Today in the United States House of Representatives:
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 789 [pdf]
Censuring Representative Paul Gosar.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 12, 2021
[….]
RESOLUTION
Censuring Representative Paul Gosar.
Whereas, on November 7, 2021, Representative Paul Gosar posted a manipulated video on his social media accounts depicting himself killing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Joseph Biden;
Whereas the video was posted on Representative Gosar’s official Instagram account and used the resources of the House of Representatives to further violence against elected officials;
Whereas Representative Gosar issued a statement on November 9, 2021, defending the video as a ‘‘symbolic cartoon’’ and spreading hateful and false rhetoric about immigrants;
Whereas the leadership of the Republican Party has failed to condemn Representative Gosar’s threats of violence against the President of the United States and a fellow Member of Congress;
Whereas the Speaker of the House made clear that threats of violence against Members of Congress and the President of the United States should not be tolerated and called on the Committee on Ethics of the House and law enforcement to investigate the video;
Whereas depictions of violence can foment actual violence and jeopardize the safety of elected officials, as witnessed in this chamber on January 6, 2021;
Whereas violence against women in politics is a global phenomenon meant to silence women and discourage them from seeking positions of authority and participating in public life, with women of color disproportionately impacted;
Whereas a 2016 survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union found that 82 percent of women parliamentarians have experienced psychological violence and 44 percent received threats of death, sexual violence, beatings, or abduction during their term;
and Whereas the participation of women in politics makes our government more representative and just:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That—
(1) Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona be censured;
(2) Representative Paul Gosar forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Rep6 resentatives for the pronouncement of censure; and
(3) Representative Paul Gosar be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.
Endorsing and supporting Paul Gosar (r):
Vicky Hartzler (r) [2021 file photo].
Billy Long (r) [2021 file photo]
Blaine Luetkemeyer (r)[2021 file photo]
Jason Smith (r) [2021 file photo]
The vote:
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 379
H RES 789 YEA-AND-NAY 17-Nov-2021 4:27 PM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution
BILL TITLE: Censuring Representative Paul Gosar
[….]
—- YEAS 223 —
Bush Cheney
Cleaver Kinzinger
—- NAYS 207 —
Gosar
Graves (MO)
Hartzler
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)
Wagner
—- ANSWERED “PRESENT” 1 —
—- NOT VOTING 3 —
When people show you who the really are – believe them.
Finally, late last night, “Infrastructure Week – Part 1”:
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 369
H R 3684 YEA-AND-NAY 5-Nov-2021 11:24 PM
QUESTION: On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment
BILL TITLE: INVEST in America Act
—- YEAS 228 —
Cleaver
—- NAYS 206 —
Bush
Graves (MO)
Hartzler
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)
Wagner
[….]
[emphasis added]
Anyone thinking that all of the projects should go to Kansas City?
Roy Blunt (r) [2016 file photo].
In the Senate, August 10, 2021:
Roll Call Vote 117th Congress – 1st Session
Vote Summary
Question: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 3684, As Amended)
Vote Number: 314
Vote Date: August 10, 2021, 11:17 AM
Required For Majority: 1/2
Vote Result: Bill Passed
Measure Number: H.R. 3684 (INVEST in America Act)
Measure Title: A bill to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts:
YEAs 69
Blunt (R-MO)
NAYs 30
Hawley (R-MO)
Not Voting 1
[….]
[emphasis added]
Joe Biden (D) [2020 file photo].
From President Joe Biden:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2021
Statement by President Joe Biden on the House Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Tonight, we took a monumental step forward as a nation.
The United States House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a once-in-generation bipartisan infrastructure bill that will create millions of jobs, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, and put us on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st Century.
It will create good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. Jobs that will transform our transportation system with the most significant investments in passenger and freight rail, roads, bridges, ports, airports, and public transit in generations.
This will make it easier for companies to get goods to market more quickly and reduce supply chain bottlenecks now and for decades to come. This will ease inflationary pressures and lower costs for working families.
The bill will create jobs replacing lead water pipes so every family can drink clean water.
It will make high-speed internet affordable and available everywhere in America.
This bill will make historic and significant strides that take on the climate crisis. It will build out the first-ever national network of electric vehicle charging stations across the country. We will get America off the sidelines on manufacturing solar panels, wind farms, batteries, and electric vehicles to grow these supply chains, reward companies for paying good wages and for sourcing their materials from here in the United States, and allow us to export these products and technologies to the world.
It will also make historic investments in environmental clean-up and remediation, and build up our resilience for the next superstorms, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes that cost us billions of dollars in damage each year.
I’m also proud that a rule was voted on that will allow for passage of my Build Back Better Act in the House of Representatives the week of November 15th.
The Build Back Better Act will be a once-in-a-generation investment in our people.
It will lower bills for healthcare, child care, elder care, prescription drugs, and preschool. And middle-class families get a tax cut.
This bill is also fiscally responsible, fully paid for, and doesn’t raise the deficit. It does so by making sure the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share and doesn’t raise taxes a single cent on anyone making less than $400,000 per year.
I look forward to signing both of these bills into law.
Generations from now, people will look back and know this is when America won the economic competition for the 21st Century.
###
And from the White House:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2021
FACT SHEET:
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal
Today, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. For far too long, Washington policymakers have celebrated “infrastructure week” without ever agreeing to build infrastructure. The President promised to work across the aisle to deliver results and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. After the President put forward his plan to do exactly that and then negotiated a deal with Members of Congress from both parties, this historic legislation is moving to his desk for signature.
This Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. The legislation will help ease inflationary pressures and strengthen supply chains by making long overdue improvements for our nation’s ports, airports, rail, and roads. It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come. Combined with the President’s Build Back Framework, it will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.
This historic legislation will:
Deliver clean water to all American families and eliminate the nation’s lead service lines. Currently, up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will invest $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools, and child care centers all across the country. From rural towns to struggling cities, the legislation will invest in water infrastructure and eliminate lead service pipes, including in Tribal Nations and disadvantaged communities that need it most.
Ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet. Broadband internet is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected. Yet, by one definition, more than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds – a particular problem in rural communities throughout the country. And, according to the latest OECD data, among 35 countries studied, the United States has the second highest broadband costs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will deliver $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure deployment. The legislation will also help lower prices for internet service and help close the digital divide, so that more Americans can afford internet access.
Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users. In the United States, 1 in 5 miles of highways and major roads, and 45,000 bridges, are in poor condition. The legislation will reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years and invest $110 billion in additional funding to repair our roads and bridges and support major, transformational projects. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal makes the single largest investment in repairing and reconstructing our nation’s bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system. It will rebuild the most economically significant bridges in the country as well as thousands of smaller bridges. The legislation also includes the first ever Safe Streets and Roads for All program to support projects to reduce traffic fatalities, which claimed more than 20,000 lives in the first half of 2021.
Improve transportation options for millions of Americans and reduce greenhouse emissions through the largest investment in public transit in U.S. history. America’s public transit infrastructure is inadequate – with a multibillion-dollar repair backlog, representing more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations, and thousands of miles of track, signals, and power systems in need of replacement. Communities of color are twice as likely to take public transportation and many of these communities lack sufficient public transit options. The transportation sector in the United States is now the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation includes $39 billion of new investment to modernize transit, in addition to continuing the existing transit programs for five years as part of surface transportation reauthorization. In total, the new investments and reauthorization in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal provide $89.9 billion in guaranteed funding for public transit over the next five years — the largest Federal investment in public transit in history. The legislation will expand public transit options across every state in the country, replace thousands of deficient transit vehicles, including buses, with clean, zero emission vehicles, and improve accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Upgrade our nation’s airports and ports to strengthen our supply chains and prevent disruptions that have caused inflation. This will improve U.S. competitiveness, create more and better jobs at these hubs, and reduce emissions. Decades of neglect and underinvestment in our infrastructure have left the links in our goods movement supply chains struggling to keep up with our strong economic recovery from the pandemic. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will make the fundamental changes that are long overdue for our nation’s ports and airports so this will not happen again. The United States built modern aviation, but our airports lag far behind our competitors. According to some rankings, no U.S. airports rank in the top 25 of airports worldwide. Our ports and waterways need repair and reimagination too. The legislation invests $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways and $25 billion in airports to address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports, and drive electrification and other low-carbon technologies. Modern, resilient, and sustainable port, airport, and freight infrastructure will strengthen our supply chains and support U.S. competitiveness by removing bottlenecks and expediting commerce and reduce the environmental impact on neighboring communities.
Make the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. U.S. passenger rail lags behind the rest of the world in reliability, speed, and coverage. China already has 22,000 miles of high-speed rail, and is planning to double that by 2035. The legislation positions rail to play a central role in our transportation and economic future, investing $66 billion in additional rail funding to eliminate the Amtrak maintenance backlog, modernize the Northeast Corridor, and bring world-class rail service to areas outside the northeast and mid-Atlantic. This is the largest investment in passenger rail since Amtrak’s creation, 50 years ago and will create safe, efficient, and climate-friendly alternatives for moving people and freight.
Build a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. U.S. market share of plug-in EV sales is only one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. That needs to change. The legislation will invest $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers in the United States. This is a critical step in the President’s strategy to fight the climate crisis and it will create good U.S. manufacturing jobs. The legislation will provide funding for deployment of EV chargers along highway corridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop. This investment will support the President’s goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce emissions, improve air quality, and create good-paying jobs across the country.
Upgrade our power infrastructure to deliver clean, reliable energy across the country and deploy cutting-edge energy technology to achieve a zero-emissions future. According to the Department of Energy, power outages cost the U.S. economy up to $70 billion annually. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal’s more than $65 billion investment includes the largest investment in clean energy transmission and grid in American history. It will upgrade our power infrastructure, by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewables and clean energy, while lowering costs. And it will fund new programs to support the development, demonstration, and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies to accelerate our transition to a zero-emission economy.
Make our infrastructure resilient against the impacts of climate change, cyber-attacks, and extreme weather events. Millions of Americans feel the effects of climate change each year when their roads wash out, power goes down, or schools get flooded. Last year alone, the United States faced 22 extreme weather and climate-related disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each – a cumulative price tag of nearly $100 billion. People of color are more likely to live in areas most vulnerable to flooding and other climate change-related weather events. The legislation makes our communities safer and our infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change and cyber-attacks, with an investment of over $50 billion to protect against droughts, heat, floods and wildfires, in addition to a major investment in weatherization. The legislation is the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history.
Deliver the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in American history by cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mines, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells. In thousands of rural and urban communities around the country, hundreds of thousands of former industrial and energy sites are now idle – sources of blight and pollution. Proximity to a Superfund site can lead to elevated levels of lead in children’s blood. The bill will invest $21 billion clean up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaim abandoned mine land and cap orphaned oil and gas wells. These projects will remediate environmental harms, address the legacy pollution that harms the public health of communities, create good-paying union jobs, and advance long overdue environmental justice This investment will benefit communities of color as, it has been found that 26% of Black Americans and 29% of Hispanic Americans live within 3 miles of a Superfund site, a higher percentage than for Americans overall.
###
[emphasis in original]
Anyone think they’ll name a bridge after Josh Hawley (r)?
We Will Object
Co-authored By: Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06), and Rep. Billy Long (MO-07)
Washington, December 31, 2020
Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, the action will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votes submitted by each state from this past November’s election – counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials – does anyone object to the certification of electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us.
We don’t take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abiding Missourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballot in that state – the value of every Missourians’ vote is diminished. That’s not right. And we cannot simply look the other way.
The right to freely cast your vote in elections is a sacred privilege afforded to us as Americans because of the sacrifices of the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of ‘free and fair’ elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote – to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibility of upholding the Constitution seriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th.
The reported results of this past November’s Presidential election don’t even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projected to lose control of the United States Senate – we didn’t, and we won’t. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It’s hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn’t add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama – 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama – 873 counties, Joe Biden – 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves.
We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi’s House. Our only hope is that more will join us – that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.
Spare us.
Representative Billy Long (r) [2016 file photo].
Number of court cases? What where the outcomes? Federal cases? How many Trump appointees among the judges and justices?
Counties don’t vote. People do. Morons.
The population of Los Angeles County, California? The population of McPherson County, Nebraska? Should we list more small population counties, or do you get the point?
“…The reported results of this past November’s Presidential election don’t even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projected to lose control of the United States Senate – we didn’t, and we won’t. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It’s hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn’t add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama – 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama – 873 counties, Joe Biden – 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves…”
In 2016: Hillary Clinton, 65,853,514 votes. Donald Trump, 62,984,828 votes.
Eye test?
What this speaks of: Stupid people came up with this. Stupid people wrote this. Stupid people signed on to this. Stupid people believe it.
Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…
Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…
This evening, an order at the United States Supreme Court in the election case Texas filed against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The court denied the complaint for a lack of standing and “All other pending motions are dismissed as moot”:
7-2. Alito and Thomas. Go figure.
So much for pandering right wingnut “constitutional scholars”.
Today, at the United States Supreme Court in the election case Texas has filed against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – right wingnut members of Congress (bless the State of Missouri) filed an Amicus brief:
[….]
Amicus U.S. Representative Sam Graves represents the Sixth
Congressional District of Missouri in the United States
House of Representatives.
Amicus U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler represents the
Fourth Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.
Amicus U.S. Representative Blaine Leutkemeyer represents
the Third Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.
Amicus U.S. Representative Jason Smith represents the
Eighth Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.
Amicus U.S. Representative Ann Wagner represents the
Second Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.
[….]
….Pursuant to subparagraph 2(b) of Rule 37, amici U.S. Representative Mike Johnson, et al., hereby move the Court for leave to file a brief amicus curiae in support of Plaintiff Texas’ Motion for Leave to File a Bill of Complaint and Motion for Preliminary Injunction….
….On the merits, this amicus brief defends the constitutional authority of state legislatures as the only bodies duly authorized to establish the manner by which presidential electors are appointed, one of the central issues in the pending litigation. As members of the federal legislature, these amici seek to protect the constitutional role of state legislatures in determining the manner by which states choose their electors….
Uh, no. Texas wants to impose the will of its Attorney General (r-pardon me) on other states and their legislatures.
….These amici appear as 106 Members of Congress and respectfully request that this Court uphold the plenary authority of the state legislatures to establish the manner by which electors are appointed, and determine the constitutional validity of any ballots cast under rules and procedures established by actors or public bodies other than state legislatures….
….National polls indicate a large percentage of Americans now have serious doubts about not just the outcome of the presidential contest, but also the future reliability of our election system itself….
That’s some serious Chutzpah. Who was it who “cast doubt”? We’ll wait.
….Fortunately, the Framers of our Constitution provided for this moment. It is now the duty of this Honorable Court to objectively review the facts presented by the Plaintiff in this historic case, render judgment upon the unconstitutional actions in the Defendant states, and restore the confidence of all Americans that the rule of law will be upheld today and our elections in the future will be secured….
They’re that stupid. And they believe everyone else is.
Billy Long @auctnr1
Buddy of mine went to the Hospital in Springfield with #COVID Stayed 48 hours and just got home. Sent me a picture of himself on oxygen at home with this tag line… “Sent me home. Not dead enough to vote democrat.” 8:58 AM · Dec 1, 2020
That was so hilarious.
Some of the responses:
You’re an absolute embarrassment.
Mr. Long you represent me and my family in the United States House of Representatives, this is an office of high honor, your joke is not funny.
Our friend just lost her dad to Covid last week in a Springfield hospital. How can you represent our area that is seeing such an increase in deaths and make jokes about it? Absolutely disgusting!
One of my neighbors got sick in March with COVId and still cannot work full time.
I bet you think that’s hilarious.
Evidently he does.
It is more distasteful to tweet about death or conspiracy theories? Asking for a friend who cares about moral character and ethical behavior.
3,981 Missourians have died from COVID, but you’ve got jokes.
The voice of the GOP.
I truly sincerely from the bottom of my heart hope that you have a bad day
This is fucking disgusting.
No one is surprised by the company you keep.
This is disgusting. You have no honor.
You think this is somehow funny?
Amazing joke. Now do one about someone suffering from cancer.
hey there Billy, I’m a nurse in your congressional district who is EXHAUSTED, thanks so much for your support and all your hard work on my behalf, I’m gonna go make a donation to planned parenthood in your name as a token of my appreciation
Hahaha yes it’s funny because people are dying and you aren’t doing anything about it. Go kick rocks.
people are dying. you are a horrible person
good god man, wtf is wrong with you
I’m sure all the Missourians who died from COVID-19, Republican or Democrat, will think this is hilarious. You’re the reason we can’t get a damn thing done here because you take nothing seriously.[….]
Why are you all so proud of your stupidity and cruelty?
Why aren’t you visiting him at home? You’re not afraid are you?
Unbelievable slap in the face to the 100s of people that have died in your district from C19 while simultaneously belittling the efforts of health workers exhausting themselves to care for the perpetually increasing # of patients about to overwhelm our medical centers. Disgusting
I am deeply embarrassed you are my congressional representative. You are an embarrassment to us all. 159 people are at Cox South today. Why don’t you come home and see for yourself?
Jackass. 4000 dead in MO, Springfield hospitals full and this is the best you can do? How many of your constituents are mourning the loss of loved ones? Do you care at all?
You are hilarious!!! You are also a piece of shit!!!
You sick bad?ard, you actually think that’s funny? While people die everyday? I hope you rot in hell.
Aren’t you tired of always being the stupidest person in the room?
You are such a profoundly, deeply stupid human being, but what makes you notable is your lack of empathy.
Imagine posting something like this in the midst of a pandemic that has killed 267,000 Americans. You must be a pathetic shell of a man.
Wow, that you can make this joke and laugh shows your total lack of concern for your constituents who have died or are still suffering from this disease. You are a disgrace
Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…
Today in the United State House of Representatives:
H.J.Res.46 – Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.
House – 02/25/2019 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 144 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 46 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 93
H RES 144 YEA-AND-NAY 26-Feb-2019 3:30 PM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution
BILL TITLE: Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 46) relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019
—- YEAS 229 —
Clay
Cleaver
—- NAYS 193 —
Hartzler
Graves (MO)
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)
—- NOT VOTING 9 —
Wagner
The text of the resolution:
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 46
Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, pursuant to section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622), the national emergency declared by the finding of the President on February 15, 2019, in Proclamation 9844 (84 Fed. Reg. 4949) is hereby terminated.
The final vote in the House:
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 94
H J RES 46 YEA-AND-NAY 26-Feb-2019 6:32 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019
—- YEAS 245 —
Clay
Cleaver
—- NAYS 182 —
Hartzler
Graves (MO)
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)
—- NOT VOTING 5 —
Wagner
Thirteen republicans don’t agree with Donald Trump (r).
So much for the past concerns of Missouri republicans about executive overreach and the separation of powers.
When GOP Rep. Billy Long (R-7) first ran for Congress there were whispers that, in today’s parlance, he was more than familiar with the swamp that his idol, Donald Trump – evidently facetiously – promised to drain. With the arrest of New York GOP Rep. Chris Collins for insider trading, the swamp gas miasma around Long has thickened. Collins has been stripped of his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The question is why isn’t Rep. Long under similar investigation – or maybe he is and we just don’t know about it?
As The Daily Beast reported last year, Collins authored four bills that would likely have benefited the company. Two of them, separate versions of the same bill introduced in the 114th and 115th Congresses, had just one cosponsor: Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which has oversight over the Food and Drug Administration. While no one has accused him of any legal wrongdoing, Long also held stock in Innate. Long signed on to both pieces of legislation the day they were introduced. The first was filed in December 2016, and didn’t make it out of subcommittee before the session ended.
Then in January, Long bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in Innate stock, apparently as part of a Fidelity retirement account. In July, Collins once again introduced his bill, which would have expedited FDA approvals for treatments such as Innate’s, and Long was once again an immediate co-sponsor.
Long’s staff is of course denying that Long had any insider info from his colleague Collins with whom he coordinated to pass legislation that would enhance both their financial bottom lines – instead, his spokesperson claims, he just happened to decide to buy the Innate stock ” ‘when it became a daily topic on the nightly news in January of 2017,’ a timeline that suggests that Long, not a financial brokerage, made the decision to purchase Innate stock.” However, the circumstantial evidence amassed by Talking Points Memo (TPM) that Long and other GOP colleagues may have received insider information from Collins is somewhat compelling. As TPM notes:
[…] they all say they were just following the market and doing their own research. It had nothing to do with Chris Collins. Well, lots of reporting says Collins was pitching colleagues on it hard. And it seems like quite a coincidence that 5 members of Congress, all Republicans bought in. This seems to bear a lot more scrutiny.
Certainly, we know that Rep. Long is inclined to go easy when it comes to forestalling corrupt behavior, as would befit a guy with a reputation for being on the make. Remember Long’s 2017 vote to gut the Cardin-Lugar anti-corruption rule, “a major bipartisan law that helps safeguard trillions of dollars of payments to the US and governments around the world.”
However, given that most GOPers in the House voted the same way, – the party of corrupton perhaps? – I’m not holding my breath and would recommend that you also refrain to do so if you expect to see Long perp-walked out of Congress. The law got Collins fair and square, looks like Long may weasel out – and his fellow GOPers will probably be just fine with that -particularly those who may be equally guilty of conspiring with Collins to line their personal pockets.
Billy Long @auctnr1
If he one day runs for President of the Korean Peninsula perhaps you can give him some pointers on running a successful Presidential campaign? @realDonaldTrump #MAGA
Marco Rubio @marcorubio
One more thing about KJU. While I know @potus is trying to butter him up to get a good deal, #KJU is NOT a talented guy. He inherited the family business from his dad & grandfather. He is a total weirdo who would not be elected assistant dog catcher in any democracy.
Which part of North #Korea’s style of governance do you like best, Billy? Extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape or forced abortions? You disgrace the body in which you serve.
It’s kind of weird to mock the failures of someone in your profession who has had far more success than you have. Rubio had an unsuccessful Presidential run, but no one outside your district has ever even heard of you.
ex-US Ambassador to North Korea Chris Hill on summit outcome: “Forgettable. joint statement weaker than any previous one since 1992. There is no way forward, no roadmap, no diplomatic strategy.”
Billy is defending NK DICTATOR while trashing US allies. He’s 100% Team Treason.
Kim is a dictator, dude. Rubio is right to criticize him.
Billy Long with the worst twitter take of the day
There’s a #SpecialPlaceInHell for anyone who makes me consider defending @marcorubio.
“TRUMP got taken to the cleaners bc he’s ignorant & monumentally unprepared. What did Kim Jong Un give up w/ regard to training his million man army? 12K North Korean artillery pieces are locked loaded & trained on Seoul. He learned Trump is a stupendous fool” – @SteveSchmidtSES
Billy can you just put the flag of the DPK and Russia in your Twitter profile so we’re all more clear on your starting point?
Rubio is a weasel, yes, but he’s not lying.
Are you declaring your support for Kim Jong Un? That’s what it sounds like to the world…yikes.
Glad to know you’re looking out for your constituents and not a dictator from a hostile foreign power. Cant wait to vote.
I’m no @marcorubio fan but Congressman, that was uncalled for.
The unbelievable moment when their “Dear Leader” becomes our “Dear Leader.”
Please look up what successful means. Also, please look up what Dictator means.
Do you thing he will ever “run” a campaign and you are okay with the human rights violations he is committing? It is a shame the way we have giving all our cards without having any kind of guarantee from him. I trust his word about as much as I trust our President’s.
So you’re sticking up for a dictator and criminal? Glad to see you’re representing Missouri well.
WTF
Are you seriously defending Kim Jong Un?
Do elaborate, Billy. What model of governing will be adopted? Putting political enemies in prison? Starving the citizenry? Oh, killing family? Or kidnapping folks from other countries? Fencing people in & shooting them if they try to leave? Torture?
Defending a dictator?
I guess it’s only a short leap to go from defending one dictator to another.
You’re DEFENDING Kim Jong Un, now?! #traitor #fucktrump
What the hell is wrong with Republicans? Congressman, you’re defending a dictator.
You’re suggesting Kim Jong Un could be a politician in a unified, democratic Korea, rather than spending life in prison for crimes against humanity? Nice.
You know dictators don’t run for election right ? Maybe you shouldn’t diss your fellow congress person over a brutal dictator me thinks.
You really defended Kim Jong Un? This is seriously happening? This is why we’ll see the end of the GOP in my lifetime. This is why no one trusts the government anymore. #endtheGOP #votehimout
So you think a guy who fed his uncle to dogs, starve his people, and commits numerous other atrocities is talented good guy who needs defending? Folks this is your gop and what they stand for
Wow defending KJU? This is what you call being a “conservative” now? Pass.
Are you defending…. (checks notes) …. brutal dictator Kim Jong Un?!??? So now GOP is cool with Putin, Duterte and KJU but not Trudeau or Merkel? Got it. We see you.
WTF. Kim Jong Un executed his uncle. What is wrong with you?
Cast your lot with a murderous autocrat over a GOP Senator. “America first”, right? Or is it actually “Trump first”?
So now you’re defending KJU? This is really how low the GOP has sunk? You’re a sad, sad man.
So you’re supporting Kim Jong Un? REALLY?
WTF is wrong with you? You defend Kim Jong Un? Unfriggin believable. This Republican Party have lost their minds.
Yeah, get him Billy!
Don’t let him get away with criticizing a dictator!!
Republicans butthurt about a communist dictator being insulted. Never thought I’d see the day.
You guys really try to out stupid each other, right? It’s a competition.
It’s been a couple of weeks since President Racist Moron sent us spiraling down toward a government shutdown by expressing his goal of importing prosperous, wealthy white Norwegians – who have little reason to come to the U.S. – instead of brown folks from S**thole countries – who actually need the haven that the United States has traditionally offered the oppressed, poverty stricken folks who flocked to these shores and helped build a strong, wealthy country where the middle class grew and prospered as never before. During this time, I’ve been monitoring the newspapers and congressional press releases to find out how our representatives in Congress have responded to Trump’s racist babblings – and I’ve found out just about nothing to let me know how our GOP profiles in political cowardice stand on the issue. However, today, Salon has posted an article that tells us what each member of Congress has had to say about this destructive and ugly piece of “telling it like it is,” as some of the more racist “deplorable” Trump supporters would have it:
Although GOP Senator Roy Blunt, as befits a junior member of the Senate Leadership, did make a statement, you might be struck, as I was, that it focused on the pragmatic aspects of Trumps words – addressing his competence in securing GOP goals, rather than his bankrupt moral world view:
Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, suggested the president’s inability to refrain from incendiary statements was detracting from his agenda.
“It’s an unacceptable view of the world, and it’s an unacceptable thing to say,” Mr. Blunt told KMBZ, a radio station in the Kansas City area. “You would expect the president to lead in determining how you filter your thoughts, rather than to continue to say things that take a lot away from what’s actually getting done.”
Compare the measured words of Blunt – who carefully avoided any overt reference to Trump’s racism, to the unequivocal tweet Democratic Claire McCaskill issued,:
It is unacceptable, repugnant, and morally bankrupt for a President of this great nation to call the countries of Africa “shitholes”. #sicktomystomach 9:32 AM – 12 Jan 2018
I understand the need for political pragmatism, going along with a bad deal to avoid a worse deal – and I appreciate Blunt’s willingness to sorta, maybe imply that Trump isn’t really a great “dealmaker,” but for many of us racism, arguably the original sin that lies at the heart of American democracy, is the line that may not be crossed. Which means that I also understand the reticence of our Missouri House members to speak out – Republicans in general, not just in Missouri, have been calling out to more or less covert racism via code words and dogwhistles for years.What can these already compromised politicians do or say to credibly face down the beast they have enabled and continue to enable in order to benefit their wealthy patrons.
Of course that last sentence doesn’t even address the possibility that many of our elected Missouri representative may actually endorse Trump’s nasty racial sentiments.
