Heather Cox Richardson June 8, 2021

 

Heather Cox Richardson 

June 8, 2021 (Tuesday)

After Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced this weekend that he would not support either the For the People voting act or an attempt to break the filibuster for a voting measure, but would work to get bipartisan agreement on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, today Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pulled the rug out from under him.

McConnell said today that restoring the provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that protect minority voting would give too much power to the federal government and that such protection was unnecessary anyway. “The Supreme Court concluded that conditions that existed in 1965 no longer existed,” McConnell said. “So there’s no threat to the voting rights law. It’s against the law to discriminate in voting on the basis of race already. And so I think it’s unnecessary.”

To say there is no threat to the voting rights law is delusional. The reality is that In 2013, within 24 hours of the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision ending the Justice Department’s oversight of certain states’ voting requirements, Texas enacted a strict voter ID law. Other states quickly followed suit. And now, in the wake of the 2020 election, Republican-dominated state legislatures across the country are drastically curtailing voting access.

Today, more than 300 “advocacy, civic, faith and labor groups representing nearly 2.5 million Americans from 43 states and the District of Columbia” asked the president and vice president to fight for the For the People Act. “[F]air representation and voter access in America are under direct attack,” the letter read. “We are extremely worried about the very survival of our democracy. We ask that you place the urgent passage of this bill at the top of your administration's agenda.”

This afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that the Senate will still vote on the For the People Act, as scheduled, in late June. He says he is open to changes to the measure if they will help get Manchin on board. But he is going to force senators to go on record for or against voting rights.

Gone are the days when McConnell could protect his caucus from unpopular votes simply by refusing to bring anything to a vote. Republicans have had to vote on the bipartisan, independent January 6 commission, which was popular, and voted to go before the country as a party protecting insurrection. Now they will have to take a stand on other popular measures like voting rights and, if the Senate breaks up the bill, getting big money out of politics, which is even more popular, and so on.

Today, Republicans filibustered a measure designed to prohibit discrimination in pay based on sex. The bill would have limited pay differentials to things like education, training, and experience, and would have prohibited employers from retaliating against workers who compared their salaries. Blaming the Democrats for advancing what he calls “partisan” bills, McConnell pointed to the equal pay act as a sign that the "era of bipartisanship is over.”

In fact, we had an illustration of what “bipartisanship” means in today’s Senate when the Senate Rules and Administration and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees that investigated the January 6 insurrection today produced a bipartisan report on the events of that day. Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee chair Gary Peters (D-MI) told reporters: “There were significant, widespread and unacceptable breakdowns in the intelligence gathering. . . . The failure to adequately assess the threat of violence on that day contributed significantly to the breach of the Capitol… The attack was, quite frankly, planned in plain sight.”

To gain bipartisan support, the report focused on communications failures. It did not explore the roles of government officials, including former president Trump, in the January 6 crisis, and it did not use the word “insurrection” apart from quotations of witness testimony. The result was a curiously sanitized rendition of the events of January. Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) commented: "January 6th didn't happen because there were security failures, it happened because there was a violent mob that attacked the Capitol, and we need to know why that happened."

McConnell’s comment about the end of bipartisanship was a sweeping declaration that he would lead Republicans in opposing the Democratic program, and that includes the American Jobs Act, the extensive infrastructure bill that President Biden initially pegged at $2.3 trillion. Biden has been negotiating with Republicans, led by Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, on the measure, but today called it quits after they refused to raise their offer more than $150 billion despite his offer to cut more than $1 trillion off his initial ask. Republicans blamed Biden for ending the talks.

Biden has not, in fact, ended the talks, though: he has handed them to a different group of lawmakers who have shown a willingness to work across the aisle. That group includes Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), who might be persuaded to be more reliable Democratic votes if they have a bigger hand in the infrastructure bill. If this group does manage to hammer out a bipartisan infrastructure package, a vote on it could undercut McConnell’s ability to hold his caucus in opposition to the Democrats.

The biggest sticking point in negotiations is that Democrats want to fund much of the American Jobs Act by increasing corporate taxes from the lows of the 2017 tax cuts (although not to the level they were before those cuts), while Republicans are adamant they will not sign on to any such increases.

The Republican position took a hit this morning, when ProPublica published an investigation based on leaked tax documents. It revealed that America’s 25 richest people—some with more than $100 billion in wealth—pay remarkably little in federal income taxes…sometimes nothing. They can avoid taxes through various accounting methods, while ordinary Americans pay full fare.

Also this morning, Biden tweeted: “I’m working hard to find common ground with Republicans when it comes to the American Jobs Plan, but I refuse to raise taxes on Americans making under $400,000 a year to pay for it. It’s long past time for the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.”

RSN: FOCUS: Bernie Sanders | The American People Want Action, Not Never-Ending Negotiations and Obstructionism

 

09 June 21

It's Live on the HomePage Now:
Reader Supported News

RSN AT THE LIMIT — We have reached the limit of what we can do with the funding we have on hand. In fairness it should never have gotten this far. Like it or not, we have to hold out for cash. The point is that, if we are successful, you will still have an RSN to come to. For real. / Marc Ash • Founder, Reader Supported News

Sure, I'll make a donation!

---

FOCUS: Bernie Sanders | The American People Want Action, Not Never-Ending Negotiations and Obstructionism

Bernie Sanders, Bernie Sanders' Facebook Page
Sanders writes: "Without strong and ongoing accomplishments that improve the lives of working families, there is a strong possibility that Republicans will win the House or the Senate or both bodies next year."

ithout strong and ongoing accomplishments that improve the lives of working families, there is a strong possibility that Republicans will win the House or the Senate or both bodies next year. The American people want action, not never-ending “negotiations” and obstructionism, and they will not come out and vote for a party that does not deliver.

And if the Republicans do regain control of Congress, we can be sure that the economy will move steadily forward toward a system in which the rich get richer thanks to increased corporate domination. We can be sure that the climate crisis will intensify, diminishing the likelihood of our children and grandchildren living in a healthy and habitable environment. We can be sure that our government will drift away from democracy, as voter suppression, dark money and conspiracy theories continue to dominate our political system.

This is an unprecedented moment in American history. The Democrats in Congress must move forward boldly, protecting the working families of our country and restoring faith in government. Yes, the future of the country is at stake.

READ MORE

---

Contribute to RSN

Update My Monthly Donation 

MASSterList: ‘Westie whites’ II | It’s a go | Poacher's paradise: Today's sponsor - Mascon Medical

 

Today  Articles  Headlines  Jobs

Advertise  Subscribe  Archives  Twitter  Facebook  Instagram

This email may be cut off by your email provider. To see today's full MASSterList, click "View entire message" at the bottom, or view the online version here. By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 06/09/2021 ‘Westie whites’ II | It’s a go | Poacher's paradise   Advertisement     Happening Today   Millionaires tax, GOP state committee, official state dinosaur   -- State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee holds a virtual hearing to consider 33 bills on topics falling under the broad umbrellas of finance and land use as well as the state's official dinosaur, 10 a.m. -- Legislation updating building standards and fire safety laws goes before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security at a virtual hearing, 10 a.m. -- The House and Senate meet in a joint session to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the income tax on wealthy Massachusetts residents, otherwise known as the ‘millionaires tax,’ in the final step toward putting the question before voters in 2022, 1 p.m. -- Governor's Council holds public interview for Sergio Carvajal, who was tapped by Gov. Charlie Baker last month for an opening on the Housing Court, 1 p.m. -- Republican State Committee meets privately, with plans to vote on important changes to its bylaws and convention rules, Marlborough, 6:45 p.m. For the most comprehensive list of calendar items, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available), as well as MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.     Sponsored Mascon Medical is committed to solving the issues of Covid-19 PPE supplies and vaccine distribution in Massachusetts, especially in those communities most affected by the pandemic. This minority-owned family business based in Woburn stands ready to help your town get back to normal. For more information, call us at 781-938-5800.     Today's News   Reminder to readers: SHNS Coronavirus Tracker available for free   A reminder to our readers as the coronavirus crisis unfolds: The paywalled State House News Service, which produces MASSterList, is making its full Coronavirus Tracker available to the community for free on a daily basis each morning via ML. SHNS Coronavirus Tracker.     The coronavirus numbers: 2 new deaths, 17,554 total deaths, 11 new cases   NBC Boston has the latest coronavirus numbers for Massachusetts.     ‘Westie whites,’ Part II: Now the school committee chairwoman resigns over racially charged texts   Alexandra Oliver-Dávila, chair of the Boston School Committee, is the latest board member to resign over racially charged texts that members were shooting back and forth amongst themselves during a public hearing last year. WBUR’s Max Larkin and the Globe’s James Vaznis have more on the third they-can-only-blame-themselves texting casualty. As we noted yesterday, Boston really is like the Balkans when it comes to politics. Our Serbia? Definitely South Boston. Romania? Not sure. Maybe Roxbury. Etc., etc.      Advertisement     Report: Dennis White’s ex-wife among five more cops linked to OT fraud scandal   We told you he wasn’t going away. Nor is his ex-wife, it seems. The Globe’s Dugan Arnett and Maggie Mulvihill report that another five members of the Boston Police Department have been implicated in the growing overtime fraud scandal at the department – including a former police union president and the ex-wife of Dennis White, who just this week was fired by Acting Mayor Kim Janey as police superintendent.  In other BPD news, via the Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter: “Boston looks to move Dennis White suit to federal court.” Boston Globe     How Michelle Wu made Kim Janey what she is today   In other city news, GBH’s Adam Reilly has an interesting, and fun, story on how mayoral candidate Michelle Wu played a role in making Kim Janey what she is today, i.e. the acting mayor who’s also running for mayor. It all ties back to an early 2020 city council president vote. GBH     The Massachusetts Republican Party: ‘A house divided’   Abraham Lincoln once warned that a house divided cannot stand. So applying the same principle to today’s divided party of Lincoln in Massachusetts, one has to wonder how much longer the feud between state GOP chair Jim Lyons and Gov. Charlie Baker can go on. Anthony Brooks at WBUR has more on the ‘house divided.’ Meanwhile, from Politico’s Lisa Kashinsky: “Charlie Baker is one of the nation’s most popular governors. That isn’t enough for the GOP.” The Globe’s Scott Lehigh counts all the reasons why the conservative Lyons will be on the hot seat during tonight’s GOP State Committee meeting. WBUR     Sponsored Born and raised in Massachusetts Thoroughbred breeders are raising a record number of thoroughbred foals on local farms as part of a $100 million equine industry in Massachusetts that is creating jobs and preserving our farmlands and open spaces. Support thoroughbred breeding and our rural economy. Support House 329 and Senate 205.  Massachusetts Breeders Association     Denied: Berkshire DA’s failed effort to remove judge comes to light   Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington recently moved to have a Baker-appointed district court judge removed, calling her a ‘threat to public safety,’ but the effort failed after the judge overseeing all district courts found there was ‘no factual basis’ for Harrington’s claim, reports Amanda Burke at the Berkshire Eagle. Berkshire Eagle     Refreshing step: Cocktails-to-go included in Senate pandemic-rules bills   It’s a go. The Senate yesterday unveiled legislation that would keep and/or extend a number of popular pandemic-era rules, such as expanded mail-in voting, remote public hearings, outdoor dining and ... cocktails-to-go at restaurants until next March. The Globe’s Matt Stout and SHNS’s Katie Lannan have more.     Hardest-hit communities to get $3.2 million for COVID-19 vaccine equity push   Overall, the news is still great in terms of the state’s vaccination program and plunging coronavirus case counts, which are now down 79 percent since just a month ago, as Tanner Stening at MassLive reports. But there are still pockets out there where people aren’t getting vaccinated in high enough numbers – and so the state is allocating $3.2 million in grants to community and faith-based organizations in 20 cities and towns as part of COVID-19 vaccine equity efforts, as Dennis Hook reports at MassLive. MassLive     Advertisement     Millionaires tax: Today’s big vote   The outcome is not really in doubt (or so we assume). But it’s still a big day on Beacon Hill today, as both the Senate and House jointly convene to vote on whether to put a constitutional amendment on the 2022 ballot that would raise taxes on the rich, i.e. the “millionaires tax,” as SHNS’s Matt Murphy reports. Even though the measure appears poised for passage, there’s still plenty of pre-vote debate and jockeying under way.  From Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. James O’Day at CommonWealth magazine: “Fair Share Amendment will make the Commonwealth stronger and more equitable.” From the Greenfield Recorder: “Greenfield rally part of statewide campaign for Fair Share Amendment.” But from the Globe’s Jeff Jacoby: “Voters have repeatedly — and wisely — defended the state’s ban on graduated tax rates.” And you know where the Herald’s Howie Carr stands on the issue.     ‘Massachusetts is a poacher's paradise’   SHNS’s Chris Van Buskirk reports on an effort on Beacon Hill to crack down on illegal hunting in Massachusetts and to get the state to join a national compact to track and punish poachers.     Sen. Pacheco eyes possible run for state auditor   We may have yet another candidate for state auditor. SHNS’s Chris Lisinski reports that long-time state Sen. Marc Pacheco, a Taunton Democrat, has been “calling allies in recent weeks to discuss a potential run for state auditor next year, multiple sources told the News Service.”  SHNS (pay wall -- free trial subscription available)     Sponsored Thousands of local workers and businesses benefit from film and TV production spending in Massachusetts. Now, the State Senate is considering making the film tax credit program uncompetitive, effectively killing our local industry. Urge the Senate to make our current film tax program permanent and save MA film jobs.     Southbound train: Cape renews effort for commuter rail service   Enough with the studies. The latest in a series of feasibility reports on the idea of extending commuter rail to Cape Cod is due in the coming weeks, but transportation officials say the need is obviously they're and they’re pushing for rail service to at least the Cape Cod Canal. Jeannette Hinkle at the Cape Cod Times has the details.  Cape Cod Times     'Trump won' banner doesn’t fly at Fenway   It was also done for his own safety. From WCVB: “A fan who displayed a banner reading ‘Trump won’ during a Boston Red Sox game was kicked out of Fenway Park, according to a spokesperson for the team. ... The act was in violation of the Red Sox's policy prohibiting signs of any kind to be hung or affixed to the ballpark, according to the spokesperson.” WCVB     ‘Patient dumping’   CommonWealth’s Shira Schoenberg reports on the tragic death of CaSonya King and how her case has not only generated a wrongful death lawsuit but has also become symbolic of a broken mental-health system in Massachusetts. CommonWealth         Back to the future: Steamship Authority resorts to old-fashioned cash and phones post-ransomeware hack   The Steamship Authority is still struggling with its ticketing and reservations processes following last week’s ransomware attack on the ferry service’s computer system, as the Herald’s Rick Sobey reports. But thank goodness for cash and old-fashioned phone banks, as SHNS’s Michael Norton reports.     Just in time for summer: cannabis-infused ice cream   It can never beat Brigham’s Mocha Chip Ice Cream. But Cloud Creamery’s new cannabis-infused ice cream should prove popular among certain types this summer in Massachusetts. MassLive’s Melissan Hanson has more. MassLive     ‘Rigged for billionaires’: Warren and Markey renew call for ‘wealth tax’ after report on tax-dodging bigwigs   It’s all about tax loopholes. From Benjamin Kail at MassLive: “Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey on Tuesday repeated calls to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans following ProPublica’s report on leaked Internal Revenue Service files showing top billionaires have long used legal loopholes to sidestep tax burdens.” MassLive     Prefer to enjoy Keller at Large in print rather than audio? You can access Jon’s most recent columns here: 6/1/21 - Jaylen Brown's Slam-Dunk Analysis 5/25/21 - What to Keep from Our Year in Hell 5/18/21 - Why Boston Needs To Remember Its Miracle     Never mind: Worcester canceling virtual academy plans amid low demand   Not worth it. Worcester Superintendent Maureen Binienda says the city will drop its plan to create a virtual academy that would have launched this fall, saying relatively few families had expressed interest in the online-only option, Scott O’Connell at the Telegram reports.  Telegram     No can do: Dracut town meeting fails to draw a quorum   They’re blaming the heat --and the NHL playoffs. Officials in Dracut say they’ll try again next week to hold the annual town meeting after Monday’s efforts failed to draw a quorum of 250 voters fell well short. Prudence Brighton at the Lowell Sun reports officials say the brutal heat and a Bruins playoff game may have kept people away.  Lowell Sun     Today's Headlines   Metro   South Boston pot shop that was voted down will get rehearing - Boston Herald Guns can be exchanged for gift cards — no questions asked — in Brockton next weekend - Brockton Enterprise   Massachusetts   Striking nurses at St. Vincent to put picket on hold during services for fallen Officer Enmanuel Familia - Telegram & Gazette Trahan tours Methuen to tout importance of Head Start programs - Eagle-Tribune Amherst ‘homestead’ alone will not disqualify Hinds from running for reelection - Daily Hampshire Gazette   Nation   Western Michigan University Gets Largest Donation Ever for Public University - Wall Street Journal Inside Biden and Manchin's Joemance - Politico   Jobs   Reach MASSterList's 22,000 Beacon Hill connected and policy-minded subscribers with your job postings. Have friends interested in one of these positions? Forward the newsletter to them! Contact David Art at dart@massterlist.com or call 860-576-1886 for more information.   Recent postings to the MASSterList Job Board:   Government Affairs Manager - new!, Massachusetts Health Policy Commission Director of Legislative and Government Affairs - new!, Massachusetts Audubon Society Financial Analyst and Accountant - new!, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) Senior Research Analyst - new!, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) Procurement and Contract Coordinator, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Senior Contract Specialist, Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) General Counsel, Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) Director of Communications and Marketing, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) Vice President (Media Advocacy & Campaign Communications - Environmental Justice), 617MediaGroup Executive Vice President (Media Advocacy & Campaign Communications - Environmental Justice), 617MediaGroup Deputy Director, Building Pathways Program Associate: Our Common Purpose, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Program Associate: American Political Economy and the Public Good, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Editor/Writer, Massachusetts Teachers Association Member Relations Specialist, Associated Industries of Massachusetts Constituent Services Liaison, City of Brockton Vice President (Labor Communications), 617MediaGroup Research Associate, Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Inc. Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Everett Affordable Housing Program Manager, City of Everett Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, City of Everett   To view more events or post an event listing on Beacon Hill Town Square, please visit events.massterlist.com. Beacon Hill Town Square   June 9, 12 p.m. Building a Sustainable Future for New England Seafood Hosted by: North Shore Technology Council   Please join us on Wednesday, June 9th to hear Andrea O'Donnell Sustainability Coordinator of Ipswich Shellfish Group discuss how the company is to working with other like-minded seafood companies in North America to drive industry sustainability progress and help improve fisheries around the world. More Information     June 9, 12 p.m. Angles on Bending Lines: Brian Jefferson on Geographic Information Systems and the War on Crime and Drugs Hosted by: Boston Public Library   In this conversation series, we talk with experts about why we should be careful about geographic information in modern data. How is data collected, and how does it get fixed into categories and numbers? Who gets to own data sets, and who gets to make decisions using them? What sorts of public responsibilities should shape the social lives of data? More Information     June 9, 2:30 p.m. Reflections of Alan Turing Hosted by: The National Archives   Dermot Turing is the author of the acclaimed biography Prof, about the life of his uncle, Alan Turing and X, Y & Z: the Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken. He spent his career in the legal profession after graduating from Cambridge and Oxford, and is a trustee of Bletchley Park. He has extensive knowledge of World War II code-breaking and is a regular presenter at major cryptology events. More Information     June 9, 5 p.m. Deborah Lipstadt and Rabbi Ed Feinstein: Anti-Semitism Today - What's Really Going On? Hosted by: Jews United for Democracy and Justice and Community Advocates   Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, is one of the nation's foremost experts on Holocaust denial and modern anti-Semitism. Rabbi Ed Feinstein is the beloved senior rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, one of the largest Conservative congregations in the United States. More Information     June 9, 6 p.m. Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy's America in Black and White Hosted by: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum   Patricia Sullivan, professor of history at the University of South Carolina, discusses her new book Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy’s America in Black and White, which draws on government files, personal papers, and oral interviews to examine Robert F. Kennedy’s life and legacy. Kenneth Mack, professor of law and history at Harvard University, moderates. More Information     June 9, 6 p.m. Paula Peters - The True Cost of Colonization: American History from an Indigenous Perspective - Baxter Lecture Hosted by: Boston Public Library   Join us in partnership with American Ancestors/NEHGS and the GBH Forum Network for this online program where Paula Peters will discuss the romanticized myth of the Pilgrims' arrival and the true cost of colonization from the perspective of the indigenous people. More Information     June 10, 12 p.m. California EPA's Pollution and Prejudice Project Hosted by: EPA Office of Environmental Justice   Government agencies play a critical role in advancing environmental justice across the United States, and California’s primary environmental agency (CalEPA) is one of the leaders in this field. At CalEPA, understanding the role of government in perpetuating institutional and structural racism is essential to its work to address the legacy of racist practices and their impacts today. More Information   How to Contact MASSterList     For advertising questions and Beacon Hill Town Square submissions, please email: dart@massterlist.com. For Happening Today calendar and press release submissions, please email: news@statehousenews.com. For editorial matters, please email: editorial@massterlist.com.   MASSterList, 568 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482