Showing posts with label republicans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label republicans. Show all posts


WSJ Warns Conservatives Threatening to 'Torpedo' Trump's Agenda

The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board strongly criticized far-right House Republicans for considering blocking the Senate's budget plan, cautioning them that such actions would effectively sabotage the pro-Trump agenda they purportedly supported.

This occurs as the same board has also dismissed following President Donald Trump's aggressive actions For an extensive new tariff system that the board views as counterproductive, this development follows months of internal conflict between House and Senate Republicans regarding the precise approach to executing President Trump’s preferred agenda encompassing tax reductions, energy deregulation, and border control within one comprehensive plan likely to prompt voting along party lines.

Paving the way for the Senate’s reconciliation process is essential as it could enable a tax bill to be approved in the upper house with just 51 votes, thereby avoiding a potential veto from Chuck Schumer," stated the board. "House members who are holding back argue that the Senate’s proposal lacks sufficient spending reductions, and this is precisely their concern. Reconciliation measures typically contain broad ‘directives’ to various committees; for instance, the House instructed the Energy and Commerce committee to generate $880 billion in savings, presumably covering Medicaid, though specific policies were not detailed.

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ALSO READ: 'Supported our oppressor': MAGA supporters express outrage over Trump aide’s recent actions

These representatives from the House argue that the reductions in the Senate bill are comparatively insufficient; however, they fail to grasp how the budgetary procedure functions, fumed the board.

Republican senators argue that their proposed reductions only establish a minimum threshold for cuts, rather than setting a maximum limit. They structured the bill this way to adhere to the complex budget procedures of the Senate and ensure that the ultimate legislative measure can pass through the upper house without requiring sixty votes," the board stated. "This means that approving the Senate’s budget framework does not signify giving in on fiscal restraint at all. Additionally, Republican senators barely managed to reject an amendment aimed at eliminating the House’s targeted reduction of $880 billion from Medicaid; Senator Josh Hawley, known as a proponent of limited governance, actually supported the amendment despite his usual stance against such measures.

In conclusion, the same House lawmakers who voice the loudest complaints regarding expenditures might ultimately be the individuals ensuring that no control measures are implemented, according to the board’s findings.

This week, House Republicans face two options. They can approve the budget framework and begin crafting specifics of their spending reductions along with broader legislation. Alternatively, they could derail the budget process, leading to additional weeks of politically damaging activities that would please Democrats, according to the editorial board. The second option leads to no fiscal discipline and effectively amounts to a $4.5 trillion tax hike. Poor Speaker Johnson will likely find themselves repeatedly clarifying this fundamental truth throughout the week, the article continues.

Recommended Links:

  • "Destroying the global trade framework": Conservative Wall Street Journal editors criticize Trump
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  • 'Tax increase of historic proportions': Trump faces harsh headlines in conservative publication
  • "Heist": WSJ op-ed criticizes Trump’s "obsession with tariffs" from an ideological standpoint.
  • "Gulp": WSJ Editorial Board "perplexed" by Trump action poised to "disappoint" his own MAGA supporters


Senate Split: Indiana Senators Diverge on Trump's Tariffs

It’s difficult to imagine two senators more different when it comes to their stance on President Trump. sweeping tariffs then Republican Senators Todd Young from Indiana and Jim Banks.

Why it matters: The differing opinions of the state's two senators highlight the wider issue. divide in the GOP in sharp relief— the old guard free-traders vs. the party's new populist isolationists.

Zoom in: Although not entirely against it, Young undoubtedly has some reservations. He is among the seven Republicans who have endorsed this proposal. a bill To reinforce Congress's supervision over decisions regarding tariffs.

  • He additionally signed a letter requesting the White House clarify how Mexico and Canada could have tariffs removed, as confirmed by his team to DIWIDA.NEWS|.
  • "Farmers, manufacturers, and rural communities in Indiana are typically among the first to experience the effects of retaliation from other nations," Young posted on Tuesday .
  • "Although tariffs can serve as a valuable instrument, they pose significant risks if implemented without a well-defined approach—particularly for Indiana’s farmers and manufacturers who require stability," Young stated in his release, even though he supports combating unjust trading practices.

Banks has been vigorously belting out songs. The acclaim for the new tariffs and how they benefit Indiana.

  • He has highlighted reports indicating that both Honda and GM are stepping up car manufacturing in Indiana, attributing these developments to Trump's trade policies.
  • "The era of other nations exploiting America and our workforce is DONE," he said. posted on X last week.
  • President Trump is restoring high-paying employment opportunities in Indiana and guiding us toward an era of prosperity for our nation," Banks stated to DIWIDA.NEWS. "I am honored to align myself with him and completely endorse his 'America First' trade strategy.

Get the rundown of the biggest stories of the day with DIWIDA.NEWS |Daily Essentials.



Senators Graded: See How They Stack Up on Family Values Scorecard

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Following the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, those involved—including lawmakers, citizens, and lobbyists—have had an opportunity to look back at a session characterized by many newcomers.

An organization based in South Dakota developed its very own rating system.

Since 2015, Family Voice Action has been issuing scorecards. These scorecards include an array of legislation that the group backed, with lawmakers' support for these bills impacting their ratings.

"We adopt positions that advantage all families regardless of their political or religious views, so we do not specifically promote 'Scripture dictates this, thus this is how we should cast our votes.' Instead, we argue that 'this will benefit South Dakota residents and support the well-being of families within our state,'" stated Norman Woods, director of Family Voice Action.

Included among these bills is one that eliminates exceptions for librarians distributing potentially obscene materials, another that prohibits people from using restrooms that do not correspond with their designated sex, and a proposal mandating age checks for accessing explicit content on the internet.

"We shouldn't intentionally seek out mistakes. If we allow a twelve-year-old to access any website anytime and view whatever they desire, that might not be wise," Senator Carl Perry (R) of Aberdeen stated.

Senator Perry achieved a perfect 100% score, however, another legislator from the Republican party, who obtained the least favorable rating among all GOP senators, stated that some proposals did not align with his principles and thus he couldn’t support them.

"This scorecard doesn't truly reflect conservatism; genuine conservatives wouldn't undermine the First Amendment by suggesting they'd imprison librarians over offensive material," Senator David Wheeler (R) of Huron stated.

Woods stated that this scorecard was not intended to criticize any legislator but rather to evaluate how well the organization aligns with its principles.

“We like the Reagan quote of, ‘The person who agrees with you 80% of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20% traitor,’ so let’s say a legislator agreed or disagreed with us on the Ten Commandments Bill, that’s ok we can move on to the next issue,” Woods explained.

Woods stated that for 2026, he hopes those legislators will support Educational Savings Accounts, arguing that they will provide more opportunities for every student regardless of their financial situation or disabilities.



Pa. GOP Gathering: Trump, DOGE Dominate as Tariffs Fade into Background

HARRISBURG — While President Donald Trump ’s tariffs sent shockwaves via the stock market and concerns over trade conflicts across the global economy , Republicans at the biggest GOP event in Pennsylvania on Friday remained mostly unworried and were in celebratory spirits.

At the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, an annual gathering of Republican leaders in Harrisburg, lawmakers and grassroots party members praised Trump’s executive actions and his upheaval of the federal government through billionaire adviser Elon Musk The Department of Government Efficiency led by him has pledged to keep capitalizing on Trump’s momentum, particularly since the Democratic Party continues to be viewed unfavorably. Additionally, they strongly criticized Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, who is set to run for re-election next year.

"I am thrilled because our party emerges victorious," stated Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who secured the highest number of votes for a statewide candidate in Pennsylvania’s history during the recent election. She is now seen as a frontrunner for the governorship in 2026.

This meeting marked the party's first significant assembly. following its widespread victories in November And demonstrated the willingness of Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania to back Trump’s idea of significantly shrinking the federal government, even if it means enduring brief spells of market instability.

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick In a pre-recorded video interview with Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito, which was scheduled around his U.S. Senate commitments, he discussed how the recent swift changes in administration reflect the sense of urgency that Senator Trump experienced following an alleged assassination attempt in Butler last year. McCormick. was on stage with Trump during the campaign rally At the Butler Farm Show Grounds just seconds prior to when the shooting began.

“What he’s doing…is precisely what he promised,” McCormick stated. “Therefore, nobody in Pennsylvania or anywhere else across the nation should be caught off guard.” He continued, reflecting on the spiritual aspect, "He believes there’s a significant movement underway, and personally, I share that sentiment."

There were also stronger defenses of DOGE presented.

"DOGE represents a significant transformation that extends well past the scope of the New Deal, surpasses former President Bill Clinton’s incremental budget surpluses, and even eclipses Theodore Roosevelt’s initiatives against monopolies," radio host Chris Stigall stated at the beginning of the conference on Friday.

DOGE represents a technologically driven lifeline for a nation teetering on the edge of economic ruin," stated Stigall. "If DOGE manages to succeed, it could mark one of the most significant financial accomplishments since Alexander Hamilton’s foundational idea, and I truly think it has that much importance.

Ned Ryun, a conservative activist and the founder of the candidate development group American Majority, stated that he had no interest in Washington becoming "efficient."

I desire it broken into a billion fragments. That's the sole method we have to emerge victorious," he stated. "Given that waste, fraud, and abuse represent the corrupt outcome of a corrupted system, and this flawed system is essentially an overbearing bureaucracy.

Ryun expressed his hope for DOGE, which has already eliminated 216,000 positions from federal employees continues to reduce the staff.

"Take them out of the federal system permanently so they can’t return. This is only the beginning. Next, eliminate the Department of Education, demolish the structure, and construct a memorial plaza dedicated to our heroes atop the site," he stated.

These favorable sentiments towards DOGE and Musk extended to the audience, with multiple participants stating their backing of Musk’s efforts up until now.

"[Musk] has been a delightful unexpected pleasure," stated Judy Zabel, a resident of Pennsylvania since 2020, residing just outside Scranton.

The conference, ongoing until Saturday, also highlighted several unexpected victors from the GOP, such as State Senator Joe Picozzi, who is the first Republican to win this seat. representing portions of Philadelphia in the state Senate for two decades who participated in a discussion on engaging younger voters.

Picozzi stated, "You must take it directly to the community. You need to present a positive vision of what the future holds specifically within your neighborhood, precisely on your street."

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, Who removed long-serving Democratic Representative Matt Cartwright? In Northeast Pennsylvania, characterized Washington Republicans as being "united."

I would say that, generally speaking, Republicans are united," he stated. "They are completely aligned with one another. It’s clear that we share a common objective and a task that needs our collective effort.

Waving off tariffs

Many participants at the Friday conference mostly dismissed the tariffs unsettling the market, as companies prepare for uncertainty ahead.

"I'm tuned into what President Trump has to say, and I see no cause for doubt that he would be honest with us," stated Joe Phillips from Berks County, adding that the tariffs imposed by Trump are a reaction to how other nations handle goods coming in from America.

Philadelphia companies gear up for a new chapter in international commerce: 'Everything is uncertain'

He said, 'Do you want to impose tariffs on us? Well, we’ll hit you with tariffs too,' " Phillips commented. "What’s incorrect about that? I fully support it.

The speakers generally steered clear of the subject, but whenever they addressed it, they echoed Trump's viewpoint that a phase of adaptation would result in substantial long-term benefits.

I understand there are reasonable discussions around tariffs," stated Stigall, the conservative radio show host. "However, when we adjust for trade imbalances, this will lead to some market fluctuations and may cause temporary difficulties. Nonetheless, the reality is that our nation requires additional job opportunities as AI is rapidly advancing towards us.

©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.



Will Senate Dems Buckle to Trump to Avoid Government Shutdown?

The temporary funding measure that the Republicans in the House of Representatives passed on Tuesday put Democrats stuck in a predicament: Are they object to the bill and face a potential government closure Or do they back a proposal that drastically cuts governmental expenditure and enables Elon Musk to operate even more dominantly across multiple departments ?

At this point, they still haven't gotten any nearer to addressing that issue.

The legislation features significant reductions to key Democratic initiatives. It cuts funding for the CURES Act—which aims at speeding up the creation of medical treatments and getting them to patients—from $407 million down to $127 million. Additionally, it reduces support for programs intended for Native American communities.

Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland particularly pointed out how the legislation cuts funding for the police force in Washington, D.C.

"I want to make myself clear; there are numerous reasons to dislike the House Republican Continuing Resolution, this being one of them, and it does not save taxpayers a single cent," he stated. The Independent That clause concerning D.C. is entirely about Congress attempting to manage the District of Columbia and does not protect federal taxpayers.

Republicans gathered on Tuesday and succeeded in getting all Republicans except one - Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky was among those voting for the bill, with just one Democrat, Jared Golden from Maine, joining him in support. Following this occurrence, Democratic members in the House indicated that their colleagues in the Senate should adopt a firm stance against the legislation.

“This actually creates much more waste and much more of a slush fund, because there's far fewer of those reporting abilities for accountability,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent .

Progressive organizations undoubtedly will cause an uproar if Democrats team up with Republicans, yet Senator Chris Murphy Of Connecticut, a notably vocal member of the Democratic caucus, stated that he doesn’t consider things in that manner even though he plans to vote against the bill.

"My role is to do what’s best for both the nation and my state," he stated. The Independent. I have no intention of establishing slush funds for the president. My main objective is ensuring that critical services in Connecticut receive adequate funding, which this proposal fails to accomplish.

Other members of the Democratic Party appeared more ambiguous and acknowledged that the Republicans had outmaneuvered them. By pushing through the continuing resolution sans Democratic involvement before government funds depleted on Friday and subsequently heading into recess just as the Senate was also preparing to go into recess, they effectively challenged their opponents to approve the legislation.

"I haven't made up my mind about where I stand on voting yet, but I believe these are two very poor choices, and whichever one wins will likely cause harm to the people of Minnesota," Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota stated, noting her upcoming retirement. The Independent .

Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts offered a stronger condemnation of the bill.

"I have no idea how anybody could support this," she said. The Independent .

Historically, Democrats have been opposed to closing down the government. They position themselves as the party dedicated to effective governance. When Republicans grow weary of their tactics, Democrats step up with votes for continuing resolutions to avoidshutdowns, ensuring essential services continue uninterrupted.

Trump’s ability to make Republicans, even with tight margins in the House, fall in line, changes that dynamic.

Following the Democratic luncheon, neither Warren nor Smith addressed the press. They hurriedly returned to their offices instead. Those who spoke avoided direct responses. Rather than comment further, they discussed supporting a 30-day continuing resolution to keep discussions on funding ongoing.

“There’s an option to introduce a 30-day continuing resolution onto the floor and check if we have sufficient support for it,” Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona told The Independent .

Senator Alex Padilla from California comes from a state that is still recovering from wildfires. However, he presented a comparable solution to Kelly’s proposal.

"I believe the most effective approach is a 30-day continuing resolution, keep negotiating, and incorporate disaster relief," he stated. The bill omits support for those affected by wildfires, which could potentially derail the agreement.

However, the Republican majority in the House wouldn’t want to call their members back to Washington during an intended recess, particularly just to assist the Democrats.

As long as this continues, Democrats may find themselves caught between two poor options.

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