Another day, another horrible, mistitled GOP bill passes on the floor that needs explanation. I wish I could tell you this is the last of the threads I'll have to do. Anyway, today's travesty was HR 30, the "Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act". Read on: 1. The bill on paper seems reasonable enough. If you are convicted or admit to having committed a sex offense, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse or violation of a protective order and are undocumented you will be deported. Text here: congress.gov/bill/119th-con…

Sitting here watching the Chris Wright nomination hearings and getting ever more frustrated by the failure - intentional by him and some Senators, inadvertent by others - to differentiate between produced and useful energy. Thread: 1. Suppose that there was a hearing for agriculture secretary and a Senator said "what will you doing to ensure food access for American people" and the nominee said "American farmers produce more calories than any other country." We'd agree that's a dodge. And yet...

It seems a discussion is in order of the Laken Riley Act that I happily voted against on the House floor today. It is a bill that served no purpose than to stir up anger. But let’s quickly review why: 1. First, undocumented people in the US who are convicted of felonies are already subject to deportation. If that is your concern you should be happy with existing law. As I am.

Some thoughts on Roberts' year end report. It is - par for the course for him - totally tone deaf. But we are all, to varying degrees complicit in spreading the fiction that the judicial branch isn't just as political as any other part of government. nytimes.com/2024/12/31/us/… 1. He is of course right to fear a country that chooses not to follow the rulings of the court. But any official in a democratically-elected government knows that they serve subject to the consent of the governed.

Brief thread on how we got here: Since the GOP won control of the House 2 years ago they have not passed a single appropriations package into law. Government has operated at funding levels set by Dems 2 years ago via continuing resolutions every few months. This is not normal. 1. For comparison, when the Ds controlled the House in the 116th (with Rs in control of the Senate and WH) and in the 117th (D control of Senate and WH) we negotiated and passed full appropriations bills. So it’s not a divided gov’t issue. It’s just @HouseGOP incompetence.

Put this on Bluesky last week, throwing here now for your holiday shopping: the 10 best books I read in 2024... 1. The Field of Blood - Joanne Freeman. A Congressional history that's old-fashioned (honor codes, etc.) but also fully contemporary where one party realized that the simple threat of maximalist politics can force acquiescence… until the other side gets tired of being bullied.

Trump's nominee to be DOE secretary may be ignorant or intentionally wrong. But this video (which you should watch all of) consistently confuses upstream and downstream energy in an effort to suggest that climate change isn't a concern. 1. You would get laughed out of a room if you said that access to transportation depends on iron ore production, or nutrition depends on annual grain harvests. People understand that deweighting cars, reducing waste in the food distribution system is a net positive. And yet...

My primary thought on the election, after a week to reflect: We have to face up to some hard, uncomfortable truths about who we are. But we also have the opportunity to run headlong towards the nobility that accrues to to those who commit themselves to making us better. Thread: 1. I was speaking to a group earlier this week and noted that my Mt. Rushmore of writers about America is de Tocqueville, Baldwin, Paine and Douglass. It is not coincidental that all of them were outsiders. They understand America's unique defects AND it's unique potential.

A quick thread on Trump's Project 2025 thing that's been on my mind. It's not just Trump's agenda. It's the agenda of the entire @GOP. A small deep dive: 1. I want to focus very narrowly on the Financial regulation section because I've served on the committee of jurisdiction for 6 years. So much of the P2025 plan has already been introduced by @HouseGOP members. It's what they'd do if they controlled all 3 branches.

Let's talk US immigration policy. As JD Vance admits to lying so he can gin up the xenophobes and the @HouseGOP keeps bringing bills to the floor that claim to solve imaginary problems, we've got to understand the real data, and real issues. Thread: 1. First, the idea that immigrants are prone to criminality has ALWAYS been used to argue against immigration and has never been true. Immigrants - especially undocumented ones - are consistently vastly more law-abiding than the general population. nij.ojp.gov/topics/article…

I promised I'd say more about this. We need to talk about the financial regulation portions Trump's Project 2025 and why they are inimical to capitalism, free markets and would destroy the US economy. Thread:

https://twitter.com/SeanCasten/status/1837896564607504826

1. Prebuttal to everyone about to chime in with "Trump said he's not associated with it!" I don't know how to break this to you but Trump is a liar. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 356,782 times, shame on me. It's his people writing policies for him. Move along.

I am often critical of the @HouseGOP for their incompetence, absence of any abiding moral compass and hostility to democracy. But this week, they deserve praise for their nationwide message discipline during “anti-woke week”. Thread: 1. The floor agenda this week was dedicated to “anti-wokeism”. The purpose was to explain to the world why they support companies right to discriminate, ignore climate science and embrace bad governance - and own the media cycle. Did they ever. news.bgov.com/bloomberg-gove…

OK, Trump got his ass kicked by Harris this week. That’s great but it’s time to move on. Specifically, to the huge national security / malign actor interference risk that Donald John presents as early as a week from tomorrow. Thread: 1. A man who owes lots of money to lawyers and adjudicated civil fines could soon be able to start selling some or all of his 114M shares in a company that is a trainwreck as a stock but still massively overvalued. forbes.com/sites/dereksau…

Short thread about Arlington National Cemetery and official visits: Every year I've been in Congress, @RepCartwright has led a bipartisan trip to Arlington National Cemetery around Memorial Day. ANC staff does a fantastic job taking us to a few graves, sharing their stories and valor. One year it was to the oldest WW1 vet and they read stories of his enlistment (he lied about his age) and secret to a long life "when you think you're about to die, don't".

Trump’s Project 2025 has some VERY creepy surveillance ideas about women’s pregnancies. Read this passage carefully (from page 455 of their plan). 1. “Abortion surveillance” is not a thing - but they’d like it to be. The job of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is not to surveil. To suggest otherwise is some serious Orwellian creepiness.

I want to quickly highlight a completely bonkers part of Trump's Project 2025 agenda relating to your salary and faith. You have to see this stuff in text to understand the degree to which these extreme MAGA types want to control your life. 1. First, they would eliminate overtime pay. You want to work the night shift to make more money? Too bad. Do you think your boss should pay you more if they make you work longer? Too bad.

Let’s talk a bit about Project 2025, the really unpopular guidebook to destroy American democracy that the Koch brothers, Leonard Leo, the Heritage Foundation and lots of Trumpified wing nuts are pushing - but Trump claims to know nothing about. 1. First, read this. Trump of course is lying. But it is a tell that even he knows this is toxic and doesn’t want you to know he’s involved. washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/…

A few brief thoughts after walking in two parades yesterday, speaking at one Independence Day kickoff, seeing some fireworks and chatting with a whole lot of patriotic friends and neighbors: 1. Americans are fundamentally good people. The media noise can distract from all that. Don't let it. The best way to be hopeful about our future always has been and will always be to go talk to a stranger.

Multiple midwest towns are currently being asked to renew a long term contract to buy power from a coal plant in downstate IL. They should reject. It is an attempt to prop up a power plant by trying to take advantage of small communities. Thread: shawlocal.com/kane-county-ch… 1. First, coal isn't economic and it's getting worse. Our power grid consistently dispatches zero-marginal cost renewables ahead of coal. Locking into coal for the next decades makes no more sense than locking into your landline. It's yesterday's technology.

This week the House voted to prevent DC from allowing non-citizens to vote. I opposed the bill. It was a pure gotcha vote from the majority, but the issues it raises are so interesting that I thought worth a thread this morning. Read along if you want to nerd out with me! 1. First, if this bill were to become law it would have no bearing outside of DC municipal elections. Voting yes or no is basically a question of whether you think Congress should constrain who votes for school board in a single specific municipality.

I’m glad to see the new FERC transmission rule. But let’s be clear: it is a tiny step in the right direction - and Christie’s objection highlights why it is so hard to do what needs to be done. Short thread: canarymedia.com/articles/trans… 1. First the good. More clarity on cost structures, better alignment between those who benefit from new transmission and those who pay for new transmission, more coordination with states, encouraging dynamic line ratings and other grid-enhancing tech. That’s all to be applauded.