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Sean Casten Profile picture
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1 Jan, 4 tweets, 2 min read
This strikes be as wildly optimistic since - if rumors prove true - the majority of the House @GOP caucus is about to vote against democracy and in favor of bonkers conspiracy theories that are totally untethered from truth. The rabble is in control. I hope I'm wrong.
The problem with @BillKristol's hope is that it presumes that @GOP-ers who believe in rule of law, who believe in democracy, who believe in science are (a) still in the party and (b) in control. Most of that cohort left the @GOP to become Ds long ago. Trust me. I'm one.
The rump that remains is the group that didn't see Gingrich for the nihilistic charlatan he has always been, and thought they could control the Tea Party, and thought Palin's ignorance was an aberration, and thinks QAnon is just a fluke... or is all those things.
So it's a mix of those who are on-board with the LooneyTunes bus, and those who lack the leadership skills / moral compass to lead the rabble back. Neither will ever be the Lincoln/Reagan mythic figure that is posited by hopeful NeverTrumpers.

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More from @SeanCasten

Sean Casten Profile picture
2 Jan
The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of mature democracies. It is a distinguishing feature of our 244+ year old experiment. Those Members of Congress who oppose the electoral college tomorrow are not just casting a vote of conscience: they are attacking democracy itself.
1/ This threat cannot be overstated. These individuals won their office through democratic elections and now intend to use their power to subvert that self-same system. They are rodents who have burrowed into our government and trying to subvert it from within.
2/ Upon their vote tomorrow, they will have demonstrated their failure to be entrusted with the responsibility that this job demands. It behooves us all not to grant them any respect or power that is normally afforded to those who would seek that responsibility.
Read 6 tweets
Sean Casten Profile picture
30 Dec 20
One final thread on legislation I introduced this term that made it into the Omnibus bill: The Clean Industrial Technology Act, to create a $500M R&D program focused on hard-to-decarbonize industries:
1/ As I've mentioned many times, there are only 3 things the US has to do to get climate change under control: (a) double our energy efficiency, on a Btu/$ of GDP basis (b) Get to zero emissions by 1985 and (c) figure out how to decarbonize hard to decarb industries.
2/ Getting (a) done would take us to the efficiency of Switzerland. It is economically beneficial, environmentally beneficial and technologically possible.
Read 12 tweets
Sean Casten Profile picture
29 Dec 20
For today's thread: the Grid Energy Storage Act that I introduced and the BEST Act introduced by @RepBillFoster which were combined to provide over $1 billion for energy storage in the Omnibus:
1/ First, a bit of nerdy but really relevant background. Looking through @EIAgov data a few years ago, I noticed that falling coal MWh were just about exactly offset by rising (cleaner) combined cycle gas MWh, but in the midwest CO2 emissions from power gen were slightly rising.
2/ The rise was just about exactly matched by increased MWh from comparatively inefficient simple cycle gas turbine power plants. This was driven substantially, if paradoxically by the success of renewable energy.
Read 13 tweets
Sean Casten Profile picture
29 Dec 20
The omnibus spending bill the President signed into law included three major bills I introduced - one on student loans, and two (surprise!) on energy policy. Will do a thread on each: first what we did to help make college a little more affordable. Thread:
1/ Last year, I introduced the GRADUATE Act with @CongressmanRaja, @RepDebHaaland and @RepSylviaGarcia to repeal Section 455(q) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
2/ This law limits access to federally-subsidized college loans to people who complete their degrees within 150% of the "published length" (e.g., 6 years for a bachelors, 3 years for an associates)
Read 8 tweets
Sean Casten Profile picture
26 Dec 20
I spent a few days before Xmas checking in our mayors in #IL06. Wanted to share some observations on a common theme that came up, and how you all can help: the COVID vaccine distribution process. Thread.
1/ First, the process is heroic, noble, unprecedented and chaotic. Good people trying to scale something massive, building the tools as they build the house in real time.
2/ Seen from some angles, that is awe-inspiring. Seen from others, it looks like a total cluster. As the old metaphor about the blind men feeling and elephant goes, we are all well served to avoid drawing conclusions from incomplete information.
Read 18 tweets
Sean Casten Profile picture
23 Dec 20
A few things to know about the COVID relief and omnibus package we passed in the House and Senate yesterday and the risks / causes of Trump's shenanigans over the last 24 hours:
1/ I am not a mind-reader and with this much in flux am not inclined to offer "hot takes". This is just about the stakes so you all can understand what's at stake.
2/ The bill we passed was $900B of COVID-specific relief AND a long-overdue omnibus funding package to fund government for the next year. If he doesn't sign this bill it risks not only COVID relief, but also a government shutdown.
Read 9 tweets

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