dailysignal--2020-12-18--Forget the ‘Progressive’ Promise of Free Care for All When It Comes to Government-Controlled Health

Forget the ‘Progressive’ Promise of Free Care for All When It Comes to Government-Controlled Health Care

Be prepared for delays and denials of medical care , if self-styled “ progressives ” in Congress abolish all private health coverage and enact a federal government program of national health insurance , all in the name of “ free care for all.
” In a hefty 206-page report , the Congressional Budget Office posits five scenarios in estimating the costs of such a program based on Medicare payment rates in 2030 .
The big report focuses on a variety of issues , such as provider payment and program design ; and the different assumptions underlying five scenarios yield different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most vital issue is timely access to medical care .
On that point , the Congressional Budget Office analysts conclude : No one should be surprised .
Medicare payment for doctors , nurses , and other medical professionals is well below private sector rates .
Government-imposed lower payment rates and the provision of care “ free ” at the point of service induces increased demand .
These Medicare payment reductions and caps can also reduce the supply and the availability of services .
With the abolition of viable private alternatives for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to wait longer for care or go without it altogether .
In describing this “ unmet demand ” for medical services , Congressional Budget Office analysts anticipate that the government ’ s national health insurance program would be characterized by “ congestion.
” According to the Congressional Budget Office report : Increased congestion would affect access to care by causing delays in treatment or longer travel times , particularly for specialty care .
Under the single payer options , patients would continue to make appointments and pay any required cost sharing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congestion would mean that some patients would have more difficulty finding an available provider .
In addition , some patients would forgo care , some would contract for care privately ( with providers who opted out of the single payer system ) , and some would pay for care abroad .
Some of the same people who would experience reductions in financial barriers to accessing care would face increases in other barriers to accessing providers .
How many people would be , in Congressional Budget Office lingo , in that unlucky category of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States is a huge country with a large and diverse population of 331 million .
At this point , it would be hard to predict how many Americans would find their future access to care delayed or denied because of a backlog of waiting patients clogging the corridors of hospitals and other medical facilities .
Based on the experience of such “ health system congestion ” in other countries , however , the number would be undoubtedly large .
Waiting times for care in “ model single-payer ” Canada are the worst among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true for patients in need of specialized medical care ; a point the Congressional Budget Office raises in connection with a potential American version of a similar system of national health insurance .
According to a 2018 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association , 39 % of Canadian patients had to wait more than two months to see a medical specialist , compared to only 6 % of American patients .
Then , there is “ single-payer ” Britain .
In 2019 , 4.4 million British patients were on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service .
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic , The Guardian , a left-leaning British newspaper , reports that yearlong waits for surgeries in England are the highest since 2008 , and that total waiting lists could reach nearly 10 million .
The Congressional Budget Office emphasizes , of course , that the impact of an American version of national health insurance on cost and access to care would depend on the specifics of its design and funding levels—factors subject to congressional financing and politics .
The Congressional Budget Office also emphasizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to care differently among distinct groups of people .
While access would increase for some who had no insurance or those with large out-of-pocket costs , according to the Congressional Budget Office , it would decline for those who had private coverage with modest cost sharing or reside in areas where the likely “ congestion ” would be greater .
Think big cities .
The Congressional Budget Office concludes that under all five of the scenarios projected , demand would exceed the supply of medical services .
Even if the government program achieves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts on doctors and hospitals , the agency “ projects ” that the government program would “ not expand to meet all of the new demand for care.
” In short , you can forget “ free care for all .
”

Be prepared for delays and denials of medical care, if self-styled “progressives” in Congress abolish all private health coverage and enact a federal government program of national health insurance, all in the name of “free care for all.”
In a hefty 206-page report, the Congressional Budget Office posits five scenarios in estimating the costs of such a program based on Medicare payment rates in 2030. The big report focuses on a variety of issues, such as provider payment and program design; and the different assumptions underlying five scenarios yield different results.
For most Americans, however, the most vital issue is timely access to medical care. On that point, the Congressional Budget Office analysts conclude:
CBO estimates that the increase in demand under its single payer options would exceed the increase in supply, resulting in unmet demand. That increase in unmet demand would correspond to greater congestion in the health care system, including delays and forgone care.
No one should be surprised.
Medicare payment for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals is well below private sector rates. Government-imposed lower payment rates and the provision of care “free” at the point of service induces increased demand.
These Medicare payment reductions and caps can also reduce the supply and the availability of services. With the abolition of viable private alternatives for coverage and care, patients would be forced to wait longer for care or go without it altogether.
In describing this “unmet demand” for medical services, Congressional Budget Office analysts anticipate that the government’s national health insurance program would be characterized by “congestion.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office report:
Increased congestion would affect access to care by causing delays in treatment or longer travel times, particularly for specialty care. Under the single payer options, patients would continue to make appointments and pay any required cost sharing, as under current law. But increased congestion would mean that some patients would have more difficulty finding an available provider. In addition, some patients would forgo care, some would contract for care privately (with providers who opted out of the single payer system), and some would pay for care abroad. Some of the same people who would experience reductions in financial barriers to accessing care would face increases in other barriers to accessing providers.
How many people would be, in Congressional Budget Office lingo, in that unlucky category of “some” people?
The United States is a huge country with a large and diverse population of 331 million. At this point, it would be hard to predict how many Americans would find their future access to care delayed or denied because of a backlog of waiting patients clogging the corridors of hospitals and other medical facilities.
Based on the experience of such “health system congestion” in other countries, however, the number would be undoubtedly large.
Waiting times for care in “model single-payer” Canada are the worst among economically advanced nations. This is especially true for patients in need of specialized medical care; a point the Congressional Budget Office raises in connection with a potential American version of a similar system of national health insurance.
According to a 2018 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 39% of Canadian patients had to wait more than two months to see a medical specialist, compared to only 6% of American patients.
Then, there is “single-payer” Britain. In 2019, 4.4 million British patients were on the waiting lists of the British National Health Service. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, reports that yearlong waits for surgeries in England are the highest since 2008, and that total waiting lists could reach nearly 10 million.
The Congressional Budget Office emphasizes, of course, that the impact of an American version of national health insurance on cost and access to care would depend on the specifics of its design and funding levels—factors subject to congressional financing and politics. The Congressional Budget Office also emphasizes that such a system would affect access to care differently among distinct groups of people.
While access would increase for some who had no insurance or those with large out-of-pocket costs, according to the Congressional Budget Office, it would decline for those who had private coverage with modest cost sharing or reside in areas where the likely “congestion” would be greater. Think big cities.
The Congressional Budget Office concludes that under all five of the scenarios projected, demand would exceed the supply of medical services.
Even if the government program achieves lower administrative costs and imposes tough payments cuts on doctors and hospitals, the agency “projects” that the government program would “not expand to meet all of the new demand for care.”
In short, you can forget “free care for all.”


dailysignal--2020-12-20--15 House Republicans Push Georgia to Avoid Another ‘Disaster’ in January Senate Runoffs

Fifteen House Republicans are seeking a briefing with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over suspected election irregularities in the state .
The GOP members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee , in a letter sent late Tuesday , raised concerns in the aftermath of the disputed 2020 presidential election , but also ahead of two special U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia set for Jan. 5 .
The outcomes of the two Senate races in Georgia will determine which party controls the upper chamber .
Changes must be made to ensure the results are fair and accurate before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hice , R-Ga. , the oversight committee member who drafted the letter signed by his colleagues .
“ There is no question the Nov. 3 election was a disaster .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office sent out request forms for absentee ballots .
We have been asking the secretary of state for better signature verification , ” Hice told The Daily Signal , adding : On Monday , Raffensperger , a fellow Republican , announced his office was launching a statewide audit for signature matches on absentee ballots from the Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a top priority since Day One of my administration , ” Raffensperger said in a public statement .
Georgia certified that former Vice President Joe Biden won the state ’ s 16 electoral votes .
Raffensperger has since been on defense against members of his own party , and Hice still has questions .
“ The secretary of state has been on a media tour , talking about how this has been the most secure election ever , ” Hice said .
“ At the same time , he says there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the Peach State since Bill Clinton in 1992 , but Hice is not convinced that ’ s the legitimate outcome .
“ I ’ ve seen and heard about issues all over the state , ” he said .
“ I do not believe Georgia is a blue state .
The state loves President [ Donald ] Trump.
” The letter was also signed by Oversight and Reform Committee members Reps. Glenn Grothman , R-Wis. ; Michael Cloud and Chip Roy , both R-Texas ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , R-Ohio ; Paul Gosar , R-Ariz. ; Thomas Massie , R-Ky. ; Gary Palmer , R-Ala. ; Bob Gibbs , R-Ohio ; Clay Higgins , R-La .
; Ralph Norman , R-S.C. ; Kelly Armstrong , R-N.D. ; Greg Steube , R-Fla. ; and James Comer , R-Ky. “ The sanctity of the ballot box and the maxim ‘ one person , one vote ’ are paramount in a democratic society , ” the Republican letter to the secretary of state says .
“ Yet in the aftermath of the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their vote may have been diluted by fraud , ballots that failed to comply with applicable elections laws , and ballots cast by ineligible voters .
This is particularly the case for voters in Georgia.
” The letter goes on to say : The number of absentee ballot rejections for signature issues increased by about 350 % in the November 2020 election , compared with the 2018 election .
That ’ s consistent with the rate of increase in the total number of absentee ballots accepted , according to the Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,011 absentee ballots were rejected in the November 2020 election for missing or non-matching signatures out of 1.3 million absentee ballots cast .
In November 2018 , the state rejected 454 absentee ballots for missing or non-matching signatures out of 284,393 absentee ballots cast .
According to the Secretary of State ’ s Office , counties will have to strictly ensure residency in Georgia before registering voters .
That comes after some liberal activists have advocated for people to move into the state just to vote in the Senate races .
Further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new registrations have occurred since Nov. 4 , and the bulk of those came from people getting their driver ’ s licenses , rather than voter-registration drives .
When Georgians request absentee ballots , the application must be signed .
County election offices review the signatures on the applications , comparing them against signatures of the same voter on file in the voter-registration files , according to the Georgia Secretary of State ’ s Office .
If the signature is consistent with previous signatures , then the application is accepted and an absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the signature need not be an exact match , according to the secretary ’ s office .
For the Secretary of State ’ s Absentee Ballot Online Portal , the applicant must provide his or her date of birth and driver ’ s license number to verify his or her identity when applying for the absentee ballot .
If the information matches the voter-registration information , the voter need not provide a signature , and the absentee ballot packet is mailed to the voter .
Voters must sign the oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the ballot is returned to the county , the first thing the county must do is compare the signature against the absentee-ballot application , unless the application was made online , according to the Secretary of State ’ s Office .
The county election offices also compare the ballot-envelope signature against the signature of the voter from the voter-registration system .
Similarly , though , the Secretary of State ’ s Office said it does not have to be an exact match .
If a ballot is missing a signature or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the county office rejects the ballot , but contacts the voter and sends a “ cure affidavit ” for the voter to provide a signature and a copy of their ID to confirm that it is actually the registered voter who voted and returned the ballot , according to the Secretary of State ’ s Office .
If the voter fails to provide that information within three days after the election , the ballot isn ’ t counted .
Chris Harvey , director of the elections division for the Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to county election offices on Dec. 9 reminding them that the signature-verification process should be transparent .
Harvey cited Georgia law that states , “ [ a ] ll proceedings at the tabulating center and precincts shall be open to the view of the public , but no person except one employed and designated for the purpose by the superintendent or the superintendent ’ s authorized deputy shall touch any ballot or ballot container.
” But he told the election officials , “ The fact that the signature-verification process is public under Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be allowed to see confidential information or to interfere in the process .
”

Fifteen House Republicans are seeking a briefing with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over suspected election irregularities in the state.
The GOP members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, in a letter sent late Tuesday, raised concerns in the aftermath of the disputed 2020 presidential election, but also ahead of two special U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia set for Jan. 5.
The outcomes of the two Senate races in Georgia will determine which party controls the upper chamber.
Changes must be made to ensure the results are fair and accurate before the Senate runoff voting, said Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., the oversight committee member who drafted the letter signed by his colleagues.
“There is no question the Nov. 3 election was a disaster. The Secretary of State’s Office sent out request forms for absentee ballots. We have been asking the secretary of state for better signature verification,” Hice told The Daily Signal, adding:
We want more hands on deck for the Senate [runoff] elections—4,000 GOP poll watchers. And we want more transparency. We have heard crickets, really.
On Monday, Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, announced his office was launching a statewide audit for signature matches on absentee ballots from the Nov. 3 election.
“Election integrity has been a top priority since Day One of my administration,” Raffensperger said in a public statement.
Though the outcome of the [presidential] race in Georgia will not change, conducting this audit follows in the footsteps of the audit-triggered hand recount we conducted in November to provide further confidence in the accuracy, security, and reliability of the vote in Georgia.
Georgia certified that former Vice President Joe Biden won the state’s 16 electoral votes. Raffensperger has since been on defense against members of his own party, and Hice still has questions.
“The secretary of state has been on a media tour, talking about how this has been the most secure election ever,” Hice said. “At the same time, he says there are 250 open investigations for wrongdoing.”
Biden is the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the Peach State since Bill Clinton in 1992, but Hice is not convinced that’s the legitimate outcome.
“I’ve seen and heard about issues all over the state,” he said. “I do not believe Georgia is a blue state. The state loves President [Donald] Trump.”
The letter was also signed by Oversight and Reform Committee members Reps. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis.; Michael Cloud and Chip Roy, both R-Texas; Mark Green, R-Tenn.; Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; Gary Palmer, R-Ala.; Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio; Clay Higgins, R-La.; Ralph Norman, R-S.C.; Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.; Greg Steube, R-Fla.; and James Comer, R-Ky.
“The sanctity of the ballot box and the maxim ‘one person, one vote’ are paramount in a democratic society,” the Republican letter to the secretary of state says. “Yet in the aftermath of the 2020 election, our constituents have genuine concerns that their vote may have been diluted by fraud, ballots that failed to comply with applicable elections laws, and ballots cast by ineligible voters. This is particularly the case for voters in Georgia.”
The letter goes on to say:
Fraud and illegality cannot be tolerated, whether or not the outcome would be affected. Moreover, it is far from clear that the outcome in this case was unaffected, as the candidates in the presidential race in Georgia are separated by less than 13,000 votes out of almost 5 million cast in the state.
The number of absentee ballot rejections for signature issues increased by about 350% in the November 2020 election, compared with the 2018 election. That’s consistent with the rate of increase in the total number of absentee ballots accepted, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
In all, 2,011 absentee ballots were rejected in the November 2020 election for missing or non-matching signatures out of 1.3 million absentee ballots cast. In November 2018, the state rejected 454 absentee ballots for missing or non-matching signatures out of 284,393 absentee ballots cast.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, counties will have to strictly ensure residency in Georgia before registering voters. That comes after some liberal activists have advocated for people to move into the state just to vote in the Senate races.
Further, according to the office, about 48,000 new registrations have occurred since Nov. 4, and the bulk of those came from people getting their driver’s licenses, rather than voter registration drives.
When Georgians request absentee ballots, the application must be signed. County election offices review the signatures on the applications, comparing them against signatures of the same voter on file in the voter registration files, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
If the signature is consistent with previous signatures, then the application is accepted and an absentee ballot packet is mailed to the voter. However, the signature need not be an exact match, according to the secretary’s office.
For the Secretary of State’s Absentee Ballot Online Portal, the applicant must provide his or her date of birth and driver’s license number to verify his or her identity when applying for the absentee ballot. If the information matches the voter registration information, the voter need not provide a signature, and the absentee ballot packet is mailed to the voter.
Voters must sign the oath on the outside of the outer envelope. When the ballot is returned to the county, the first thing the county must do is compare the signature against the absentee ballot application, unless the application was made online, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
The county election offices also compare the ballot envelope signature against the signature of the voter from the voter registration system. Similarly, though, the Secretary of State’s Office said it does not have to be an exact match.
If a ballot is missing a signature or not consistent with the signatures on file, the county office rejects the ballot, but contacts the voter and sends a “cure affidavit” for the voter to provide a signature and a copy of their ID to confirm that it is actually the registered voter who voted and returned the ballot, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
If the voter fails to provide that information within three days after the election, the ballot isn’t counted.
Chris Harvey, director of the elections division for the Secretary of State’s Office, sent a letter to county election offices on Dec. 9 reminding them that the signature verification process should be transparent.
Harvey cited Georgia law that states, “[a]ll proceedings at the tabulating center and precincts shall be open to the view of the public, but no person except one employed and designated for the purpose by the superintendent or the superintendent’s authorized deputy shall touch any ballot or ballot container.”
But he told the election officials, “The fact that the signature verification process is public under Georgia law does not mean that public observers should be allowed to see confidential information or to interfere in the process.”


dailysignal--2020-12-21--Under Trump’s Tenure, Promises Made Were Promises Kept

A retrospective on President Donald Trump ’ s four years in office must be put in perspective of what he himself promised to accomplish when he ran : Make America Great Again .
To answer the question requires , of course , defining what makes America great and asking to what extent Trump put the nation on course toward this goal .
If one believes , as I do , that what makes America great is that it must be a free nation under God , that this stands at the core of what makes the nation prosperous and moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been significant .
Probably the greatest paradox of this election is the Gallup poll done in September asking whether registered voters were “ better off now ” than they were four years ago .
The 56 % who responded yes was the highest percent under any president running for reelection since the question was first asked , when Ronald Reagan ran for reelection in 1984 .
Based on this , we would have expected Trump to be reelected in a landslide .
I would list major achievements of the Trump presidency under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust economic growth ; appointment of federal judges across the nation , up to the Supreme Court , who will restore a federal judiciary guided by conservative principles ; and achievement of a new peace in the Middle East that seemed beyond anyone ’ s reach .
Another point of critical importance is that Trump policies have been a boon to America ’ s minorities .
Despite the success of left-wing demagogues in portraying the Trump presidency as racist , facts show truth to be the complete opposite .
The 2017 Tax Cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation had not seen in years .
This was aided further by deregulation .
Tax cuts and deregulation targeted at restoring the global competitiveness of American business and restoring conditions friendly to investment fueled job growth and an unemployment rate of 3.5 % that no one thought possible .
And , as reported by The Wall Street Journal : “ Median weekly full-time earnings for blacks increased 19 % in Mr. Trump ’ s first three years , to $ 806 .
That followed a period of 11 % growth during Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office.
” According to the Federal Reserve ’ s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances , the largest growth in household net worth from 2016 to 2019 occurred in households in the lowest 20 % of income , 34.3 % .
Black median household income increased 7.9 % in 2019 , the largest annual increase in history .
And , in 2019 , for the first time ever , the percentage of black households earning above $ 75,000 , 29.4 % , exceeded the percentage earning below $ 25,000 , 28.7 % .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court appointment , Justice Amy Coney Barrett , we now have a Supreme Court with a solid 6-3 conservative majority .
This in the overall context of 220 federal judicial appointments made by Trump , establishing a powerful conservative basis in law for our free nation under God .
Despite what liberals say , this is enormously important for minority Americans .
An example is the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year in the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case , which found unconstitutional the state prohibition of use of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools ( known as the Blaine Amendment ) .
This is a boon for school choice that poor and low-income Americans vitally need .
And , of course , a conservative court raises the possibility of stopping the abortion carnage that is devastating black America .
Trump ’ s courage in moving the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital shined light throughout the world .
And now we are seeing new peace agreements between Israel and Arab and Muslim nations that no one ever thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the left , facts say that Trump made major achievements in moving toward making America great again .

A retrospective on President Donald Trump’s four years in office must be put in perspective of what he himself promised to accomplish when he ran: Make America Great Again.
To answer the question requires, of course, defining what makes America great and asking to what extent Trump put the nation on course toward this goal.
If one believes, as I do, that what makes America great is that it must be a free nation under God, that this stands at the core of what makes the nation prosperous and moral, I think Trump’s achievements have been significant.
Probably the greatest paradox of this election is the Gallup poll done in September asking whether registered voters were “better off now” than they were four years ago.
The 56% who responded yes was the highest percent under any president running for reelection since the question was first asked, when Ronald Reagan ran for reelection in 1984. Based on this, we would have expected Trump to be reelected in a landslide.
I would list major achievements of the Trump presidency under three headlines: economic reform that restored robust economic growth; appointment of federal judges across the nation, up to the Supreme Court, who will restore a federal judiciary guided by conservative principles; and achievement of a new peace in the Middle East that seemed beyond anyone’s reach.
Another point of critical importance is that Trump policies have been a boon to America’s minorities. Despite the success of left-wing demagogues in portraying the Trump presidency as racist, facts show truth to be the complete opposite.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act fueled economic growth that the nation had not seen in years.
This was aided further by deregulation. Tax cuts and deregulation targeted at restoring the global competitiveness of American business and restoring conditions friendly to investment fueled job growth and an unemployment rate of 3.5% that no one thought possible.
And, as reported by The Wall Street Journal: “Median weekly full-time earnings for blacks increased 19% in Mr. Trump’s first three years, to $806. That followed a period of 11% growth during Mr. Obama’s seven post-recession years in office.”
According to the Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, the largest growth in household net worth from 2016 to 2019 occurred in households in the lowest 20% of income, 34.3%.
Black median household income increased 7.9% in 2019, the largest annual increase in history.
And, in 2019, for the first time ever, the percentage of black households earning above $75,000, 29.4%, exceeded the percentage earning below $25,000, 28.7%.
With the confirmation of Trump’s last Supreme Court appointment, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, we now have a Supreme Court with a solid 6-3 conservative majority.
This in the overall context of 220 federal judicial appointments made by Trump, establishing a powerful conservative basis in law for our free nation under God.
Despite what liberals say, this is enormously important for minority Americans. An example is the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year in the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case, which found unconstitutional the state prohibition of use of public funds for scholarships to attend private religious schools (known as the Blaine Amendment). This is a boon for school choice that poor and low-income Americans vitally need.
And, of course, a conservative court raises the possibility of stopping the abortion carnage that is devastating black America.
Trump’s courage in moving the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital shined light throughout the world. And now we are seeing new peace agreements between Israel and Arab and Muslim nations that no one ever thought possible.
This is called leadership.
Despite the noise and distortions from the left, facts say that Trump made major achievements in moving toward making America great again.
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dailysignal--2020-12-21--Media Saves Biden, Just as It Saved Obama

Hunter Biden , former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s son , is undergoing a tax investigation by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Delaware concerning Hunter Biden ’ s lucrative work with Burisma , the Ukrainian gas company on whose board Hunter Biden sat , despite a lack of energy experience and the ability to speak Russian or Ukrainian .
The Media Research Center claims eight news stories , ignored or downplayed by the mainstream media , could have changed the election in favor of President Donald Trump .
Over 80 % of Joe Biden voters , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unaware of at least one or more of the eight stories , and “ 36 percent of Biden voters were NOT aware of the evidence linking Joe Biden to corrupt financial dealings with China through his son Hunter.
” And 13 % of these voters , or almost 5 % of Joe Biden ’ s total voters , said that had they known of the Biden/China story , they would not have voted for Biden , enough to tip the vote in favor of Trump in several swing states that he lost .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 campaign , the New York Post published the Hunter Biden bombshell story about his laptop , linking Joe Biden to his son ’ s dealings with the Ukrainian company Burisma , mainstream news practically closed rank to immediately dismiss the story as “ Russian disinformation.
” Twitter even banned the New York Post from republishing its own story on the paper ’ s Twitter account .
Some may be too young to know and others have forgotten how the mainstream media salvaged the 2008 presidential candidacy of then-Sen. Barack Obama .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revelation of his racist , anti-white , anti-Semitic long-time pastor , the Rev .
Jeremiah Wright .
About the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terror attacks , Wright said : “ We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and Black South Africans , and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards .
America ’ s chickens are coming home to roost.
” About America ’ s alleged systemic racism against blacks : “ The government gives [ African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisons , passes a three-strike law , and then wants us to sing ‘ God Bless America.
’ No , no , no , God damn America , that ’ s in the Bible for killing innocent people .
God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human .
God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.
” About HIV/AIDS : “ The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the AIDS virus .
We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty.
” About Israel : “ The state of Israel is an illegal , genocidal place .
… To equate Judaism with the state of Israel is to equate Christianity with [ rapper ] Flavor Flav.
” About Jews : “ Them Jews ain ’ t going to let [ Obama ] talk to me .
… I told my baby daughter that he ’ ll talk to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lame duck , or in eight years when he ’ s out of office .
… Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza .
Ethnic cleansing [ by ] the Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity , and they don ’ t want Barack talking like that because that ’ s anti-Israel.
” You get the idea .
Wright was big trouble for the Obama campaign .
Wright had been Obama ’ s pastor for over 20 years .
He married Barack and Michelle Obama .
He blessed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even named his 2006 memoir “ The Audacity of Hope ” after one of Wright ’ s sermons .
Obama , at first , clumsily defended his relationship with Wright , claiming ignorance about Wright ’ s incendiary statements and that Wright was kind of , you know , like a harmless , crazy old uncle who spouts off during Thanksgiving dinner .
But under pressure , Obama cut ties with Wright when the relationship nearly wrecked Obama ’ s campaign .
So the mainstream news , except for Fox News , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos Wright ’ s incendiary statements made it impossible for the media to maintain its “ nothing to see here ” position .
What to do ?
Simple : Downplay it .
Rationalize it .
Change the subject .
Whatever 2020 election interference was committed by China , Russia , and Iran pales in comparison to the election interference routinely engaged in by our left-wing media , an election interference that salvaged the candidacies of Barack Obama and Joe Biden .

Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, is undergoing a tax investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware concerning Hunter Biden’s lucrative work with Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company on whose board Hunter Biden sat, despite a lack of energy experience and the ability to speak Russian or Ukrainian.
The Media Research Center claims eight news stories, ignored or downplayed by the mainstream media, could have changed the election in favor of President Donald Trump.
Over 80% of Joe Biden voters, according to the Media Research Center, were unaware of at least one or more of the eight stories, and “36 percent of Biden voters were NOT aware of the evidence linking Joe Biden to corrupt financial dealings with China through his son Hunter.”
And 13% of these voters, or almost 5% of Joe Biden’s total voters, said that had they known of the Biden/China story, they would not have voted for Biden, enough to tip the vote in favor of Trump in several swing states that he lost.
When, near the end of the 2020 campaign, the New York Post published the Hunter Biden bombshell story about his laptop, linking Joe Biden to his son’s dealings with the Ukrainian company Burisma, mainstream news practically closed rank to immediately dismiss the story as “Russian disinformation.” Twitter even banned the New York Post from republishing its own story on the paper’s Twitter account.
Some may be too young to know and others have forgotten how the mainstream media salvaged the 2008 presidential candidacy of then-Sen. Barack Obama. He was riding high, until the bombshell revelation of his racist, anti-white, anti-Semitic long-time pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Some of Wright’s quotes:
About the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Wright said: “We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and Black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”
About America’s alleged systemic racism against blacks: “The government gives [African Americans] the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law, and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
About HIV/AIDS: “The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.” And: “We started the AIDS virus. We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty.”
About Israel: “The state of Israel is an illegal, genocidal place. … To equate Judaism with the state of Israel is to equate Christianity with [rapper] Flavor Flav.”
About Jews: “Them Jews ain’t going to let [Obama] talk to me. … I told my baby daughter that he’ll talk to me in five years when he’s a lame duck, or in eight years when he’s out of office. … Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza. Ethnic cleansing [by] the Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don’t want Barack talking like that because that’s anti-Israel.”
You get the idea.
Wright was big trouble for the Obama campaign. Wright had been Obama’s pastor for over 20 years. He married Barack and Michelle Obama. He blessed the Obama’s new home. Obama even named his 2006 memoir “The Audacity of Hope” after one of Wright’s sermons.
Obama, at first, clumsily defended his relationship with Wright, claiming ignorance about Wright’s incendiary statements and that Wright was kind of, you know, like a harmless, crazy old uncle who spouts off during Thanksgiving dinner. But under pressure, Obama cut ties with Wright when the relationship nearly wrecked Obama’s campaign.
So the mainstream news, except for Fox News, just largely avoided the story, until damaging videos Wright’s incendiary statements made it impossible for the media to maintain its “nothing to see here” position.
What to do? Simple: Downplay it. Rationalize it. Change the subject.
Whatever 2020 election interference was committed by China, Russia, and Iran pales in comparison to the election interference routinely engaged in by our left-wing media, an election interference that salvaged the candidacies of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM


dailysignal--2020-12-21--Shaming ‘Lockdowns for Thee, but Not for Me’ Politicians

Leyna Bradley is a 21-year-old server at Tradesman ’ s restaurant and bar in Philadelphia , one of several major American cities that have recently prohibited indoor dining at restaurants in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The move by the city is not without consequence .
Bradley , a student working her way through college , says , “ The debt ’ s going to pile up a little bit , and it ’ s definitely going to be stressful not knowing where your next source of income ’ s going to come from.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project of The Heritage Foundation , assembled America ’ s top thinkers to figure that out .
So far , it has made more than 260 recommendations .
Learn more here .
Alexandra Mattias , another food-service employee in the city , expressed similar fears : “ I ’ m basically a single mom , and this is a steady income for me , and not just me ; multiple people .
For them to take that away from us is cruel , especially during the holidays.
” Given these extreme measures the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would think the last thing local officials would do is visit a restaurant themselves .
You would be wrong .
Less than four months ago , Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney was forced to apologize for traveling to Maryland to sit down at a favorite restaurant for an indoor meal—despite prohibiting residents of his own city from that very same activity at the time .
That raises the question : If the public health situation were so dire as to require closure of indoor dining in Philadelphia , why was its mayor traveling outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing ?
Unfortunately , instances of this hypocritical behavior by our leaders have become all too common since the nationwide response to the coronavirus pandemic began in earnest this spring .
We ’ ve all seen the stories of governors hosting dinner parties at ritzy California restaurants amid lockdowns , or of mayors encouraging folks to stay home for the holidays and then getting caught traveling themselves .
Now , we ’ ve learned that even our nation ’ s leading public health experts are not immune from this hypocrisy .
Dr. Deborah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s coronavirus task force , was just revealed to have traveled to Delaware the day after Thanksgiving to spend time with more than one generation of her family , from a number of different households .
The problem ?
Birx had told Americans to limit their Thanksgiving holiday to members of their “ immediate households.
” This instance is particularly egregious , because if anyone should be following public health guidance , it should be the public health officials advocating it , right ?
These stories make Americans ’ blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials display a reckless disregard for the mandates and requirements they themselves have put in place , while at the same time showing a callousness to the struggles and hardships of those living under them .
Many of the latter lack the financial resources or political connections to sidestep the consequences of arbitrary and capricious lockdowns .
Make no mistake : Many of those restrictions have proven devastating .
Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James was absolutely right when she wrote earlier this month : “ Shutting down entire states only worsens the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and welfare of otherwise healthy people .
The answer to defeating the coronavirus can ’ t be choosing between our health and our economy.
” As millions of Americans are suffering from lost jobs or decreased wages , it ’ s vital that the American people hold local , state , and federal officials accountable for these acts of hypocrisy .
Many reporters across the country have played a vital role in shining a light on them .
However , more can always be done .
That ’ s why we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID Corruption : Policymakers Breaking Their Own Rules , ” an interactive tracking tool that documents reported cases of public officials violating the very rules they force the rest of us to abide by .
America is a nation of laws .
We are a nation governed by the rule of law and a respect for the rights of the individual .
That respect for the rule of law extends not only to major questions of constitutional rights—free speech , free exercise of religion , freedom from unlawful search and seizure , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those aspects of our everyday lives that we often take for granted ; for example , the right to earn a living , to run a business , or to worship with fellow members of our shared faiths .
When politicians and other government officials arbitrarily limit our ability to live our lives and support our families , it ’ s bad enough .
When they then flaunt those limitations to benefit themselves or for their own convenience , it ’ s orders of magnitude worse .
It shows that the rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , is not important to them .
That should frighten us all .
When our leaders believe—and act as though—they are above the law , our system can not function , and trust in our institutions can not survive .
Such behavior from our leaders is unacceptable and unbecoming of anyone who takes the oath of office .
Those who pledge to protect and uphold the laws or mandates of their country , their state , or their city should be held to account when they so brazenly disregard that promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaders must be forced to answer for their actions when they violate the public trust .
Fortunately , we the people have the ability to make that accountability a reality with our voices—and with our votes .

Leyna Bradley is a 21-year-old server at Tradesman’s restaurant and bar in Philadelphia, one of several major American cities that have recently prohibited indoor dining at restaurants in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The move by the city is not without consequence. Bradley, a student working her way through college, says, “The debt’s going to pile up a little bit, and it’s definitely going to be stressful not knowing where your next source of income’s going to come from.”
The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled America’s top thinkers to figure that out. So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. Learn more here.
Alexandra Mattias, another food-service employee in the city, expressed similar fears: “I’m basically a single mom, and this is a steady income for me, and not just me; multiple people. For them to take that away from us is cruel, especially during the holidays.”
Given these extreme measures the city is putting in place, you would think the last thing local officials would do is visit a restaurant themselves.
You would be wrong.
Less than four months ago, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney was forced to apologize for traveling to Maryland to sit down at a favorite restaurant for an indoor meal—despite prohibiting residents of his own city from that very same activity at the time.
That raises the question: If the public health situation were so dire as to require closure of indoor dining in Philadelphia, why was its mayor traveling outside city limits to do that very same thing?
Unfortunately, instances of this hypocritical behavior by our leaders have become all too common since the nationwide response to the coronavirus pandemic began in earnest this spring.
We’ve all seen the stories of governors hosting dinner parties at ritzy California restaurants amid lockdowns, or of mayors encouraging folks to stay home for the holidays and then getting caught traveling themselves.
Now, we’ve learned that even our nation’s leading public health experts are not immune from this hypocrisy. Dr. Deborah Birx, a key figure on the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, was just revealed to have traveled to Delaware the day after Thanksgiving to spend time with more than one generation of her family, from a number of different households.
The problem? Birx had told Americans to limit their Thanksgiving holiday to members of their “immediate households.”
This instance is particularly egregious, because if anyone should be following public health guidance, it should be the public health officials advocating it, right?
These stories make Americans’ blood boil, and with good reason. Officials display a reckless disregard for the mandates and requirements they themselves have put in place, while at the same time showing a callousness to the struggles and hardships of those living under them. Many of the latter lack the financial resources or political connections to sidestep the consequences of arbitrary and capricious lockdowns.
Make no mistake: Many of those restrictions have proven devastating. Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James was absolutely right when she wrote earlier this month: “Shutting down entire states only worsens the economic devastation, as well as the health and welfare of otherwise healthy people. The answer to defeating the coronavirus can’t be choosing between our health and our economy.”
As millions of Americans are suffering from lost jobs or decreased wages, it’s vital that the American people hold local, state, and federal officials accountable for these acts of hypocrisy.
Many reporters across the country have played a vital role in shining a light on them. However, more can always be done.
That’s why we’ve unveiled a new project called “COVID Hypocrisy: Policymakers Breaking Their Own Rules,” an interactive tracking tool that documents reported cases of public officials violating the very rules they force the rest of us to abide by.
To track by state as shown here, click on the link in the paragraph above.
America is a nation of laws. We are a nation governed by the rule of law and a respect for the rights of the individual. That respect for the rule of law extends not only to major questions of constitutional rights—free speech, free exercise of religion, freedom from unlawful search and seizure, and the rest—but also to the mundane things, those aspects of our everyday lives that we often take for granted; for example, the right to earn a living, to run a business, or to worship with fellow members of our shared faiths.
When politicians and other government officials arbitrarily limit our ability to live our lives and support our families, it’s bad enough. When they then flaunt those limitations to benefit themselves or for their own convenience, it’s orders of magnitude worse.
It shows that the rule of law, that equal treatment under the law, is not important to them. That should frighten us all.
When our leaders believe—and act as though—they are above the law, our system cannot function, and trust in our institutions cannot survive. Such behavior from our leaders is unacceptable and unbecoming of anyone who takes the oath of office.
Those who pledge to protect and uphold the laws or mandates of their country, their state, or their city should be held to account when they so brazenly disregard that promise.
No matter their party or ideology, leaders must be forced to answer for their actions when they violate the public trust. Fortunately, we the people have the ability to make that accountability a reality with our voices—and with our votes.


dailysignal--2020-12-22--Biden Should Beware of Nemesis

Biden Should Beware of Nemesis

Former Vice President Joe Biden will be our next president .
But he will face Nemesis in a way that few other presidents have ever encountered the cruel Greek god .
Biden ’ s hubris and that of the media/Democratic Party fusion almost guarantee such divine retribution .
Once the last of the other Democratic primary candidates dropped out and Biden was nominated , all prior negative media stories about his apparent cognitive decline and his family ’ s financial entanglements disappeared .
From April 2020 on , a virtual news blackout surrounded Biden .
His rare interviews were scripted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conferences were either nonexistent or revolved around his favorite milkshake or his socks .
Mentions of Hunter Biden ‘ s business dealings in China and Ukraine were taboo .
It was sinful to reference reports of a Hunter Biden email allegedly detailing a 10 % distribution of such revenue to the “ Big Guy ” —presumably Joe Biden .
Unlike President Donald Trump , Joe Biden never really campaigned .
After the primaries , he outsourced his fall 2020 campaign to subordinates and pet journalists to attack Trump .
So is Biden the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recently reinvented hard-left running mate of Sen. Kamala Harris ?
Both or neither ?
Will he keep the booming pre-COVID-19 Trump economy to claim as his own ?
Or will he go full socialist to apply a Bernie Sanders-style makeover to it ?
A President Biden can not avoid the press forever .
He will soon face unscripted meetings with foreign leaders .
He will have to meet dozens of movers and shakers each week .
Is he or the nation prepared for the consequences of his return to normality after nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation ?
To win , the Democrats knowingly drafted the 77-year old Biden ( who has since turned 78 ) to put a familiar veneer on radical agendas that had frightened primary voters .
At times , Democrats seemed fated to be directly tied to the statue toppling , protesting , rioting , and violence that plagued American cities for much of the summer .
Given the Democrats ’ Faustian bargain with their leftmost faction , destructive rumors about Biden ’ s faculties or his family ’ s financial escapades will more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left wing , eager for a Harris presidency , rather than from the Republican opposition .
Biden will enter office with an ethical cloud hanging over his head—one that could have been vetted and adjudicated rather than blacked out for most of 2020 .
His son , brother , and perhaps family associates may talk if faced with FBI and IRS probes , if not a special counsel investigation .
It will not help Biden that to defeat Trump , many of our institutions were deformed .
Special counsels usually never receive a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assemble a team of partisans to investigate a new president on mostly hearsay evidence and an opposition-concocted dossier .
But that precedent ended with the ill-conceived Robert Mueller investigation .
By spring , Biden could have done to him what was done to Trump—and what Biden himself so frequently cheered on .
Nor do we impeach presidents often , especially knowing that the Senate will acquit them when there is no alleged crime , as outlined in the Constitution .
That bar is also gone .
Should the Republicans hold the Senate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do what the Democrats did in 2020 .
But if they were to impeach Biden as a possible beneficiary of his family ’ s foreign influence-peddling , a Republican-controlled Senate might not so easily acquit him .
Biden variously called Trump supporters “ ugly folk ” and “ chumps.
” He compared the president to Joseph Goebbels , Adolf Hitler ’ s Nazi propagandist .
Biden smeared Trump by referring to him as the nation ’ s first racist president .
Half the nation will take some time to forget all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take longer , given that the left forgot the ancient Thucydidean warning to us not to destroy the very institutions whose protections one day we may need .
Biden should hope that a rogue FBI does not conduct freelance investigations of him the way it did to Trump .
Let Biden pray there is not a partisan medical community to diagnose him as impaired and suited for 25th Amendment removal , as was the case with Trump .
Biden should hope that if Republicans hold the Senate in January , they do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly every Trump nominee .
If they were to do that as a majority party in both chambers of Congress , Biden would have trouble confirming even a single judge .
So let us celebrate Biden ’ s call to unity .
But Biden should hope that the opposition will not do to him and his party what the Democrats did so bitterly to Trump .
( C ) 2020 Tribune Content Agency , LLC .

Former Vice President Joe Biden will be our next president. But he will face Nemesis in a way that few other presidents have ever encountered the cruel Greek god. Biden’s hubris and that of the media/Democratic Party fusion almost guarantee such divine retribution.
Once the last of the other Democratic primary candidates dropped out and Biden was nominated, all prior negative media stories about his apparent cognitive decline and his family’s financial entanglements disappeared.
From April 2020 on, a virtual news blackout surrounded Biden. His rare interviews were scripted. Biden communiques were teleprompted. Press conferences were either nonexistent or revolved around his favorite milkshake or his socks.
Mentions of Hunter Biden‘s business dealings in China and Ukraine were taboo. It was sinful to reference reports of a Hunter Biden email allegedly detailing a 10% distribution of such revenue to the “Big Guy”—presumably Joe Biden.
Unlike President Donald Trump, Joe Biden never really campaigned. After the primaries, he outsourced his fall 2020 campaign to subordinates and pet journalists to attack Trump.
So is Biden the centrist old Joe from Scranton, or the recently reinvented hard-left running mate of Sen. Kamala Harris? Both or neither? Will he keep the booming pre-COVID-19 Trump economy to claim as his own? Or will he go full socialist to apply a Bernie Sanders-style makeover to it?
A President Biden cannot avoid the press forever. He will soon face unscripted meetings with foreign leaders. He will have to meet dozens of movers and shakers each week. Is he or the nation prepared for the consequences of his return to normality after nearly a year of media fawning and forced isolation?
To win, the Democrats knowingly drafted the 77-year old Biden (who has since turned 78) to put a familiar veneer on radical agendas that had frightened primary voters. At times, Democrats seemed fated to be directly tied to the statue toppling, protesting, rioting, and violence that plagued American cities for much of the summer.
Given the Democrats’ Faustian bargain with their leftmost faction, destructive rumors about Biden’s faculties or his family’s financial escapades will more likely come from his own party’s left wing, eager for a Harris presidency, rather than from the Republican opposition.
Biden will enter office with an ethical cloud hanging over his head—one that could have been vetted and adjudicated rather than blacked out for most of 2020. His son, brother, and perhaps family associates may talk if faced with FBI and IRS probes, if not a special counsel investigation.
It will not help Biden that to defeat Trump, many of our institutions were deformed. Special counsels usually never receive a blank check—22 months and $32 million—to assemble a team of partisans to investigate a new president on mostly hearsay evidence and an opposition-concocted dossier.
But that precedent ended with the ill-conceived Robert Mueller investigation. By spring, Biden could have done to him what was done to Trump—and what Biden himself so frequently cheered on.
Nor do we impeach presidents often, especially knowing that the Senate will acquit them when there is no alleged crime, as outlined in the Constitution. That bar is also gone.
Should the Republicans hold the Senate and take the House in 2022, they could do what the Democrats did in 2020. But if they were to impeach Biden as a possible beneficiary of his family’s foreign influence-peddling, a Republican-controlled Senate might not so easily acquit him.
Biden variously called Trump supporters “ugly folk” and “chumps.” He compared the president to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi propagandist. Biden smeared Trump by referring to him as the nation’s first racist president.
Half the nation will take some time to forget all that. The repair of warped protocols will take longer, given that the left forgot the ancient Thucydidean warning to us not to destroy the very institutions whose protections one day we may need.
Biden should hope that a rogue FBI does not conduct freelance investigations of him the way it did to Trump. Let Biden pray there is not a partisan medical community to diagnose him as impaired and suited for 25th Amendment removal, as was the case with Trump.
Biden should hope that if Republicans hold the Senate in January, they do not mimic the Democratic habit of voting against nearly every Trump nominee. If they were to do that as a majority party in both chambers of Congress, Biden would have trouble confirming even a single judge.
So let us celebrate Biden’s call to unity.
But Biden should hope that the opposition will not do to him and his party what the Democrats did so bitterly to Trump.
(C)2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


dailysignal--2020-12-22--Stacey Abrams Staffer Helping Biden Pick Justice Department Team

After winning the vote in the Electoral College last week , former Vice President Joe Biden said the election process “ should be celebrated , not attacked.
” Biden derided what he called “ baseless claims about the legitimacy of the results ” of the presidential election and said , “ Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy , even if we find those results hard to accept.
” Somewhat ironically , however , the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris transition team includes a deputy director of a group founded by losing Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own 2018 defeat .
Abrams established Fair Fight Action in 2014 , four years ahead of her gubernatorial bid , but the organization took a decidedly more political turn after her loss and sued the state of Georgia , alleging a rigged election that she lost by about 55,000 votes .
Jose Morales , the deputy director for voter protection at Fair Fight Action , is serving on the agency review team to pick Biden administration staffers for the Justice Department .
Morales is working for the Biden transition team as a volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluate incoming staff for the department , as well as for the Federal Election Commission , the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , the Commission on Civil Rights , the National Council on Disability , the United States Access Board , AbilityOne , the State Justice Institute , and the Legal Services Corp. , according to the transition team ’ s website .
Morales formerly served as national constituency director for former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ’ s 2020 presidential campaign , according to the Capital Research Center , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fight Action has opposed voter ID laws and cleaning up voter registration rolls of inactive or ineligible voters .
That ’ s somewhat to be expected on a Biden team , said J. Christian Adams , a former Justice Department lawyer , now president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation , an election-integrity watchdog group .
“ Stacey Abrams is the leader of the conspiracy wing of the Democratic Party , assuming every election they don ’ t win is rigged , ” Adams told The Daily Signal .
Still , the inclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition team is not surprising , he said .
“ I can think of 50 names for the transition team worse than his .
This is not unexpected , ” Adams added .
Before that , Morales was the community engagement and projects director at the National Democratic Redistricting Committee , a group dedicated to drawing up more favorable congressional maps for Democrats run by former Attorney General Eric Holder .
He also worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , and as a programs associate at the New Organizing Institute , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic campaigns and progressive political causes .
The Washington Post called the group “ the Democratic Party ’ s Hogwarts for digital wizardry.
” “ I would like to know : Does this gentlemen have anything to do with picking staff to oversee election law , and does he believe that Stacey Abrams is the rightful governor of Georgia ?
” Capital Research Center President Scott Walter told The Daily Signal .
Walter added that this could be one example of a more politicized Justice Department under Biden .
“ Everything he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ What qualifications does he have for hiring people at DOJ ?
It could be a sign we are going back to the days of Eric Holder , when the DOJ was just a piece of the political machine.
” Founded as the Voter Access Institute in 2014 , the organization changed its name to Fair Fight Action after Abrams lost the 2018 governor ’ s race to now-Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican .
The organization also changed its bylaws that prohibited it from getting directly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made with the Georgia Secretary of State ’ s Office in December 2018 .
Abrams has denounced what she calls voter suppression across the country .
Fair Fight sued the state of Georgia , claiming minorities were denied the right to vote because of “ discriminatory voting barriers reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.
” The lawsuit didn ’ t try to reverse the outcome of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election , but did call for the state to stop updating voter rolls and to ban touch-screen voting machines .
The lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position as secretary of state , with oversight of state elections , to try to prevent minority voters from casting ballots .
In a loss for Abrams in December 2019 , the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled it would not order the state to reinstate all of the voters removed from the registration rolls because of inactivity .

After winning the vote in the Electoral College last week, former Vice President Joe Biden said the election process “should be celebrated, not attacked.”
Biden derided what he called “baseless claims about the legitimacy of the results” of the presidential election and said, “Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy, even if we find those results hard to accept.”
Somewhat ironically, however, the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris transition team includes a deputy director of a group founded by losing Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who never conceded her own 2018 defeat.
Abrams established Fair Fight Action in 2014, four years ahead of her gubernatorial bid, but the organization took a decidedly more political turn after her loss and sued the state of Georgia, alleging a rigged election that she lost by about 55,000 votes.
Jose Morales, the deputy director for voter protection at Fair Fight Action, is serving on the agency review team to pick Biden administration staffers for the Justice Department.
Morales is working for the Biden transition team as a volunteer. The Justice Department review team will evaluate incoming staff for the department, as well as for the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Commission on Civil Rights, the National Council on Disability, the United States Access Board, AbilityOne, the State Justice Institute, and the Legal Services Corp., according to the transition team’s website.
Morales formerly served as national constituency director for former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, according to the Capital Research Center, a watchdog group that monitors nonprofits.
Fair Fight Action has opposed voter ID laws and cleaning up voter registration rolls of inactive or ineligible voters.
That’s somewhat to be expected on a Biden team, said J. Christian Adams, a former Justice Department lawyer, now president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election-integrity watchdog group.
“Stacey Abrams is the leader of the conspiracy wing of the Democratic Party, assuming every election they don’t win is rigged,” Adams told The Daily Signal.
Still, the inclusion of an Abrams staffer on the Biden transition team is not surprising, he said.
“I can think of 50 names for the transition team worse than his. This is not unexpected,” Adams added.
Before that, Morales was the community engagement and projects director at the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group dedicated to drawing up more favorable congressional maps for Democrats run by former Attorney General Eric Holder.
He also worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and as a programs associate at the New Organizing Institute, a liberal group of trained digital organizers promoting Democratic campaigns and progressive political causes. The Washington Post called the group “the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts for digital wizardry.”
“I would like to know: Does this gentlemen have anything to do with picking staff to oversee election law, and does he believe that Stacey Abrams is the rightful governor of Georgia?” Capital Research Center President Scott Walter told The Daily Signal.
Walter added that this could be one example of a more politicized Justice Department under Biden.
“Everything he has done has been pure partisanship,” he said. “What qualifications does he have for hiring people at DOJ? It could be a sign we are going back to the days of Eric Holder, when the DOJ was just a piece of the political machine.”
Founded as the Voter Access Institute in 2014, the organization changed its name to Fair Fight Action after Abrams lost the 2018 governor’s race to now-Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican.
The organization also changed its bylaws that prohibited it from getting directly or indirectly involved in elections. The change was made with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office in December 2018.
Abrams has denounced what she calls voter suppression across the country.
Fair Fight sued the state of Georgia, claiming minorities were denied the right to vote because of “discriminatory voting barriers reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.”
The lawsuit didn’t try to reverse the outcome of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, but did call for the state to stop updating voter rolls and to ban touch-screen voting machines.
The lawsuit also accuses Kemp of using his former position as secretary of state, with oversight of state elections, to try to prevent minority voters from casting ballots.
In a loss for Abrams in December 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled it would not order the state to reinstate all of the voters removed from the registration rolls because of inactivity.


dailysignal--2020-12-22--Flying Blind: Congress Votes on 11th-Hour, 5,600-Page Spending Bill Unread

A terrible 2020 is coming to a close , and the American people are about to get handed a massive bill .
After months of delays and waiting , a federal stopgap spending package , combined with $ 900 billion in COVID-19 relief , is finally being released to the public .
The bill , the Consolidated Appropriations Act , is nearly 5,600 pages long .
Only now are most members of Congress seeing it in its entirety .
A House vote on the legislation , which rivals the length of the Code of Justinian and has more words than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place just hours after the text was released .
Ultimately , both the House and the Senate voted on the legislation , which passed , the same day the text was released .
Americans are hurting right now , and this isn ’ t just an ordinary downturn or financial crash .
The nation is gripped with a health crisis combined with , in many cases , a government-mandated set of lockdowns that have nearly wiped out entire industries .
So , it ’ s understandable that there will be an outsized government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to pull us out of this mess .
But is this really the right way to go about it ?
Some of the bill ’ s provisions , such as $ 600 checks to be sent to most Americans , are well-known and will be publicized , but much of the other spending won ’ t be .
It will simply trickle down to Americans in the months ahead as policy wonks—some of them my hard-working colleagues—pore over the text of the bill and sort it all out .
Not surprisingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what is supposed to be an emergency COVID-19 relief package .
The release of 5,600-page spending bills that are voted on almost immediately—unread—only reinforces the idea that Congress has abandoned its governing responsibilities .
In many cases , it has .
The idea that gigantic federal spending bills are being carefully considered and deliberated upon by the legislators closest to the people has become a farce .
Rep. Chip Roy , R-Texas , has relentlessly called out the lunacy .
Roy , along with other Republican legislators , blasted the bill in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before the text of the new spending bill was finally released .
The lawmakers wrote that House rules changes have shut down open debate on legislation , and enormous bills are voted on just hours after text is released .
“ The framers of our Constitution—the ones who spent months carefully deliberating and debating the ends and means of government in a stuffy room with the windows closed in Philadelphia over 200 years ago—never intended for us to do business this way , ” the group wrote , adding : Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was given the responsibility of thoughtfully deliberating on behalf of the American people .
That ’ s why we were elected , to ensure that we address the needs and desires of the whole American people , not just the ones whose representatives have a seat at the table of congressional leadership .
The spending decisions of our republic are now about as distant from the average person as they could possibly be .
The absurdity even provoked a rare moment of agreement between House conservatives and an avowed socialist , Rep. Alexandria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in both the size and role of the federal government has come an accelerating uptick in opaque , pork-laden legislation , an engorgement of the lobbyist and government contractor classes that orbit the federal district , and a deferment of governing responsibility to an unaccountable “ fourth branch ” of executive and legislative administrative state bureaucrats .
As such , it ’ s no surprise the Washington , D.C. , suburbs comprise the richest ZIP codes in America .
It might be business as usual in our nation ’ s capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calibrated system designed to ensure liberty and self-government .

A terrible 2020 is coming to a close, and the American people are about to get handed a massive bill.
After months of delays and waiting, a federal stopgap spending package, combined with $900 billion in COVID-19 relief, is finally being released to the public.
The bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, is nearly 5,600 pages long. Only now are most members of Congress seeing it in its entirety.
The Consolidated Appropriations Appropriations Act 2021 is 5,593 pages long. It contains 1,098,082 words. The average person reads around 250 words a minute. At that speed, it would take 3 days, 1 hour, and 12 minutes to read the bill. 1/2 — Jeremy Dalrymple (@jdalrymple_esq) December 21, 2020
A House vote on the legislation, which rivals the length of the Code of Justinian and has more words than the Bible, was scheduled to take place just hours after the text was released. Ultimately, both the House and the Senate voted on the legislation, which passed, the same day the text was released.
Americans are hurting right now, and this isn’t just an ordinary downturn or financial crash. The nation is gripped with a health crisis combined with, in many cases, a government-mandated set of lockdowns that have nearly wiped out entire industries.
So, it’s understandable that there will be an outsized government role in providing aid to the American people to pull us out of this mess.
But is this really the right way to go about it?
Some of the bill’s provisions, such as $600 checks to be sent to most Americans, are well-known and will be publicized, but much of the other spending won’t be. It will simply trickle down to Americans in the months ahead as policy wonks—some of them my hard-working colleagues—pore over the text of the bill and sort it all out.
Not surprisingly, a quick glance reveals some questionable items for what is supposed to be an emergency COVID-19 relief package.
If you own a racehorse, the coronavirus stimulus legislation has a tax break for you pic.twitter.com/WauMijyfzP — Lee Fang (@lhfang) December 21, 2020
Tucked into the stimulus bill: two new Smithsonian museums pic.twitter.com/vVwVkcXZIR — Aman Batheja (@amanbatheja) December 21, 2020
The Covid relief bill outlays funds to address gender inequality amongst statues pic.twitter.com/kx7ffMclHn — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 21, 2020
The release of 5,600-page spending bills that are voted on almost immediately—unread—only reinforces the idea that Congress has abandoned its governing responsibilities. In many cases, it has.
The idea that gigantic federal spending bills are being carefully considered and deliberated upon by the legislators closest to the people has become a farce.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, has relentlessly called out the lunacy.
The powers that be wanted more time to cook up a bloated, backroom spending "deal" without a real vote.
I called for a vote and voted no.
We shouldn't be doing this behind closed doors.
The American people are working; Congress should be doing the job they sent us here to do. pic.twitter.com/LXZEFQC2lk — Rep. Chip Roy (@RepChipRoy) December 18, 2020
Roy, along with other Republican legislators, blasted the bill in a Fox News column published a few days before the text of the new spending bill was finally released. The lawmakers wrote that House rules changes have shut down open debate on legislation, and enormous bills are voted on just hours after text is released.
“The framers of our Constitution—the ones who spent months carefully deliberating and debating the ends and means of government in a stuffy room with the windows closed in Philadelphia over 200 years ago—never intended for us to do business this way,” the group wrote, adding:
Congress, due to its nature and design, was given the responsibility of thoughtfully deliberating on behalf of the American people. That’s why we were elected, to ensure that we address the needs and desires of the whole American people, not just the ones whose representatives have a seat at the table of congressional leadership.
The spending decisions of our republic are now about as distant from the average person as they could possibly be.
The absurdity even provoked a rare moment of agreement between House conservatives and an avowed socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y.
I could not agree more. https://t.co/dPMVssarnj — Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 21, 2020
With the vast increase in both the size and role of the federal government has come an accelerating uptick in opaque, pork-laden legislation, an engorgement of the lobbyist and government contractor classes that orbit the federal district, and a deferment of governing responsibility to an unaccountable “fourth branch” of executive and legislative administrative state bureaucrats.
As such, it’s no surprise the Washington, D.C., suburbs comprise the richest ZIP codes in America.
It might be business as usual in our nation’s capital, but it’s eroding the carefully calibrated system designed to ensure liberty and self-government.


dailysignal--2020-12-22--Fitness Classes Are All but Banned in DC Over Baseless COVID-19 Fears

For many Americans , fitness studios are an important part of an active and healthy lifestyle , one that helps them remain resilient against infections , including COVID-19 , and have been linked to few , if any , outbreaks .
Closing them down seems to have real downsides and little discernible benefit in terms of COVID-19 numbers .
> > > What ’ s the best way for America to reopen and return to business ?
The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission , a project of The Heritage Foundation , assembled America ’ s top thinkers to figure that out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 260 recommendations .
Learn more here .
Even so , Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser recently issued an order that banned indoor fitness classes and reduced the limit on outdoor classes to 25 people , down from 50 .
The order came as a shock to owners of fitness studios , who have been complying with health guidance and orders for months .
It ’ s another example of government shutting down businesses , harming citizens , and imposing economic harm without any scientific evidence that these actions keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Most would agree with the ban if government at least had clear and persuasive proof that fitness studios are hot spots for transmission of COVID-19 before .
But the D.C. Health Department released new outbreak hot spot data just a few days ago—and gyms and fitness studios are not even listed .
Yet , the mayor ’ s restrictions mean many studios in the District have been forced to close and lay off employees , adding to the economic stress our country is under and contributing to the 10.7 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studio chain native to DC , [ solidcore ] , practiced civil disobedience and stayed open , as it had after previous lockdown orders .
Owner Anne Mahlum published a letter to Bowser , asking her to reconsider the order as it was not based on COVID-19 transmission data .
“ Disallowing group fitness won ’ t change the COVID numbers for one simple reason : There has been zero instances of community spreading at [ solidcore ] , or any other boutique fitness environment of which I am aware , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elevate Interval Fitness , agreed .
“ I understand what the city was attempting to do .
They were attempting to deal with bad optics and an assumed source of spread … but the only thing they accomplished was effectively hurting small fitness studios without actually increasing safety.
” Other studios took an “ adapt or die ” approach and chose to dramatically alter their business models and products .
Orangetheory Fitness , a global chain with 12 locations in the District , changed its workouts from instructor-led classes to an “ open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .
Studio owners and employees were blindsided .
Many said they had worked tirelessly to keep customers healthy by enforcing social distancing , sanitizing equipment , eliminating shared equipment , and limiting class sizes .
Some even installed specialized air filters .
Maddie Watkins , owner of 202Strong , said that “ working out in an indoor studio is safer than dining inside , as [ clients ] are masked the entire time and confined to specific zones.
” The fitness industry is an important sector of the American economy , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to families , but also because it encourages and facilitates an active , healthy lifestyle .
As Americans adjust to the societal changes brought on by COVID-19 , exercise is essential to maintaining physical and mental health and boosting the immune system .
In cities such as the District , where many urban apartment dwellers do not have space for personal exercise equipment in their homes , access to exercise facilities is even more important—especially during winter months , when it ’ s more difficult to exercise outdoors .
Fitness studios should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have been complying with local health and safety guidelines and have not been shown to increase the spread of the pandemic .
No activity involving other people is 100 % safe , but customers and businesses were doing what they could to prevent transmission of the disease—and it appeared to be working .
Responsible government policy protects the health and safety of the public .
Given there were no known instances of COVID-19 outbreaks in fitness studios or gyms in the District of Columbia , the government is out of line to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not preemptively ban activities that have not contributed to the spread of COVID-19 , and officials need to “ show their work ” before issuing harmful orders .

For many Americans, fitness studios are an important part of an active and healthy lifestyle, one that helps them remain resilient against infections, including COVID-19, and have been linked to few, if any, outbreaks.
Closing them down seems to have real downsides and little discernible benefit in terms of COVID-19 numbers.
>>> What’s the best way for America to reopen and return to business? The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled America’s top thinkers to figure that out. So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. Learn more here.
Even so, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser recently issued an order that banned indoor fitness classes and reduced the limit on outdoor classes to 25 people, down from 50. The order came as a shock to owners of fitness studios, who have been complying with health guidance and orders for months.
It’s another example of government shutting down businesses, harming citizens, and imposing economic harm without any scientific evidence that these actions keep residents safe or limit the spread of the virus.
Most would agree with the ban if government at least had clear and persuasive proof that fitness studios are hot spots for transmission of COVID-19 before. But the D.C. Health Department released new outbreak hot spot data just a few days ago—and gyms and fitness studios are not even listed.
Yet, the mayor’s restrictions mean many studios in the District have been forced to close and lay off employees, adding to the economic stress our country is under and contributing to the 10.7 million people unemployed in the U.S.
One fitness studio chain native to DC, [solidcore], practiced civil disobedience and stayed open, as it had after previous lockdown orders. Owner Anne Mahlum published a letter to Bowser, asking her to reconsider the order as it was not based on COVID-19 transmission data.
“Disallowing group fitness won’t change the COVID numbers for one simple reason: There has been zero instances of community spreading at [solidcore], or any other boutique fitness environment of which I am aware,” she wrote.
David Magida, owner of Elevate Interval Fitness, agreed. “I understand what the city was attempting to do. They were attempting to deal with bad optics and an assumed source of spread … but the only thing they accomplished was effectively hurting small fitness studios without actually increasing safety.”
Other studios took an “adapt or die” approach and chose to dramatically alter their business models and products. Orangetheory Fitness, a global chain with 12 locations in the District, changed its workouts from instructor-led classes to an “open gym” format to comply with the order.
Studio owners and employees were blindsided. Many said they had worked tirelessly to keep customers healthy by enforcing social distancing, sanitizing equipment, eliminating shared equipment, and limiting class sizes. Some even installed specialized air filters.
Maddie Watkins, owner of 202Strong, said that “working out in an indoor studio is safer than dining inside, as [clients] are masked the entire time and confined to specific zones.”
The fitness industry is an important sector of the American economy, not just because it supplies jobs and incomes to families, but also because it encourages and facilitates an active, healthy lifestyle.
As Americans adjust to the societal changes brought on by COVID-19, exercise is essential to maintaining physical and mental health and boosting the immune system.
In cities such as the District, where many urban apartment dwellers do not have space for personal exercise equipment in their homes, access to exercise facilities is even more important—especially during winter months, when it’s more difficult to exercise outdoors.
Fitness studios should not be the target of government orders when they have been complying with local health and safety guidelines and have not been shown to increase the spread of the pandemic.
No activity involving other people is 100% safe, but customers and businesses were doing what they could to prevent transmission of the disease—and it appeared to be working.
Responsible government policy protects the health and safety of the public. Given there were no known instances of COVID-19 outbreaks in fitness studios or gyms in the District of Columbia, the government is out of line to ban indoor fitness classes.
Government should not preemptively ban activities that have not contributed to the spread of COVID-19, and officials need to “show their work” before issuing harmful orders.


dailysignal--2020-12-23--Why Foreign Policy Spending in the COVID-19 Relief Bill Is Wrong

Many are upset about Congress sticking foreign aid and other international affairs spending in the COVID-19 relief bill .
They are right to be upset .
Whether Washington is crafting COVID-19 relief right is a worthy debate in itself , but the issue of all the spending tacked onto the bill also merits attention .
There certainly is no reason for spending on international programs to be part of that package .
> > > What ’ s the best way for America to reopen and return to business ?
The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission , a project of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top thinkers to figure that out .
So far , it has made more than 260 recommendations .
Learn more here .
That said , there is absolutely a place for foreign assistance in federal spending .
The U.S. is a global power with global interests and global responsibilities .
To look after Americans and their interests , sometimes it makes good sense to spend money over there , for the benefit of folks back home .
A good example of that is investment in the Three Seas Initiative .
Not only will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S. will actually turn a profit from our investments .
Another example : The Trump administration implemented a strong program in support of women in other countries , addressing issues such as property rights and rule-of-law reform , initiatives that will help those nations and make them better partners for the U.S .
These programs are realistic , with concrete deliverables promoting the values that Americans cherish , and they track right back to supporting American policy objectives that further U.S. interests .
But Americans are right to ask : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a COVID-19 relief bill ?
” That kind of spending ought to proceed through regular order .
Initiatives ought to be debated , explained , and defended so there ’ s some transparency and accountability to the process .
When they are crammed into a massive bill that lawmakers don ’ t even get to read , there ’ s no assurance to the American people that the spending makes sense .
Further , Americans have a right—and ought—to know more about their nation ’ s foreign policies and how spending benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money crammed into a suitcase and shipped overseas , Washington has failed in its fundamental responsibility to educate and explain .
Such behavior undermines support for American policies .
Shame on Washington .
Denying Americans knowledge and insight into their nation ’ s policies and actions overseas is just plain wrong .
Foreign policy is too important to be treated like special-interest spending stuffed into a bill at midnight .

Many are upset about Congress sticking foreign aid and other international affairs items in omnibus spending along with the COVID-19 relief bill. They are right to be upset.
Whether Washington is crafting COVID-19 relief right is a worthy debate in itself, but the issue of all the spending tacked onto the bill also merits attention.
There certainly is no reason for spending on international programs to be part of that package.
>>> What’s the best way for America to reopen and return to business? The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled America’s top thinkers to figure that out. So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. Learn more here.
That said, there is absolutely a place for foreign assistance in federal spending. The U.S. is a global power with global interests and global responsibilities. To look after Americans and their interests, sometimes it makes good sense to spend money over there, for the benefit of folks back home.
A good example of that is investment in the Three Seas Initiative. Not only will that help allies, in the end, the U.S. will actually turn a profit from our investments.
Another example: The Trump administration implemented a strong program in support of women in other countries, addressing issues such as property rights and rule-of-law reform, initiatives that will help those nations and make them better partners for the U.S.
It’s definitely part of a sound “America First” foreign policy.
These programs are realistic, with concrete deliverables promoting the values that Americans cherish, and they track right back to supporting American policy objectives that further U.S. interests.
But Americans are right to ask: “What the heck is this stuff doing in a COVID-19 relief bill?”
That kind of spending ought to proceed through regular order. Initiatives ought to be debated, explained, and defended so there’s some transparency and accountability to the process.
When they are crammed into a massive bill that lawmakers don’t even get to read, there’s no assurance to the American people that the spending makes sense.
Further, Americans have a right—and ought—to know more about their nation’s foreign policies and how spending benefits them. When it’s just money crammed into a suitcase and shipped overseas, Washington has failed in its fundamental responsibility to educate and explain.
Such behavior undermines support for American policies. Shame on Washington. Denying Americans knowledge and insight into their nation’s policies and actions overseas is just plain wrong.
Foreign policy is too important to be treated like special-interest spending stuffed into a bill at midnight.