#rep. fred upton

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

On Thursday, The Detroit News reported that retired Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) is entertaining a plan to offer Democrats some degree of power sharing in the House in return for joining with a handful of GOP lawmakers to elect him Speaker of the House, in the event that Republicans fail to solve their gridlock in trying to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

According to the report, one possible offer Upton could make Democrats is an equal number of seats on House committees.

A gang of far-right Republicans has blocked McCarthy from the 218 votes he needs to be elected Speaker, leading to three failed ballots on Tuesday when the new Congress met for the first time — something that has not happened since 1923. These Republicans have demanded a number of changes to House rules that would give them more power over the caucus — which McCarthy has partially complied with, to no avail in reaching a deal with the holdouts.

So far, Democrats have been unanimous in nominating their own newly chosen House Leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). If all Democrats voted together on a compromise Upton candidacy, six Republicans would have to join them. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) previously floated a bipartisan Upton candidacy as a possibility if McCarthy cannot secure the votes, but it is unclear whether five other Republicans would join him, or whether Democrats would be willing to accept the deal at all.

Upton, a longtime relative moderate Republican who retired at the end of last session, was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Only two of those lawmakers, Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), are in office, as the others either retired or were defeated in their primary with Trump-backed challengers.

Trump himself is still backing McCarthy for Speaker. Last night, he appeared to step back from his endorsement, but reasserted it this morning with a post on his Truth Social platform.

[dragonmp93]

This is why I think that the WGA tentative agreement is actually a big victory.

The studios are already counting their loses and trying to undermining through lobbying.

[mariacallous]

Democratic leaders said Wednesday that Republicans are on their own amid the conservative revolt that’s prevented Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — or anyone else — from becoming the next Speaker in the new Congress. 

Heading into this week’s Speaker vote, some lawmakers had floated the notion of finding a “unity” candidate who could win bipartisan support if McCarthy failed to rally a sufficient number of Republicans behind his Speakership bid. 

But on Wednesday, a day after a group of conservatives blocked McCarthy’s bid on three separate ballots, Democratic leaders said they’re not ready to bail out the struggling Republicans — at least not yet.

“This is on them,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the incoming chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said during a press briefing in the Capitol. 

Aguilar said he hasn’t been approached by any lawmakers about a search for a potential consensus candidate, nor have Democratic leaders presented that possibility to their rank-and-file members, who are united behind Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the incoming minority leader who got all 212 Democratic votes on Tuesday’s three ballots.

“If there was something that was real, we would look at that,” Aguilar said. “But I haven’t seen any proof that Republicans are willing to engage.” 

With Republicans flailing in their effort to seat a new Speaker, outside centrist groups are agitating for lawmakers in both parties to unite behind a moderate figure — perhaps one outside of Congress — to fill the void. This week, former Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), a centrist who is popular on both sides of the aisle, said the idea that he might be that figure is “an intriguing suggestion that I have not rejected.”

Yet even those Democrats who have supported the idea of a consensus candidate don’t appear ready to jump on board. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who has been open to that strategy, is also downplaying that idea this week amid the Republicans’ struggles to seat a new Speaker. 

“At the end of the day, this is a Republican mess,” he told CNN Tuesday night. “This is a failure of them to govern. This is their problem to fix.”

“And Democrats stand ready if they want to vote for Hakeem Jeffries,” Khanna added, suggesting a strategy that’s a non-starter among Republicans. 

The conservative revolt — and the stalemate it’s created — forced House lawmakers to vote on multiple Speaker ballots for the first time since 1923. And it’s creating a lingering uncertainty about how long the seat will remain empty — and what effect a dysfunctional House will have on the country. 

“This is a crisis of the Congress,” Aguilar said. “And it’s a crisis at the hands of the Republican dysfunction.” 

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), the incoming vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, echoed that message. 

“For one day — it was unfortunate — we can deal with that. But now it gets serious, because we effectively don’t have a House of Representatives,” Lieu said. “This can’t keep on going. You can’t have one branch of the federal government simply not function.”

Lieu said he’s hoping Republicans can find a way to unify behind a Speaker nominee, “because we need Republicans to govern — if they can.”

“If they cannot,” he added, “then they should let Democrats govern.”

[tomorrowusa]

REPUBLICANS IN DISARRAY!!!!11!!1!

Steve Scalise has withdrawn from the House Speaker race. Gym Jordan is back in the race despite the fact that he lost the last time the GOP caucus chose a candidate.

CNN spoke with GOP former Rep. Fred Upton. He basically said that he was relieved to be back in Michigan with his wife and grandkids these days.

House Republicans are meeting again on Friday afternoon. But a number of them have already stated that they would not support Gym Jordan for Speaker.

Journalist David Gregory told CNN that he expects Democrats to eventually jump in and try to work out a solution; the total GOP House shitstorm reflects badly on Congress as a whole and there's work to be done with multiple crises around the world and at home.

Republicans are simply unable to govern. At the heart of all this is Donald Trump having hijacked the party for his own purposes.

Don't let people spew bothsiderism to you about Democrats and Republicans in the House. Whether people agree with her or not, the House was infinitely better managed by Nancy Pelosi for eight years than it was by Kevin McCarthy for eight months.

[enicolay]

Eryk Nicolay | Streaming Titans Unite: Streaming Innovation Alliance Pro-Consumer Policies

Netflix, Max, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and other major streaming services have joined forces to create the Streaming Innovation Alliance (SIA), aimed at advocating for favorable federal and state policies for the streaming industry. This marks the first time that competing streaming-video providers have come together in a unified lobbying effort. Former Republican Rep. Fred Upton and former Democratic acting FCC chair Mignon Clyburn serve as senior advisers. Their involvement underscores the bipartisan nature of the alliance's efforts, as they seek to navigate the regulatory landscape in Washington.

According to TheHollywoodReporter.com, the SIA's primary goal is to ensure that government policies support the growth and innovation of streaming services without hindering consumer choice and program diversity. They want to advocate for federal and state policies that support a strong, competitive, and pro-consumer streaming video market. This involves ensuring that regulatory frameworks do not hinder innovation or diversity in content offerings. Clyburn emphasized that streaming has promoted program diversity and opportunities for underserved communities and people of color. According to Variety.com, the SIA championed this by partnering with other more niche streaming platforms such as AfroLandTV, ForUsByUs Network, TelevisaUnivision, and ViX, among others. Upton stressed that streaming services have provided great value to consumers and urged policymakers not to impose outdated regulations on this innovative sector. Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), played a crucial role in organizing the SIA. He emphasized the value and diversity that streaming services bring to consumers and expressed the MPA's commitment to working with the SIA to ensure that federal and state policies promote innovation while preserving consumer choice. They released a poll showing that registered voters support streaming innovation and are cautious about regulatory proposals that could collect more user data or limit sensitive programming.

According to IndieWire.com, the survey suggests that viewers trust streaming platforms more than social media when it comes to avoiding misinformation, hate speech, harassment, or sensitive material. These findings reflect the desire of streaming providers to differentiate themselves from social media and maintain their curated and vetted content approach.

Words: 349

[cleopuppy]

The nine Republicans broke from the GOP and voted for the bill were Reps. John Katko (N.Y.), Chris Jacobs (N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Steve Womack (Ark.).

The rest of the lemmings blithely followed onion-skinned, 🧠💀 Karen McCarthy right over the cliff.

[crossdreamers]

Here are the US representatives who voted against the US pro-LGBT+ Equality Act

The US Equality Act is to outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations, and federal funding.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation yesterday, but it is unlikely that the Senate will follow up, given the Republican Party's increasing hostility to queer people. They are currently weaponizing transphobia in an attempt at mobilizing their base.

In the Senate the bill will require at least 10 Republicans to vote with all Democrats to advance past the so-called filibuster.

Metro Weekly has listed the representatives that voted against the law in the House.

Photo of Rep. Marie Newman.

Alabama:

Robert Aderholt

Mo Brooks

Jerry Carl

Barry Moore

Gary Palmer

Mike Rogers

Alaska:

Don Young

Arizona:

Andy Biggs

Paul A. Gosar

Debbie Lesko

David Schweikert

Arkansas:

Rick Crawford

French Hill

Bruce Westerman

Steve Womack

California:

Ken Calvert

Darrell Issa

Mike Garcia

Young Kim

Doug LaMalfa

Kevin McCarthy

Tom McClintock

Devin Nunes

Jay Obernolte

Michelle Steel

David G. Valadao

Colorado:

Lauren Boebert

Ken Buck

Doug Lamborn

Florida:

Gus M. Bilirakis

Vern Buchanan

Kat Cammack

Mario Diaz-Balart

Byron Donalds

Neal Dunn

C. Scott Franklin

Matt Gaetz

Carlos A. Gimenez

Brian Mast

Bill Posey

John Rutherford

Maria Elvira Salazar

W. Gregory Steube

Michael Waltz

Daniel Webster

Georgia:

Rick Allen

Buddy Carter

Andrew S. Clyde

A. Drew Ferguson

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Jody Hice

Barry Loudermilk

Austin Scott

David Scott

Idaho:

Russ Fulcher

Mike Simpson

Illinois:

Mike Bost

Rodney Davis

Darin LaHood

Adam Kinzinger

Mary E. Miller

Indiana:

Jim Banks

James Baird

Larry Bucshon

Trey Hollingsworth

Greg Pence

Victoria Spartz

Jackie Walorski

Iowa:

Randy Feenstra

Ashley Hinson

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Kansas:

Ron Estes

Jake LaTurner

Tracey Mann

Kentucky:

Andy Barr

James Comer

S. Brett Guthrie

Thomas Massie

Harold Rogers

Louisiana:

Clay Higgins

Garret Graves

Mike Johnson

Steve Scalise

Maryland:

Andy Harris

Michigan:

Jack Bergman

Bill Huizenga

Lisa C. McClain

Peter Meijer

John Moolenaar

Fred Upton

Tim Walberg

Minnesota:

Tom Emmer

Michelle Fischbach

Jim Hagedorn

Pete Stauber

Mississippi:

Michael Guest

Trent Kelly

Steven Palazzo

Missouri:

Sam Graves

Vicky Hartzler

Billy Long

Blaine Luetkemeyer

Jason Smith

Ann Wagner

Montana:

Matthew M. Rosendale

Nebraska:

Don Bacon

Jeff Fortenberry

Adrian Smith

Nevada:

Mark Amodei

New Jersey:

Chris Smith

Jefferson Van Drew

New Mexico:

Yvette Herrell

New York:

Andrew R. Garbarino

Chris Jacobs

Nicole Malliotakis

Elise Stefanik

Claudia Tenney

Lee Zeldin

North Carolina:

Dan Bishop

Ted Budd

Madison Cawthorn

Gregory Francis Murphy

Virginia Foxx

Richard Hudson

Patrick T. McHenry

David Rouzer

North Dakota:

Kelly Armstrong

Ohio:

Troy Balderson

Steve Chabot

Warren Davidson

Bob Gibbs

Anthony Gonzalez

Jim Jordan

Bill Johnson

David Joyce

Robert E. Latta

Steve Stivers

Michael Turner

Brad Wenstrup

Oklahoma:

Stephanie I. Bice

Tom Cole

Kevin Hern

Frank Lucas

Markwayne Mullin

Oregon:

Cliff Bentz

Pennsylvania:

John Joyce

Mike Kelly

Daniel Meuser

Scott Perry

Guy Reschenthaler

Lloyd Smucker

Glenn Thompson

South Carolina:

Jeff Duncan

Nancy Mace

Ralph Norman

Tom Rice

William Timmons

Joe Wilson

South Dakota:

Dusty Johnson

Tennessee:

Timm Burchett

Scott DesJarlais

Chuck Fleischmann

Mark Green

Diana Harshbarger

David Kustoff

John W. Rose

Texas:

Jodey Arrington

Brian Babin

Kevin Bady

Michael Burgess

John Carter

Michael Cloud

Dan Crenshaw

Pat Fallon

Louie Gohmert

Tony Gonzales

Lance Gooden

Kay Granger

Ronny Jackson

Michael T. McCaul

Troy E. Nehls

August Pfluger

Chip Roy

Pete Sessions

Van Taylor

Beth Van Duyne

Randy Weber

Roger Williams

Utah:

John R. Curtis

Blake D. Moore

Burgess Owens

Christ Stewart

Virginia:

Ben Cline

Bob Good

Morgan Griffith

Robert J. Wittman

Washington:

Jaime Herrera Beutler

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Dan Newhous

West Virginia:

David McKinley

Carol Miller

Alex Mooney

Wisconsin:

Scott Fitzgerald

Mike Gallagher

Glenn Grothman

Bryan Steil

Thomas P. Tiffany

Wyoming:

Liz Cheney

All Democrats voted for the legislation, as did three Republicans.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Rep. Fred Upton, one of the longest-tenured Republicans in the House of Representatives, has decided to retire rather than seek reelection in 2022.

Upton was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump in January 2021, saying in a statement that “our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any president to impede the peaceful transfer of power.” Now, Upton is the fourth of those 10 to retire, joining Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) in exiting Congress.

Upton announced his retirement in a speech on the House floor Tuesday morning. Speaking to reporters afterward, Upton pointed to redistricting as a key factor in his decision to retire, rather than backlash he faced over his impeachment vote.

“My district was cut like Zorro — three different ways,” the Michigan Republican told reporters. “So I’ve been here 36 years. When I first ran, I thought I’d be here 10.”

“I got a lot of unfinished business that I’m going to be working on now. ... But no, this was our decision, independent of what I did with Trump,” added Upton, who was first elected in 1986.

Trump endorsed a Republican primary challenger against Upton, state Rep. Steve Carra. But Carra later dropped out, and Trump switched his endorsement to GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga, as redistricting put Upton on a collision course with Huizenga for the newly drawn district.

For a time, it appeared that running in the redrawn district was Upton’s plan. He turned in a big fundraising quarter to end 2021, and he spent more than $400,000 in early 2022 to air a TV ad in which he declared, “I’m not afraid to take on anyone when they’re wrong and work with anyone who’s right.”

“If you want a rubber stamp as your congressman, I’m the wrong guy,” Upton continued in the ad, which touted his work in Congress on taxes, law enforcement and fighting diseases.

Upton, who previously chaired the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, leaves behind a record of bipartisan legislation. He cited the 21st Century Cures Act as his biggest accomplishment, which he said survived a Senate filibuster and paved the way for the FDA to approve vaccines for Covid.

“That’s probably our biggest achievement,” Upton said.

He was accompanied by his close friend, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), on the House floor while delivering his speech, as he pointed to his next chapter with his family.

“Debbie was my first call,” said Upton. “She didn’t answer.”

“I didn’t want to get the news,” she replied.

[beardedmrbean]

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are calling on certain environmental groups to disclose their ties to a non-governmental organization which is, according to the committee, reportedly used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to make an impact on American energy production.

Three environmental groups – the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Sierra Club – reportedly have ties to the San Francisco-based NGO environmental organization called the Sea Change Foundation, according to Republicans on the committee.

In a letter sent to each of the three groups, Republicans inquired about the funding the groups have received from Sea Change since 2006 and called for disclosure of whether the groups "are aware of concerns that Sea Change may be a conduit for Russian funding."

"Provided the public reporting of Putin's dark money influence in Europe and the concerns surrounding similar efforts in the United States, we write today to explore your connections with Sea Change," the Republicans stated in the letter. "Any action by President Putin, the Russian government, or Putin's allies to undermine American energy security must be addressed."

In addition, the Republicans asked the groups if they have received funds or took a particular action after a request "from the Russian government or anyone connected with the Russian government."

All three of the groups, according to Republicans on the committee, were identified as top recipients of Sea Change grants since 2006. The letter was signed by more than 20 Congressional Republicans, including Energy and Commerce Committee Republican leader Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Wash., and ranking member Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.

In a response shared with Fox News, Bob Deans, the director of strategic engagement for the NRDC, suggested the "allegations are false" and are "rooted in a smear campaign."

"We receive no funding from the governments of Russia or China," Deans said. "We answer to our independent leadership, and we don’t do the bidding of any government – foreign or otherwise – in our work to advocate for commonsense environmental protections in the public interest. These allegations are rooted in a smear campaign orchestrated nearly a decade ago by fossil fuel interests and a right-wing think tank. They only serve then, as now, as a distraction."

Similarly, a statement provided to Fox News from the LCV said the "story is completely false and has been put to rest for years."

"We have no connections to Russia, or China, and have been an effective advocate for environmental protection for over 50 years," the group stated. "These false and poorly researched allegations are rooted in a nearly 10-year-old right-wing think tank and fossil fuel industry-funded smear campaign that gets revived every few years to serve as a distraction."

In a statement shared with Fox News, Melinda Pierce, Sierra Club's legislative director, concluded the allegation of collusion is a "false conspiracy theory."

"This false conspiracy theory, invented by the same deceitful front groups paid to do polluters' and big tobacco’s dirty work, has been repeatedly debunked over its nearly 10-year existence," Pierce said. "The Sierra Club has no connections to Russia or China, and proudly fights for clean energy and climate action because this is what our planet requires, our families deserve, and what the overwhelming majority of Americans across the country demand."

Fox News did not receive an immediate response from the Sea Change Foundation.

Gasoline prices in America hit a record high this week amid Russia’s continued invasion into Ukraine and the announcement that the United States would suspend purchases of Russian oil. As of Thursday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $4.318, according to AAA data. Prices surpassed the $4 mark Sunday for the first time in 14 years.

The Republican members have requested a response to their questions by March 25.

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

Margarine Traitor Greene and Crooked Dump need to be removed from the political scene.

[brookeolin]

The eight Republicans who backed the (birth control) measure were: Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), John Katko (N.Y.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.) and Fred Upton (Mich.).

GOP Reps. Bob Gibbs (Ohio) and Mike Kelly (Pa.) voted present.

Gonzalez, Katko, Kinzinger, Upton and Gibbs are all not running for reelection this year.

[mariacallous]

Thirteen Republicans in the House voted with Democrats to approve the bill.

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska (NE-02, PVI R+1) Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania (PA-01, PVI Even/Toss-Up) Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York (NY-02, PVI R+2) Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio (OH-16, PVI R+10) Rep. John Katko of New York (NY-24, PVI D+2) Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (IL-16, PVI R+10) Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York (NY-11, PVI R+7) Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia (WV-01, PVI R+19) Rep. Tom Reed of New York (NY-23, PVI R+9) Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey (NJ-04, PVI R+8) Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan (MI-06, PVI R+5) Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey (NJ-02, PVI R+4) Rep. Don Young of Alaska (AL-at large, PVI R+9)

A relatively geographically diverse combination of districts, skewing more suburan/”rural”.

The six House Democrats who voted against:

Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York (NY-16, PVI D+25) Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri (MO-01, PVI D+29) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (NY-14, PVI D+25) Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota (MN-05, PVI D+26) Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts (MA-07, PVI D+35 Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan (MI-13, PVI D+32)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

A new bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to do much more to regulate PFAs, a class of artificial chemicals that never fully break down and have made their way into waterways and food systems. The PFAs Action Act, introduced today by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), would, among other things, establish a national drinking water standard and require the EPA to set limits on the amount of PFAs factories can release into the environment.

PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are pervasive in our daily lives. We are exposed to them in cosmetics and dental floss, and they’ve been found at high levels in items that seem innocuous, like chocolate cake. Dubbed the “forever chemical” because they don’t break down and they stay in the environment, they are probably in your body. High levels of PFAs have been linked to all sorts of health problems, including growth and learning delays in children, increased risk of cancer, hormonal changes and fertility problems.

While much of the PFA contamination is a byproduct of production facilities, it is also rampant on air force and military sites because the chemicals are found in the fire suppression materials used during fire simulations. According to Dingell, the number of known PFAs contamination sites throughout the nation continues to grow, including the number of contaminated military cites, which she said jumped from 401 to 702 in fiscal year 2020.

While the chemicals are pervasive, the push to regulate them has been slow. “PFAs [are] an urgent public health and environmental threat,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell at a press conference introducing the new bill on Tuesday. “We need to do something at a federal level.”

The 2021 PFAs Action Act would establish a national drinking water standard for specific PFAs chemicals and also label them as hazardous, freeing up access to EPA funds to clean up contaminated sites. It would also provide $200 million annually to support water utilities and wastewater treatment.

[mojave-pete]

Among the vote were 10 House Republicans. That includes: 👀

These traitors voted to impeach POTUS Trump!

Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming Rep. John Katko of New York Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina Rep. David Valadao of California