After 11 ballots, the Republicans remain unable to elect a speaker and thus unable to organize the House. After passing comprehensive laws on a wide range of issues with a similarly small House majority under Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during the last Congress, the Democrats remain united behind Hakeem Jeffries. They have delivered 212 votes for him 11 times. The contrast is stark. Throughout the day, the allies of Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) negotiated with the 20 extremists who refuse to back him, apparently offering them more and more power to win their votes. McCarthy has allegedly agreed to their demand that a single person can force a vote to get rid of the speaker, a demand that puts him at their mercy and that he had previously insisted he would never accept. He has also apparently offered members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus two spots on the House Rules Committee, which decides how measures will be presented to the House, and given them control over appropriations bills. He is also said to be considering letting them choose committee chairs, jumping over those with seniority. This will not sit well with the rest of the conference. Lawyer and Washington Post columnist George Conway wrote, “I’m no political scientist, but it does strike me that a guy who negotiates by giving stuff up and and getting nothing in return probably wouldn’t make a good leader of a legislative body.” If McCarthy does eventually win the speakership, he will have empowered a small group of extremists to control the House, and the next two years will be a constant fight as this tiny minority can hamstring the government. One of the extremists, Ralph Norman (R-SC), who wanted Trump to declare martial law in 2021 in order to retain the White House, said that McCarthy will get his vote only if he agrees not to raise the debt ceiling and will instead shut down the government and default on the national debt. Bulwark podcast host Charlie Sykes told Alex Wagner Tonight, “There is no Republican establishment…. [W]hoever becomes the speaker is going to preside over the chaos that has been building for years. He or she is going to be the mayor of Crazytown.” As the Republicans look incompetent and irresponsible, and will almost certainly make sure nothing much gets done in the 118th Congress, President Joe Biden is working to make sure people understand just how much the Democrats got done in the past two years. At a cabinet meeting today, he told reporters that the country has made real progress and that the administration is now focusing on implementing the recently passed “big laws” so Americans feel the benefits of them. He noted that the $35 cap on the cost of insulin for those on Medicare went into effect only this year, along with other medical benefits like free vaccines for Medicare recipients. He also pointed out new tax credits for making homes energy efficient, and noted that government officials need to get the message out that the laws are out there. Biden talked about both public and private investment in manufacturing, which will create jobs, and his conviction that the administration’s approach to building the economy from the bottom up is “off to a pretty darn good start.” In a later set of remarks, the president and Vice President Kamala Harris explained that with Republicans having scuttled the bipartisan agreement on revising immigration laws that senators were working on in the last Congress, the administration is also stepping up to address the influx of migrants to the border. Today it announced new measures. Biden explained that, currently, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, and Haitians make up a large percentage of those trying to come to the U.S. across the southern border, while the patchwork system of different rules at the border, along with the lack of asylum officers, means the system is broken. Former president Trump used Title 42, the public health rule, at the start of the pandemic to reject most migrants, but that rule imposes no penalties on those trying repeatedly to get into the country, significantly inflating the numbers of people apprehended at the border. So, until Congress passes a comprehensive immigration plan to fix the system completely, the administration is working to stiffen enforcement for those who come to the U.S. without a legal right to stay, and also to speed up the process for those who do have that right. Those seeking asylum can use an app to request a humanitarian exemption to Title 42, and once the rule is lifted, can use the app “to schedule a time to present themselves at a port of entry for inspection and processing, rather than arriving unannounced at a port of entry or attempting to cross in-between ports of entry.” Others can apply for admission if they have a U.S. sponsor, and then pass a background check, at which point they can enter the U.S. to work legally for two years. The U.S. will welcome 30,000 people a month from these four countries. But here’s the kicker: if they try to enter the U.S. without that paperwork, they are barred from entry in the future. Since the U.S. applied this program to Venezuelans in October, undocumented crossings of Venezuelans have dropped about 90%. The administration is now expanding the program to include people from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Immediately after Biden spoke, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas followed up. He began by refuting the Republican refrain that Biden’s attempt to end Title 42 will mean open borders, reiterating that “Title 42 or not, the border is not open.” He provided some statistics on a system he calls “broken, outdated, and in desperate need of reform.” Currently, he explained, “It takes four or more years to conclude the average asylum case, immigration judges have a backlog of more than 1.7 million cases, and we have more than 11 million undocumented people in our country, many of whom work in the shadows, pay taxes, are our neighbors, attend our places of worship, work on the frontlines, and farm the food on our tables.” Once again, he begged Congress to update our immigration laws. On Sunday, Biden will go to El Paso, Texas, to meet with local officials and community leaders to hear what they say they need, make it public, and try to convince Republicans to do something about it, rather than using the immigration issue as a political cudgel. When asked why he is going now, when for two years Republicans have been demanding that he go, Biden made it clear he did not intend to respond to political stunts and wanted a visit to be tied to the impending end of Title 42. But there is no doubt this is an excellent political moment to respond to the Republicans’ drumbeat complaints that Biden is ignoring a border crisis. Tomorrow, on January 6, Biden will honor people who distinguished themselves by protecting the country during the 2020–2021 attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, awarding them the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States. Recipients include Capitol Police and law enforcement officers, election workers, and elected officials who withstood pressure to lie for Trump. One of those getting a medal, posthumously, is U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died on January 7, 2021, after a series of strokes. Today, Sicknick’s estate asked for $10 million in damages from former president Trump, suing him for assault, negligence, violating Sicknick’s civil rights, and wrongful death, saying Trump incited the violence of January 6 that contributed to Sicknick’s death. And on that note, two years after the January 6th insurrection, it is notable that Trump’s name has barely been mentioned during the fight over the House speakership. After McCarthy had lost three ballots, Trump urged the 20 extremists, some of whom have been his staunchest supporters, to “VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY.” They ignored him. And for all the threats that the Republicans would make Trump himself House speaker, so far he has gotten just one vote. — Notes:  JUST IN: @POTUS Biden to award the Presidential Citizens Medal on Friday to the following individuals during an event marking the 2nd anniversary of the #January6thInsurrection https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/04/trump-endorses-mccarthy-speaker-house-00076298  Rep. Ralph Norman said that to win his vote, McCarthy would need to be willing to shut down the government and default on the debt. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/05/us/house-speaker-vote  "There is no Republican establishment. There are no normies." @SykesCharlie cautions that "whoever becomes the speaker is going to preside over the chaos that has been building for years. He or she is going to be the mayor of Crazytown." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-capitol-police-officers-family-sues-trump-over-death-2023-01-06/ |
Friday, January 6, 2023
January 5, 2023 HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
Boebert crashes and burns in embarrassing on-air clash Today’s Action: Join a January 6 “Our Freedom, Our Vote” rally!
Biden to mark Jan. 6 anniversary, tackle ongoing threat of Trump's Big Lie
Daily Dose of Democracy:
VIDEO OF THE DAY: Lauren Boebert torched live on air by fed-up anchor
MSNBC's Stephanie Rhule challenged Boebert over her shenanigans on the House floor with the rest of the radical, far-right Republicans — and her excuses did not hold water.
Take Action: Demand GOP leadership step down for refusing to condemn Trump’s Nazi meeting!
McCarthy fails on 11th ballot amid hopes for tentative deal with far-right holdouts
The humiliation of Kevin McCarthy is officially in the history books as the rebellious GOP extremists have refused to budge an inch, despite McCarthy conceding to pretty much everything they've demanded. The circus continues anew today, but the likelihood of reaching any kind of deal seems slim, considering getting rid of McCarthy himself is the goal of the feral Republicans.
Take Action: Tell Elon Musk to keep Trump off of Twitter for good!
Will Trump be indicted in 2023?
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: Wow.
Partner of officer who died after Jan. 6 files wrongful death lawsuit against Trump, others
Sandra Granza, the mourning girlfriend of Officer Brian Sicknick, is suing the man responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — Donald Trump. She's also suing the two men who attacked her partner with pepper spray, Julian Khater and George Tanios. Sicknick died on Jan. 7 after suffering not one but two strokes — and it's not hard to figure out that the trauma he endured on that terrible day had something to do with it. Hopefully, Granza will get justice for Officer Sicknick and all the other Capitol police who suffered at the hands of Trump's rabid mob.
Take Action: Investigate Republicans who could be constitutionally disqualified from holding office!
South Carolina Supreme Court overturns state's 6-week abortion ban as unconstitutional
In a twist nobody saw coming, the South Carolina Supreme Court restored the right to an abortion in the deep-red state, arguing that the legislature's draconian anti-abortion ban violated the constitutional right to privacy. Coincidentally, since SCOTUS left such matters to the states last summer, there isn't much the high court's conservative justices can say or do unless they want to play judicial Calvinball and tear up their own arguments for overturning Roe v. Wade in the first place.
George W. Bush's ex-political director Matt Schlapp accused of groping male Herschel Walker staffer
Longtime GOP activist, current American Conservative Union president, and man whose name sounds like pork chops hitting the kitchen floor Matt Schlapp has been accused of groping the crotch of a male staffer after plying him with drinks. Typical GOP groomer behavior. Schlapp even had the nerve to call his victim the following morning to confirm he would still drive Schlapp to an event that day. “From the bar to the Hilton Garden Inn, he has his hands on me. And I feel so f*cking dirty. I feel so f*cking dirty. I’m supposed to pick this motherf*cker up in the morning and just pretend like nothing happened. This is what I’m dealing with!" recorded the staffer after the incident.
Take Action: Tell Congress to hold corporations accountable for price-gouging!
Oklahoma seeks to criminalize gender-affirming care up to age 26
Republican extremists don't just want to strip life-affirming healthcare away from trans Americans — now they're trying to make it a FELONY for trans people to become their true selves and finally find comfort in their own bodies. Don't tread on me, right?! Right?!
FTC moves to ban noncompete contracts
While House Republicans are busy squabbling amongst themselves for power, the Biden administration is quietly working to empower American workers and rein in corporate power. The FTC is expected to release new rules banning the use of noncompete clauses in contracts, which large companies use to prevent their workers from seeking better-paying jobs with other firms. This ban is expected to put over $300 billion a year in the pockets of American employees, showing just how profitable these authoritarian contract clauses can be. It is beyond absurd that any company can dictate where their employees can work, and it's gratifying to see the Biden team taking action to empower American workers like this.
Sen. Bob Casey announces cancer diagnosis
The Pennsylvania Democrat announced Thursday that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month. Fortunately, Casey says he has an "excellent prognosis" and is expected to make a full recovery following surgery. We wish him all the best in his recovery!
Debbie Stabenow to leave Senate next year, setting off battleground-state jostling
Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow has announced her retirement, creating yet another opportunity for a GOP pickup in a 2024 Senate map that already was going to be an uphill battle for Democrats. Stabenow's departure also opens up a leadership position in the Senate's Democratic caucus, where she currently holds the No. 3 position.
Walgreens executive says "maybe we cried too much last year" about theft
After a year of bitching and moaning about losses from petty theft that were obsessively covered by a corporate media intent on promoting a "crime wave" narrative to tank Democrats in last year's midterm elections, the company is now admitting that actually the problem isn't that big of a deal. You know what didn't get wall-to-wall Fox News coverage? Walgreens' 2020 settlement for $4.5 million in a class-action wage-theft lawsuit. Who are the real criminals? The folks swiping diapers and candy bars or the greedy slimeballs that literally stole millions of dollars from their workers' paychecks?
Never quiet on the global front
DEEP DIVE: Cartel crisis in Mexico
Hope...
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Today’s Action: Join a January 6 “Our Freedom, Our Vote” rally!
It’s been two years since a mob of angry, violent rioters — incited by their shameless, degenerate leader, Donald Trump — stormed the US Capitol, wounding hundreds of police officers, destroying millions of dollars of federal property, and delaying certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory in a failed attempt to overthrow the American government. We simply cannot forget the unconscionable, seditious harm Trump and his horde of deranged followers exacted upon the American people. Especially not when the very same political faction responsible for staining American democracy that fateful day is still actively trying to undermine our fundamental freedoms and sabotage our right to free and fair elections.
January 6 was a deadly, existential attack against the very foundation of our democracy. As traumatic as that day was, we must not allow it to scare us into complacency. Instead, let us be emboldened and spurred into action by the ongoing threat to our sacred system of self-governance. Democracy promises a better life for all of us — if we can come together to protect it.
There’s no need to feel overwhelmed or defeated by right-wing hacks and their debased playbook when we can band together with fellow progressives and take meaningful action. Please consider attending one of the many January 6 Our Freedom, Our Vote rallies scheduled today! Whether you have time this afternoon (specifically, 12-2pm EST) or this evening (how does 7-8pm EST sound?), you can filter through all the day’s events here. There’s plenty going on today — please don’t miss out!
PS — Please don't forget to sign the petition to investigate Matt Gaetz for sex trafficking and statutory rape, and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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