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The federal judicial nominee supports signing "a blank check for Trump to control every agency," said one government watchdog.
By Julia Conley
A whistleblower complaint alleging that top Justice Department official Emil Bove pressured government lawyers to ignore court orders was a primary concern for Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as the panel held Bove's confirmation hearing to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit—but a government watchdog urged lawmakers not to overlook another key issue that came to light during the hearing.
Bove told the committee that the whistleblower complaint that was filed by ousted former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni Tuesday addressed "a dispute about the challenges posed by the unelected bureaucracy to the unitary executive and to the people that elected the president and put him in office."
Accountable.US said Bove had inserted a "buzzword" into his testimony: the far-right "unitary executive" theory, which holds that limits on presidential power over the executive branch are unconstitutional—or that the president should hold absolute power over every government agency, unencumbered by members of "the unelected bureaucracy" like Reuveni and anyone else in the federal government who would express disagreement with President Donald Trump's policies or actions.
As Common Dreams reported Tuesday, Reuveni's whistleblower complaint detailed allegations that just before Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to swiftly deport more than 200 immigrants to El Salvador—claiming they were gang members who were part of an "invasion" of the U.S.—Bove told DOJ lawyers that deportation flights "needed to take off no matter what" and that the agency should "consider telling the courts 'fuck you' and ignore any such order" that would try to stop the forced removals.
In his testimony Wednesday, Bove took issue with the idea that a career government attorney like Reuveni, who was acting deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation, "was in a position or considered himself to be, to bind the department's leadership and other Cabinet officials."
Bove suggested Reuveni, who served in the department for 15 years under Democratic and Republican administrations, should not have been empowered to say in a court hearing that the Trump White House had mistakenly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was sent to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, as he did in April—just before he was placed on administrative leave and then fired.
Under the "unitary executive" theory, said Accountable.US, Trump alone would control "the DOJ, the Fed, even election oversight. No president should have that kind of power."
Bove expanded on his views regarding presidential power when Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) questioned him about "the contours of the president's authority to appoint and remove" executive branch officials.
"Generally speaking," said Bove, "I think the court used the phrase 'all of it' is committed to the president of the United States."
In a column in February, John Bergmayer, legal director of Public Knowledge, warned that with an executive order purporting to place independent regulatory agencies under Trump's control, the president had embraced the fringe "unitary executive" theory and posed "a grave threat to the rule of law and the separation of powers—cornerstones of our constitutional system."
"That this 'unitary executive' theory has made its way from the fringes of academia to the halls of power, and that it has even been accepted by some credulous judges, does not mean that it is right," wrote Bergmayer. "Many legal observers have pointed out the shoddy scholarship and selective history that underpins it. We are a nation of laws, and we cannot be ruled by executive fiat."
At the hearing, Bove denied the allegations in the whistleblower complaint, saying he "never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order." He told Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) under questioning that he "did not recall" whether he made the comments detailed in the complaint.
Accountable compiled a list of numerous concerns about Bove's potential appointment to a lifetime seat on the federal judicial bench as part of its Judicial Nominations Watch project.
In addition to the allegations in the complaint, said the group, Bove:
Created turmoil and chaos in the Justice Department after dropping corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, prompting the resignation of multiple staff attorneys, who left in protest;
Advanced dubious legal arguments meant to throw out or delay Trump's legal cases when he served as his attorney, including by trying to avoid discovery requirements and petitioning to move Trump's New York state criminal case to federal court; and
Developed a reputation as a federal prosecutor who belittled subordinates and was the subject of an email from defense attorneys expressing concern about his "professionalism" and "power plays"—a document he pinned to a wall as "a badge of honor."
Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an adviser at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said Bove has been shown to be "beyond unfit to serve in a lifetime judgeship."
"His temperament, subversion of the rule of law, and efforts to seek retaliation while at the Justice Department demonstrate that he would not be fair-minded, independent, or committed to protecting the rights of all people in America," said Zwarensteyn. "As his actions have shown, he would only be loyal to the president—rather than to the Constitution and the law—at the expense of the American people and our democracy."
"With each day there are more and more damaging reports and questions about Bove's tenure at both the Justice Department and in the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of New York," she added. "Senators must take their constitutional responsibility seriously. They must reject his nomination for the 3rd Circuit."
"That's what this moment demands of them and what we expect," said a progressive group pushing Democrats to slow down Republicans' massive reconciliation bill.
By Stephen Prager
A progressive group is pressuring Democratic lawmakers to use every tactic available to obstruct passage of the Republican budget reconciliation bill, which containslarge tax cuts for the wealthy funded by slashing social safety net programs.
The organization Indivisible put out an urgent call Wednesday, pressing voters to help "disrupt" what it called the "Republican tax scam." The group urged Democrats to call their senators, encouraging them to gum up the works using procedural tactics to stop the bill, which has been described as even more extreme and regressive than the one already passed in the House.
"Your Democratic senators can make voting on this bill slower, more divisive, and more politically damaging than any vote these Republicans have ever taken," an email from the group said. "In fact, that's what this moment demands of them and what we expect."
The Senate's version of the bill introduces new cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will hit parents, homeless individuals, and veterans even harder than the House version. It also contains new provisions, including one that would eliminate taxes on many firearms and accessories.
Indivisible noted that the "vote-a-rama" process could begin as soon as Thursday. During this arcane stage of budget reconciliation, senators may propose unlimited amendments to a bill, each of which is voted on in succession.
Using the vote-a-rama has become a tried-and-true strategy for minority parties to drag out votes for these omnibus packages, which can pass with just a simple majority and cannot be filibustered. In 2022, Republicans used the tactic to delay voting for 16 hours in hopes of picking off just one Democrat who could tank Biden's climate, energy, and tax package.
With Democrats in the minority, Indivisible hopes they will launch a similar marathon. The group encouraged constituents not only to call their senators, but also to submit their own amendments for senators to introduce.
The organization gave examples of what sorts of things to propose: Amendments "to transfer all the dollars for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] funding to NPR and PBS," "to tax recipients of luxury jets gifted by foreign governments at 100% of the jet's market value," or "to cut every lawmaker's salary and per diem by the same percentage SNAP gets cut."
"Some of your suggestions may be silly. Some may be poignant. Some will be genuinely good policy. Pretty much all of them will be better than the disaster MAGA Republicans want to force on us," the email said.
By delaying the process long enough, the group hopes to buy time to fracture the Republican coalition, which is already divided over some provisions of the bill.
Several Republican senators—including Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)—have voiced concerns about how cuts to Medicaid would affect funding for rural hospitals.
With enough time, Indivisible hopes to use this and other issues as a wedge to pick off enough GOP defectors to stop the bill's passage altogether.
"The longer we can drag this process out, the more we can toxify a bill that Republicans are already publicly tearing apart," Indivisible said. "The more we can toxify the bill, the better the chance we can ultimately defeat it."
"The establishment has never been more weak than they are now," one advocate told potential progressive candidates. "You need to run."
By Julia Conley
New York state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's victory over disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary was quickly dismissed by some commentators as one that likely wouldn't be replicated in federal elections and that said little about the views of Democratic voters at large.
But the news that Cuomo had conceded on Tuesday night left many progressives eager to continue the momentum started by Mamdani's (D-36) campaign—one characterized by a laser-sharp focus on making life more affordable for working people, a rejection of the outsized influence of billionaires and corporations on elections, and a demand for the Democratic Party to end its insistence that popular economic justice proposals are impossible to achieve in the United States.
Instead of viewing Mamdani's victory as an aberration, said journalist and organizer Daniel Denvir, the left should treat it as "an earthquake" that threatens the entire Democratic establishment—and its prioritizing of wealthy donors over the needs of ordinary voters.
"The left everywhere must dedicate itself to an insurgency against Democratic incumbents," said Denvir. "The Democratic establishment has lost credibility with its base in the face of a fascist threat. The base is looking leftward for new leadership. We are the opposition party."
Several progressive observers urged potential primary challengers to look to other upcoming races in New York, with several expressing hope that New York City Comptroller Brad Lander—another mayoral candidate who was widely praised for boosting Mamdani's campaign by cross-endorsing with him—will continue his political career by fighting for a U.S. Senate or House seat.
New York Democratic centrists including U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were named as lawmakers Lander could challenge in a primary. Goldman is up for reelection in 2026, and Schumer could face a primary in 2028.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who has angered progressive advocates during President Donald Trump's second term by complaining about their demands for the Democrats to act as an opposition party, and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), a vehement supporter of Israel who attacked Mamdani and accused him of antisemitism when he spoke out in support of Palestinian rights, were also mentioned as incumbents who should be challenged.
Mamdani won both Jeffries' and Goldman's House district, according to political analyst Armin Thomas.
Organizer Aaron Regunberg pointed to an article published by Politico last week detailing how 40% of Cuomo's endorsements came from lawmakers who had previously called for his resignation when he was accused of sexually harassing more than a dozen women.
"Politico ran this very convenient piece listing out every New York Democrat who needs to get primaried!" said Regunberg.
All the centrists named would likely have vast financial resources at their fingertips should a progressive vie for their seats, with powerful groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) liable to spend heavily on their campaigns—but so did Cuomo, who benefited from a super political action committee that raised $25 million, including from right-wing billionaires.
"But if all of Cuomo's advantages led to a thorough election thrashing, perhaps they weren't advantages," wrote Jeet Heer at The Nation on Wednesday. "Mamdani proved to be a superb campaigner with a message about affordability that resonated with voters... Mamdani's victory is a sign that the Democratic Party establishment is in trouble, and the party is ready for a wider revolt. The next move of progressive Democrats is to start running insurgent candidates in primaries to harness the anger of the moment."
CNN political analyst Harry Enten also acknowledged that "the Democratic establishment" will likely feel threatened by Mamdani's victory, which follows "poll after poll showing Democratic voters fed up with their leaders in Washington."
In his victory speech, Mamdani himself suggested broader lessons should be taken from his campaign, during which he walked the length of Manhattan to talk directly to New Yorkers, spoke to Trump voters in the outer boroughs about their concerns over the cost of living, and advocated for fare-free buses and no-cost universal childcare.
"This is a victory for every New Yorker who has been told they don't have a voice," Mamdani said in his victory speech. "It's proof that organized people can beat organized money."
In a column at Common Dreams Wednesday, writer David Andersson wrote that "Mamdani's win signals a seismic shift in the balance of power between entrenched political institutions and a new generation demanding change. The sheer scale of resources the establishment mobilized—and still fell short—reveals the depth of their fear of losing control over the city's financial and political machinery."
"New York City, and perhaps the nation, is at a turning point," he added.
David Hogg, the anti-gun violence activist who was recently pushed out of his position as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee after he advocated for primary challenges to "asleep-at-the-wheel" Democrats in blue districts, urged young progressives to consider launching their own campaigns.
"It has never been more clear—the establishment has never been more weak than they are now," he said. "You need to run."
Rep. Ro Khanna of California said the American people are tired of "spending billions of dollars on these endless wars."
By Eloise Goldsmith
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California on Wednesday urged Congress take up the Iran-focused War Powers Resolution that he and a Republican colleague have introduced and said that Democrats should stake out a position as the "anti-war party."
Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) last week introduced a resolution to invoke the War Powers Act of 1973, which would require President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action, with the aim of heading off U.S. involvement in conflict between Iran and Israel.
Khanna has said that he and Massie structured the resolution as "privileged," which could allow it to quickly come to a House vote.
Khanna said at a Wednesday press conference, which featured members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) should not de-privilege his War Powers Resolution.
"The reality is that if he de-privileges this War Powers Resolution, it's not just abdicating Congress's role on matters of Iran. It's actually abdicating Congress's role on any future war that a president could undertake," said Khanna. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has introduced a similar War Powers Resolution in the Senate.
A shaky cease-fire between Israel and Iran is currently in place, though it comes after the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear facilities this past weekend.
Conflict with Iran is extraordinarily unpopular with the American public. A YouGov poll conducted Sunday—hours after Trump announced the strikes on the three sites in Iran—found that 85% of American adults, including 92% of Democrats, did not want the U.S. to be at war with Iran.
"It is my view that the Democratic Party needs to clearly stand up against this war and take up the mantle again of being the anti-war party, the party that stands up against wars of choice, against these endless wars in the Middle East," said Khanna.
Khanna—who is expected to run for president in 2028—also said that the American people are tired of spending "billions of dollars on these endless wars," and that they would prefer leaders focus on jobs, childcare, and healthcare.
"The reconciliation bill that Republicans are attempting to ram through the Senate this week would be a death sentence for working-class and low-income Americans," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
By Jake Johnson
The GOP budget legislation currently before the U.S. Senate would strip health coverage from 19 Americans for every millionaire household it gives a tax break, according to a report that Sen. Bernie Sanders released Wednesday as he worked to highlight and build public opposition to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party's draconian assault on the nation's social safety net.
The report integrates alarming testimony from healthcare providers who warn that the Republican legislation would have devastating impacts on their patients and the broader U.S. healthcare system—stripping insurance from millions, raising costs, and shuttering rural hospitals.
"If Medicaid is cut, my patients will die," Louisiana-based doctor Helen Pope told Sanders' team. "I realize I am being dramatic. It is a dramatic situation. They are humans who are doing their best. Please don't allow them to suffer more."
Farhan Malik, a pediatric critical care specialist based in Florida, echoed that warning, saying that "children will die as a result of these cuts."
"Hospitals will cut back on ICU doctors, doctors will leave because of salary cuts, critical ancillary services will be reduced, more medical students will avoid going into pediatric residencies," said Malik.
The report comes as Republican lawmakers continue to debate just how far they want to go with their proposed cuts to Medicaid, which—under both the House and Senate versions of their legislation—would be the largest in U.S. history.
Last week, Senate Republicans called for even more aggressive cuts than those approved by the House GOP, which voted in May for a plan that would kick roughly 11 million Americans off their health insurance—or 16 million when accounting for the party's refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, an estimated 800,000 millionaire households would receive a tax cut under the Republican legislation.
"Children will die as a result of these cuts." —Farhan Malik, Florida-based pediatric critical care specialist
Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has focused closely on the legislation's potentially catastrophic healthcare impacts. Earlier this month, a Sanders-commissioned report estimated that around 51,000 additional Americans would die unnecessarily each year if the Republican budget reconciliation bill becomes law.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sanders said his new report "makes it abundantly clear that the reconciliation bill that Republicans are attempting to ram through the Senate this week would be a death sentence for working-class and low-income Americans throughout the country."
"Not only would this disastrous and deeply immoral bill throw 16 million people off of their healthcare and lead to over 50,000 unnecessary deaths every year, it would create a national healthcare emergency in America," said Sanders. "It would devastate rural hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes throughout our country and cause a massive spike in uninsured rates in red states and blue states alike."
"That's not Bernie Sanders talking," the senator added. "That is precisely what doctors, healthcare providers, and hospitals have told us."
Sanders' new report was accompanied by a breakdown of how much the uninsured rate would rise over the next decade if the House-passed reconciliation bill becomes law. At least 16 states would see their uninsured rates jump by more than 70% under the Republican bill.
"We cannot allow Republicans to take healthcare away from 16 million Americans in order to pay for more tax breaks to billionaires," Sanders said Wednesday. "As the ranking member of the HELP Committee, I will do everything that I can to see that it is defeated. Healthcare must be a human right for all, not a privilege for the wealthy few."
"The people of New York City proved that a movement powered by hope, courage, and working people can beat the money of billionaires," said one Mamdani supporter.
By Jake Johnson
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani prevailed in Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary in New York City after running a grassroots campaign centered on delivering transformative change and lower costs in the expensive metropolis.
Mamdani's primary win, a stunning upset, is expected to become official after the ranked-choice tally next week. In his victory speech, Mamdani said that his campaign and its supporters "made history."
"In the words of Nelson Mandela, 'It always seems impossible until it is done,'" he added. "My friends, we have done it."
Affordability was a key focus of Mamdani's policy platform and messaging, with the Democratic state assemblymember calling for an immediate rent freeze for all of the city's rent-stabilized tenants, the creation of a network of city-owned grocery stores focused not on profits but on "keeping prices low," and free childcare.
Mamdani proposed funding those and other priorities with a higher tax rate on corporations and city residents earning more than $1 million per year—fueling the backlash his campaign faced from the ultra-wealthy.
Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the Sunrise Movement—whose local chapter knocked on over 20,000 doors for the race—said in a statement that "the people of New York City proved that a movement powered by hope, courage, and working people can beat the money of billionaires."
"This is what it looks like to take back power," said Shiney-Ajay. "Pundits, billionaires, and the political establishment said it couldn't be done. But this campaign shattered that belief."
Shiney-Ajay, like other progressives, argued that Mamdani's campaign should serve as a model for the rudderless Democratic Party as it tries to recover from its devastating loss to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in last year's election.
"Zohran Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party," said Shiney-Ajay. "This kind of campaign and vision is what the party needs to rebuild trust with young voters and working-class voters, so we can defeat Trump and his allies."
Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution—a national progressive advocacy group that endorsed Mamdani—said that the democratic socialist's win "has shaken the political establishment and proven that a united grassroots movement can take down even the most entrenched, powerful forces."
"This race was a showdown between the billionaire-backed status quo—which poured tens of millions into pro-Cuomo super PACs—and a new generation ready to crush corporate greed and deliver real results for working people," said Geevarghese. "The demand for people-powered change is loud, clear, and unstoppable."
While the winner of New York City's Democratic mayoral primary would typically be considered the heavy favorite going into the general election, "this fall's contest promises to be unusually volatile," The New York Times observed, noting that it will "include Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent."
Despite conceding defeat in Tuesday's primary, Cuomo left open the possibility of running as an independent in November.
"Mamdani faces an enormous responsibility—not only to his immediate constituency but also to a broader progressive movement."
Following his win, Mamdani supporters pointed to his broad support and successful coalition-building as reasons to be optimistic about his general-election prospects.
"The results make clear that his voting base wasn't limited to young, college-educated voters most engaged by his campaign," Bhaskar Sunkara, the president of The Nation and founding editor of Jacobin, wrote Wednesday. "Notably, Mamdani succeeded in neighborhoods like Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, and Brighton Beach—all areas that swung rightward in the 2024 presidential election."
"Mamdani has undoubtedly delivered a major victory in America's largest city," Sunkara added. "But we must be sober about the challenges ahead. Electoral wins are meaningful only if they translate into tangible improvements in people's lives, and political momentum can dissipate quickly if governance falls short. Mamdani faces an enormous responsibility—not only to his immediate constituency but also to a broader progressive movement watching closely from across the country and the world."
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A democratic socialist won by acknowledging what everyone already knows—life has become unaffordable—and saying we're going to build our way out of it. He's shown Democrats how to stop lying and start acknowledging what's broken. Provide solutions and talk about them relentlessly with excitement and enthusiasm.
Tuesday's victory by the self-described 'proud democratic socialist' signals a seismic shift in the balance of power between entrenched political institutions and a new generation demanding progressive change.
In truth, this was always a joint U.S.-Israeli war—one planned, executed, and justified under the pretext of defending Western interests while laying the groundwork for deeper intervention and potential invasion.