Congress Catch-All

[Healing]

Jeffries should offer to help Johnson avoid a shutdown, but only if Johnson instructs the chair of the oversight committee to agree to subpoena Musk and force him to testify before passing a continuing resolution.

Nah, that doesn't matter because Musk will just lie with impunity, and mock the entire process, if he even shows.

The republicans are actively destroying constitutional order and social safety nets, all at the behest of billionaire overlords. This is Mellon as Treasury Secretary, but arguably worse because the economy and democracy are on the line. I don't think democrats should save them from self-immolation. I recognize the brutal cynicism involved, with one result the need for a commitment to local mutual aid, but you can't negotiate with bad-faith administrative terrorists, and that's who the republicans are.

If you're going to allow Dems to vote for a CR, the signed and sealed commitments from Johnson must come first, or exist, without equivocation, in the bill. Otherwise, you're relying on the word of Johnson, which is equivalent to relying on the word of don and elon.

 

[farce©]

Jeffries should offer to help Johnson avoid a shutdown, but only if Johnson instructs the chair of the oversight committee to agree to subpoena Musk and force him to testify before passing a continuing resolution.

Musk would ignore the subpoena so you gain nothing.

 

[nycfan]

Republicans fret over giving Cruz broad subpoena power of key committee​

Even Republicans might have concerns about giving Sen. Ted Cruz too much power in his new role as Commerce Committee chair.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/02/19/congress/cruzs-senate-commerce-committee-still-weighing-subpoena-authority-ahead-of-deadline-00204946

“… It puts the Texas Republican in an awkward position as he seeks to find his footing as the leader of a powerful committee with jurisdiction over some of the major issues facing Congress under a new Republican governing trifecta.

…
After nearly a month of uncertainty, GOP members of the Senate Commerce Committee met last week to discuss whether to give their chair unilateral authority to haul Big Tech CEOs before the panel, according to two people familiar with the private meeting.

Sen. Ted Cruz’s quest for such authorities has predictably frustrated Democrats, who fear it could undermine the committee’s tradition of bipartisanship. The Trump administration also made a surprise play to stop the Texas lawmaker from moving forward with his plans, anxious about his plans to go after industry with which many top government officials are quite cozy.

But one person, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the situation, indicated there is concern even among some Republicans.

“There were a variety of opinions,” the person said. “It was to take input.”

Historically, the Commerce Committee chair’s ability to issue subpoenas to compel outside witness testimony has required sign-off from the ranking member or a vote by the full committee. Cruz, who took control of the gavel in January, has been seeking a change to the committee rules to allow the chair free rein to subpoena witnesses without buy-in from committee members. …”

 

[altmin]

Florida congressman investigated for alleged DC assault as police probe their own handling

D.C. police confirm they are investigating an alleged assault by Florida Rep. Cory Mills, a Republican representing a district northeast of Orlando, calling it an active criminal investigation.

www.nbcwashington.com

Florida congressman investigated for alleged DC assault as police probe their own handling​

Rep. Cory Mills, of Florida, is being investigated after an alleged assault of a woman in The Wharf area. The Metropolitan Police Department confirms internal affairs also is investigating how the department handled the case, which did not end in an arrest​

 

[nycfan]

 

[altmin]

North Carolina Republican heckled by angry constituents as another town hall erupts

‘You have nothing to say but lies,’ the angry constituent shouted at Representative Chuck Edwards

www.independent.co.uk

A man who identified himself as a veteran heckled a Republican congressman on Thursday as yet another GOP town hall event descended into chaos.

The action erupted as Representative Chuck Edwards held a town hall in Asheville, North Carolina on Thursday evening. The lawmaker was speaking to constituents about voting yes on the House budget resolution when the crowd started booing.


“And you wonder why folks don’t want to do town halls anymore?” Edwards quipped.

In response, a man in the crowd stood up, identified himself as a veteran and began shouting at the lawmaker.

“You have nothing to say but lies,” the man yelled, as his fellow audience members laughed and cheered. “You’re lying. I’m a veteran, you don’t give a f*** about me.”

“You don’t get to take away our rights,” the man continued as security guards approached him.

Four officers surrounded the man, leading him from his seat as he continued his profanity-laden rant.

“F*** you,” he yelled as the officers walked him out. He continued to shout while walking out of the auditorium, accompanied by continued cheer and applause.

 

[nycfan]

Not sure why Mike Johnson picked this hill to die on -- kind of bizarre stand to take, TBH.

Mike Johnson Defeated Over Proxy Voting

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) prevailed in a high-stakes rules showdown against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), paving the way for the House to allow proxy voting for new and expectant parents, Punchbowl News reports. Nine

politicalwire.com

"... Nine House Republicans joined with all Democrats on a rule vote, which sought to table Luna’s discharge petition to allow proxy voting for new and expectant mothers and new fathers to vote by proxy. ..."

----
Why is anyone against proxy voting for new and expectant parents in Congress?

 

[nycfan]

Johnson Fails to Kill Bipartisan Measure to Allow Proxy Voting for New Parents

The speaker tried to use an unprecedented parliamentary maneuver to deny a bipartisan majority the chance to hold a vote on their proposal to allow new parents to vote remotely in the House.

www.nytimes.com

Johnson Fails to Kill Bipartisan Measure to Allow Proxy Voting for New Parents​

The speaker tried to use an unprecedented parliamentary maneuver to deny a bipartisan majority the chance to hold a vote on their proposal to allow new parents to vote remotely in the House.

"...In using strong-arm tactics to try to block the measure, Mr. Johnson was attempting an extraordinary use of the speaker’s power to prevent the chamber from even considering a measure backed by half its members. But he failed to peel off enough Republican votes to block the proposal, instead receiving a public rebuke at the hands of members of both parties.

The showdown on the House floor was a capstone of a long-running fight over the rights of new parents in Congress.

... There is no maternity or paternity leave for members of Congress, who can take time away from the office without sacrificing their pay but cannot vote if they are not physically in the Capitol. Proponents of the change have called it a common-sense fix to modernize Congress, where more women and more younger members serve now than did 200 years ago.

... But Mr. Johnson has adamantly opposed them at every turn, arguing that proxy voting is unacceptable and unconstitutional, even though the Supreme Court refused to take up a Republican-led lawsuit challenging pandemic-era proxy voting rules in the House. ..."

 

[nycfan]

 

[superrific]

1. It's a wild time when I'm on the side of . . . . Anna Paulina Luna! about any issue.
2. I guess child rearing is the woman's job? Why doesn't the same apply to dads?

 

[nycfan]

So bizarre

 

[nycfan]

 

[nycfan]

 

[superrific]

There are no real constitutional issues in proxy voting. Steve Scalise, it turns out, is not a constitutional law professor.

 

[lawtig02]

I hate that I love this so much.

 

[StrangePackage]

Not sure why Mike Johnson picked this hill to die on -- kind of bizarre stand to take, TBH.

Mike Johnson Defeated Over Proxy Voting

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) prevailed in a high-stakes rules showdown against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), paving the way for the House to allow proxy voting for new and expectant parents, Punchbowl News reports. Nine

politicalwire.com

"... Nine House Republicans joined with all Democrats on a rule vote, which sought to table Luna’s discharge petition to allow proxy voting for new and expectant mothers and new fathers to vote by proxy. ..."

----
Why is anyone against proxy voting for new and expectant parents in Congress?

 

[Zoo_View]

Good pron?

 

[nycfan]

House Remains Paralyzed

"Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican leadership team think that the House is completely paralyzed for the time being," Punchbowl News reports. "Top aides and allies to all three men – Johnson, House Majority Leader

politicalwire.com

“… Top aides and allies to all three men – Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer – say they believe they can’t bring any legislation to the House floor until the GOP leadership is able to turn off Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s (R-FL) discharge petition to allow proxy voting for new mothers and fathers…”

“The GOP leadership has discussed trying to kill the proxy voting resolution again next week. They would up the ante by including language in a rule that would also allow for consideration of the House-Senate budget resolution.”

 

[05C40]

My guess is that the Republican leadership is concerned that new parents might be in a condition where they would actually care about someone else in the world other than themselves and billionaires. The sort of introspective that results from caring about the vulnerable members of society have caused even the most hardened of Republicans to defy their leadership.

 

[nycfan]