I should really go to bed, but let me spend a second on Citizen's United. Your #DemsDoGood house Dems GET IT. Thread #5. Here are the findings. They are profound and good and correct. AND EVERYTHING THAT TRUMPISTS AND REPUBLICANS ARE NOT.
For review, the issue with Citizens United is that SCOTUS said spending money is the same as other protected kinds of speech. So spending money in politics is afforded the greatest protection of the 1A, and is practically untouchable by Congress. That REALLY screwed things up.
House dems get this - money does not equal speech, and SCOTUS really screwed it up
I don't think you will ever hear a Republican say these words - if you do, the world is a better place and we have a chance to improve our democracy. I hope to hear such words.
They are right. The money flood drowns out citizen's voices.
They are also right that change probably requires a constitutional amendment. The other option - presently taboo to speak out loud - is increase the number of SCOTUS justices by A LOT and dispense with the line of cases.
And so, bottom line, House Dems understand the problem and understand the options to solve it. The rest of this bill is a hundred cuts, but Citizens United is a big beast and may require more than Congress can do. #DemsDoGood. Dirk out.
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Let's run back on the questions and see what we've learned so far. I am certain we are still in tip-of-the-iceberg territory. Like, for example, WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD FROM MIKE PENCE? but I'll leave that for later.
Barr and the federal response: We've learned that the National Guard response was hamstrung by "reforms" put in by Barr who also led the attack on protestors ... so, I don't think Barr is out of the woods.
USCP logistics - these suspicions have been confirmed. Police were ORDERED not to be equipped and not to use deadly force. We still have learned almost nothing about how those orders came to be.
Gosar is at lectern when unknown person runs up to say "protestors have ... ". He looked nervous up to that point. BUT HE DID NOT LOOK SURPRISED ABOUT THE PROTESTORS.
In my #DemsDoGood thread #4, let's look at House Bill 1, the very first thing house dems did. Introduced on Jan 4. Immediately assigned to relevant committees. IT'S AWESOME. legiscan.com/US/bill/HB1/20…
How's this for priorities "To expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes."
The voting priorities are in the "Voter Empowerment Act of 2021" - everyone should vote, and the voting process must protected and enhanced.
My 3rd #DemsDoGood thread is on the American Rescue Plan. The 1.9 Trillion dollar effort to rescue the economy and deliver the vaccine. It is Rosie As Hell, so Let's put on the Rose-Colored's a take a peak. whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
The ARP has 3 main points, first FINALLY a national vaccine response program, including community vaccine sites, scaled up delivery and testing, better treatment and PAID SICK LEAVE for people struggling.
Second, deliver CASH TO THE PEOPLE, expand childcare and healthcare, INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE, and extend unemployment insurance.
Two more reasons attacking Biden for not entering a family separation executive order is absolute fraudulent BS. First, Trump signed an executive order ending the policy of family separation in 2018
Here is that order. It was Trump, so of course he managed to inflict cruelty even so --- which is all the more reason to appreciate all that Biden has done. npr.org/2018/06/20/622…
Second, the DOJ has been under order of the federal courts since 2018 to reunite children. Mitch and the Rs, however, have so far been preventing Merrick Garland from taking over as AG. cnn.com/2018/06/26/pol…
As a first #DemsDoGood thread, I want to push back on this utterly bad faith. It is false, and intended to divide good people against each other and lead to another demagogue. We won't let it work.
Ms. McEvoy lies about "executive order" when actually Biden said "I will immediately reverse the Trump administration's cruel and senseless policies that separate children at our border." Politifact has ALREADY deemed that true politifact.com/truth-o-meter/…
A bit of background on child separation. Until Jeff Sessions stuck his dirty fingers into things, many prosecutors voluntarily declined prosecuting adults traveling with children. That policy was not in the US Code, it was prosecutors' discretion. politico.com/news/2021/01/1…