The Everything 118th Congress Thread

[Spaceman Spiff]

2 minutes ago, Fan since a Fetus said:

Attack from behind. it’s called the Buttigieg. 
 

i know it doesn’t go with 69, but damn don’t shoot the messenger. I didn’t make the list 🤔

Ohhhhhhh no you didn’t!!!!

I mean, I laughed, but I think inappropriate humor is pretty great. 

[Captain Wiggles]

Quote

Joe Biden wants to ban menthol cigarettes, which are favored by black smokers. Meanwhile, he wants to legalize weed for white college kids and mail out free crack pipes.

 

Lol as if college age whites are the only users of cannabis. 🤣

 

Weren't all other flavored cigarettes banned in 2009? No reason menthol flavors should receive an exemption.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Captain Wiggles

[China]

These 8 Republicans voted against Rep Greene's Mayorkas impeachment push: 'Not a high crime or misdemeanor'

 

House Democrats, with the help of a eight Republicans, voted down an effort led by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in the House of Representatives to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a straight up or down vote.

 

The eight Republicans who joined Democrats in the 209-201 vote killing the effort included Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Darrell Issa, R-Calif., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., John Duarte, R-Calif., Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio.

 

Additionally, 11 Democrats and 12 Republicans did not vote on the measure.

 

Greene voiced her displeasure in a video posted on X, saying that the eight Republicans voted to "protect" Mayorkas from impeachment, which she called, "unbelievable."

 

Rep. McClintock's office directed Fox News Digital to a press release explaining that the "grounds for impeachment are explicitly laid out in the Constitution" and that the allegations against Mayorkas do not meet the threshold even though Mayorkas is "the worst cabinet secretary in American history."

 

"Yes, Alejandro Mayorkas must be held accountable for his egregious failures – there’s no doubt about that. By giving the Judiciary Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Jordan, the opportunity to conduct a full-scale impeachment inquiry the right way, House Republicans are fulfilling the commitments we made to the American people and rising to a level that Democrats could never do," Rep. Foxx said in a press release after her vote.

 

"Secretary Mayorkas has not committed an impeachable offense," Rep. Buck told CNN on Monday night. "I disagree strongly with how he’s handling the border, I think the border is porous, I think it’s a threat to this country, but it’s not a high crime or misdemeanor, it’s not treason, it’s not bribery, it’s not the crimes or issues our founders set forth in the Constitution."

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

Better headline:  

 

8 Republicans throw themselves on a grenade, to save their Party from the rest of their colleagues. 

[Captain Wiggles]

Quote

Mayorkas is "the worst cabinet secretary in American history"

 

Albert Bacon Fall would like to have a word. 🤣

 

 

[Renegade7]

4 hours ago, tshile said:

Teeth can be used in a good way

 

Biting is not one of them. 

 

*vampire sulks

[mistertim]

23 hours ago, Cooked Crack said:

 

 

This is one of those rare instances where I absolutely agree with Sean Hannity. I think he should get into fistfights with every single guest he has on who disagrees with him.

 

Not that I think randomly throwing down over stupid **** is a valid way to settle a dispute, I really just want to see that straight up PAB wannabe tough guy Hannity get his ass pummeled on a daily basis.

Edited November 16, 2023 by mistertim

[Fergasun]

Chip Roy loses it, excoriarates fellow Republicans.  Its a 1 hour speech.  He even said "assume the position"... 

 

Congress gave us so much this week

.

 

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5093437/rep-chip-roy-criticizes-gop-leadership-decision-pass-cr-suspension-bill

[Fan since a Fetus]

We’re terrorists not pacifists! We need to hold this country hostage. Vote Republican one last time! Say no to CRs! 

[Cooked Crack]

 

[Fan since a Fetus]

Poor Kev! He was just trying to bring new meaning to the Peoples Elbow. Do you smell what The Kev is cooking?!?!?
 

 

[China]

The Least Productive Congress Since The Great Depression

 

With only 21 bills making it into law halfway into November, the 118th Congress, controlled by Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate, is on the most sluggish pace to make law since the Congress that met during 1931 and 1932.

 

Back then, Herbert Hoover was president, the Great Depression had started and talking movies were still new.

 

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), part of a group in the House that has stopped several spending bills from advancing to the Senate, saw his frustration boil over on the House floor Wednesday.

“One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing — one! — that I can go campaign on and say we did,” he said. “Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

10 minutes ago, China said:

"One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing — one! — that I can go campaign on and say we did,” he said. “Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done.”

 

They've prevented two economy-crippling government shutdowns. Despite a lot of Republicans trying to. 

 

They've held hundreds of hours of fake "investigations", that have produced a lot of footage that the GOP should be ashamed of. 

 

They've probably passed 50 pieces of legislation that even you know would have been national disasters, but you voted for them any way, because you know that somebody responsible would block them from happening. 

[Cooked Crack]

 

[Fergasun]

What did people expect from a deeply divided Congress (just looking at the House) in a divided government?  Hindsight being 20/20 -- Congress taking 20+ votes or whatever just to put McCarthy should have been a warning sign.  Both chambers have narrow, narrow, narrow majorities.  

 

There's no push to actually take on and try to fix the big issues.  The last big issue that we dealt with, was health care reform/Obamacare.  I'm also ignoring the whole COVID pandemic... so yeah... Congress had to deal with COVID 2020 to 2021.   Immigration and the national debt are two other major issues, but momentum on actually doing something has stalled.  Do I think both parties would rather campaign on a broken immigration system than work on fixing it?  Do I think both parties would rather campaign for/against our national debt than fixing it? 

 

Both parties are abdicating any real leadership on this issue.  What I mean by that is that Congress has become an extension of the political process in that it's all about getting to the next election - and winning the next election.  They don't dare take any bold steps, because bold steps bring risk.  Risk could get you voted out. We have a Congress that's so biased on the political side that they don't want to admit that the other party brings up some relevant issues.  

 

The number one problem in America is one that Congress/Government can only indirect effect -- the economy. I mean, they can impact Federal employee jobs.  Both ""economy" and "high cost of living" -- maybe if we had more direct social spending?  But "poor leadership" and "immigration" are ones that somewhat can be addressed, and those are follow-on issues that are raised.  Truthfully, most people in Gallop poll don't even talk about the national debt (even though it get's related to the economy issue).  

 

I'm referring to this Gallup poll: https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx

 

[LadySkinsFan]

Actually, when Congress voted to support people during Covid, those people spent that money for what they needed instead of wealthy people hoarding, which proved that funding from the bottom up instead of hoping like Hell that it would "trickle down" like wealthy and corporate tax cuts actually worked in helping our economy. That plus increases in wages, minimum wage, and better work conditions in off site working rather than going into big commercial real estate. 

 

Democrats need to remind voters that they were helped by government rather than getting ****ed by Republican fascism.

[bearrock]

3 hours ago, Fergasun said:

What did people expect from a deeply divided Congress (just looking at the House) in a divided government?  Hindsight being 20/20 -- Congress taking 20+ votes or whatever just to put McCarthy should have been a warning sign.  Both chambers have narrow, narrow, narrow majorities.  

 

There's no push to actually take on and try to fix the big issues.  The last big issue that we dealt with, was health care reform/Obamacare.  I'm also ignoring the whole COVID pandemic... so yeah... Congress had to deal with COVID 2020 to 2021.   Immigration and the national debt are two other major issues, but momentum on actually doing something has stalled.  Do I think both parties would rather campaign on a broken immigration system than work on fixing it?  Do I think both parties would rather campaign for/against our national debt than fixing it? 

 

Both parties are abdicating any real leadership on this issue.  What I mean by that is that Congress has become an extension of the political process in that it's all about getting to the next election - and winning the next election.  They don't dare take any bold steps, because bold steps bring risk.  Risk could get you voted out. We have a Congress that's so biased on the political side that they don't want to admit that the other party brings up some relevant issues.  

 

The number one problem in America is one that Congress/Government can only indirect effect -- the economy. I mean, they can impact Federal employee jobs.  Both ""economy" and "high cost of living" -- maybe if we had more direct social spending?  But "poor leadership" and "immigration" are ones that somewhat can be addressed, and those are follow-on issues that are raised.  Truthfully, most people in Gallop poll don't even talk about the national debt (even though it get's related to the economy issue).  

 

I'm referring to this Gallup poll: https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx

 

 

Last time we had a balanced budget was under Clinton.  Last time we cut discretionary spending was Obama.  Last time the president agreed to compromise on tax and spending was Obama (cut discretionary spending by a trillion over 10 years, lock in middle class tax cuts, partially remove Bush tax cuts for wealthy).  Trump, even prior to Covid, raised discretionary spending in every year of his presidency.  Trump's tax cut cost US 1.7 trillion in the first 6 years.  In fact, vast majority of the US deficit and ballooning national debt is due to every freaking GOP president since Reagan except Bush Sr. passing massive tax cuts that disproportionately favors wealthy individuals.

 

There's only a limited impact Congress can have on the US economy?  That's exactly the kind of BS that a party who's entire platform is to burn down the workings of the federal government wants people to believe.  Government can tie corporate tax benefits to capital reinvestments and non-executive compensations.  When the government revenue can no longer meet the spending needs of programs that people actually want, the most logical solution is to raise the ****ing taxes, especially when the country has largely borrowed money and cut taxes for the last 40+ years.  A sensible policy that reins in the cost of medical care has a major economic impact on middle class families (not surprisingly, personal bankruptcy has been lowered by half between 2010 and 2016). If GOP thinks government is being wasteful, then fine combine spending cuts with tax increase.  But no, the GOP wants to raise spending and cut taxes.  How stupid does the average voter have to be to think that makes any ****ing sense?

[Larry]

27 minutes ago, bearrock said:

There's only a limited impact Congress can have on the US economy?  That's exactly the kind of BS that a party who's entire platform is to burn down the workings of the federal government wants people to believe.  Government can tie corporate tax benefits to capital reinvestments and non-executive compensations.  When the government revenue can no longer meet the spending needs of programs that people actually want, the most logical solution is to raise the ****ing taxes, especially when the country has largely borrowed money and cut taxes for the last 40+ years.  A sensible policy that reins in the cost of medical care has a major economic impact on middle class families (not surprisingly, personal bankruptcy has been lowered by half between 2010 and 2016). If GOP thinks government is being wasteful, then fine combine spending cuts with tax increase.  But no, the GOP wants to raise spending and cut taxes.  How stupid does the average voter have to be to think that makes any ****ing sense?

 

Me, the way I like to put it?  

 

If you look at the total change in the federal deficit, over a President's entire term.  not one year here or there, but total change, . . . 

 

The last Republican who cut the deficit was Eisenhower.  

The last Democrat who increased the deficit was FDR.  

 

[ixcuincle]

Coping with "Parkinson's on steroids," Rep. Wexton navigates gridlocked Congress https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jennifer-wexton-copes-with-parkinsons-variant-congress/

 

so sad to read

[China]

Many voters say Congress is broken. Could proportional representation fix it?

 

With an increasingly polarized Congress and fewer competitive elections, there are growing calls among some election reformers to change how voters elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

One potential alternative to the current winner-take-all approach for House races is known as proportional representation. 

 

Instead of the single candidate with the most votes winning a House district's seat, a proportional representation system would elect multiple representatives in each district, distributing seats in the legislature roughly in proportion to the votes each party receives.

 

Supporters say proportional representation could help temper the rise of political extremism, eliminate the threat of gerrymandering and ensure the fair representation of people of color, as well as voters who are outnumbered in reliably "red" or "blue" parts of the country.

 

And last year, a group of more than 200 political scientists, legal scholars and historians across the U.S. said the time for Congress to change is now.

 

"Our arcane, single-member districting process divides, polarizes, and isolates us from each other," they wrote in an open letter to lawmakers. "It has effectively extinguished competitive elections for most Americans, and produced a deeply divided political system that is incapable of responding to changing demands and emerging challenges with necessary legitimacy."

 

But how exactly proportional representation could change House elections is an open question with major hurdles. There's a federal law that bans it, and many of its supporters acknowledge it would likely be years, if not decades, before a majority of lawmakers allow such a big, untested restructuring of Congress.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

4 hours ago, China said:

Many voters say Congress is broken. Could proportional representation fix it?

 

Been making that suggestion for probably 20 years. Since a social studies teacher suggested it, way back in high school. 

 

One thing it does is, it gets rid of the two party monopoly on power. 

 

Right now, the only way the Libertarian Party gets a congressman in Washington is if he wins the plurality of one district. But under a proportional system, all they need is to get maybe 3% of the vote, statewide. (If they get 7% of Florida, they get two seats.)

 

With "third parties" viable, you get a lot more parties. I guarantee, you'll have a party that's just like the Republicans, except they support gun control. And pro-life Democrats. 

 

It eliminates "safe districts".  So maybe a district is 55% R?  If we can get that to 65%, then we gain another seat. 

 

And. IMO?  It makes campaigning about issues again. Platforms. 

[TradeTheBeal!]

17 hours ago, Fergasun said:

  Do I think both parties would rather campaign for/against our national debt than fixing it? 

 

Both parties are abdicating any real leadership on this issue. 

 

Just a reminder that Ferg, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, watches hours upon hours of twitter/Tucker Carlson content so that he can “get the facts on Hunter Biden that the mainstream media won’t tell you”.  Which becomes more and more hilarious every time I think back on it.

 

Poor guy.

[Fergasun]

@TradeTheBeal!

It was the Devon Archer interview with Tucker.  Probably a couple hours.  Not sure why you bring it up every so often. 

 

That was probably the last thing of Tucker Carlson's that I watched. 

[ixcuincle]

 

 

 

[Captain Wiggles]

The House of Representatives ain't the real problem tho so i don't see how proportional representation helps. Unless the same is done to the Senate nothing would really change. Every bill passed by the House would still die on Mitch McConnells desk or fail to reach the sixty vote threshold in the Senate. Basically business as usual.  🤷‍♂️