#Joint session of Congress

[deadpresidents]

With his speech today, Benjamin Netanyahu has now addressed a Joint Session of the United States Congress as many times as President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Does anybody want to guess which party had majority control of the House of Representatives all four times that Netanyahu was invited to address Congress?

If the Republican Party wasn't so brainwashed by the Trump cult of personality they'd probably try to nominate Netanyahu for President.

[eretzyisrael]

by Seth Mandel

Those who boycotted missed a history lesson—Bibi chuckled at the thought that there were still educated folks who don’t know that the people of Israel are native to the land of Israel. And the members of Congress smiled back. That was the general tenor of the address and its reception; without the boycotters and their obnoxious “disrupters,” no one in the room felt pressured to pretend they were angrier or dumber than they were. It had the feel of a large family dinner from which a few teenagers rudely stomped off but everyone was happier with them gone anyway.

There was no news in the speech. There was gratitude for America and reasons given for that gratitude to be mutual—for example, the fact that Netanyahu said the Israeli soldiers in the gallery were the West’s boots on the ground in a common fight, obviating any need for Americans to send their own soldiers after the terrorists who stole their sons and daughters from them.

Nor was there anybody in the chamber who seemed particularly bothered by the talk of victory.

That seemed to be another lesson: The anger of the progressive left is contagious. Its rage plays satisfyingly to the inner totalitarian and the lazy academic alike. It is lowest-common-denominator politics. Take away the members of Congress whose every move and every word is geared toward their social-media “brand,” and you’re left with a recognizably normal and decent bunch of folks.

Amid all this, there was something genuinely pathetic about Tlaib and her very sad sign. Everyone was where they wanted to be today except her. The pro-Western lawmakers were in the chamber to receive the ecstatically pro-American prime minister of a crucial ally. The Squadniks and those who fear them were in their own comfort zone—far from the American flags and the “citadel of democracy,” as Bibi put it. The protesters were in their usual spot, soaking in the mists of misplaced rage. Only poor Rashida Tlaib sat there in abject misery listening to people say nice things about America.

No one who boycotted the speech had a good reason for doing so, but I suppose they would have looked even sillier booing hostages and pouting at moral clarity. And anyway, Rashida Tlaib can tell them what they missed.

[misterjt]

-Liza Donnelly

What a different world we live in from two years ago. I like it. Picasso.

[bostonwalks]

Full speech of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Joint Session of the United States Congress yesterday, July 24, 2024

[filosofablogger]

If I Were The Prez ...

I was thinking last night … trying to put myself in President Biden’s shoes … and the thought came to me on wave after brainwave … if I were President Biden, I would contact Speaker McCarthy, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer and ask them to call a joint session of Congress on Friday afternoon, and to make sure that Chief Justice John Roberts and a full press was in attendance. And here is what…

[thejewishlink]

Israeli president to address joint session of Congress

Israeli president to address joint session of Congress

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer extend the invitation to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Israel’s founding. (October 26, 2022 / JNS) House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to address a joint session of Congress as the Jewish state prepares to celebrate 75 years since its founding. “It…

[mihrsuri]

@theladyelizabeth check here but I feel like modern AU Robert Dudley is drinking some variation on an iced matcha tea latte for his Starbucks order and Elizabeth is Whipped Cream On Everything?

[ispeaktheyburn]

Not to be all “why is no one talking about this” but there should be more outrage over the Israel/Palestine situation on here

[magentagalaxies]

related to my tags on that last post: even tho i have had alcohol each time i'm in canada with my kids in the hall friends i still have never smoked pot even tho i've had many opportunities to. see rn i'm caught between "holy shit i could also make it so the first time i smoke pot is with scott/paul" vs "both times i got secondhand high in high school i got super paranoid and i do not want to risk that happening while i'm with these people who i still very much look up to even tho they're basically my uncles." tho also tbh i've been around people smoking weed indoors often enough in toronto that i've probably gotten secondhand high since then (especially at the buddy cole afterparty lmao) and that felt fine so idk i might try it at some point. idk if i'll have my first with a member of kids in the hall but if i end up liking it i WILL smoke with them someday. in any case i still appreciate that paul and scott always offer a joint to me even if i refuse it and are totally understanding when i do. it's a small thing but it makes me feel included

[justinspoliticalcorner]

A.B. Stoddard at The Bulwark:

1. Trump’s Not Taking the L. . .

The last two weeks—the unveiling of the Harris-Walz ticket, and Kamala Harris’s surge in the polls—feels like some surreal dream state. Everything has changed. Have you noticed Harris has pushed Donald Trump right out of the comfy lead he’s held for an entire year? He’s noticed. From FiveThirtyEight to RealClearPolitics—pick your polling average—they all now show Harris out in front after only two and a half weeks.

Trump is no longer on track to win the election—which he has been for more than six straight months. Instead, the momentum, money, voter registration, volunteering, grassroots organizing, polling, and online engagement all favor the Democrats and it looks now like Trump could easily lose. But that won’t happen, because Trump doesn’t lose. He beat Joe Biden in 2020—remember? So if he’s not the rightful victor on November 5, an entire army of Republicans is ready to block certification of the election at the local level. No need to worry about mayhem on January 6, 2025 when Congress meets in joint session; the election deniers plan to stop a result right away if it looks like Harris is winning. Their goal: Refuse to certify anywhere—even a county that Trump won—and prevent certification in that state, which prevents certification of the presidential election. A Harris victory could become a nightmare.

An investigation by Rolling Stone identified “in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania . . . at least 70 pro-Trump election conspiracists currently working as county election officials who have questioned the validity of elections or delayed or refused to certify results.” Of those 70, 22 of them already have “refused or delayed certification” in recent past elections. Nationwide, Republicans have refused to certify results at least 25 times since 2020, in eight states—the most in Georgia.

The article describes social media posts from the zealots who have infiltrated election administration as showing “unapologetic belief in Trump’s election lies, support for political violence, themes of Christian nationalism, and controversial race-based views.” There are more than enough such individuals in these key posts to bring us to a constitutional crisis. “I think we are going to see mass refusals to certify the election” in November, Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias told Rolling Stone. “Everything we are seeing about this election is that the other side is more organized, more ruthless, and more prepared.” Sit with that.

Then there is this. Trump’s self-destructive attacks on Georgia’s popular governor made the headlines from his Atlanta rally last Saturday, but he also singled out for praise three little-known Georgians—Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares, and Janelle King—calling them “pitbulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.” Who are Johnston, Jeffares, and King? They are three of the five members of Georgia’s State Election Board. Three days after Trump’s speech, this past Tuesday, those three Republicans approved a new rule requiring a “reasonable inquiry” prior to election certification that—while vague and undefined—could be exploited to delay certification and threaten the statewide election certification deadline of November 22.

The law in Georgia, where Trump and fourteen1 others are charged with plotting to overturn the 2020 election result, requires county election boards to certify results “not later than 5:00 P.M. on the Monday following the date on which such election was held”—so this year, by the evening of November 11. The secretary of state is then to certify the statewide results “not later than 5:00 P.M. on the seventeenth day” after the election, so November 22.

Across the country, the November election results will have to be certified in more than 3,000 counties, and all state results must be final by the time electors meet in each state on December 17. Members of county election boards are not tasked with resolving election issues; certification is mandatory and “ministerial,” not discretionary. Disputes over ballot issues are separate from the certification process—investigated and adjudicated by district attorneys, state election boards, and in court. Election experts say the new rule could disrupt the entire process across the state by allowing local partisans to reject results. And Georgia appears to be at the center of Trump’s plans. Casting doubt on Fulton County, which makes up the bulk of Democratic votes in the state, will help him claim he won the Peach State as the rest of the results come in red.

But even without an explicitly permitted “inquiry” like the new Georgia rule provides, Republicans in other swing states still plan on acting at the county level to slow or stop certification. Because questioning the outcome at the very start of the process will create delay. Any doubt and confusion, and perhaps even violence, makes it easier to miss essential deadlines and can threaten the chance that the rightful winner prevails. Election deniers also hope that sowing chaos might prompt GOP legislatures to intervene—in Georgia, Arizona, or Wisconsin for example—a dangerous scenario I wrote about in April.

[...] It’s crucial that these plans are widely publicized. And they can be. Just like Project 2025, which was virtually unheard of and is now in the forefront of the political debate. Putting a media spotlight on this issue will force Republican officials to address what they are well aware of and are refusing to call out. Yesterday CBS News reported Biden said in his first interview since leaving the presidential race he is “not confident at all” there will be a peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses. Harris isn’t likely to talk about this in her campaign, so it’s critical that other high-profile surrogates do. President Obama, President Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and others must educate voters about the plot underway to force more public pressure and accountability on the process. Every Republican must be asked about local certification of elections, electors honoring the popular vote of their state, preventing political violence—all of it. Repeatedly. As Elias told an interviewer, there are things we can do, as citizens willing to invest some time, to take action. This isn’t a threat from abroad. This year—and likely for years to come—we will all have to continue to fight against what our fellow Americans are doing to subvert elections. Because without free elections—and facts and truth—we cannot be a free country.

A.B. Stoddard wrote in The Bulwark that Republicans will seek to cause chaos post-election to try to block certification of a potential Kamala Harris win.

[zvaigzdelasas]

[TimesOfIsrael is Israeli Private Media]

The Knesset early Thursday voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The resolution was co-sponsored by parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition together with right-wing parties from the opposition and even received support from Benny Gantz’s centrist National Unity party.

Lawmakers from Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s center-left Yesh Atid party left the plenum to avoid backing the measure, even though he has spoken in favor of a two-state solution. The only ones to oppose the resolution were lawmakers from the Labor, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al parties.

The initiative was passed just days before Netanyahu’s visit to the US to address a joint session of Congress and meet with President Joe Biden at the White House.[...]

Already in February, the Knesset passed a resolution sponsored by Netanyahu rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, but that motion specifically addressed the unilateral establishment of such a state amid reports that countries abroad were considering recognizing a Palestinian state absent a peace agreement with Israel.

This resolution — passed 68-9 — altogether rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state, even as part of a negotiated settlement with Israel.[...]

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said in response to the vote that there is “no peace or security for anyone without the establishment of a Palestinian state” with East Jerusalem as its capital, noting that numerous UN member countries have already recognized it.[...]

He further accused the Israeli government of “pushing the entire region into the abyss” with Washington’s support and labeled Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza as “terrorism” for the civilian deaths it has caused.

Another senior PA official, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a top aide to Abbas, wrote on X that the Knesset’s decision confirms Israel’s “racism,” “disregard for international law,” and “policy of perpetuating the occupation forever.”

Al-Sheikh urged countries that are hesitant to recognize a Palestinian state to do so “immediately” in order to protect the two-state solution and called on Arab states to “respond appropriately” to the resolution passed in the Knesset.

18 Jul 24

[deadpresidents]

Don't you think that the Republicans are going to try to steal the election when congress confirms the votes even if Kamala wins

That's why it's so important for everybody to vote in every race. Because guess what? If the Democrats win control of the House of Representatives, the new Congress takes their seats on January 3, 2025. When Congress counts the Electoral College votes on January 6, 2025, the Speaker of the House will be Hakeem Jeffries, not Mike Johnson.

And while Mike Pence did the right thing on January 6, 2021, the country also won't have to worry about the person presiding over the Senate during the next joint session to count the Electoral College votes. Win or lose, that person will be the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Vote.

[badjokesbyjeff]

President Biden has called for full legalization of marijuana

Now it is up to Congress to hold a joint session.

[palestinegenocide]

Netanyahu’s speech to Congress will seek to maintain support for genocide

Benjamin Netanyahu will use his upcoming speech to a joint session of Congress to consolidate political support for the genocide in Gaza from both Republicans and Democrats. The leadership of both parties appear happy to oblige.

[link]

[bostonwalks]

Powerful lines from Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before the United States Joint Session of Congress July 24, 2024 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/benjamin-netanyahu/article-811973

[todaysdocument]

Joint Resolution of June 14, 1954, Public Law 83-396, 68 STAT 249, to Amend the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America

Record Group 11: General Records of the United States GovernmentSeries: Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress

THE WHITE HOUSE [STAMPED ON LEFT MARGIN]

[THE REST OF THE STAMP IS CUT OFF]

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [STAMPED ON RIGHT MARGIN]

RECEIVED [STAMPED ON RIGHT MARGIN]

JUN 14 1954 [STAMPED ON RIGHT MARGIN]

NARS [STAMPED ON RIGHT MARGIN]

FEDERAL REGISTER DIVISON [STAMPED ON RIGHT MARGIN]

PUBLIC LAW [STAMPED] 396 [HANDWRITTEN]

CHAPTER [STAMPED] 297 [HANDWRITTEN]

H. J. Res. 243

Eighty-third Congress of the United States of America [centered]

AT THE SECOND SESSION [CENTERED]

Begun and held at the CIty of Washington on Wednesday, the sixth day of January, [centered]

one thousand nine hundred and fifty-four [centered]

Joint Resolution [centered]

To amend the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United

States of America in Congress assembled, That section 7 of the joint

resolution entitled "Joint resolution to codify and emphasize existing

rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the

United States of America", approved June 22, 1942, as amended (36

U.S.C. sec. 172), is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 7. The following is designated as the pledge of allegiance to

the flag: 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of

America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under

God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all'. Such pledge should

be rendered by standing with the right hand over the heart. However,

civilians will always show repsect to the flag when the pledge

is given by merely standing at attention, men removing the headdress.

Persons in uniform shall render the military salute."

Joseph W. Martin Jr. [signature]

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Styles Bridges [signature]

President of the Senate. [typeset] pro Tempore [handwritten]

APPROVED [STAMPED]

JUN 14 1954 [STAMPED]

Dwight D. Eisenhower [signature]