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House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Launches Investigation into Influence of Mar-a-Lago “Three” on Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (CA-41) released the following letter notifying the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs that the Committee is opening an investigation into the influence of the Mar-a-Lago “three” on the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“I am writing to request information about alleged improper influence of Mr. Ike Perlmutter, Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, and Mr. Marc Sherman over policy and personnel decisions of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” the letter stated.

“The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is opening an investigation into this relationship so that Congress, veterans, and the American people can better understand the scope and nature of this relationship between the Department and these individuals who have not served in the U.S. military nor U.S. government, and are not accountable to veterans and the American people,” Chairman Takano wrote.

He continued, “Government officials and private individuals who seek to use the Department for personal enrichment, or who make poor decisions that waste taxpayer dollars or negatively affect the delivery of veterans’ healthcare and benefits must held to account.”

Full text of the letter follows and can be found here.

The Honorable Robert Wilkie

Secretary

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20420

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing to request information about alleged improper influence of Mr. Ike Perlmutter, Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, and Mr. Marc Sherman over policy and personnel decisions of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The Department declared these three members of President Trump’s National Golf Club Mar-a-Lago “asserted influence over the Department” as a defendant in Federal court.[1] Public documents in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request provide further evidence of their power over key Department officials and their involvement in procurement decisions and potentially other policy and programmatic decisions made by the Department.

The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is opening an investigation into this relationship so that Congress, veterans, and the American people can better understand the scope and nature of this relationship between the Department and these individuals who have not served in the U.S. military nor U.S. government, and are not accountable to veterans and the American people.

Public documents show that Mr. Ike Perlmutter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Marvel Entertainment, LLC., Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, an Internal Medicine specialist, and Mr. Marc Sherman, an attorney without health care industry experience, ostensibly used their wealth and connections to President Trump and his family to make decisions for the Department. Top Department officials apparently treated these Mar-a-Lago members as having decision-making authority, and emails demonstrate these powerful men weighed in on candidates to lead the Veterans Health Administration,[2] and organized meetings and summits between VA and commercial entities. Documents also show these men were involved in the procurement of an electronic health record from Cerner Corporation: they were granted access to review the confidential draft contract between the Department and Cerner Corporation more than three months before Congress received access to the contract and more than two months prior to contract signing.

Email correspondence evinces these Mar-a-Lago members were promised development of “a project plan and…timeline for action”[3] when senior Department officials were directed by these men to stand up an “emergency committee” on mental health care delivery.[4] These individuals—despite having no experience delivering healthcare to veterans—rejected advice provided by Department experts, arranging calls and naming themselves to an “executive committee” to direct Department development of technology with Apple Inc.[5] that could personally enrich Dr. Moskowitz and his family,[6] and organized a Department-led medical device registry summit in which Dr. Moskowitz’s family and foundation played a prominent role.[7] Former VA Secretary Shulkin and other Department officials participated and promoted Marvel Entertainment at a Veterans Day event at the New York Stock Exchange.

Travel records and email correspondence demonstrate that you, former VA Secretaries and acting Secretaries, and other key VA officials, flew to Mar-a-Lago on official travel paid for by taxpayers. After meeting with these individuals at Mar-a-Lago on or about April 20, 2018,[8] you wrote via email to these individuals that you were “honored” to visit with them.[9] Reports and sources also allege these individuals caused Department leaders who disagreed with them to lose their jobs or be passed over for promotions, in one instance these men allegedly directed or encouraged two VA officials to contact congressional aides and advocate for the resignation of Secretary Shulkin and his deputy in February 2018.[10]

In order to investigate the extent of influence these individuals had and continue to wield over Department policies, decisions, and personnel, I request you produce the following documents:

1. Unredacted copies of any documents and communications that have been provided to individuals or organizations via FOIA request, including unredacted copies of the documents under the heading “Senior Leadership Emails/Travel” available on the Department’s website.[11]

2. Any documents and communications in your possession, control, or custody sent to or received from Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman, including communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) or Short Message Service (SMS) on nongovernmental electronic devices.

3. Any documents and communications in your possession, control, or custody referring or relating to Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman including communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via MMS or SMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

4. Any documents and communications sent or received from Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman in the possession, control, or custody of the following Department officials: Mr. James Byrne, Acting Deputy Secretary; Mr. John Ullyot, Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs; Mr. James Gfrerer, Chief Information Officer; Mr. Curt Cashour, Press Secretary; Mr. Darin Selnick, Mr. Jake Leinenkugel, Ms. Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, and Mr. Camillo Sandoval. This includes communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via MMS or SMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

5. Any documents and communications referring or relating to Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman in the possession, control, or custody of the above named Department officials. This includes communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via MMS or SMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

6. Any documents and communications in the possession, control, or custody of the Department of former Department officials Dr. David Shulklin, Secretary, Mr. Thomas Bowman, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Peter O’Rourke, Ms. Genevieve Morris, Chief Health Information Officer sent to or received from Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman. This includes communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via MMS or SMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

7. Any documents and communications in the possession, control, or custody of the Department referring or relating to Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman sent or received by the above named former Department officials. This includes communications via nongovernmental email accounts or via MMS or SMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

8. Any documents and communications in the possession, control, or custody of the Department in which a VA Secretary or other Department official directed Department officials to communicate with Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman via nongovernmental email accounts or via SMS or MMS on nongovernmental electronic devices.

9. Telephone records or call logs in the possession, control, or custody of the Department, including the date and time of each call in which you spoke with Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman.

10. Telephone records or call logs in the possession, control, or custody of the Department, including the date and time of each call in which Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman communicated with any of the following Department officials: Mr. James Byrne, Acting Deputy Secretary; Mr. John Ullyot, Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs; Mr. James Gfrerer, Chief Information Officer; Mr. Curt Cashour, Press Secretary; Mr. Darin Selnick, Mr. Jake Leinenkugel, Ms. Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, or Mr. Camillo Sandoval.

11. Telephone records or call logs in the possession, control, or custody of the Department, including the date and time of each call in which Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman communicated with former Department officials Dr. David Shulklin, Secretary, Mr. Thomas Bowman, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Peter O’Rourke, and Ms. Genevieve Morris, Chief Health Information Officer.

12. Telephone records or call logs in the possession, control, or custody of the Department, including the date and time of each call in which any Department official or employee spoke directly with or participated in a conference call with Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman.

13. Any documents and communications referring or relating to Mr. Aaron Moskowitz and Dr. Bruce Moskowitz’s participation in discussions or meetings with the Department and Apple Inc. referring or relating to the development of a mobile or software application.

14. Any documents and communications referring or relating to Dr. Moskowitz and his relatives, and the development of a medical device registry or organization of the June 4, 2018 summit on device registries.

15. Any documents and communications referring or relating to Dr. Moskowitz, his relatives, and Department officials and the Biomedical Research and Education Foundation.

16. Any documents and communications referring or relating to former Secretary Shulkin’s participation or the participation of Department officials in the November 7, 2017 Veterans Day New York Stock Exchange event presented by Marvel Entertainment LLC, including any opinion provided by Department ethics officials sanctioning participation in the event.

17. Any documents and communications referring or relating to official travel of current and former Department officials to Trump National Golf Club Mar-a-Lago, including documents demonstrating the cost to the U.S. taxpayer.

18. Any additional documents and communications in the possession, control, or custody of the Department referring or relating to Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman.

19. Any additional documents and communications in the possession, control, or custody of the Department sent or received from Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, and Mr. Sherman.

20. Any documents and communications referring or relating to any personal referrals related to current or future agency contracts, programs, or projects by Mr. Perlmutter, Dr. Moskowitz, or Mr. Sherman.

Please provide the documents in electronic, soft-copy format. Do not alter the documents in any way, including but not limited to applications of redactions or a water mark. Only relevant documents and tangible things should be provided as part of the submission. Also provide the contact information for the individual(s) responsible for assembling the submission. This/These individual(s) shall certify and attest to the accuracy of the submission and whether the Department has complied with the request.

The deliverables opened by this request will not be closed until the Committee is sufficiently satisfied with the responses provided, including whether the formatting instructions have been adhered to. The Committee reserves the right to, at its discretion, order an alternative organization of the submission. The Department has a continuing duty to supplement the record by providing relevant documents and tangible things to the Committee until the matter is closed.

Government officials and private individuals who seek to use the Department for personal enrichment, or who make poor decisions that waste taxpayer dollars or negatively affect the delivery of veterans’ healthcare and benefits must held to account.

Please produce these documents by February 22, 2019. Should you have any questions about this request, please contact Grace Rodden, Committee General Counsel, at (202) 225-9756 or at [emailprotected]. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.

Sincerely,

###

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House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Launches Investigation into Influence of Mar-a-Lago “Three” on Department of Veterans Affairs

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PEMDAS - 12•3•20

Open below for PEMDAS!

POLITICS/NEWS

Coronavirus

Case numbers this past week in the U.S.

New cases: 948,177 people

Hospitalizations: 98,691 people (on Dec. 1st)

Deaths: 8,476 people (almost three times the number of people killed on Sept. 11, 2001)

Case numbers this past week in the world

New cases: 3,449,295 people

Deaths: 59,579 people (in one week, the death toll is a number within the estimated range of deaths from the War in Afghanistan, a war that has been going on since 2001)

Vaccines

Genetic vaccines --Vaccines that deliver one or more of the coronavirus’s own genes into our cells to provoke an immune response.

Pfizer - to distribute 6.4 million doses in U.S. by mid-December; found to be 95% effective in trials, but still needs final authorization in the U.S. before widespread usage; has been authorized for emergency use in the U.K.

Moderna - applied to FDA for emergency use authorization; could begin distribution as early as Dec. 21st

Biden’s Cabinet - New York Times

I’ll do my best to speak to the political actions for each cabinet nominee that I find favorable and those which I find questionable, but for now I’m leaning towards the side of questionable because most news sources are printing the favorable stuff already. You can basically Google each name, find a headline that names them as the Biden pick, and it will list their credentials.

Vice President: Kamala Harris 👩🏽

“Kamala is a cop” - Devyn Spring, in The Independent

Secretary of State: Antony J. Blinken 👨🏻

Former Deputy National Security Adviser (2013-2015) and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State (2015-2017) under Barack Obama

Co-founder of WestExec Advisors (see below)

Summary of his views with key U.S. global relationships - Newsweek

Russia: tough on them; believes in isolation and undermining of Putin/Russia to reduce their global power; sees a couple avenues of cooperation with Russia (such as extending New START)

China: wants to find opportunities to cooperate with China on things like arms control and climate change; won’t shy away from criticizing Chinese Communist Party’s abuses

North Korea: does not see possibility with denuclearization, so will focus instead on arms control

Iran: rejoin and strengthen the Iran nuclear deal (which he helped establish under Obama), which he believes will put us in a good position to push back against Iran’s other destabilizing activities

Afghanistan, Syria:“large-scale, open-ended deployment of large, standing U.S. forces in conflict zones with no clear strategy should end and will end under his watch,” but not quickly; believes some troops should remain

Palestine, Israel: supports the U.S. financial and military relationship with Israel;“Israel has never been—until now, unfortunately—a partisan political issue," he said in August. "And I think it's very bad for the United States and for Israel that someone tries to turn it into one.” He would restore U.S. assistance to Palestinian authorities but said it would not condition Israeli aid on its honoring international agreements and the two-state solution.

Secretary of the Treasury: Janet L. Yellen 🧑🏻‍🦳

First female Treasury Secretary

Former Federal Reserve Chair (the Federal Reserve is the central banking system of the U.S., responsible for many economic objectives, such as maximizing employment, stabilizing prices, and moderating long-term interest rates)

She is considered a“dove” to Wall Street (as opposed to a“hawk”) because she prioritizes unemployment over inflation. She also aligns mostly with Keynesian economic philosophy, which “seeks to preserve the system rather than overthrow it.” -- New Yorker, 2013-- this New Yorker description of Yellen’s work pre-federal government work has solid info about her various economic beliefs, such as how Yellen supports higher minimum wages to reduce unemployment.

I couldn’t find much about how her ideology aligns with Leftist thought. She seems decent enough to me, but... idk economics. Here’s something in the Wall Street Journal about the challenges she’ll face entering the arena of politics.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro N. Mayorkas 🧑🏼‍🦲

First Cuban (and Latinx) Secretary of Homeland Security

Helped develop and implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows children brought to the U.S. through“unlawful” means to have two-years safe from deportation in attempt to obtain a work permit

“In 2013, the DHS inspector general investigated Mayorkas for allegedly improperly granting visas under pressure from former DNC chair Terry McAullife and Tony Rodham, Hillary Clinton’s brother. While a report from the inspector general’s office said Mayorkas’s actions created “an appearance of favoritism and special access,” he was not sanctioned by the department.” -- Daily Beast

TBA: Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

WestExec Advisors

Washington consulting firm founded by Antony J. Blinken and Michèle Flournoy.

Avril D. Haines (see below) was one of its former principals.

“By not directly advocating for federal dollars on behalf of their clients, they don't have to publicly divulge who is paying them and for what activities, such as the connections they make with government agencies, she said. But it is also impossible to assess the influence they have on federal expenditures.“ -Politico

Basically, we don’t know which companies fund this consulting firm, so the people coming out of it could have corporate interests or foreign government interests that we do not know about. There should be a demand that the people who worked here and/or the firm itself disclose this information!

Cabinet noms’ relationships to corporate interests - Democracy Now

Biden’s Cabinet-Rank Status and White House Staff

Chief of Staff: Ron Klain 👨🏻

a veteran political and policy operative well-known in Washington

has worked with Biden off and on since the late 1980s, when he served as a top aide to the then-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee

previously served as Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president

took point on the Obama administration’s handling of Ebola

has been outspoken about President Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Revolution LLC, an investment firm launched by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case in 2005

buzz words like“big corporate law firm” and“worked as a venture capitalist” got me to this fact, but it’s pretty hard to Google... hmm!!

I’m going to keep my eye on this...

Office of Management & Budget Director: Neera Tanden 👩🏽

President of the Center for American Progress

apparently, she changed her Twitter bio, removing“progressive” from her bio and replacing it with“liberal”

she “hates the left” - Hasan Piker (a hot leftist who I like a lot, but I’m still gonna try to look up his claims)

Director of National Intelligence: Avril D. Haines 👩🏻

First female Director of National Intelligence

Played a key role in Obama’s “drone wars” as former Deputy Director of the CIA

“She approved an “accountability board” that spared CIA personnel reprisal for spying on the Senate’s torture investigators, and was part of the team that redacted their landmark report. After the administration ended, Haines supported Gina Haspel for CIA director, someone directly implicated in CIA torture, a decision that remains raw amongst progressive activists. Until late June, she consulted for the Trump-favorite data firm Palantir, which emerged from the CIA.” -- Daily Beast

National Security Adviser: Jake Sullivan 👱🏻‍♂️

Youngest person to serve as National Security Adviser

Held top positions at the State Department and in the Obama White House, playing a key role in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal

U.N. Ambassador: Linda Thomas-Greenfield 🧑🏿‍🦳

an American diplomat who served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the United States Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs from 2013 to 2017

following her work as a diplomat, Thomas-Greenfield became a senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge Group in Washington, D.C.

strong supporter of multilateralism (or,cooperation among several nations)

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate: John F. Kerry 👨🏼‍🦳

Worked in a top position at Bank of America, one of the largest financiers of fossil fuel development in the world. So like... can he not have this role?

Communications Director: Kate Bedingfield 👩🏼

in November 2011, Bedingfield started working at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

in May 2013, Bedingfield was named spokesperson and vice president of corporate communications at the MPAA

in 2015, Bedingfield was named communications director for then Vice President Joe Biden; she also held two additional roles in the Obama administration: director of response and deputy director of media affairs

after working in the Obama administration, Bedingfield returned briefly to sports and entertainment communications

Press Secretary: Jen Psaki👩🏻‍🦰

Jan. 2009 - Dec. 2009: White House Deputy Press Secretary

2009 - 2011: White House Deputy Communications Director

2013 - 2015: Spokesperson for the United States Department of State

2015 - 2017: White House Communications Director

TBA: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, U.S. Trade Representative, Small Business Administrator, CIA Director

EDUCATION - Topic suggestion from Justin Myhre: The Tuskegee Experiments

CDC Title:“The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male”

The CDC page for the Experiments

offers a timeline of the events from 1895 to 2009

1895: at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Booker T. Washington describes his vision for Black economic development and gets “philanthropists” to come on board

this speech is known as the“Atlanta compromise” speech, with the compromise being“an agreement between African-American leaders and Southern white leaders in which Southern blacks would work meekly and submit to white political rule, while Southern whites guaranteed that blacks would receive basic education and due process of law” -- Wikipedia

the Expo was“designed to promote the American South to the world and showcase products and new technologies, as well as to encourage trade with Latin America” -- Wikipedia

2009: the last widow receiving Tuskegee Health Benefit Program benefits dies on January 27th

contains write-ups for how the study began, what went wrong, and how the study ended and reparations began

How the study began: the Public Health Service (a division of the executive branch’s Department of Health and Human Services that began in 1798 as a system of marine hospitals and grew into a larger system that was given its official title in 1912) along with the Tuskegee Institute (an HBCU in Alabama, established on July 4, 1881)“began a study to record the natural history of syphilis in hopes of justifying treatment programs for blacks”

in 1932, 399 Black men with syphilis and 201 Black men who did not have it (Wikipedia says that these men were “impoverished, African-American sharecroppers”) were told that they were being tested (without consent) for“bad blood” and were promised a form of health care

they were also told it would last 6 months but it ended up lasting 40 fucking years

this CDC page fails to mention that“the victims of the study included numerous men who died of syphilis, 40 wives who contracted the disease and 19 children born with congenital syphilis,” a fact from Oliver J. Kim and Lois N. Magner’s book A History of Medicine

What went wrong: in 1971, a panel was assembled and they “found that the men had agreed freely to be examined and treated. However, there was no evidence that researchers had informed them of the study or its real purpose. In fact, the men had been misled and had not been given all the facts required to provide informed consent”

1947: it is discovered that penicillin can treat syphilis, but none of the men are offered it

the men were never given the option to quit the study

How the study ended and reparations began: in October 1972, the panel stops the study; in 1973, the study “participants” and their families file a class-action lawsuit; in 1974, a $10 million settlement is reached in which the U.S. government agrees to paying for health care and funeral services of the “participants” (called the Tuskegee Health Benefit Program, or THBP); in 1975, wives, widows, and offspring received these benefits as well

“Study clinicians could have chosen to treat all syphilitic subjects and close the study, or split off a control group for testing with penicillin. Instead, they continued the study without treating any participants; they withheld treatment and information about penicillin from the subjects. In addition, scientists prevented participants from accessing syphilis treatment programs available to other residents in the area. The researchers reasoned that the knowledge gained would benefit humankind; however, it was determined afterward that the doctors did harm their subjects by depriving them of appropriate treatment once it had been discovered. The study was characterized as ‘the longest non-therapeutic experiment on human beings in medical history.’” - Wikipedia

on May 16, 1997, President Bill Clinton formally apologized to the study “participants” and their families

this study about the Legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study makes the point that“Blacks are more reluctant than Whites to participate in biomedical research studies because of the infamous study of syphilis in men run by the U.S. Public Health Service from 1932-72″ -- there are very valid reasons to distrust the U.S. government with biomedical advancements, particularly for Black people

here is an article that connects the legacy of Tuskegee to fears around Coronavirus

now, does this mean we shouldn’t take the vaccine? no! but don’t shame people, particularly Black folks, for very reasonable distrust of the U.S. government!!!!!

this is also an interesting case of reparations given in modern times!

MEDIA (Other)

BOOKS - Tues. 12/8

Layla •• Colleen Hoover

A Universe of Wishes •• edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Mozart •• Jan Swafford

An Inventory of Losses •• Judith Schalansky, translated by Jackie Smith

The Book of Moods: How I Turned My Worst Emotions Into My Best Life •• Lauren Martin

Mercy: The Fair Lady, the Frost, and the Fiend (Vol. 1) •• Mirka Andolfo

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle #2)•• Nghi Vo

Bag-Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-Up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House •• Rachel Maddow & Michael Yarvitz

The Invention of Medicine: From Homer to Hippocrates•• Robin Lane Fox

The Mermaid from Jeju •• Sumi Hahn

MOVIES

Friday 12/4

76 Days •• limited theatrical & virtual cinema release

Directors: Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, Anonymous

Writer: Hao Wu

Premise: Set in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, this documentary captures the struggles and human resilience in the battle to survive the pandemic in Wuhan.

Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (46 reviews)

Metacritic: 83 (14 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best Documentary Feature: long-shot

All My Life •• theatrical release

Director: Marc Meyers

Writer: Todd Rosenberg

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Harry Shum Jr., Chrissie Fit, Jay Pharoah, Keala Settle

Music by: Lisbeth Scott

Premise: A couple's wedding plans are thrown off course when the groom is diagnosed with liver cancer.

Run time: 1 hour 31 minutes

Oscar buzz?

Best Picture: long-shot

Best Actor: long-shot (Harry Shum Jr.)

Best Actress: long-shot (Jessica Rothe)

Best Original Screenplay: long-shot (Todd Rosenberg)

Best Original Score: long-shot (Lisbeth Scott)

Ammonite •• premium on-demand

Director: Francis Lee

Writer: Francis Lee

Starring: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, James McArdle, Alec Secăreanu, Fiona Shaw

Music by:Dustin O'Halloran, Volker Bertelmann

Premise: Acclaimed paleontologist Mary Anning works alone selling common fossils to tourists to support her ailing mother, but a chance job offer changes her life when a visitor hires her to care for his wife.

Run time: 2 hours

Rotten Tomatoes: 68% (152 reviews)

Metacritic: 72 (34 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best Picture: good chance

Best Director: decent chance (Francis Lee)

Best Actress: great chance (Kate Winslet)

Best Supporting Actress: good chance (Saoirse Ronan), decent chance (Fiona Shaw)

Best Original Screenplay: decent chance (Francis Lee)

Best Production Design: good chance (Sarah Finlay, Sophie Hervieu)

Best Cinematography: good chance (Stéphane Fontaine)

Best Costume Design: good chance (Michael O’Connor)

Best Editing: decent chance (Chris Wyatt)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: good chance

Best Sound: decent chance

Best Original Score: good chance (Dustin O’Halloran, Volker Bertelmann)

Another Round •• limited theatrical release

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Writers:Thomas Vinterberg, Tobias Lindholm

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe

Music by:Janus Billeskov Jansen

Premise: Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood.

Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (59 reviews)

Metacritic: 72 (9 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best International Feature Film: submitted for Denmark

Black Bear •• theatrical release & premium on-demand

Director: Lawrence Michael Levine

Writer: Lawrence Michael Levine

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paolo Lázaro, Grantham Coleman

Music by: Giulio Carmassi, Bryan Scary

Premise:A filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention.

Run time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (52 reviews)

Metacritic: 81 (14 reviews)

Godmothered •• Disney+

Director: Sharon Maguire

Writers: Kari Granlund, Melissa Stack

Starring: Isla Fisher, Jillian Bell, June Squibb, Jane Curtin

Music by: Rachel Portman

Premise:An inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training tries to prove that people still need fairy godmothers.

Run time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 67% (24 reviews)

Metacritic: 49 (6 reviews)

Half Brothers •• theatrical release

Director: Luke Greenfield

Writers: Eduardo Cisneros, Jason Shuman, Ali LeRoi

Starring: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Connor Del Rio

Music by: Jordan Seigel

Premise:Renato, a successful Mexican aviation executive, is shocked to discover he has an American half brother he never knew about -- the free-spirited Asher. The two very different half brothers are forced on a road trip together. masterminded by their ailing father, tracing the path he took as an immigrant from Mexico to America.

Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 36% (11 reviews)

Mank •• Netflix

Director: David Fincher

Writer: Jack Fincher

Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Sam Troughton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Burke, Joseph Cross, Jamie McShane,

Music by: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Premise:1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish "Citizen Kane."

Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (139 reviews)

Metacritic: 80 (38 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best Picture: top contender

Best Director: top contender (David Fincher)

Best Actor: top contender (Gary Oldman)

Best Supporting Actor: great chance (Charles Dance), good chance (Arliss Howard), decent chance (Tom Pelphrey), long-shot (Tom Burke)

Best Supporting Actress: favorite to win** (Amanda Seyfried), decent chance (Lily Collins)

Best Original Screenplay: top contender (Jack Fincher)

Best Production Design: favorite to win** (Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale)

Best Cinematography: favorite to win** (Erik Messerschmidt)

Best Costume Design: top contender (Trish Summerville)

Best Editing: top contender (Kirk Baxter)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: great chance

Best Sound: favorite to win**

Best Visual Effects: great chance

Best Original Score: favorite to win** (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Mayor •• limited theatrical & virtual cinema release

Director: David Osit

Starring: Musa Hadid

Premise:This documentary follows Musa Hadid, the mayor of Ramallah, the de facto capital of Palestine, for two years.

Run time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (17 reviews)

Metacritic: 77 (8 reviews)

Minor Premise •• on-demand

Director: Eric Schultz

Writers: Justin Moretto, Eric Schultz, Thomas Torrey

Starring: Sathya Sridharan, Paton Ashbrook, Dana Ashbrook

Music by: Gavin Brivik

Premise:Attempting to surpass his father's legacy, a reclusive neuroscientist becomes entangled in his experiment, pitting 10 fragments of his consciousness against each other.

Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (17 reviews)

Nomadland •• theatrical release

Director: Chloé Zhao

Writer: Chloé Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand, Jason Strathairn, Linda May, Charlene Swankie, Bob Wells

Music by: Ludovico Einaudi

Premise:A woman embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.

Based on: Nomadland •• Jessica Bruder

Run time: 1 hour 48 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (140 reviews)

Metacritic: 97 (25 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best Picture: favorite to win**

Best Director: favorite to win** (Chloé Zhao)

Best Actress: top contender (Frances McDormand)

Best Supporting Actor: great chance (David Strathairn), long-shot (Bob Wells)

Best Supporting Actress: great chance (Charlene Swankie), decent chance (Linda May)

Best Adapted Screenplay: favorite to win** (Chloé Zhao)

Best Cinematography: top contender (Joshua James Richards)

Best Editing: great chance (Chloé Zhao)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: decent chance

Best Sound: top contender

Small Axe: Red, White and Blue •• Amazon Prime Video

Director: Steve McQueen

Writers: Steve McQueen, Courttia Newland

Starring: John Boyega, Steve Toussaint, Joy Richardson, Neil Maskell, Stephen Boxer

Music by: Mica Levi

Premise:Spotlights the true story of Leroy Logan, who at a young age saw his father assaulted by two policemen, motivating him to join the Metropolitan Police and change their racist attitudes from within.

Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (48 reviews)

Metacritic: 85 (13 reviews)

Sound of Metal •• Amazon Prime Video

Director: Darius Marder

Writers: Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric

Music by: Nicholas Becker, Abraham Marder

Premise:A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.

Run time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (118 reviews)

Metacritic: 82 (25 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best Picture: great chance

Best Director: good chance (Darius Marder)

Best Actor: great chance (Riz Ahmed)

Best Supporting Actor: decent chance (Paul Raci)

Best Supporting Actress: good chance (Olivia Cooke)

Best Original Screenplay: good chance (Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance)

Best Cinematography: long-shot (Daniël Bouqet)

Best Editing: good chance (Mikkel E.G. Nielsen)

Best Makeup & Hairstlying: decent chance

Best Sound: great chance

Best Original Score: good chance (Nicholas Becker, Abraham Marder)

Tuesday 12/8

The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone •• limited theatrical release

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writer: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola

Music by: Carmine Coppola

Premise:Coppola tweaks the little-loved final part of his Godfather trilogy as Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone tries to go into respectable business.

Run time: 2 hours 42 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (11 reviews)

Metacritic: 74 (7 reviews)

Thursday 12/10

Funny Boy •• Netflix

Director: Deepa Mehta

Writers:Deepa Mehta, Shyam Selvadurai

Starring:Rehan Mudannayake, Arush Nand, Brandon Ingram,Nimmi Harasgama,Ali Kazmi, Agam Darshi,Seema Biswas, Shivantha Wijesinha

Music by: Howard Shore

Premise: Explores Arjie's sexual awakening from a young boy to a teenager who falls in love with a male classmate, just as political tensions escalate between the Sinhalese and Tamils in the years leading up to the 1983 uprisings.

Run time: 1 hour 49 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (6 reviews)

Oscar buzz?

Best International Feature Film: submitted for Canada

Let Them All Talk •• HBO Max

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: Deborah Eisenberg

Starring:Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Gemma Chan, Lucas Hedges, Dianne Wiest

Music by: Thomas Newman

Premise:A young man finds romance with a literary agent while taking a trip with the woman's famous aunt and her friends.

Oscar buzz?

Best Director: long-shot (Steven Soderbergh)

Best Actress: some chance (Meryl Streep)

Best Supporting Actress: some chance (Candice Bergen), long-shot (Dianne Wiest)

Best Original Screenplay: some chance (Deborah Eisenberg)

Best Cinematography: long-shot (Steven Soderbergh)

Best Editing: long-shot (Steven Soderbergh)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: long-shot

Best Original Score: good chance (Thomas Newman)

TV SHOWS

Friday 12/4

Big Mouth•• Season 4 •• Netflix

Earth at Night in Color •• Season 1 •• Apple TV+

The Hardy Boys •• Season 1 •• Hulu

MacGyver •• Season 5, Episode 1:“Resort + Desi + Riley + Window Cleaner + Witness” •• CBS

Magnum P.I. •• Season 3, Episode 1: “Double Jeopardy” •• CBS

The Mandalorian •• Season 2, Episode 6:“Chapter 14: [tba]” •• Disney+

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special •• Apple TV+

Synopsis: Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa Claus's great friend, Mariah Carey. Combining musical performances, dynamic dancing and groundbreaking animation, the undisputed Queen of Christmas jumps into action to create a holiday spectacular to make the whole world merry.

Appearances: Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Eichner, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Misty Copeland, Mykal-Michelle Harris, The Peanuts Characters

Pokémon Journeys: The Series •• Part 3 •• Netflix

Selena: The Series •• Season 1 •• Netflix

Sunday 12/6

Euphoria•• special episode part 1: rue •• HBO

A Holly Dolly Christmas •• CBS

Synopsis:Performing from an intimate, candlelit set, Dolly will bring both powerful, faith-filled hymns and light-hearted holiday classics to help viewers celebrate her favorite time of year, as well as tracks from her new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. The beloved entertainer will share personal Christmas stories and faith-based recollections of the season to spread some much-needed joy and holiday cheer at the end of this challenging year.

MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time •• MTV

Host: Vanessa Hudgens

Performers: Sia, Steve Aoki, Travis Barker

Presenters:Neve Campbell, Sofia Carson, Lily Collins, Derek Hough, Jacob Bertrand, Peyton List, Xolo Maridueña, David Spade, Maddie Ziegler

The Real Housewives of Atlanta •• Season 13, Episode 1 •• Bravo

Shameless •• Season 11, Episode 1:“This Is Chicago!” •• Showtime

Your Honor •• Season 1, Episode 1:“Part One” •• Showtime

Monday 12/7

His Dark Materials •• Season 2, Episode 4:“Tower of the Angels” •• HBO

Nurses •• Season 1, Episode 1:“Incoming” •• Global TV

A Suitable Boy •• Season 1 •• Netflix

Wednesday 12/9

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!•• NBC

Thursday 12/10

One Night Only: The Best of Broadway •• NBC

Host: Tina Fey

Performers:the casts of Ain’t Too Proud, Chicago, Jagged Little Pill, Diana, Jersey Boys, Mean Girls, Rent; Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Patti LaBelle

Appearances:the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,Annaleigh Ashford, Lance Bass, Kristen Bell, Ron Cephas Jones, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Peter Gallagher, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Hayes, Nathan Lane, Camryn Manheim, Alanis Morissette, Jerry O’Connell, Leslie Odom Jr., Billy Porter, John Stamos, Aaron Tveit, Blair Underwood, Vanessa Williams, Susan Kelechi Watson

TIME Person of the Year •• NBC

VIDEO GAMES

Friday 12/4

Commandos 2: HD Remaster(Switch)

DARQ: Complete Edition(PC, PS4, XBO)

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)

FIFA 21 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light (Switch)

Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise (Switch)

John Wick Hex (Xbox One, Switch)

Madden NFL 21 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)

Suzerain (PC)

Tuesday 12/8

Call of the Sea (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

Destiny 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)

Destiny 2: Beyond Light (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – December 8

Doom Eternal (Switch)

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch)

Ryte: The Eye of Atlantis(PSVR)

Shakes on a Plane (PC, Switch)

Swords of Gargantua (PSVR)

Temtem (PlayStation 5)

Wednesday 12/9

Woodsalt (Switch, PC)

Thursday 12/10

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia (PlayStation 4)

Cyberpunk 2077 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC)

Haven (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

Orwell's Animal Farm (PC)

Sword of the Necromancer (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

DIRECT ACTIONS / DONATIONS

Donate to...

houseless encampments in Minneapolis

order a book through a Black-owned progressive independent bookstore

list for various cities

Minneapolis: order from Black Garnet Books

enjoyed a queer artist’s music this year? purchase their album on Bandcamp (even if you won’t listen to it on Bandcamp, who cares, just buy their music!!!)... aaaand Friday 12/4 is Bandcamp Friday, in which ALL of your money goes DIRECTLY to the artist... here are some recommendations from moi of who to support and listen to their music, is güd

BLACK SAILOR MOON •• Backxwash

Peaceful as Hell •• Black Dresses

ROSETTA •• Dua Saleh

“A Dead Cop Is A Good Cop” •• GOYACONNECT

BRAT •• NNAMDÏ

Beauty •• Patricia Taxxon

Read up!

abolitionist manifesto (MPD150)

Political witness

attend your city’s city council meeting -- i did this the other day virtually on this site... maybe your city has something similar!

ALBUMS - Fri. 12/4

Limbo (Deluxe) •• Aminé

Mrs. Clean

Zack & Cody (feat. Valee)

Gelato

Talk (feat. Saba)

Chicken (feat. Toosii)

Buzzin (feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra)

Solid

Burden

Woodlawn

Kobe

Roots (feat. J.I.D & Charlie Wilson)

Can’t Decide

Compensating (feat. Young Thug)

Shimmy

P.I.M.P. (feat. Vince Staples & slowthai)

Riri

Easy (feat. Summer Walker)

Mama

Becky

Fetus (feat. Injury Reserve)

My Reality

Goosebumps [EP] •• Bastille

Goosebumps (ft. Kenny Beats)

survivin’

WHAT YOU GONNA DO??? (ft. Graham Coxon)

survivin’ (One Eyed Jack’s Sessions)

Goosebumps (One Eyed Jack’s Sessions)

Real Bad Boldy •• Boldy James & Real Bad Man

Real Bad Boldy

Light Bill Master (feat. Meyhem Lauren)

Thousand Pills (feat. Stove God Cooks)

Failed Attempt

Lil Vicious (feat. Eto)

On 10

Held Me Down

Street Shit

Good Food (feat. Mooch & Rigz)

Champion

We Know the Truth •• Drakeo the Ruler

We Know the Truth (feat. Icewear Vezzo & ALLBLACK)

20 Pieces

Too Famous

Fullys for Bullies (feat. Lil Mosey & Ralfy the Plug)

Punk Rock Bitch

Fights Don’t Matter

Energy (feat. Tee Grizzly)

Lil Boosie (feat. Stupid Young)

Hundiddy

In My Rear (feat. Da Boii)

Big Dogg (feat. Ralfy the Plug & Ketchy the Great)

Who Am I (feat. Desto Dubb & Rich the Kid)

Captions

Friday

Mardi Gras

Mr. Mosely Claps Back

John Madden (feat. RMC Mike, Rio Da Yung OG, Lil Yachty & Ralfy the Plug)

Polar Bear

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special •• Mariah Carey

[tracklist TBA]

Fresh Tapes 2 •• Patricia Taxxon

APJGHPLRKGH

THE WITCH IS DEAD

CHECKC

BAPBAP

SLAPJUG

WICKEDTRACK

THECREATURE

BATTLESHIP

A Very Poppy Christmas [EP] •• Poppy

I Like Presents

I Won’t Be Home for Christmas

Kiss in the Snow

Silver Bells

Nightmare Vacation •• Rico Nasty

Candy

Don’t Like Me (feat. Gucci Mane & Don Toliver)

Check Me Out

IPHONE

STFU

Back & Forth (feat. Aminé)

Girl Scouts

Let It Out

Loser (feat. Trippie Redd)

No Debate

Pussy Poppin

OHFR?

10Fo

Own It

Smack A Bitch (feat. ppcocaine, Sukihana, & Rubi Rose)

Smack A Bitch (Bonus)

SAWAYAMA (Deluxe) •• Rina Sawayama

Disc 1

Dynasty

XS

STFU!

Comme des Garçons (Like the Boys)

Akasaka Sad

Paradisin’

Love Me 4 Me

Bad Friend

Fuck This World (Interlude)

Who’s Gonna Save U Now?

Tokyo Love Hotel

Chosen Family

Snakeskin

Disc 2

LUCID

We Out Here

Bees & Honey

Love It If We Made It (The 1975 cover)

XS (Live)

STFU! (Acoustic)

Bad Friend (Acoustic)

Chosen Family (Acoustic)

Comme des Garçons (Like the Boys) [Brabo Remix] ((feat. Pabllo Vittar))

XS (Remix) [feat. Bree Runway]

Bad Friend (Dream Wife Remix)

Wonder •• Shawn Mendes

Intro

Wonder

Higher

24 Hours

Teach Me How to Love

Call My Friends

Dream

Song for No One

Monster (with Justin Bieber)

305

Always Been You

Piece Of You

Look Up at the Stars

Can’t Imagine

Odin’s Raven Magic •• Sigur Rós

Prologus

Alföður orkar

Dvergmál

Stendur æva

Áss hinn hvíti

Hvert stefnir

Spár eõa spakmál

Dagrenning

Christmastide [EP] •• Tori Amos

Christmastide

Circle of Seasons

Holly

Better Angels

The White Stripes Greatest Hits •• The White Stripes

Let’s Shake Hands

The Big Three Killed My Baby

Fell in Love With a Girl

Hello Operator

I’m Slowing Turning Into You

The Hardest Button to Button

The Nurse

Screwdriver

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Death Letter

We’re Going to Be Friends

The Denial Twist

I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself

Astro

Conquest

Jolene

Hotel Yorba

Apple Blossom

Blue Orchid

Ball and Biscuit

I Fought Piranhas

I Think I Smell a Rat

Icky Thump

My Doorbell

You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)

Seven Nation Army

SINGLES

New Tracks

“Coco” •• 24kGoldn feat. DaBaby

“Better Days” •• Ant Clemons feat. Justin Timberlake

“Grove Elation” •• Bernice

“Swimming in the Stars” •• Britney Spears

“Matches” •• Britney Spears feat. Backstreet Boys

“Blame It On the Mistletoe” •• Ella Henderson & AJ Mitchell

“No Flag (en Français)” •• Elvis Costello avec Iggy Pop

“Keeps Me Running” •• Esther Rose

“Family Farm” •• The Hold Steady

“Real Shit” •• Juice WRLD & benny blanco

“Oh Santa! (Remix)” •• Mariah Carey feat. Ariana Grande & Jennifer Hudson

“Dark Side of the Party” •• Miss Grit

“Snow Day” •• shame

“Her Revolution” •• Thom Yorke, Burial, & Four Tet

“His Rope” •• Thom Yorke, Burial, & Four Tet

“Greener Pools” •• Witch Egg

“Santa Stay Home” •• U.S. Girls feat. Rich Morel

Covers

“Stay Home” (American Football cover) •• Anamanaguchi

“Our Anniversary” (Smog cover) •• Bill Callahan & Bonnie“Prince” Billy feat. Dead Rider

“Boris” (Melvins cover) •• BORIS with MERZBOW

“In the Bleak Midwinter” (Traditional English Christmas Carol cover) •• James Blake

“River” (Joni Mitchell cover) •• Margo Price

“Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart” (Arthur Russell cover) •• Muzz

Remixes

“Teenager (Robert Smith Remix)” •• Deftones

“The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Remix)” •• Run the Jewels feat. Royal Blood

New Tracks + New Music Videos

“Diazepam” •• Buke and Gase / So Percussion

“Paper Fog” •• Cory Hanson

“Unblu” •• Jenny Lewis & Serengeti

“Reason” •• Jordana

“Hindsight” •• Madison McFerrin

“Foxes” •• Midnight Sister

“Shortcummings” •• Sleaford Mods

“The Crack” •• Goat Girl

“Satisfied” •• The Staves

“Lemon Mouth” •• Tigers Jaw

“Creatures” •• Viagra Boys

Old Tracks + New Music Videos

“Savior Complex” •• Phoebe Bridgers •• directed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge

New Music Films

The Road to Miss Columbia: A Documentary •• Lido Pimienta

0 notes

Factbox: Democratic U.S. Presidential Hopefuls Differ With Trump on Foreign Policy

President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy moves have sent shock waves around the world, from his overhaul of U.S. trade relationships to his questioning of longstanding alliances.

But the Democratic contenders hoping to challenge him in the November 2020 U.S. election have largely eschewed foreign policy debates, seen as less important to U.S. voters, instead focusing on domestic issues such as healthcare, immigration and gun control.

When they have spoken of America’s role in the world, they generally have emphasized an intent to rebuild U.S. alliances damaged by Trump’s “America First” doctrine.

The Democrats are also broadly in agreement on the need to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal that Trump abandoned, to push North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, and for a two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians.

Differences have emerged on whether to reverse Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, and on when the United States should use military force overseas.

Here is a look at the foreign policy positions of the top 10 Democratic candidates.

JOE BIDEN

The former vice president and Democratic front-runner has said he wants to repair America’s standing in the world and alliances like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“The next president is going to have to be able to pull the world back together,” Biden told National Public Radio in an interview published on Sept. 3. “Four more years of this president, there will be no NATO,” Biden added.

Biden also said Trump’s call in August for Russia to be invited back into the G7 group of nations was “embarrassing,” adding that the Republican president’s overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin while spurning traditional U.S. allies were “irrational and self-defeating”.

Biden once told Putin during a meeting, “I don’t think you have a soul,” Biden later said. As vice president, Biden condemned Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Like other Democratic candidates, Biden has denounced Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Biden has said he would pursue an extension of the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, which expires in 2021 and which Trump has not committed to extending.

On trade, Biden has indicated he would lift some tariffs that are damaging to U.S. farmers, but said he also would prevent China from stealing intellectual property and “dumping steel on us.”

Biden, who served as Democratic former President Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years, has argued he has the foreign policy experience that none of the other Democratic candidates possess. Obama trusted Biden with withdrawing troops from Iraq and uniting allies to combat Islamist terrorism, Biden said in his NPR interview.

But his long record also opens Biden up to criticism. He voted in 2002 to authorize the use of military force against Iraq, paving the way for President George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion that led to a long and costly conflict and destabilized the Middle East.

Biden later called his vote a mistake and has promised to end America’s “forever wars.” In a Democratic debate in Houston this month, he said he would withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan and suggested using bases in Pakistan to “prevent the United States being the victim of terror coming out of Afghanistan.”

BERNIE SANDERS

The U.S. senator from Vermont has combined his calls for a “political revolution” at home with a vision for a shift in U.S. policy overseas. Sanders has criticized high levels of military spending that enrich defense contractors and pledged to cool tensions with Iran.

Sanders said in this month’s debate that he and Biden strongly disagree on trade, citing his opposition to trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement that Sanders said led to job losses.

In the past, Sanders expressed solidarity with left-wing governments, but now draws a distinction between his avowed “democratic socialism” and governments like that of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, who he has called a “vicious tyrant.”

As well as opposing Cold War-era policies, he voted against the Iraq war and co-authored a bipartisan resolution to try to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi Arabia-led war against Houthi insurgents in Yemen.

ELIZABETH WARREN

The U.S. senator from Massachusetts has pledged to create a foreign policy with a focus on creating and defending jobs in the United States. Warren has said she would cut the “bloated defense budget.”

“We need to bring our troops home” from Afghanistan, Warren said in a Democratic debate, “and then we need to make a big shift. We cannot ask our military to keep solving problems that cannot be solved militarily.”

Warren was the first major candidate to call for Trump to be impeached for taking actions to impede the federal investigations of Russian election interference. She also criticized the president’s June meeting with Putin in which Trump appeared to make light of the election interference.

PETE BUTTIGIEG

Buttigieg studied abroad in England and Tunisia and worked for the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He took time out of his first term as mayor of South Bend, Indiana to deploy to Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Buttigieg has pledged to reverse two pivotal steps taken by Trump by having the United States rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and Paris climate accord. Buttigieg has argued for scrapping the authorization for use of military force passed by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, saying it has become a “blank check” for the use of force.

“When America acts alone, it can only be because core interests are at stake and because there is no alternative,” said Buttigieg, adding that neither the situation in Venezuela nor that in Iran passed that test. He also has said he would withhold U.S. funds from Israel if it annexes West Bank settlements.

KAMALA HARRIS

The U.S. senator from California has not issued a detailed foreign policy plan, but has emphasized restoring America’s traditional alliances like NATO. She has said trade policy should help the United States “export American products, not American jobs,” but added the nation needs to trade with the world and should partner with China on climate change issues and North Korea. “I am not a protectionist Democrat,” Harris said.

Harris has been criticized by some on the left for her links to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israeli lobbying group. Her website describes her support for Israel as “unshakeable” and that she would “work towards a two-state solution so that Palestinians and Israelis can govern themselves in security, dignity and peace.”

ANDREW YANG

Along with his flagship domestic proposal for a universal basic income for all Americans over age 18, Yang has proposed a “reverse boot camp” to ensure military service members are ready to return to civilian life. The former tech entrepreneur’s foreign policy initiatives include a proposal to develop new encryption standards that are not vulnerable to quantum computing technology, as well as to invest in quantum technology to stay ahead of geopolitical rivals.

Yang also has said the decision to launch a nuclear attack should not rest solely with the president, proposing that the vice president also verify such calls.

CORY BOOKER

The U.S. senator from New Jersey has criticized Trump’s foreign policy as an “America alone policy” and emphasized working with allies to take on the challenges of China and climate change.

“We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and our strength is multiplied and magnified when we stand with our allies in common cause and common purpose,” Booker said in a debate. “That’s how we beat China.”

Booker has said it was a mistake for Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal but that he would take the opportunity to renegotiate the agreement.

BETO O’ROURKE

The former U.S. congressman from Texas has said he would end Trump’s trade war on day one of his administration and suspend tariffs, a commitment none of the other top 10 Democratic candidates have made. O’Rourke has proposed leading a global coalition to pressure China to end anti-competitive behavior.

JULIAN CASTRO

The former U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development said in a debate he would put a renewed focus on Latin America to address immigration and to compete with China’s growing influence there.

He said a “21st Century Marshall Plan for Central America,” like the post-World War Two initiative to rebuild Western Europe, is needed “so that people can find safety and opportunity at home instead of having to make the dangerous journey to the United States.”

The United States should also pressure Venezuela to have free and fair elections and offer those fleeing the country temporary protected status, Castro said.

TULSI GABBARD

The U.S. congresswoman from Hawaii has made her anti-war position central to her campaign. Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran, has spoken against U.S. involvement in Syria’s civil war as part of a personal campaign to end “regime change wars.” She has met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and expressed skepticism that his government was behind chemical weapons attacks, drawing fierce criticism from some in her own party.

(Compiled by Simon Lewis; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Will Dunham)

from IJR https://ift.tt/2mpvYui via IFTTT

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/01/majority-house-democrats-support-impeachment-1440799

Majority of House Democrats now support impeachment inquiry

Pelosi will now face increased pressure to back impeachment proceedings.

ByKYLE CHENEY | Published August 1, 2019 08:36 AM EDT Updated 10:31 AM EDT | Politico | Posted August 1, 2019 2:30 PM ET |

The impeachment dam has broken.

More than half of House Democrats say they would vote to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a crucial threshold that backers said will require Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconsider her steadfast opposition.

Though Pelosi has given no indication that even a significant majority of House Democrats embracing impeachment proceedings would shift her view, supporters of an inquiry argue that crossing the halfway mark among the caucus isa symbolic boost that could shift the political dynamic.

“The president’s repeated abuses have brought American democracy to a perilous crossroads," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who announced his support on Tuesday. "Following the guidance of the Constitution — which I have sworn to uphold — is the only way to achieve justice."

The number of House Democrats who support impeachment proceedings passed the halfway mark — 118 out of 235 voting members now support the effort — on Thursday when Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida announced his support. Deutch was also the 23rd Democratic lawmaker to support impeachment proceedings in the days after former special counsel Robert Mueller testified to Congress, affirming publicly his damning evidence suggesting Trump attempted to obstruct justice.

Mueller's appearance reignited a push for impeachment proceedings among Democrats, who had been slowly gathering momentum for the effort since April. Though his testimony was at times halting, Mueller confirmed to lawmaker his report’s findings that Trump’s 2016 campaign welcomed Russian assistance and that Trump repeatedly attempted to undermine the investigation into Russia’s hacking and propaganda operation.

Perhaps more significant than the number of Democrats backing an inquiry are the identities of the members themselves. The latest additions include Reps. Mike Levin of California, Jennifer Wexton of Virginia and Jason Crow of Colorado, three freshmen who flipped Republican-held districts in November. Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, a member of Pelosi's leadership team, added her name to the list on Friday.

Engel, a veteran lawmaker from New York City, is also one of six committee chiefs tasked by Pelosi with investigating Trump's conduct. He's the second of those committee leaders, along with Rep. Maxine Waters of California, to publicly demand an impeachment inquiry. Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler has privately advocated for one as well.

The level of support for an inquiry, as calculated by POLITICO, does not take into account the positions of the handful of Democrats from Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories because they don't get to vote on the House floor — though they do have influence in the Democratic Caucus and on committees. On Tuesday, Washington, D.C.'s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, who sits on the Oversight Committee, voiced her support for an impeachment inquiry. Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who left the Republican Party in July shortly after declaring his support for impeaching Trump, also is not reflected in the count.

Trump’s continued attacks on black lawmakers, particularly Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), has ratcheted up the fervor for supporters of impeachment as well. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who forced a July 17 vote on a measure to impeach the president because of his racist comments about four freshman lawmakers of color, said simply condemning the president has proved ineffective.

“The President’s shameful comments about Congressman Cummings make it evident that his bigotry is not going away,” Greentweeted Sunday. “We can no longer tolerate it and condemnation by the House of Representatives clearly wasn’t enough. We must impeach.”

The lawmakers quietly working to organize support for Trump’s impeachment said there are two important figures to watch in the coming weeks. Assistant speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), who is running for an open Senate seat against a primary opponent who has embraced impeachment proceedings, and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon who has questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election but so far deferred to Pelosi on impeachment.

Though there’s no indication he’s changing his tune, Luján’s support for impeachment proceedings could help unlock the backing of a slew of freshman Democrats who Luján helped get elected in 2016, when he ran Democrats’ campaign arm, pro-impeachment lawmakers said. And Lewis’ support would carry significant sway with members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have remained on the fence so far. Lewis has repeatedly been asked for his opinion on impeachment proceedings but has repeatedly indicated that he’s deferring to Pelosi.

Pelosi’s concerns about impeachment proceedings against Trump aren’t simply a math equation. Most Democrats facing serious reelection fights — whose 2018 victories in GOP-held districts helped deliver the House to Democrats — have avoided taking a position or outright opposed impeachment proceedings. In addition, Pelosi worries a successful impeachment in the House would send the question to the Republican controlled Senate, which likely would acquit Trump and deliver him a potent weapon for his 2020 reelection campaign.

Rather, Pelosi has urged a more methodical approach, calling for continued House investigations and legal fights to obtain Trump’s personal financial records as well as testimony from some of Mueller’s key witnesses.

In a sign of a shifting dynamic for House Democrats, though, Pelosi last week signed off on a legal argument lodged by the Judiciary Committee to obtain Mueller’s secret grand jury evidence. That argument indicated to a judge that the Judiciary Committee is already weighing whether to recommend articles of impeachment against Trump, obviating the need for a formal declaration of impeachment proceedings.

That announcement, though, hasn’t dampened calls among House Democrats. Four Washington state House Democrats and Patty Murray of Washington — the No. 3 Senate Democrat — called for impeachment proceedings against Trump on Sunday. And the Senate Democrats' No. 4, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, also came out this week to publicly support an impeachment inquiry.

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Majority of House Democrats now support impeachment inquiry

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged a more methodical approach to investigating the president, but may have to reconsider her opposition to impeachment proceedings. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

congress

Pelosi will now face increased pressure to back impeachment proceedings.

The impeachment dam has broken.

More than half of House Democrats say they would vote to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a crucial threshold that backers say will require Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconsider her steadfast opposition.

Story Continued Below

Though Pelosi has given no indication that even a majority of Democrats embracing impeachment proceedings would shift her view, supporters of an inquiry argue that crossing the halfway mark among Democrats will be a symbolic boost that could shift the political dynamic.

“The President’s repeated abuses have brought American democracy to a perilous crossroads,” said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who announced his support on Tuesday. “Following the guidance of the Constitution – which I have sworn to uphold – is the only way to achieve justice.”

Democrats who support impeachment proceedings eclipsed the halfway mark — 118 out of 235 voting members — on Thursday, when Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida announced his support. Deutch was also the 23rd Democratic lawmaker to support impeachment proceedings in the week since former special counsel Robert Mueller testified to Congress, affirming publicly his damning evidence that Trump attempted to obstruct justice.

Mueller’s appearance reignited a push for impeachment proceedings among Democrats, who had been slowly gathering momentum for the effort since April. Though his testimony was at times halting, Mueller confirmed to lawmaker his report’s findings that Trump’s 2016 campaign welcomed Russian assistance and that Trump himself repeatedly attempted to undermine the investigation of Russia’s hacking and propaganda operation.

Perhaps more significant than the raw number of Democrats backing an inquiry is the identities of the members themselves. The latest additions include Reps. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), four freshmen who flipped Republican-held districts in November. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), a member of Pelosi’s leadership team, added her name to the list on Friday.

Engel, a veteran lawmaker from New York City, is also one of six committee chairmen tasked by Pelosi with investigating Trump’s conduct. He’s the second of those committee leaders, along with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), to publicly demand an impeachment inquiry. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) has privately advocated for one as well.

The level of support for an inquiry, as calculated by POLITICO, does not take into account the positions of the handful of Democrats from Washington D.C. and U.S. territories because they don’t get to vote on the House floor — though they do have influence in the Democratic caucus and on committees. On Tuesday, Washington D.C.’s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, who sits on the oversight committee, voiced her support for an impeachment inquiry. Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who left the Republican Party in July shortly after declaring his support for impeaching Trump, also is not reflected in the count.

Trump’s continued attacks on black lawmakers, particularly Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), has ratcheted up the fervor for supporters of impeachment as well. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who forced a July 17 vote on a measure to impeach the president because of his racist comments about four freshman lawmakers, said simply condemning the president had proven ineffective.

“The President’s shameful comments about Congressman Cummings make it evident that his bigotry is not going away,” Green said on Twitter Sunday. “We can no longer tolerate it and condemnation by the House of Representatives clearly wasn’t enough. We must impeach.”

The lawmakers quietly working to organize support for Trump’s impeachment say there are two important figures to watch in the next few weeks. Assistant speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), who is running for an open Senate seat against a primary opponent who has embraced impeachment proceedings, and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon who has questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election but so far deferred to Pelosi on impeachment.

Though there’s no indication he’s changing his tune, Luján’s support for impeachment proceedings could help unlock the backing of a slew of freshman Democrats who Luján helped election in 2016, when he ran Democrats’ campaign arm, pro-impeachment lawmakers say. And Lewis’ support would carry significant sway with members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have remained on the fence so far. Lewis has repeatedly been asked for his opinion on impeachment proceedings but has repeatedly indicated that he’s deferring to Pelosi.

Pelosi’s concerns about impeachment proceedings against Trump aren’t simply a math equation. Most Democrats facing serious reelection fights — whose 2018 victories in GOP-held districts helped deliver the House to Democrats — have avoided taking a position or outright opposed impeachment proceedings. In addition, Pelosi is worried that a successful impeachment in the House would send the question to the Republican-controlled Senate, which would ultimately acquit Trump and deliver him a potent weapon for his 2020 reelection campaign.

Rather, Pelosi has urged a more methodical approach, calling for continued House investigations and legal fights to obtain Trump’s personal financial records as well as testimony from some of Mueller’s key witnesses.

In a sign of a shifting dynamic for House Democrats, though, Pelosi last week signed off on a legal argument lodged by the Judiciary Committee to obtain Mueller’s secret grand jury evidence. That argument indicated to a judge that the Judiciary Committee is already seriously weighing whether to recommend articles of impeachment against Trump, obviating the need for a formal declaration of impeachment proceedings.

That announcement, though, hasn’t dampened calls among House Democrats. Four Washington state House Democrats, as well as Washington Sen. Patty Murray — the third-highest ranking Senate Democrat — called for impeachment proceedings against Trump on Sunday. And the Senate Democrat’s No. 4, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, also came out this week to publicly support an impeachment inquiry.

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Nature Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught Nature Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught http://www.nature-business.com/nature-democrats-eyeing-a-majority-prepare-an-investigative-onslaught/

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Representative Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight Committee’s ranking Democrat, left, gives opening remarks during a hearing with former F.B.I. agent Peter Strzok while people hold up guilty signs featuring former associates of President Trump.CreditCreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

WASHINGTON — House Democrats, increasingly optimistic they will win back control in November, are mining a mountain of stymied oversight requests in preparation for an onslaught of hearings, subpoenas and investigations into nearly every corner of the Trump administration.

While they continue to distance themselves from the most extreme recourse — impeaching President Trump — senior Democrats who stand to control key House panels could soon oversee inquiries into some of the most precarious threats to Mr. Trump’s presidency. Those include whether his campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election, if the president obstructed a federal investigation into the matter and what role Mr. Trump played in paying to silence two women in the closing weeks of the campaign who say they had affairs with him.

Their scrutiny could also extend beyond Mr. Trump’s legal troubles to include his administration’s remaking of federal regulations and other policies that the party has disagreed with.

“I am not looking for headlines,” said Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “I am going to be defending the truth. We want to look at what is happening under this administration because all of us can agree this is not normal.”

Republicans, who have used their majority to systematically block Democratic demands of the administration, privately fear the onslaught could knock Mr. Trump’s government into a defensive posture or worse. In hopes of scaring voters to the polls, they have begun sounding sirens that Democrats will move quickly to impeach Mr. Trump.

“They are going to try to impeach,” said Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who has been one of Mr. Trump’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill. “We know that. This is why we have got to turn out our voters and win,” Mr. Jordan said. The congressman, a wrestling coach turned politician, is facing his own political scandal stemming from accusations that he was aware of sexual misconduct at Ohio State University but did nothing to stop it.

On Monday, Mr. Trump blasted Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, for bringing charges against two Republican House members ahead of the midterm elections, saying it put their re-election in jeopardy.

“Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter.

Democrats have been hesitant to loudly advertise the specifics of the potential investigative blitz, convinced that swing voters are more likely to back them based on kitchen-table economic issues like wages, health care and retirement benefits. Loyal Democratic voters do not need to be reminded that a Democratic House will check the power of the president, they argue.

Image

Representative Adam B. Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill. The Intelligence Committee is home to the House’s only investigation of Russian election interference.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

“If this is a referendum on Trump, the way I would want to frame it is not ‘remove or retain’ but ‘contain or enable,’” said Representative Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, who has already introduced an article of impeachment against the president. “There are more votes for ‘contain’ than there are for ‘remove.’”

But with Mr. Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, implicating the president directly in the payoffs to Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal, the conviction of Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman in federal court and a rash of indictments and other alleged wrongdoings swirling around House Republicans themselves, the Democrats are increasingly selling themselves as a much-needed antidote to a “culture of corruption” in the capital.

Democrats believe the Republicans abused the power of the majority to hobble the Obama administration, deeply damage Hillary Clinton and protect Mr. Trump. That frustration, coupled with what most lawmakers expect to be a wave of Democratic anti-Trump outrage fueling midterm victories, could overwhelm the instincts of more moderate members of the party to chart a different, more bipartisan course than Republicans have.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee, typically the House’s most muscular investigative body, have more than 50 subpoena requests that have been denied by committee Republicans since Mr. Trump took office, from the administration of security clearances at the White House to chartered jet travel by cabinet officials to Justice Department documents related to its decision not to defend the Affordable Care Act in court.

“It’s not like we have to go dig them up. They are right there sitting on the desk,” Mr. Cummings said.

In the Intelligence Committee, home to the House’s only investigation of Russian election interference, Democrats have shown interest in reopening what they viewed as an anemic inquiry that was prematurely closed by Republicans. They have outlined an ambitious list of witnesses worthy of potential subpoena, and Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the committee’s top Democrat, says that unsubstantiated suggestions that Russia could have laundered money through the Trump administration are of “great concern.”

Party leaders could also choose to impanel a special committee to focus on the Russia matter, freeing the Intelligence Committee to more traditional oversight of the C.I.A. and the F.B.I.

But many of the most sensitive investigations directly touching Mr. Trump are likely to fall to the Judiciary Committee, one of Congress’s most partisan bodies, where impeachment proceedings must begin. Led by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed for an investigation of whether Mr. Trump’s business profits violate anticorruption clauses of the Constitution. They titled a 56-page report on requests mothballed by Republicans “A Record of Abuse, Corruption, and Inaction.”

Perhaps more consequentially, Mr. Nadler and his colleagues have pushed for the committee’s own Russia investigation, as well as inquiries into the firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director last year and Mr. Trump’s attacks on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department. While not formal impeachment inquiries, studying those topics would allow the committee to begin to quietly set a foundation for a potential report from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, or the presentation of new facts by prosecutors in the Cohen case.

“We have to see more,” Mr. Nadler said of impeachment. “We need more evidence. We need to see what Mueller comes up with. We may get there.”

Image

Led by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, House Judiciary Committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed for an investigation of whether Mr. Trump’s business profits violate anti-corruption clauses of the Constitution.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

In the wake of Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea last month, Mr. Nadler requested an emergency meeting of the committee to demand insight from the Justice Department into its continuing investigation of potential campaign finance violations, as well as a public hearing on presidential pardons. The committee’s Republican chairman, Representative Robert Goodlatte of Virginia, did not reply.

Less marquee committees — including the Financial Services, Veterans Affairs, Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees — would probably carry out their own policy-oriented probes, digging out private communications behind divisive administration decisions and personnel, or even take a run at obtaining Mr. Trump’s long-sought tax returns.

Taken together, it would represent a sharp turn from the precipitous drop-off in congressional oversight since President Barack Obama left office. Republicans defend their record, arguing that they have called administration witnesses when appropriate and carried out a yearlong, politically unpopular investigation of Mr. Trump’s Russia ties.

But in the last year, that effort has been almost entirely overtaken by an investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump at the F.B.I. and Department of Justice. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, has yet to issue a single subpoena.

As a Democratic victory looks more likely, the possible reversal has increasingly worried Republicans. Axios reported on Sunday that Republicans have privately circulated a spreadsheet that catalogs more than 100 outstanding Democratic requests for testimony and documents, as well as the names of administration officials in their sights. Representative Devin Nunes of California, who has used his chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee to launch an aggressive investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump’s Russia ties, told supporters at a private fund-raiser that Republicans in Congress were essentially Mr. Trump’s last line of defense.

“If Sessions won’t unrecuse and Mueller won’t clear the president, we’re the only ones,” he said, according to a recording released in August by MSNBC, “which is really the danger.”

Even the most liberal members of the Democratic caucus, including those who have already filed articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump, have shaded toward political pragmatism as the levers of power have come into reach. Mr. Sherman said he has set aside time in December to update his article of impeachment with new details about Mr. Cohen and other matters. But in an interview he talked as much about political probabilities as principles.

Democrats are quick to reference the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998 as reason for their caution. Republicans in the House lost seats in the run-up to the 1998 midterm elections, then successfully impeached Mr. Clinton largely along party lines. But they failed to come close to a conviction in the Senate and ultimately boosted Mr. Clinton’s popularity. Democrats fear a similar outcome that could end up strengthening Mr. Trump’s hand in the 2020 presidential election.

“We need to attack the problem of corruption we see in the administration and do our oversight. But Democrats are mindful of the fact that if we want to stay in the majority, we have to show that we are responsibly governing,” Mr. Schiff said in an interview.

Sidelining impeachment for now could set the body on a more gradual path toward the same end, liberal Democrats open to impeachment say. With subpoenas and gavels, they say, they could begin to unearth impeachable offenses, and embarrassing public hearings could build a public case against Mr. Trump as they await Mr. Mueller.

“I think you need to build a case,” said Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, who has also introduced impeachment articles. “And then see where the politics are.”

Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and the Morning Briefing newsletter.

A version of this article appears in print on

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with the headline:

House in Reach, Democrats Prepare to Pounce With Subpoenas

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Nature Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught, in 2018-09-04 12:43:31

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Representative Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight Committee’s ranking Democrat, left, gives opening remarks during a hearing with former F.B.I. agent Peter Strzok while people hold up guilty signs featuring former associates of President Trump.CreditCreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

WASHINGTON — House Democrats, increasingly optimistic they will win back control in November, are mining a mountain of stymied oversight requests in preparation for an onslaught of hearings, subpoenas and investigations into nearly every corner of the Trump administration.

While they continue to distance themselves from the most extreme recourse — impeaching President Trump — senior Democrats who stand to control key House panels could soon oversee inquiries into some of the most precarious threats to Mr. Trump’s presidency. Those include whether his campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election, if the president obstructed a federal investigation into the matter and what role Mr. Trump played in paying to silence two women in the closing weeks of the campaign who say they had affairs with him.

Their scrutiny could also extend beyond Mr. Trump’s legal troubles to include his administration’s remaking of federal regulations and other policies that the party has disagreed with.

“I am not looking for headlines,” said Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “I am going to be defending the truth. We want to look at what is happening under this administration because all of us can agree this is not normal.”

Republicans, who have used their majority to systematically block Democratic demands of the administration, privately fear the onslaught could knock Mr. Trump’s government into a defensive posture or worse. In hopes of scaring voters to the polls, they have begun sounding sirens that Democrats will move quickly to impeach Mr. Trump.

“They are going to try to impeach,” said Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who has been one of Mr. Trump’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill. “We know that. This is why we have got to turn out our voters and win,” Mr. Jordan said. The congressman, a wrestling coach turned politician, is facing his own political scandal stemming from accusations that he was aware of sexual misconduct at Ohio State University but did nothing to stop it.

On Monday, Mr. Trump blasted Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, for bringing charges against two Republican House members ahead of the midterm elections, saying it put their re-election in jeopardy.

“Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter.

Democrats have been hesitant to loudly advertise the specifics of the potential investigative blitz, convinced that swing voters are more likely to back them based on kitchen-table economic issues like wages, health care and retirement benefits. Loyal Democratic voters do not need to be reminded that a Democratic House will check the power of the president, they argue.

Image

Representative Adam B. Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill. The Intelligence Committee is home to the House’s only investigation of Russian election interference.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

“If this is a referendum on Trump, the way I would want to frame it is not ‘remove or retain’ but ‘contain or enable,’” said Representative Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, who has already introduced an article of impeachment against the president. “There are more votes for ‘contain’ than there are for ‘remove.’”

But with Mr. Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, implicating the president directly in the payoffs to Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal, the conviction of Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman in federal court and a rash of indictments and other alleged wrongdoings swirling around House Republicans themselves, the Democrats are increasingly selling themselves as a much-needed antidote to a “culture of corruption” in the capital.

Democrats believe the Republicans abused the power of the majority to hobble the Obama administration, deeply damage Hillary Clinton and protect Mr. Trump. That frustration, coupled with what most lawmakers expect to be a wave of Democratic anti-Trump outrage fueling midterm victories, could overwhelm the instincts of more moderate members of the party to chart a different, more bipartisan course than Republicans have.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee, typically the House’s most muscular investigative body, have more than 50 subpoena requests that have been denied by committee Republicans since Mr. Trump took office, from the administration of security clearances at the White House to chartered jet travel by cabinet officials to Justice Department documents related to its decision not to defend the Affordable Care Act in court.

“It’s not like we have to go dig them up. They are right there sitting on the desk,” Mr. Cummings said.

In the Intelligence Committee, home to the House’s only investigation of Russian election interference, Democrats have shown interest in reopening what they viewed as an anemic inquiry that was prematurely closed by Republicans. They have outlined an ambitious list of witnesses worthy of potential subpoena, and Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the committee’s top Democrat, says that unsubstantiated suggestions that Russia could have laundered money through the Trump administration are of “great concern.”

Party leaders could also choose to impanel a special committee to focus on the Russia matter, freeing the Intelligence Committee to more traditional oversight of the C.I.A. and the F.B.I.

But many of the most sensitive investigations directly touching Mr. Trump are likely to fall to the Judiciary Committee, one of Congress’s most partisan bodies, where impeachment proceedings must begin. Led by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed for an investigation of whether Mr. Trump’s business profits violate anticorruption clauses of the Constitution. They titled a 56-page report on requests mothballed by Republicans “A Record of Abuse, Corruption, and Inaction.”

Perhaps more consequentially, Mr. Nadler and his colleagues have pushed for the committee’s own Russia investigation, as well as inquiries into the firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director last year and Mr. Trump’s attacks on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department. While not formal impeachment inquiries, studying those topics would allow the committee to begin to quietly set a foundation for a potential report from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, or the presentation of new facts by prosecutors in the Cohen case.

“We have to see more,” Mr. Nadler said of impeachment. “We need more evidence. We need to see what Mueller comes up with. We may get there.”

Image

Led by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, House Judiciary Committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed for an investigation of whether Mr. Trump’s business profits violate anti-corruption clauses of the Constitution.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

In the wake of Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea last month, Mr. Nadler requested an emergency meeting of the committee to demand insight from the Justice Department into its continuing investigation of potential campaign finance violations, as well as a public hearing on presidential pardons. The committee’s Republican chairman, Representative Robert Goodlatte of Virginia, did not reply.

Less marquee committees — including the Financial Services, Veterans Affairs, Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees — would probably carry out their own policy-oriented probes, digging out private communications behind divisive administration decisions and personnel, or even take a run at obtaining Mr. Trump’s long-sought tax returns.

Taken together, it would represent a sharp turn from the precipitous drop-off in congressional oversight since President Barack Obama left office. Republicans defend their record, arguing that they have called administration witnesses when appropriate and carried out a yearlong, politically unpopular investigation of Mr. Trump’s Russia ties.

But in the last year, that effort has been almost entirely overtaken by an investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump at the F.B.I. and Department of Justice. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, has yet to issue a single subpoena.

As a Democratic victory looks more likely, the possible reversal has increasingly worried Republicans. Axios reported on Sunday that Republicans have privately circulated a spreadsheet that catalogs more than 100 outstanding Democratic requests for testimony and documents, as well as the names of administration officials in their sights. Representative Devin Nunes of California, who has used his chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee to launch an aggressive investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump’s Russia ties, told supporters at a private fund-raiser that Republicans in Congress were essentially Mr. Trump’s last line of defense.

“If Sessions won’t unrecuse and Mueller won’t clear the president, we’re the only ones,” he said, according to a recording released in August by MSNBC, “which is really the danger.”

Even the most liberal members of the Democratic caucus, including those who have already filed articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump, have shaded toward political pragmatism as the levers of power have come into reach. Mr. Sherman said he has set aside time in December to update his article of impeachment with new details about Mr. Cohen and other matters. But in an interview he talked as much about political probabilities as principles.

Democrats are quick to reference the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998 as reason for their caution. Republicans in the House lost seats in the run-up to the 1998 midterm elections, then successfully impeached Mr. Clinton largely along party lines. But they failed to come close to a conviction in the Senate and ultimately boosted Mr. Clinton’s popularity. Democrats fear a similar outcome that could end up strengthening Mr. Trump’s hand in the 2020 presidential election.

“We need to attack the problem of corruption we see in the administration and do our oversight. But Democrats are mindful of the fact that if we want to stay in the majority, we have to show that we are responsibly governing,” Mr. Schiff said in an interview.

Sidelining impeachment for now could set the body on a more gradual path toward the same end, liberal Democrats open to impeachment say. With subpoenas and gavels, they say, they could begin to unearth impeachable offenses, and embarrassing public hearings could build a public case against Mr. Trump as they await Mr. Mueller.

“I think you need to build a case,” said Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, who has also introduced impeachment articles. “And then see where the politics are.”

Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and the Morning Briefing newsletter.

A version of this article appears in print on

, on Page

A

14

of the New York edition

with the headline:

House in Reach, Democrats Prepare to Pounce With Subpoenas

. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/us/politics/democrats-trump-impeachment.html | https://www.nytimes.com/by/nicholas-fandos

Nature Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught, in 2018-09-04 12:43:31

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Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught

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Democrats, Eyeing a Majority, Prepare an Investigative Onslaught

WASHINGTON — House Democrats, increasingly optimistic they will win back control in November, are mining a mountain of stymied oversight requests in preparation for an onslaught of hearings, subpoenas and investigations into nearly every corner of the Trump administration.

While they continue to distance themselves from the most extreme recourse — impeaching President Trump — senior Democrats who stand to control key House panels could soon oversee inquiries into some of the most precarious threats to Mr. Trump’s presidency. Those include whether his campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election, if the president obstructed a federal investigation into the matter and what role Mr. Trump played in paying to silence two women in the closing weeks of the campaign who say they had affairs with him.

Their scrutiny could also extend beyond Mr. Trump’s legal troubles to include his administration’s remaking of federal regulations and other policies that the party has disagreed with.

“I am not looking for headlines,” said Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “I am going to be defending the truth. We want to look at what is happening under this administration because all of us can agree this is not normal.”

Republicans, who have used their majority to systematically block Democratic demands of the administration, privately fear the onslaught could knock Mr. Trump’s government into a defensive posture or worse. In hopes of scaring voters to the polls, they have begun sounding sirens that Democrats will move quickly to impeach Mr. Trump.

“They are going to try to impeach,” said Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who has been one of Mr. Trump’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill. “We know that. This is why we have got to turn out our voters and win,” Mr. Jordan said. The congressman, a wrestling coach turned politician, is facing his own political scandal stemming from accusations that he was aware of sexual misconduct at Ohio State University but did nothing to stop it.

On Monday, Mr. Trump blasted Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, for bringing charges against two Republican House members ahead of the midterm elections, saying it put their re-election in jeopardy.

“Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter.

Democrats have been hesitant to loudly advertise the specifics of the potential investigative blitz, convinced that swing voters are more likely to back them based on kitchen-table economic issues like wages, health care and retirement benefits. Loyal Democratic voters do not need to be reminded that a Democratic House will check the power of the president, they argue.

“If this is a referendum on Trump, the way I would want to frame it is not ‘remove or retain’ but ‘contain or enable,’” said Representative Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, who has already introduced an article of impeachment against the president. “There are more votes for ‘contain’ than there are for ‘remove.’”

But with Mr. Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, implicating the president directly in the payoffs to Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal, the conviction of Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman in federal court and a rash of indictments and other alleged wrongdoings swirling around House Republicans themselves, the Democrats are increasingly selling themselves as a much-needed antidote to a “culture of corruption” in the capital.

Democrats believe the Republicans abused the power of the majority to hobble the Obama administration, deeply damage Hillary Clinton and protect Mr. Trump. That frustration, coupled with what most lawmakers expect to be a wave of Democratic anti-Trump outrage fueling midterm victories, could overwhelm the instincts of more moderate members of the party to chart a different, more bipartisan course than Republicans have.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee, typically the House’s most muscular investigative body, have more than 50 subpoena requests that have been denied by committee Republicans since Mr. Trump took office, from the administration of security clearances at the White House to chartered jet travel by cabinet officials to Justice Department documents related to its decision not to defend the Affordable Care Act in court.

“It’s not like we have to go dig them up. They are right there sitting on the desk,” Mr. Cummings said.

In the Intelligence Committee, home to the House’s only investigation of Russian election interference, Democrats have shown interest in reopening what they viewed as an anemic inquiry that was prematurely closed by Republicans. They have outlined an ambitious list of witnesses worthy of potential subpoena, and Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the committee’s top Democrat, says that unsubstantiated suggestions that Russia could have laundered money through the Trump administration are of “great concern.”

Party leaders could also choose to impanel a special committee to focus on the Russia matter, freeing the Intelligence Committee to more traditional oversight of the C.I.A. and the F.B.I.

But many of the most sensitive investigations directly touching Mr. Trump are likely to fall to the Judiciary Committee, one of Congress’s most partisan bodies, where impeachment proceedings must begin. Led by Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, committee Democrats have repeatedly pressed for an investigation of whether Mr. Trump’s business profits violate anticorruption clauses of the Constitution. They titled a 56-page report on requests mothballed by Republicans “A Record of Abuse, Corruption, and Inaction.”

Perhaps more consequentially, Mr. Nadler and his colleagues have pushed for the committee’s own Russia investigation, as well as inquiries into the firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director last year and Mr. Trump’s attacks on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department. While not formal impeachment inquiries, studying those topics would allow the committee to begin to quietly set a foundation for a potential report from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, or the presentation of new facts by prosecutors in the Cohen case.

“We have to see more,” Mr. Nadler said of impeachment. “We need more evidence. We need to see what Mueller comes up with. We may get there.”

In the wake of Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea last month, Mr. Nadler requested an emergency meeting of the committee to demand insight from the Justice Department into its continuing investigation of potential campaign finance violations, as well as a public hearing on presidential pardons. The committee’s Republican chairman, Representative Robert Goodlatte of Virginia, did not reply.

Less marquee committees — including the Financial Services, Veterans Affairs, Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees — would probably carry out their own policy-oriented probes, digging out private communications behind divisive administration decisions and personnel, or even take a run at obtaining Mr. Trump’s long-sought tax returns.

Taken together, it would represent a sharp turn from the precipitous drop-off in congressional oversight since President Barack Obama left office. Republicans defend their record, arguing that they have called administration witnesses when appropriate and carried out a yearlong, politically unpopular investigation of Mr. Trump’s Russia ties.

But in the last year, that effort has been almost entirely overtaken by an investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump at the F.B.I. and Department of Justice. Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, has yet to issue a single subpoena.

As a Democratic victory looks more likely, the possible reversal has increasingly worried Republicans. Axios reported on Sunday that Republicans have privately circulated a spreadsheet that catalogs more than 100 outstanding Democratic requests for testimony and documents, as well as the names of administration officials in their sights. Representative Devin Nunes of California, who has used his chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee to launch an aggressive investigation of those investigating Mr. Trump’s Russia ties, told supporters at a private fund-raiser this summer that Republicans in Congress were essentially Mr. Trump’s last line of defense.

“If Sessions won’t unrecuse and Mueller won’t clear the president, we’re the only ones,” he said, according to a recording obtained by MSNBC, “which is really the danger.”

Even the most liberal members of the Democratic caucus, including those who have already filed articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump, have shaded toward political pragmatism as the levers of power have come into reach. Mr. Sherman said he has set aside time in December to update his article of impeachment with new details about Mr. Cohen and other matters. But in an interview he talked as much about political probabilities as principles.

Democrats are quick to reference the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998 as reason for their caution. Republicans in the House lost seats in the run-up to the 1998 midterm elections, then successfully impeached Mr. Clinton largely along party lines. But they failed to come close to a conviction in the Senate and ultimately boosted Mr. Clinton’s popularity. Democrats fear a similar outcome that could end up strengthening Mr. Trump’s hand in the 2020 presidential election.

“We need to attack the problem of corruption we see in the administration and do our oversight. But Democrats are mindful of the fact that if we want to stay in the majority, we have to show that we are responsible governing,” Mr. Schiff said in an interview.

Sidelining impeachment for now could set the body on a more gradual path toward the same end, liberal Democrats open to impeachment say. With subpoenas and gavels, they say, they could begin to unearth impeachable offenses, and embarrassing public hearings could build a public case against Mr. Trump as they await Mr. Mueller.

“I think you need to build a case,” said Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee, who has also introduced impeachment articles. “And then see where the politics are.”

Read full story here

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A year in the life of Donald Trump, and the country

(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

When Donald Trump became the president-elect one year ago, his elated supporters and his crestfallen detractors had two very different ideas of the president he would become.

Those aboard the Trump Train had elected a president who declared, “I alone can fix it,” and they took him at his word.

He would provide “great health care at a fraction of the cost.” He would be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created,” by bringing back dying industries like coal mining and manufacturing. He would “rebuild” the U.S. military and “take care” of veterans. His “big, beautiful” wall along the border would halt illegal immigration, and Syrian refugees would no longer be allowed to enter the country.

Those who had opposed Trump the candidate were horrified at the prospect of him taking office. To them, Trump had campaigned on a dystopian vision of America, and his promises — to crack down on immigration, reverse Obama-era policies and pursue an isolated “America First” agenda — were more like threats. They predicted the possibility of nuclear war, a prospect Trump has done little to ward off by provoking the volatile leader of North Korea.

Of the two opposing visions of Trump’s presidency, neither has been fully borne out by events. It was probably unrealistic to expect him to repeal and replace Obamacare on “Day One” of his administration, but we’re now up to Day 291 and counting. His promise to push for a constitutional amendment setting term limits for members of Congress seems to have fallen through the cracks, along with getting rid of gun-free zones near schools. Tax cuts and infrastructure spending, signature initiatives during the campaign, are, respectively, a work in progress and a can in the process of being kicked down the road.

Nevertheless, Trump has been busy in the White House, when he’s not golfing. Here’s a partial list of his accomplishments and disappointments:

President Donald Trump applauds new Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch during a public swearing-in ceremony for Gorsuch in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 10, 2017. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Judicial appointments One of the Trump administration’s earliest concrete victories, and one the White House still cites as proof of his effectiveness, was the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, Senate Republicans refused to even hold a hearing for President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland. During the campaign, Trump released a list of potential nominees, promising conservatives he would replace Scalia with someone from the pool. Within weeks of his inauguration, he picked Gorsuch, who was confirmed in April.

In addition to the Supreme Court, Trump has stacked the federal benches with his picks. Last week, after four confirmations, Trump thanked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for helping to confirm federal judges “at a record clip,” which he said amounted to the courts “rapidly changing for the better!”

Failure to repeal and replace Obamacare One of Trump’s signature campaign promises was quality health care for every citizen at a reduced cost. This, he claimed repeatedly, would be accomplished by repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature healthcare legislation. Although Trump and many congressional Republicans campaigned at least in part on a repeal-and-replace platform, the effort has been shelved after a series of defeats.

A House bill was pulled by Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., in March because it lacked support. In May, the House passed a bill, and Trump hosted a premature celebration in the White House Rose Garden. However, the Senate rejected it and opted to write their own version instead. In July, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, John McCain, and Lisa Murkowski sank the latest effort, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was “time to move on” to other parts of the GOP agenda. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, sensing one last opportunity, introduced their repeal bill in September, but a vote was never held after it failed to garner the necessary support.

Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 8, 2017, in Washington. (Photo: Alex Brandon, Pool/AP)

Comey’s firing and Mueller’s appointment In May, Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey, who had become a bogeyman for the Democrats for his public updates on the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

Trump originally cited a Justice Department memo criticizing Comey’s handling of the investigation as the reason for his dismissal, but he later admitted he had already decided to fire Comey and hinted in an interview with NBC News “this Russia thing with Trump and Russia” influenced his decision.

Meanwhile, Comey had been keeping notes of his interactions with the president, including one conversation where Trump allegedly said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” More damningly, Comey contended Trump asked him to ease off former national security adviser Mike Flynn. After his dismissal, Comey testified he gave the memos to a friend to leak to reporters, in hope that it would trigger the appointment of a special counsel. Shortly after Comey was fired and the New York Times published the contents of the memos, Robert Mueller was tapped to lead the investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election.

Mueller has brought federal charges against Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, and Rick Gates, Manafort’s deputy and business partner. A former campaign foreign policy aide, George Papadopoulos, has already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

Continued pressure on ISIS and bombing of Syria Trump vowed to “bomb the s*** out of” ISIS during the campaign, and he has made gains in taking down the terrorist organization. In October, U.S.-backed forces declared the end of “major military operations” in the retaking of Raqqa, Syria, the putative capital of the “Islamic state” declared by ISIS.

Trump said capturing Raqqa meant “the end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight,” and claimed credit for the victory. However, former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter denied the Trump administration had radically changed the U.S. military’s tactics in fighting ISIS. He said the capture of Raqqa was the result of a plan that “was laid out two years ago, and has been executed pretty much in the manner and the schedule that was foreseen then.”

In a departure from Obama-era policy, however, Trump authorized a missile strike on a Syrian airbase, in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that killed at least 80 and produced horrifying footage of civilians struggling to breathe and move and foaming at the mouth. The action against the air base from where the attack was launched constituted an escalation of American involvement, as no direct military action had been taken against the Syrian government until then.

(Photos: Getty Images)

West Wing and Cabinet exits The team around Trump in the White House today is markedly different than the one with which he began his term in January. National Security Adviser Mike Flynn resigned after just three weeks, following reports that he had discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador and lied about those interactions to the vice president. Other high-profile White House exits included the departures of deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, communications director Mike Dubke, press secretary Sean Spicer, assistant press secretary Michael Short, chief of staff Reince Priebus, communications director Anthony Scaramucci, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka. Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price resigned under fire after reporting by Politico revealed he had spent over $1 million in taxpayer money on chartered planes.

EPA turmoil Trump appointees have dramatically overhauled and shrunk several Cabinet agencies. Scott Pruitt, in his former job as attorney general of Oklahoma, had sued the Environmental Protection Agency 13 times before he was tapped to lead it. He has attempted to transform the EPA by scaling back its regulatory footprint and shutting out environmental groups from policy-making in favor of industry executives and lobbyists. A report on his daily schedule by the New York Times found Pruitt “has held back-to-back meetings, briefing sessions and speaking engagements almost daily with top corporate executives and lobbyists from all the major economic sectors that he regulates — and almost no meetings with environmental groups or consumer or public health advocates.”

Pulling out of Paris climate agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership As a candidate, Trump denounced the previous administration’s approach to international affairs as weak and promised to make better “deals” for the country. He put his money where his mouth is on two: the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Days after inauguration, Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the U.S. from TPP, a trade deal negotiated under Obama. Technically, though, the agreement hadn’t yet taken effect and still had to be approved by congress.

Trump also pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, a 2015 deal that established voluntarily goals for countries to curb harmful emissions. When Trump announced the U.S.’s withdrawal, Nicaragua and Syria were the only countries in the world not part of the agreement. Both have since signed on, leaving the United States the only non-member.

Tangles with courts The Trump agenda has been largely stalled in Congress, with no health care, infrastructure, or tax reform bills passed, and he has turned to executive action to realize some of his other priorities.

Most notably, Trump has attempted to implement three versions of his travel ban, which barred Syrian refugees and citizens from several majority Muslim countries from entering the U.S. After a court ruling struck down the first iteration, Trump signed what he called a “watered down, politically correct version” that would last 90 days. After that second version expired, another guidance was set to take its place that would have banned travelers from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. A federal district court judge in Hawaii largely stayed the order, leaving in place the restrictions on travel from North Korea and Venezuela.

Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. military would not accommodate transgender soldiers, but a federal judge ruled the current policy should stand. The Trump administration position, the judge said, signaled the “disapproval of transgender people generally,” adding that banning and discharging transgender troops would be have more of a negative effect on the military than allowing them to serve.

Stock market rally and falling unemployment Trump ran in part on his business acumen and his understanding of the financial world, and indeed the stock market has risen and the unemployment rate has fallen since he took office.

The 20 percent rally in the S&P 500 and the 30 percent rise in the Dow have sent markets to record highs, and the president plainly said recently “the reason [the U.S.]stock market has been so successful is because of me.”

Similarly, unemployment is down to 4.1 percent, although Trump previously preached skepticism of jobs numbers — before they could be credited to him.

Escalation in tensions with North Korea Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have repeatedly provoked each other, with the latter ordering numerous missile tests, including some that have flown over Japan. They’ve traded verbal insults too: Trump branded Kim “Little Rocket Man,” and Kim lobbed back with the archaic slur “dotard.” Moreover, Trump has undermined Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s diplomatic efforts toward North Korea, tweeting that Tillerson is “wasting his time trying to negotiate” with Kim. One day before the anniversary of his election, Trump was in South Korea, warning Pyongyang that aggression toward the South would be a “fatal miscalculation,” while putting in a plug for the golf course at his New Jersey resort.

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Hassan Joins Progressive Senators In Introducing Legislation To Bring Down Prescription Drug Prices

Proposal Improves Upon the Affordable Care Act By Addressing Skyrocketing Drug Prices

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and others in launching a major push to improve upon the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by bringing down the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs, one of the main reasons why health care costs for seniors and families are rising.

The Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act would help ensure that drug companies put patients before profits and bring much-needed relief to families and seniors, including many who have had to make the impossible choice between paying for a life-saving drug and putting food on the table.

“It is long past time for Congress to put patients first by coming together and acting to lower the cost of prescription drugs,” said Senator Hassan. “This major piece of legislation helps ensure that seniors and families can afford the medication they need through common-sense steps including cracking down on bad actors who hike the cost of prescription drugs that have been on the market for years or who play games to prevent competition.Iwill continue working with anyone who’s serious about addressing the rising costs of prescription drugs and ensuring that all Americans can afford critical care.”

The landmark proposal, which the Senators said they want to see included in upcoming legislative debates, seeks to tackle prescription drug costs by increasing transparency and accountability, boosting access and affordability of key drugs, spurring innovation, and increasing choice and competition.

The Senators were joined in introducing this legislative package, which is supported by a wide range of organizations and patient advocacy groups, by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

You can read more about the legislation by clicking here or reading below:

The Senators’ legislation is supported by:

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

AFSCME

Housing Works

MoveOn

National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare

National Physicians Alliance

Other98

PFAM: People of Faith for Access to Medicines

Public Citizen

Social Security Works

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)

AFT

Doctors for America

Center for Medicare Advocacy

Alliance for Retired Americans

Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act

Title I: Transparency

Section 101: Drug manufacturer reporting.

To better understand how research and development costs, manufacturing and marketing costs, acquisitions, federal investments, revenues and sales, and other factors influence drug prices, this section requires drug manufacturers to disclose this information, by product, to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who, in turn, will make it publicly available in a searchable format.

Section 102: Determining the public and private benefit of copayment coupons and other patient assistance programs.

To better understand how patient assistance programs affect drug prices and the extent to which drug makers are using independent charity assistance programs to drive up profits, this section requires independent charity assistance programs to disclose to the IRS the total amount of patient assistance provided to patients who are prescribed drugs manufactured by any contributor to the independent charity assistance program. It also requires a GAO study on the impact of patient assistance programs on prescription drug pricing and expenditures.

Title II: Access and Affordability

Section 201: Negotiating fair prices for Medicare prescription drugs.

Medicare is one of the largest purchasers of prescription drugs in the country but, unlike Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), it is not allowed to leverage its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices and bring down costs. This section would allow the Secretary of HHS to negotiate with drug companies to lower prescription drug prices, and directs the Secretary to prioritize negotiations on specialty and other high-priced drugs.

Section 202: Prescription drug price spikes.

Prescription drugs are priced in the United States according to whatever the market will bear and are sometimes subject to drastic and frequent price increases without apparent justification. This makes drugs increasingly unaffordable and creates significant uncertainty for patients’ and insurers’ budgets. This section requires the HHS Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG) to monitor changes in drug prices and take steps to prevent drug manufacturers from engaging in price gouging.

Section 203: Acceleration of the closing of the Medicare Part D coverage gap.

This section closes the Medicare Part D prescription coverage gap in 2018, two years earlier than under current law, providing faster financial relief to seniors, and requires drug manufacturers to pay a larger share of the costs during the coverage gap.

Section 204: Importing affordable and safe drugs.

This section allows wholesalers, licensed U.S. pharmacies, and individuals to import qualifying prescription drugs manufactured at FDA-inspected facilities from licensed Canadian sellers and, after two years, from OECD countries that meet standards comparable to U.S. standards.

Section 205: Requiring drug manufacturers to provide drug rebates for drugs dispensed to low-income individuals.

This section restores prescription drug rebates for seniors who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and extends these rebates to other Medicare patients in Medicare low-income-subsidy plans.

Section 206: Cap on prescription drug cost-sharing.

For plan years beginning in 2019 and later, this section caps prescription drug cost sharing at $250 per month for individuals and $500 a month for families enrolled in Qualified Health Plans and employer-based plans.

Title III: Innovation

Section 301: Prize fund for new and more effective treatments of bacterial infections.

This section creates a $2 billion prize fund at the National Institutes of Health to fund entities that develop superior antibiotics that treat serious and life-threatening bacterial infections and to fund research that advances such treatments and is made publicly available. In order to receive prize funds, recipients must commit to offering their products at a reasonable price, share clinical data, and take steps to promote antibiotic stewardship.

Section 302: Public funding for clinical trials.

This section creates a Center for Clinical Research within the NIH to conduct all stages of clinical trials on drugs that may address an existing or emerging health need.

Section 303: Rewarding innovative drug development.

This section amends various exclusivity periods awarded by the FDA to brand-name pharmaceutical companies in an effort to accelerate competition in the generic and biologics market. First, the bill modifies the New Chemical Entity (NCE) exclusivity period to allow FDA to accept a generic drug application for the branded product after three years rather than five. Second, this section would add in a requirement that products awarded the 3-year New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity must show significant clinical benefit over existing therapies manufactured by the applicant in the 5-year period preceding the submission of the application. Third, this section reduces the biological product exclusivity from 12 years to 7 years.

Section 304: Improving program integrity.

This section would terminate any remaining market exclusivity periods on any product found to be in violation of criminal or civil law through a federal or state fraud conviction or settlement in which the company admits fault.

Title IV: Choice and Competition

Section 401: Preserving access to affordable generics.

This legislation would make it illegal for brand-name and generic drug manufacturers to enter into anti-competitive agreements in which the brand-name drug manufacturer pays the generic manufacturer to keep more affordable generic equivalents off the market.

Section 402 and 403: 180-Day exclusivity period amendments regarding first applicant status and agreements to defer commercial marketing.

This section enables FDA to take away the 180-day generic drug exclusivity period from any generic company that enters into anti-competitive pay-for-delay settlements with brand-name drug manufacturers.

Section 404: Increasing generic drug competition.

This section introduces new reporting requirements and financial incentives to promote and sustain competitive generic markets.

Section 405: Disallowance of deduction for advertising for prescription drugs.

This section eliminates the tax breaks drug companies receive from the federal government for expenses related to direct-to-consumer advertising.

Section 406: Product hopping.

This section establishes a definition for the term “product hopping” and instructs the FTC to submit a report to Congress on the extent to which companies engage in these anti-competitive practices and their effects on company profits, consumer access, physician prescribing behavior, and broader economic impacts.

Hassan Joins Progressive Senators In Introducing Legislation To Bring Down Prescription Drug Prices was originally published on NH LABOR NEWS

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