#rep. Josh Gottheimer

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Momentum grows behind Democratic boycott of Netanyahu speech | The Hill

A growing chorus of House Democrats say they’re planning to steer clear of next month’s speech by Benjamin Netanyahu before a joint meeting of Congress, arguing that the Israeli prime minister’s handling of the Hamas war — and his repeated snubbing of President Biden’s preferred approach to the conflict — demand a show of protest from liberals on Capitol Hill.

Some Democrats had foreshadowed the boycott earlier in the year amid speculation that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was poised to invite Netanyahu to the Capitol to push back against Democratic criticisms of the conservative Israeli leader. With the invitation now official, and the speech set for July 24, more and more progressive Democrats are emerging with a formal declaration of their own: We won’t be there.

“I won’t attend and turn my back towards him,” Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) said. “So I’m just gonna stay away.”

The bad blood between Netanyahu and liberals on Capitol Hill is hardly new. Progressive Democrats have long denounced Netanyahu’s conservative policies, including his sharp criticisms of the Iran nuclear deal under former President Obama, which led to a boycott of the prime minister’s last speech to Congress almost a decade ago. Those old hostilities are still lingering, even as Democrats have found new reason to revile Netanyahu over his military campaign in Gaza.

“He imported a little bit of controversy the last time he was here,” Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) said. “I thought it was disrespectful to the president, so I’m inclined not to attend.”

A boycott may not be the only way lawmakers showcase their opposition to Netanyahu when he visits Washington next month. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus who has served in the House since 1995, said conversations are underway about the best method for protesting the controversial speech.

“There’s still some debate about the best way to respond to his coming,” Doggett told The Hill.

“I’m not planning on attending, and/or I’ll be participating in whatever events there are to express that we want this war to end and we want both him and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire,” said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a first-term member.

The boycotting liberals will cut a sharp contrast with other Democrats who are vowing to attend the speech to demonstrate a degree of solidarity with a democratic ally in a time of war.

“They’re our strongest ally in the Middle East. He’s obviously the leader that they’ve chosen. And I respect the country very much, and I will be there,” Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) said.

Top House Democrats are already bracing for the internal divisions that will accompany the Israeli leader’s visit to the Capitol. Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said “it is their right and an ability” if members want to skip the event, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who will attend, said each lawmaker will have to make their own determination ahead of the speech.

“All of us recognize that every individual member has to make that decision to participate on their own based on what they believe is consistent with the district that they represent,” Jeffries said last week.

There is some precedent for the current situation. Netanyahu faced a sizable boycott during his last address to Congress in 2015, when he used his time in the House chamber to vilify Obama and the administration’s Iran nuclear deal, marking an unprecedented attack by a foreign leader on U.S. soil. Fueling the controversy, then-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) coordinated Netanyahu’s speech without consulting the White House.

At least 58 lawmakers skipped that speech, according to CNN, some of whom are planning to avoid the event again, including Doggett and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), a Jewish Democrat.

“The role that the prime minister is playing is very negative, and I don’t want to be there,” Schakowsky told The Hill.

“He needs to be staying in Israel and working for the peace that he has been unwilling to support in the past,” Doggett echoed. “Despite the Hamas atrocities and all the wrong that exists there, the indiscriminate bombing that he has encouraged that has led to loss of lives that should never have happened. He has not prioritized the hostages; he ought to be doing that instead of coming here.”

The Israeli military announced Saturday that it rescued four hostages during an operation in central Gaza, in a win for the embattled prime minister. That raid, however, also led to the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, increasing the pressure on Netanyahu.

Another notable absence in 2015 was then-Vice President Joe Biden who, instead of sitting at the dais behind Netanyahu, was traveling abroad.

This year, some Democrats are predicting an even larger show of opposition.

“I’ve spoken to several members in the House and the Senate, actually, who had gone to the last speech, the last time he was here, even though they had a lot of misgivings about it, and have been clear that they’re not planning to go this time,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who noted that she will not attend the address.

One exception to that trend is Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.), a Jewish Democrat who skipped the 2015 speech but plans to attend this year.

“It was more controversial [then] because Obama wasn’t included. It was kind of a breach in protocol,” Cohen said. “But I think I’ll go, because, you know, it’s a war. It’s a different situation.”

Netanyahu’s address marks the latest flash point in the long-simmering tensions within the Democratic caucus over Israel, with staunchly pro-Israel Democrats finding themselves at odds time and time again with pro-Palestinian progressives outraged at the large and growing number of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

That friction was on full display Thursday evening, when Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) officially announced that Netanyahu’s address would take place July 24 — a statement that notably omitted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jeffries. Last week, all four congressional leaders signed the letter inviting Netanyahu to the Capitol.

In a statement shortly after the announcement, Schumer — who drew headlines in March after calling for new elections in Israel and declaring that Netanyahu had “lost his way” — alluded to the bitter tensions that are accompanying the Israeli leader’s visit to the Capitol.

“I have clear and profound disagreements with the Prime Minister, which I have voiced both privately and publicly and will continue to do so,” Schumer said. “But because America’s relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends one person or prime minister I joined the request for him to speak.”

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who led House Democrats for nearly two decades, said she would not have invited Netanyahu to address Congress were she still steering the caucus, telling CNN, “Absolutely no. I think this is wrong.”

She also took a jab at Schumer’s handling of the situation, but made sure to emphasize that the Senate leader — who is the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history — is a close friend of Israel.

“I respect his view. I don’t necessarily share it,” Pelosi said of Schumer.

In contrast, some of Israel’s most stalwart supporters in Congress are making the case for why the speech — which they plan to attend — is important for the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv.

“I will and I would say to my colleagues, this is about the United States and Israel, not about any individual leaders, and a key relationship as you know, a key ally for us in the fight against terror, including Iran and other Iranian-backed proxies like Hamas or Hezbollah or Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said on MSNBC when asked if he will attend Netanyahu’s speech.

“I think hearing from a key foreign ally like Israel is critically important.”

[soon-palestine]

The House of Representatives has voted to effectively conceal the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza.

On Thursday, lawmakers voted 269-144 on an amendment to prohibit the State Department from citing statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry. The measure is part of the annual State Department appropriations bill. It was led by Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Fla., and Josh Gottheimer, N.J., and Republican Reps. Joe Wilson, S.C.; Mike Lawler, N.Y.; and Carol Miller, W.V.

In total, 62 Democrats joined 207 Republicans in supporting the amendment.Here are the 62 Democrats who joined 207 Republicans to ban giving funds to the State Department to cite the Gaza Health Ministry, undermining the organization’s death & injury figures. https://t.co/n7DveMQaPQ pic.twitter.com/Nas0Fgm4Ag

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) June 27, 2024

While party leaders often push their members to vote “yes” or “no” on any range of proposals, Democratic leadership gave “no recommendation” to its members on how to vote on the amendment. After the House passes the full bill, it will head to the Senate for consideration.

Mohammed Khader, policy manager at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, told The Intercept that the amendment is part of a trend of anti-Palestinian sentiment in Congress since the start of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. “By preventing any recognition of the number of Palestinians killed since October, this amendment is a clear example of genocide denial and is no different from what was done towards victims of genocides in Rwanda and Armenia.”

On Wednesday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian member of Congress, took to the floor to make a similar argument. “This is genocide denial,” she said.

After reciting the death toll and other statistics about casualties, Tlaib said she intended to introduce the list of Palestinians killed in Gaza to the congressional record. “It is important to note this to everyone here: The list is too long that I can’t even submit it because of the text limit,” she said. “That’s how many have been killed.”

The Ministry of Health is the only official entity tracking the death toll in Gaza; its figures have been cited broadly, including by the U.S. and Israeli governments. Over the last eight months, Israel has killed at least 37,765 people and injured another 86,429, according to the ministry’s latest figures. These numbers are likely an undercount due to the decimated medical infrastructure, killed medical workers, and thousands feared trapped under the rubble in Gaza.

“It’s despicable but not shocking that 62 Democrats joined Republicans to refute the Gaza death toll,” one Democratic staffer told The Intercept. “Democratic leadership should be ashamed for refusing to take a stand and call out the blatant anti-Palestinian racism and genocide denial in our party.”

Moskowitz and Gottheimer are among several Democrats who have repeatedly worked to undermine the movement for Palestinian rights and pro-Palestinian speech.

In April, the pair joined Republicans to lead a resolution condemning the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic. In December, the duo joined Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik and Steve Scalise to lead a resolution condemning university presidents and calling for their resignations for allegedly tolerating antisemitism on campus. In November, the two Democrats joined 20 others in censuring Tlaib, for reasons that included posting a video calling for a ceasefire that contained the phrase “from the river to the sea.”

Gottheimer has gone even further, calling Democrats who don’t support Israel a “cancer” and suggesting that Muslims in America are “guilty” of Hamas’s attack on October 7. Along with Lawler, he headlined a call hosted by No Labels, in which he spoke with university trustees about how to push the FBI to take a bigger role in investigating campus protests. During that call, Lawler suggested that student protests for Palestine were the type of activity that inspired the TikTok ban.

The pair also joined 60 other Democrats in expressing their “disgust” at South Africa’s 84-page suit accusing Israel of genocide and praising White House spokesperson John Kirby for calling it “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basic in fact whatsoever.” Not long after, the International Court of Justice concluded that Israel is plausibly committing genocide.

[iwriteaboutfeminism]

Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, is the only Palestinian-American member of Congress. She was "censured" by the House on November 7th for speaking out against Israel's genocide of Palestine.

Here is a list of the 22 Democrats who voted to censure her:

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.)

Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.)

Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine)

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio)

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.)

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.)

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.)

Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.)

Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.)

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.)

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.)

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.)

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)

There were also 4 Republicans who voted against her censure:

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)

John Duarte (R-Calif.)

Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)

Tom McClintock (R-Calif.)

If your Representative voted against the censure, please call to thank them! If your Representative voted for the censure, please call to say that you disagree, and that what they did does not represent what you want as their constituent.

Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

[contemplatingoutlander]

If he loses the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump will likely lobby House Republicans to refuse to certify the results. This was not as much of a problem in 2020 when Democrats held the majority of seats, but with Republicans now holding a narrow majority, it could become a legitimate issue. However, Politico reports that a bipartisan group of House lawmakers have banded together to jointly pledge to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election, and the group so far includes six House Republicans. This means that, should these six Republicans keep their pledge to certify a win for Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's allies would be unable to block the certification of the election given the current numbers in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan group, which was organized by centrist Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-NE), also includes Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Nick LaLota (R-NY) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY). Bacon said that the group's pledge was a reflection of traditional American values. “In America we respect election results especially once the courts and appeals work through the process,” he said. “We fight hard to win during campaigns and then respect the results when the votes are counted.”

Thank goodness for a handful of Republicans in the House who actually take their oath to support the Constitution seriously.

[odinsblog]

HOT TAKE: Conservative Democrats in red states aren’t conservative because “that’s the only way to win in middle America and the South” — they are often conservative because they are well PAID to be conservative

“Together, Sinema and Manchin have caused significant headaches for Democrats over the last two years — first by opposing much of the "Build Back Better" social spending and climate bill and then by opposing Democrats' plans of weakening the Senate's 60-vote filibuster to pass voting rights legislation.

Crow has also made significant contributions to moderate-to-conservative House Democrats.

According to federal campaign finance data, the Texas billionaire has given $16,800 to Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey since 2018, contributing thousands as recently as October 2022.

Gottheimer, a member of the so-called "Unbreakable Nine" of moderate Democrats who insisted on de-linking Build Back Better from the infrastructure bill, has at times been a thorn in the side of his party as well.

And Crow has contributed $12,500 to Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas since 2006. Cuellar, a conservative opponent of abortion rights, faced a strong primary challenge from progressive activist Jessica Cisneros in 2022.

Crow's relationship and lavish vacations with Justice Thomas have raised significant ethics concerns — Thomas never disclosed the flights and yacht trips financed by the GOP megadonor, apparently violating a post-Watergate federal law that requires justices to report gifts.”

👉🏿 https://www.businessinsider.com/sinema-manchin-clarence-thomas-vacations-harlan-crow-megadonor-republican-2023-4

[eretzyisrael]

by Neil Munro

Liberal journalists say the Muslim vote in Michigan is a wild card in a must-win swing state for Democrats — especially for vice-presidential contender Josh Shapiro, the popular Democratic governor of nearby Pennsylvania.

As a vice-presidential nominee, Shapiro “could help deliver the essential state of Pennsylvania, but his ardent support for Israel and criticism of pro-Gaza campus protests would reopen wounds in the Democratic Party that have lately started to heal,” said Michelle Goldberg, a columnist at the New York Times.

WATCH — Gottheimer: Hamas Did Ceasefire PR Stunt Because Campus Disorder “Emboldened” Them:

“Shapiro would be an excellent vice-presidential candidate,” added Pamela Paul, an independent-minded liberal at the New York Times. “But given the unfortunate but real antisemitism on the left right now …. this may not be the right time for a Jewish Democratic presidential candidate.”

“He’s Jewish — there could be some risk in putting him on the ticket,” John King told a CNN audience.

[agentfascinateur]

62 Democrats censored the Gaza death toll:

On Thursday, lawmakers voted 269-144 on an amendment to prohibit the State Department from citing statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry. The measure is part of the annual State Department appropriations bill. It was led by Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Fla., and Josh Gottheimer, N.J., and Republican Reps. Joe Wilson, S.C.; Mike Lawler, N.Y.; and Carol Miller, W.V.

[louisdotmp3]

btw the list of democrats who voted to censure rashida tlaib over her criticism of israel:

Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.)

Rep. Jim Costa (Calif.)

Rep. Angie Craig (Minn.)

Rep. Don Davis (N.C.)

Rep. Lois Frankel (Fla.)

Rep. Jared Golden (Maine)

Rep. Dan Goldman (N.Y.)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.)

Rep. Greg Landsman (Ohio)

Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.)

Rep. Kathy Manning (N.C.)

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (Fla.)

Rep. Wiley Nickel (N.C.)

Rep. Chris Pappas (N.H.)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.)

Rep. Pat Ryan (N.Y.)

Rep. Brad Schneider (Ill.)

Rep. Kim Schrier (Wash.)

Rep. Darren Soto (Fla.)

Rep. Ritchie Torres (N.Y.)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (Fla.)

[faerie-hideaway]

U.S. users email your representatives this, and make sure to include your zip code:

I am your constituent. I am strongly in favor of defunding Israel. I want my opinion logged on every single one of these pieces of legislation. It is an atrocity that the USA is sending our taxpayer dollars, weaponry, and other support to Israel in order to aid in the genocide of the Palestinian people. It does not reflect the will of your constituents, and I demand that you correct this by voting for/against the following bills, resolutions, and legislation.

To be frank, I will be basing my vote for you in upcoming elections on this issue. I will be watching closely to see how you vote on issues regarding funding to Israel. I will not vote for you in the next election if you vote to send any money, support, or weaponry to Israel. I will be voting for you if you vote to block money, support, and weaponry to Israel.

This is the current legislation I am for, and the current legislation I am against. I would like your office to record my opinion for each bill, and I would like you to take this into consideration when you vote.

I am FOR the following, and expect you to vote for this and co-sponsor, either now or when matching legislation reaches your office.

H.Res. 786: by Rep. Cori Bush

H.Res. 388 by Rep. Rashida Tlaib

H.R. 3103 by Rep. Betty McCollum

I am against Joe Biden’s proposal to spend billions of dollars on Israel via a package for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and the US border. Biden is asking for $100 BILLION for this package and it is only 1 YEAR'S worth of funding. This is ABSOLUTELY unacceptable, and I am against you voting for ANY bill that spends even $1 on Israel. I do not care what else is in the bill. If it gives money to Israel, I am against it.

I am AGAINST the following, and expect you to vote against this and not co-sponsor, either now or when matching legislation reaches your office.

S. 3083 by Sen. Bill Hagerty [R-TN]

S.Res. 417 by Sen. Charles “Chuck” Schumer [D-NY]

H.Res. 797 by Rep. Cory Mills [R-FL7]

S. 3081 by Sen. Steve Daines [R-MT]

H.Res. 796 by Rep. Ernest “Tony” Gonzales [R-TX23]

S.Res. 413 by Sen. Marco Rubio

H.R. 552 by Rep. Lance Gooden

H.R. 5959 by Thomas Tiffany

S. 3081 by Sen. Steve Daines

H.Res. 789 by Rep. Jefferson Van Drew

H.Res. 771 by Rep. Michael McCaul

H.R. 5932 by Rep. David Schweikert

H.Res. 768 by Rep. Michael McCaul

H.Res. 770 by Rep. Zachary (Zach) Nunn

H.Res. 701 by Rep. Bradley “Brad” Schneider

H.Con.Res. 61 by Rep. Janice “Jan” Schakowsky

S. 2587 by Sen. Jon Tester

H.Res. 606 by Rep. Andrew Ogles

S. 2413 by Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez

S. 2438 by Sen. Christopher Coons

H.R. 4709 by Rep. Josh Gottheimer

S.Con.Res. 14: by Sen. Tom Cotton

H.Con.Res. 57 by Rep. August Pfluger

H.R. 4665 by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart

S. 2265 by Sen. Dan Sullivan

S. 2226 by Sen. John F. “Jack” Reed

H.Res. 581 by Rep. Gregory Steube

S. 2240 by Sen. Christopher Coons

H.R. 4564 by Rep. Claudia Tenney

H.R. 4365 by Rep. Ken Calvert

H.R. 4076 by Rep. Chris Pappas

H.R. 3932 by Rep. Michael Turner

H.R. 3907 by Rep. Lois Frankel

S. 1802 by Sen. Gary Peters

H.R. 3792 by Rep. Joe Wilson

S. 1777 by Sen. Jacky Rosen

H.R. 3393 by Rep. Carlos Gimenez

H.Res. 409 by Rep. Carlos Gimenez

S. 1637 by Sen. Marco Rubio

H.R. 3266 by Rep. Brad Sherman

S. 1504 by Sen. Tom Cotton

H.R. 3099 by Rep. Michael Lawler

S.Res. 188 by Sen. Robert “Bob” Menendez

H.Res. 346 by Rep. Randy Weber

H.R. 2973 by Rep. Cathy Anne McMorris Rodgers

S. 1334: by Sen. Jacky Rosen

S. 1300 by Sen. Benjamin Cardin

H.Res. 311 by Rep. Ann Wagner

H.R. 2670 by Rep. Mike Rogers

H.R. 2531 by Rep. Bradley “Brad” Schneider

S. 1143 by Sen. Jerry Moran

H.R. 1777 by Rep. Joe Wilson

H.R. 1218 by Rep. August Pfluger

H.R. 1102 by Rep. Chip Roy

S. 510 by Sen. Tom Cotton

S. 489 by Sen. Rick Scott

S. 430 by Sen. James Risch

S. 431 by Sen. James Risch

H.R. 987 by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

H.Res. 92 by Rep. Josh Gottheimer

H.Res. 76 by Rep. Max Miller

H.R. 687 by Rep. Gregory Steube

H.R. 211 by Rep. Gregory Steube

S. 224 by Sen. Tom Cotton

S. 189 by Sen. Marco Rubio

I am against any legislation that allows troops to deploy to the Middle East in support roles for Israel, as proposed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

I am against Netanyahu’s ground invasion of Gaza, which will inevitably lead to mass killings of Palestinian civilians and escalate violence. If there are any future bills supporting this, you need to vote against them and not co-sponsor.

The U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Act stipulate that only Congress can authorize the president to use military force in a foreign war, except in cases of self-defense. Previous administrations from both parties have ignored this, with unauthorized strikes in places like Syria and Libya. I want you to stand against ANY use of military force that supports Israel or hurts Palestine.

And of course, I am against the usual funding of $3.8 billion PER YEAR to Israel. This 10-year agreement began in 2016. I do not want a renewal in 2026, and in the next election, I will vote for representatives who WILL NOT VOTE TO FUND ISRAEL. I will be keeping track of how you vote now, and I will not vote for you if you decide to fund Israel in any way.

I am a single-issue voter for this. I want you to defund Israel. I do not want a single dollar spent on supporting Israel. I will be paying attention to how you vote in the upcoming weeks and months, and if you vote to fund or provide weapons, troops, or intelligence to Israel, I will NOT vote for you in the next election.

We are paying attention to the budget. We know when you're giving aid to a country committing genocide instead of helping your constituents in the USA. Both myself and tens of thousands of other constituents have spent years saying that we don’t want our hard-earned taxpayer dollars going to Israel. The lack of willingness to fund anything for American citizens, but the quickness with which you take action for Israel is telling. It is unacceptable.

As an elected official, you have the opportunity to listen to the public and stand against genocide. Israel is currently committing war crimes against Palestine. You can stop this by defunding Israel. THOUSANDS of Palestinian people have been killed, 1/3 of them children, in just a couple of days. One child every 15 minutes is being killed. YOU can prevent this by refusing to send additional weapons and funding to Israel.

We are currently spending BILLIONS of dollars EVERY YEAR on Israel. I do not want my money going towards the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians. Not a dollar more.

[bighermie]

Share Link

Democrat Infighting Breaks Out over Support for Israel https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/10/30/democrat-infighting-breaks-out-support-israel/

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240513_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 NATO’s battle of the bands, radical ties and the most dangerous state + this day in history w/online contact-tracing training course and our song of the day by William Wallace Protest Songs on your #MorningMonarchy for May 13, 2024. Notes/Links: Mark Hamill Kicks Off White House Press Briefing After Meeting The President, Reveals Joe Biden’s Jedi Nickname https://deadline.com/2024/05/mark-hamill-white-house-press-briefing-1235904087/ Donald Trump Takes Jab at Bruce Springsteen at Massive New Jersey Rally https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-takes-jab-bruce-springsteen-massive-new-jersey-shore-wildwood-rally-1899613 Trump Rally Draws Tens of Thousands in Blue State New Jersey; Despite being held in a state that has been reliably Democrat, a rally for the Republican former president set a record for New Jersey, a congressman said. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-draws-tens-of-thousands-makes-history-in-blue-state-rally-5648508 Switzerland’s Nemo Wins the Eurovision Song Contest, Breaks Trophy (and Thumb) https://variety.com/2024/music/news/eurovision-song-contest-winner-2024-1235999386/ Video: The Chaotic And Drama-Filled Final Of The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1U9nBySA7A Eurovision 2024 Shocker as Dutch Competitor is Booted Hours Before Grand Finale; A complaint about Dutch singer Joost Klein has prompted a shuffle to Eurovision’s final lineup. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/eurovision-joost-klein-finals Images: Eurovisión was created by NATO. Source: Committee on Information and Cultural Relations (1953-1974) Credit: NATO Archives Online https://vxtwitter.com/SoyEkho/status/1537777123439497217 Image: @Hybrid’s Cover Art – Cirque Du So-Gay’s ‘Divided by Music’ https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240513_MorningMonarchy.jpg Eurovision: Greta Thunberg joins thousands in pro-Palestine protest before final – video https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/may/12/eurovision-greta-thunberg-joins-thousands-in-pro-palestine-protest-before-final-video Jerry Seinfeld’s Duke University Commencement Speech Spurs Walkouts as Students Chant ‘Free Palestine’ https://variety.com/2024/politics/news/jerry-seinfeld-duke-commencement-speech-walkouts-free-palestine-1236000401/ UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Votes in Favor of Palestinian Membership https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/10/un-general-assembly-overwhelmingly-votes-in-favor-of-palestinian-membership/ House bill asks U.S. Holocaust museum to develop curriculum on Oct. 7 attack; Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Michelle Steel (R-CA) seek to create resources for secondary schools to teach about the Oct. 7 attack and subsequent antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment https://archive.is/YHwHQ Long-Awaited State Dept Review ‘Absolves’ Israel Of War Crimes https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/long-awaited-state-dept-review-absolves-israel-war-crimes WE WILL DANCE AGAIN https://x.com/israel/status/1789381437440889252 Shah of Iran Says U.S. Jews Control Banks, Media, Finances _ October 26, 1976 https://www.jta.org/archive/shah-of-iran-says-u-s-jews-control-banks-media-finances Video: The Shah of Iran said the Zionist lobby controls the US government and media all the way back in the 70s. He also predicted AI? What would the zionist monarchists say about this?😅 https://t.co/w0aGgBeo3t (Audio) https://vxtwitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1789430098141323500 Video: Mike Wallace and H.I.M Mohammad Reza Pahlavi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl9_t3UjetM How Italians Became ‘White’; Vicious bigotry, reluctant acceptance: an American story. (Oct. 12, 2019) https://archive.is/ObtqE ‘Are You Going To Call Me A Sick F**k?!’ Sen. John Kennedy Presses Climate Professor Over Tweet Attacking Joe Manchin https://www.mediaite.com/politics/are-you-going-to-call-me-a-sick-fk-sen-john-kennedy-presses-climate-professor-over-tweet-attacking-joe-manchin/ Video: ‘Did I Rea...

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said Sunday that it's a "mistake" for the White House to want Democrats to deal with the debt ceiling without negotiating with congressional Republicans.

"I think it's a mistake because we have to negotiate. This is a democracy that we have. We have a two-party system, if you will, and we should be able to talk and find out where our differences are. And if they are irreconcilable, then you have to move on from there and let people make their decisions," Manchin, a key Senate moderate, told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."

"Using the debt ceiling and holding it hostage hasn't worked in the past," Manchin continued, adding that he "respectfully" disagrees with his party's No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, Majority Whip Dick Durbin, on not negotiating with Republicans.

"Every American has to live within a budget. If they don't, they're in trouble financially. Every business that's successful has to live within a budget. Every state has to live within a budget. Shouldn't the federal government have some guardrails that, say, 'Hey, guys ... you're overreaching here and you're overspending?' But then pick your priorities. That's all," he added.

The US hit the debt ceiling set by Congress on Thursday, forcing the Treasury Department to start taking "extraordinary measures" to keep the government paying its bills and escalating pressure on Capitol Hill to avoid a catastrophic default.

The battle lines for the high-stakes fight have already been set. Hard-line Republicans, who have enormous sway in the House because of the party's slim majority, have demanded that lifting the borrowing cap be tied to spending reductions. Manchin suggested Sunday he was open to spending cuts.

The White House, however, has countered that it will not offer any concessions or negotiate on raising the debt ceiling. And with the solution to the debt ceiling drama squarely in lawmakers' hands, fears are growing that the partisan brinksmanship could result in the nation defaulting on its debt for the first time ever -- or come dangerously close to doing so.

GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said Sunday on Fox News that the White House position against negotiating with House Republicans on spending cuts, in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, is "very irresponsible." He said the first step in addressing the debt ceiling situation is for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to sit down with Biden.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said in the same interview that he believes the White House will ultimately sit down with McCarthy, which he called "a good thing."

Fitzpatrick and Gottheimer are the co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House.

As to whether Social Security and Medicare should be part of these negotiations, Manchin shared his interest in wanting to create a committee that would make the two programs "more financially secure and stable." But he said no one who currently receives these benefits should receive any cuts.

"No cuts to anybody that's receiving their benefits, no adjustments to that. They've earned it. They paid into it. Take that off the table," Manchin said. "But everyone's using that as a leverage."

The Senator indicated he was open to raising the income cap for Social Security taxes.

"I'm open to basically raising -- the easiest and quickest thing we can do is raise the cap," he said.

Meanwhile, Manchin on Sunday also offered support for fellow Senate moderate Krysten Sinema, calling her a "formidable candidate" for reelection in 2024.

Sinema announced last month she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a political independent, fueling fresh interest from Arizona Democrats to challenge her next year.

"I would think that she needs to be supported again, yes, because she brings that independent spirit," Manchin said.

[news4dzhozhar]

22 Democrats vote to censure Tlaib over Israel criticism

Twenty-two Democrats on Tuesday voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (R-Mich.) for her criticism of Israel following Hamas’s deadly attack last month.

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), accused Tlaib of “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” It also references her use over the weekend of the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea,” which is considered by many to be antisemitic.

Democratic leadership earlier in the day urged members to vote for a motion to kill the censure resolution and the party largely stuck together, with only one Democrat voting to advance it.

Many defended Tlaib’s right to make the controversial comments, citing the First Amendment, despite disagreeing with her words.

But on the final vote, 22 of Tlaib’s colleagues opted to reprimand her.

“We are at an exceedingly perilous moment, when emotions and intentions are on a razor’s edge. I believe that Members of Congress should be free to express their opinions, no matter how distasteful they may be. I also believe they have a duty to express the values and priorities of their districts,” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said of his vote to censure Tlaib. 

He added, “I recognize this censure resolution is not a perfect resolution in its language or form, but unfortunately it is the only vehicle available to formally rebuke the dangerous disinformation and aspersions that Rep. Tlaib continues to use and defend. I feel that I have no other recourse but to vote to censure her.”

Here are the Democrats who voted in favor of the censure resolution:

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)

Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.)

Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.)

Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine)

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio)

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.)

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.)

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.)

Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.)

Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.)

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.)

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.)

Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.)

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)

In addition to the Democrats who bucked their party, four Republicans voted against the censure: Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.).

[plethoraworldatlas]

Amidst rising scrutiny of congressional stock trades, several U.S. lawmakers have recently made significant purchases in major defense companies. On the 13th of September, 2023, Senator Markwayne Mullin bought Raytheon Technologies stock from a joint account. The Senator bought between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of RTX shares. Following his trade, the stock price of Raytheon Technologies Corp experienced a dip but showed signs of recovery towards late October.

Another Congress member who was trading RTX recently was Kevin Hern. Also from a joint account, Hern acquired up to 178 shares at a price of $84.33 per share on September 7, 2023.

On September 26, 2023, Josh Gottheimer bought shares of Northrop Grumman Corp. The transaction's value ranged between $1,000 to $15,000. Examining the trade history for NOC, there's a visible uptrend in stock price following the date of Gottheimer's transaction, indicating a notable increase in value. NOC stock closed at $489.07 on Oct 16, after a surge of nearly 15.6% since Oct 7. Presently, Rep. Gottheimer serves on the House Intelligence as well as the Financial Services Committees.

[mariacallous]

Conservatives have made their demands known to Kevin McCarthy as he rounds up votes for speaker. Now centrists are next in line.

The unexpectedly small majority McCarthy will be working with next year as he seeks the top gavel has undoubtedly bolstered the leverage of his right flank. But the House Freedom Caucus’ vocal criticism is drowning out clear signals from some members of his more moderate wing: They say McCarthy should know that any deal with rebellious conservatives could face resistance from centrists who see themselves as the GOP’s “majority makers.”

“Kevin’s not stupid,” said Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), who leads the centrist Republican Governance Group. “He’s trying to add to his numbers, not destroy his base. And so I count on his political acumen to know what’s acceptable to the rank and file inside the conference.”

Whether centrists are willing to withhold their speakership votes from McCarthy on Jan. 3, as some conservatives have indicated, remains to be seen. But it’s not just the more moderate Joyce-led group eyeing ways to have extra influence next year. Even as Washington’s attention after the midterm turns to the Freedom Caucus, members of the Main Street Caucus and the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus are talking among themselves about it.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), the Problem Solvers’ co-chiefs, met for dinner last week and talked about possible rules changes to help ensure their roughly 50 members next year are more unified, and therefore more powerful, on the floor next year. Among them: guidelines to endorse only bills that are bipartisan when introduced.

“We just want to make the group more accountable... I mean, the whole point of our group is to stick together on the floor when we endorse bills,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that their ability to coalesce could be “important” given the tight margin.

Other factions in the House are already looking to form alliances with the centrist group. Fitzpatrick said he’s been hearing from Freedom Caucus members who want to find common ground with the moderate wing next year, as well as from Democratic senators who are looking for GOP allies in the lower chamber as they weigh their legislative priorities.

Republicans in the Main Street Caucus met last week as they grow their own ranks ahead of next year. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who co-leads the group, said they were nearing 90 members, adding that after years of the Freedom Caucus throwing its weight around: “It’s time we flex our muscles.”

The first real test of the power of the House GOP’s different wings — and McCarthy’s support from them — will be the chamber-wide vote for speaker on Jan. 3. Virtually every Republican group is already looking to exhibit its leverage in a threadbare majority that gives McCarthy a cushion expected to be no larger than five votes. And in some cases, the GOP factions’ priorities will clash.

McCarthy’s speakership bid looked on shaky ground last week after 31 GOP members voted for his hardline conservative challenger in a closed-door conference election and five more put down write-in names. Not all of those Republicans are expected to oppose him come January, but it served as a warning to the GOP leader.

To many rank-and-file members, it was also an opportunity.

Since that secret ballot race, a trickle of lawmakers have publicly announced their plans to vote against the California Republican. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a long-time “no” vote, and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) have stated emphatically they won’t support McCarthy for speaker; first-term Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Bob Good (R-Va.) have strongly signaled that they are likely to oppose him.

“The stages of grief include denial, so there will be some denial, and then there will be the stage of bargaining. And that’s where we’ll probably be next,” said Biggs, who challenged McCarthy for the nomination.

While several House races remain uncalled, McCarthy likely couldn’t afford to lose all four of those votes on the floor — which means he either has to twist arms, make concessions or both to line up the support he needs come January.

And there’s a big question mark when it comes to how far he’ll go to attain his dreams of the speakership. Some say McCarthy would stand his ground and refuse any hard-line bargains, but there’s rampant speculation that his desperation to win the floor vote could drive him to acquiesce to deals that would be difficult for future GOP leaders to pull back.

Still, other Republicans shrugged off the maneuvering as a necessary exercise, saying they’d continue helping him reach 218. Even if McCarthy does make an unpopular concession, rank-and-file Republicans could still vote it down on the floor, these allies argue.

“We’re not going to be voting for any crazy policies, so he can make all the commitments he wants,” said one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

McCarthy’s already avoided one landmine, squashing talk from the Freedom Caucus about making it easier to depose a speaker. Instead, he got the conference to agree that a motion to vacate the chair — how conservatives pushed out then-Speaker John Boehner — would require the support of a majority of House Republicans.

But January’s high-stakes vote will be tougher, with McCarthy needing a majority of votes among all House members, not just his own conference. With just a few votes to spare, he’ll likely have to borrow tactics from previous leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Convincing his defectors to vote “present” or not show up at all.

Even some Democrats are plotting how to get in on the action.

A group of centrist Democrats has been privately discussing ways to play in the speaker race if it can mean winning concessions of their own, including potential leeway on rule changes and committee structures, according to a half-dozen people familiar with the conversations.

One Democrat familiar with the conversations described the idea as more of a “back-up” plan in case McCarthy can’t reach the votes on his own, rather than an active push to interfere with the race. Still, some Democrats have discussed what they could get in exchange for cooperating with the GOP leader — or even floating their own moderate speaker candidate if McCarthy loses too much ground.

Furthermore, they’ve discussed working with their Republican centrist counterparts.

The pro-McCarthy Bacon told POLITICO that Democrats had reached out to him after NBC reported that he was open to working with them if Republicans couldn’t unite behind a candidate. (Bacon said the report mischaracterized his remarks and predicted McCarthy will get to 218 votes.)

Bacon declined to describe his response to the outreach, while acknowledging that “we’re talking,” but the “ball is in the other guy’s court.”

The idea of Democrats working with centrist Republicans to try to elect a speaker has sparked warnings from the GOP conference’s right flank, including those backing McCarthy.

“We have a very slim majority, and so this is why it’s so important for us to stay unified … because we cannot open the door to the Democrats peeling off several of our Republicans and working together to choose a speaker,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who’s become a key Freedom Caucus ally for the GOP leader.

McCarthy has also privately and publicly dismissed that he would solicit Democratic votes for speaker.

“We’re the majority as Republicans and we’ll get there as Republicans,” McCarthy told reporters after the Tuesday leadership elections.