printer
Well-Known Member
Sadly he will be missed.
Examples of GOP Leadership
- Thread starter injinji
- Start date
printer
Well-Known Member
Arizona Democrats tried to repeal abortion ban, but Republicans blocked them
Democrats in Arizona attempted Wednesday to repeal a law banning nearly all abortions in the state that is set to take effect because of a state Supreme Court decision a day earlier, but they were blocked in both chambers by Republicans.
The action took place in both chambers of Arizona’s Legislature.
In the House, Phoenix Republican Rep. Matt Gress joined Democrats in seeking to bring up a bill to repeal the ban, set by an 1864 law the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled must be enforced.
The motion was shot down by state Rep. David Livingston (R), who motioned for the House to head to recess and avoid a vote on the bill, The Arizona Republic reported.
In the state Senate, Democratic Sen. Anna Hernandez told The Hill she sought to make a motion for the state Senate to come back from recess to reconsider the ban, but that effort was “shut down.”
“They’re definitely blocking Democrats’ efforts to repeal this,” Hernandez told The Hill.
In the state House, Democrats shouted at Republicans that there would be “blood on your hands” after they refused to examine the bill. They shouted “shame” and “save women’s lives” while pointing at their colleagues across the aisle, as seen in videos that circulated on social media.
The surprise Arizona Supreme Court decision has roiled politics in the state and beyond. Democrats see abortion rights as a key issue that could help President Biden and other candidates in the fall. Former President Trump earlier this week said he would oppose legislation banning abortion at 15 or 16 weeks, a signal that he sees the issue as dangerous for his party.
State House Speaker Ben Toma (R) told Axios that he wouldn’t support a repeal and would not permit a vote on it.
Hernandez criticized her GOP colleagues for blocking the effort to repeal the ban. She said if they were serious in saying that the 1864 ban goes too far, they would not have done so.
She said she is considering next steps with her staff and colleagues in both the Senate and the House. Hernandez said her next opportunity to introduce a motion would be next Wednesday, when the state Senate is back in session.
“I think tensions are high, emotions are high,” Hernandez said. “This is a very emotional matter for so many of us.”
State Sen. Eve Burch (D), who earned national attention last month after announcing she was going to get an abortion, called Republicans “uncommonly foolish and untrustworthy.”
“I would like to say that I’m surprised about what happened today, but I’m not. This has been consistent.”
Burch noted that GOP lawmakers in the state are in a “pretty precarious position” about future legislation “fixing the problem that they created” and upsetting their voters ahead of the election.
“The clock is ticking on the issue, and the people of Arizona are expecting us to do something now,” she said.
On Tuesday, Arizona’s Supreme Court rejected arguments that it should uphold a 15-week abortion ban that had been state law in a 4-2 decision. In throwing out that law, the court effectively put back into place a Civil War-era law — passed before Arizona became a state — that bans virtually all abortions. The law does not have exceptions for rape or incest and would make performing or receiving an abortion a felony.
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said she will not rest until she has secured the right to abortion for Arizonans. After the court’s decision, Hobbs called on state legislators to repeal the ban “immediately.” She criticized Republicans who said the 1864 law goes too far but have yet to take her up on her repeated calls to repeal the ban.
Hobbs called Wednesday’s legislative action “unconscionable.” She said the Republican-controlled Legislature “had the chance to do the right thing” but “failed.”
“As they have time and again, radical legislators protected a Civil War-era total abortion ban that jails doctors, strips women of our bodily autonomy and puts our lives at risk,” her statement said.
Democrats in Arizona attempted Wednesday to repeal a law banning nearly all abortions in the state that is set to take effect because of a state Supreme Court decision a day earlier, but they were blocked in both chambers by Republicans.
The action took place in both chambers of Arizona’s Legislature.
In the House, Phoenix Republican Rep. Matt Gress joined Democrats in seeking to bring up a bill to repeal the ban, set by an 1864 law the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled must be enforced.
The motion was shot down by state Rep. David Livingston (R), who motioned for the House to head to recess and avoid a vote on the bill, The Arizona Republic reported.
In the state Senate, Democratic Sen. Anna Hernandez told The Hill she sought to make a motion for the state Senate to come back from recess to reconsider the ban, but that effort was “shut down.”
“They’re definitely blocking Democrats’ efforts to repeal this,” Hernandez told The Hill.
In the state House, Democrats shouted at Republicans that there would be “blood on your hands” after they refused to examine the bill. They shouted “shame” and “save women’s lives” while pointing at their colleagues across the aisle, as seen in videos that circulated on social media.
The surprise Arizona Supreme Court decision has roiled politics in the state and beyond. Democrats see abortion rights as a key issue that could help President Biden and other candidates in the fall. Former President Trump earlier this week said he would oppose legislation banning abortion at 15 or 16 weeks, a signal that he sees the issue as dangerous for his party.
State House Speaker Ben Toma (R) told Axios that he wouldn’t support a repeal and would not permit a vote on it.
Hernandez criticized her GOP colleagues for blocking the effort to repeal the ban. She said if they were serious in saying that the 1864 ban goes too far, they would not have done so.
She said she is considering next steps with her staff and colleagues in both the Senate and the House. Hernandez said her next opportunity to introduce a motion would be next Wednesday, when the state Senate is back in session.
“I think tensions are high, emotions are high,” Hernandez said. “This is a very emotional matter for so many of us.”
State Sen. Eve Burch (D), who earned national attention last month after announcing she was going to get an abortion, called Republicans “uncommonly foolish and untrustworthy.”
“I would like to say that I’m surprised about what happened today, but I’m not. This has been consistent.”
Burch noted that GOP lawmakers in the state are in a “pretty precarious position” about future legislation “fixing the problem that they created” and upsetting their voters ahead of the election.
“The clock is ticking on the issue, and the people of Arizona are expecting us to do something now,” she said.
On Tuesday, Arizona’s Supreme Court rejected arguments that it should uphold a 15-week abortion ban that had been state law in a 4-2 decision. In throwing out that law, the court effectively put back into place a Civil War-era law — passed before Arizona became a state — that bans virtually all abortions. The law does not have exceptions for rape or incest and would make performing or receiving an abortion a felony.
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) said she will not rest until she has secured the right to abortion for Arizonans. After the court’s decision, Hobbs called on state legislators to repeal the ban “immediately.” She criticized Republicans who said the 1864 law goes too far but have yet to take her up on her repeated calls to repeal the ban.
Hobbs called Wednesday’s legislative action “unconscionable.” She said the Republican-controlled Legislature “had the chance to do the right thing” but “failed.”
“As they have time and again, radical legislators protected a Civil War-era total abortion ban that jails doctors, strips women of our bodily autonomy and puts our lives at risk,” her statement said.
Arizona Democrats tried to repeal abortion ban, but Republicans blocked them
Democrats in Arizona attempted Wednesday to repeal a law banning nearly all abortions in the state that is set to take effect because of a state Supreme Court decision a day earlier, but they were …
thehill.com
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
You know since these republican chuckleheads like resurrecting old laws and such , maybe we should do the same …. Western justice by a rope.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
naah. Such liberties (!) only benefit the lawless.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
JUST IN: Climate protester gets absolutely tossed after confronting Democrat Senator Joe Manchin.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 2, 2024
The incident started when a climate activist called Manchin a “sick f**k” to his face.
The comment clearly seemed to irritate Manchin who quickly got up and confronted the… pic.twitter.com/Ex5n3VMoWH
compassionateExotic
Well-Known Member
printer
Well-Known Member
Trump, Johnson to tout bill to prevent noncitizen voting: Report
Former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are teaming up to promote a bill to keep noncitizens from voting in federal elections, according to a report by USA Today.
Johnson is set to visit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence Friday to drum up the proposal, amid tensions with his Trump-aligned right flank over bipartisan proposals in the House.
A show of mutual support between the two top Republicans on a unifying issue for the party could help to heal the rift between Johnson and House conservatives, or at least stop the bleeding in the wake of an embarrassing procedural defeat on surveillance authority on Wednesday.
But the core proposal behind the Mar-a-Lago summit seeks to address an issue that is both rare and already illegal.
A search of the Heritage Foundation’s database of voter fraud for noncitizen voting and registration and naturalization fraud yields fewer than 50 results out of 1,499 proven instances recorded by the group.
Foreign nationals are explicitly banned from voting in any federal election under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, though a few jurisdictions allow noncitizens to vote in local elections such as municipal and school board elections.
The District of Columbia this year enacted a law allowing noncitizen residents to vote in all nonfederal elections. A federal judge in March dismissed a lawsuit against that law.
But because noncitizen voting in federal elections is barred by law, any such instance would constitute voter fraud.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there is no evidence that noncitizen voting or other instances of voter fraud have had an impact on election outcomes.
The issue of noncitizen voting — and the associated idea that migrants come to the United States to interfere in elections — has become one of the central tenets of Trump’s immigration pitch.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign and Johnson’s office for comment.
On Wednesday, Trump published a Truth Social post where he made a series of statements about immigration in response to reports that President Biden is considering an asylum crackdown via executive order.
Trump’s post included a false claim accusing Biden of seeking to “turn” undocumented immigrants into voting citizens.
Most undocumented immigrants don’t have a legal path to citizenship, and immigrants who do have papers and a path to citizenship typically take years, if not decades, to naturalize and become voters.
Former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are teaming up to promote a bill to keep noncitizens from voting in federal elections, according to a report by USA Today.
Johnson is set to visit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence Friday to drum up the proposal, amid tensions with his Trump-aligned right flank over bipartisan proposals in the House.
A show of mutual support between the two top Republicans on a unifying issue for the party could help to heal the rift between Johnson and House conservatives, or at least stop the bleeding in the wake of an embarrassing procedural defeat on surveillance authority on Wednesday.
But the core proposal behind the Mar-a-Lago summit seeks to address an issue that is both rare and already illegal.
A search of the Heritage Foundation’s database of voter fraud for noncitizen voting and registration and naturalization fraud yields fewer than 50 results out of 1,499 proven instances recorded by the group.
Foreign nationals are explicitly banned from voting in any federal election under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, though a few jurisdictions allow noncitizens to vote in local elections such as municipal and school board elections.
The District of Columbia this year enacted a law allowing noncitizen residents to vote in all nonfederal elections. A federal judge in March dismissed a lawsuit against that law.
But because noncitizen voting in federal elections is barred by law, any such instance would constitute voter fraud.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there is no evidence that noncitizen voting or other instances of voter fraud have had an impact on election outcomes.
The issue of noncitizen voting — and the associated idea that migrants come to the United States to interfere in elections — has become one of the central tenets of Trump’s immigration pitch.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign and Johnson’s office for comment.
On Wednesday, Trump published a Truth Social post where he made a series of statements about immigration in response to reports that President Biden is considering an asylum crackdown via executive order.
Trump’s post included a false claim accusing Biden of seeking to “turn” undocumented immigrants into voting citizens.
Most undocumented immigrants don’t have a legal path to citizenship, and immigrants who do have papers and a path to citizenship typically take years, if not decades, to naturalize and become voters.
Trump, Johnson to tout bill to prevent noncitizen voting: Report
Former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are teaming up to promote a bill to keep noncitizens from voting in federal elections, according to a report by USA Today. Johnson is set to …
thehill.com
doublejj
Well-Known Member
US Billionaires Have Doubled Their Wealth Since 2017 Trump Tax Overhaul
Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, U.S. billionaire wealth has doubled, from an already staggering $2.9 trillion. In 2017, none of the richest Americans were centi-billionaires, meaning that they did not have over $100 billion; now, the top 10 U.S. billionaires are all centi-billionaires.
Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, U.S. billionaire wealth has doubled, from an already staggering $2.9 trillion. In 2017, none of the richest Americans were centi-billionaires, meaning that they did not have over $100 billion; now, the top 10 U.S. billionaires are all centi-billionaires.
US Billionaires Have Doubled Their Wealth Since 2017 Trump Tax Overhaul
Billionaires now control 1 out of every 25 dollars of American wealth.
truthout.org
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
Of COURSE Trump wants Congress to blind US security agencies to keep them from monitoring Russian spies' communications with his campaign.
Hugo Phurst
Well-Known Member
hmmm....
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
This is one of the reasons why this election is so important. Given another ten years, the wealth/power inequity between a few families and the rest of the country will be so large it can't be balanced through democratic means.US Billionaires Have Doubled Their Wealth Since 2017 Trump Tax Overhaul
Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, U.S. billionaire wealth has doubled, from an already staggering $2.9 trillion. In 2017, none of the richest Americans were centi-billionaires, meaning that they did not have over $100 billion; now, the top 10 U.S. billionaires are all centi-billionaires.
US Billionaires Have Doubled Their Wealth Since 2017 Trump Tax Overhaul
Billionaires now control 1 out of every 25 dollars of American wealth.truthout.org
printer
Well-Known Member
Sigh. Maybe a science exam before a person can run for office?
Maine Republican blames mass shooting on law expanding abortion access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortion access in the state.
In a fiery floor speech Wednesday, Lemelin warned against passing L.D.227 – which seeks to protect individuals who get abortions or gender-affirming care in Maine from facing legal consequences in other states – saying, “L.D. 227 will have severe consequences.”
Lemelin said he warned last year that there would be five consequences to passing L.D. 1619, which expanded abortion access. The first four, he said, were the storms “that wreaked havoc on Maine.” The fifth was the shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
“Meditate on this, Madam Speaker, when 1619 passed and went into law on October 25, you told God, ‘Life doesn’t matter,’” Lemelin said in his floor speech, adding, “Keep in mind that the law came into effect on October 25. God heard you and the horrible events on October 25 happened.”
A second state lawmaker, Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R), stood up and gave a brief statement in agreement with Lemelin’s speech.
“I just wanted to stand and say that I agree with Representative Lemelin and everything he said. Thank you,” Rudnicki said.
The Hill has reached out to both Lemeliun and Rudnicki.
The remarks drew immediate condemnation in the chamber, from members on both sides of the aisle.
State Rep. Rachel Henderson (R) later rose to describe his remarks as “reprehensible.”
“Although it’s not my place, I apologize to every member who was here and heard that and took offense,” Henderson said.
“I’m proud of where I stand. I’m proud of the positions that I take, but tonight I am not proud to be a Republican. I am not proud to have an ‘R’ in front of my name,” she added.
“Nowhere in the Bible do I see where the word of God is to be used as a weapon against people, or where we are told to speak on behalf of God to express his wrath to the people,” Henderson said. “The statements made today, I will not speak to the character or the motives, but those statements were reprehensible and ones that I do not support, and I do not get behind.”
State Assistant House Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier (D) issued a statement condemning the two members’ behavior.
“The remarks delivered tonight on the House floor by Rep. Lemelin and affirmed by Rep. Rudnicki insinuating that the Legislature somehow caused the October tragedy in Lewiston are as asinine as they are reprehensible. We are dismayed by this stunning lack of respect, deeply troubling absence of empathy and infuriating disregard for the victims, their families and everyone in our community whose hearts remain shattered by this horrific act of senseless violence,” Cloutier wrote.
“I know that I speak for the entire Lewiston House delegation in saying that these sentiments have absolutely no place in this chamber or in our public discourse and should be universally condemned by anyone who has even an ounce of basic human decency,” she added.
Lemelin and Rudnicki are slated for a censure vote Thursday, in response to their remarks on the floor the previous day.
Maine Republican blames mass shooting on law expanding abortion access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortion access in the state.
In a fiery floor speech Wednesday, Lemelin warned against passing L.D.227 – which seeks to protect individuals who get abortions or gender-affirming care in Maine from facing legal consequences in other states – saying, “L.D. 227 will have severe consequences.”
Lemelin said he warned last year that there would be five consequences to passing L.D. 1619, which expanded abortion access. The first four, he said, were the storms “that wreaked havoc on Maine.” The fifth was the shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
“Meditate on this, Madam Speaker, when 1619 passed and went into law on October 25, you told God, ‘Life doesn’t matter,’” Lemelin said in his floor speech, adding, “Keep in mind that the law came into effect on October 25. God heard you and the horrible events on October 25 happened.”
A second state lawmaker, Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R), stood up and gave a brief statement in agreement with Lemelin’s speech.
“I just wanted to stand and say that I agree with Representative Lemelin and everything he said. Thank you,” Rudnicki said.
The Hill has reached out to both Lemeliun and Rudnicki.
The remarks drew immediate condemnation in the chamber, from members on both sides of the aisle.
State Rep. Rachel Henderson (R) later rose to describe his remarks as “reprehensible.”
“Although it’s not my place, I apologize to every member who was here and heard that and took offense,” Henderson said.
“I’m proud of where I stand. I’m proud of the positions that I take, but tonight I am not proud to be a Republican. I am not proud to have an ‘R’ in front of my name,” she added.
“Nowhere in the Bible do I see where the word of God is to be used as a weapon against people, or where we are told to speak on behalf of God to express his wrath to the people,” Henderson said. “The statements made today, I will not speak to the character or the motives, but those statements were reprehensible and ones that I do not support, and I do not get behind.”
State Assistant House Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier (D) issued a statement condemning the two members’ behavior.
“The remarks delivered tonight on the House floor by Rep. Lemelin and affirmed by Rep. Rudnicki insinuating that the Legislature somehow caused the October tragedy in Lewiston are as asinine as they are reprehensible. We are dismayed by this stunning lack of respect, deeply troubling absence of empathy and infuriating disregard for the victims, their families and everyone in our community whose hearts remain shattered by this horrific act of senseless violence,” Cloutier wrote.
“I know that I speak for the entire Lewiston House delegation in saying that these sentiments have absolutely no place in this chamber or in our public discourse and should be universally condemned by anyone who has even an ounce of basic human decency,” she added.
Lemelin and Rudnicki are slated for a censure vote Thursday, in response to their remarks on the floor the previous day.
Maine Republican blames mass shooting on law expanding abortion access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortio…
thehill.com
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Dominionists consider science to be blasphemy.Sigh. Maybe a science exam before a person can run for office?
Maine Republican blames mass shooting on law expanding abortion access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortion access in the state.
In a fiery floor speech Wednesday, Lemelin warned against passing L.D.227 – which seeks to protect individuals who get abortions or gender-affirming care in Maine from facing legal consequences in other states – saying, “L.D. 227 will have severe consequences.”
Lemelin said he warned last year that there would be five consequences to passing L.D. 1619, which expanded abortion access. The first four, he said, were the storms “that wreaked havoc on Maine.” The fifth was the shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
“Meditate on this, Madam Speaker, when 1619 passed and went into law on October 25, you told God, ‘Life doesn’t matter,’” Lemelin said in his floor speech, adding, “Keep in mind that the law came into effect on October 25. God heard you and the horrible events on October 25 happened.”
A second state lawmaker, Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R), stood up and gave a brief statement in agreement with Lemelin’s speech.
“I just wanted to stand and say that I agree with Representative Lemelin and everything he said. Thank you,” Rudnicki said.
The Hill has reached out to both Lemeliun and Rudnicki.
The remarks drew immediate condemnation in the chamber, from members on both sides of the aisle.
State Rep. Rachel Henderson (R) later rose to describe his remarks as “reprehensible.”
“Although it’s not my place, I apologize to every member who was here and heard that and took offense,” Henderson said.
“I’m proud of where I stand. I’m proud of the positions that I take, but tonight I am not proud to be a Republican. I am not proud to have an ‘R’ in front of my name,” she added.
“Nowhere in the Bible do I see where the word of God is to be used as a weapon against people, or where we are told to speak on behalf of God to express his wrath to the people,” Henderson said. “The statements made today, I will not speak to the character or the motives, but those statements were reprehensible and ones that I do not support, and I do not get behind.”
State Assistant House Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier (D) issued a statement condemning the two members’ behavior.
“The remarks delivered tonight on the House floor by Rep. Lemelin and affirmed by Rep. Rudnicki insinuating that the Legislature somehow caused the October tragedy in Lewiston are as asinine as they are reprehensible. We are dismayed by this stunning lack of respect, deeply troubling absence of empathy and infuriating disregard for the victims, their families and everyone in our community whose hearts remain shattered by this horrific act of senseless violence,” Cloutier wrote.
“I know that I speak for the entire Lewiston House delegation in saying that these sentiments have absolutely no place in this chamber or in our public discourse and should be universally condemned by anyone who has even an ounce of basic human decency,” she added.
Lemelin and Rudnicki are slated for a censure vote Thursday, in response to their remarks on the floor the previous day.
Maine Republican blames mass shooting on law expanding abortion access
Maine State Rep. Michael Lemelin (R) on Wednesday said the Lewiston mass shooting in October that left 18 people dead was a consequence from God after state lawmakers passed a law expanding abortio…thehill.com
I hope this guy gets trounced in the coming election.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
“I know this menu better than you do,” he told workers. “I probably know it better than anybody in here.”
Then he boofed them …
printer
Well-Known Member
What, no cheeseburger?
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
topcat
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that's becoming standard. He told Macdoggle's workers the same thing. He likely stiffed this restaurant, too.
printer
Well-Known Member
Senate Republicans furious over Trump trying to derail FISA bill
Senate Republicans vented their frustration after former President Trump helped derail a compromise House bill to extend Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authority, sending lawmakers scrambling to find a Plan B to keep the nation’s intelligence agencies from losing their ability to spy on adversaries and terrorists.
Republican senators are warning that the nation’s spy program is about to go “dark” and that much of the intelligence that goes into President Biden’s daily briefing could be lost, putting the nation at risk for surprise attacks.
“I’m very disappointed in President Trump’s assessment of FISA. It is an essential tool. It may need to be amended but it is absolutely essential, as everyone in the intelligence community will tell you,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned that failure to pass the bill would cripple the nation’s intelligence gathering. “If we can’t spy on foreign terrorists and foreign spies overseas, we’re out of the intelligence business,” he said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), another member of the Intelligence Committee, pointed out that much of the national security intelligence provided to Biden on a daily basis comes from information gathered under FISA’s Section 702. “So I think we need to reform it, not end it,” Cornyn said. Asked what it would mean for national security if Congress killed FISA’s warrantless surveillance authority under Section 702, Cornyn warned: “We’d go dark on a lot of threats. I’m hoping there can be a more extended conversation about what the reforms should look like.”
Trump effectively derailed a House bill to extend the expanded surveillance powers by urging Congress on Friday to “kill FISA.” “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” Trump fumed on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Nineteen House Republicans heeded that demand and blocked the bill from advancing on the House floor Wednesday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his allies scrambled Thursday to come up with a Plan B to reauthorize the program before the looming April 19 deadline, and the House Rules Committee met to tee up a similar version of the measure for a floor vote Friday.
A number of the GOP holdouts signaled that after negotiations, they were willing to help advance the measure on the House floor, but not all were ready to give it their OK, and Johnson can afford to lose only two votes.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) knocked Trump for imperiling the future of the national security program because of his personal beef with the FBI and other intelligence agencies over the wiretapping of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the 2016 election. “I know that for President Trump much of what happens in the world, in his mind, revolves around him, but FISA is actually designed to prevent another 9/11 or worse, and it’s been used extensively by our law enforcement to protect Americans. And if FISA were eliminated, American lives are going to be lost,” he said. Romney said that Trump’s call to kill FISA is “a very dangerous position.” “If there are reforms that are necessary to avoid abuse, then by all means let’s enact those reforms, but let’s not throw out something that’s so essential to the life and well-being of our citizens,” he said.
Former Trump Attorney General William Barr told The Hill on Wednesday that Trump’s opposition to FISA seems to be more motivated by personal animus than a substantive policy disagreement or concern for Fourth Amendment protections. “I think President Trump’s opposition seems to have stemmed from personal pique rather than any logic and reason. The provision that he objects to has nothing to do with the provision on the floor,” he said, referring to the legislation reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA, which stalled in the House on Wednesday after 19 Republicans voted to defeat a rule to advance it.
Barr warned that allowing the program to lapse would put the nation at risk of attack. “I hope for Republicans’ sake that there are no attacks, because if there are, I think there will be blood on people’s hands for doing this. It’s reckless,” he said. Barr and multiple senators, including Rubio, pointed out that the FBI initiated a wiretap on Page, Trump’s former campaign aide, in 2016 under Section 1 of FISA, which is not at issue in the House reauthorization bill. And they noted that the FBI obtained a warrant from a FISA court to surveil Page.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said the former president went too far in calling for the termination of FISA and Section 702. “I disagree with him,” he said. “I’ve worked with the FBI, I’ve seen the briefing on reforms, I believe that they’ve addressed concerns, and I think the world is far too dangerous now for us to go dark.” Tillis said Republican lawmakers have to work with the Biden administration to keep the nation safe, and if Trump wants additional changes to the program, he should work with Congress on new reforms if he’s elected president in November. “It’s our job to take care of the business today. We can have this discussion with a future President Trump, but I believe if we go dark, it will make this country and this world a lot more dangerous, and that’s why I support it, with all due respect to President Trump,” he said.
Some Republicans, however, applauded Trump’s intervention on the issue. “I agree completely,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a libertarian-leaning conservative, of Trump’s call to “kill FISA.” “I’ve never felt like you can evade the Constitution to get information on Americans,” he said. “Inside the country, the Constitution applies, and this enormous 702 database I would guess has tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of bits of information on Americans. “I think 702 is a terrible program as applied to Americans,” he said.
It’s just the latest example of Trump undercutting Republican leaders on Capitol Hill at the last minute and putting high-priority legislation into a tailspin. Trump killed the bipartisan Senate border security deal in February, telling GOP lawmakers at the time to oppose it because he didn’t want to give Biden a legislative victory on border security. And the former president made a run at derailing a $95 billion emergency foreign aid package that included $60 billion for Ukraine, which the Senate passed in February with 70 votes. Trump made phone calls to GOP senators urging them to vote against the legislation, depriving it of majority support within the Senate Republican Conference.
But Republican senators are flummoxed that U.S. intelligence agencies may lose critical intelligence-gathering authority in a few days because Trump helped quash a House bill to extend that authority. “There are a lot of reason why we can’t let it go dark. There are things that need to be fixed and reformed, and I think that’s what the focus should be. But it’s a tool that we really need to keep America safe,” Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) said.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, pointed out that an individual who was threatening to shoot up churches in Idaho was recently arrested before he could carry out any attacks. “If that individual had gone in and murdered a bunch of people and then the news came out later, ‘We saw it, we knew about it, but couldn’t do anything about it,’ the whole country would be up in arms about it,” he said. Lankford acknowledged he doesn’t know if that particular threat was stopped because of expanded FISA surveillance authority, but he argued: “It’s not occasional. There are threats coming at our country all the time.”
Senate Republicans vented their frustration after former President Trump helped derail a compromise House bill to extend Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authority, sending lawmakers scrambling to find a Plan B to keep the nation’s intelligence agencies from losing their ability to spy on adversaries and terrorists.
Republican senators are warning that the nation’s spy program is about to go “dark” and that much of the intelligence that goes into President Biden’s daily briefing could be lost, putting the nation at risk for surprise attacks.
“I’m very disappointed in President Trump’s assessment of FISA. It is an essential tool. It may need to be amended but it is absolutely essential, as everyone in the intelligence community will tell you,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned that failure to pass the bill would cripple the nation’s intelligence gathering. “If we can’t spy on foreign terrorists and foreign spies overseas, we’re out of the intelligence business,” he said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), another member of the Intelligence Committee, pointed out that much of the national security intelligence provided to Biden on a daily basis comes from information gathered under FISA’s Section 702. “So I think we need to reform it, not end it,” Cornyn said. Asked what it would mean for national security if Congress killed FISA’s warrantless surveillance authority under Section 702, Cornyn warned: “We’d go dark on a lot of threats. I’m hoping there can be a more extended conversation about what the reforms should look like.”
Trump effectively derailed a House bill to extend the expanded surveillance powers by urging Congress on Friday to “kill FISA.” “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” Trump fumed on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Nineteen House Republicans heeded that demand and blocked the bill from advancing on the House floor Wednesday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his allies scrambled Thursday to come up with a Plan B to reauthorize the program before the looming April 19 deadline, and the House Rules Committee met to tee up a similar version of the measure for a floor vote Friday.
A number of the GOP holdouts signaled that after negotiations, they were willing to help advance the measure on the House floor, but not all were ready to give it their OK, and Johnson can afford to lose only two votes.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) knocked Trump for imperiling the future of the national security program because of his personal beef with the FBI and other intelligence agencies over the wiretapping of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the 2016 election. “I know that for President Trump much of what happens in the world, in his mind, revolves around him, but FISA is actually designed to prevent another 9/11 or worse, and it’s been used extensively by our law enforcement to protect Americans. And if FISA were eliminated, American lives are going to be lost,” he said. Romney said that Trump’s call to kill FISA is “a very dangerous position.” “If there are reforms that are necessary to avoid abuse, then by all means let’s enact those reforms, but let’s not throw out something that’s so essential to the life and well-being of our citizens,” he said.
Former Trump Attorney General William Barr told The Hill on Wednesday that Trump’s opposition to FISA seems to be more motivated by personal animus than a substantive policy disagreement or concern for Fourth Amendment protections. “I think President Trump’s opposition seems to have stemmed from personal pique rather than any logic and reason. The provision that he objects to has nothing to do with the provision on the floor,” he said, referring to the legislation reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA, which stalled in the House on Wednesday after 19 Republicans voted to defeat a rule to advance it.
Barr warned that allowing the program to lapse would put the nation at risk of attack. “I hope for Republicans’ sake that there are no attacks, because if there are, I think there will be blood on people’s hands for doing this. It’s reckless,” he said. Barr and multiple senators, including Rubio, pointed out that the FBI initiated a wiretap on Page, Trump’s former campaign aide, in 2016 under Section 1 of FISA, which is not at issue in the House reauthorization bill. And they noted that the FBI obtained a warrant from a FISA court to surveil Page.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said the former president went too far in calling for the termination of FISA and Section 702. “I disagree with him,” he said. “I’ve worked with the FBI, I’ve seen the briefing on reforms, I believe that they’ve addressed concerns, and I think the world is far too dangerous now for us to go dark.” Tillis said Republican lawmakers have to work with the Biden administration to keep the nation safe, and if Trump wants additional changes to the program, he should work with Congress on new reforms if he’s elected president in November. “It’s our job to take care of the business today. We can have this discussion with a future President Trump, but I believe if we go dark, it will make this country and this world a lot more dangerous, and that’s why I support it, with all due respect to President Trump,” he said.
Some Republicans, however, applauded Trump’s intervention on the issue. “I agree completely,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a libertarian-leaning conservative, of Trump’s call to “kill FISA.” “I’ve never felt like you can evade the Constitution to get information on Americans,” he said. “Inside the country, the Constitution applies, and this enormous 702 database I would guess has tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of bits of information on Americans. “I think 702 is a terrible program as applied to Americans,” he said.
It’s just the latest example of Trump undercutting Republican leaders on Capitol Hill at the last minute and putting high-priority legislation into a tailspin. Trump killed the bipartisan Senate border security deal in February, telling GOP lawmakers at the time to oppose it because he didn’t want to give Biden a legislative victory on border security. And the former president made a run at derailing a $95 billion emergency foreign aid package that included $60 billion for Ukraine, which the Senate passed in February with 70 votes. Trump made phone calls to GOP senators urging them to vote against the legislation, depriving it of majority support within the Senate Republican Conference.
But Republican senators are flummoxed that U.S. intelligence agencies may lose critical intelligence-gathering authority in a few days because Trump helped quash a House bill to extend that authority. “There are a lot of reason why we can’t let it go dark. There are things that need to be fixed and reformed, and I think that’s what the focus should be. But it’s a tool that we really need to keep America safe,” Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) said.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, pointed out that an individual who was threatening to shoot up churches in Idaho was recently arrested before he could carry out any attacks. “If that individual had gone in and murdered a bunch of people and then the news came out later, ‘We saw it, we knew about it, but couldn’t do anything about it,’ the whole country would be up in arms about it,” he said. Lankford acknowledged he doesn’t know if that particular threat was stopped because of expanded FISA surveillance authority, but he argued: “It’s not occasional. There are threats coming at our country all the time.”
Senate Republicans furious over Trump trying to derail FISA bill
Senate Republicans vented their frustration after former President Trump helped derail a compromise House bill to extend Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authority, sending lawmakers sc…
thehill.com
