LGBTQ news and entertainment
Donald Trump isn’t just “asking” Senate Republicans to nuke the filibuster. According to sources, he is ramping up to rage on Senate GOPers who don’t get rid of the 60-vote requirement for most legislative issues in the Senate. Continue reading “Trump Readying To Rage On Senate Republicans Over Filibuster”
Senate Republicans have passed Donald Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ by 51-50 after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. Continue reading “Senate Republicans Trump Spending Bill 51-50 After Vance’s Tie-Breaking Vote”
The five Republican senators who have been involved in bipartisan talks with Senate Democrats for a major infrastructure bill announced today they’ve reached agreement on the “major issues” of the legislation after weeks of on-again, off-again negotiations. Continue reading “Senate Republicans Announce Agreement For Infrastructure Deal”
Some news items you might have missed: • New York Times: Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked the most ambitious voting rights legislation to come before Congress in a generation, using the filibuster to deal a blow to a bid by President Biden and Democrats to counter a wave of state-level ballot restrictions. Continue reading “News Round-Up: June 22, 2021”
The House overwhelmingly approved $2,000 COVID relief checks for Americans today. From TIME:
The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is highly uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance, but dozens of Republicans suddenly joined in approval. While Democrats favored bigger checks, Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.
The president’s GOP allies opposed more spending and Trump’s push puts them in a difficult spot.
Over to you, Senate.
The $2,000 relief bill has passed the Democratic House, with 44 House Republicans also voting "yes."
This means there are surely enough votes for it to pass the Republican Senate, and it places great pressure on McConnell to allow a vote.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) December 29, 2020
I will be joining @BernieSanders in blocking the defense bill until we get a vote on $2000 in direct cash relief. That relief passed in the House today with 44 Republicans voting for it. Senate Republicans must do the same and get the American people the help they need. https://t.co/gPbdiUZ4cf
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) December 29, 2020
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
“For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed.”
Murkowski joins Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, facing a tough re-election battle, in opposing taking up President Donald Trump’s forthcoming nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg died Friday at 87 from complications from pancreatic cancer.
“I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice [Antonin] Scalia,” she continued. “We are now even closer to the 2020 election – less than two months out – and I believe the same standard must apply.”
Donald Trump has already announced he will nominate a new justice in the next few days, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” McConnell can afford to lose three Republican votes and still confirm a Trump nominee, but four ‘no’ votes would force him to wait until a lame-duck session after the election. In a statement dictated to her granddaughter days before her death, Ginsburg said: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
Of course some combination of Mitt Romney, Chuck Grassley, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander could quickly end this Banana Republic bullshit… #JustSaying
— Mike Murphy (@murphymike) September 19, 2020
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
“In order for the American people to have faith in their elected officials, we must act fairly and consistently – no matter which political party is in power.
“President Trump has the constitutional authority to make a nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, and I would have no objection to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s beginning the process of reviewing his nominee’s credentials.
“Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election.
“In fairness to the American people, who will either be re-electing the president or selecting a new one, the decision on a lifetime appointment the Supreme Court should be made by the president who is elected on November 3rd.”
My statement on the Supreme Court vacancy: pic.twitter.com/jvYyDN5gG4
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 19, 2020
Breaking: Maine Senator Susan Collins became the first Republican to break ranks with GOP leadership and President Donald Trump to say the next Supreme Court nominee should be selected by whoever is elected president on Nov. 3.https://t.co/7gvRULawjQ
— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) September 19, 2020
SUSAN COLLINS: “Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election.” She says the winner should pick the next justice. https://t.co/FGnQKGpymK
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 19, 2020
One thing that’s not addressed in @SenatorCollins‘s statement is how she would vote if McConnell does hold a vote despite her opposition to holding one. Theoretically she could not vote at all and deny the nominee needed support without opposing him/her. https://t.co/sZUBeZgSnE
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) September 19, 2020
Maine’s Susan Collins is 1st R to break ranks to say next SCOTUS nominee should be selected by the person elected in Nov. But she doesn’t say she’d vote against. McConnell can lose 3 GOP senators and still confirm Trump pick to replace RBG. Can’t lose 4.https://t.co/zbyEODq6o5
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 19, 2020
And of course she's left herself a lot of wiggle room. She could have said "I will vote no on any vote before the election, and on any vote held during the lame duck in the event of a Trump loss." She didn't. But the statement reflects the bind she's in with the voters of Maine.
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) September 19, 2020
Pete Buttigieg (via Facebook)
• Washington Post: Rep. Duncan D. Hunter will resign from Congress effective January 13, more than one month after the California Republican pleaded guilty in federal court to misusing campaign funds. The six-term congressman is scheduled to be sentenced in March. He faces a maximum of five years in prison, although he is expected to serve less than one year. • Politico: Donald Trump’s reelection campaign will spend $10 million on 60 seconds of television ad time during the Super Bowl next month as the president ramps up his push for a second term. • New York Times: Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell informed Republicans on Tuesday that he planned to move forward with President Trump’s impeachment trial without committing to additional witnesses or admitting new evidence, over the objections of Democrats who are insisting on both.
“Whoever heard of a trial without witnesses and documents? It’s unprecedented.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “have very different visions about what it means to conduct a fair trial.” https://t.co/vTZuyr7OFt pic.twitter.com/yYlmHPU6b9 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 7, 2020
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Have heard on numerous occasions disturbing allegations by @RudyGiuliani about corruption in Ukraine and the many improprieties surrounding the firing of former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. (1/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Given the House of Representatives’ behavior, it is time for the Senate to inquire about corruption and other improprieties involving Ukraine. (2/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Therefore I will offer to Mr. Giuliani the opportunity to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee to inform the committee of his concerns. (3/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2019
Good. I have questions. https://t.co/Ty8QMQzAp4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 8, 2019
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| Donald Trump |
Senate Republicans appear to be on a collision course with their own president over Donald Trump’s announced plans to place big ticket tariffs on imports from Mexico.
Via The New York Times:
Republican senators sent the White House a sharp message on Tuesday, warning that they were almost uniformly opposed to President Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, just hours after the president said lawmakers would be “foolish” to try to stop him.
“I want you to take a message back” to the White House, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, told the lawyers, according to people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Cruz warned that “you didn’t hear a single yes” from the Republican conference. He called the proposed tariffs a $30 billion tax increase on Texans.
Texas would be hit the hardest by the proposed tariffs on Mexican products, followed by Michigan, California, Illinois and Ohio, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A 25 percent tariff would threaten $26.75 billion of Texas imports. “We’re holding a gun to our own heads,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called the tariffs “a distraction:”
Pelosi on Trump’s proposed Mexico tariffs: “It’s wrong. I don’t even think it rises to the level of policy. I think it’s notion-mongering … it’s really, well, let’s face what it is: It’s a distraction from the Mueller report. And it’s served its purpose. Here we are.”
Via ABC pic.twitter.com/jSsie1m0By— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 5, 2019
“Summing up the mood of the lunch, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said, according to sources familiar with the matter: The administration ‘trying to use tariffs to solve every problem but HIV and climate change.’” @burgessev & @JamesArkin https://t.co/hBldHNFDNC— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) June 5, 2019
.@LACaldwellDC: “More than half a dozen Republicans stood up” to tell White House lawyers in a Tuesday meeting that they disagreed with administration’s push for tariffs on Mexico.“They offered tremendous warning signs to these White House officials saying: Don’t move forward.”
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 4, 2019