Tag: Legislation

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”

What Does ‘Avoidance’ Look Like?

Yes Irene the Epstein files has the whole political universe on the edge of their chair….but the answers will have to wait until September for any sort of conclusion.

The Speaker of the House did whatever all speakers have done….instead of working through some sort of problem/situation he called for a recess.  Avoidance is what they do best.

The House is putting the Jeffrey Epstein controversy on the back burner until at least September. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that the chamber will begin its summer recess earlier than expected, on Wednesday, to avoid “political games,” reports the New York Times. And don’t expect any votes on releasing the Epstein files to sneak in before then—Republicans on the House Rules Committee are preventing virtually all votes from reaching the House floor because they fear Democrats will tack on Epstein-related amendments, per the Washington Post.

Democrats, meanwhile, have been happy to make their GOP colleagues go on the record as opposing the records’ release. “We certainly won’t refrain from pointing that out as long as they continue to perform this self-own time and time again,” said Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, per Axios. To which House Majority Leader Steve Scalise responded: “Where were these ‘interested’ Democrats for four years when they could have released all of it? They have no credibility because they had no desire to release it when they were in control.”

Of course, it’s not only Democrats pushing for the release of the records. GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has repeatedly pressed for a vote. “Let me just say about Thomas Massie, could you just accept my Southern, ‘bless his heart.’ I don’t know what else to say about it,” said Johnson, per the Post. Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Tim Burchett introduced a motion to subpoena longtime Epstein companion Ghislaine Maxwell. Separately, a top Justice Department official plans to speak with the imprisoned Maxwell in the coming days.

Typical move for cowards……they want some time to try and calm things down so any decision will not have the same effect….the Dems will just use it to try and stoke the fires burning in the voters.

This action for me proves my point of just how cowardly these politicians are that seemingly small incidents are used as political fodder instead of doing the heard work to set this country on a course for progress not regression.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

How Can Dems Lose?

College of Political Knowledge

DNC/Democratic Party

Paper #3

No secret that I dislike the Dems in Congress for they are doing nothing but reacting to everything Little Donny and his band of thugs are doing….they run to the nearest mike and bitch and moan and then sit back and wait for the next outrageous crap to happen.

As bad as the Trump administration is how can the Dems be losing on every front?  Especially on the Medicaid destruction bill that is before Congress as I type.

This article points to so many spots that Dems could get a stronghold with the voters…..but seem to be falling short…..why is that?

And so we watch as Senate Republicans argue about the degree to which they want to destroy Medicaid. You’ve been reading and hearing about this, I’m sure, and you may even have become familiar with the phrase “provider tax.” Journalistic shorthand usually does a poor job of explaining what that actually is. Bear with me for this brief explanation, because it makes clear how cruel and deliberate these cuts are.

Health care services that are reimbursed by Medicaid are, well, provided by a range of different “providers.” Chief among these are hospitals, but the category also includes nursing homes, other long-term care facilities, doctors, physical therapists, even chiropractors: all sorts of people. But the big money revolves around hospitals, and specifically rural hospitals, which rely heavily on Medicaid dollars because they are poorer on balance than other hospitals. They tend to be run on a nonprofit basis. They are less likely than urban or suburban hospitals to have commercial insurance, and they’re more dependent on Medicaid revenue because their client base tends to be poorer. There are about 1,800 rural hospitals in the United States. Here’s a map.

…

To make a long story short, when you reduce a tax, you reduce the amount of revenue it brings in. It’s also worth bearing in mind here that Medicaid reimbursements rarely cover the cost of care to begin with, so these cuts will make an already dire situation much worse. Governors and state legislatures will be staring at a quite substantial reduction in Medicaid tax revenue. They will then be faced with three choices: one, raise some other sort of tax; two, cut some other state service, like education; three, cut Medicaid services.

https://newrepublic.com/post/197356/democrats-losing-stupid-republicans-senate-bill-medicaid

I cannot understand how the Dems could be losing to the GOP on this destruction of a much needed program.

Are the American people that stupid?

Any ideas to share?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How To Mend A Broken Bill

The Senate passed the Trump bill and now it goes to the House and it could be an interesting turn…..there are some Reps that are not so supportive as Donny would like….what to look for in the coming battle of idiots….

Republican lawmakers wobbling on President Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill went to the White House to be personally lobbied on Wednesday. In addition to the sales job, they received signed merchandise and Oval Office photos, the New York Times reports. A recurring argument made by the president was: “Don’t give the Democrats a win. Don’t play into their hands.” Rep. Tim Burchett posted a video later. “The president was wonderful, as always,” Burchett said about his encounter with the president. “Informative, funny, he told me he likes seeing me on TV, which was kind of cool,” Burchett said. The Tennessean told the Times his name was misspelled on the placard at his seat in the Cabinet Room, so Trump filled in the missing “r.” Other developments:

  • Plus one: GOP Rep. Warren Davidson voted against the bill in May but said Wednesday he’s now a yes. “This bill isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we’ll get & includes major wins,” he posted on X, per the AP. He gave as examples the bill’s Medicaid work requirements and enhanced food stamp work requirements.
  • No rush: House Republicans made no progress Wednesday on actual votes on the measure. They delayed a preliminary vote for more than five hours to allow time to win over more members and for some Republicans to make it back to town, per the Washington Post. Six members of the House Freedom Caucus were withholding their votes on an amendment during negotiations. “We’re stalled,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk. Several steps remain before a final vote.
  • Another president lobbies: Barack Obama called on Americans to contact their representatives to vote against the bill. “More than 16 million Americans are at risk of losing their health care because Republicans in Congress are rushing to pass a bill that would cut federal funding for Medicaid and weaken the Affordable Care Act,” Obama, who signed the ACA into law, posted on X, per the Post. “If the House passes this bill, it will increase costs and hurt working class families for generations to come.”
  • Plan C: If the House changes the bill as passed by the Senate, the chambers could keep trading versions until one house accepts the other’s legislation. That could go on indefinitely. Or the bill could go to a conference committee of members from both sides, who theoretically would agree to a final version and send it to both chambers for a vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Chip Roy already have said they want a conference, per the Times. “The Senate doesn’t get to be the final say on everything,” Roy said Wednesday.

It is that simple….and now we will hear all about the battle in the MSM……..you decide what will be the best for the country for those morons in DC do not care.

But we may have to wait for the fourth break is upon them and they are anxious to get home and suck to the big donors.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Getting Closer To A Done Deal

That idiot sounding bill that has been all the rage in the MSM is this much closer to be a done deal….

Senate Republicans passed President Trump’s spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session. Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top, per the AP. The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, where the president’s signature legislative priority was at times teetering on the edge of collapse. The legislation still must return to the House for final approval. Trump wants to sign it by July 4.

  • Three nays: In the end, three GOP senators voted against the measure: Susan Collins of Maine joined Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, per the Washington Post.
  • House uncertainty: Passage in the House is no sure thing. Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s holiday deadline.
  • Impact: An analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. Tillis in particular cited the impact on Medicaid recipients in his home state. The CBO said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.

$3.3 trillion added to deficit….and soon the GOP will be screaming about those goddamn Dems and their spending….so please STFU.

Some will ask where were the Dems?  Well they got a big win with this as well….

Senate Democrats were unable to stop their Republican counterparts from passing what has been called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” but they did score a symbolic victory by killing the name, reports the Washington Post. Democrats used parliamentary rules to ditch the Trump-centric “beautiful” label.

“Democrats are forcing Republicans to delete their farcical bill name,” said statement from the office of Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer. “Nothing about this bill is beautiful—it’s a betrayal to American families and it’s undeserving of such a stupid name.” Politico notes that such names often get stripped by the opposition party, but it doesn’t stop the party in power from continuing to use it. “So expect the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to live on, if not in legislative text.”

Seriously?

That is the best they could deliver?

Useless and spineless…..Dems are the saviors waiting for their chance to shine. (Sarcasm)

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

OBBB Has Hit A Snag

Apparently the ‘beauty’ is choke full of ugly!

Donny super bill, One Big Beautiful ill the OBBB has hit a snag in the Senate…the Medicaid part has shown to be in violation of Senate rules….

The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a key Medicaid provider tax overhaul that’s central to President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” doesn’t adhere to procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow to Republicans rushing to finish the massive package this week.

  • Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled on Thursday that the section of the tax cut and spending bill covering the Medicaid cuts and tax overhaul violates the Byrd Rule, which determines what legislation can be passed with a simple majority through the budget reconciliation process, the Hill reports.
  • Guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored, and it forces GOP leaders to consider options, the AP reports. Senate leaders could try to revise it or strip the iffy parts from the package. Otherwise, the provision could be challenged during floor votes, requiring a 60-vote threshold to keep it—a tall order in the narrowly split 100-member Senate. Democrats are unified against the bill.
  • The provision cracks down on states’ use of health care provider taxes to collect Medicaid funding, ABC News reports. The House-passed bill would freeze the provider taxes at current levels, while the Senate proposal goes deeper by reducing the tax that some states are able to impose.
  • Republicans scrambled to respond, some politically attacking the nonpartisan parliamentarian, while Democrats said her decision would prove devastating to the GOP package. Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the GOP proposal would have been as much as a $250 billion cut to the health care program, “massive Medicaid cuts that hurt kids, seniors, Americans with disabilities, and working families.”
  • Some Republicans even called for challenging, or firing, the parliamentarian, who has been on the job since 2012 as the chief arbiter of the chamber’s historic and often complicated rules. But GOP leaders had already been struggling to rally support for the change. Several GOP senators warn it would harm rural hospitals that depend on the funds. Hospital organizations have been warning it could wipe out their balance sheets and lead to hospital closures.

The Parliamentarian has been busy with the OBBB….she also took on the oil lease provision of the bill….

Critics of Republican efforts to continue wrecking the planet celebrated some small victories after the U.S. Senate parliamentarian on Monday advised that multiple provisions cannot be passed as part of a megabill that only requires a simple majority.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough found that some GOP legislative proposals about offshore drilling and mandatory public land sales could not be included in the package due to the so-called Byrd Rule, which bars provisions considered “extraneous to the purpose of implementing budget resolution policies.”

Specifically, MacDonough axed a provision that deems offshore oil and gas projects as automatically compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), nullifying their environmental review processes. She also ruled against a proposal requiring offshore fossil fuel leases to be issued to successful bidders within 90 days after the sale, and a separate mandate for the sale of millions of acres of public land.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-public-lands

Read about all the problems (so far) with the OBBB according to the Parliamentarian…

https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-parliamentarian-2672439563

This ought to chap Donny’s ass.

Do tell…..what changes will be made?

Will Donny try to flex his wimpy muscles?

Will the MAGA worshipers find a way to save Donny’s baby?

Is the bill dead until after the 4th of July break?

Where will it go….do tell.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That “One Big Beautiful Bill”

What is That?  A faint glimmer of bi-partisanship?

Do not get too excited this passed a committee of the House…..not finished yet.

This was the bill that rumors flew around about it would gut Medicaid and other needed benefits to pass on more assistance to the wealthy that as we know are suffering badly right?

Here is what we know so far….

Republicans advanced their massive tax cut and border security package out of a key House committee during a rare Sunday night vote as deficit hawks who blocked the measure two days earlier reversed course after gaining commitments on the package’s spending cuts, the AP reports. Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers shortly before the meeting, telling reporters that the changes agreed to were “just some minor modifications. Not a huge thing.” Democrats on the panel pressed for more details about the changes that Republicans had agreed to in the private negotiations. But Rep. Jodey Arrington, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said he could not give those details.

(good one…..why should those that will possibly suffer at the hands of this bill know what it says?)

Deliberations continue at this very moment,” Arrington said. “They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House.” The first time Republicans tried advancing the bill out of the House Budget Committee, deficit hawks joined with Democratic lawmakers in voting against reporting the measure to the full House. Five Republicans voted no, one on procedural grounds, the other four voicing concerns about the bill’s impact on federal budget deficits. On Sunday evening, the four voicing concerns about the bill’s impact on the deficit voted present, and the measure passed by a vote of 17-16. Johnson is looking to put the bill on the House floor before the end of the week.

“This is the vehicle through which we will deliver on the mandate that the American people gave us in the last election,” he said on Fox News Sunday. If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republican lawmakers are also eyeing changes that could make final passage in the House more difficult. Johnson said: “The package that we send over there will be one that was very carefully negotiated and delicately balanced, and we hope that they don’t make many modifications to it because that will ensure its passage quickly.”

“Mandate of the people”….if that is truly then the ‘people’ are suffer from gross ignorance or to put a more polite term on it…..massively uninformed.

The only mandate that this House has is to make their wealthy patrons happy….you are a minor irritant to them.

There is more fireworks coming….so stay tuned and we will see where this goes.

But how will it effect your wallet?

President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) has stirred significant debate in Washington, D.C., and across the nation. This sweeping legislative package aims to extend and expand upon the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, introducing a series of tax reforms and spending adjustments that could have profound effects on American households. While proponents argue that the bill will stimulate economic growth and provide relief to taxpayers, critics warn of potential increases in the federal deficit and disproportionate benefits to the wealthy. Understanding the key components of this bill is essential for assessing its potential impact on your personal finances. 

https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2025/05/18/10156620_how-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-may-impact-your-finances.html

Hopefully you took the time to see how your wallet will fair with this bill that will affect the wealthy far more than you.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

More Wasted Time

The House of Representatives is nothing but a black hole of wasted time and energy….I have been saying this for years…..the Reps send more time passing stupid bills that usually go go nowhere and when they are not wasting that time they are wasting it on some lame ass Congressional hearing that is nothing more that a theater of the absurd….I give you the stupidity of the Fauci hearing.

But that is not what I am hear to rant about…..the bill to sanction the ICC.

In a 247-155 vote, the House passed a bill today that would impose sanctions on anyone who has assisted the International Criminal Court in its investigation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, a group that could include U.S. allies like Germany and Japan that fund the tribunal.

The bill, titled the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, aims to punish the ICC for its chief prosecutor’s recent decision to seek arrest warrants against several leaders from Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. More than 40 Democrats joined Republicans to back the proposal despite opposition from the Biden administration.

The bill, which faces an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled Senate, would also sanction immediate family members of those targeted. The sanctions include bans on entering the U.S. and doing business with American companies or citizens.

“We cannot stand by and allow the court to do what it’s doing,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a lead sponsor of the legislation. Roy argues the proposal would send a strong message to the international community that the United States will not allow politicized cases against itself or its allies.

“This is a kangaroo court,” said Rep. Guy Reschentaler (R-Pa.), another sponsor of the bill. “To defend it is to defend an institution that is anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-semitic.”

The vote came just a day after the Biden administration announced that it opposed the bill. “There are more effective ways to defend Israel, preserve U.S. positions on the ICC, and promote international justice and accountability, and the Administration stands ready to work with the Congress on those options,” the White House said in a statement, leaving open the possibility of a compromise on sanctions against the court.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/us-sanctions-icc/

This is a complete waste of time.

How much did this cost AIPAC?

This country has many problems in search of solutions and yet those we elect to better the nation spend their time pissing around with meaningless horse manure.

This is just an example of the do-nothing BS that the Reps psend their time and our money doing.

This is stupidity personified.

Why do we allow this sort of thing to continue?

Easy answer….MONEY!

And this corruption gets worse every year.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–06May24

Just a mere 6 months before we go to the polls and then there is Congress who try to act up so they can claim a victory to be used in their expensive campaign ads….

A recent health bill was up for consideration….and the political game was afoot….stop Biden from a legislative win at all costs…..the cost could be your health.

I’m afraid I have some bad news.

As a hospital doctor, I’ve gotten pretty good at delivering bad news. Still, it never gets any easier. It certainly was not easy the day I told my 53-year-old patient, a devoted father of two, that his stomach pains were not from gallstones as everyone had assumed. Whenever a doctor says “bad news,” our minds often jump to that terrible “C”-word we fear: cancer. Unfortunately for my patient, I diagnosed him with a deadly form of cancer: cholangiocarcinoma. Over the next year, I would watch him deteriorate as he was readmitted with complication after complication.

Cancer affects everyone in some way, shape or form. Whether personally or through a family member or friend, the stress and heartbreak of a cancer diagnosis is immeasurable. Which is why I was so surprised when I read that Congress would not be renewing investments in the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative dedicated to curing cancer.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2024/05/05/biden-cancer-moonshot-initiative-congress-funding/73525016007/

Another prime example of how the Congress and the parties have no sense of what is good for the people of this country….for them it is about the elections and the cash.

Is this what you sent your reps to DC to do?…..if not then DO something about it the games these slugs play at your expense.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

Then VOTE!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

To Save A Reputation

First I would like to wish all those that celebrate the day a Happy May Day.

There is a new piece of junk legislation heading through the US House….this one is a piece of disguised crap to protect Israel’s reputation…..

A bill introduced in the House by Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) would create “antisemitism monitors” at colleges funded by the US federal government, a reaction to widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have falsely been labeled antisemitic.

The protests against the US-backed Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza have led some members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), to call for President Biden to send in the National Guard, and the prime minister of Israel has also called for a crackdown. The bill from Torres and Mawler takes a different approach to combat the protests.

According to a press release from Torres and Lawler, the legislation, known as the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act, would “empower the federal Department of Education to impose a third-party antisemitism monitor on any college or university receiving federal funding.”

“The monitor would be appointed by the Secretary of Education, the terms and conditions of the monitorship would be set by the Secretary, and the expenses of the monitorship would be paid by the particular college or university that has been selected for monitorship,” the press release said. “Failure to comply with the monitorship would result in the loss of federal funds.”

The demonstrations are being labeled antisemitic by Israeli supporters in the US despite the fact that many Jewish students are participating in the demonstrations, including in the encampment at Columbia University in New York City. Many of the protests across the country are demanding their universities divest from Israel or companies profiting from Israel’s genocidal war.

(antiwar.com)

School monitors?

Seriously?  Where are these monitors and the hate around others on campuses?  Blacks, women’s rights, Asians, etc.  Where?

Let’s be real here….this is more about trying to cover Israel’s ass than some warped crap about religion.

Support for Israel is waning….a majority say enough carnage….this is nothing but a ploy to divert attention from what Israel is actually doing.

Israel spends lots of cash on Congress to do this very thing.

Money well spent!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”