U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

I've said all along that these MAGA right wing extremists wanted to default on our debt to purposely crash the economy because they thought it would help them politically. Sure enough, the so called "Freedom Caucus", which are a group of MAGA insurrectionists, publicly admitted today that was indeed their goal. They wanted to destroy our economy, which would in return, destroy the lives of Americans including their own constituents because they thought it would help their cult leader Donald Trump politically in 2024. Trump is on his way to prison for his crimes but these extremists didn't care, they wanted to destroy our economy anyway. These MAGA extremists are also angry that they can't use a default fight again next year to do the same thing all over again. MAGA has no interest in governing, all they want to do is cause chaos and destruction in order gain power to push their extremist agenda. But the majority of Americans reject their fascist policies.               


Clown car': MAGA Republicans blasted for threatening to 'tank economy to help Trump win'



Some members of the most far-right group of House Republicans, the Freedom Caucus, admitted Tuesday their goals are to defeat the debt ceiling agreement, thereby killing the economy, which some of them believe would then help Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

Many of the House Freedom Caucus members are tied to the January 6, 2021 insurrection, by various methods, including supporting efforts to overturn state elections and spreading false claims about the results of the 2020 presidential election.

U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) in Tuesday’s Freedom Caucus’s press conference pointed to the portion of the debt ceiling agreement, brokered by President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which says the nation’s debt limit will not have to be raised until 2025. Outraged, Congressman Bishop admitted Republicans had wanted to have another debt ceiling fight next year, which would, he claimed, help a Republican presidential candidate win the White House.

Surrounded by far-right Republican Representatives Byron Donalds, Lauren Boebert, Chip Roy, Freedom Caucus chair Scott Perry, former Freedom Caucus chair Andy Biggs, and others, Bishop angrily complained, “And what does the device of two years do?”

“It removes the issue from the national conversation during the presidential election to come. How could you more successfully kneecap any Republican President than to take that issue out of his or her hands?” Bishop asked, fully and freely admitting the GOP is trying to use the levers of government, and the U.S. and even global economy, to put a Republican back in the White House, regardless of cost to the American people.

As he spoke Rep. Boebert’s head was nodding in agreement.

Sirius XM host and journalist Dean Obeidallah blasted the North Carolina Republican: “GOP Dan Bishop says quiet part out loud: MAGA wanted to use debt ceiling in 2024 to tank economy to help Trump win.”

Freedom Caucus chair Scott Perry, who the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack reportedly saw as “central” to its investigation, also spoke at Tuesday’s press conference.

“We’ve asked for Janet Yellen’s figures. And with all due respect, she comes with zero credibility to the discuss,” Perry claimed, falsely. “We don’t believe her figures, we’ve asked to see her figures.”

And he admitted Freedom Caucus members “will be absolutely opposed to the deal and will do everything in our power to stop it.”

Calling it a “bad deal…that we all campaigned to put an end to,” Freedom Caucus member Lauren Boebert also spoke at the press conference, declaring, “There is nothing real in this bill to enforce. In short, tomorrow’s bill is a bunch of fake news and fake talking points.”

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) called the debt ceiling deal “crap.”

“Washington is doing it again,” Rep. Donalds declared, apparently attacking his own party since Republicans have the majority of the House seats.

“While you were celebrating Memorial Day, all of our men and women who gave their lives for this great nation, and you were spending time with your family and your friends, this town was cutting another crap deal that’s going to put you more in debt with no real changes whatsoever.”

“Washington is lying, again,” said Donalds.

Republican turned Democrat, attorney Ron Filipkowski mocked the extremist GOP lawmakers.

“The Freedom Caucus members just climbed out of their clown car, and are upset that their cult leader won’t be able to run for president on a crashed economy,” he tweeted.

“Wait,” tweeted Seth Kaplan, the managing editor for Fox affiliate stations in the Twin Cities. “He wants to help ensure a catastrophic economic situation just so it can be a talking point during the 2024 election? Please tell me I’m misinterpreting.”

Earlier this month journalist Jay Bookman observed, “So basically, the debt ceiling crisis is just another version of the Jan. 6 insurrection: Give us what we want, or we’re going to tear the whole damn thing down.”

Reps. Scott Perry, Dan Bishop, Byron Donalds, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, and other Freedom Caucus members earned a “very poor” grade by the Republican Accountability Project, which has been tracking Republicans in the wake of the 2021 insurrection.

Among the criteria for earning a “very poor” grade include signing the Supreme Court amicus brief “that sought to nullify votes cast in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia,” (Boebert and Donalds were not in Congress at the time to sign to that brief.)

Also, objecting “to the certification of Electoral College votes from at least one state,” making “public statements that cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election,” voting “to hold Trump accountable via impeachment or conviction,” voting “to create an independent commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection,” and voting “to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.”

Read More Here: https://twitter.com/DeanObeidallah/status/1663602585624883206



Lauren Boebert throws tantrum over debt deal: 'That's the end of Kevin McCarthy's speakership'



Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on Tuesday did not rule out a motion to vacate the chair in an attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker over a deal that would raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

During an appearance on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast, Boebert accused McCarthy of a "violation" of his promises because amendments were not being allowed in the House Rules Committee.

"So, the whole point of the speaker's race and having a motion to vacate a check and balance was because we know at any given time those rules can be suspended," she explained. "And so, this, at the Speaker's request, is what I've heard; this was to be a closed rule with no amendments allowed."

Boebert argued that there was insufficient support to remove McCarthy as Speaker. But she predicted the demise of McCarthy's speakership if many Democrats supported the debt ceiling bill.

"If this bill passes with a majority of Democrats voting in favor of it, then I'm sorry, that's the end of Kevin McCarthy's speakership," she warned. "That is a bad, bad look to pass a bill of this magnitude without the support of the majority and if it's Democrats."

Watch video in link: https://www.rawstory.com/lauren-boebert-kevin-mccarthy-debt-ceiling/



Matt Gaetz warns Kevin McCarthy’s deal could be a ‘black letter’ violation that triggers removal



Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) may have enough votes to usher his debt ceiling deal through Congress, but it could cost the House Speaker his job.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Tuesday suggested that, regardless of the outcome of the debt ceiling deal vote, if a majority of Republicans oppose the deal, that would be a “black letter violation” that would likely leave McCarthy facing a threat to his speakership, CNN’s Melanie Zanona tweeted.

“If a majority of Republicans are against a piece of legislation and you use Democrats to pass it, that would immediately be a black letter violation of the deal we had with McCarthy... and it would likely trigger an immediate motion to vacate," Gaetz said according to Zanona.

Zanona reports that “McCarthy, however, has repeatedly expressed confidence that a majority of House Republicans will back the bill.”

Gaetz, a member of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, opposes the debt ceiling deal.

He isn’t alone.

“Not one Republican should vote for this bill,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told reporters Tuesday.

“We will continue to fight it today, tomorrow, and no matter what happens, there’s going to be a reckoning about what just occurred unless we stop this bill by tomorrow.”

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C) went even further.

“I’m fed up with the lies. I’m fed up with the lack of courage, the cowardice,” Bishop told reporters on Tuesday.

Bishop blasted McCarthy over his handling of the debt ceiling deal, saying “Nobody could have done a worse job."

https://www.rawstory.com/matt-gaetz-2660727173/



Democratic congressman mocks GOP colleague for saying he can't read a 99 page bill in 3 days



Following the release of the draft agreement to raise the debt ceiling, House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) went on Fox News to complain he didn't have any time to read it before the vote — even though, by any reasonable measure, he did.

"It's like the Pelosi days. You gotta pass it before you read it," complained Norman, referencing a quote former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) made about the Affordable Care Act in 2009 that has frequently been taken out of context. "We ought to have a lot more time."

"But he's giving you three days to consider it," pushed back Fox anchor John Roberts, adding, "It's only 99 pages."

Following this exchange, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) took to Twitter to mock his colleague's complaint that reading a 99-page bill in three days is just too burdensome a task for him.

"Let’s do some math," wrote Lieu. "If GOP Rep Ralph Norman works 8 hours a day, that’s 24 hours over 3 days to read 99 pages. That comes out to reading a little over 4 pages every hour. And these are double spaced text pages."

"Alternatively, he can have AI summarize the bill for him in 1 min," Lieu added.

Norman, who faced national controversy after leaked text messages revealed he begged the Trump administration to declare "Marshall [sic] law" to prevent President Joe Biden from taking office after the 2020 election, appears to have already made up his mind against the bill he says he doesn't have time to read it.

AFP



'They only know what they're against': Ex-Congressman slams Matt Gaetz and obstructionist GOPers



U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and other Republicans coming out in strong opposition to the debt ceiling compromise are doing so in part because they don't have another setting, according to a former Democratic Congressman.

Former Rep. Conor Lamb, of Pennsylvania, was part of a panel on MSNBC's The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday. Ruhle asked Lamb if he thinks Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) was at risk of losing his speakership over the deal, which was advanced by a committee earlier in the night to a full House vote set up for the next day.

Lamb said that he doesn't think McCarthy will lose his speakership over the disagreements, saying "the difference with whoever they would replace him with would be minimal, and I don't see how it would go to anyone's benefit."

Lamb did, however, use the time to call out Gaetz, who threatened McCarthy's speakership over the tentative deal already, and fellow Republican Chip Roy, who urged his colleagues to reject the deal.

"What you're seeing is the Matt Gaetzes and Chip Roys of the world are being revealed: they only know what they are against and they really don't have much of an idea of what they're for, as far as anything they can accomplish," Lamb said.

He added that individuals like this tend to lash out against a lot of things, but are not necessarily getting things done.

"So the idea of just lashing out... and the words that Chip Roy was using: kill the bill, end the speakership, they only know how to put a stop to things they don't like... that's the language they're using because they have nothing else to say."

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Yes, Republicans want to cut your Social Security and Medicare. Need more evidence of that? Here you go!


McCarthy suggests new commission could look at Social Security and Medicare cuts



House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced Wednesday he was launching a commission tasked with looking at budget cuts – and he suggested Social Security and Medicare could come under his scalpel.

His pledge came just months after vowing such cuts to mandatory spending programs were off the table.

In February, President Joe Biden spoke before a joint session of Congress, telling Americans the GOP wanted to cut the programs they had paid into their whole lives. "Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years," he said.

"That means those programs will go away if Congress doesn’t vote to keep them. Other Republicans say if we don’t cut Social Security and Medicare, they’ll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history."

His comments got a chorus of boos from the audience of Republicans. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) shook his head.

As he repeated the claim at his State of the Union address, Biden incensed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) so much she leaped her feet yelling “liar!", while Republicans committed on television to never making such cuts.

McCarthy even told CBS's Face the Nation he was taking Social Security and Medicare “off the table” in debt ceiling negotiations.

And then, on Wednesday, the speaker announced he's starting a commission to look at how to make cuts.

Appearing on the Fox network, McCarthy explained, "And now we're cutting, and you know what? It's gonna make some people uncomfortable by doing that, but I'm not going to give up on the American people."

"I'm going to announce a commission coming forward from the speaker — from bipartisan, both sides of the aisle," he added. "...The majority driver of the budget is mandatory spending; it's Medicare; it's Social Security, interest on the debt."

McCarthy told Fox host Harris Faulkner that only 11 percent of the budget could be negotiated during the debt ceiling talks because Biden had "walled off" parts of it – including the part that included discretionary spending programs.

Now, he said, "We have to look at the entire budget."

[Rick Plant]

The House of Representatives just voted to pass the negotiated debt ceiling bill to avoid a catastrophic default.

Upon final passage in the Senate and a signature from President Biden, the national debt limit will be suspended until 2025.

Kevin McCarthy failed to get enough Republicans on board. Democrats had to save him. The GOP could only afford to lose five votes. But he lost dozens from his own party he's supposed to be "leading". Even then, he got almost NOTHING in his negotiations with Biden.

Why have a weak Republican who can't lead, wasting our time, when Democrats are the only ones in charge anyway?

More evidence that Kevin McCarthy is a truly ineffective Speaker and that Republicans are in disarray. And don't forget that MAGA Republicans wanted to default and to destroy our economy. 




Biden-McCarthy plan passes, heads to Senate
The House passed the debt ceiling bill Wednesday night just days ahead of the deadline to avoid a catastrophic U.S. default
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/debt-ceiling-vote-live-updates-house-will-take-biden-mccarthy-plan-ton-rcna86870

[Rick Plant]

Far-right lawmakers escalate threats to boot McCarthy from Speakership after debt deal passage



Kevin McCarthy is not out of the woods yet.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) cleared a massive challenge on Wednesday when he managed to deliver just enough votes from the Republican caucus, along with a large cohort of Democrats, to pass the landmark debt ceiling and deficit reduction agreement he brokered with President Joe Biden, which is now expected to move quickly through the Senate and avert a national default after weeks of tense bipartisan negotiations.

But now he faces another potential obstacle, reported The Daily Beast: the far-right wing of the House GOP, who is enraged the deal happened at all — and want McCarthy to suffer for it.

"Instead of exiting debt ceiling negotiations with President Joe Biden hoisting a triumphant deal, McCarthy came out with something lukewarm. A narrow addition of work requirements for food stamp recipients between the ages of 50 and 54. Ending the pause on federal student loan payments. A suspension of the debt limit until 2025. Minimal spending caps for two years that would only technically cut spending if you consider the increases relative to inflation," reported Ursula Perano and Sam Brodey. "The deal passed Wednesday night 314-117, with 149 Republicans and 165 Democrats voting for it, and 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats voting no. Republicans control the House, but it was Democrats who primarily got the measure across the finish line."

As a result of this, some far-right lawmakers are ramping up threats to use a parliamentary procedure to force a confidence vote to eject McCarthy from the Speakership — something he was, ironically, forced to put in the rules in order to get the votes necessary to become Speaker in the first place.

Some lawmakers, like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), had been making threats of this sort even before the vote happened — but for now, said the report, few in the caucus have treated this as a serious possibility. Another is Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), who said, “He’s blown Republican unity to smithereens. So, you can put that in terms of trust, if you want to. It’s just something that is functionally destroyed.”

"The good news for McCarthy is that it would take more than just one Republican to remove him from his position. The bad news is that it wouldn’t take much more than a half-dozen — if Democrats want to cooperate with the coup," said the report. "The slim GOP majority in the House means that McCarthy has very little wiggle room. And even if 95 percent of his conference is behind him, that last five percent could sink him."

Agence France-Presse



Game, Set and Almost Match to Joe Biden

Edward Luce: “Shakespeare foretold the tale of America’s latest debt-ceiling crisis — full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The final deal, which will probably be passed this weekend, could also have been scripted by Joe Biden. Rarely in the history of fiscal brinkmanship has so much noise been made by so many Republicans with so little to show for it. The result is a win for Biden that prudence stops him from celebrating.”

“This charade’s key lesson is that people who call themselves ‘fiscal conservatives’ are guilty of fraudulent branding — aided by a process-obsessed media. The definition of fiscal conservatism is matching public spending with revenues over the business cycle. Threatening a catastrophic default unless the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service is defunded is its very opposite. That would be fiscal incontinence.”

“The fact that this was one of the key Republican demands gave the game away."

https://politicalwire.com/2023/05/31/game-set-and-almost-match-to-joe-biden/



Ron DeSantis touts permit-free concealed carry law just after mass shooting in Florida



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday sent out a fundraising request in which his campaign highlighted a rule that "allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permission slip" — just two days after a mass shooting near a beach in Florida.

Ron DeSantis for President sent the email, which touted the policy positions and state-level accomplishments of DeSantis. The email subject line was "My email is less than 400 words," yet the contents of the email contained more than 2,000 words.

Among the accomplishments listed in the fundraising email was that DeSantis has purportedly defended "Second Amendment rights."

He "[e]nacted constitutional carry that allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permission slip," according to the email.

The email was sent Wednesday, which was two days after a Memorial Day shooting which resulted in nine injuries

Agence France-Presse

[Rick Plant]

Hakeem Jeffries @RepJeffries

Legislation that protects Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans and so much more has passed the House 314-117.

President Biden and House Dems stopped the right-wing extremists from crashing our economy.

And we’re just getting started.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1664092437290131459


Statement from President Biden




President Biden @POTUS

The PACT Act is the most significant law in our nation’s history to help millions of toxic-exposed veterans, and their families, caregivers, and survivors who join them in their sacrifice.
 
We got it done.





https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1664013884368338952


President Biden @POTUS

My Administration’s Investing in America agenda is bringing a whole-of-government approach to disaster prevention and recovery as we enter hurricane season and prepare for summer wildfires.




As we enter Atlantic hurricane season and prepare for peak fire season, I’ve convened federal agencies across my Administration to discuss our plan to prepare for, respond to, and help communities become more resilient to these hazards going forward.



Tune in as I meet with leaders of my federal emergency preparedness and response team to receive the annual briefing on extreme weather preparedness.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1yoJMZzPQOexQ

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1663957122420178957

[Richard Smith]

The woman that Old Joe allegedly sexually assaulted is fleeing TO Russia.  She apparently is in fear for her life or being imprisoned.  What a new world we live in where American citizens are fleeing to Russia to avoid political prison.

[Rick Plant]

Bill Pascrell, Jr. @BillPascrell

The headline this morning should be familiar. Last night Democrats once again saved America from total economic catastrophe created solely by republicans.



https://twitter.com/BillPascrell/status/1664244859329290242

[Richard Smith]

Sad and humiliating: