shareblue--2020-02-24--GOP still won't join Democrats in campaign pledge not to use hacked materials

It has been more than 300 days since Democrats asked Republicans to sign a pledge not to use hacked or stolen materials in the 2020 campaign .
And Republicans still refuse to sign it .
The latest refusal came on Friday , amid reports that Russia is once again interfering in an American election .
In a closed-door briefing earlier this month , intelligence officials with the Trump administration told members of Congress that Russia is attempting to interfere in the 2020 election with the goal of helping Donald Trump win , the Associated Press reported Thursday .
The news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renew a request to its Republican counterpart , the National Republican Congressional Committee , to sign the pledge against using ill-gotten materials .
Rep. Cherri Bustos ( D-IL ) , chair of the DCCC , initially sent a letter to Rep. Tom Emmer ( R-MN ) , chair of the NRCC , in April 2019 , asking that both groups jointly commit to rejecting the use of any hacked or stolen material in the 2020 campaign .
The request came shortly after the release of the Mueller Report , which concluded that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to help Trump win .
In the years since Trump said he would accept foreign interference in the 2020 election if it would benefit his campaign .
`` If somebody called from a country , Norway , [ and said ] 'we have information on your opponent , oh , I think I 'd want to hear it , '' Trump said in June 2019 .
Shortly after Trump 's admission , the chair of the Federal Election Commission released a statement reminding all candidates that it is illegal to solicit or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national as it relates to elections .
In 2019 , Bustos correctly predicted that after Russia 's previous interference , `` we have no doubt they will attempt to do so once again . ''
Besides a ban on using materials known to be hacked or stolen in campaigns , the pledge asks signers to report any foreign actors attempting to interfere in elections to proper law enforcement authorities and it calls on state election officers to protect election systems .
In refusing to sign the pledge , the NRCC `` is laying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking to interfere in our elections , '' Robyn Patterson , spokesperson for the DCCC , said in a Friday statement .
In essence , Emmer is `` giving foreign adversaries exactly what they want : an open invitation to damage the integrity of our elections , '' Patterson added .
Also on Friday , the Washington Post reported that U.S. officials informed Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) that Russia was attempting to interfere in the 2020 Democratic primary in order to help Sanders .
In contrast to Trump , Sanders immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My message to Putin is clear : Stay out of American elections , '' Sanders told the Post , `` and as president , I will make sure that you do . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

It has been more than 300 days since Democrats asked Republicans to sign a pledge not to use hacked or stolen materials in the 2020 campaign. And Republicans still refuse to sign it.
The latest refusal came on Friday, amid reports that Russia is once again interfering in an American election.
In a closed-door briefing earlier this month, intelligence officials with the Trump administration told members of Congress that Russia is attempting to interfere in the 2020 election with the goal of helping Donald Trump win, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
The news prompted the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to renew a request to its Republican counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee, to sign the pledge against using ill-gotten materials.
Rep. Cherri Bustos (D-IL), chair of the DCCC, initially sent a letter to Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), chair of the NRCC, in April 2019, asking that both groups jointly commit to rejecting the use of any hacked or stolen material in the 2020 campaign.
The request came shortly after the release of the Mueller Report, which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in an attempt to help Trump win.
In the years since Trump said he would accept foreign interference in the 2020 election if it would benefit his campaign.
“If somebody called from a country, Norway, [and said] ‘we have information on your opponent, oh, I think I’d want to hear it,” Trump said in June 2019.
Shortly after Trump’s admission, the chair of the Federal Election Commission released a statement reminding all candidates that it is illegal to solicit or accept anything of value from a foreign national as it relates to elections.
In 2019, Bustos correctly predicted that after Russia’s previous interference, “we have no doubt they will attempt to do so once again.”
Besides a ban on using materials known to be hacked or stolen in campaigns, the pledge asks signers to report any foreign actors attempting to interfere in elections to proper law enforcement authorities and it calls on state election officers to protect election systems.
In refusing to sign the pledge, the NRCC “is laying out the welcome mat for foreign adversaries looking to interfere in our elections,” Robyn Patterson, spokesperson for the DCCC, said in a Friday statement.
In essence, Emmer is “giving foreign adversaries exactly what they want: an open invitation to damage the integrity of our elections,” Patterson added.
Also on Friday, the Washington Post reported that U.S. officials informed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that Russia was attempting to interfere in the 2020 Democratic primary in order to help Sanders.
In contrast to Trump, Sanders immediately and forcefully rejected Russian interference.
“My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections,” Sanders told the Post, “and as president, I will make sure that you do.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-24--Susan Collins is mad about 'dark money' ads. But she's the reason they're legal.

Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) reportedly complained Saturday about dark money advertisements being run against her .
But a decade ago , Collins was the deciding vote against a bill that would have brought transparency to political ads like the ones she now abhors .
According to a report in the Lewiston Sun Journal , Collins `` griped that she ’ s been assailed with dark money advertising that reaches 'new depths of falsehood . '
'' In her closed-door remarks to attendees at the Androscoggin Republican Committee 's annual Lincoln Day dinner , she objected specifically to ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in 2010 , following the Supreme Court 's controversial Citizens United ruling , Congress considered legislation to require tax-exempt organizations that run ads supporting ( or opposing ) political candidates publicly identify contributors who funded the ads .
The Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act — with the acronym DISCLOSE — passed the House of Representatives that May .
When the Senate voted on its version of the bill two months later , it ran into a Republican filibuster .
Collins opposed the bill , calling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and complaining that it would `` provide a clear and unfair advantage to unions '' who could spend their treasury funds on ads without disclosing their members .
That September , a pared-down version was brought up that tried to address these and other criticisms .
It too was blocked by the Senate 's GOP minority .
On a 59-39 vote , the bill came one vote short of the required three-fifths threshold needed to end debate .
Collins voted no , making her the decisive vote to kill the legislation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all subsequent attempts to require disclosure for dark money advertisements .
Thanks to Collins and her colleagues , outside groups continue to spend millions of dollars on political ads — and voters often have no way to evaluate who is behind them .
Collins ' office did not immediately respond to an inquiry about her comments .
But she said last year , `` People should know where this money is coming from .
I would support a bill to require all groups to disclose their donors . ''
While Collins does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has benefited often from similar spending on her behalf .
In recent months , for example , a dark money outfit called One Nation has spent hundreds of thousands on ads praising Collins for her work against diabetes .
Collins faces a tough reelection this November , as recent polling found her to be the nation 's least popular senator in the country .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) reportedly complained Saturday about dark money advertisements being run against her. But a decade ago, Collins was the deciding vote against a bill that would have brought transparency to political ads like the ones she now abhors.
According to a report in the Lewiston Sun Journal, Collins “griped that she’s been assailed with dark money advertising that reaches ‘new depths of falsehood.'” In her closed-door remarks to attendees at the Androscoggin Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Day dinner, she objected specifically to ads accusing her of cutting Medicare.
But back in 2010, following the Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United ruling, Congress considered legislation to require tax-exempt organizations that run ads supporting (or opposing) political candidates publicly identify contributors who funded the ads. The Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act — with the acronym DISCLOSE — passed the House of Representatives that May.
When the Senate voted on its version of the bill two months later, it ran into a Republican filibuster. Collins opposed the bill, calling it “another example of election year politics” and complaining that it would “provide a clear and unfair advantage to unions” who could spend their treasury funds on ads without disclosing their members.
That September, a pared-down version was brought up that tried to address these and other criticisms. It too was blocked by the Senate’s GOP minority. On a 59-39 vote, the bill came one vote short of the required three-fifths threshold needed to end debate. Collins voted no, making her the decisive vote to kill the legislation.
Since then, Republicans have successfully blocked all subsequent attempts to require disclosure for dark money advertisements. Thanks to Collins and her colleagues, outside groups continue to spend millions of dollars on political ads — and voters often have no way to evaluate who is behind them.
Asked about the contradiction, a Collins spokesperson said in an email that she “has worked for greater transparency in our campaign financing system” and “opposed the DISCLOSE Act because, as even the ACLU said, the legislation was flawed.”
While Collins does not like the ads against her, she has benefited often from similar spending on her behalf. In recent months, for example, a dark money outfit called One Nation has spent hundreds of thousands on ads praising Collins for her work against diabetes.
Collins faces a tough reelection this November, as recent polling found her to be the nation’s least popular senator in the country.
Updated with a comment from Sen. Susan Collins’ office.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-24--Campaign official promises to share QAnon supporter's message with Trump

The Trump campaign 's national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany recently tried to capitalize on the `` viral '' moment from Trump 's rally in Phoenix last week — when two men carried a 100-year-old veteran to his seat in the arena — by interviewing one of the men .
But the man she was interviewing , identified by the media as Jason Frank , turns out to be a big supporter of QAnon — a growing right-wing conspiracy theory based on , as the Associated Press puts it , `` the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals . ''
During the interview , McEnany claimed incidents like those involving the veteran are far more prevalent than the violence , racism , sexism , and anti-media rage by Trump supporters captured at his events .
She then asks Frank to talk about what the moment really meant .
`` It was n't about me , it was about the shirt I was wearing , it was about what that 'Where we go one we go all ' stands for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to a phrase many supporters of the QAnon theory say .
Frank wore a QAnon shirt as he helped carry the veteran .
Frank told McEnandy he is `` one of the digital soldiers '' — a.k.a .
a member of the QAnon community — and said that 's `` why I do n't sleep .
All I do is share information . ''
McEnany continued to engage Frank after these comments .
`` If you could say one thing to the president , what would you say ? ''
she asks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a high-ranking military officer who is working with Trump in a war against the `` deep state '' cabal that includes Democratic politicians and liberal celebrities .
`` OK , I will pass all of this along , '' McEnany replies , refusing to knock down the absurd conspiracy theory that has grown among Trump supporters and even Republican candidates running for Congress .
On his Twitter page , Frank — who tweets as @ QAnon_1972 — seems to earnestly believe that McEnany is bringing his QAnon question to Trump .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ill keep you posted if he answers yet , '' he tweeted .
Trump himself has helped prop up the QAnon conspiracy by retweeting QAnon accounts — validating the supporters ' belief that Trump is secretly in a war with pedophiles and cannibals within the `` deep state . ''
`` They certainly also get encouraged by Trump repeatedly retweeting QAnon accounts , '' podcaster Travis View told the Daily Beast in January as part of an article of the growing QAnon support among Trump 's base .
`` They claim that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was nothing to Q . ''

The Trump campaign’s national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany recently tried to capitalize on the “viral” moment from Trump’s rally in Phoenix last week — when two men carried a 100-year-old veteran to his seat in the arena — by interviewing one of the men.
But the man she was interviewing , identified by the media as Jason Frank, turns out to be a big supporter of QAnon — a growing right-wing conspiracy theory based on, as the Associated Press puts it, “the baseless belief that Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the ‘deep state’ and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals.”
During the interview, McEnany claimed incidents like those involving the veteran are far more prevalent than the violence, racism, sexism, and anti-media rage by Trump supporters captured at his events.
She then asks Frank to talk about what the moment really meant.
“It wasn’t about me, it was about the shirt I was wearing, it was about what that ‘Where we go one we go all’ stands for, right?” said Frank, referring to a phrase many supporters of the QAnon theory say. Frank wore a QAnon shirt as he helped carry the veteran.
Frank told McEnandy he is “one of the digital soldiers” — a.k.a. a member of the QAnon community — and said that’s “why I don’t sleep. All I do is share information.”
McEnany continued to engage Frank after these comments.
“If you could say one thing to the president, what would you say?” she asks him.
Frank responds,”Who is Q?”
Many QAnon supporters believe Q is a high-ranking military officer who is working with Trump in a war against the “deep state” cabal that includes Democratic politicians and liberal celebrities.
“OK, I will pass all of this along,” McEnany replies, refusing to knock down the absurd conspiracy theory that has grown among Trump supporters and even Republican candidates running for Congress.
On his Twitter page, Frank — who tweets as @QAnon_1972 — seems to earnestly believe that McEnany is bringing his QAnon question to Trump.
“Its only a matter of time. Ill keep you posted if he answers yet,” he tweeted.
Trump himself has helped prop up the QAnon conspiracy by retweeting QAnon accounts — validating the supporters’ belief that Trump is secretly in a war with pedophiles and cannibals within the “deep state.”
“They certainly also get encouraged by Trump repeatedly retweeting QAnon accounts,” podcaster Travis View told the Daily Beast in January as part of an article of the growing QAnon support among Trump’s base.
“They claim that Trump would never retweet pro-Q accounts if there was nothing to Q.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-24--GOP congressman brags about voting against his party but votes with Trump 95%

Rep. Scott Perry ( R-PA ) boasted in a local television interview on Sunday that he is part of a group of House Republicans that is brave enough to vote against his party 's leadership .
But since the start of this Congress , he has voted with Donald Trump more than 95 % of the time .
Asked about his membership in the conservative Freedom Caucus , Perry explained that the group has two rules : Members must `` be able to get to yes '' on issues and `` be willing to vote against your leadership . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the aisle , leadership determines a lot of the votes , '' Perry told Harrisburg 's WHTM .
`` And of course they have different levers of power to try and get you to vote the way they want you to .
And if there is some strength and safety in numbers if you have to vote against your leadership for things you disagree with . ''
But Perry 's votes have been solidly in lockstep with his party 's leaders .
Despite narrowly winning reelection in 2018 with just 51 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased his support for Trump in the current Congress ; since last January , he has voted with the administration 95.5 % of the time .
In the last Congress , he voted with Trump 85.3 % of the time .
This includes votes against popular legislation to let Medicare negotiate prescription lower drug prices , combat gender pay discrimination , expand background checks for gun purchases , and raise the minimum wage — each of which passed in the House with some Republican support and enjoys broad public backing .
Though Perry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvanians ' support for Trump has dropped .
Trump carried the state in 2016 , but a recent poll found just 44 % of the state 's voters approve of the job he 's doing , compared to 52 % disapproval .
Meanwhile , some of the things Perry has voted against along with his party are very popular in his home state .
Some 86 % of Pennsylvanians support universal background checks , for example , and nearly 70 % favor a higher minimum wage .
Perry 's record of voting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually puts him ahead of some of Trump 's most vocal House defenders , including Reps. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) , Mark Meadows ( R-NC ) , Elise Sefanik ( R-NY ) .
Still , Perry tweeted out a link to the video of his interview on Sunday , noting `` the duty of each Member of Congress to represent their constituents and not party leadership . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) boasted in a local television interview on Sunday that he is part of a group of House Republicans that is brave enough to vote against his party’s leadership. But since the start of this Congress, he has voted with Donald Trump more than 95% of the time.
Asked about his membership in the conservative Freedom Caucus, Perry explained that the group has two rules: Members must “be able to get to yes” on issues and “be willing to vote against your leadership.”
“Often times, on either side of the aisle, leadership determines a lot of the votes,” Perry told Harrisburg’s WHTM. “And of course they have different levers of power to try and get you to vote the way they want you to. And if there is some strength and safety in numbers if you have to vote against your leadership for things you disagree with.”
But Perry’s votes have been solidly in lockstep with his party’s leaders. Despite narrowly winning reelection in 2018 with just 51% of the vote, he has significantly increased his support for Trump in the current Congress; since last January, he has voted with the administration 95.5% of the time. In the last Congress, he voted with Trump 85.3% of the time.
This includes votes against popular legislation to let Medicare negotiate prescription lower drug prices, combat gender pay discrimination, expand background checks for gun purchases, and raise the minimum wage — each of which passed in the House with some Republican support and enjoys broad public backing.
Though Perry’s loyalty to Trump has increased, Pennsylvanians’ support for Trump has dropped. Trump carried the state in 2016, but a recent poll found just 44% of the state’s voters approve of the job he’s doing, compared to 52% disapproval.
Meanwhile, some of the things Perry has voted against along with his party are very popular in his home state.
Some 86% of Pennsylvanians support universal background checks, for example, and nearly 70% favor a higher minimum wage.
Perry’s record of voting with his party’s leadership in this Congress actually puts him ahead of some of Trump’s most vocal House defenders, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Elise Sefanik (R-NY).
Still, Perry tweeted out a link to the video of his interview on Sunday, noting “the duty of each Member of Congress to represent their constituents and not party leadership.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-24--GOP congressman: We'll 'expunge' Trump impeachment if we take back the House

There is no constitutional procedure to 'expunge ' an impeachment .
From the Feb. 22 edition of `` Breitbart News @ @ @ @ @ : Is it possible we that we could see like an expungement of the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ House majority ?
REP. LEE ZELDIN ( R-NY ) : I believe that that should @ @ @ @ @ first orders of business in January of 2021 , is to expunge the sham impeachment @

From the Feb. 22 edition of “Breitbart News Sunday”:
MATTHEW BOYLE: Is it possible we that we could see like an expungement of the impeachment if Republicans take back the House majority?
REP. LEE ZELDIN (R-NY): I believe that that should be one of the very first orders of business in January of 2021, is to expunge the sham impeachment.


shareblue--2020-02-24--Americans support their members of Congress much more after 2018 GOP losses

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans said their member of Congress deserves to be reelected in November , according to a Gallup poll released Monday .
That level of support is almost 10 points higher than in early 2018 , when Republicans were still in control of the House of Representatives .
In the 2018 midterm elections , Democrats picked up 40 House seats and won back the House majority for the first time in almost a decade .
Many of the Democratic victories came from suburban districts , including areas that were once Republican strongholds like Orange County , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. House of Representatives , and the elevated 59 % of Americans saying their member of Congress deserves reelection augurs well for their bid to maintain their majority next year , '' Gallup wrote about the poll .
A higher percentage of Americans saying their member of Congress deserves to be reelected correlates with a higher percentage of Congress members who are reelected the following November , Gallup noted .
Gallup pointed to high reelection rates from 1998 through 2004 , which corresponded with Americans ' relatively high support of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gon na be pretty tough for Republicans to get back in the majority , '' Rep. Ami Bera ( D-CA ) , a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition , said in a phone interview in early February , before the Gallup poll was released .
Bera pointed to different data to back up his claim : polls that ask Americans if they favor voting for a generic Democrat or a generic Republican .
This type of generic polling is `` usually is a good indicator of what folks are thinking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average of these generic polls from FiveThirtyEight , Democrats currently have a 7-point lead over Republicans , 48 % to 41 % .
On Election Day 2018 , Democrats held a 9-point lead , 51 % to 42 % .
If 2019 statewide elections are a precursor for what could happen in 2020 , Democrats like Bera have more data points to support their optimism .
Louisiana reelected Gov .
John Bel Edward , a Democrat , in a state Trump carried by 20 points in 2016 .
In Kentucky , voters ousted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Democrat Andy Beshear .
Further , voters in Virginia elected a Democratic majority to the state House and state Senate , giving Democrats control of the legislature and governorship for the first time in 26 years .
`` Never say never , '' Bera said , `` but if I were making a wager , I would say we 're going to retain the House majority . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans said their member of Congress deserves to be reelected in November, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. That level of support is almost 10 points higher than in early 2018, when Republicans were still in control of the House of Representatives.
In the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats picked up 40 House seats and won back the House majority for the first time in almost a decade. Many of the Democratic victories came from suburban districts, including areas that were once Republican strongholds like Orange County, California.
“Democrats have a solid majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the elevated 59% of Americans saying their member of Congress deserves reelection augurs well for their bid to maintain their majority next year,” Gallup wrote about the poll.
A higher percentage of Americans saying their member of Congress deserves to be reelected correlates with a higher percentage of Congress members who are reelected the following November, Gallup noted. Gallup pointed to high reelection rates from 1998 through 2004, which corresponded with Americans’ relatively high support of their member of Congress.
“It’s gonna be pretty tough for Republicans to get back in the majority,” Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, said in a phone interview in early February, before the Gallup poll was released. Bera pointed to different data to back up his claim: polls that ask Americans if they favor voting for a generic Democrat or a generic Republican.
This type of generic polling is “usually is a good indicator of what folks are thinking,” Bera said.
According to an average of these generic polls from FiveThirtyEight, Democrats currently have a 7-point lead over Republicans, 48% to 41%. On Election Day 2018, Democrats held a 9-point lead, 51% to 42%.
If 2019 statewide elections are a precursor for what could happen in 2020, Democrats like Bera have more data points to support their optimism.
Louisiana reelected Gov. John Bel Edward, a Democrat, in a state Trump carried by 20 points in 2016. In Kentucky, voters ousted Republican Gov. Matt Bevins in favor of Democrat Andy Beshear.
Further, voters in Virginia elected a Democratic majority to the state House and state Senate, giving Democrats control of the legislature and governorship for the first time in 26 years.
“Never say never,” Bera said, “but if I were making a wager, I would say we’re going to retain the House majority.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-24--Trump's disloyalty purge is backed by a Supreme Court justice's wife

Ginni Thomas , wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , is working hard on influencing Donald Trump 's decisions on who to hire — and who to fire — according to a Sunday report from Axios .
Ginni Thomas ' group Groundswell , a network of conservative activists , provided the Trump White House with a memo urging the administration to make personnel changes .
The memo was one of several the White House received , Axios reported , with the goal of ridding the administration of so-called `` Never Trumpers '' disloyal to the president and hiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thomas handed a list of names for potential hires directly to Trump in early 2019 , sources close to Thomas said .
The list included Fox News commentator Dan Bongino and an aide to Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee .
The new reporting about Thomas ' involvement adds to the story Axios broke last week about the White House purging the administration of those officials deemed disloyal to Trump .
On Thursday , Trump 's personal aide John McEntee reportedly asked each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump . ''
Those individuals will be targeted either for removal or to be denied promotions .
Since he was acquitted by the Senate , Trump has moved to retaliate against some officials within the administration that cooperated with the congressional impeachment investigation .
Shortly after the acquittal , Trump had Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman fired from his position at the White House .
Vindman had testified before Congress that he was concerned about Trump asking the Ukrainian government to open an investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he relayed those concerns to National Security Council lawyers .
After Vindman was fired , Trump suggested he should be punished further by the military .
Trump also removed Gordon Sondland , the U.S. ambassador to the European Union , from his post , and asked top Pentagon official John Rood to resign .
Sondland told Congress that `` everyone was in the loop '' regarding Ukraine , and Hood spoke out against Trump 's plan to withhold military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into investigating Biden .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the purge of those perceived to be disloyal to Trump following the November election .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Ginni Thomas, wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is working hard on influencing Donald Trump’s decisions on who to hire — and who to fire — according to a Sunday report from Axios.
Ginni Thomas’ group Groundswell, a network of conservative activists, provided the Trump White House with a memo urging the administration to make personnel changes.
The memo was one of several the White House received, Axios reported, with the goal of ridding the administration of so-called “Never Trumpers” disloyal to the president and hiring only those who are loyal to him.
Thomas handed a list of names for potential hires directly to Trump in early 2019, sources close to Thomas said. The list included Fox News commentator Dan Bongino and an aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee.
The new reporting about Thomas’ involvement adds to the story Axios broke last week about the White House purging the administration of those officials deemed disloyal to Trump.
On Thursday, Trump’s personal aide John McEntee reportedly asked each Cabinet agency to “identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump.” Those individuals will be targeted either for removal or to be denied promotions.
Since he was acquitted by the Senate, Trump has moved to retaliate against some officials within the administration that cooperated with the congressional impeachment investigation.
Shortly after the acquittal, Trump had Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman fired from his position at the White House. Vindman had testified before Congress that he was concerned about Trump asking the Ukrainian government to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, and he relayed those concerns to National Security Council lawyers.
After Vindman was fired, Trump suggested he should be punished further by the military.
Trump also removed Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, from his post, and asked top Pentagon official John Rood to resign.
Sondland told Congress that “everyone was in the loop” regarding Ukraine, and Hood spoke out against Trump’s plan to withhold military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into investigating Biden.
According to Axios, McEntee will ramp up the purge of those perceived to be disloyal to Trump following the November election.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Mulvaney claims news coverage of coronavirus is a plot to bring down Trump

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney refused to take responsibility for the Trump administration 's response to the COVID-19 disease and crafted a new conspiracy theory that the news coverage on the novel coronavirus is merely a media-driven plot to take down Donald Trump .
`` They think this will bring down the president , '' Mulvaney said at the Conservative Political Action Conference , regarding news reporting of the COVID-19 disease .
`` That 's what it 's all about . ''
The new coronavirus and its potential spread have caused panic among investors , who fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy .
On Thursday , the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,200 points , the worst one-day drop in history .
As of the time this article was published Friday , the Dow fell another 1,190 points , dropping another 4.4 % .
In all , stocks are set to have their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis , according to the Wall Street Journal .
When asked how the administration could calm the markets , Mulvaney again blamed the media — the go-to strategy Trump and his aides employ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` What I might do to calm the markets is turn the television off for 24 hours , '' Mulvaney said .
`` This is not Ebola .
It 's not SARS . ''
While Trump and his appointed officials are trying to calm fears , experts within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of community spread of COVID-19 disease , saying cities should plan to implement `` social distancing measures , '' including closing schools and asking businesses to have employees work from home .
Because Trump fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his reelection hopes , he 's trying to control the amount of information that gets to the public on the disease , putting Mike Pence solely in charge of the communications response .
Pence , for his part , has a checkered record on public health crises , overseeing the worst outbreak of HIV in Indiana when he served as state governor .
And in even worse news for the administration , a whistleblower came forward to say that public health workers in the federal government are not well trained or properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying workers were `` improperly deployed '' to military bases where people infected with the disease are being quarantined .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney refused to take responsibility for the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 disease and crafted a new conspiracy theory that the news coverage on the novel coronavirus is merely a media-driven plot to take down Donald Trump.
“They think this will bring down the president,” Mulvaney said at the Conservative Political Action Conference, regarding news reporting of the COVID-19 disease. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The new coronavirus and its potential spread have caused panic among investors, who fear the disease could have lasting impacts on the economy.
On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 1,200 points, the worst one-day drop in history. As of the time this article was published Friday, the Dow fell another 1,190 points, dropping another 4.4%.
In all, stocks are set to have their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, according to the Wall Street Journal.
When asked how the administration could calm the markets, Mulvaney again blamed the media — the go-to strategy Trump and his aides employ when faced with criticism over their policies.
“What I might do to calm the markets is turn the television off for 24 hours,” Mulvaney said. “This is not Ebola. It’s not SARS.”
While Trump and his appointed officials are trying to calm fears, experts within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of community spread of COVID-19 disease, saying cities should plan to implement “social distancing measures,” including closing schools and asking businesses to have employees work from home.
Because Trump fears the impact the COVID-19 disease may have on his reelection hopes, he’s trying to control the amount of information that gets to the public on the disease, putting Mike Pence solely in charge of the communications response.
Pence, for his part, has a checkered record on public health crises, overseeing the worst outbreak of HIV in Indiana when he served as state governor.
And in even worse news for the administration, a whistleblower came forward to say that public health workers in the federal government are not well trained or properly equipped to deal with the disease, saying workers were “improperly deployed” to military bases where people infected with the disease are being quarantined.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Cartoon: Purging With Ginni

Cartoon: Purging With Ginni

Clay Jones is a nationally syndicated political cartoonist .
He has worked for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Free Lance-Star @ @ @ @ @ draws a weekly cartoon for CNN Opinion .
He lives in the Washington suburbs of @ @ @

A decade after Sandy Hook, grief remains but hope grows
December, the anniversary of the worst grade school mass shooting in the U.S. is a difficult month for many in Newton. But in the face of heartbreak and grief, some survivors and families of victims feel hope for a brighter future.
By Associated Press - December 22, 2022


shareblue--2020-02-27--Whistleblower: Workers 'not properly trained or equipped' to help coronavirus patients

A senior Health and Human Services official alleged in a whistleblower complaint this week that federal workers tasked with assisting potential COVID-19 patients did so without proper protective gear and did not receive adequate medical training until days after those patients arrived at government quarantine facilities .
Some of the workers then departed into the general population not knowing they had potentially been exposed to the disease .
The complaint was first obtained by the Washington Post and New York Times on Thursday .
It alleged that the workers were `` improperly deployed '' to two military bases in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations for Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan , China , amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak , the virus strain responsible for causing the COVID-19 disease .
It also claimed workers were `` not properly trained or equipped to operate in a public health emergency situation . ''
The complaint alleged that the workers may have been exposed to the disease due to the oversight .
According to the Post , `` appropriate steps were not taken to protect them and staff were not trained in wearing personal protective equipment , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The workers were not trained on safety protocols until five days after the patients arrived at the bases .
As the Times noted Thursday , due to the lack of training , `` some of the exposed staff members moved freely around and off the bases , with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight . ''
The whistleblower , who oversees employees in the Administration for Children and Families , a unit within HHS , alleged that officials and staffers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential threat of infection to both the workers and the public and relayed those concerns to the whistleblower 's office .
`` I soon began to field panicked calls from my leadership team and deployed staff members expressing concerns with the lack of H.H.S .
communication and coordination , staff being sent into quarantined areas without personal protective equipment , training or experience in managing public health emergencies , safety protocols and the potential danger to both themselves and members of the public they come into contact with , '' she wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force base in Riverside County , California , while an addition 13 were sent to Travis Air Force in Fairfield .
The Administration for Children and Families typically dispatches staff in the wake of natural disasters and do not tend to health emergencies like the current coronavirus outbreak , which has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide and killed thousands .
The whistleblower said she was told in late January that the unit would be supporting `` repatriation of the evacuated Americans , '' according to her lawyer , and agreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be `` within ACF 's scope . ''
However , according to the Post , she later discovered the staffers had been `` dispatched without her knowledge by other senior officials at HHS . ''
According to the complaint , the whistleblower raised concerns about worker safety with other HHS officials , including those within Secretary Alex Azar 's office , and was reassigned shortly thereafter .
The Post noted that she was given 15 days , starting from Feb. 19 , to accept her new position or face termination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azar faced questioning from lawmakers at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing .
Earlier on Thursday , Rep. Jimmy Gomez ( D-CA ) appeared to reference the complaint directly , pressing Azar on the matter .
`` To your knowledge , were any of the ACF employees exposed to high-risk evacuees from China ? ''
Gomez asked .
Azar responded , `` They should never have been , without appropriate [ protective gear ] .
If you were anyone in quarantine , to maintain quarantine , that should be the case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not aware of any violation of quarantine or isolation protocols . ''
The Trump administration has faced pressure over its uncoordinated response to the outbreak .
Trump himself has repeatedly claimed things were well under control , blaming the media for hyping up the threat to Americans , even as his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that those in the United States faced imminent danger .
On Wednesday , Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the response efforts , prompting outcry from those who said he was unfit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a previous HIV outbreak in his home state of Indiana , when Pence was still governor .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A senior Health and Human Services official alleged in a whistleblower complaint this week that federal workers tasked with assisting potential COVID-19 patients did so without proper protective gear and did not receive adequate medical training until days after those patients arrived at government quarantine facilities.
Some of the workers then departed into the general population not knowing they had potentially been exposed to the disease.
The complaint was first obtained by the Washington Post and New York Times on Thursday. It alleged that the workers were “improperly deployed” to two military bases in California and Texas now being used as quarantine stations for Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan, China, amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak, the virus strain responsible for causing the COVID-19 disease.
It also claimed workers were “not properly trained or equipped to operate in a public health emergency situation.”
The complaint alleged that the workers may have been exposed to the disease due to the oversight.
According to the Post, “appropriate steps were not taken to protect them and staff were not trained in wearing personal protective equipment, even though they had face-to-face contact with returning passengers.” The workers were not trained on safety protocols until five days after the patients arrived at the bases.
As the Times noted Thursday, due to the lack of training, “some of the exposed staff members moved freely around and off the bases, with at least one person staying in a nearby hotel and leaving California on a commercial flight.”
The whistleblower, who oversees employees in the Administration for Children and Families, a unit within HHS, alleged that officials and staffers in the field quickly became concerned about the potential threat of infection to both the workers and the public and relayed those concerns to the whistleblower’s office.
“I soon began to field panicked calls from my leadership team and deployed staff members expressing concerns with the lack of H.H.S. communication and coordination, staff being sent into quarantined areas without personal protective equipment, training or experience in managing public health emergencies, safety protocols and the potential danger to both themselves and members of the public they come into contact with,” she wrote.
Approximately 14 staffers were deployed to March Air Force base in Riverside County, California, while an addition 13 were sent to Travis Air Force in Fairfield.
The Administration for Children and Families typically dispatches staff in the wake of natural disasters and do not tend to health emergencies like the current coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide and killed thousands.
The whistleblower said she was told in late January that the unit would be supporting “repatriation of the evacuated Americans,” according to her lawyer, and agreed with the deployment at the time because it appeared to be “within ACF’s scope.” However, according to the Post, she later discovered the staffers had been “dispatched without her knowledge by other senior officials at HHS.”
According to the complaint, the whistleblower raised concerns about worker safety with other HHS officials, including those within Secretary Alex Azar’s office, and was reassigned shortly thereafter. The Post noted that she was given 15 days, starting from Feb. 19, to accept her new position or face termination.
News of the complaint comes hours after Azar faced questioning from lawmakers at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing.
Earlier on Thursday, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) appeared to reference the complaint directly, pressing Azar on the matter.
“To your knowledge, were any of the ACF employees exposed to high-risk evacuees from China?” Gomez asked.
Azar responded, “They should never have been, without appropriate [protective gear]. If you were anyone in quarantine, to maintain quarantine, that should be the case.”
He added that he was “not aware of any violation of quarantine or isolation protocols.”
The Trump administration has faced pressure over its uncoordinated response to the outbreak. Trump himself has repeatedly claimed things were well under control, blaming the media for hyping up the threat to Americans, even as his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that those in the United States faced imminent danger.
On Wednesday, Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the response efforts, prompting outcry from those who said he was unfit for the role due to his mishandling of a previous HIV outbreak in his home state of Indiana, when Pence was still governor.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-27--Steve Scalise accidentally makes the case for government health care

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise attempted to criticize government health care initiatives while speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Thursday , but accidentally made the case for government-subsidized care in the process .
Scalise ( R-LA ) made the comments while discussing the various `` Medicare for All '' health plans endorsed by several Democratic presidential candidates currently running in their party 's primary .
`` Health care is really personal to me , '' he said .
`` I would not be here today without the greatest health care system on the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to let them take that away from you or anybody else . ''
Scalise was referring to the medical care he received after being shot by a lone gunman at a practice session for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in 2017 .
The congressman was hit in the hip and sustained fractures to his bones and bleeding in his internal organs , but was released from the hospital six weeks later .
Scalise , like other members of Congress , receives health care through plans offered on the `` Obamacare '' health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and their staffs choose from among 57 gold plans from four insurers sold on the DC Health Link 's small business marketplace this year , '' NPR reported in 2017 .
The federal government pays for about three-quarters of the premium , meaning that when Scalise underwent his emergency procedures , the majority of his care was paid for by taxpayers .
The various health care plans proposed by the remaining Democratic candidates would not , in fact , take away Americans ' health insurance coverage but would expand the overall number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has personally voted multiple times for proposals that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away coverage from millions of Americans .
He also backed the failed `` American Health Care Act '' in 2017 , which would have also stripped coverage from millions of people .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise attempted to criticize government health care initiatives while speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Thursday, but accidentally made the case for government-subsidized care in the process.
Scalise (R-LA) made the comments while discussing the various “Medicare for All” health plans endorsed by several Democratic presidential candidates currently running in their party’s primary.
“Health care is really personal to me,” he said. “I would not be here today without the greatest health care system on the face of the planet. I’m surely not going to let them take that away from you or anybody else.”
Scalise was referring to the medical care he received after being shot by a lone gunman at a practice session for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in 2017. The congressman was hit in the hip and sustained fractures to his bones and bleeding in his internal organs, but was released from the hospital six weeks later.
Scalise, like other members of Congress, receives health care through plans offered on the “Obamacare” health insurance exchange.
“The members of Congress and their staffs choose from among 57 gold plans from four insurers sold on the DC Health Link’s small business marketplace this year,” NPR reported in 2017.
The federal government pays for about three-quarters of the premium, meaning that when Scalise underwent his emergency procedures, the majority of his care was paid for by taxpayers.
The various health care plans proposed by the remaining Democratic candidates would not, in fact, take away Americans’ health insurance coverage but would expand the overall number of people who are covered.
Scalise has personally voted multiple times for proposals that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away coverage from millions of Americans. He also backed the failed “American Health Care Act” in 2017, which would have also stripped coverage from millions of people.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-27--GOP senator brags about 'bipartisan record' despite voting with Trump 90% of the time

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner ( R ) bragged on Wednesday of his `` bipartisan record of results '' for his home state , claiming a new report found those efforts `` effective . ''
A closer examination of his legislative record , however , contradicts those statements .
Gardner , who is facing a close reelection race in 2020 , noted in a press release that a recent GovTrack report found him to be the Republican senator who wrote the `` most bipartisan bills . ''
`` I 'm proud of my bipartisan record of results for Colorado , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible when we set aside partisan blinders and instead focus on the results that Coloradans care about .
I will continue to work across the aisle for the good of our entire state , because it ’ s what the people of Colorado want and should demand from their leaders in Washington.
” But few of those `` bipartisan bills '' have made any headway on Capitol Hill .
According to Congress.gov , Gardner has filed 59 bills since the start of 2019 .
Just two of those — the Taiwan Allies International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act of 2019 and the Department of Veterans Affairs Provider Accountability Act — have actually been approved by the GOP-controlled Senate .
The rest remain stuck as the GOP majority focuses almost exclusively on confirmation votes .
Of Gardner 's remaining bills , 45 have at least one Democratic cosponsor — but in most cases only one .
Fifteen of those bills were cosponsored only by Sen. Michael Bennet ( D-CO ) and typically dealt with state-related matters , like the Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Modification Act and a proposal to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Colorado is currently one of just nine states with split Senate delegations , where one senator is in the Democratic caucus and one in the Republican caucus .
Many of the remaining bills were non-controversial or minor proposals , including the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019 , the Aluminum Pricing Examination Act , and the Telecommunications Opportunities for Workers Engaging in Real Infrastructure Deployment Act of 2019 .
While his non-enacted bills may be bipartisan , Gardner 's actual voting record has been anything but .
Since the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for Donald Trump on every major issue .
When the Senate voted on Affordable Care Act repeal , the Supreme Court nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch , confirmation for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , tax cuts for the rich , and abortion bans , Gardner was always a yes vote .
When the chamber considered whether to convict Trump or hear from fact witnesses in his impeachment trial , Gardner was a firm no .
Overall , Gardner has voted with Trump 89.6 % of the time , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even some of Trump 's most loyal allies like Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) and Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) .
Gardner 's partisan loyalty to Trump does not represent his constituents ' views : Trump lost Colorado by nearly 5 percentage points in 2016 and voters gave him a net unfavorable rating of 10 % in a January tracking poll .
Gardner 's office did not immediately respond to questions about his voting record .
Recent polling shows Gardner facing an uphill battle for reelection in November against former Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election forecaster Sabato 's Crystal Ball moved the seat from `` tossup '' to `` leans Democratic '' last week .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner (R) bragged on Wednesday of his “bipartisan record of results” for his home state, claiming a new report found those efforts “effective.”
A closer examination of his legislative record, however, contradicts those statements.
Gardner, who is facing a close reelection race in 2020, noted in a press release that a recent GovTrack report found him to be the Republican senator who wrote the “most bipartisan bills.”
“I’m proud of my bipartisan record of results for Colorado,” he wrote. “Great things are possible when we set aside partisan blinders and instead focus on the results that Coloradans care about. I will continue to work across the aisle for the good of our entire state, because it’s what the people of Colorado want and should demand from their leaders in Washington.”
But few of those “bipartisan bills” have made any headway on Capitol Hill.
According to Congress.gov, Gardner has filed 59 bills since the start of 2019. Just two of those — the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 and the Department of Veterans Affairs Provider Accountability Act — have actually been approved by the GOP-controlled Senate. The rest remain stuck as the GOP majority focuses almost exclusively on confirmation votes.
Of Gardner’s remaining bills, 45 have at least one Democratic cosponsor — but in most cases only one. Fifteen of those bills were cosponsored only by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and typically dealt with state-related matters, like the Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Modification Act and a proposal to give their state two additional federal district judgeships. Colorado is currently one of just nine states with split Senate delegations, where one senator is in the Democratic caucus and one in the Republican caucus.
Many of the remaining bills were non-controversial or minor proposals, including the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019, the Aluminum Pricing Examination Act, and the Telecommunications Opportunities for Workers Engaging in Real Infrastructure Deployment Act of 2019.
While his non-enacted bills may be bipartisan, Gardner’s actual voting record has been anything but.
Since the start of 2017, Gardner has been a reliable vote for Donald Trump on every major issue. When the Senate voted on Affordable Care Act repeal, the Supreme Court nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, confirmation for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, tax cuts for the rich, and abortion bans, Gardner was always a yes vote. When the chamber considered whether to convict Trump or hear from fact witnesses in his impeachment trial, Gardner was a firm no.
Overall, Gardner has voted with Trump 89.6% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. That’s more often than even some of Trump’s most loyal allies like Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Gardner’s partisan loyalty to Trump does not represent his constituents’ views: Trump lost Colorado by nearly 5 percentage points in 2016 and voters gave him a net unfavorable rating of 10% in a January tracking poll.
Gardner’s office did not immediately respond to questions about his voting record.
Recent polling shows Gardner facing an uphill battle for reelection in November against former Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). Election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball moved the seat from “tossup” to “leans Democratic” last week.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-27--GOP congressman pushes lie that 'illegal votes' in Texas could hurt Trump

Rep. Louie Gohmert ( R-TX ) took to the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference to fearmonger about nonexistent voter fraud , wrongly claiming that voter fraud is so bad that it 's possible Donald Trump will lose Texas .
`` We have got to have every one of you either volunteer to chair a precinct , be a poll watcher , cause there is going to be cheating going on , '' Gohmert said without any evidence .
Gohmert went on to say that `` we do n't know how many tens of thousands of people will vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know how many votes will be changed from Republican to Democrat after they vote , especially after voting early , '' Gohmert again said without evidence .
`` We have to have people properly trained on what the rules , what the law is , to make sure that cheating does n't happen . ''
Gohmert 's remarks echo those of Donald Trump , who has falsely claimed that he lost states such as New Hampshire because of rampant voter fraud .
Trump even started a voter fraud commission that wound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it was shut down .
That 's because despite what people like Gohmert and Trump say , there is no evidence whatsoever that there are thousands of people casting illegal ballots in any U.S. elections .
According to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law , the incidents of voter fraud are so low that there is a bigger chance an American `` will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls . ''
In fact , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was Republicans who were found guilty of election fraud in a North Carolina House contest .
Texas ' law already says that voters must possess one of a limited selection of acceptable forms of photo identification to vote in person in Texas elections — the kind of voter ID law that Republicans have pushed for across the country , which they say is supposed to prevent the kind of voter fraud Gohmert alleges will take place .
Gohmert 's fact-free fearmongering came a day after he voted against a bill to designate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his speech on Thursday , Gohmert seemed to lament criticism of that vote .
`` They want to call you a racist if you just want the rule of law to be applied across the board , '' Gohmert said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) took to the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference to fearmonger about nonexistent voter fraud, wrongly claiming that voter fraud is so bad that it’s possible Donald Trump will lose Texas.
“We have got to have every one of you either volunteer to chair a precinct, be a poll watcher, cause there is going to be cheating going on,” Gohmert said without any evidence.
Gohmert went on to say that “we don’t know how many tens of thousands of people will vote illegally in Texas.”
“We don’t know how many votes will be changed from Republican to Democrat after they vote, especially after voting early,” Gohmert again said without evidence. “We have to have people properly trained on what the rules, what the law is, to make sure that cheating doesn’t happen.”
Gohmert’s remarks echo those of Donald Trump, who has falsely claimed that he lost states such as New Hampshire because of rampant voter fraud. Trump even started a voter fraud commission that wound up finding no instances of voter fraud before it was shut down.
That’s because despite what people like Gohmert and Trump say, there is no evidence whatsoever that there are thousands of people casting illegal ballots in any U.S. elections.
According to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, the incidents of voter fraud are so low that there is a bigger chance an American “will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls.”
In fact, in the last presidential election in 2016, it was Republicans who were found guilty of election fraud in a North Carolina House contest.
Texas’ law already says that voters must possess one of a limited selection of acceptable forms of photo identification to vote in person in Texas elections — the kind of voter ID law that Republicans have pushed for across the country, which they say is supposed to prevent the kind of voter fraud Gohmert alleges will take place.
Gohmert’s fact-free fearmongering came a day after he voted against a bill to designate lynching as a federal hate crime.
In his speech on Thursday, Gohmert seemed to lament criticism of that vote.
“They want to call you a racist if you just want the rule of law to be applied across the board,” Gohmert said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-27--Republicans fear messy GOP primary in Georgia will help Democrats

A Republican congressman 's decision to challenge freshly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler is pitting two visions of the GOP 's future against each other .
So far , it 's divided voters and been anything but polite .
Loeffler , 49 , is a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer who filled a vacant Senate seat in January after being appointed by Georgia 's governor .
Top Republicans hope she 'll help the GOP lure back suburban women , a pivotal voting bloc that 's fled the party in dismay over Donald Trump 's crude behavior and hard-edged policies .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 special election is Rep. Doug Collins , a four-term congressman popular with the GOP 's conservative base .
Collins , 53 , who makes frequent appearances on the right-leaning Fox News Channel , was one of Trump 's fiercest defenders during the impeachment fight as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee , and he 's portraying himself as more conservative and loyal to Trump than Loeffler is .
Against the backdrop of this year 's presidential and congressional elections , the showdown looms as a test of which path makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state where Democrats have carved robust inroads .
It 's also left many voters struggling to make up their minds .
“ Doug Collins has got a track record .
Kelly is an unknown product , ” said Tony Casteel , an electrical contractor from Marietta , a bustling suburb in Cobb County , just northwest of Atlanta .
`` But you know , I understand why Gov .
Kemp appointed Kelly .
He ’ s trying to reach out to suburban women .
Cobb County has gone blue . ''
The fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could wound Republicans in Georgia this fall .
Trump , GOP Sen. David Perdue and the state 's 14 House seats will also be on the ballot .
Instead of separate party primaries for Loeffler 's seat , Georgia has lumped all candidates into a single contest Nov. 3 .
If no one receives half the vote , there will be a Jan. 5 runoff between the top two vote-getters , no matter their affiliation .
Republicans fret that a drawn-out battle between Loeffler and Collins will bloody both , leaving a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoff .
That could be the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , who is backed by Washington Democrats and is pastor of the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached .
“ If we ’ re busy tearing ourselves apart in September and October , we could lose Sen. Perdue and lose the state for the president and lose '' Loeffler 's seat , too , former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , R-Ga. , said in an interview .
Gingrich is backing Loeffler .
Republicans control the Senate , 53-47 .
Democrats will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to capture the majority if Trump is reelected , one less if he ’ s not .
Democrats ' chances of winning control seem uphill , and GOP-held seats in Colorado , Arizona , Maine and North Carolina are considered more at risk than Georgia 's .
The faceoff between Loeffler and Collins has been intense .
On Thursday , the executive director of Senate Republicans ' official campaign arm — which supports Loeffler — retweeted a report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the organization was warning top GOP Senate aides to steer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for early March .
Kevin McLaughlin , who runs the National Republican Senatorial Committee , tweeted Thursday that Collins ' campaign was a “ kamikaze mission ” whose staffers do n't “ give a damn about irreparable harm they ’ re doing to Collins or POTUS , ” the acronym for president of the United States .
The campaign committee is allied with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Loeffler supporter .
As the Senate considered two GOP bills Tuesday curbing abortions — doomed votes that Collins ' backers suspected were aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Collins ' campaign was running digital ads .
They accused Loeffler of backing abortion rights and said , “ She should re-file to run as a Democrat . ''
The spots cited a 2018 promotion by the WNBA — Loeffler owns the Atlanta Dream , one of the women 's basketball league 's teams — in which money was distributed to groups including Planned Parenthood .
One of Collins ' ads included a doctored picture of Loeffler holding out a handful of cash under Planned Parenthood 's logo .
Loeffler , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate floor during Tuesday 's abortion debate .
“ I pray that the American people will recognize that lives hang in the balance , '' she said .
She voted for both Republican bills to curb abortions .
Loeffler 's supporters accused Collins of lingering resentment over his failed attempt to persuade Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp to select him for the vacant seat .
Collins had Trump 's support for the appointment , but it went to Loeffler .
In a reference to that episode , spokesman Jesse Hunt of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgians hate about Washington : a swamp creature drunk off the bitter taste of sour grapes.
” The committee also greeted Collins ’ entry into the race by warning it would do no business with his political consultants if they stayed with him .
The organization , which spends over $ 100 million every election cycle , has for years had a policy of protecting incumbents against GOP challengers .
“ We ’ ve had to overcome the establishment from trying to kill us off , threatening our vendors , ” Collins said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re moving right ahead.
” Loeffler took office Jan. 6 to replace GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson , 75 , who retired in faltering health .
She has stressed messaging focused on support for Trump and conservative causes like gun rights and building a wall along the Mexican border .
Loeffler , whose husband runs a company that owns the New York Stock Exchange , has pledged to spend $ 20 million of her own money on the campaign and already has ads blanketing TV .
“ Kelly will invest whatever it takes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McConnell has urged Trump to endorse Loeffler , according to one GOP consultant , while another said McConnell has told Trump he will back her no matter what Trump does .
Both Republicans spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations , and both said Trump gave no clear indication of what he will do .
Loeffler 's supporters have tried persuading Collins to abandon the race , to no avail .
In one suggestion that the White House has sought an alternative , Trump told reporters last week that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director .
That idea did n't bear fruit .
Republican presidential candidates have carried Georgia since 1996 .
Even so , the state ’ s suburbs , echoing the rest of the nation ’ s , have turned increasingly blue , which along with growing populations of Hispanics and other minorities have made Democrats more competitive and Republicans nervous .
“ It ’ s no secret that Republicans have been hurting among college-educated women in suburban communities across the nation , and Atlanta is filled with college-educated suburban women voters , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' hometown of Gainesville , Georgia , retirees Angela and Louis Spear said they supported Collins .
“ He ’ s been real effective in the House , and he ’ s done a great job during the impeachment hearings , ” said Louis Spear .
Karyl McBurnett , a Republican from Rockmart , Georgia , said she was leaning toward Loeffler .
She said Collins ’ familiarity among conservatives was irrelevant .
“ It ’ s what they stand for and the changes that they want to make , ” McBurnett said @

A Republican congressman’s decision to challenge freshly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler is pitting two visions of the GOP’s future against each other. So far, it’s divided voters and been anything but polite.
Loeffler, 49, is a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer who filled a vacant Senate seat in January after being appointed by Georgia’s governor. Top Republicans hope she’ll help the GOP lure back suburban women, a pivotal voting bloc that’s fled the party in dismay over Donald Trump’s crude behavior and hard-edged policies.
But among those challenging Loeffler in a Nov. 3 special election is Rep. Doug Collins, a four-term congressman popular with the GOP’s conservative base. Collins, 53, who makes frequent appearances on the right-leaning Fox News Channel, was one of Trump’s fiercest defenders during the impeachment fight as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and he’s portraying himself as more conservative and loyal to Trump than Loeffler is.
Against the backdrop of this year’s presidential and congressional elections, the showdown looms as a test of which path makes sense for the GOP in a red-leaning state where Democrats have carved robust inroads. It’s also left many voters struggling to make up their minds.
“Doug Collins has got a track record. Kelly is an unknown product,” said Tony Casteel, an electrical contractor from Marietta, a bustling suburb in Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta. “But you know, I understand why Gov. Kemp appointed Kelly. He’s trying to reach out to suburban women. Cobb County has gone blue.”
The fight has fed GOP worries of a battle that could wound Republicans in Georgia this fall. Trump, GOP Sen. David Perdue and the state’s 14 House seats will also be on the ballot.
Instead of separate party primaries for Loeffler’s seat, Georgia has lumped all candidates into a single contest Nov. 3. If no one receives half the vote, there will be a Jan. 5 runoff between the top two vote-getters, no matter their affiliation.
Republicans fret that a drawn-out battle between Loeffler and Collins will bloody both, leaving a Democrat unscathed and likely qualifying for the runoff. That could be the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is backed by Washington Democrats and is pastor of the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached.
“If we’re busy tearing ourselves apart in September and October, we could lose Sen. Perdue and lose the state for the president and lose” Loeffler’s seat, too, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., said in an interview. Gingrich is backing Loeffler.
Republicans control the Senate, 53-47. Democrats will need to gain at least four seats to capture the majority if Trump is reelected, one less if he’s not. Democrats’ chances of winning control seem uphill, and GOP-held seats in Colorado, Arizona, Maine and North Carolina are considered more at risk than Georgia’s.
The faceoff between Loeffler and Collins has been intense.
On Thursday, the executive director of Senate Republicans’ official campaign arm — which supports Loeffler — retweeted a report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the organization was warning top GOP Senate aides to steer clear of a fundraiser Collins had planned for early March.
Kevin McLaughlin, who runs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, tweeted Thursday that Collins’ campaign was a “kamikaze mission” whose staffers don’t “give a damn about irreparable harm they’re doing to Collins or POTUS,” the acronym for president of the United States. The campaign committee is allied with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Loeffler supporter.
As the Senate considered two GOP bills Tuesday curbing abortions — doomed votes that Collins’ backers suspected were aimed at letting Loeffler burnish her conservative credentials — Collins’ campaign was running digital ads. They accused Loeffler of backing abortion rights and said, “She should re-file to run as a Democrat.”
The spots cited a 2018 promotion by the WNBA — Loeffler owns the Atlanta Dream, one of the women’s basketball league’s teams — in which money was distributed to groups including Planned Parenthood. One of Collins’ ads included a doctored picture of Loeffler holding out a handful of cash under Planned Parenthood’s logo.
Loeffler, who declined requests for interviews, spoke on the Senate floor during Tuesday’s abortion debate.
“I pray that the American people will recognize that lives hang in the balance,” she said. She voted for both Republican bills to curb abortions.
Loeffler’s supporters accused Collins of lingering resentment over his failed attempt to persuade Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to select him for the vacant seat. Collins had Trump’s support for the appointment, but it went to Loeffler.
In a reference to that episode, spokesman Jesse Hunt of the Senate campaign committee called Collins “everything Georgians hate about Washington: a swamp creature drunk off the bitter taste of sour grapes.”
The committee also greeted Collins’ entry into the race by warning it would do no business with his political consultants if they stayed with him. The organization, which spends over $100 million every election cycle, has for years had a policy of protecting incumbents against GOP challengers.
“We’ve had to overcome the establishment from trying to kill us off, threatening our vendors,” Collins said in an interview. “We’re moving right ahead.”
Loeffler took office Jan. 6 to replace GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson, 75, who retired in faltering health. She has stressed messaging focused on support for Trump and conservative causes like gun rights and building a wall along the Mexican border.
Loeffler, whose husband runs a company that owns the New York Stock Exchange, has pledged to spend $20 million of her own money on the campaign and already has ads blanketing TV.
“Kelly will invest whatever it takes to win,” said spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea.
McConnell has urged Trump to endorse Loeffler, according to one GOP consultant, while another said McConnell has told Trump he will back her no matter what Trump does. Both Republicans spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, and both said Trump gave no clear indication of what he will do.
Loeffler’s supporters have tried persuading Collins to abandon the race, to no avail. In one suggestion that the White House has sought an alternative, Trump told reporters last week that he was considering nominating Collins as national intelligence director. That idea didn’t bear fruit.
Republican presidential candidates have carried Georgia since 1996. Even so, the state’s suburbs, echoing the rest of the nation’s, have turned increasingly blue, which along with growing populations of Hispanics and other minorities have made Democrats more competitive and Republicans nervous.
“It’s no secret that Republicans have been hurting among college-educated women in suburban communities across the nation, and Atlanta is filled with college-educated suburban women voters,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres.
In Collins’ hometown of Gainesville, Georgia, retirees Angela and Louis Spear said they supported Collins. “He’s been real effective in the House, and he’s done a great job during the impeachment hearings,” said Louis Spear.
Karyl McBurnett, a Republican from Rockmart, Georgia, said she was leaning toward Loeffler. She said Collins’ familiarity among conservatives was irrelevant.
“It’s what they stand for and the changes that they want to make,” McBurnett said.


shareblue--2020-02-27--GOP Senate candidate blames Civil War on 'gridlock' and 'pointing the finger'

A GOP Senate candidate in New Hampshire said the cause of the Civil War was `` gridlock '' and a lack of compromise between political parties .
Don Bolduc , a retired Army brigadier general , made the comment at a meet-and-greet in the state on Jan. 28 , according to audio obtained by the American Independent .
`` The Civil War was started because the parties , because they could n't come together , '' Bolduc said .
`` There were reasons for fighting it .
But they could n't get together to figure it out so we just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pointing the finger .
Not working together , not being a partnered team . ''
Of course , slavery is the reason the Civil War was fought .
The war began when southern states started to secede from the Union because they wanted to continue to enslave black people .
Bolduc is one of three Republicans hoping to take on Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen for one of New Hampshire 's two Senate seats in November .
Bryant `` Corky '' Messner , also an Army veteran , and Bill O'Brien , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for the GOP nomination .
Corey Lewandowski , Donald Trump 's former campaign manager , openly considered running for the seat , but ultimately opted against it .
Shaheen is favored to win reelection .
The Cook Political Report rates the race solid Democratic .
According to their ranking system , that means the race is `` not considered competitive '' and is `` not likely to become closely contested . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A GOP Senate candidate in New Hampshire said the cause of the Civil War was “gridlock” and a lack of compromise between political parties.
Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, made the comment at a meet-and-greet in the state on Jan. 28, according to audio obtained by the American Independent.
“The Civil War was started because the parties, because they couldn’t come together,” Bolduc said. “There were reasons for fighting it. But they couldn’t get together to figure it out so we just had a war. Gridlock, blaming, pointing the finger. Not working together, not being a partnered team.”
Of course, slavery is the reason the Civil War was fought. The war began when southern states started to secede from the Union because they wanted to continue to enslave black people.
Bolduc is one of three Republicans hoping to take on Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen for one of New Hampshire’s two Senate seats in November.
Bryant “Corky” Messner, also an Army veteran, and Bill O’Brien, the former state House speaker, are also running for the GOP nomination.
Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, openly considered running for the seat, but ultimately opted against it.
Shaheen is favored to win reelection. The Cook Political Report rates the race solid Democratic. According to their ranking system, that means the race is “not considered competitive” and is “not likely to become closely contested.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-27--Trump's border wall construction is destroying sacred sites

A Native American leader from Arizona grew emotional Wednesday as he told a congressional committee about the pain members of his tribe feel about U.S. officials blasting through land they consider sacred to build part of Donald Trump 's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border .
`` No one reveres our military veterans more than the O'odham , however , dynamiting these sacred sites and burial grounds is the same as bulldozing Arlington National Cemetery or any other cemetery , '' Tohono O'odham Nation Chair Ned Norris told lawmakers in Washington .
His testimony came hours after the government carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southern border as a group of invited journalists watched .
Construction crews this month began blasting and bulldozing through hills to build a 30-foot ( 9-meter ) steel wall 60 feet wide ( 18 meters wide ) in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument .
Environmental groups also are decrying the work at the national parks system site that 's named for its cactuses resembling organ pipes and is a largely untouched example of Sonoran Desert habitat .
“ It 's hard to see the blasting that you showed on the video today because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elders have told us : that it is home to our ancestors , ” Norris said , choking up .
The administration says archaeological monitors working with Customs and Border Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers have found no sign of burial or other sacred sites in the area .
Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf told Congress on Tuesday that he plans to travel soon to meet with the tribe to discuss their concerns .
U.S. Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva , both Arizona Democrats , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meeting of the House Natural Resources Committee ’ s Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples .
The Tohono O ’ odham Nation stretches across southern Arizona and into Mexico .
U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland , a New Mexico Democrat and member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe , also spoke passionately , saying : “ When tribal leaders don ’ t have a seat at the table , indigenous history is lost . ''
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar , an Arizona Republican , noted that Organ Pipe is a well-known human and drug smuggling corridor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kris Eggle , a park ranger who died while while pursuing suspected drug cartel members .
Environmental advocates and elected officials are concerned about the wall 's potential effects in Organ Pipe , including on water from an underground aquifer and migrating animals .
A desert oasis in the monument , Quitobaquito Springs , is home to the endangered Sonoyta mud turtle and Quitobaquito pupfish .
Border Patrol Chief Roy D. Villareal , of the agency 's Tucson Sector , said on Twitter in recent days that over 90 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transplanted , saving more than 2,000 individual plants .
He also said archaeological monitors had not found burial sites or human remains in the detonation zone at a place called Monument Hill .
Laiken Jordahl of the Tucson-based environmental nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity challenges those assertions , saying on Twitter that he has seen chopped up cactus on the ground and water being wasted for concrete during recent visits .
Jordahl posted a video on social media earlier this month of one of the blasts that are carving a pathway for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long line of puffs of smoke and dust rising up from the dry desert landscape dotted with scrub and cactus .
The U.N. has designated the monument an International Biosphere Reserve .
The Army Corps of Engineers has said the Department of Defense awarded $ 891 million in contracts to Southwest Valley Constructors in May to build the border wall on Organ Pipe and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge .

A Native American leader from Arizona grew emotional Wednesday as he told a congressional committee about the pain members of his tribe feel about U.S. officials blasting through land they consider sacred to build part of Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“No one reveres our military veterans more than the O’odham, however, dynamiting these sacred sites and burial grounds is the same as bulldozing Arlington National Cemetery or any other cemetery,” Tohono O’odham Nation Chair Ned Norris told lawmakers in Washington.
His testimony came hours after the government carried out a new round of explosions near the southern border as a group of invited journalists watched. Construction crews this month began blasting and bulldozing through hills to build a 30-foot (9-meter) steel wall 60 feet wide (18 meters wide) in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
Environmental groups also are decrying the work at the national parks system site that’s named for its cactuses resembling organ pipes and is a largely untouched example of Sonoran Desert habitat.
“It’s hard to see the blasting that you showed on the video today because I know in my heart what our elders have told us: that it is home to our ancestors,” Norris said, choking up.
The administration says archaeological monitors working with Customs and Border Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers have found no sign of burial or other sacred sites in the area. Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf told Congress on Tuesday that he plans to travel soon to meet with the tribe to discuss their concerns.
U.S. Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva, both Arizona Democrats, also spoke against construction of the wall during the meeting of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples. The Tohono O’odham Nation stretches across southern Arizona and into Mexico.
U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, a New Mexico Democrat and member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, also spoke passionately, saying: “When tribal leaders don’t have a seat at the table, indigenous history is lost.”
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican, noted that Organ Pipe is a well-known human and drug smuggling corridor and site of the 2002 shooting death of Kris Eggle, a park ranger who died while while pursuing suspected drug cartel members.
Environmental advocates and elected officials are concerned about the wall’s potential effects in Organ Pipe, including on water from an underground aquifer and migrating animals. A desert oasis in the monument, Quitobaquito Springs, is home to the endangered Sonoyta mud turtle and Quitobaquito pupfish.
Border Patrol Chief Roy D. Villareal, of the agency’s Tucson Sector, said on Twitter in recent days that over 90% of the cactuses near the construction area were carefully transplanted, saving more than 2,000 individual plants. He also said archaeological monitors had not found burial sites or human remains in the detonation zone at a place called Monument Hill.
Laiken Jordahl of the Tucson-based environmental nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity challenges those assertions, saying on Twitter that he has seen chopped up cactus on the ground and water being wasted for concrete during recent visits.
Jordahl posted a video on social media earlier this month of one of the blasts that are carving a pathway for the wall through Monument Hill. It showed a long line of puffs of smoke and dust rising up from the dry desert landscape dotted with scrub and cactus.
The U.N. has designated the monument an International Biosphere Reserve.
The Army Corps of Engineers has said the Department of Defense awarded $891 million in contracts to Southwest Valley Constructors in May to build the border wall on Organ Pipe and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.


shareblue--2020-02-27--McConnell has blocked bill on gun background checks for a full year

Exactly one year ago , the House passed H.R .
8 — a gun safety bill that would mandate universal background checks for gun sales .
However , the legislation is still languishing in the Senate , thanks to Sen. Mitch McConnell 's ( R-KY ) refusal to bring it up for a vote — a move House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called him out for on Thursday at her weekly news conference .
`` It was one year ago today that we passed HR 8 , and sent it over to the Senate .
H.R .
8 is our legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks , and it 's very sad that the Grim Reaper has decided more people will die because he is the Grim Reaper , '' Pelosi ( D-CA ) said , referring to the nickname McConnell has given himself for his refusal to pass any of the House 's bills .
The passage of H.R .
8 was a historic move by the House , which had not passed a gun safety bill for 25 years .
The bill would require a background check for every firearm purchase .
Currently , only guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a loophole gun safety advocates have been fighting to close .
And despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans support this kind of legislation , McConnell has sat on the bill — thwarting its passage .
Since the bill 's passage , thousands of people have died from gun violence .
According to the Gun Violence Archive , 6,155 people have died from gun violence less than two months into 2020 .
At her press conference , Pelosi acknowledged that this background check bill would n't prevent every single gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good start .
`` Here we are .
Ninety-seven percent of the public support common-sense background checks : Democrats , Republicans , gun owners — because most of them have engaged in background checks , '' Pelosi said .
`` This would only be a simple matter of expanding them to sales on the internet , gun shows ...
So this is only an expansion of all of that and we would hope that we could save lives , '' Pelosi added .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Exactly one year ago, the House passed H.R. 8 — a gun safety bill that would mandate universal background checks for gun sales.
However, the legislation is still languishing in the Senate, thanks to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) refusal to bring it up for a vote — a move House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called him out for on Thursday at her weekly news conference.
“It was one year ago today that we passed HR 8, and sent it over to the Senate. H.R. 8 is our legislation as you know for common sense background checks, and it’s very sad that the Grim Reaper has decided more people will die because he is the Grim Reaper,” Pelosi (D-CA) said, referring to the nickname McConnell has given himself for his refusal to pass any of the House’s bills.
The passage of H.R. 8 was a historic move by the House, which had not passed a gun safety bill for 25 years.
The bill would require a background check for every firearm purchase. Currently, only guns purchased from licensed dealers require background checks, a loophole gun safety advocates have been fighting to close.
And despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans support this kind of legislation, McConnell has sat on the bill — thwarting its passage.
Since the bill’s passage, thousands of people have died from gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 6,155 people have died from gun violence less than two months into 2020.
At her press conference, Pelosi acknowledged that this background check bill wouldn’t prevent every single gun death. But she said it’s a good start.
“Here we are. Ninety-seven percent of the public support common-sense background checks: Democrats, Republicans, gun owners — because most of them have engaged in background checks,” Pelosi said.
“This would only be a simple matter of expanding them to sales on the internet, gun shows … So this is only an expansion of all of that and we would hope that we could save lives,” Pelosi added.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.