#Letter to ​President Biden | Secretary Anthony Blinken

[xtruss]

Supporters of Imran Khan’s political party the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 17, 2024. Photo: Asim Hafeez/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Members Of Congress Demand Biden Withhold Recognition Of Coalition Claiming Power (Under Heavily Rigged By The Corrupt To Their Cores Army Generals and Election Commission Of Pakistan) In Pakistan

Pakistan’s Election Was So Thoroughly Corrupted That The U.S. Should Not Recognize The Coalition Claiming To Be Able To Form A Government, According to 31 Members of Congress.

— Murtaza Hussain, Ryan Grim | February 28, 2024

More Than TwoDozen Members of Congress sent a letter to the Biden administration on Wednesday calling for consequences and accountability in Pakistan following what has been widely viewed as a fraudulent election there earlier this month.

The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, calls on the U.S. government to withhold recognition of the new Pakistani government barring a “thorough, transparent, and credible” review of the circumstances of the February 8 Heavily Rigged Election By the Corrupt Army Generals and Election Commission of Pakistan. The letter also demands accountability for political prisoners and calls for the U.S. to cease military and other cooperation with Pakistan unless authorities there comply with human rights law and respect democratic outcomes.

Sent to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the letter was signed by 31 members of Congress. The time to collect signatures on the letter was short, Casar said, as a coalition of Pakistani political parties rushed to form a government with military backing following the election. Though a clear majority of Pakistanis voted in favor of candidates aligned with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, authorities manipulated the results, allowing Khan’s opponents to form a coalition.

Pakistan has been in a state of political paralysis since the vote, with supporters of Khan and media organizations around the world condemning the election as fraudulent. In the months preceding the election, Pakistan’s powerful military establishment engaged in a fierce crackdown on Khan and his supporters that has included widespread arrests, killings, and allegations of torture in military custody. The Pakistani media, meanwhile, has been largely muzzled over the past year, with critical reporting on the army and government made nearly impossible.

The congressional letter could pressure the Biden administration to stall a phone call or meeting with the new Pakistani government.

“Pakistan is a longstanding ally of the U.S. and we should hold our allies to an important standard of democracy and free speech. We can’t allow corporate or military interests to override the goal of advocating for democracy around the world,” Casar told The Intercept. “Pakistan is a country of over 200 million people, and this is a critical moment for members of Congress and the Biden administration to stand by democracy. I’m hopeful that through this letter, and the impact of members of Congress standing up for democracy, we can have a real impact before the election is certified.”

Pakistan’s political crisis began when Khan was removed by a vote of no-confidence arranged by the powerful Pakistani military in 2022. Khan is currently in jail on a raft of charges of corruption and mishandling state secrets viewed by most observers as highly politicized. Despite his imprisonment and the barring of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, supporters of the PTI who ran as independents in the recent vote did exceptionally well. This success came despite blatant rigging both before and after the polls opened, as well as intimidation and violence against PTI supporters and candidates.

The State Department has remained mostly silent about recent reports of abuses in Pakistan by the military-backed regime, as well as the continued detention of Khan and many of his supporters. Yet it issued a rare condemnation immediately following the election, saying that it “included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” and calling for an investigation into claims of election interference or fraud.

Last year, The Intercept reported on the contents of a leaked Pakistani intelligence cable showing that U.S. officials had put pressure on their Pakistani counterparts to remove Khan from office following disagreements over what they called his “aggressively neutral” stance on the Russian conflict in Ukraine. The Intercept later reported that U.S. and Pakistani military officials engaged in cooperation to provide Pakistani ordinances to the Ukrainian military in exchange for support obtaining an IMF loan.

The Full Text of The Letter Is Below:

Dear President Biden and Secretary Blinken,

We write to express our concerns about pre- and post-poll rigging in Pakistan’s recent parliamentary elections. We appreciate the steps your administration has already taken to draw attention to interference in these elections. Your administration has rightly stood behind the “credible international and local election observers” who documented “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” and we join you in “condemn[ing] electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services.” Given these concerns, we urge you to:

1. Withhold recognition of a new government in Pakistan until a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation of election interference has been conducted;

2. Urge Pakistani authorities to release anyone who has been detained for engaging in political speech or activity, and task State Department officials in Pakistan with gathering information about such cases and advocating for their release; and

3. Make clear to Pakistani authorities that U.S. law provides for accountability for acts that violate human rights, undermine democracy, or further corruption, including the potential for military and other cooperation to be halted.

Prior to the elections on February 8th, former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to prison terms of 10 years and 14 years on questionable charges of leaking state secrets and corruption. Members of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were forced to run as independents and prohibited from using the PTI party symbol on the ballot, despite consistently polling as the most popular party in the country. Leading up to the election, PTI members faced police raids, arrests, and harassment. On the day of the election, Pakistani authorities suspended mobile calls and data, making it harder for voters to find polling stations.[6] While the pre-poll rigging efforts rightly received widespread international and domestic condemnation, attention has now turned to widespread allegations of post-poll rigging.

Concerns arose after delays in reporting final results and early returns showed PTI-backed candidates on a path to victory. Over the coming days and weeks, previously reported vote totals allegedly changed dramatically, while video evidence emerged on social media of purported abuses by security forces and election officials at polling stations, as results were delayed well past legal deadlines.

Findings by nonpartisan observers also lend credibility to these concerns. According to the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), which is nonpartisan but has worked closely with election authorities, more than two-thirds of polling sites suffered from the kinds of election law violations that could have enabled changing outcomes of races. The dispute revolves around discrepancies between the polling center results that were issued to candidates (on a document known as “Form 45”), and the final constituency-wide tally (known as the “Form 47”). These findings were echoed by other respected election monitors and human rights organizations, as well as the nation’s newspaper of record, which explained in a February 20 editorial that “independent observers, candidates, and accredited media personnel reported being excluded or evicted from the Form 47 compilation process” meant that “the most important check on the process was bypassed without any convincing explanation.” This growing body of evidence and diversity of voices has led many of the leading observers, human rights organizations, and media organizations to call for a transparent, credible audit process to verify the true outcome of the election.

Given the strong evidence of pre- and post-poll rigging, we urge you to wait until a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation has been conducted before recognizing a new Pakistani government. Without taking this necessary step, you risk enabling anti-democratic behavior by Pakistani authorities and could undermine the democratic will of the Pakistani people.

Pakistan is a long-standing ally of the United States, and we recognize the importance of our relationship for regional stability and counterterrorism efforts. It is in the U.S. interest to ensure that democracy thrives in Pakistan and that election results reflect the interests of the Pakistani people, not the interests of the Pakistani elite and military. We look forward to working with you to show Pakistanis that the U.S. stands with them in their fight for democracy and human rights.

[usafphantom2]

US legislators ask the Biden government not to sell F-16 fighters to Turkey

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/27/2021 - 12:00 in Military

Eleven legislators from the United States House of Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, asking the Biden administration not to sell F-16 fighters to Turkey amid recent reports of the sale.

"Although we are confident that Congress will unite to block such exports if these plans move forward, the U.S. cannot afford to transfer any advanced military equipment to the Turkish government at this time," says the joint letter from legislators.

Expressing "a deep sense of concern" amid recent reports indicating that "Turkey may soon buy 40 new Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters and 80 F-16 modernization kits from the US government," legislators stated the following in their letter:

'We cannot compromise our national security'

"After the announcement of President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan in September that Turkey will buy an additional portion of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, we cannot compromise our national security by sending U.S.-made aircraft to a treaty ally who continues to behave like an opponent.

As you know, the Trump administration officially removed Turkey from its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (FSJ) program after President Erdogan executed the first Turkish purchase of Russian S-400 systems, a decision that prevented Turkey from committing to the F-35 system.

With the support of a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress, this common sense policy continued under his administration.

'It will continue to threaten our allies'

As Turkey allegedly paid 1.4 billion US dollars to join the JSF program led by the United States, President Erdogan now seeks cash compensation, planned shipment of F-35, new F-16 fighters and modernization kits for his F-16 fleet. Although we are confident that Congress will unite to block such exports if these plans move forward, the US cannot afford to transfer any advanced military equipment to the government of Turkey at this time.

As long as President Erdogan moves forward with his expansionist project in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey will continue to threaten our national security and the security of our closest allies in the region - Greece, Israel and Cyprus. We urge you to act in our national interest and for the sake of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, refusing to strengthen Turkey's aging arsenal of combat jets, and look forward to receiving your response."

US-Turkey relations and fighter purchases

Relations between Turkey and the US have been especially tense over the last five years on a number of issues, such as disagreements about Syria, close relations between Turkey and Russia, activities in the Mediterranean, the Halkbank case in the US, the crisis in the arrest of Pastor Branson and US warnings about rights and freedoms in Turkey.

S-400 air defense system, model acquired by Turkey.

When Reuters reported that Turkey would buy new F-16s, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "This is something related to the issue of F-35s. We made a payment of 1 billion and 400 million dollars for the F-35s. And the US made such an offer in exchange for these payments."

The U.S. State Department announced that Turkey wanted to buy F-16s and the U.S. did not offer any financing to Turkey on the payment.

After Turkey's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system, the US excluded Turkey from the F-35 combat jet project. Before being excluded from the program, Turkey planned to buy 100 F-35s.

Fernando Valduga

[96thdayofrage]

“We come to Congress with vastly different backgrounds and from all corners of our country, yet we have found common ground in our deep commitment to the Haitian people and their wellbeing, as well as an intense desire to see Haitian democracy thrive,” said the congressional representatives in a joint statement.

The legislators are Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York; Val Demings, of Florida’s 10th District; Andy Levin, of Michigan’s 9th District; and Ayanna Pressley, of Massachusetts’s 7th District.

“With this caucus, we will work for a Haiti free from corruption, violence, repeated violations of civil and human rights, and economic and public health crises,” they said in the statement.

“We have full confidence that, if given the opportunity, the Haitian people can overcome this challenge and establish a strong democracy that has justice and opportunity for all. This should be a turning point in the relationship between the United States and Haiti.”

The US legislators said there is no excuse to repeat past mistakes and that they will, instead, “lift and listen to the Haitian voices that must shape a democratic future that will serve all of Haiti’s people, not the few.”

As a result, they have promised to proceed with policies that will foster “a real relationship that engages meaningfully with the broad sweep of Haitian civil society in defense of Haiti’s democracy and civil rights”.

They said also that they “strongly support” a Haitian-led democratic transition, and as founding members of the House Haiti Caucus, they welcome any of their colleagues who wish to join them “in pursuit of a more just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.

“We hope that this caucus can serve as a convening body for those who wish to hear from Haitian civil society leaders or organize legislative actions concerning Haiti, and as a partner to work alongside the Biden administration in forging a new path forward for our country’s relationship with Haiti.”

In February, the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) said it was “very concerned” over attacks against judicial independence in Haiti, as the Caribbean country continues to be gripped by political and institutional instability.

According to OCHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell, respecting the rule of law and the system of checks and balances at all times in Haiti is “paramount”.

Clarke, a strong Haiti proponent, had joined with US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Congressman Gregory Meeks in writing a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urging the Biden administration to “unambiguously reject the undemocratic actions of President (Jovenel) Moïse to retain power in Haiti.”

Clarke said the letter was supported by a number of their congressional colleagues, and felt “it is essential that the United States unambiguously reject any attempt by President Moïse to retain power in contravention of those principles”.

[armeniaitn]

National Council of the Churches of Christ calls for release of Armenian soldiers

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/society/national-council-of-the-churches-of-christ-calls-for-release-of-armenian-soldiers-70805-18-03-2021/

National Council of the Churches of Christ calls for release of Armenian soldiers

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) joins the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church of America to reiterate the importance of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) peace process, NCC said in a statement.

NCC calls for the United States to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid for the people of Artsakh who were forced to flee their homes during the unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey that displaced more than 50,000 ethnic Armenians in the region. We plead for the United States to actively negotiate the safe return of Armenian soldiers and citizens who are being held in violation of the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9, 2020. We also urge the broad recognition of the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century by all political and faith leaders throughout the United States.

NCC applauds the letter signed by 101 Members of Congress that was sent to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to stress the importance of addressing the “ongoing humanitarian crisis in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).” We commend the strong bipartisan support of this letter toward insuring the well-being of the displaced Armenian people from Artsakh. The United states must address the immediate and significant problems of feeding, housing, and protecting these displaced families during the COVID-19 pandemic and insuring their long-term settlement into permanent residences.

“We call on President Biden and the Secretary of State to take direct action and negotiate the release of all Armenian soldiers and civilians held by Azerbaijan. Even though the cease fire agreement mandated that Azerbaijan must free all Armenian prisoners of war and apprehended citizens, Azerbaijan has refused to abide by the agreement. An unknown number, believed to be over 200 Armenians, continue to be held captive. Many were captured after the military hostilities ended. Due to the release of videos, we fear the mistreatment and torture of those who are detained,” the statement reads.

“We lament of the destruction of the churches and religious monuments during the conflict. When United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) attempted to send a committee to visit the religious sites, both of their requests were denied. According to the 1954 Convention for the Protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, Azerbaijan is required to protect cultural heritage during their aggression. UNESCO’s independent mission of experts must be permitted to produce a preliminary inventory of significant cultural properties in order to begin safeguarding the region’s heritage,” NCC stated.

“We commend President Biden for pledging to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century. Approximately one and a half million Armenians were killed from 1915-1923 during the Ottoman Empire. We applaud both the House and Senate for passing resolutions recognizing the fact of the Genocide during the 116th Congress. As Armenians continue to be displaced and killed, we call for the President to keep his pledge and formally recognize the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2021, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, in order to further the US commitment to human rights,” the Council added.

They called for prayers “to comfort those held prisoner, their anguished families, and those displaced from their homes, so that they may all know God’s true compassion and find strength to persevere during this time of persecution.”

Read original article here.

[multipleservicelisting]

Biden-Harris agenda set to confront these challenges

Thursday is the first full day of President Biden’s administration and with it he and Vice President Kamala Harris will face a litany of challenges both at home and abroad, and the reality that they are no longer on the campaign trail or in transition — they are the leaders of the free world. 

The stakes are extraordinarily high — Biden, at age 78, now has a job notorious for aging those who hold it. The physical aging over eight years in his former running mate, President Obama, was stark, as was that for former President George W. Bush. 

From establishing a functioning White House and redirecting executive agencies to carry out their visions, to dealing with menacing threats abroad, Biden and Harris face a number of obstacles.

Here are the top challenges Biden and Harris face on their first full day in office. 

Coronavirus pandemic and vaccines

The biggest challenge that faced the Trump administration in its final year is not going away for the Biden administration. He acknowledged that in his inaugural address, calling for a moment of silence for those killed by the virus.

President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)

TRUMP LEAVES LETTER FOR BIDEN BEFORE DEPARTING WHITE HOUSE

More than 400,000 Americans have died from the virus and many businesses remain unable to fully open due to state government guidelines. Millions of Americans are still forced to work from home, and many others are unemployed. 

With state governments eager to receive more doses of the various coronavirus vaccines, Biden will have to find a way to speed up what has been a lagging rollout of the United States’ vaccine program. 

Biden promised that his administration will get “at least 100 million COVID vaccine shots into the arms of the American people in the first 100 days.” That will be a heavy lift. 

Further, Biden recently rolled out an ambitious $1.9 trillion coronavirus package that he hopes to pass through Congress. Punchbowl News reported Wednesday that lawmakers are not sure they’ll be able to get that legislation to his desk until March. 

That will only be the case, of course, if enough Republicans in the Senate decide not to filibuster the package. They wouldn’t give Trump the $2,000 coronavirus relief checks he sought, citing concerns about government spending. 

Thin margins in Congress

Thin margins in Congress won’t just color Biden’s efforts to pass coronavirus relief, but just about everything he will do which involves the legislature.

Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. ((Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP))

That means executive nominations, judicial nominations, government funding and national security and more. 

BIDEN HAS NOT HAD CONTACT WITH TRUMP AHEAD OF INAUGURATION, AIDE SAYS

Republicans picked up seats in the House during the November elections, shrinking the Democrat majority to what will be approximately a 10-seat advantage for the next two years.

That means Democrats can afford very few defections on major votes. 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in December said that he was “certainly concerned” by some of Biden’s appointments of Democrat House members into his administration, thus slimming the Democrat majority even further. But he added that he believes Democrats will “be a very unified caucus as we were this past Congress” and be able to pass Biden’s agenda items. 

In the Senate, Democrats picked up enough seats to gain what will be a de facto majority with 50 senators for each party and Harris able to break ties on votes that fall along party lines. She’ll have to be significantly more involved in the Senate’s affairs than most recent vice presidents for this reason. 

The filibuster is likely to be a significant issue. Republicans will be able to block many items from passing in the Senate by withholding their support on cloture votes, which are procedural hurdles required to get to a final vote on a bill, and require 60 votes to pass.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on January 1, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Senate is scheduled to convene today to resume consideration to potentially override President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. (Photo by Liz Lynch/Getty Images)

Power-sharing negotiations between Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were snagged this week as McConnell attempted to extract assurances that Democrats won’t get rid of the filibuster. 

BIDEN TO SIGN 17 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS, ORDERS TO REVERSE TRUMP POLICIES, RESTORE OBAMA-ERA PROGRAMS ON FIRST DAY

“During today’s meeting, Leader McConnell expressed his long-held view that the crucial, longstanding, and bipartisan Senate rules concerning the legislative filibuster remain intact, specifically during the power share for the next two years,” McConnell spokesman Doug Andres said on Tuesday. “Discussions on all aspects of the power-sharing agreement will continue over the next several days.”

Building an administration 

Biden during his transition already made a number of choices for his White House staff, with chief of staff Ron Klain and press secretary Jen Psaki among the highest-profile. 

But a president is not just in charge of the White House but also the entire executive branch. That means Biden will also need to fill key national security and domestic Cabinet positions while also turning around staff at lower levels of executive agencies and steering them in the direction of his administration’s policy. 

Ron Klain, former White House Ebola response coordinator, speaks during a House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Klain is President Biden’s White House chief of staff. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

One of Biden’s first actions is placing Department of Justice employee Monty Wilkinson in as acting attorney general, in place of Rod Rosenstein, who Trump selected as acting attorney general. Wilkinson will serve in the role until D.C. Circuit Court Judge Merrick Garland is confirmed by the Senate as attorney general. 

The Senate is expected to confirm a handful of Biden’s other Cabinet picks immediately, including Janet Yellen, his pick for Treasury secretary. 

One obstacle to this effort, however, is the upcoming impeachment trial for Trump, which may end with him being disqualified from holding office in the future. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hasn’t yet sent the article of impeachment, accusing Trump of inciting an insurrection, to the Senate. This is likely to allow the Senate to quickly move on some of Biden’s less controversial cabinet appointments before it’s forced to take up the impeachment trial. 

Biden previously suggested that the Senate could “go a half-day on dealing with impeachment, a half-day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the [Biden coronavirus] package.” But that would require an agreement from McConnell and Schumer, which has not yet materialized. 

JOE BIDEN SWORN IN AS 46TH PRESIDENT, SAYS ‘DEMOCRACY HAS PREVAILED’ IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Debt and deficit

Trump leaves Biden with a hulking $27.8 trillion national debt after ballooning deficits and the debt even more than Obama did. 

Now, with the pandemic still raging, Biden plans to spend even more on coronavirus relief while also planning for expensive initiatives on the climate and more. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., listens as Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a news conference with other Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (Rod Lamkey/Pool via AP)

While Democrats are traditionally not concerned about deficit spending, Republicans have telegraphed that they will put a renewed emphasis on the issue during the Biden administration. 

Senate Republican Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told The Hill in November that that cutting spending is “kind of getting back to our DNA… I would expect you’ll hear a lot more about that.” He also warned that he hopes the next president realizes “how serious the debt crisis is and how important it is that we put measures in place to address it.”

Addressing GOP deficit concerns could be key to Biden getting some of his larger agenda items passed. 

China and Russia

After a campaign in which Biden was hammered on his son Hunter’s alleged business ties to China — and four years in which Trump was hammered for being Russia’s preferred candidate in the 2016 election — the reality is that the two authoritarian countries remain significant threats to American interests. 

A months-long cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. was recently discovered, the extent of which is still likely not fully understood.

China is a threat to the United States economically, militarily in the South China Sea, in space, and in the Arctic. It’s also a global human rights threat — the State Department earlier this week declared China to be committing genocide in its persecution of the Uyghur Muslims. 

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, Premier Li Keqiang, second from left, and other top leaders attend a New Year gathering hosted by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Yao Dawei/Xinhua via AP)

Biden’s incoming secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, indicated in a confirmation hearing Tuesday that the Biden administration will keep up the Trump administration’s tough stance on China. 

“President Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China,” said Blinken, who served as then-Vice President Biden’s national security adviser before being elevated to deputy secretary of state under Obama. “Not the way he went about it in a number of ways, but the basic principle was right.” 

Immigration and impending migrant caravan

Biden has promised to implement massive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants. 

KAMALA HARRIS TAKES HISTORIC OATH, BECOMES NATION’S FIRST FEMALE, BLACK VICE PRESIDENT

“I’ve made it very clear, within 100 days, I’m going to send to the United States Congress a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people,” Biden said in the second presidential debate. “And all those so-called Dreamers, those DACA kids, they’re going to be immediately certified again, to be able to stay in this country, and put on a path to citizenship.”

It’s not clear this will be able to be accomplished in Biden’s first 100 days, but during that time Biden will be forced to deal with a migrant caravan moving to America’s border from Central America. 

On Friday, two groups of more than 3,000 Honduran migrants each pushed their way into Guatemala without registering as part of a larger caravan headed to the United States, the Associated Press reported. A third group entered Guatemala on Saturday. The migrants aim to reach Mexico and eventually make their way to the United States border. 

Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, was pressed on how he would handle the caravan during a confirmation hearing Tuesday by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

“What is your intention with regards to that caravan, that is coming to our border. Is your intention to allow them just to come into our country? Will they be stopped?” Romney asked. 

Honduran migrants clash with Guatemalan soldiers in Vado Hondo, Guatemala, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. Guatemalan authorities estimated that as many as 9,000 Honduran migrants crossed into Guatemala as part of an effort to form a new caravan to reach the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Sandra Sebastian) (AP)

“When people present themselves at our border, we apply the laws of our nation and determine whether they qualify for relief under our humanitarian laws or whether they don’t,” Mayorkas said. 

Romney responded that his answer appeared “uncertain.” 

BIDEN ENTERS WHITE HOUSE WITH SLIGHT RISE IN POLL NUMBERS

“I apologize if I was uncertain. If people qualify under the law to remain in the United States, then we will apply the law accordingly. If they do not qualify to remain in the United States, then they won’t,” Mayorkas said. 

Sharply divided country

With stark divisions among not just those in Congress but American citizens in general, Biden faces the herculean task of healing a nation where citizens not only don’t trust the government, but often don’t trust each other. 

Biden addressed this task during his inauguration speech. 

“We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal,” Biden said. 

He added: “With purpose and resolve we turn to the tasks of our time, sustained by faith, driven by conviction, devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts.”

Despite the fact that more than 100 House Republicans voted against certifying his election, he may have some help from a group of House freshmen Republicans. 

“After two impeachments, lengthy inter-branch investigations, and, most recently, the horrific attack on our nation’s capital, it is clear that the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans does not serve a single American,'” the group, which includes Reps. Jerry Carl, R-Ala.; Barry Moore, R-Ala.; Young Kim, R-Calif.; Peter Meijer, R-Mich.; Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.; and others. 

It continues: “We firmly believe that what unites us as Americans is far greater than anything that may ever divide us. In that spirit, we hope that we can rise above the partisan fray to negotiate meaningful change for Americans across the nation and maintain the United States’ standing as the best country in the world.”

Far-left of Democratic Party

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saw that Congress is “looking into” media literacy initiatives to help “rein in” the press to combat misinformation in the wake of last week’s deadly breach of the U.S. Capitol. (Photographer: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Biden won’t only have to grapple with GOP resistance to his agenda, but with the left wing of his own party that wants to push him to be more ambitious. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex, D-N.Y., this week said that she disagrees with Biden’s “optimistic” view that he can work with Republicans. 

“This is one area where I believe that there’s kind of a track record of some slight disagreement between the president-elect and myself, and I say that, you know — this is it, it’s not a fight – it’s just a disagreement,” she said in a virtual town hall. “I believe that President-elect Biden has a very optimistic view of the Republican Party. He, he has made statements on, you know, once Trump is gone, they will see the error of their ways. And I applaud his optimism but I disagree with his assessment.”

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Ocasio-Cortez is the figurehead for “The Squad” of progressive Democrats in the House, and her mini-caucus just got bigger this year. Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., defeated moderate Democrats in primaries last year and figure to be vocal members of the House in the next year. 

Energy and climate change 

One of the priority issues for those “Squad” members is significant action on climate change. Biden has staked out a more moderate position. 

Among the stances on climate that Biden has taken is one to “transition from the oil industry” without banning fracking — upsetting both those on the right and the left. 

Biden also turned heads earlier this week when he announced his plan to kill the Keystone XL oil pipeline. This upset a number of Republicans from energy-rich states, including Rep Matt Rosendale. R-Mont. 

“America’s energy sector is important to our economy and critical to our national security by helping make us energy independent,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “This pipeline means a lot for our country and Montana. As we are in the midst of great economic uncertainty, I encourage President-elect Biden to reverse his proposed decision to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline and the thousands of good-paying jobs it will provide.”

Fox News’ David Spunt, Mike Emanuel, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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[opedguy]

Pompeo Admits He’s on the Way Out

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Jan. 5, 2021.--Resigned to leaving the State Department eight weeks after the Nov. 3 presidential election, 57-year-old Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got philosophical to Bloomberg’s David Rubenstein about his legacy in office.  Pompeo told Rubenstein he thought the country was safer after four year of 74-year-old Donald Trump’s foreign policy than his 59-year-old predecessor former President Barack Obama.  Regretting that more couldn’t be done with Iran and North Korea, Pompeo said that U.S. national security was in better shape than when Obama left office.  During Obama’s tenure, Pompeo pointed out the that the U.S. government funded an eight-year proxy war in Syria, resulting in 500,000 deaths and 15 million driven into refugees, largely in Turkey and Europe.  Under Trump and Pompeo, the U.S. deescalated U.S. involvement in costly Mideast wars.     

        Pompeo’s honest reflection to Rubenstein about his tenure marks the first time since the Nov. 3 election that he accepts his fate that he’ll be leaving the State Department Jan. 20.  Trump told Georgia voters last night that the fate of his election lied in the capable hands of his 61-year-old Vice President Mike Pence.  Tomorrow’s perfunctory Electoral vote tally in a joint session of Congress will be just that, no surprises other than a Republican dog-and-pony show, expressing grievances about the 2020 presidential election.  When the theatrics end, 78-year-old President-elect Joe Biden will be certified as the official winner in the Congressional record.  Trump will have succeeded of entering his protests into the Congressional record for posterity that he thought the 2020 election was rigged.  Pompeo’s admission today speaks volumes about what happens tomorrow.        

     Rubenstein cleverly asked Pompeo to reflect on his accomplishment, getting the fiercely loyal Secretary of State to admit his work was coming to an end.  “So as we talk in the first week in January, do you thin the world is safer today than it was a year ago or two years or there years ago, or maybe it’s not qui as safe as it was,” Rubenstein asked Pompeo.  “No, I think we are leaving—after four years, I thin we’re leaving the world safer that when we came it,” Pompeo said, acknowledging for the first time that “we are leaving,” a newsworthy admission one day before Congress assembles to certify the Electoral College vote.  Pompeo advised the next Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to take the China threat seriously and “push back on Iran.”  Biden’s family has strong business ties with China and Joe already signaled he plans to rejoin Obama’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action AKA the “Iranian Nuke Deal.”      

       Pompeo’s admission that he’s finishing up his work should remind skeptics that tomorrow’s joint sessions of Congress should go as expected confirming Biden as President-elect.  Pompeo took over from 68-year-old Rex Tillerson April 26, 2018, getting much accomplished compared to his predecessor.  Tillerson, a former CEO of Exxon-Mobil, looked lost in his job, unable to command the position for whatever reasons.  Pompeo hit the ground running, loving every minute of his time at the State Department. Unlike Tillerson, Pompeo was on the same page as Trump, executing his foreign policy to the letter, taking a tough stance on China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.  Blinken has none of Pompeo’s charisma—and bravado—to get America’s enemies paying attention to possible consequences to harming the U.S. or its allies. 

 Blinken looks to follow in the footsteps of 73-year-of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.and 77-year-old Secretary of State John Kerry             Blinken should study carefully the foreign policy differences between former Obama Secretaries of State Hillary and Kerry, both continued a policy that toppled Libyan strongman Col. Muammar Gaddafi Oct. 20, 2011 during the Arab Spring, swamping Libya with terrorism.  Both Hillary and Kerry backed the Syrian proxy war and Libyan debacle.  When 52-year-old Libyan Amb. Chris Stevens was killed with three other Amreicans in a terrorist attack on the Benghazi consulate Sept. 12, 2012 Hillary and the Obama administration denied any responsibility.  Blinken should try to learn from Hillary and Kerry’s mistakes.  When it came to Mideast diplomacy, Obama had had a poor relationship with Israel, often taking the sides of Palestinians, leaving Mideast peace more elusive.  Blinken should look at Trump’s approach to Mideast diplomacy:  Because it worked.     

        In less that three years as Secretary of State, Pompeo did an impressive job of promoting U.S. interests around the globe.  Pompeo ended the the Paris Climate Accord or Iranian Nuke Deal, executing Trump’s foreign policy to the letter, keeping the U.S. out of more Mideast wars, doing everything possible to bring home more U.S. troops.  When it came to Mideast peace, Trump set out the best blueprint for peace in the region, signing several peace deals with Israel and other Arab states.  Returning back to the same failed policies of the past, Blinken should follow Pompeo and not let Palestinians wreck Mideast peacemaking.  Trump’s historic peace deals should earn him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.  Pompeo didn’t let up one second, traveling the globe at breakneck speed  to promote U.S. interests.  He no doubts has regrets that he can’t have four more years to finish the job.

 About the Author 

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.  Reply  Reply All  Forward