Joe Manchin calls increasingly likely GOP filibuster of Jan. 6 commission 'so disheartening'

Republicans in the Senate are "ready to mount a filibuster" of legislation creating an independent panel to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as GOP opposition to it is "hardening by the day," Politico reports.

Citing interviews with Republicans, Politico writes that there is "almost no path to even opening up debate" on the bill to create the bipartisan commission, let alone a path to actually passing it. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) told the outlet that "I don't think there will be 10 votes on our side for it" and that he'd "be surprised" if there's "even a handful."

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has repeatedly expressed opposition to eliminating the filibuster, in an interview "seemed aghast" that Republicans are set to block the commission, Politico wrote.

"So disheartening," he said. "It makes you really concerned about our country."

Manchin added, when asked if the GOP was abusing the filibuster, that he's "still praying we've still got 10 good solid patriots within that conference."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) earlier this week announced his opposition to the proposal for the commission, arguing the legislation was "slanted and unbalanced." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised, though, that the Senate will vote on creating the commission.

Schumer, Politico writes, plans to bring the bill to the floor while "daring Senate Republicans to block it," and with a GOP filibuster likely, Democrats "see an opportunity to begin making their case to reluctant members that the 60-vote status quo is unsustainable." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), for example, asked, "How do you go forward if you can't make it work over something like an independent commission?" Read more at Politico. Brendan Morrow

Comments

Biden says K-12 education isn't working — calls for free pre-K to "grade 14"

President Joe Biden on Wednesday praised the nation's K-12 education system for fueling America's economic growth for almost a century. But, he stressed, that system may no longer be sufficient as the foundation for future prosperity. Mr. Biden's American Families Plan is taking aim at an issue that has bedeviled economists as well as millions of families struggling to stay afloat financially: A high school diploma is no longer enough to secure a middle-class life. Under the White House proposal, the nation's K-12 system would be expanded on both ends — from free pre-kindergarten education through a "grade 14," funding two years of schooling before kindergarten and two years of post-high school education through free community college. There's plenty of economic research that links rising high school graduation rates throughout the 20th century to faster U.S. economic growth. For example, broadening education help women enter the workforce and enabled men ...

Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend to cooperate with federal authorities in sex trafficking investigation

Washington (CNN) Federal authorities investigating alleged sex trafficking by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz have secured the cooperation of the congressman's ex-girlfriend, according to people familiar with the matter. The woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, is seen as a critical witness, as she has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017, a period of time that has emerged as a key window of scrutiny for investigators. She can also help investigators understand the relevance of hundreds of transactions they have obtained records of, including those involving alleged payments for sex, the sources said. News of the woman's willingness to talk, which has not been previously reported, comes just days after the Justice Department formally entered into a plea agreement with Joel Greenberg, a one-time close friend of Gaetz whose entanglement with young women first drew the congressman onto investigators' radar. CNN reported last week that investigators were pressing for the...

Rand Paul?s ignorant questioning of Rachel Levine showed why she should be confirmed as assistant health secretary

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), however, seemed more interested in talking about children’s genitals. “Dr. Levine, you have supported [minors] being given hormone blockers, and surgical reconstruction of a child’s genitalia,” Paul said, in a tirade in which he also conflated genital mutilation (a horrifying practice that public health experts view as a human rights violation) with the transition-related surgeries chosen by some transgender individuals to help their bodies conform with their gender identity. AD AD “You give a woman testosterone enough that she grows a beard. Do you think she’s going to go back looking like a woman when you stop the testosterone?” Paul demanded. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) questioned nominee for assistant health secretary Rachel Levine about her position on gender-affirming care for minors. (The Washington Post) Levine, who most recently worked as Pennsylvania’s top health official, is transgender. If her nomination succeeds, she will become the first publicly transg...

Politics Now - USA

Search This Blog