News The 114th Congress (spanning 2015-2017)

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The discussion centers on expectations for the upcoming 114th U.S. Congress, particularly under the leadership of Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader. Key topics include the Republican agenda, which is likely to focus on repealing Obamacare and advancing the Keystone XL pipeline. There is significant concern over potential government shutdowns, especially regarding immigration policy, with some Republicans suggesting using funding as leverage against executive actions by President Obama. The conversation also touches on the implications of Republican control for scientific policy, with fears that funding for research may be jeopardized. Participants express skepticism about the ability of the new Congress to break the cycle of gridlock, with many anticipating ongoing partisan conflicts. The role of appropriations in scientific funding is debated, highlighting the interdependence of the House and Senate in shaping policy. Overall, the sentiment reflects apprehension about the legislative dynamics and the impact on various policy areas, including science and immigration.
  • #51
SteamKing said:
Also, US congressional elections are held every two years, with all of the lower chamber and one-third of the upper chamber standing for election, and each election brings the possibility, however remote, of a shift in control of one or both houses of congress.

Not going to respond to all of the post, but I was making the point that these congressmen/women probably be voted out for 8-or-so years imho.
 
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  • #52
I have taken a trek or three up to the Hill, and talked to Congresspeople from both sides of the aisle. I would think it is a mistake to consider one party pro-science and one party anti-science. If pushed, I would say that Republicans are more pro-science (i.e. they see scientific investment as a national good) and Democrats are more pro-scientist (i.e. they see scientists and other academics as one of their core constituencies) but this is an oversimplification that is almost as bad.
 
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  • #53
Vanadium 50 said:
I have taken a trek or three up to the Hill, and talked to Congresspeople from both sides of the aisle. I would think it is a mistake to consider one party pro-science and one party anti-science. If pushed, I would say that Republicans are more pro-science (i.e. they see scientific investment as a national good) and Democrats are more pro-scientist (i.e. they see scientists and other academics as one of their core constituencies) but this is an oversimplification that is almost as bad.
I understand this is oversimplified, but that's an interesting observation. Although saying the D's value scientists only as voters is a bit cynical :oldwink:. Fact is, there just aren't that many scientists to catch the interest of either party, IMO.
 
  • #54
Vanadium 50 said:
but this is an oversimplification that is almost as bad.
Little context for lisab's observation.
lisab said:
Fact is, there just aren't that many scientists to catch the interest of either party, IMO.
Even more cynically, are both parties merely seeking Madison Avenue endorsements from the scientific community with which to "snow" the voters?
 
  • #55
Astronuc said:
I would like to see less of this - Senate Democrats muscle big Obama donors into ambassadorships
lisab said:
Places that require diplomatic "heavy lifting" don't usually get this kind of appointee.
"Hartley is known for being a campaign bundler who raised more than $500,000 for Obama's re-election bid in 2012.[19]" --- Wiki
 
  • #56
lisab said:
Although saying the D's value scientists only as voters is a bit cynical

Had I said that, it would have been cynical.
 
  • #57
Vanadium 50 said:
I would think it is a mistake to consider one party pro-science and one party anti-science. If pushed, I would say that Republicans are more pro-science (i.e. they see scientific investment as a national good) and Democrats are more pro-scientist (i.e. they see scientists and other academics as one of their core constituencies) but this is an oversimplification that is almost as bad.
I would add that for stances on most particular issues, politics trumps science to the point of irrelevancy. Democrats can say (and be right) that the Republican position on global warming goes against the science, but Republicans can say (and be right) that the Democratic position on nuclear energy contradicts science and the Democrats' global warming position.
 
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  • #58
In related news, the House just voted to overturn Obama's immigration order. This and the similar Keystone vote are interesting but probably ultimately meaningless because:
1. They can't overturn a veto.
2. Congress has the authority here - but the President has the power.
3. Even if Congress sues, Obama can probably just stall until he's out of office (how's that court-ordered NRC Yucca Mountain review going...?).
 
  • #59
russ_watters said:
...meaningless because:
1. They can't overturn a veto...
I'm not so sure. Senate passed Keystone with 63 votes, 3 shy, for a vote that, for the moment, doesn't mean anything because as you say because it will be vetoed at first and Obama himself takes the brunt of the opposition. Should Obama stay on trend with the like of skipping Paris, voting with him might become increasing expensive.
 
  • #60
We the Confused have an ongoing petition to the executive branch for the removal of Senator Ted Cruz from oversight of the space-science committee, 17K so far. The wording is probably too timid to succeed; authors should have demanded the Senator be jailed by an executive Bill of Attainder, his property seized, and then deported when released.
 
  • #61
mheslep said:
We the Confused have an ongoing petition to the executive branch for the removal of Senator Ted Cruz from oversight of the space-science committee, 17K so far. The wording is probably too timid to succeed; authors should have demanded the Senator be jailed by an executive Bill of Attainder, his property seized, and then deported when released.
Respectfully, this was a waste of time.

Only the Senate has jurisdiction over the makeup of its various committees. (Article I of the US Constitution and Senate Rules) It would be like petitioning the House or Senate to command the President fire one of the cabinet members in his Administration. Officers of the US Government, like cabinet members, can either resign or be impeached by the House and removed from office upon conviction in the Senate.

Bills of Attainder are illegal under the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Sec. 9)

And, whatever links are contained in your post are broken or otherwise non-functional.
 
  • #62
  • #63
Congressman Andre Carson (D-IN) was appointed this week to the US House intelligence committee. In the past, Carson has made the following public comments (and later backtracked some of them):

Carsen, 2012 Hartford, Connecticut:
'America will never tap into educational innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we have in our madrassas, in our schools, where innovation is encouraged, where the foundation is the Qu'ran.'

'It's unfortunate that there are those [undercover law enforcement] who are thinking that, at this convention right now, we're having secret meetings, that we're plotting to destroy this country. But I say to those who are here undercover: Allah will not allow you to stop us.'
 
  • #64
Orrin Hatch is the happiest senator in Washington
The Utah Republican says he wants Elizabeth Warren to be ‘the new Kennedy’
http://news.yahoo.com/orrin-hatch-is-the-happiest-senator-in-washington-230742347.html

Let's see where that goes.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has been in the Senate for 37 years, and he’s seen it all. But for the first time in his career, he has a security detail.

Hatch, who will turn 81 in March, was elevated to his new position after Republicans took control of the Senate last fall. It’s a largely ceremonial post given by tradition to the longest-serving member of the majority party. It includes a few significant duties, such as signing legislation that’s been passed by both chambers before it leaves Congress on its way to the White House. The holder of the post also presides over the Senate when it is in session, though this latter duty is often delegated to newer members of the body.

Most important, the president pro tempore is third in line to the presidency, after the vice president and the speaker of the House.
. . . .
 
  • #65
Lawmaker reimbursed costs for lavish office décor
http://news.yahoo.com/lawmaker-reimbursed-costs-lavish-office-decor-175543466--politics.html
 
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  • #66
Cruz: Lift all contribution limits on campaign cash
http://news.yahoo.com/texas-cruz-lift-contribution-limits-campaign-cash-193953501--election.html

. . .
Cruz, a first-term senator who represents Texas, said deep-pocketed donors should have the same rights to write giant campaign checks as voters have to put signs in their front yards. Both, Cruz said, were an example of political speech, and he added that "money absolutely can be speech."

"I believe everyone here has a right to speak out on politics as effectively as possible," Cruz said told a voter who asked him about the role of the super-rich in politics.
. . .
 
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  • #67
GOP Lawmakers: Speaker Boehner to resign end of October
http://news.yahoo.com/gop-lawmakers-speaker-boehner-resign-end-october-134146275--politics.html
 
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  • #68
Astronuc said:
GOP Lawmakers: Speaker Boehner to resign end of October
http://news.yahoo.com/gop-lawmakers-speaker-boehner-resign-end-october-134146275--politics.html

Wow! This is completely surprising to me - I didn't see it coming at all, I thought Boehner could stand up to the hardliners in the R party. Just...wow.
 
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  • #69
lisab said:
completely surprising
Five years as a doormat for Obama, Reid, Pelosi & Co.? A surprise? :rolleyes:
 
  • #70
I thought Boehner was just stepping down from the Speaker of the House position, but NPR played his statement where he indicated that he is resigning from Congress effective end of October. Some are sad and some are glad.

Boehner To Step Down From Often Thankless Job. What's Next For His Successor?
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/25/44348...en-thankless-job-whats-next-for-his-successor

'Simple As That': Boehner Decided To Resign Today
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...-boehner-will-step-down-at-the-end-of-october
http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallp...ver-boehner-resignation-pressure-was-working/

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/house-speaker-john-boehner-took-many-of-his-129855485621.html
 
  • #71
Astronuc said:
I thought Boehner was just stepping down from the Speaker of the House position, but NPR played his statement where he indicated that he is resigning from Congress effective end of October.
He can get very rich as a lobbyist. His earning power would decay were he to remain in Congress.
 
  • #72
Who will replace Boehner?
http://news.yahoo.com/short-list-replace-house-speaker-john-boehner-223025561.html

Maybe get someone from outside of Washington.
 
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  • #73
Astronuc said:
Maybe get someone from outside of Washington.

That would be the longest of long shots. Like Andromeda galaxy long.
 
  • #75
lisab said:
Wow! This is completely surprising to me - I didn't see it coming at all, I thought Boehner could stand up to the hardliners in the R party. Just...wow.
Yeah, I don't get it. Why now and why resign his seat and not just his speakership? Is he running for president? Running from a scandal we don't know about yet? This doesn't make any sense to me.

From one of Astronuc's articles:
During a press conference at the Capitol, Boehner says he made his decision this morning, after picking up a cup of coffee.

"I thought: today is the day I'm going to do this ... as simple as that," Boehner said.
A well thought-out decision! Did he just crack?
 
  • #76
russ_watters said:
Yeah, I don't get it. Why now and why resign his seat and not just his speakership? Is he running for president? Running from a scandal we don't know about yet? This doesn't make any sense to me.

From one of Astronuc's articles:

A well thought-out decision! Did he just crack?

My guesses: he resigned the speakership because the alternative was to be voted out. few men will accept demotions. It's depressing and humiliating to return to flunkyhood. A Presidential run seems to me most unlikely. The public isn't clamoring for a Boehner presidency.

I expect Boehner to make yearly multimillions as a lobbyist. Did you know that former PM Tony Blair is paid 3 million dollars a year by JPMorgan Chase?
 
  • #77
russ_watters said:
A well thought-out decision! Did he just crack?
Suddenly go sane? Recognize the futility of fighting "the good fight?"
 
  • #78
Pete's Diner in Washington, DC has been serving the Speaker of the House his sausage and eggs for more than 20 years.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/why-john-boehners-capitol-hill-221510996.html

Boehner sounds like a down-to-earth person.
 
  • #79
Hornbein said:
My guesses: he resigned the speakership because the alternative was to be voted out.
A Boehner challenge was already tried and ended in failure.

Boehner has held elective office for 30 consecutive years, 24 of them in the House. It may be that he's just done.
 
  • #80
mheslep said:
A Boehner challenge was already tried and ended in failure.

Boehner has held elective office for 30 consecutive years, 24 of them in the House. It may be that he's just done.

I read that article. It didn't say that the challenge failed. Instead, it reads that the motion was made at the end of July and no move would be made until after the six-week recess. That means the challenge would occur in mid-September.
 
  • #81
  • #83
Hornbein said:
Eight months is a long time in the House, with their 24-month terms.
Sure, though I don't see how that's relevant to the odds that Boehner left because he feared being voted out. Moreover, those earlier attempts established the consequences of failed attempts: immediate removal from choice posts. If one strikes at the king, you must kill him.
 
  • #84
As Boehner departs, his to-do list could remain undone
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/as-boehner-departs-his-to-do-list-could-remain-090026430.html
 
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  • #85
The Republicans in the House were going to vote today to select a candidate to become Speaker, who would have also had to pass a later vote by the full House. But Kevin McCarthy, who originally looked like the best-positioned candidate, dropped out of the race suddenly today.

Boehner has now postponed the vote, and says he will stay in office until a new Speaker is elected, presumably after his original Oct. 1 deadline if necessary.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/polit...can-vote-mccarthy-webster-chaffetz/index.html

As a Democrat, I'm going to make a bag of popcorn. :-p
 

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