#Brian schatz

[queeringhope]

Time to resist

More Democrats need to be like Sen Brian Schatz [D-HI]. Stand up. Have courage.

[saywhat-politics]

The move comes after Elon Musk said he and Trump would shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

By Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Abigail Williams

WASHINGTON — Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Monday he’s placing a “blanket hold” on President Donald Trump’s nominees for the State Department, slowing down his hopes of quickly installing personnel in key positions.

Schatz, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, said his move is in protest of Trump’s billionaire adviser, Elon Musk, declaring that he and the president will shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Democratic Senators Schatz, Durbin, and Welch push Constitutional amendment process to abolish Electoral College

Alexander Bolton at The Hill:

Three Democratic senators unveiled a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College system Monday, just more than a month after President-elect Trump stunned the Democrats by sweeping all seven battleground states, knocking off three Senate Democratic incumbents in the process. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii,) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), three leading progressive Senate voices, say it’s time to “restore democracy” by allowing for the direct election of presidents through the popular vote alone. The senators are troubled that the Electoral College has twice elected a candidate who didn’t win the popular vote in the past 19 years. In both those instances, a Republican captured the White House — George W. Bush in the 2000 election and Trump in the 2016 election. “In an election, the person who gets the most votes should win. It’s that simple,” Schatz said. “No one’s vote should count for more based on where they live. The Electoral College is outdated and it’s undemocratic. It’s time to end it.” To be sure, Trump would have still won the 2024 election if it had been decided by popular vote. He collected 77,300,739 votes compared to Vice President Harris’s 75,014,534. But many Democrats think that they would have had a better chance to beat Trump if they had a reason to focus on running up the margin of Harris’s victory in populous Democratic strongholds such as California, Illinois and New York. Republicans, however, also have big, populous states squarely in their column, namely Florida and Texas.

Democratic Senators Schatz, Durbin, and Welch push Constitutional amendment process to abolish the antiquated disgrace known as the Electoral College. Presidencies should be decided purely by popular vote, and such a move would widen the battleground map, as it would force both parties to compete in states currently safe for their respective parties to get the vote out.

[gwydionmisha]

Angry about 9 Democrats and Angus King Writing Medicaid cuts into law?

Here's who to primary: Chuck Schumer John Fetterman Kirsten Gillibrand Maggie Hassan Catherine Cortez Masto Jean Shaheen Brian Schatz Dick Durbin

Gary Peters is retiring Angus King is a centrist independent, but caucuses Democrat.

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Speech Vice President Harris will give in Juneau, AK!

~BR~

[mistprints]

fight for the working class

[floorcharts]

[yourapple56-blog]

LOL!

[inc-immigrationnewscanada]

Brian Schatz's Shocking Move as Senator

In a dramatic turn of events that could significantly impact the landscape of American foreign policy, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) has taken a stand that could delay or derail Donald Trump’s plans for the U.S. Department of State. With a firm declaration of a “blanket hold” on all of Trump’s nominees for diplomatic positions, Schatz has ignited a firestorm of discussion, debate, and…

[redsnerdden]

A New Study Reveals Texas Is Ranked 3rd In The United States In Book Bans

A New Study Reveals Texas Is Ranked 3rd In The United States In Book Bans

#Books #PenAmerica #Politics

Want to know a disturbing fact? Book Bans have tripled since 2022, thanks to state legislatures, city and county councils, and school boards implementing censorship laws advanced by right-wing special interests and central to Project 2025.  and a new study from PEN AMERICA shows that the Lone Star state is in the Top Five in the US for the most book bans.

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, in a…

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Sarah Jones and Jason Easley at PoliticusUSA:

Before the Senate voted, House Democratic Leadership held a press conference where Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries explained why House Democrats almost unanimously opposed the CR. Jeffries said, “The House Democratic position is very clear. We strongly oppose any efforts to cut the health care of the American people, veterans benefits, and nutritional assistance, all of which are in the partisan Republican bill. We're going to continue to support Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Benefits, and public schools. At the same time, Donald Trump and House Republicans try to take a chainsaw to these important priorities of the American people.” The final vote was 62-38 to break the filibuster. Here is a list of the Senate Democrats who betrayed their party and country: 1) Durbin 2) King 3) Schatz 4) Schumer 5) Cortez Masto 6) Fetterman 7) Peters 8) Hassan 9) Gillibrand 10) Shaheen. These are the Democrats who voted to allow the passage of a bill in the Senate that cuts healthcare, veterans benefits, and nutritional assistance to hungry Americans. Two of the senators who voted to break the filibuster are retiring. Both Shaheen and Peters will not be running for reelection. Cortez Mastro and Fetterman are trying to fend off tough reelection fights in swing states in the next few years. Durbin, Schumer, Gillibrand, King, Hassan, and Schatz all come from safe blue states. Those Democrats in safe blue state seats are the ones who betrayed their country and constituents the most. [...] Ten Senate Democrats sold out their House colleagues, their party, and their country by giving a president who clearly wants to be an authoritarian even more power.

10 Senate Democrats betrayed the country and the party by caving into the Trump/Musk agenda by voting YES on cloture to the CR that broke cloture 62-38 (Rand Paul was the lone GOP no). The final vote still needs to occur.

The shameful 10 who should be primaried and/or retired:

Cortez Masto (NV) [2028]

Durbin (IL) [2026]

Fetterman (PA) [2028]

Gillibrand (NY) [2030]

King (I, ME) [2030]

Hassan (NE) [2028]

Peters (MI) [2026]

Schatz (HI) [2028]

Schumer (NY) [2028]

Shaheen (NH) [2026]

Two of those ten have announced their retirements (Peters, Shaheen), and at least one more could be exiting (likely Durbin [2026] and/or King [2030]).

[steveyockey]

I’m just so fucking pissed off man if they can surgically airstrike international volunteer food workers three consecutive times to ensure their operation is wiped out completely what the fuck is left for anyone to say

[letterstomyrepresentatives]

Dear Senators Schumer, Cortez Masto, Durbin, Fetterman, Gillibrand, Hassan, Peters, Schatz, Shaheen, and King,

Your recent votes in favor of the Continuing Resolution (CR) have set a dangerous precedent, signaling to President Trump, Elon Musk, and their allies that Democrats will capitulate under the threat of a government shutdown. This decision, framed as the lesser of two evils, has cost the Democratic Party leverage, unity, and public confidence, while handing unnecessary victories to the Republican agenda.

Misconceptions About Shutdown Impacts

Senator Schumer, you argued that a shutdown would grant excessive power to President Trump, allowing him, Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to determine which government functions are essential. However, this misrepresents the mechanics of government shutdowns. The judiciary, for instance, operates under constitutional mandates and would continue to function, ensuring the rule of law remains intact. Even if civil court operations were scaled back, the judiciary possesses sufficient reserve funds to maintain full capacity for approximately three weeks—ample time to compel Republicans to negotiate.​

Political Realities for Trump and Musk

The argument that President Trump and Elon Musk would welcome a shutdown overlooks critical realities. The Republican base—including military families, rural farmers, and government contractors—would suffer disproportionately during a shutdown. Federal payments to rural hospitals, agricultural subsidies, and small business loans—all vital to red-state economies—would be halted. The notion that President Trump would allow a prolonged shutdown ignores the political backlash his administration would face from its own supporters, particularly in battleground states.​

Regarding Elon Musk, many of his ventures, such as SpaceX, Starlink, and Tesla, rely on government funding. A shutdown would disrupt these financial flows, potentially placing strain on his operations. By preventing a shutdown, you alleviated pressure on Musk, forfeiting a potential point of leverage where he might have influenced the administration toward a swift resolution.​

Consequences for Democratic Unity and Public Perception

This vote has further fragmented the Democratic Party at a time when unity is crucial. Instead of presenting a united front against Republican overreach, Senate Democrats have alienated House Democrats, progressive leaders, and key constituencies. Consequently, Democratic approval ratings have plummeted to historic lows, with only 27% of Americans approving of the party’s performance. Furthermore, progressive activists are now calling for new leadership, including urging Senator Schumer to step down as minority leader. This vote has reinforced perceptions of Democratic leadership as weak and unwilling to fight for its base.​New York Post

Policy Implications of the Continuing Resolution

By passing this CR, you have allowed Republicans to dictate federal spending priorities. The bill cut $13 billion from non-defense programs while increasing military spending by $6 billion—a clear Republican objective. It also funded the DOGE, which is actively working to dismantle government functions, granting Musk increased control over federal budgets. Democrats had the opportunity to demand a fairer allocation of resources but instead conceded to Republican demands.​

Empowering Republican Strategies

Now, President Trump and Elon Musk understand that threatening a shutdown leads to Democratic concessions. This emboldens them to repeat such strategies, anticipating even easier victories in future funding disputes. Had Democrats stood firm and allowed a shutdown, Republicans would have faced pressure from their constituencies, compelling them back to the negotiating table. Instead, Democrats now bear the blame for capitulating, weakening their position ahead of upcoming elections.​

This was a pivotal moment where Democrats could have demonstrated strength and leadership. By avoiding short-term discomfort, the party has invited long-term consequences that will be challenging to reverse. I urge you to learn from this miscalculation. In future budgetary conflicts, Democrats must stand firm and compel Republicans to own the consequences of their actions. Continual concessions will erode the foundations of what we aim to protect.​

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Speech Kamala Harris gave at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa!

~BR~

[floorcharts]

Who: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)

X: https://x.com/SenBrianSchatz

When: February 2025

What: Nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Watch on C-SPAN

Read the Congressional Record

[politicalantibody]

We can slow-walk your nominees too!

Also, Marco Rubio has JUST become acting director of USAID. What is his game plan - Is he just doing Trumusk’s bidding, or does he have something else in mind?