Tag: Bi-Partisanship

Yet Another Great Idea

From time to time the Congress comes up wityh some excellent ideas….sadly they are just that…ideas….they usual;ly go by the wayside…but at least some try to do what is necessary.

Awhile back I figured that there was about 100+ lobbyist per members of Congress and all have buckets of cash….time for that to change….I would be okay with shutting down “K” Street immediately but that would be a dream not a reality.

There is at least someone trying to put these a/holes away….

Congress members would be permanently banned from becoming lobbyists after they leave office under a new bipartisan bill, first reported by CNBC.

The legislation would not only ban senators and U.S. House members from being registered lobbyists, but would also prevent then from being compensated for trying to influence lawmakers and staff on behalf of companies or groups — closing a loophole that would allow former lawmakers to lobby without being a registered lobbyist.

The effort, from Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., comes as a growing number of lawmakers are speaking out against profiting from their elected positions. Numerous bipartisan bills have been introduced this Congress to ban things like members owning and trading stocks, or banning themselves from betting on prediction markets.

The new bill, which is unlikely to become law, would hold violators to a penalty of $50,000 per violation or up to five years in jail.

“Trust in our institutions is at an all-time low, and the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street is a big part of that,” Scott said in a statement to CNBC. “We need to restore the American people’s trust in their government, and that’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to put government clearly back on the side of the people.”

(cnbc.com)

I can see Warren leading this drive…but Scott from Florida….the MAGA twat for Donny?

Does he realize what this bill would do?  If so why would he bite the hand that feeds the GOP?

I have always thought Scott was a bit off center and this does little to change my mind.

I wish them luck with this bill but I think they are just stabbing wildly in the dark.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Hey What’s That Sound? A Deal?

As long as were are on the shutdown meme it appears there maybe a break in the stalemate on finding an answer to the country’s longest shutdown….

The Senate voted to break the shutdown stalemate Sunday, paving the way for the government to reopen as soon as later this week.

The 60-40 vote to take the first step toward ending the shutdown came hours after enough Democrats agreed to support a package that would fund multiple agencies and programs for the full fiscal year, and all others until Jan. 30, 2026.

In exchange, Democrats have a commitment from the Trump administration to rehire government workers fired at the start of the funding lapse, and the promise of a Senate floor vote in December on legislation to extend expiring Obamacare tax credits.

The vote will pave the way for consideration later this week of a legislative package that would fund the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction projects, and the operations of Congress for all of current fiscal year — the product of months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations between top appropriators.

All other agencies would be funded through Jan. 30, according to the text of a continuing resolution released Sunday. The agreement still needs to pass the House before the government can be reopened.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/09/government-funding-deal-on-track-to-advance-sunday-night-00644110

I knew the Dems would cave eventually and as usual they do not disappoint.

Cool!

Is this a good sign or just a momentary lapse trying to make the people feel more like there could be an end to this misery?

Any comments in waiting?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Senate Border Deal

The biggest story so far this year has been the crisis on our Southern border and this problem is giving the GOP lots of false support in the upcoming election cycle.

A Senate committee has come together giving a bi-partisan approach to this situation….a deal, in my opinion, stinks.

Senators on Sunday released a highly anticipated $118 billion package that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel, and other US allies, setting off a long-shot effort to push the bill through heavy skepticism from Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, the AP reports. The proposal could be the best chance for President Joe Biden to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid—a major foreign policy goal that is shared with both the Senate’s top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and top Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell. It is still unclear if the bill will pass in the Senate, which is expected this week to hold a key test vote on the legislation, but it faces a wall of opposition from conservatives.

With Congress stalled on approving $60 billion in Ukraine aid, the US has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian soldiers outgunned as they try to beat back Russia’s invasion. Biden said in a statement that the Senate proposal “allows the United States to continue our vital work, together with partners all around the world, to stand up for Ukraine’s freedom and support its ability to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.” And on the border, Biden said that the immigration system has been broken for too long, and it’s time to fix it. “It will make our country safer, make our border more secure, treat people fairly and humanely while preserving legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation,” Biden said.

The new bill would also invest in US defense manufacturing, send $14 billion in military aid to Israel, steer nearly $5 billion to allies in the Asia-Pacific, and provide humanitarian assistance to civilians caught in conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. In a call with reporters after releasing the legislation, Schumer said he has never worked so closely with McConnell. He called the bill a “monumental step” toward strengthening national security at home and abroad. McConnell said in a statement that the Senate must be “prepared to act.” In a bid to overcome opposition from House Republicans, McConnell had insisted last year that border policy changes be included in the national security funding package. More on those changes, resistance to the bill on both sides, plus a potential House bill some senators prefer, here.

The Senate bill would authorize $60 billion to spend on the proxy war in Ukraine and $4.8 billion to “support key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific,” a portion of which will go toward replenishing arms sent to Taiwan.

The bill also provides $2.44 billion to US Central Command and to “address combat expenditures related to the conflict in the Red Sea,” where US naval forces have been bombing Yemen and downing Houthi drones and missiles. Since January 12, the US has bombed Yemen at least 16 times, and the situation in the region continues to escalate as the Houthis are not backing down.

I think this bill is dead on arrival in the House….but that is not why I think it sucks.

The bill should be about the situation on the border and none of it should be trying to sneak cash in for these proxy wars we keep fighting.

Those situations should be handled by a stand alone bill not masked by some perceived problem elsewhere.

If our Congress cannot find the cash for these wars then it is time to say f*ck it and move on to other situations that need attention.

But we have not heard the last of the border or the blood money for Israel and Ukraine.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Peanuts For The Peasants

A pathetic tax deal.

Last week the miracle of miracles took place….in the House there was an amazing come together moment on a tax deal….bipartisanship at long last.

The House accomplished something unusual Wednesday in passing with broad, bipartisan support a roughly $79 billion tax cut package that would enhance the child tax credit for millions of lower-income families and boost three tax breaks for businesses, a combination that gives lawmakers on both stripes coveted policy wins, the AP reports. Prospects for the measure becoming law are uncertain with the Senate still having to take it up, but for a House that has struggled to get bills of consequence over the finish line, the tax legislation could represent a rare breakthrough. The bill passed by a vote of 357-70.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., threw his support behind the bill on Wednesday morning. He spent part of the previous day meeting with GOP lawmakers who were concerned about particular features of the bill, namely the expanded child tax credit. Some were also unhappy that it failed to address the $10,000 cap on the total amount of property taxes or state or local taxes that consumers can deduct on their federal returns. Raising the cap is a top priority of lawmakers from the Republican members of the New York congressional delegation, whose victories in 2022 helped the GOP take the majority. Johnson committed to moving a bill that addresses the cap, but there is no bill text yet and legislation would have to move through the House Rules Committee, which leaves the timing very much in flux.

Democrats focused on boosting the child tax credit. The tax credit is $2,000 per child, but not all of that is refundable. The bill would incrementally raise the amount of the credit available as a refund, increasing it to $1,800 for 2023 tax returns, $1,900 for the following year and $2,000 for 2025 tax returns. The bill also adjusts the topline credit amount to temporarily grow at the rate of inflation. Households benefitting as a result of the changes in the child tax credit would see an average tax cut of $680 in the first year, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. “What’s in front of us tonight is pretty simple,” said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass. “Sixteen million children will benefit from the improvement to the child tax credit. That’s a fact.”

As usual the Dems caved to the GOP.

This bill saves the people peanuts while giving business all the benefits…..this is the pathetic Dems looking for some small win they can take on the campaign trail.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib is calling on her fellow Democrats to “stay at the table and demand a better deal for our children” instead of supporting the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, a bill that pairs a partial expansion of the child tax credit with major tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, which was expected to reach the House floor for a vote Wednesday evening.

Tlaib (D-Mich.) echoed the concerns of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a longtime champion of an expanded child tax credit (CTC), saying Democrats and Republicans have negotiated a bill that “gives billions of dollars in tax breaks to the rich, while leaving behind millions of children living in poverty.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/tlaib-ctc

The only thing that can squash this piece of manure is the Senate….are they going to be as pathetic as the House Dems?

Special interests should be working overtime and spending like a drunken sailor to get this passed in the Senate.

The typical bi-partisan deal……peons get little…..corporations get it all.

We will see.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Here’s The Gun Deal

The US Senate has reached a bi-partisan (hate that term) deal on guns….(my opinion is it sucks)……

Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators released legislative text for a narrow set of gun safety measures, marking the most significant step towards toughening federal gun laws in nearly three decades.

If passed, the bill would require enhanced background checks for buyers under age 21 and provide some $15 billion in new federal funding for mental health programs and school security upgrades. But the bipartisan compromise falls well short of the broader gun-control measures that President Joe Biden and other Democrats have called for in the wake of recent mass shootings, including an assault weapons ban and restrictions on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

With 10 Republican Senators already announcing support for the original framework—enough to break a filibuster—the legislation is expected to pass the Senate by the end of the week and then head for a vote on the House floor before the July 4 recess. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, signaled last week that the Democratic-controlled House would enact whatever bill the Senate might pass.

“This is a breakthrough,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead Democratic negotiator, said Tuesday. “This bill is going to save lives.”

https://time.com/6189655/gun-safety-bill-whats-in-it/

A bold prediction that this will save lies…..I do not see where the optimism is….338 million guns floating around…..

This bill is far too weak to accomplish the bold prediction by Murphy…..

While Democratic lawmakers lauded the gun control package unveiled in the U.S. Senate after weeks of negotiations late Tuesday and national advocacy groups called the bill a “step in the right direction,” educators, parents, and local civil rights organizations in Arizona rebuked their senators for standing in the way of farther-reaching reforms.

In a 64-34 vote, the Senate agreed to take up the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act hours after the group of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans released the 80-page bill, with senators hoping to pass the legislation by this weekend.

The bill includes a number of provisions aimed at making it more difficult for people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to buy firearms, but gun control advocates across the country have expressed outrage in recent weeks as the lead Senate negotiators tempered expectations about the inclusion of broadly popular reforms including universal background checks and a reinstatement of a ban on assault weapons.

In Arizona, organizers directed some of their ire at Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, who represent the state and who have stood in the way of ending the legislative filibuster—a step they say would allow the Senate to pass bolder gun control measures.

“The filibuster is killing us,” wrote groups, including Arizona Educators United and the Arizona Justice Alliance as well as teachers and parents from across the state. “A handful of Democratic senators, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, are joining the Republican Party in allowing the endless slaughter of our schoolchildren.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/06/22/far-too-weak-senate-gun-control-bill-slammed-crumbs

All I have to say is …”Nice Try….close but NO cigar”!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Do We Have A Deal?

Looks like our do-nothing Congress has come up with a bi-partisan deal on on the hot button issue of gun laws.

A bipartisan group of senators announced Sunday that they’d agreed to an outline of a gun legislation package that could reverse years of congressional inaction on proposals to reduce mass shootings. The deal includes “red flag” laws and enhanced background checks on prospective gun buyers, NBC News reports. It does not include raising the minimum age for purchasing certain rifles from 18 to 21, per the Washington Post, which had the support of President Biden and others, including some Republicans. Although the proposals are modest compared with what many Democrats wanted, passage could still represent a breakthrough in the congressional stalemate over gun control, per Politico. The senators agreed on:

“Red flag” laws: A grant program would be used to encourage states to approve such legislation, under which guns could be kept from people once a judge found them to be a potential danger to themselves or others.
Background checks: The process would be expanded for those ages 18 to 21. State and local criminal records would be checked before clearance, as would state providers for mental health information that could be disqualifying.
Spending: Billions more could be put toward mental health care, school security, and new campus infrastructure. More armed officers would be hired.

“Our plan saves lives while also protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans,” the senators said in a statement. But the deal is an “agreement on principles, not legislative text,” a Republican Senate aide cautioned. “The details will be critical for Republicans, particularly the firearms-related provisions,” the aide told Politico. warned. “One or more of these principles could be dropped if text is not agreed to.” Ten GOP senators signed on, per CNN; that’s the number of Republican votes needed to get around a Senate filibuster.

This should keep the MSM buzzing and drooling for a couple of days.

Great news, huh?

Well I think it is just the same game they play every year…..a couple of minority Senators get together and make news by being bi-partisan….and then it flops in the vote…..

Let’s say this passes to become law…..where will it stop the violence?

For me this is a band-aid (no pun intended) for a sucking chest wound.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“A Huge Victory”

That is how the MSM is selling the ‘bi-partisan’ deal to move forward with the work on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill in the Senate.

Before I give my thoughts on this groundbreaking deal…..

Senators of both parties voted Wednesday night to get started on President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan. The 67-32 vote puts the Senate on schedule to begin debate on the package this week, the Washington Post reports, a full month after Biden had announced that a deal had been reached. “We are prepared to move forward,” lead GOP negotiator Sen. Rob Portman said Wednesday before the vote, per CNBC, but after a few big issues had been resolved. Democratic negotiator Sen. Kyrsten Sinema also said earlier in the day that most of the bill’s text had been completed. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised that the Senate will pass the bipartisan bill before the August recess, Politico reports.

Wednesday’s test vote does not necessarily mean the Senate will approve the package in the end, per the AP. Passing the deal will require the support of all 50 Democratic senators and at least 10 Republicans. Portman announced the deal alongside four other GOP negotiators, but it’s not clear how many other Republicans will vote for the plan. Sources tell the AP that at a closed-door lunch Tuesday, some GOP senators spoke in favor of the plan while others argued against doing anything that would clear the way for Biden’s wider $3.5 billion “human infrastructure plan,” which would expand social services. Although cost is an issue, many senators have projects they want to add to the infrastructure package. “It’s very popular,” Portman said.

As I stated the MSM is all over this ‘deal’ as some sort of indication that the Trump support is waning….I disagree.

I believe that since infrastructure is wildly popular with the voter this is just an attempt to garner votes for the 2022 election.

Senators will use this ‘deal’ in their campaigns….but Trump still has their hearts and butts.

It is a political decision for votes not what is best or needed by this country.

Ask yourself why now?

I do hope that I am wrong….but I seriously doubt it.

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“We Have A Deal”!

Well not really…..what the Dems and Repubs have is an agreement……oh boy bi-partisanship is alive and well…..a laughable premise at best.

The two sides have reached an agreement on infrastructure……

President Biden has his long-sought bipartisan deal on infrastructure. Whether it becomes legislative reality is a trickier question. “We have a deal,” Biden announced at the White House on Thursday, flanked by Democratic and Republican senators who crafted the compromise, reports the Hill. The nearly $1 trillion plan includes about $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects, per Politico. However, it wasn’t immediately clear whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer or Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would back the plan. And Nancy Pelosi added a wrinkle of her own. As the AP describes it, she “warned that it must be paired with the president’s bigger goals now being prepared by Congress under a process that could push them through the Senate with only Democratic votes.”

“This is important,” Pelosi said. “There ain’t going to be a bipartisan bill without a reconciliation bill.” Meaning getting all this passed “promises to be a heavy lift for Democrats,” per the Times. On Thursday, however, Biden and senators who worked on the deal were emphasizing their breakthrough on the size, scope, and price of the infrastructure deal. “I clearly didn’t get all I wanted,” said Biden. “They gave more than I think maybe they were inclined to give in the first place.” GOP Sen. Rob Portman added that “we didn’t get everything we wanted but we came up with a compromise that is going to help the American people.” The talks have been ongoing for weeks, to the chagrin of more progressive Democrats who fear that the deal will prevent a larger package from emerging.

I see Sen. Manchin is on-board with this agreement…..does that mean he has seen the his media spotlight is dimming so he decides to play ball with the Dems.

This is an agreement that could fall apart at any moment with McConnell in the background sabotaging every attempt the Dems try to more this country forward.

All he needs to do to torpedo this agreement is pull or threaten 2 GOPers to leave the deal…..

Do not hold your breath for something positive…..that is always the biggest obstructor, McConnell…..

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Unity My Ass!

Sen. Lindsey Graham recently ask, “Why don’t Democrats want unity’?

Now that the GOP has lost its power they are crying for unity.  I say GFY!

Ever since Joe Biden has been elected he has made statements about “the time for healing the country”.

This is so much horse manure!

This country will not heal anytime soon.

Getting rid of the slug Trump is not what will bring about unity.

Why am I so pessimistic?

Where to start?

The toad QAnon ilk like Greene who got 199 votes not to sanction her by removing her from committee assignments…..199 members of the House prove that unity is nothing more than a cute word that means absolutely NOTHING!

Not enough to prove my point?

Then how about the survey that shows that if Trump starts his own party they would follow his lead?

A majority of Republican voters said if former President Trump were to start a new political party they would likely join, a new Hill-HarrisX poll finds.

Sixty-four percent of registered Republican voters in the Jan. 28-29 survey said they’d join a new political party led by the former president, including 32 percent who said they would very likely join.

By contrast, 36 percent of Republican respondents said they are either very or somewhat unlikely to join.

The survey found 28 percent of independents and 15 percent of Democrats said they’d likely join a third party led by Trump.

Thirty-seven percent of voters overall said if Trump started a new political party they’d likely join.

https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/537442-poll-64-percent-of-gop-voters-likely-to-join-a-trump-led-3rd

Please stop hoping for ‘unity’…..it will not happen in my lifetime…..and may not happen for decades…..until the country is more important that the stupidity of party politics this country will suffer and split into camps of insulting little toads.

And please STOP using the term bi-partisan.

Look t the make-up of the Congress….does anyone truly see any bi-partisanship on major issues?

This is just a term or tagline for speeches and campaigning…..not rooted in reality.  A term for political gain with NO intention of employing it in any form.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

It’s Called “Criminal Justice Reform”

While we wait and wait for the tally on the votes in the 5 remaining states…let’s look at an issue that should become very important to the next administration…..criminal justice…..FOX News has called Arizona for Biden…that ought to piss Donald the Orange right the Hell off.

This is a piece of legislation that has been hailed as a new day for the American criminal justice system….it is called the First Step Act of 2018 and was signed by new president Donald Trump…..

But before I crap on this “Act”…..read it for yourself….

Click to access FY21-Fact-Sheet-Criminal-Justice-Reform.pdf

Now I think this is a limp dick approach like most of the so-called bi-partisan efforts…..it does little to stop the private prison system….it does little to address the root causes that cause the recidivism….in essence it is just a bunch of words that accomplishes one thing…..the players can get a back slap for a job well done….even if it is basically a job done half ass.

Then there is Biden’s promises on criminal justice.

The Biden Plan for Strengthening America’s Commitment to Justice is based on several core principles:

  • We can and must reduce the number of people incarcerated in this country while also reducing crime. No one should be incarcerated for drug use alone. Instead, they should be diverted to drug courts and treatment. Reducing the number of incarcerated individuals will reduce federal spending on incarceration. These savings should be reinvested in the communities impacted by mass incarceration.
  • Our criminal justice system cannot be just unless we root out the racial, gender, and income-based disparities in the system. Black mothers and fathers should feel confident that their children are safe walking the streets of America. And, when a police officer pins on that shield and walks out the door, the officer’s family should know they’ll come home at the end of the day. Additionally, women and children are uniquely impacted by the criminal justice system, and the system needs to address their unique needs.
  • Our criminal justice system must be focused on redemption and rehabilitation. Making sure formerly incarcerated individuals have the opportunity to be productive members of our society is not only the right thing to do, it will also grow our economy.
  • No one should be profiteering off of our criminal justice system.

I see he has retained parts of the “Act”…..and promised some wonderful sounding planks of this policy….but it  will be a pipe dream.

Biden may well believe that he can make a difference but his donors may have a different outlook for his so-called “reform”.

Learn Stuff!

Be Smart!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”