#U.S.Senate

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Capitalism: trickling down bootstraps since the Industrial Revolution.

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

December 6, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

DEC 7, 2023

In the Washington Post today, Marianne LeVine, Isaac Arnsdorf, and Josh Dawsey reported that the Trump camp is eager to get people to stop focusing on Trump’s authoritarian talk, noting that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says the presidential candidate was just joking when he said he would be a dictator on the first day of a return to the White House. While the Republican base appears to like Trump’s threats against the people they have come to hate, two Trump advisers told the reporters that “recent stories about his plans for a second term are not viewed as helpful for the general election.”

Republicans have also moved quickly to cut ties with Florida Republican Party chair Christian Ziegler, who is under police investigation for rape. Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, co-founded Moms for Liberty, an organization that has focused on removing from schools books that they find objectionable, generally books by or about racial or ethnic minorities or LGBTQ+ people. Often Moms for Liberty members have implied, or even claimed, that those trying to protect school libraries are sexual predators or “groomers.” Ziegler herself has been active in shaping anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the state.

But the police and court documents about the case revealed that the Zieglers and the woman Ziegler allegedly raped had participated in a three-way sexual relationship in the past. The rape allegedly occurred after they had set up another encounter that Bridget could not make. The woman then canceled, telling Ziegler “I was mainly in it for her.” He went to her home anyway.

The story of a key anti-LGBTQ+ activist engaging in same-sex activity as part of a threesome sent Moms for Liberty hurrying to say that Bridget Ziegler was no longer on their board (although both Zieglers were still on their advisory board) and purge her name from their website. And though no charges have yet been filed, Florida governor Ron DeSantis has called on Christian Ziegler to resign from his position at the head of the state Republican Party. 

The Zieglers helped to tie the Republican Party to Moms for Liberty shortly after the organization formed in January 2021, and DeSantis was very much on board, apparently seeing their message of taking the war against “woke” to the schools as a political winner. But, as Amanda Marcotte pointed out in Salon, the 2022 midterms revealed that most voters did not like the extremism of that group and that it was a political liability. 

The fact that DeSantis is dropping his former ally Ziegler so fast suggests that DeSantis is eager to divorce himself from both the story and from the extremism of Moms for Liberty. 

The Trump Republicans took another hit today as well, when a grand jury in the state of Nevada charged six people who falsely posed as electors in 2020 in order to file fake electoral votes for Trump to replace the state’s real votes for now-President Joe Biden. The six Republicans charged with filing false documents include the chair and the vice chair of the Nevada Republican Party. If convicted, they face up to nine years in prison and $15,000 in fines. 

Nevada is the third state to charge the fake electors with crimes. Georgia and Michigan have also done so. 

Ten fake electors in Wisconsin today settled a civil lawsuit over their own participation in Trump’s false-elector scheme. The settlement involved correcting the historical record. The ten agreed to withdraw their paperwork with the false information, explain in writing to the federal offices that the filings had been “part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results,” and acknowledge that Biden won the 2020 election. Going forward, they agreed never again to serve as presidential electors in an election in which Trump is running. 

But while there are signs that even leading Republicans recognize that the extremism of the Trump Republicans is unpopular in the country, Trump Republicans are tightening their hold on Congress. Today former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced that he will resign from Congress at the end of this month. Far-right MAGA Republicans ousted McCarthy from the speaker’s chair in October.

Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC), a McCarthy ally who took over as acting House speaker after McCarthy’s removal, announced yesterday that he had changed his plans from earlier this year and will not run for reelection.    

While hardly moderates—both refused to work with Democrats either to pass legislation or to elect a speaker—they appear to be ceding ground to the MAGA Republicans. 

Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone reported today that one of those MAGA Republicans, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), spoke freely Tuesday night at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., at a celebration for the National Association of Christian Lawmakers. Although the address was being livestreamed, Johnson apparently believed he was speaking privately. He told the audience that the Lord called him to be “a new Moses.”

Johnson, an evangelical Christian, told the audience that the U.S. is “engaged in a battle between worldviews” and “a great struggle for the future of the Republic.” He said he believed far-right Christians would prevail. 

The influence of Trump is also evident in the Senate, where there is broad, bipartisan support for supplemental funding for Ukraine, but where Republicans are refusing to pass such a measure without attaching to it an immigration package that overrides current law, replacing it with Trump’s immigration plans. Such plans could not pass on their own, as Democrats would stop them in the Senate. But by attaching them to a bill that is imperative for national security, Republicans hope to force Biden into it.

Democrats have repeatedly called for new immigration legislation, but their refusal to remake immigration policy as the hard-right wants has made Republicans balk. Now Democrats are still offering to negotiate a reasonable package, but as Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said earlier this week: “I think there’s a misunderstanding on the part of Senator Schumer and some of our Democratic friends…. This is not a traditional negotiation, where we expect to come up with a bipartisan compromise on the border. This is a price that has to be paid in order to get the supplemental.”

In a speech this afternoon—just a day after Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) finally permitted the Senate to fill 425 senior positions in the U.S. military and while he is still preventing 11 top-level positions from being filled—President Biden called it “stunning that we’ve gotten to this point…. Republicans in Congress…are willing to give [Russian president Vladimir] Putin the greatest gift he could hope for and abandon our global leadership not just to Ukraine, but beyond that.” 

“If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there,” Biden warned. “It’s important to see the long run here. He’s going to keep going. He’s made that pretty clear. If Putin attacks a NATO Ally—if he keeps going and then he attacks a NATO Ally—well, we’ve committed as a NATO member that we’d defend every inch of NATO territory. Then we’ll have something that we don’t seek and that we don’t have today: American troops fighting Russian troops—American troops fighting Russian troops if he moves into other parts of NATO. 

“Make no mistake: Today’s vote is going to be long remembered. And history is going to judge harshly those who turn their back on freedom’s cause.”

“Extreme Republicans are playing chicken with our national security, holding Ukraine’s funding hostage to their extreme partisan border policies,” he said. 

Biden reiterated that he and the Democrats are eager to pass new immigration legislation, but “Republicans think they can get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise.  That’s not the answer.... And now they’re willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process.” He begged Republicans to get past partisan divisions and step up to “our responsibilities as a leading nation in the world.” 

Hours later, Senate Republicans voted against the supplemental aid package.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[usnewsper-politics]

Former Sheriff's Independent Senate Bid: A Pragmatic Solution for America's Safety and Borders #bipartisanship #bipartisanshipingovernment #bordersecurity #centristcandidates #comprehensiveimmigrationreform #congress #COVID19pandemic #democraticparty #formersheriff #independentcandidate #lawenforcement #politicalattitudes #pragmaticsolutions #publicsafety #southernborder #twopartysystem #U.S.Senate

[odinsblog]

Literally the only reason I was rooting for Kansas City. My team was eliminated a while back.

I’m not a Swiftie (I can take her or leave her), but if Kansas City winning makes MAGA snowflakes mad, then it makes me happy.

A more serious take beneath the cut.

In all seriousness though, I really dO wish that Taylor would use her very considerable influence to speak up for Palestine. I think she could move the political needle. I’m certain she’ll endorse Biden as we get closer to Election Day, but Palestinians could really use some help.

My only blip is, I know how ruthlessly cruel conservatives are, and Idk if it’s fair to demand that anyone take that kind of smoke from people who think the 2nd Amendment is the solution for every minor annoyance - not to mention; the MAGA crowd is a lot more misogynistic than the oppressed groups they like to project their misogyny onto. It’s one thing for someone to volunteer, but I feel funny about telling a non-politician to step into the line of fire.

Imagine Trump + the Republican Party explicitly siccing all of their misogynistic, racist, antivaxxer MAGA covidiots on someone. Again.

It’s obvious that Trump is afraid Taylor Swift will endorse Biden.

And it’s worth noting: Taylor Swift’s explicit endorsement of Democrat Phil Bredesen in Tennessee’s U.S.Senate race failed to unseat the incumbent Republican Senator, Marsha Blackburn. But … her call to get people registered to vote absolutely had a large + measurable effect. (source) So there’s a mixed bag on whether or not Swift’s voice would make a difference at all to the people who will support Israel no matter how much genocide’ing they do.

Still, I believe that Taylor Swift could make a significant difference with the election and Palestine. I think. If not with a majority of voters, then maybe Taylor could have an impact with Joe Biden and the other Democratic politicians *cough* John Fetterman *cough* who are dead set on ignoring the 30,000 noncombatant Palestinian civilians that Israel has murdered in cold blood.

Look, I have no illusions about Taylor Swift. She never stepped up for #BlackLivesMatter, she was on mute for immigrants getting mass deported under Trump & Biden’s Title 42, and I don’t expect her to step up now. But I wish she would. I wish she would say something anyway. Better to try and fail than to not try at all.

Ordinarily, I’d advise people to be patient because most impactful endorsements are strategically timed, and often don’t happen until much later in the year, like around October — but then I remembered that the surviving Palestinians in Gaza don’t have nearly that long.

[leelooel]

Little bit... about ... advise by adviser. Mario Loyola was a defense policy adviser at the Pentagon and in the U.S.Senate. In his opinion , Ukraine could

" Sell the territory to the Russians in exchange for a large sum, including reparations ". He noted , however, that many conflicts "had been resolved in this way ". He also suggested that a " more homogeneous Ukrainian state " would be more politically stable and could one day join the European Union and possibly even Nato. It was about the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, Donetsk's Republic, Lugansk Republic. ( from "The Atlantic ")

[htubmanrenrappingblog]

***HARRISFORALLBLUEUSSENATORS: 2024VOTEALLBLUEBECAUSE2025… ***HARRISWILLNEEDSAUSSENATES VOTEALL[34]DEMSFORUSSENATE!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgabGs2Ulw8 [ALLBLUE=HARRISJUDGES&USAADMIN]: AZ/CA/CTDE/FL/HI/IN/ME/MD/MA/MI/MN/ MS/MO/MT/NE[2]/NV/NJ/NY/ND OH/PA/RI/ TN/TX/UT/VTVA/WAWV/WI/WY!!! ARIZONA: 0001RUBENGALLEGO[D]FOR[AZ]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CALIFORNIA: 0002ADAMSCHIFF[D]FOR[CT]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CONNECTICUT: 0003CHRISMURPHY[D]FOR[CT]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DELAWARE: 0004LISABLUNTROCHESTER[D]… FOR[DE]=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FLORIDA: 0005DEBBIEMUCARSELPOWELL[D]… FOR[FL]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HAWAII: 0006MAZIEHIRONO[D]FOR[HI]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INDIANA: 0007DR.VALERIEMCCRAY[D] FOR[IN]=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAINE: 0008ANGUSKING[I]FOR[ME]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MARYLAND: 0009ANGELAALSOBROOKS[D] FOR[MD]=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MASSACHUSETTS: 0010ELIZABETHWARREN[D]… FOR[MA]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MICHIGAN: 0011ELISSASLOTKIN[D]… FOR[MI]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MINNESOTA: 0012AMYKLOBUCHAR[D] FOR[MN]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MISSISSIPPI: 0013TYPINKINS[D]… FOR[MS]=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEBRASKA[2USSENATORELECTIONS: 0016PRESTONLOVE…[DNE] FORNE=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE… [NE2024VOTE[2]SENATOR[S]/ NEBRASKA[2USSENATORELECTIONS: 0016DANOSBORN…[INE] FOR[NE]U.S.SENATE… [NE2024VOTE[2]SENATOR[S]/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEVADA: 0017JACKYROSEN[D]FOR[NV]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWJERSEY: 0018ANDYKIMFOR[D]/[NJ]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWMEXICO: 0019MARTINHEINRICH[D]… FOR[NM]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWYORK: 0020KIRSTENGILLBRAND[D]… FOR[NY]U.S.SENATE]/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OHIO: 0022SHERRODBROWN[OH]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PENNSYLVANIA: 0023BOBCASEYJR[D]… FOR[PA]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RHODEISLAND: 0024SHELDONWHITEHOUSE[D]… FOR[RI]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TENNESSEE: 0025GLORIAJOHNSON[D]… FOR[TN]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TEXAS: 0026COLINALLRED[D]* FORTX=BLKHIST=U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UTAH: 0027CAROLINEGLEICH[D]… FOR[UT]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ VERMONT: 0028BERNIESANDERS[I]… FOR[VT]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ VIRGINIA: 0029TIMKAINE[D]FOR[VA]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WASHINGTON: 0030MARIACANTWELL[D]… FOR[WA]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WESTVIRGINIA: 0031GLENNELLIOTTJR[D]… FOR[WV]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WISCONSIN: 0032DEMSSENATOR[D]… FOR[WI]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WYOMING: 0033SCOTTMORROW[D] FOR[WY]U.S.SENATE/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 0034SPE:0016PRESTONLOVE[D] FOR[NE]U.S.SENATE:[2INNEBRASKA!!! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ **REMEMBER2NE[VOTELOVE[D]&OSBORN[I] [2ND.NE=2SENATORS2NE=2SENATORS2NE] |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

[ikno-io]

Understand what a filibuster is, its origin, how it works, and its impact on legislative processes. Learn about the positive and negative aspects and explore historical examples and recent calls for reform. read the full article: https://bit.ly/3ZDFDhA #filibuster #politics #legislativeprocess #U.S.Senate #minorityrights read more: what is filibuster

[dertaglichedan]

Rep. Adam Schiff’s past effort to fan the Russia collusion tale is boomeranging as he now seeks the vacant U.S.Senate seat in California.

Former MLB star Steve Garvey, now a GOP candidate, accused Schiff, D-Calif., of lying to the public on the debate stage this week, prompting Schiff to claim he was censured for "standing up to a corrupt President."

Garvey and Schiff are among the candidates in the race for the Senate seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

In the California primary election, the two candidates who receive the most votes head to the general election for a head-to-head match-up in November. A recent poll released by Emerson College found 25% of respondents said they would vote for Schiff and Garvey was in second place with 18%.

"I called out Adam Schiff for being censured for lying to 300 million Americans. His response: 'I would do it all over again,'" Garvey wrote Thursday on X. Schiff was censured in a resolution stating that Schiff held positions of power during Trump’s presidency and “abused this trust by saying there was evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.” There was no such evidence.

Schiff had drawn attention to himself throwing the "Russian collusion" narrative at anyone who opposed him. At one point, he accused on live television then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson of "being a Russian agent" and said to Carlson, according to New York Magazine, “You’re carrying water for the Kremlin!”

[gwydionmisha]

Keep Fighting!  It’s Not Over!

Look, I know how frustrating the acquittal without trial is, but we knew he was going to get off when we didn't take the senate in 2016.  If Republicans had an ounce of patriotism and/or a drop of care for the Constitution we wouldn't have been I this fix for the last slightly more than three years.

The thing than really surprised me is that Mitt Romney, a notorious vulture capitalist actually has a soul, something I had not hitherto suspected.  Too bad none of the other senate Republicans are in possession of such an article, but again, we knew that because Brett Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court and Merrick Garland isn't.

What I'm saying is, nothing has changed except they've shown their open contempt for the constitution in yet another way.

We still need to fight our asses off for the next election, because I'm pretty sure that's the last off ramp to the complete destruction of our democracy.

Please, please, please.  If you can, donate a little cash to candidates you believe in if you have them.  Please, please please, volunteer for a candidate or the democratic party if you have time and energy for it.

Don't give up hope, but do everything you can because this is literally life or death for those of us in vulnerable minorities.  It's also pretty much life or death for American democracy and the planet.  Millenials in particular the fate of all of us rests in your hands.  We really the fuck need you all to turn out no matter how tired and discouraged you are.  I'm an Xer, trust me, I know from tired and discouraged.  Everything they've done to you they tried out on us first and there were never enough of us demographically to stop them.

We still can win though.  Together (Xers, Millenals, oldest Gen Z) there really are more of us than there are of them.  If we really turn out this year with all our numbers and all out rge, we can beat the gerrymander.

Don't be led astray by Russian troll bots trying to discourage you from voting or trying to get you to vote third party as happened last time.  Don't let Republican efforts to steal your right to vote.  Check your registration and show up for primaries/caucuses, because people who vote regularly are way the fuck harder to purge.  They are counting on you to give up.  They are hoping the lines and all the other hurdles they put in your way will stop you voting.

Don't let them win.

Also, don't forget to vote the whole ticket all the way down to your state and local elections.  We NEED to flip the senate.  We need to take the State level offices, because that's the only way to roll back he gerrymandering. Remember, those local positions are the ones that tend to determine your quality of life.  Republicans tend to eat our lunch on the state and local level.  Don't let them.  It's not that hard to research the candidates in advance and go in with a list of who you want for Sheriff, school board, city council, etc..  Do it.  It's worth it.

Here's some things to get you started:

- A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey

- The Indivisble guide exists to help you organize effective resistance: https://indivisible.org/

- Here’s a list of vulnerable republican senators up for election this year:

   Martha McSally - Arizona    Susan Collins - Maine    Cory Gardner - Colorado    Thom Tillis - North Carolina    Pat Roberts - Kansas    David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler - Georgia    Joni Ernst - Iowa

Here’s a list of vulnerable democratic senators that NEED votes to keep their seats:

   Doug Jones - Alabama    Gary Peters - Michigan

- Want to get rid of Mitch McConnell?  Help Amy McGrath: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/am-website?refcode=website-nav

- Want to get rid of Lindsey Graham?  Help Jaime Harrison: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_harrison_fr_q12019_jaime-a?refcode=MS_AD_D-DD_2019.03.08_X_GG_KW__X__eyJjcmVhdGl2ZSI6IkFkZCBEb25hdGlvbiBOb3ciLCJhdWRpZW5jZSI6IkphaW1lSGFycmlzb24ifQ&recurring=TRUE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn4a_583I5gIVC8RkCh0MowFeEAAYASAAEgIXZfD_BwE

- There's a decent chance of flipping this Senate seat blue.  Want to help?  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ads-mek-egsearch_dtd?refcode=ads-200108-gs-evergreensearch-dtd-natl-mix-8753679275-87807510469-410037583123-%2Bmark%20%2Bkelly%20%2Bdonate&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpKSR192K5wIVAsNkCh0EeAFSEAAYASAAEgLY7fD_BwE

- Want to support Christy Smith in the primary for Katie Hill's seat?:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dw_ca25

- Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can not protest in person, here are some other options:

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

[feministstruggle]

Legislative Alert!

HR5, the “Equality Act” is currently in the Judiciary Committee in the U. S. Senate.  FIST is developing a response to this bill.  Please stay tuned for proposed amendments.  To contact the members of the Judiciary Committee, go to:  https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members SB 132 - A bill in the California legislature, “an act to add Sections 2605 and 2606 to the Penal Code, relating to corrections,” would allow males who identify as transgender to be housed with the female population if it passes. It has already passed in the California Senate and is currently in the state Assembly, where it will be reviewed in the Public Safety Committee. This bill if enacted is particularly dangerous for women since the passage of SB 179 in October 2017 has allowed “. . . a person to submit to the State Registrar an application to change gender on the birth certificate . . . to conform the person’s legal gender to the person’s gender identity.” So any man may declare himself a woman and change his birth certificate, with no requirements or oversight and in total disregard of biological reality, opening the door for sexual predators of various types, from voyeurs to rapists, to reinvent themselves as female by taking on female names and identities. Add to this the reality that the majority of female prisoners have been molested, raped, sexually assaulted, trafficked, coerced or forced into pornography and/or prostitution, and the potential harm to incarcerated women and girls is greatly increased if SB 132 also passes. FIST strenuously opposes the passage of this bill and asks everyone to call the members of the California Assembly Public Safety Committee and urge them to not allow it onto the floor for a vote as it poses a grave risk to actual women, who comprise 52% of the general population and a growing percentage of the prison population, and therefore to public safety. Also if you are in California, please contact your Assembly representative and urge her or him to oppose it as well. Here is a link to the list of the Public Safety Committee members and their phone numbers: https://apsf.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff Read the full article

[franklong12]

Feinstein Defends Herself After Hometown Paper Questions Her Mental Acuity Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) defende... Read the rest on our site with the url below https://worldwidetweets.com/feinstein-defends-herself-after-hometown-paper-questions-her-mental-acuity/?feed_id=158286&_unique_id=625adc9193397 #California #DianneFeinstein #U.S.Senate

[instadw]

US Senate debate on $3.5 trillion spending plan enters second day

[coincolumnist-dot-com]

Bipartisan bill to study blockchain and crypto passes US House of Representatives

A bipartisan bill that requires the study of blockchain technology and digital tokens passed the House of Representatives on June 22. The “Consumer Safety Technology Act'' is centered on consumer protection and includes digital token and blockchain research. The bill passed the 117th Congress within a week of its introduction, with a resounding 325 votes in favor of, and 103 votes against. This is not the first time this bill has reached this point however, and under the Trump administration, the bill passed the House in September 2020. It was then referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation before being shot down in the Senate. Among other things, the bill calls for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to deploy a pilot AI program to aid consumer safety inspections, such as identifying consumer product hazards and tracking trends related to injuries involving consumer products. Additionally, it calls for the Secretary of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to “study and report on the use of blockchain technology and digital tokens.”Democrat representative for California’s 9th district, Jerry McNerney sponsored the bill, which was co-sponsored by Democrat Darren Soto, along with Republicans Warren Davidson, Van Taylor, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie. The Consumer Safety Technology Act also includes two other bills touching on crypto. One is the Blockchain Innovation Act along with parts of the Digital Taxonomy Act which mandate the FTC report on “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in transactions relating to digital tokens.” Rep. Soto first introduced the latter bill in April 2019, but did not receive a single vote at the time. Both bills are aimed at stopping deceptive acts related to crypto from individuals and “unscrupulous companies.”Our #blockchain & #cryptocurrency bills with @RepGuthrie & @WarrenDavidson just passed the House as part of @RepMcNerney’s #ConsumerSafetyTechnologyAct. US must remain on the forefront of emerging technologies by fostering innovation & ensuring consumer protection. pic.twitter.com/vhI3FuVJJG— Rep. Darren Soto (@RepDarrenSoto) June 22, 2021Related: Will regulation adapt to crypto, or crypto to regulation? Experts answerOn the House Floor, Soto emphasized the importance of ensuring consumer protection from volatility and crim:“When we look at market volatility, the use of cryptocurrency for ransomware, and recent attacks like the Colonial Pipeline and tax evasion, it’s critical that we get on the front end of this.” The Blockchain Innovation Act requires the study of investment trends in the crypto industry, the potential risks and benefits of blockchain tech designed for consumer protection, and areas in which regulation could foster domestic innovation. Source Read the full article

[progressiveparty]

Charles Booker for U.S. SENATE - Kentucky

Progressive Party Endorsed Charles Booker for Kentucky picks up endorsement in US Senate race The Progressive Party is endorsing Charles Booker, who is running against Mitch McConnel. It's no secret that many Progressives have been elected into Congress and that the public is moving toward progressive ideas. We are proud to announce our endorsement of Charles Booker, a candidate that represent progressive ideas. Charles is fighting for a living wage, universal health care, and is addressing racial injustice. We need to support candidates for a government that works for everyone, and not just the 1 percent. Meet Charles My name is Charles Booker, and I am running to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate. Let me tell you a little about myself. I come from right here in the Shawnee Neighborhood of Louisville. Living in Russell now with my wife Tanesha and the girls, I feel the urgency of what it really means to be living in the poorest zip code in the state. As a diabetic paying as much as $1,000 a month for insulin, I have seen how the healthcare system has let us down. After getting an education at the University of Louisville, I was faced with the stark reality of student debt — like so many other people in this country. But really, this isn’t about me. It isn’t even about Mitch McConnell. This is bigger than any one person. This is bigger than party or politics. Read the full article

[butasformeblog]

Sessions responded to the president, saying on Twitter, "Your personal feelings don't dictate who Alabama picks as their senator, the people of Alabama do."

BAFMnotes:  The old saying :  “Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down” still applies...

[gordonhastings]

GIANT OF THE SENATE/FRANKEN/ ROBUST SATIRE FINDS TRUTH

GIANT OF THE SENATE/FRANKEN/ ROBUST SATIRE FINDS TRUTH

Al Franken  is a wonderful writer and story-teller and GIANT of the SENATE  is a  powerful memoir and a highly recommended read.

GIANT of the SENATE is filled with insight into Franken the individual (SNL), his politics, the legislative process  and skewers many of the political personalities of our time.   Franken has no problem pulling out the daggers shrouded in his unique brand of humor. His…

[wdshow]

(via Schumer Wants To Hold Up Gorsuch Nomination Until After FBI Investigation Of Trump)

Sen. Chuck Schumer continues to play at a position of no power! He doesn’t have the votes to stop Justice Neil Gorsuch unless Sen. Mitch McConnell chooses not to use Senate nuclear option.