could truly "drain the swamp". So....was this done to kiss up to Trump, with Cruz knowing full well it has no chance of passing, or is this simply Cruz trying to gain a political talking point for his next election cycle. Perhaps if they allow all current Senators to be grandfathered into the current method of unlimited re-elections, this might have a modicum of a chance of passing. Mitch McConnell told the press that "we have term limits, they are called public elections:, so the head man is not behind this idea...

 

[NoCalMike]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ryan-gop-defund-planned-parenthood-obamacare-repeal-193916605--politics.html

Cutting off Planned Parenthood from taxpayer money is a long-sought dream of social conservatives, but it's a loser in the minds of some GOP strategists. Planned Parenthood is loathed by anti-abortion activists who are the backbone of the GOP coalition. Polls, however, show that the group is favorably viewed by a sizable majority of Americans — 59 percent in a Gallup survey last year, including more than one-third of Republicans.

Fucking fucks. Trump is for all the people, though.

 

[bigolsmitty]

The speaker of the house facilitated passage of a law that will make it easier for mining companies to pollute drinking water, increase methane emissions from fracking, and make fewer people eligible for overtime pay. Then he literally went to go party with lobbyists. SWAMP DRAINED!

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/06/paul-ryan-lobbyist/

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/19/republican-lawmakers-in-five-states-propose-bills-to-criminalize-peaceful-protest/

Republicans introduced a bill last week that would allow motorists to run over and kill any protester obstructing a highway as long as a driver does so accidentally. In Minnesota, a bill introduced by Republicans last week seeks to dramatically stiffen fines for freeway protests and would allow prosecutors to seek a full year of jail time for protesters blocking a highway. Republicans in Washington state have proposed a plan to reclassify as a felony civil disobedience protests that are deemed “economic terrorism.” Republicans in Michigan introduced and then last month shelved an anti-picketing law that would increase penalties against protestors and would make it easier for businesses to sue individual protestors for their actions. And in Iowa a Republican lawmaker has pledged to introduce legislation to crack down on highway protests.

 

[BruiserBrody]

http://www.pressherald.com/2017/01/17/republicans-targeting-endangered-species-act/

In control of Congress and soon the White House, Republicans are readying plans to roll back the influence of the Endangered Species Act, one of the government’s most powerful conservation tools, after decades of complaints that it hinders drilling, logging and other activities.

Over the past eight years, Republican lawmakers sponsored dozens of measures aimed at curtailing the landmark law or putting species such as gray wolves and sage grouse out of its reach. Almost all were blocked by Democrats and the White House or lawsuits from environmentalists.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

Trump voters are probably happy about the jobs that will come from drilling, so they won't feel betrayed.

Hopefully environmental lawsuits can help push this shit back.

 

[Damaramu]

This bizarro world shit needs to end. Every story should just read "Republicans plan to screw poor people/environment/minorities/etc and make rich people richer."

 

[Precious Roy]

This bizarro world shit needs to end. Every story should just read "Republicans plan to screw poor people/environment/minorities/etc and make rich people richer."

It's not bizarre because they've been doing it for decades. What's bizarre is that dumbshits in this country keep voting for these assholes

 

[BruiserBrody]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/02/02/house-votes-strike-rule-banning-guns-some-deemed-mentally-impaired/97299756/

Are you nuts? Have a gun!!

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/02/03/the-usda-abruptly-removes-animal-welfare-information-from-its-website/?utm_term=.c38c9b3aa826 Clearly not being able to torture dogs and cats was costing business' money! Well, problem solved.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/861

Que the next protests

 

[Damaramu]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/861

Que the next protests

They can't stand in the way of progress anymore! Who cares about the environment when there's money to be made!?

 

[HarleyQuinn]

(Introduced 02/07/2017)

73. H.R.928 — 115th Congress (2017-2018)
To clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State.
Sponsor: Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]
Cosponsors: Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4], Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3], Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4], Rep. Pearce, Stevan [R-NM-2], Rep. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND-At Large]
Committees: House - Natural Resources, Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce Latest Action: 02/07/2017 Referred to House Energy and Commerce (All Actions)

 

[Laz]

Yeah, FEDERAL land should be left to the states. YEAH!

 

[BruiserBrody]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/02/15/1634007/-The-Environmental-Protection-Agency-shall-terminate-on-December-31-2018?detail=facebook

The EPA has been given a tombstone. The funeral has to pass a vote though.

 

[Gary]

Doubts are starting to grow within the GOP that Obamacare will be repealed.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Why are the R's failing?

Rush Limbaugh:

The Republican Party is not a party that writes legislation. The Democrats don't write legislation anymore. You know where legislation is written? Legislation is written by the quote-unquote, "special interests." You know where they're located? They're located on K Street. They're lobbyists; they are donors.

 

[Damaramu]

Doubts are starting to grow within the GOP that Obamacare will be repealed.

It's going to be bigly repealed dude. That fact you don't think it is shows you only believe fake news. Sad.

 

[bigolsmitty]

Say what you will, Democrats in Congress have been owning the shit out of Trump about as much as you possibly can with minorities in both Houses:

Democrats confident they can block Trump’s agenda after spending-bill win

Democrats think they have set the stage to block President Trump’s legislative priorities for years to come by winning major concessions in a spending bill to keep the government open.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) secured nearly $5 billion in new domestic spending by exploiting disagreements between Trump and GOP lawmakers over spending priorities.

Democrats’ lopsided victory on the five-month deal, which is likely to be approved this week, means it will be very difficult — if not impossible — for the GOP to exert its will in future budget negotiations, including when it comes to Trump’s 2018 budget blueprint.

That’s because Republicans are hopelessly divided over how much to spend on government programs, with a small but vocal minority unwilling to support such measures at all. That has forced Republicans to work with Democrats to avoid politically damaging government shutdowns.

And that means Democrats are in the driver’s seat when it comes to budget battles, even with Trump in the White House...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/after-their-spending-bill-win-democrats-confident-they-can-block-trumps-agenda/2017/05/01/5be2915e-2e97-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html?utm_term=.cfb3031c360e

 

[snuffbox]

Big caveat first: My political calculus has been off lately. In particular, Trump's electoral chances (I thought his were worse than Buster Douglas's if his arms had been sawed off). Other things Ive been lately wrong about are Gov Walker's first win, Ron Johnson both times, and a WI state school superintendent (I was assuming horrible Republicans would win every election by that point).

I agree about Congressional Dems overall. I don't want to give them too much credit on morals and humane stuff; the abysmalness of Republicans on moral values make that a layup. But, despite being the minority if every branch, they probably couldn't fare much better politically or legislatively.

I hope people figure out how to vote better in 2018.

 

[bigolsmitty]

2017 where I live!

 

[Mickey Massuco]

Today could be the day of reckoning, but I think they'll vote on Healthcare by next week at latest. Things might get drawn out further or Trump gets a big L.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

jesus christ

 

[bigolsmitty]

My political calculus has been off lately. In particular, Trump's electoral chances (I thought his were worse than Buster Douglas's if his arms had been sawed off). Other things Ive been lately wrong about are Gov Walker's first win, Ron Johnson both times, and a WI state school superintendent (I was assuming horrible Republicans would win every election by that point).

Don't feel bad. If you go back through these threads you'll see me predicting that Trump won't win a single primary or caucus.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

https://twitter.com/swingleft/status/860337581401153536

Reading this tweet felt good, like the way it feels right before you're about to have sex. CANT WAIT

 

[Mickey Massuco]

Democrats divide on Bernie’s 2020 plans
Many are furious that Sanders appears to be running for president again, or planning to drag out his decision on whether to run.

lmao I love the bern but don't do it man.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/15/trump-classified-information-corker-238413

Lots of GOP reps are pissed about the leak, naturally.

 

[bigolsmitty]

So pissed they won't do shit about it.

 

[snuffbox]

While I still don't have confidence in any Republican actually doing anything, I'd say Corker referring to the administration being in a 'downward spiral' was tough language for the source.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Rep. Keith Ellison
@keithellison
It's Official: A $15/hr Minimum Wage Is Democratic Party Policy

SOCIALISM!!!! KILLING SMALL BUSINESS!!!!