Tag: Senate

Senator Menendez time to go

Senator Menendez time to go

Senator Menendez should resign.

I have written about him three times. Perhaps it is time to think about giving him is own tag
Another reason for Senator Menendez to resign.
Will Senator Menendez resign ?
Update on Senator Menendez: national security.

He has given up his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But he still sits on the committee.

John Fetterman, the first Senator to call for Senator Menendez to resign reminds us:

Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.

It is the right thing to do.

Another reason for Senator Menendez to resign

Another reason for Senator Menendez to resign

Senator Menendez has already given reasons for many to think he should resign. Now he gives us another.

I have written about him twice:

Will Senator Menendez resign ?
Update on Senator Menendez: national security.

He has given up his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But now that an additional charge of failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act is filed, the case is even stronger for his resignation from Senate.

John Fetterman, the first Senator to call for Senator Menendez to resign reminds us:

Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.

It is the right thing to do.

Update on Senator Menendez: national security

Update on Senator Menendez: national security

Just Security has just published a new article on the Senator Menendez national security risk. It starts like this:

The recent indictment of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) reads like the script of a B crime movie: A politician, three New Jersey businessmen, a shady trucking business, and envelopes and a safe deposit box stuffed with cash and gold bars. But the most important thru-line in the narrative isn’t the criminal charges. Rather, it is the national security threat raised by the espionage and counterintelligence concerns which run throughout the 39-page document. In sum, the government of Egypt–with whom the United States has an ostensible “critical defense partnership”–appears to have recruited the powerful Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The indictment explicitly lists five ways Menendez has already compromised U.S. national security, and implicitly reveals one ongoing threat Menendez poses as long as he continues to hold his current position.

If that peaks your interest, you might want to read more-
https://www.justsecurity.org/88890/the-ongoing-national-security-threats-posed-by-senator-bob-menendez/

Will Senator Menendez resign ?

Will Senator Menendez resign ?

It is the right thing to do.

John Fetterman, the first Senator to call for Senator Menendez to resign put it this way:

Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.

He should choose an honorable exit and resign.

Evan McMullin, third party candidate for the U.S. Senate

Evan McMullin, third party candidate for the U.S. Senate

As unlikely as it seems this former Republican, now an Independent and third party candidate for the U.S. Senate, has been endorsed by the Democratic party. He is Evan McMullin , a former undercover CIA officer ,a conservative, and former chief policy director in Congress. If the name is familiar, you may have heard in in 2016 when he ran for president in 2016 as an independent.

A profile by Jennifer Rubin starts like this – Continue reading “Evan McMullin, third party candidate for the U.S. Senate”

Filibuster reform

Filibuster reform

I’m an currently reading an advanced reader by Ira Shapiro about the US Senate. One of the problems he mentions is the filibuster. I’ve had quite a bit to say about the filibuster here.

I ran across this this morning while looking for some of Ira Shapiro’s shorter writing on the Senate. It is well worth the read if you are interested the the Senate or the filibuster.

How Joe Manchin Could Make the Senate Great Again

H.R.8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

H.R.8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

This bill passed the House and has been sitting in the Senate for about 6 months now.

Seems likely it is just one of those bills that the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (aka Moscow Mitch) just won’t let reach the floor for debate. (For an example see Why does “Moscow Mitch” oppose election security ????).
Continue reading “H.R.8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019”

#MoscowMitch, a deserved nickname or not

#MoscowMitch, a deserved nickname or not

Lately there has been a lot of talk about Moscow Mitch (or #MoscowMitch), a new nickname or perhaps title for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Is this deserved or not?

I tend to think it appropriate but there is opinion on both sides of the issue. Continue reading “#MoscowMitch, a deserved nickname or not”

Prodeath  Judge Kavanaugh

Prodeath Judge Kavanaugh

Judge Kavanaugh may be the next Justice on the Supreme Court if this rushed and deeply flawed confirmation process continues. But he really needs to clarify his stances on the prolife/prodeath issue.

For example, President Trump has promised to appoint Justices who will overturn Roe vs. Wade and Brett Kavanaugh’s history seem to indicate he will not only repeal a woman’s right to an abortion but also reduce access to contraception.
Continue reading “Prodeath Judge Kavanaugh”

Kavanaugh madness and rush to the Supreme Court

Kavanaugh madness and rush to the Supreme Court

The rush to confirm President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy Brett Kavanaugh continues. Seems to me there are several reasons to stop or delay but Republican leadership is committed to this folly. I hope enough Senators see a problem to stop this Kavanaugh madness.
Continue reading “Kavanaugh madness and rush to the Supreme Court”

Rush to confirm Brett Kavanaugh

Rush to confirm Brett Kavanaugh

Why the rush to confirm President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy Brett Kavanaugh? In the words of Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) “What is the rush? What are we afraid of?”

The Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings today. I was listening while driving and heard Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) complain that the committee has seen only 7% of the documents needed to evaluate the nominee. And only about half of that could be shared with the public.
Continue reading “Rush to confirm Brett Kavanaugh”

Senate tax plan to help the rich

Senate tax plan to help the rich

Both houses of Congress have their own tax plan. Each rushed through quickly with little of the input you would expect in major legislation.

The House version has already been passed. There will be a vote on the Senate version in the very near future. In my opinion, neither is good.

But here is one opinion on the Senate version. Of course, it could change before the vote but my guess is it will not be for the better.

Read it all, but here is just a small portion –

Surely, we will have other debates in the future with thoughtful arguments on every side. But not this time. The numbers are in and it’s clear: this tax bill helps the rich and hurts everybody else. Just ask the very people who wrote it.

Criminal background checks, Commonsense and the Senate

Criminal background checks, Commonsense and the Senate

“I don’t consider criminal background checks to be gun control, I consider them to be common sense.”


These are the words of Senator Pat Tommey before the Senate decided not to require background checks at gun shows.

It has been almost month now since most Republican Senators and some Democrats opposed this commonsense measure despite overwhelming public support and I’m glad to see that Mayors Against Illegal Guns is running ads to remind voters about this.

Implement and Improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Implement and Improve the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Now that the election is over and Democrats remain in control of the Senate and President Obama occupies the Whitehouse, it should be clear to everyone that repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is extremely unlikely and House Republicans can stop wasting their time with this repeal and replace nonsense for at least the next 4 years.

There are many good things about the law. Or at least I think it is good that insurance companies cannot exclude people who they think will be expensive because of preexisting conditions. I think it is good that they cannot cap the benefits someone who gets seriously sick can receive. But I do not believe the law is perfect.

There are also a good number of things that do not seem like great ideas. And people will differ in opinions as to what those are. For example, many oppose the individual mandate to have health insurance. Others may think the free rider provision for employers is not such a great idea.

You can disagree with some provisions of the law without disliking all of it.

But the ACA is law and there is almost no chance of that changing. I see lots of good things but there are also problems, or at least provisions that some people see as problems. Unless you are happy with all of it, actively encourage your Representatives, Senators, and President to improve the ACA.

My party, right or wrong

My party, right or wrong

I see that Todd Akin, the “legitimate rape” guy, now has the support of the Republican Party. The Senate is supposed to be a great deliberative body but, of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.

But this seems to be a new low. The Republican position seems to be: better an ignorant extremist in my party than a reasonable person in another party.

Where are the independents when you need them?