US Politics Mega-thread - Page 7970

On June 30 2017 23:06 Acrofales wrote:
So much for politics. It's way more important to pick fights with a random morning show!

On June 30 2017 23:11 Mercy13 wrote:
Anndddd Trump has successfully prevented the media from talking about healthcare for at least the next 72 hours because they'd rather talk about his tweeting.

On June 30 2017 23:14 FueledUpAndReadyToGo wrote:

Well good thing he tweeted about that too . Going full scorched earth tactics on Obamacare soon it seems

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/880737163247267840

On June 30 2017 23:11 Mercy13 wrote:
Anndddd Trump has successfully prevented the media from talking about healthcare for at least the next 72 hours because they'd rather talk about his tweeting.

After nearly two years without a budget, the state of Illinois and those who depend on it may be running out of time.

Lawmakers are scrambling to approve a new budget before a midnight deadline on Friday but an agreement between Republicans, led by Gov. Bruce Rauner, and the Democratic leaders in the legislature appears distant.

The epic political showdown started after Rauner took office in 2015, vowing to cut taxes and reduce the influence of Illinois's powerful public-sector labor unions. Most of the state government is still largely functioning through a series of court orders.

The state has accumulated nearly $15 billion in unpaid bills and state comptroller Susana Mendoza warned last week that cash reserves are so low that Illinois "will not be able to meet its core priorities, including schools," by August.

Bond rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's have threatened to downgrade the state's debts if an agreement isn't reached and blamed the "unrelenting political brinkmanship" for putting Illinois "at risk of entering a negative credit spiral."

The political fight has dragged on for so long in large part because the pain and anxiety of the budget standoff have been invisible to many in the state.

But the many non-profits that provide social services in the state, such as Fox Valley Older Adult Services, have felt the impact of the budget wars.

Located in the town of Sandwich, about 90 minutes west of Chicago, Fox Valley has contracts with the state for two programs: a day center and home-care services.

Because of the budget fight, the state owes Fox Valley $478,000 — about a third of its annual budget.

Margaret Duffy, 71, says coming to the center saved her life.

A few years ago, she'd had been laid off from her job. She lived by herself, and was getting depressed.

"You know, you didn't do anything," Duffy said. "And then the more I stayed home, and the more anxious I got."

Finally, her doctor and son got her to start coming to Fox Valley's day program.

"We laugh, number one. We sing. We play cards. We make jewelry. We paint. We take a nap if we want. We watch movies, and have a great lunch," Duffy says. "And I don't know what I'd do without it."

But in order to keep Fox Valley open, director Cindy Worsley has had to take drastic steps.

"We are still serving those people, we are still paying the aides," Worsley said. "So how do we do that? We have other bills we're not paying."

She held off a number of creditors. She asked workers to delay getting paychecks. She loaned the program money. And eventually, she even stopped paying federal payroll taxes.

"The IRS won't wait either but it takes them a little bit longer to get to you. And when they do you have to start figuring out some way to pay it, or you lose it," Worsley said.

Social service providers are suing the state over not being paid.

"What they're doing is they're banking on — in the most cynical way — they're banking on the fact that we give a damn, and we won't turn our backs on these clients, we won't shove them out into the streets, that we won't lay off our employees — until it's impossible for us to do anything else," said Andrea Durbin, who runs the "Pay Now Illinois" coalition that represents about 100 social service providers.

On June 30 2017 23:14 FueledUpAndReadyToGo wrote:

Well good thing he tweeted about that too . Going full scorched earth tactics on Obamacare soon it seems

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/880737163247267840

Bipartisan leaders on the House intelligence committee are threatening a subpoena if the White House does not clarify whether any recordings, memoranda or other documents exist of Donald Trump’s meetings with fired FBI director James Comey.

The panel had previously set a 23 June deadline for the White House to respond to the panel’s request. The day before, Trump said in a series of tweets that he “did not make, and do not have, any such recordings” but also said he has “no idea” if tapes or recordings of his conversations with Comey exist.

“With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea ... whether there are ‘tapes’ or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings,” the president wrote on Twitter.

In a 23 June letter, the White House responded to the committee request by referring to Trump’s tweets.

The committee had asked for any recordings after Trump suggested there may be tapes. He did so just days after he fired Comey, who was leading an investigation into Trump associates’ ties to Russian officials. Trump has disputed Comey’s assertion that the president asked him for a pledge of loyalty during a dinner meeting they had.

When news of Comey’s account broke, Trump tweeted that Comey “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”

A letter Thursday from Republican congressman Mike Conaway of Texas, who is leading the Russia investigation, and Democratic congressman Adam Schiff of California says Trump’s Twitter statement “stops short of clarifying” whether the White House has any tapes or documents.

Conaway and Schiff said in a statement that the letter makes clear that should the White House not respond fully, “the committee will consider using compulsory process to ensure a satisfactory response”.

Also Thursday, Democrats on two House committees asked the justice department’s inspector general to investigate whether attorney general Jeff Sessions violated his recusal from the Russia investigation by taking part in Comey’s May firing.

House oversight and judiciary committee Democrats urged inspector general Michael Horowitz to examine “a lapse in judgment”.

Sessions insisted in an appearance before the Senate intelligence committee this month that he had not violated his decision in March to recuse himself from any investigation related to inquiries involving Trump’s 2016 campaign. During his testimony, Sessions said it would be “absurd” to suggest a recusal from a single investigation would render him unable to manage leadership of the FBI.

On June 30 2017 23:50 TheTenthDoc wrote:


Didn't Trump earlier say he would NOT sign a bill repealing unless there was replacement?

On June 30 2017 23:55 On_Slaught wrote:


You're supposed to take him seriously, not literally. Duh!

Trump overrules cabinet, plots global trade war

With the political world distracted by President Trump's media wars, one of the most consequential and contentious internal debates of his presidency unfolded during a tense meeting Monday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, administration sources tell Axios.

The outcome, with a potentially profound effect on U.S. economic and foreign policy, will be decided in coming days.
With more than 20 top officials present, including Trump and Vice President Pence, the president and a small band of America First advisers made it clear they're hell-bent on imposing tariffs — potentially in the 20% range — on steel, and likely other imports.

The penalties could eventually extend to other imports. Among those that may be considered: aluminum, semiconductors, paper, and appliances like washing machines.

One official estimated the sentiment in the room as 22 against and 3 in favor — but since one of the three is named Donald Trump, it was case closed.

No decision has been made, but the President is leaning towards imposing tariffs, despite opposition from nearly all his Cabinet.

In a plan pushed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and backed by chief strategist Steve Bannon (not present at the meeting), trade policy director Peter Navarro and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, the United States would impose tariffs on China and other big exporters of steel. Neither Mike Pence nor Jared Kushner weighed in either way.

Everyone else in the room, more than 75% of those present, were adamantly opposed, arguing it was bad economics and bad global politics. At one point, Trump was told his almost entire cabinet thought this was a bad idea. But everyone left the room believing the country is headed toward a major trade confrontation.

The reason, we're told: Trump's base — which drives more and more decisions, as his popularity sinks — likes the idea, and will love the fight.

The problem, according to top officials who argued strenuously that the move is ill-advised: The trade war wouldn't just affect China. The collateral damage would include a slew of allies, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Watch for: Trump was warned — and White House officials anticipate — that an affected industry like automakers is likely to seek a court injunction within hours of any tariffs on steel.

On June 30 2017 23:14 FueledUpAndReadyToGo wrote:

Well good thing he tweeted about that too . Going full scorched earth tactics on Obamacare soon it seems

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/880737163247267840

On July 01 2017 00:01 m4ini wrote:


Sometimes you need to read between the lines though, except when he doesn't mean what he says.