I am going to respond to a comment in reference to my comment below. I have no idea how it could be inferred I was a democrat and was not concerned about the fiscal mess we are in. I think, in fact, that was precisely my point of talking about Rome burning. I have been an independent since I could vote in the late 1970s, have been intensely policy-focused and analytically driven and have voted for both democrats and republicans over the years. I have always emphasized who I thought could actually govern, build solid teams of build to make informed decisions and come up with pragmatic solutions on a bipartisan basis that solve some of the dire circumstances we are facing. Simply put, please do not make assumptions about me, my perspectives, and my values. I am despairing right now and, frankly, don;t see how this all ends.
Just an observation about work schedules for Congress: I am not sure what the definition of "work" is here, and I am sure some representatives and senators work hard by any criteria used. However, my husband and just last week discussed how Congress always seems to be adjourning and disappearing for days while Rome has been burning, so to speak. Let's take the House of Representatives, for example. (I could do a similar analysis for the Senate but the House is my focus for obvious reasons, I think.) In October, it was only 8 days "in session," and the rest were called "district work periods." And there was a federal holiday in October, and of course, we all know the spectacle we witnessed where most of the business was taken up with trying to elect a House Speaker, and of course, the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry among other wonderful, legislative initiatives benefiting the country. Then,, in November, which we are currently in, it was supposed to be in session 8 days through November 16th, but only managed 6 1/2 since the session was gaveled closed on Wednesday afternoon where a procedural vote failed, rendering any votes going forward impossible. (This was the period that all of the fighting and verbal abuse was going on!) So, everyone went home. And, do remember there was another federal holiday on November 10th, so off the representatives go home! Next week the session is supposed to start on Tuesday (not Monday) after a long holiday weekend, and the rest of the week days in the month were and are deemed "district work periods." Somehow, this does not seem like 5 straight weeks of work! And, finally, there are only 21 days of legislative sessions between now and January 19th, the next deadline for a government shutdown for at least some of the government functions! One final comment: somehow I have been reading about Mike Johnson being so nice and accommodating to ensure that the government didn't shut down prior to the holidays. (Just think how happy that would have made Congressional members to go home to, particularly those flying!) My prediction: just wait until you see the funding bills he comes up with! We ain't seen nothing yet! Somehow, I would not count this as a heavy work schedule and certainly not a productive one which focuses on what they are all there for: legislating effective solutions to a variety of the complex issues facing this country. (I hope you get the sarcasm here!)
Yes Henretta, nothing like spending 1 year out of 3 at the Delaware beach house, on the federal dime! Really working hard, laying half alive in a sand beach chair. I really don’t care how many days Congress is in session as long as they provide basic function of approving a budget and passing legitimate spending, not federal slush funds. Do any of you Dems know what’s in the budgets? Are you tom a tons? My goodness, we are $33.5 trillion in debt?
There is so much wrong with this entire analysis, but I will focus in on one point: Senator Mullin was called out by the Democrat union boss, directly and in the open on social media of all places, to a fight. He didn't start it. Do I agree with him using a Senate hearing to finish it? Not really. But it's 2023...honestly let them fight. My guess is he went into that hearing trying to smear the guy, and the second Mr. Tougho Union Boss started spouting off he lost his temper. He would have wiped the floor with Mr. Potato Head. Oh well, thanks for nothing Bernie...
As far as the dissaray and breakdown of cohesion in the country as a whole, the Senate is just a microcosm: The Democrats are in serious trouble. Your party supports open borders. A huge chunk still thinks America is inherently a racist and unfixable country. Then there is yet another group that will never join the military because of "imperialism" of which the other side wants us to send hundreds of billions more to Ukraine and would probably accept US boots on the ground in a direct intervention. The list goes on and on. Get rid of the electoral college...or don't. The U.S. Constitution needs to be torn up...or not. People should be put in camps over vaccine requirements...or not. Men can be women...or they can't. Ad nauseum. I could write a book about the major schisms you guys have going on right now. Republicans have mostly solidified behind Donald Trump....and Joe Biden is tanking on the world stage and domestically.
It's really time for you guys to wake up, take note of what is really going on, and realign your party behind some type of moderate - because the extremists are taking over and it isn't pretty.
And no, I won't entertain ideas that "Donald Trump is an extremist." He was the President longer than Biden - and nothing extreme happened on his watch. I will come back at you with the laundry list of failures Biden and Blinken own, so don't even try it.
One needs to look no further than the House to see the Republican Party is fractured... mostly because of Trump.
And in response to this statement, “a huge chunk still think America is inherently a racist and unfixable country” - America is living in the echoes of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, etc and that history impacts our today. To not see that is willful ignorance. And people are pointing out this racist history precisely because they hope that it can/will be fixed by acknowledging it- not because it is unfixable as you state.
Not interested in a debate so I’ll take your answer off-air
Jim Crow...segregation etc....you mean Democrat policies.
You are correct about the fracture of the Republicans. MAGA is a populist-conservative movement. The NeoCons and NeoLibs in both parties hate it and are solidifying against it...and if polls are to be believed, losing the battle.
Purple Hayes, clueless one. The House and Senate are responsible in passing 12 appropriation bills, for a budget go be sent to potus, for signature or veto. Congress, both parties have failed to do so in 20 years or greater. You are referencing the many omnibus ad last years, bloated with trillions in spending. It’s dishonest to suggest Taft Congress cannot restrict growth or actually cut spending. How clueless are you? You are actually defending $33.5 trillion in national debt. The House has passed 7, they will get to the 12. The Senate is wrapping the 12 into multiple mini buses. Again, the Dems refuse to agree to any reductions in growth of spending. Are you so unaware that the deficit went up $1.7 trillion in the past 12 months? Biden now has $7 trillion, it’s a slush fund of reckless spending. All Dems and some GOPers have no clue what the debt is or means. Spare me hayes, you are in a purple one. Next foolish one please.
The Democrats do not support one appropriation to reduce spending, none. Hello, we have $33.5 trillion debt. They won’t even support pre covid level spending appropriations. The U S Senate has not passed one appropriation to date. None.
There are other ways to reduce spending other than slashing benefits to poor people.
And it's the job of the HOUSE to pass appropriations bills, and then negotiate with the Senate to pass the bill in both houses. The incompetent Republicans are the ones who can't even pass a Defense bill or even a Farm bill, two of the EASIEST appropriations.
Let’s get off the poor people hand holding, cry eye. Again, 212 Dems voted to remove the speaker, joined by 8 moronic GOPers.
The House and Senate are to pass 12 appropriation bills, the Senate has passed none to date. The House has struggled passing 7. Again, the Dems refuse to support any less appropriations, none to date.
Save your lame lectures, the Dems only want more spending, additional spending. Not less. Trump pathetically sighed $8.5 trillion into law in 4 yrs, Biden over $7 trillion in 3 years. Get real. Dems just attack, no truth, no effort to work together.
I love it when people want to blame Democrats for Republicans being completely unable to do their jobs. The House is responsible for appropriations bills, not the Senate. But Republicans are so afraid of being primaried, they're literally frozen in fear.
You realize that when Democrats held the last majority in the House, with a 5 seat majority, we got ALL kinds of bills passed, including appropriations. WITH Republican votes, I might add. Infrastructure, CHIPS bill, Voting rights and security, the Burn pit bill. etc.
Hi Double A, respectfully, Congress is historically notorious in raising revenues and “NOT” reducing, zeroing out or actually reducing the rate of growth in spending.
Again, I defy anyone to specifically example Dems supporting reducing appropriations? They are voting against every House appropriation bill right now, all 7 so far that have passed. They also oppose returning to pre covid level appropriations levels.
We are $33.5 trillion in national debt. Trump signed $8.5 trillion in 4 yrs, Biden has signed $7 trillion to date in 3 yrs. $1.7 trillion this past year.
Btw, that’s equal party spending abuse. Not just one party. Congress, the House and Senate pass the spending and budgets, when the potus signs it, it’s law.
I am going to respond to a comment in reference to my comment below. I have no idea how it could be inferred I was a democrat and was not concerned about the fiscal mess we are in. I think, in fact, that was precisely my point of talking about Rome burning. I have been an independent since I could vote in the late 1970s, have been intensely policy-focused and analytically driven and have voted for both democrats and republicans over the years. I have always emphasized who I thought could actually govern, build solid teams of build to make informed decisions and come up with pragmatic solutions on a bipartisan basis that solve some of the dire circumstances we are facing. Simply put, please do not make assumptions about me, my perspectives, and my values. I am despairing right now and, frankly, don;t see how this all ends.
Just an observation about work schedules for Congress: I am not sure what the definition of "work" is here, and I am sure some representatives and senators work hard by any criteria used. However, my husband and just last week discussed how Congress always seems to be adjourning and disappearing for days while Rome has been burning, so to speak. Let's take the House of Representatives, for example. (I could do a similar analysis for the Senate but the House is my focus for obvious reasons, I think.) In October, it was only 8 days "in session," and the rest were called "district work periods." And there was a federal holiday in October, and of course, we all know the spectacle we witnessed where most of the business was taken up with trying to elect a House Speaker, and of course, the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry among other wonderful, legislative initiatives benefiting the country. Then,, in November, which we are currently in, it was supposed to be in session 8 days through November 16th, but only managed 6 1/2 since the session was gaveled closed on Wednesday afternoon where a procedural vote failed, rendering any votes going forward impossible. (This was the period that all of the fighting and verbal abuse was going on!) So, everyone went home. And, do remember there was another federal holiday on November 10th, so off the representatives go home! Next week the session is supposed to start on Tuesday (not Monday) after a long holiday weekend, and the rest of the week days in the month were and are deemed "district work periods." Somehow, this does not seem like 5 straight weeks of work! And, finally, there are only 21 days of legislative sessions between now and January 19th, the next deadline for a government shutdown for at least some of the government functions! One final comment: somehow I have been reading about Mike Johnson being so nice and accommodating to ensure that the government didn't shut down prior to the holidays. (Just think how happy that would have made Congressional members to go home to, particularly those flying!) My prediction: just wait until you see the funding bills he comes up with! We ain't seen nothing yet! Somehow, I would not count this as a heavy work schedule and certainly not a productive one which focuses on what they are all there for: legislating effective solutions to a variety of the complex issues facing this country. (I hope you get the sarcasm here!)
Yes Henretta, nothing like spending 1 year out of 3 at the Delaware beach house, on the federal dime! Really working hard, laying half alive in a sand beach chair. I really don’t care how many days Congress is in session as long as they provide basic function of approving a budget and passing legitimate spending, not federal slush funds. Do any of you Dems know what’s in the budgets? Are you tom a tons? My goodness, we are $33.5 trillion in debt?
There is so much wrong with this entire analysis, but I will focus in on one point: Senator Mullin was called out by the Democrat union boss, directly and in the open on social media of all places, to a fight. He didn't start it. Do I agree with him using a Senate hearing to finish it? Not really. But it's 2023...honestly let them fight. My guess is he went into that hearing trying to smear the guy, and the second Mr. Tougho Union Boss started spouting off he lost his temper. He would have wiped the floor with Mr. Potato Head. Oh well, thanks for nothing Bernie...
As far as the dissaray and breakdown of cohesion in the country as a whole, the Senate is just a microcosm: The Democrats are in serious trouble. Your party supports open borders. A huge chunk still thinks America is inherently a racist and unfixable country. Then there is yet another group that will never join the military because of "imperialism" of which the other side wants us to send hundreds of billions more to Ukraine and would probably accept US boots on the ground in a direct intervention. The list goes on and on. Get rid of the electoral college...or don't. The U.S. Constitution needs to be torn up...or not. People should be put in camps over vaccine requirements...or not. Men can be women...or they can't. Ad nauseum. I could write a book about the major schisms you guys have going on right now. Republicans have mostly solidified behind Donald Trump....and Joe Biden is tanking on the world stage and domestically.
It's really time for you guys to wake up, take note of what is really going on, and realign your party behind some type of moderate - because the extremists are taking over and it isn't pretty.
And no, I won't entertain ideas that "Donald Trump is an extremist." He was the President longer than Biden - and nothing extreme happened on his watch. I will come back at you with the laundry list of failures Biden and Blinken own, so don't even try it.
One needs to look no further than the House to see the Republican Party is fractured... mostly because of Trump.
And in response to this statement, “a huge chunk still think America is inherently a racist and unfixable country” - America is living in the echoes of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, etc and that history impacts our today. To not see that is willful ignorance. And people are pointing out this racist history precisely because they hope that it can/will be fixed by acknowledging it- not because it is unfixable as you state.
Not interested in a debate so I’ll take your answer off-air
Jim Crow...segregation etc....you mean Democrat policies.
You are correct about the fracture of the Republicans. MAGA is a populist-conservative movement. The NeoCons and NeoLibs in both parties hate it and are solidifying against it...and if polls are to be believed, losing the battle.
and it’s hard to work when someone keeps pulling the fire alarm - stuff like that.
Valid point!
Yes, specially when you are a school principal in past works.
That Union teamster goon O’Brien’s deserves his ass to be kicked! Wait til you can’t buy an American car.
Purple Hayes, clueless one. The House and Senate are responsible in passing 12 appropriation bills, for a budget go be sent to potus, for signature or veto. Congress, both parties have failed to do so in 20 years or greater. You are referencing the many omnibus ad last years, bloated with trillions in spending. It’s dishonest to suggest Taft Congress cannot restrict growth or actually cut spending. How clueless are you? You are actually defending $33.5 trillion in national debt. The House has passed 7, they will get to the 12. The Senate is wrapping the 12 into multiple mini buses. Again, the Dems refuse to agree to any reductions in growth of spending. Are you so unaware that the deficit went up $1.7 trillion in the past 12 months? Biden now has $7 trillion, it’s a slush fund of reckless spending. All Dems and some GOPers have no clue what the debt is or means. Spare me hayes, you are in a purple one. Next foolish one please.
Tom, I'm not kidding -- one more insult to another commenter and you'll be permanently banned.
Respectfully, I don’t know what you are referencing, so I do not do it again.
I thought I was substantive and equal in my criticism on spending. I tried to keep it on issue.
"Purple Hayes, clueless one."
Purple Hayes was a play on Jimmy Hendricks song. Having some fun.
Will work on my other references. I add to the debate.
The Democrats do not support one appropriation to reduce spending, none. Hello, we have $33.5 trillion debt. They won’t even support pre covid level spending appropriations. The U S Senate has not passed one appropriation to date. None.
There are other ways to reduce spending other than slashing benefits to poor people.
And it's the job of the HOUSE to pass appropriations bills, and then negotiate with the Senate to pass the bill in both houses. The incompetent Republicans are the ones who can't even pass a Defense bill or even a Farm bill, two of the EASIEST appropriations.
Let’s get off the poor people hand holding, cry eye. Again, 212 Dems voted to remove the speaker, joined by 8 moronic GOPers.
The House and Senate are to pass 12 appropriation bills, the Senate has passed none to date. The House has struggled passing 7. Again, the Dems refuse to support any less appropriations, none to date.
Save your lame lectures, the Dems only want more spending, additional spending. Not less. Trump pathetically sighed $8.5 trillion into law in 4 yrs, Biden over $7 trillion in 3 years. Get real. Dems just attack, no truth, no effort to work together.
I love it when people want to blame Democrats for Republicans being completely unable to do their jobs. The House is responsible for appropriations bills, not the Senate. But Republicans are so afraid of being primaried, they're literally frozen in fear.
You realize that when Democrats held the last majority in the House, with a 5 seat majority, we got ALL kinds of bills passed, including appropriations. WITH Republican votes, I might add. Infrastructure, CHIPS bill, Voting rights and security, the Burn pit bill. etc.
The problem is the deficit. It can be addressed by reducing spending or increasing revenues or a bit of both. Don't just focus on spending.
Hi Double A, respectfully, Congress is historically notorious in raising revenues and “NOT” reducing, zeroing out or actually reducing the rate of growth in spending.
Again, I defy anyone to specifically example Dems supporting reducing appropriations? They are voting against every House appropriation bill right now, all 7 so far that have passed. They also oppose returning to pre covid level appropriations levels.
We are $33.5 trillion in national debt. Trump signed $8.5 trillion in 4 yrs, Biden has signed $7 trillion to date in 3 yrs. $1.7 trillion this past year.
Btw, that’s equal party spending abuse. Not just one party. Congress, the House and Senate pass the spending and budgets, when the potus signs it, it’s law.