Trump’s tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy do not sunset. His financial benefits for the middle class and below do sunset. If he really thought these programs were good and were helping people, he and the Republican Congress that passed them would have made them permanent, instead, he made them temporary to use as an election issue.
Trump Accounts mostly benefit those wealthy enough to take advantage of them as tax deductions (ways to avoid paying taxes, making the deficit, debt, and inflation worse).
Anytime the government does something through tax deductions instead of checks, it’s a sign that it will mostly benefit the wealthy.
Five of nine Supreme Court members, and five of six Republican Supreme Court members, were executive branch attorneys dedicated to finding ways to expand presidential power at the expense of Congress. As justices, they act with a bias against Congress and in favor of presidential power…at least as long as that president is doing Conservative things.
Presidential power breaks down when the president is not faithfully enacting the laws of Congress, which he is required to do by the Constitution!, and when the president acts corruptly, aiming to enrich himself and his friends and family rather than do what is best for the country.
Trump uses his power as president to change US policy specifically to punish businesses owned or run by people who didn’t support him politically and in favor of those who do support him or are related to him.
Congress passed a bill designed to lower housing costs, but Trump refused to sign it, saying he won’t sign it until Congress also forces everyone to get a special ID to vote–an obviously unrelated issue mostly based on lies about the extent of voter fraud, which is practically zero.
The A-10 can do one thing really well–blowing up stuff on the ground. But, it can’t do much else, and is only brought in after the most threatening air-to-air threats are destroyed or suppressed. The military would prefer to have more general and advanced craft than one with such a narrow use. Congress has kept it alive because it is popular and gives their constituents jobs. A major advantage of the A-10 is its cheaper to fire.
Obama was interested in military force in Syria after Syria crossed Obama’s redline, but Obama wanted authorization from Congress. Congress didn’t want to be on the record one way or the other, and told Obama to act if he wanted to act.
Then for Libya, some of the Congressmen who said they didn’t want to be on the record and they wanted Obama to act if he wanted to, complained that Obama didn’t get authorization for Libya.
Not only were Congress people derelict of their duty to discuss and vote on military action, but they dishonestly portrayed their true feelings to the public.
“The Senate early Friday morning approved Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies, but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers.
The deal, which the Senate approved unanimously without a roll call, next goes to the House, which is expected to consider it Friday.
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The deal did not include any of the restraints Democrats have demanded as they sought to rein in Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
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The GOP’s big tax cuts bill that Trump signed into law last year funneled billions in extra funds to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring the immigration officers are still being paid despite the lapse.”
“”ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley previously said in a statement to USA TODAY. “TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints – skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You cannot improvise that. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one.”
Early reports from some travelers indicated that ICE’s presence wasn’t doing much to improve conditions – and for some employees it may be more disruptive than helpful.
“The employees that actually work at the airport, they’re afraid of coming to work because they were afraid that their immigration status would cause them to be detained or removed from the airport,” Johnny Jones, secretary and treasurer of the Association of Federal Government Employees local 1040 representing TSA workers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said in a March 24 press briefing. “A couple of restaurants did not actually open at the airport because they had no workers show up.”
While Harmon-Marshall doesn’t expect ICE’s presence to pose a risk to aviation security, it could have other adverse impacts. “What I do think their presence is going to do is intimidate the traveling public,” he said.”
“Former President Bill Clinton told members of the House Oversight Committee that he never witnessed the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse young women or girls, nor did he himself ever have sexual contact with anyone introduced to him by Epstein
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Addressing a photo showing Clinton in a pool with an unknown woman, the former president told lawmakers that he could not recall the identity of the woman.
“It appears there’s a — this photo there’s a girl over here,” said one questioner.
“Yeah, I don’t know who that is,” Clinton said.
“But he’s also asking in the pool area. Were there other individuals?” an attorney asked.
“I don’t know who that is,” Clinton repeated.
“And then I have to ask this, did you engage in any sexual activities with this person?” the questioner asked.
“No,” Clinton said, appearing visibly frustrated.
Clinton was also asked about a photo showing him appearing to get a massage in an airport by an unknown woman. He claimed that his “neck had spasmed” and that one of the women offered to help.
“The problem I remember from that trip was that my neck had spasmed and I was in — and so they offered to help and I let them help one,” Clinton said. He said that he could not recall any other massages from the trip.
“This is an email from Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim that alleged that you walked into Vanity Fair and threatened them not to write sex trafficking articles about your good friend Jeffrey Epstein,” a lawmaker asked. “Mr. President, is this true?”
“No. And no, not no. Hell no. Not close. No,” Clinton said.
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Clinton suggested to members of the House Oversight Committee that he first met Epstein after being connected by his former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, shedding light for the first time on the origin of his and Epstein’s relationship.
“He was calling because a man named Jeffrey Epstein, who had made a substantial commitment of several million dollars … to brain research, and he was an information hungry person, and he wanted to spend some time talking to me about economics and politics,” Clinton said.
“He said he’s got this massive airplane, and he said he would take you, your staff, your Secret Service detail, anybody else you wanted to bring on the trips that he knew I was planning to set up a global network to provide lifesaving AIDS medicine to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” Clinton said.
“Did you witness anything unusual with Epstein that would lead you to believe that Epstein was creepy?” he was asked.
“No, I never saw him do anything that I was suspicious,” Clinton responded.
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While Clinton acknowledged a photograph showing him and Epstein in the White House in 1993, the former president said he did not remember Epstein from the encounter, which he said was a generic meet-and-greet with donors.
“I first remember meeting him when I got on his airplane to take the first trip with my foundation in, I think 2002, whatever it was,” Clinton said.
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“Through my brief acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein, though it ended years before his crimes came to light, and though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication of what was going on, I’m here to offer what little I know so I can do my part to prevent something like this from happening again,” Bill Clinton said.
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He also criticized the Oversight Committee for subpoenaing and questioning Hillary Clinton, arguing she had nothing to do with Epstein.
“I have to just say one personal thing. Since Hillary came in yesterday, she had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing,” he said.
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No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.”