US House Of Representatives

Chuck Schumer “Cave In” To Trump And Republicans A Disaster! :(

Ronald 10 Comments

Sadly, Senate Minority Leader, and formerly Senate Majority Leader in the recent past, Chuck Schumer of New York, allowed himself to cave in to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and other Republicans to support a Continuing Resolution to avoid shutdown of the government through September 30.

This action on his part, plus that of eight other Democrats and Independent Angus King of Maine, has caused an uproar in the Democratic Senate caucus, and there is discussion of challenging Schumer’s leadership, possibly removing him as Minority Leader.

Schumer could face a primary challenge in 2028 from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to comment when asked about what Schumer and others did, but it was clear he was very upset.

The Democrats, sadly, are ineffective so far on the issue of how to deal with Trump and Musk, and the danger to the Republic is really alarming, with no easy answer as to strategy.

Concern That Donald Trump Will, At Some Point, Invoke Insurrection Act Of 1807 Against Freedom Of Assembly!

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There is growing concern that President Donald Trump, who has been on a rampage of asserting power and authority in his first five weeks in office in his second term, will, at some point, when public opposition becomes more fierce, decide to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.

But the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 bans military force being used within the nation, except for the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, but those only within a state’s boundaries. This law has been updated in 1956, 1981, and 2021.

The most recent use of the Insurrection Act was in 1992, at the time of the Los Angeles Riots.

Does anyone really trust that Donald Trump would not violate these laws in an inappropriate manner if demonstrations become, in his mind, too burdensome to deal with peacefully?

This could lead to bloodshed and violence in the streets of America, and with MAGA Republicans backing their President, could evolve into a form of civil war.

The Bill of Rights is under attack in so many ways, and anarchy and chaos brought about by mass firings of government civil servants will start to affect not just those workers, but the general public.

Already, there have been some town halls in Republican Congressional Districts, causing discomfort and stress for those officeholders, and leading to recommendations from Republican leadership in the House of Representatives to reject future town halls, and ignore the growing outcry of public opinion outrage.

With Trump rejecting the close association with traditional democratic nation in Europe; with our neighbors Canada and Mexico; and with Asian nations, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand; international affairs are much more stressed, and the instability endangers the political and social climate in America.

Difficult days are ahead and some news media are, seemingly, kowtowing to Donald Trump, an alarm bell in the night, as only keeping a free and critical media can inspire the survival of American democracy!

Fighting, Outspoken Democrats Who Are Resisting Trump Coup And Elon Musk!

Ronald 19 Comments

The Democratic Party in Congress is starting to react, finally, to the Trump Coup, and Elon Musk’s involvement in attempting to destroy federal agencies and civil servants.

Among those being very loud and defiant are:

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut
Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia
Senator Adam Schiff of California
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of Texas
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida

These and other Democrats are showing up at various federal agencies, including today the Department of Education, which Donald Trump is, crazily, trying to destroy by executive order, which will not stand up!

Additionally, a large number of Democrats spoke vehemently at the Treasury Department, furious that Elon Musk and his hoodlums have gained access to federal records of tens of millions of American taxpayers!

Talk Of A Trump Third Term And Putting Trump On Mount Rushmore Pure Lunacy!

Ronald 13 Comments

The lunacy and craziness around Donald Trump continues, with talk of a Trump third term, which will never happen, as it would require a new constitutional amendment and a repeal of the 22nd Amendment!

Both would need a two thirds vote in the House of Representatives and in the US Senate, followed by three fourths of the states (38) ratifying by a majority in both houses of the state legislatures in 49 states plus the one house legislature in Nebraska.

Additionally, Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has, crazily, proposed that Donald Trump be put on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt!

First of all, putting anyone else on Mount Rushmore is a massive job, and highly unlikely ever to occur!

But if such a suggestion was to be followed through on over time, it should be Franklin D. Roosevelt, not Donald Trump!

And if one was to propose a Republican President, it would be more reasonable to put Dwight D. Eisenhower or even, although not something this author and blogger would promote, Ronald Reagan!

As it is, Mount Rushmore has a Federalist (Washington); a Democratic-Republican (Jefferson); and two Republicans (Lincoln and TR), so the argument for an additional President should be for a Democratic President, with FDR clearly the major example, or possibly Harry Truman!

All this is silliness, as there will never be additions to Mount Rushmore!

And with Trump rated either number 45 or at best number 43 tied with Franklin Pierce and above James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson, in surveys of historians and political scientists, it is truly delusional to consider him worthy of being on Mount Rushmore!

The way Trump is beginning his second Presidency will only insure that he will be number 45 in all rankings of intelligent, educated scholars, and with any American who has a brain, and ethics and morals!

The Gilded Age Returns: Dominance Of Billionaires In Trump Cabinet!

Ronald 3 Comments

It is quite clear that the “Gilded Age” of the late 19th century is returning under Donald Trump, with more than a dozen billionaires being part of his cabinet and as advisers, including most notably, although unofficially, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

The agenda is clear, to have massive tax cuts that will mostly benefit the super rich, with small tax savings for the rest of the nation.

And corporations will, sadly, dominate political discourse, and the aim seems to be to weaken or destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Therefore, the well being of every day Americans is coming under attack, with no regard for the damage that will be wrought.

It seems clear that many of the American voters who supported Donald Trump, out of ignorance and stupidity, will soon regret their decision, and realize that life will be more tough for them than they could have imagined.

It should lead to a reaction with the hope that Democrats will have the opportunity to regain control of the House of Representatives and the US Senate in 2026.

But a lot of the damage that will have been done will likely be very hard, if at all impossible, to reverse, particularly with an extremist right wing Supreme Court.

Guarantee Of Chaotic 119th Congress!

Ronald 1 Comment

The 119th Congress (2025-2027) is guaranteed to be chaotic, and might be worse in performance than the 118th Congress (2023-2025).

With the final count having finally been settled in the House of Representatives, there will be a total of 220 Republicans and 215 Democrats, but since Matt Gaetz resigned, and Michael Waltz of Florida will be National Security Adviser, and Elise Stefanik of New York will be United Nations Ambassador, the actual balance for the first few months of the new year will be 217-215, until special elections fill those three seats.

This means any one Republican abandonment, or members absent for votes, and chaos will reign, and Democrats may gain the majority on some issues, and even, if there is opposition to the Speaker by a few Republicans, could lead to new elections for the House leadership.

Also, while the Senate now has 53 Republicans, there is a high likelihood that at least four or more Republican Senators will reject a number of Donald Trump’s Cabinet appointments.

The 118th Congress was reckless and chaotic enough, but now there will be fewer Republicans than in the last Congress in the lower chamber, and some Senators will be unwilling to bow to Donald Trump on some of his outrageous nominees for the Cabinet, and other actions by the 47th President when he takes the oath of office!

Donald Trump Trying To Bully Senate Into Submission On Appointments!

admin 13 Comments

Donald Trump is clearly working to bully the Republican majority in the US Senate into submission regarding his many controversial Cabinet and other appointments, and stripping the Senate’s power of “advise and consent” on Presidential appointments.

Trump’s aim is to make the US Senate lose its status as a co-equal branch of government, along with the House of Representatives, part of his plot to establish an authoritarian executive branch, uncontrolled by the legislative branch.

In so doing, he is working to undermine the Constitution, rule of law, and American democracy.

This, despite the reality that his victory was NOT a massive one, and that he has not won a majority of all votes cast by the American people, while defeating Kamala Harris by less than a two point margin.

Trump is causing our closest allies, including the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to consider NOT sharing intelligence information.

Such an eventuality undermines American national security, and puts America in danger from its adversary nations, including Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran, among others.

Impossible To Reject All Of Trump’s Outrageous Cabinet Appointments!

admin 13 Comments

Reality must sink in, that there is no possibility to expect the Republican controlled US Senate to reject all of Donald Trump’s outrageous Cabinet appointments. Trump is not allowing FBI checks of his nominees, and threatens to force recess appointments of his nominees, if the majority Republicans do not play along!

At most, maybe one might be stopped, with the one thought to be most likely being Attorney General nominee, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who has most members of the House of his party, and many Republican Senators really opposed to him, based on his scandalous life, but also his horrendous relationships with fellow Republicans over the years.

Sadly, Director of National Intelligence nominee, former Congresswoman and Democrat Tulsi Gabbard; Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr (also a former Democrat); and Pete Hegseth, Fox News host and nominee for Secretary of Defense, despite horrendous information about all three of them, will unlikely be able to be stopped.

All of these male nominees have been accused of sexual harassment and sexual abuse, but will likely overcome accusations of their misbehaviors, as Donald Trump has managed to do so throughout his life!

The idea that America’s Justice Department; Intelligence Agencies; Health Care System; and Military and Defense establishment are under attack by extremists chosen by a President who is out to destroy the existing system of American democracy, is a reality hard to accept.

All decent people, including this author and blogger, are fighting off a sense of despair and depression, but knowing that if good people give in and give up, then the damage done will be greater, than if there is resistance.

Unqualified And Controversial Trump Appointments Abound In Early Selections!

admin 35 Comments

When one observes Donald Trump’s early appointments, one concludes that he has decided to name unqualified individuals to a multitude of major positions.

When one can say that Florida Senator Marco Rubio becoming Secretary of State is the “best” appointment of a horrendous list, that summarizes what a disaster the nation is facing!

Rubio has 14 years of Senate experience, and is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and while no great intellectual, he meets the minimum requirements to lead our foreign policy establishment, but is no star in any sense.

But then, one looks at other appointments:

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News Host, as Secretary of Defense
Kristi Noem, South Dakota Governor, as Secretary of Homeland Security
Elise Stafanek, NY Congresswoman, as United Nations Ambassador
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, as US Ambassador to Israel
Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii as Director Of National Intelligence
Lee Zeldin, former NY Congressman, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency

Pete Hegseth is a total surprise to the Pentagon with no real credentials to head the Pentagon.

Kristi Noem has ZERO experience to head Homeland Security, and has been an embarrassment as Governor of a very small state, South Dakota.

Elise Stefanik is an ultimate example of an individual who transformed, conveniently, from being a moderate Republican to a MAGA Republican, as a way to advance her career.

Mike Huckabee is a Christian Zionist, whose ultimate aim is to convert Jews to his radical brand of Christianity, the last thing that American Jews would support, but may be acceptable to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he works to take over the Palestinian territories.

Tulsi Gabbard is a former Democratic Presidential contender, who has gone over to the Republican Party, after going off the rails in her foreign policy views, and now will be more powerful over intelligence gathering than anyone else .

Lee Zeldin has no desire to promote environmental protection, so can be described as a fox put into a chicken coop.

It seems clear that the major qualification to be in the Trump Cabinet is to be slavishly loyal to his agenda, with no concept of considering what is constitutional and legitimate!

Add to this list Robert F. Kennedy Jr. possibly being Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Billionaire Elon Musk everywhere, trying to have a major influence.

This list will become even more controversial as the days pass, and fireworks are possible on some of the appointments.

And now, as I am writing, controversial Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has been chosen to be Attorney General, which would seem extremely divisive.

It also means now THREE Republican House members, including Mike Waltz of Florida as National Security Adviser, along with Stefanik and Gaetz, will be removed from that chamber, endangering, at least for the short term, having a Republican majority, which seems a lunatic move!

The last 24 hours have been shocking, and will continue to be in the coming hours and days!

Predictions On 119th Congress (2025-2027) Races

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This author and blogger senses that the Democrats will regain control of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress, since the Republicans have had a disastrous two years under Speaker Kevin McCarthy for nine months and then Speaker Mike Johnson, having the fewest accomplishments in legislation in more than a century.

While it is very difficult to project on 435 House races, it seems likely that some Republican seats in New York and California are likely to go to the Democrats, along with some gain of seats in the South, specifically in Alabama and Louisiana.

Likely, the majority will be, however, only on a few seats, as is now the situation.

The Senate will likely see a slight Republican majority, with the retirement of Joe Manchin, insuring that a Republican will replace him.

However, if all Democrats running for reelection, and those running to replace fellow Democrats, seem likely to win, that sets up a possible 50-50 Senate, which the Vice President would organize.

It depends on whether Republicans Ted Cruz in Texas, Rick Scott in Florida, and Deb Fischer in Nebraska can keep their seats. If any of them lose, we would see a Democratic controlled Senate.

If however, Democrats Jon Tester in Montana or Sherrod Brown in Ohio lose their seats, the Republicans would have the majority of the Senate.