Showing posts with label senate. Show all posts

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Senate votes an impeachment of a private citizen without the Chief Justice 'CONSTITUTIONAL'

I am a big picture person.I am not in the slightest interested in political circus other than in interpreting where this is leading and chronicling history in the making.

CAPITOL OFFENSE:

DEMOCRATS READ TRUMP

THE RIOT ACT

Today on TruNews, we discuss the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump and how the stupid actions of a few are being used to punish and legally purge the rights and lives of Christians in America.

We also address the revelation that more FBI employees and psychological warfare officers were present at the Capitol Riots and we share the verified opinion of NFL legend Larry Johnson, that the halftime performance at the Super Bowl was a satanic ritual.

Rick Wiles, Doc Burkhart, Edward Szall, Matt Skow. Airdate 02/09/2021

Listen to the broadcast HERE

Here is the propagandistic montage put together

As discussed, is this not incitement to murder?

Senate Votes Trump

Impeachment Trial

Constitutional, Six

Republicans Break Ranks

Zero Hedge,

9 February, 2021

Update (1732ET): The US Senate on Tuesday voted 56-44 that it is constitutional to hold an impeachment trial against Former President Donald Trump.

Highlights:

Lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin played a video montage of Trump encouraging his followers to attend the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally, followed by footage of mayhem.

Raskin cited several conservative legal scholars who have said it's constitutional to impeach an official after they've left office.

He then listed examples of Constitutional framers discussing the threshold for impeachment, suggesting that it's "inconceivable" that it wouldn't apply to actions committed during a president's last few days in office.

Trump's counsel argued that Democrats want to impeach Trump to prevent him from running again in 2024, and conceded that the Trump legal team changed their presentation "on account that we thought that the House managers' presentation was well done."

Castor then argued that Democrats got what they wanted when Trump was voted out of office.

Schoen then showed a video of Democrats calling for Trump's impeachment beginning in 2017, before arguing that the House conducted a "snap impeachment" following the Jan. 6 riot.

He then argued that because Trump is a private citizen and cannot be removed from office, the trial is unconstitutional - with which 44 GOP Senators agreed.

The 56-44 vote means that the trial will begin in earnest tomorrow. All Democrats and the following six Republicans voted to proceed: Sens. Cassidy (R-LA), Romney (R-UT), Collins (R-ME), Toomey (R-PA), Murkowski (R-AK) and Sasse (R-NE).

* * *

Update (1602ET): Trump attorney Bruce Castor Jr. began Trump's legal defense by condemning those responsible for the violence at the Capitol.

"You will never hear anybody representing former President Trump say anything at all other than, what happened on January 6th in the storming and the breaching of the Capitol should be denounced in the most vigorous terms," he said, before arguing that it's unconstitutional for the Senate to hold a trial to convict a former president, and suggesting that Democrats are really impeaching Trump to bar him from running in the future.

Constitutional attorney Jonathan Turley, an impeachment witness during Trump's first Senate trial, appears largely unimpressed, though agreed with Castor making a "Rule 23" argument.

Turley then suggested Trump's legal team get to the heart of the constitutional question.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of Trump's first impeachment defense team, is similarly unimpressed - telling Newsmax "I have no idea what he is doing," referring to Castor (h/t @joshdcaplan).

* * *

Update (1547ET): House Democrats' lead impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin began the day playing a clip of Trump encouraging his supporters to show up at the Capitol - leaving out the part where Trump told them to conduct themselves "patriotically and peacefully." Raskin then showed a montage of the 'storming', recorded at least in part by a BLM activist who participated in the 'insurrection.'

At one point Raskin invoked his dead son, who committed suicide days before the 'insurrection.'

Raskin then asks if inciting the riot isn't an impeachable offense, nothing is - as Trump started a "violent insurrection."

Next, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) argued why the impeachment was constitutional, saying that the chamber has found on multiple occasions that a person can be tried after leaving office. Neguse then argued that if Trump is vindicated, officials could commit heinous acts and then just resign before an impeachment.

Next, Rep. Ciciline (D-RI) argued that impeachment 'protects our constitutional system' and safeguards Democracy - suggesting that things could have gotten far worse during the riot, as participants "could have killed" all of them.

* * *

Former President Trump's second impeachment trial begins on Tuesday, and is expected to begin at 1 p.m. ET. Up to four hours will be equally divided between the House impeachment managers and Trump's legal team to present arguments regarding the constitutionality of the trial.

The Senate will then hold a simple majority vote on whether the chamber has jurisdiction to try Trump. If it's a 'yes,' the trial will proceed on Wednesday - where House Managers and Trump's defense will each have 16 hours over two days to make their arguments.

Watch Live:

* * *

The big day has finally arrived: After weeks of lead-up, the first session in Trump's impeachment trial will feature presentations from both sides over the Senate’s authority to hear the case, followed by a vote on the matter, which would require a simple majority, and is expected to pass in the Democratic-controlled chamber.

As many as five GOP senators, including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, previously sided with Democrats on a question regarding the constitutionality of trying the former president, however at least 17 Republicans will need to join all 50 Democrats to reach the 67 votes required to convict Trump.

“Presidents do not get a free pass to commit high crimes and misdemeanors near the end of their term,” impeachment managers argued in a brief last week, regarding their contention that Trump incited the Jan 6. Capitol Riot, during which a small group of Trump supporters walked through an open door and 'stormed' the Capitol complex.

On Monday, Trump’s lawyers said the president didn’t incite the crowd and that the rioters who breached the Capitol “did so of their own accord and for their own reasons," adding that Trump used the word “fight” a “little more than a handful of times and each time in the figurative sense,” making no explicit mention of rioting. Defense attorneys added that the president was exercising his First Amendment rights.

Democratic impeachment managers, acting as prosecutors during the trial, responded in their own five-page brief, saying Trump “has no valid excuse or defense” for his actions. “His efforts to escape accountability are entirely unraveling."

This is how the trial is expected to unfold, via CNet:

Feb. 9: There will be four hours of debate equally divided between prosecutors and defense on whether the trial is constitutional, followed by a vote needing a simply majority to proceed
Feb. 10, 12:00 p.m. ET: House of Representatives will begin arguing its case; prosecutors and defense will have up to 16 hours each to present their arguments, with neither side permitted to present for more than eight hours per day
Feb. 12, 5:00 p.m. ET: The trial will break through Saturday
Feb. 14, 2:00 p.m. ET: The trial will reconvene Sunday
Arguments will be followed by four hours for senators' questions
If the House impeachment managers want to call witnesses or subpoena documents, there will be two hours of debate by each side followed by a Senate vote on whether to allow this
If witnesses are called, there will be enough time given to depose them, and for each party to complete discovery before testimony is given
Once witnesses and evidence is dealt with, there will be four hours of closing arguments divided evenly between the prosecutors and defense
Lastly will come the vote on conviction or acquittal, for which a two-thirds majority is required

Trump will not testify - having "immediately rejected" the opportunity following a letter from the House's lead impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asking the former president to testify under oath. Trump attorney Bruce Castor called the letter a "publicity stunt" before announcing the refusal - which the House will allege "supports a strong adverse inference regarding [his] actions and inaction on January 6."

In the off-chance Trump is convicted in the Senate, there will be a separate vote to bar him from running again - preventing a potential 2024 bid. It would require a simple majority where Vice President Kamala Harris would serve as a tie-breaker if needed. They can further disqualify Trump from the benefits given to former presidents in the Post Presidents Act - including pulling Trump's Secret Service security detail, travel allowance and pension.

Impeached presidents also can't be pardoned, according to CNet, which notes that if acquitted, Trump would have access to all benefits of former US presidents, and would be able to run again for public office.

The Right is rather silent about this today

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/breaking-senate-votes-56-44-proceed-impeachment-trial-private-citizen-donald-j-trump/

But no so, the Left that has the scent of blood

A divided US Senate voted to proceed with the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump after an emotional opening day in which the prosecution argued that the former president was singularly responsible for inciting the deadly assault on the US Capitol while the defense warned that the proceedings would further cleave a divided nation.

After nearly four hours of debate in the same chamber that was invaded by pro-Trump rioters on 6 January, the senators, now seated as jurors and sworn to deliver “impartial justice”, voted 56 to 44 on the question of whether there was a constitutional basis for putting an impeached former president on trial. Six Republicans joined all Democrats in an early victory for the prosecution that undermined one of the central pillars of Trump’s defense.

Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office, and the only president in American history to be impeached twice. But the assault on the Capitol, an event that one House impeachment manager called the “the framers’ worst nightmare come to life”, shook the nation and the world as loyalists to the former president stormed the seat of the American government in an effort to prevent Congress from formalizing Joe Biden’s victory. Though they ultimately failed, the domestic attack left five people dead and America’s commitment to a peaceful transfer of power tarnished.

Democrats use Trump trial to show sometimes symbolism is the point

Republicans’ near-uniform opposition to holding a trial strongly suggested that there were not enough votes in the chamber to convict the de-platformed, one-term president even after he brazenly sought to overturn his election defeat with baseless claims of a stolen election. At least 17 Republicans would have to join all Democrats to find Trump guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. A conviction would allow the Senate to disqualify him from ever again holding office.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/09/trump-impeachment-senate-vote-trial

Saturday, 20 January 2018

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

"No Deal" - Government Shutdown Inevitable, Blamescaping Begins

Zero Hedge,
19 January, 2018

Update 10pm ET:

*SENATE LACKS VOTES TO ADVANCE STOPGAP PLAN AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

The New York Times headline summed things up well: Senate Democrats Kill Bill to Keep Government Open Past Midnight

Despite last minute 'compromise' meetings, and continued "hopes" from various sides, The Senate failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to keep the government funded (even for a stopgap) and so, as of midnight tonight, the government will shut down.

John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican, said the two parties haven’t yet found an agreement that would provide short-term funding for the government with a little more than two hours before the deadline.

“No deal,” Cornyn said as the Senate prepared to take up a House-passed funding bill that Democrats have the votes to block.

A group of lawmakers has been working on a plan for a three-week funding bill that would give Democrats and Republicans time to negotiate a long-term compromise on immigration, the chief sticking point in the spending fight.

CNN's Phil Mattingly explained on air: "Democrats aren't looking for a reduction in time in the continuing resolution, they're looking for substantive policy, commitments, changes or actual legislative text before they are willing to come on board with that."

This is what America will wake up to...

This is the 19th US government shutdown in the last 40 years...

https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/20180119_shut.jpg

President Trump tweeted before the vote:

While the blame-scaping may have begun days ago, tonight has already seen a full court press of finger-pointing.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) blasted Congress on Friday as a government funding deadline approached, slamming the government as being “run by idiots.”

"Our country was founded by geniuses, but it's being run by idiots," Kennedy told reporters hours before the government was set to enter a shutdown.

Lindsey Graham issued a statement suggesting a three-week compromise CR to Feb 8th:

The White House has estimated 1056 staff will be furloughed during the shutdown.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Updated Contingency Plan For Shutdown Furlough

A. Summary of Contingency Plan

Should Congress not pass a Fiscal Year 2018 ("FY2018") appropriation or continuing resolution ("CR") by January 19, 2018, the Executive Office of the President ("EOP") would be without authority to incur any financial obligations in FY2018, with very limited exceptions, and would therefore implement a contingency plan for shutdown furlough (the "Contingency Plan"). The Contingency Plan entails placing an estimated I 056 ofthe 1715 EOP staff in furlough status ("Non-Excepted Staff'), while an estimated 659 EOP staff would continue to report to duty because they are (i) designated as excepted to perform emergency or excepted functions; (ii) Presidentially Appointed, Senate Confirmed staff; (iii) otherwise exempt from the Anti-deficiency Act; (iv) alternatively funded during a government shutdown (collectively, the "Excepted Staff'). Any EOP personnel that are other government employees ("OGEs" or "Detailees") would be furloughed or continue to report to duty at the discretion of their respective home agencies.

B. Implementation of Contingency Plan

Once it becomes clear that neither an appropriations bill nor a CR will be enacted prior to January 19, 2018, the White House Office of Management & Administration ("M&A") will notify EOP components to begin an orderly shutdown of unfunded functions. Non-Excepted Staff will receive shutdown and furlough notices. Detailees will be notified by their home agencies whether they are to be furloughed.

On Monday, January 22, 2018, Excepted Staff will report to duty. Non-Excepted Staff will also report on January 22, 2018, either in person or via telework for no longer than four hours and for the sole purpose of engaging in orderly shutdown activities. Each EOP component will issue instructions to their employees for orderly shutdown.

C. Specifics of EOP Component Contingency Plan

Each EOP component has carefully considered the number of personnel required not only to complete orderly shutdown activities but also to ensure that the emergency or excepted operations of each EOP component can be carried out during shutdown. The chart below summarizes component-by-component the Excepted Staff that will be required to sustain minimal emergency or excepted operations.

https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/20180119_shut1.jpg

Federal employees will work without pay:

https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/20180119_shut4.jpg

The question is - will government ever re-open? As Trump tweeted earlier, the Democrats want to shutdown to dim the success of the tax cuts; and as Goldman noted earlier, for every week of government shutdown, GDP growth will drop 0.2ppt.

CNN is reporting that House Democrats plan a 10am meeting tomorrow to discuss a stopgap bill.

The battle of the hashtags has begun - #RepublicanShutdown, #TrumpShutdown, or #SchumerShutdown.

All of which distract from the only hashtag that really matters currently - #ReleaseTheMemo.

* * *

Update (6:20 pm ET): Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says she will vote for a 5-day stopgap plan being hashed out by a group of senate Republicans. While Mulvaney has expressed optimism that a deal will be reached within the next 24 hours, Mark Meadows, leader of the House Freedom Caucus of conservative Republicans, said the 5-day agreement is a nonstarter - Which an administration insider confirmed.

Heitkamp represents North Dakota - a state where Trump won more than 60% of the vote in 2016 - and will be running for re-election in November. Her seat is viewed as vulnerable by some Republicans.

According to the Washington Post, Heitkamp also supported the Republican plan for a one-month extension, as did Indiana's Joe Donnelly and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin III. All three senators face a difficult path to reelection in heavily Republican states.

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell announced on the Senate floor that a procedural vote on the troubled 4-week extension has been scheduled for for 10 pm ET. Senate Democrats will meet at 8:30 pm ET.

* * *

Update (5:40 pm ET): OBM Director Mick Mulvaney says he "thinks there'll be a deal in the next 24 hours."

Meanwhile, a White House aide said a proposed 5-day bill is a non-starter - echoing sentiments expressed by Freedom Caucus head Mark Meadows.

* * *

Update (5:20 pm ET): Trump tweeted that he had an "excellent" meeting with Schumer, and that he's working with both Democratic leaders, as well as Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to hammer out a four-week extension.

* * *

Update (2:40 pm ET): Schumer has left the White House meeting with Trump...

He confirmed to reporters that "some progress" has been made, but that a deal has not yet been reached and "disagreements on several issues remain."

Nancy Pelosi says she believes a deal is "within reach."

Steny Hoyer appears to agree:

Citing an anonymous source at the White House, ABC is reporting that talks will continue..

* * *

Update (2 pm ET): House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions said the House will vote again tonight if Trump and Schumer manage to work out a separate deal.

* * *

Update: There is still no vote scheduled for the Senate, but that didn't stop John Cornyn, the Republican No. 2 in the upper chamber, from telling reporters that he expects a vote to be held "after lunch."

Meanwhile, Mark Meadows, leader of the House Freedom Caucus, said he understands a proposal for a five-day short-term fix has been rejected by the House.

According to the latest headline from the New York Times, Trump has invited Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to the White House t try and hammer out a last-minute deal.

Schumer has reportedly accepted, and is on his way to the White House to meet with Trump, who is addressing a crowd of supporters at the March for Life from the Rose Garden.

Fox News is reporting that Schumer has arrived at the White House.

Despite all of this, markets haven't shown much of a reaction...

* * *

Update: Hardly a surprise, Mulvaney and Short arrived more than a half hour late, then proceeded to blast Democrats as obstructionists for trying to force a shutdown.

They even have a name for it: "The Schumer Shutdown".

“This is an attempt by democrats led by Schumer - that’s why we’re calling it the Schumer shutdown - to embarrass the president,” Mulvaney said.

“They don’t oppose anything in there. They support chip they don’t want the cadillac tax to go into place they’ve always supported clean CRs. And again, it worked in the House - there were several Democrats who voted for it,” Mulvaney.

DACA doesn’t expire until March 5 - and therefore, doesn’t need to be dealt with until mid-February, Mulvaney said.

Unlike the last shutdown in 2013, federal parks will be open, Mulvaney said. But all federal employees will be working for nothing (that is, until their back pay is approved by Congress). The military, TSA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will also go to work, but they will not be paid.

As of now, it looks like the federal government expects the shutdown to happen - though Mulvaney said their version of the shutdown would be more "moderate" than the previous shutdown, which happened during the Obama years. Mulvaney accused the Obama administration of "weaponizing" the shutdown by ensuring that virtually all federal employees didn't show up for work.

While Mulvaney and Short were answering questions from the media, President Trump chimed in on twitter, chiding Democrats for opposing the bill. Trump blasted California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, tweeting a quote from her in the Washington Examiner: "Shutting down the government is a very serious thing...People die, accidents happen. I don't know how I would vote right now on a CR, OK?"

* * *

With the one-month stopgap spending bill stalled in the Senate, the White House is finally accepting the fact that there's little it can do to prevent the government from shutting down at midnight on Friday.

Trump has promised to remain in Washington - postponing a weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago - until the shutdown is averted or ended, and in order to keep the media apprised of what's about the happen, the White House is holding a press conference at 10:30 am ET.

Watch it live below:

The press conference will feature White House Legislative Director Marc Short and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, who only minutes ago warned that the odds of a shutdown were "50-50" - another way of saying "we have no idea what's going to happen."

According to the Hill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell adjourned the Senate until 11 a.m. Friday without scheduling a vote on the House measure, giving lawmakers just 13 hours to reach a deal to avert a shutdown. McConnell has vowed to keep the Senate in session until an agreement is reached. Democrats are digging in their heels, demanding that they receive some concessions on DACA, opioids and funding for Puerto Rico before assenting to another short-term spending bill.

One thing's for certain: Don't expect the steady stream of headlines to abate until late tonight...

Coverage from RT

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

From Reuters

U.S. government shutdown looms, lawmakers in hectic negotiations

From Breitbart

Live Updates – Schumer Amnesty Shutdown: Washington on Edge as Cliff Approaches

Washington, D.C., is on edge this Friday as Senate Democrats barrel the United States of America toward a government shutdown at midnight.

The House of Representatives, on a bipartisan basis, passed a bill that keeps the government open with 230 votes–and now its fate rests in the hands of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Senate Democratic conference, who would be solely responsible for a government shutdown if it happens. The Senate overwhelmingly on Thursday evening voted for a motion to proceed onto the bill, but now the funding measure needs 60 Senators to vote for it to eventually pass. Since only 47 Republicans are definitely yea votes, that means Republicans need at least 13 Senate Democrats to vote to fund the government.

The Democrats are pushing for this shutdown because they are hellbent on getting amnesty for a significant population of illegal aliens who were recipients of the unlawful Barack Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive amnesty program. The White House and congressional Republicans have been more than willing to offer a deal and proposal to handle this problem, but the Democrats have been unwilling to give up chain migration, the visa lottery, and funding for President Trump’s planned border wall.

Seemorerocks

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Senate votes an impeachment of a private citizen without the Chief Justice 'CONSTITUTIONAL'

Saturday, 20 January 2018

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

"No Deal" - Government Shutdown Inevitable, Blamescaping Begins

Dianne Feinstein flips her position on shutdown for second time in one day: 'People will die'

Coverage from RT

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

From Reuters

U.S. government shutdown looms, lawmakers in hectic negotiations

From Breitbart

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Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Senate votes an impeachment of a private citizen without the Chief Justice 'CONSTITUTIONAL'

Saturday, 20 January 2018

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

"No Deal" - Government Shutdown Inevitable, Blamescaping Begins

Dianne Feinstein flips her position on shutdown for second time in one day: 'People will die'

Coverage from RT

Govt shutdown imminent as Senate fails to pass funding

From Reuters

U.S. government shutdown looms, lawmakers in hectic negotiations

From Breitbart