What's the Difference?

This is what Al thought...

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” 

-Albert Einstein

British Spy to Testify Under Oath

The document has been proven to  be essentially a fabricated hit piece.

UH OH: British Spy Behind Debunked 'Trump Dossier' to Testify Under Oath:

Christopher Steele, the MI6 operate behind the debunked Trump dossier, may soon be forced to testify in US court.

An Australian friend's view on Charlottesville

"Black people that were never slaves are fighting white people that were never Nazis over a confederate statue erected by democrats, because democrats can't stand their own history anymore and somehow it's Trumps fault?"

Skinny BS

Congress.org presents M E G A V O T E for August 1, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Bernhardt Nomination – Confirmation
• Senate: Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – Motion to Proceed
• Senate: Sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea
• Senate: Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – “Skinny” Repeal Amendment
• House: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Arbitration Rule Disapproval
• House: Four Bill Fiscal 2018 Appropriations Minibus
• House: Fiscal 2018 Intelligence Authorization
• House: Veterans Choice Fund Authorization

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit
• Senate: FDA User Fees
• Senate: Nomination of Marvin Kaplan to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board
• Senate: Veterans Choice Fund Authorization
• Senate: Nomination of Christopher A. Wray to be a Director of the FBI

The House is in the August district work period and not doing any legislative business until Sept. 5.

The House has a majority of composed of dishonest elected Republicans that honor the wishes of the Chamber of Commerce before making good on the promises they made to their voters. They should not be in recess, they should be held to account for their failure of action.

Recent Senate Votes:
Bernhardt Nomination – Confirmation Vote Confirmed (53-43, 4 Not Voting)
The Senate confirmed the nomination of David Bernhardt to be deputy secretary of the Interior.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Per Wikipedia, David Bernhardt earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990, making him about 49 years old.His law degree from the George Washington University was with honors. Environmental groups were almost unanimously opposed to his nomination which these days does not mean he is sure to to be a threat to the environment, only that he is not a Democrat.

Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – Motion to Proceed Vote Agreed to (51-50)
McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill would make extensive changes to the 2010 health care overhaul law, by effectively repealing the individual and employer mandates as well as most of the taxes that finance the current system and by making extensive changes to Medicaid.  Vice President Mike Pence voted yes as the tie breaking vote.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Who knows what will be effective when it comes to revisions to the Affordable Care Act. It seems to be an accepted fact that as it stands the ACA is a seriously flawed device doomed to collapse under its own weight. An act created by politicians of one parted, supposedly being adjusted be the dishonest leader of the other party.  Its all shit, and they are all ineffective blowhard liars.

Sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea Vote Agreed to (98-2)
The Senate passed the bill that would codify certain existing sanctions on Russia, including various sanctions tied to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, Moscow's annexation of Crimea, and malicious cyber activities relating to the 2016 U.S. elections. The bill would establish multiple new sanctions on Russia, including sanctions on entities conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government and entities which conduct business with the Russian intelligence and defense sectors.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Too little 25 years to late. Susan Rice, dishonest former representative to the United Nations, is actually out there saying that the United States should become comfortable with North Korea having become a nuclear power. The Bolton book I've been reading talks about this problem existing back during the administrations  of Bush 41 and Bush 43. During those administrations, the State Department of the United States and the United Nations, were inconsistent and generally unwilling to apply real effort against North Korea. The problem with those bodies is that their internal inertia is constructed to work at maintaining the status quotient, that "status quo" is diplomatic and appeasement. The last four Presidents have caved on Korean policy, and now they are able in a nuclear way. All of these Presidents made statements about containing North Korea and all claimed to have made diplomatic progress ensuring that North Korea would not become a nuclear power. In that way our leaders were as dishonest in their proclamations and the North Koreans were in their shallow promises. Knowing the lack of skill in both the United Nations and the US State Department, the probable outcome is that there will be no real action and the world will have to hope for the best. Susan Rice's proclamation is effectively correct, the fact that she is a lying cunt does not appear to have effect on the media. We can expect North Korea to periodically demand fuel oil and food, each time after some saber rattling. 

Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – “Skinny” Repeal Amendment Vote Rejected (49-51)
McConnell, R-Ky., second-degree amendment to the McConnell substitute amendment to the bill in which the second-degree amendment would repeal the individual mandate, repeal the employer mandate through 2024, delay the implementation of the medical device tax through 2020, and block, for one year, federal funding from going to certain medical providers that provide abortions.  The amendment would ease the waiver process for states to opt out of the requirement that their health insurance providers include certain benefits on their health care plans.  Additionally, the amendment would increase the maximum allowable contribution to health savings accounts and would defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in 2019.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Epic fail for the American people. Epic lie on the part of the Republican politicians. I believe that once two or three Republican Senators showed enough courage to get on the soapbox and make clear that they are neither conservative, nor honest, cover was provided for all of the rest of the Senators that really wanted to vote against it but needed to show their constituents how (sic) tough they are. 

Recent House Votes
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Arbitration Rule Disapproval Vote Passed (231-190, 12 Not Voting)
The House passed the joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s final arbitration rule which prohibits financial services companies that offer financial products to consumers from using arbitration clauses to stop consumers from being part of a class action lawsuit.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

David Scot why would you vote against Congress have final say over the legal decisions based on  regulations created by bureaucrats? Politicians suck but at least they are accountable to somebody.

Four Bill Fiscal 2018 Appropriations Minibus Vote Passed (235-192, 6 Not Voting)
The minibus would include the following appropriations bills: (Defense, Energy-Water, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA). Defense appropriations (HR 3219) would provide $658.1 billion for the Defense Department and $73.9 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism funding. Energy-Water appropriations (HR 3266) would provide $37.6 billion for national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers and various programs under the Energy. Legislative branch appropriations (HR 3162) would provide $3.6 billion (excluding Senate only items) for the House and joint operations. Military Construction-VA appropriations (HR 2998) would provide $88.8 billion in discretionary funding with $638 million for the Overseas Contingency Operations fund. It would provide a total of $182.3 billion (in mandatory and discretionary funding) for the Veterans Affairs Department. The bill would provide $1.6 billion in funding to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for procurement, construction and improvement of a barrier along the southern U.S. border.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

Whatever, these damned omnibus bills make it unclear as hell as to why somebody votes for or against anything. Do you think that that is intentional? I do.

Fiscal 2018 Intelligence Authorization Vote Passed (380-35, 18 Not Voting)
The House passed the bill that would authorize classified amounts of funding through fiscal 2018 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities, including the Office of the National Intelligence Director, the CIA and the National Security Agency. The bill would require the director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress multiple reports regarding Russia's campaigns directed at foreign elections and its efforts related to cyber influence, including an analytical assessment of the most significant Russian influence campaigns, if any, conducted during the three years prior to the bill's enactment.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Veterans Choice Fund Authorization Vote Passed (414-0, 19 Not Voting)
The House passed the amended bill that would make available an additional $2.1 billion in funding for the Veterans Choice Fund, without fiscal year limitation. The bill would extend until Sept. 30, 2027, the current cap on per-month payment of VA pensions to certain veterans residing at VA nursing care facilities.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

The only way a Democrat would vote against something like this is when it is in an omnibus bill. They've got no choice, so they embrace it and then screw it from the inside.

Upcoming Votes
Nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit - PN372
The Senate will vote on the nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit.

Kevin Christopher Newsom is 44 years old. Earned is Bachelors of Arts degree at Samford University (no t) and his law degree at Harvard. The People for the American Way are against him, complaining that he is a member of the Federalist Society. That is enough for me to endorse the man. Expect a close party line vote. I am generally enjoying the judicial appointments that this President is making.

FDA User Fees - HR2430
The bill would reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee programs for prescription drugs, medical devices, generic drugs and biosimilar biological products through FY 2022. It significantly modifies the fee structure for FDA prescription drug user fees to codify the agreement reached last year by the FDA and pharmaceutical industry, while also modifying FDA fee structures for medical devices, generic drugs and biosimilars. It also includes provisions to accelerate the review and approval of generic drugs, allow certain classes of medical devices to be reviewed by accredited persons and laboratories, and provide for federal regulation of over-the-counter hearing aids.

Doesn't it seem like Congress is voting on some way to make drugs get approved faster? Maybe it is an observed common results that politicians seldom deliver what they promise. 

Nomination of Marvin Kaplan to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board - PN681
The Senate will vote on Marvin Kaplan to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board.

Not to be confused with the recently departed actor, best remembered from the show Alice.  By the way, the this Kaplan was confirmed 50-48. Elizabeth Warren hates him which I consider a requirement for the position.

Veterans Choice Fund Authorization - S114
The Senate will consider the House-amended bill that would make available an additional $2.1 billion in funding for the Veterans Choice Fund, without fiscal year limitation. The bill would extend until Sept. 30, 2027, the current cap on per-month payment of VA pensions to certain veterans residing at VA nursing care facilities.

https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules.house.gov/files/BILLS-115-S114-AMDT.pdf

Nomination of Christopher A. Wray to be a Director of the FBI - PN696
The Senate will vote on Christopher A. Wray to be director of the FBI for a term of 10 years.

Clear committee with a 20-0 vote.  Approved in the Senate by a 92-5 vote. I remember a time during the Obama administration, both parties loving James Comey; remember how that worked out. 

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