The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is being considered now in the US Senate. It looks like it will be debated on the Senate floor on Nov. 29th. I frankly think it is too late to hope to vote down this monstrosity. It is $778 Billion, which is $25 bilion more than Biden/the Pentagon requested and $37 billion more than the last one approved during the Trump Administration. Bernie Sanders is proposing an amendment which would set the limit at 90% of ($778-$37), which may get some votes, and is worth advocating for.
The more pragmatic purpose for my writing is to urge you to contact the offices of Ernst (202 224-3254) and Grassley (202 224-3744). There are amendments which will hopefully be part of the NDAA debate. Sen. Ernst needs to be urged to repeal the 2002 AUMF. Sen. Grassley has already signed on to that repeal effort. In your call to Grassley, you might extend thanks (while holding your nose) for his decision to repeal.
BOTH Ernst and Grassley need to be asked to support the restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and end US support for the Yemen war. I believe Sanders ,Lee, and Paul are cosponsors (strange bedfellows). If anything good is to come out of this NDAA, those two objectives are important and achievable.
There are lots more items (including the kitchen sink) in the bill, which you may wish to advocate for or against. Please call ASAP, and if you get no one, call again, for sure before Nov. 30.
No matter how precarious things seem there is always something to be thankful for. Here is my list of things and people I am truly grateful for on Thanksgiving 2021 as America the idea struggles to survive and we all struggle to cope with the post-TFG fallout. Feel free to share your gratitudes in the comments.
1 – Joe Biden won the 2020 election beating TFG by over 7 million votes. 81,284,666 the most votes for any presidential candidate in U.S. history.
2 – Covid vaccines and boosters are available in America and free for anyone who wants one.
3 – Humans haven’t managed to destroy the planet yet.
4 – Iowans will get through this November without a huge snow dump that stays on the ground until February.
5 – Jen Psaki for never being bested by members of the White House press corps no matter how hard they try and for making them look bad without even trying.
6 – Art Cullen who will single-handedly save local journalism if anyone can.
7 – Rob Sand for shocking David Yepsen by pointing out on Iowa Press that Governor Reynolds did nothing about the pandemic.
8 – Jen Senko, writer, director and producer of The Brainwashing of My Dad the award winning documentary outlining the rise of right wing media in America. For telling her personal story that is having an impact.
9 – Heather Cox Richardson for reminding us every day that everything happening now is rooted in American history.
11 – BFIA co-editor and friend Dave Bradley who is often referred to as Iowa’s Jim Hightower for his folksy, insightful political analysis.
12 – Long time, steadfast regular BFIA contributor, friend and sometimes editor Paul Deaton who is as committed to making the effort to save democracy as anyone I know.
13 – Friend and BFIA founder, the amazing, fun, and brilliant Dr. Alta Price.
14 – And last but not least Howard Dean who, light years ahead of his time, declared that if elected, his first act as president would be to break up big media. May this come to pass.
Let’s be clear about Carbon Capture and Sequestration: it is an unproven technology to enable fossil fuel use when society should be turning away and leaving fossil fuels in the ground. Among the problems with the technology is our government supports it to the tune of $8.5 billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently signed into law by President Joe Biden. There is more money for CCS in the Build Back Better Act as currently written. Why would our government do that?
The answer is a familiar one. Oil, gas and coal interests have too much invested to let go of their extraction and distribution operations. During negotiations between the White House and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, support for CCS was included in both bills. Manchin’s vote was needed to pass the legislation.
In addition to funding CCS technology, the Biden administration appointed a prominent supporter of it, Brad Crabtree, a coal ally and longtime carbon capture advocate, to serve as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. While negotiations over the infrastructure bills were private, Manchin is said to have had a hand in Crabtree’s nomination. Oil, gas and coal advocates let loose a loud cheer of approval upon the announcement.
The question is whether substantial government investment in CCS via the infrastructure bills was a poison pill for environmentalists. Only a few people are asking that question here in Iowa, and fewer still knew what was in the bills. Inclusion of CCS was apparently not too toxic for environmental hawks in the U.S. Congress as it was accepted as part of the sausage-making process of creating legislation.
The partisan lines are clearly drawn. The Republican view of climate action is “with innovative technologies, fossil fuels can and should be a major part of the global solution.” Most Democrats “support increased domestic renewable energy development, including wind and solar power farms, in an effort to reduce carbon pollution. The party’s platform calls for an ‘all of the above’ energy policy including clean energy, natural gas, and domestic oil, while wanting to become energy independent.” It’s no wonder CCS made it into the first infrastructure law, and will into the second if it is passed by the Congress.
The Iowa governor’s task force on carbon sequestration quickly led to Iowa going all-in on the technology, with two proposed Iowa projects. The Iowa Sierra Club opposes them.
We want real climate solutions – not greenwashing schemes!
Iowa has two new pipeline proposals. Both are centered around Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The lines would carry captured carbon from ethanol plants. CCS is very complicated but when you boil it down, the basic premise is that it captures the carbon and stores it underground (CCS) or it captures the carbon and uses it for industrial purposes. Both Summit and Navigator pipelines claim that they are going to permanently store the CO2 underground, but we have strong evidence that Summit will use the CO2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). EOR is the process of pumping CO2 into dwindling oil fields to get the last bit of oil out of the ground. The two pipelines in Iowa are being offered as false climate solutions, especially if they will be utilized for enhanced oil recovery and extending the life of coal-fired power plants and the ethanol industry.
We already know the solutions to our climate crisis – we must end our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in solar, wind, battery storage, conservation and efficiency!
There has been a lot of wrangling back and forth in Congress, but the House finally passed the Build Back Better agenda! President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda will be the biggest investment in rural America in my entire lifetime.
Here’s why this is going to be a huge deal for every rural community in America:
✅ Provides Universal preK for every 3 and 4 year old in America
✅ Expands the child tax credit to help parents make ends meet
✅ Lowers healthcare costs and improves Medicaid coverage
✅ Reduces the cost of prescription drugs, including insulin
✅ Expands Medicaid coverage for elder care and for people with disabilities
✅ Assists farmers, forestland owners and ranchers in reducing carbon emissions
✅ Creates a Civilian Climate Corps to put people to work fighting climate change
Now, Build Back Better will head to the Senate for a final vote before it heads to the president’s desk. It is absolutely imperative that all 50 Senate Democrats pass this bill. After the Virginia election showed Democrats losing even more ground in rural areas, Democrats must show rural voters how their leadership will change their lives for the better.
The Build Back Better Agenda represents Democrats’ best chance at proving that they are the party that fights for working people. We must get it done!
The John Deere strike is over but labor issues are always out there. America’s Work Force Radio is the only daily labor radio program in the U.S. and has been on the air since 1993. Check out this interview with Dave Leshtz.
Poster Nance Greggs on democraticunderground.com commented on Republican propensity of Republicans to go to a standard “both sides do it” when they get questioned about violent or treasonous behavior. This way of ducking questions was most recently seen as Congress member Paul Gosar was held to account for his vicious anime tweet aimed at Congress Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the President.
We also see this “both sides do it” in any conversation about the January 6th coup attempt. Usually they bring up bugaboos ‘enemies’ such as Antifa – which doesn’t exist – or Black Lives Matter, which is not a violent organization.
When Republicans are caught lying, stealing, taking away people’s rights, encouraging violence, and blatantly demonstrating their own treason to their country, they always fall back on the same old meme: Both sides do it.
If that’s the case, they can easily prove it by doing the following:
Show me the footage of pro-maskers threatening unmasked schoolchildren on their way to school.
Show me the footage of pro-vaxers surrounding anti-vaxers while screaming “we know where you live!” as they attempt to leave school board meetings.
Show me the footage of elected Democrats inciting their constituents to violence.
Show me the footage of Democrats marching with tiki torches yelling “Jews will not replace us!”
Show me the footage of Democrats deliberately driving their cars into crowds of Republican protestors.
Show me the footage of the so-called liberal media editing a Trump speech to make it appear he said something he didn’t say.
Show me the footage of a liberal declaring that Republicans torture and kill babies, and then eat them.
Show me the footage of a Democratic congressman/congresswoman refusing to mask-up or go through a metal detector before entering the Capitol.
Show me the footage of an in-office Democrat outlining their plans to suppress the vote.
Show me the footage of a Democrat comparing public health mandates to the suffering and death of Holocaust victims.
And while you’re at it, show me the footage of Democrats attacking the Capitol, destroying the building, beating cops – and wiping their own shit on the floors and walls while they’re at it.
Given that we live in an age where virtually everything is filmed – by TV camera crews, professional videographers, and amateurs armed with a phone – such footage should be easily accessible.
So let’s see it, Republicans – roll the tape.
Someday soon, when a Republican starts with the “both sides do it” argument we may see the interviewer say “give me some specific documented examples, please.”
Oh, BTW, the only Antifa I ever heard of, my late father-in-law was a part of. He went calling on Hitler on Omaha Beach in Normandy June 6th, 1944.
Well, more of us will be able to gather this year with family and friends thanks to President Biden and his administration’s aggressive policy of distribution of covid vaccines and boosters for all age groups.
Conversely, thanks to the Republican Party, Fox News and “leaders” like “Covid” Kim Reynolds we can’t fully open society yet. And thanks to those who refuse to be vaccinated, people are still getting ill and way too many are dying. But worst of all they give the corona virus a place to mutate and undo all the great work that science has done to combat it. It is as if we had a Nazi division in our Army during WWII.
But we will try to lighten it up a bit today – including some holiday jokes.
A) “Democrats in disarray! Democrats in disarray!” They could barely pass the Build Back Better bill in the House Friday with how many Democrats voting for the bill?
B) A belated happy birthday for yesterday to what major politician in this country?
C) Who served as president for a short period while the President underwent a medical procedure under anesthesia Friday?
D) Paul Gosar, representative from Arizona, joined an elite list of 8 members of the US House since 1900 to be censured. What did he do to be censured?
E) What was the Native American Tribe that shared the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
F) In an unusual move Travis McMichael did what during his trial in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery?
G) The FDA Friday authorized booster shots for what group of people in the US?
H) What European country has enacted lockdowns on unvaccinated citizens and will make vaccinations mandatory in February?
I) Iowa is expected to get how much for infrastructure building and repair from the infrastructure bill signed this week by President Biden?
J) What president was the first to pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving?
K) Iowa’s Republican House members voted which way in the Paul Gosar censure?
L) What drugstore chain announced it will close nearly 1000 of its stores over the next 3 years?
M) Kyle Rittenhouse was found guilty or not guilty of all charges Friday?
N) Tomorrow is the 58th anniversary of what American tragedy?
O) President Biden this week met with leaders from what other countries in the White House?
P) What Iowa state official has come under scrutiny for using federal pandemic money to pay staff salaries?
Q) What former presidential advisor turned himself in Monday on Contempt of Congress charges?
R) Tensions continue with migrants caught between what two European countries?
S) For the first time in our history over 100,000 people died from what during a rolling 12 month period?
T) President Biden named what former mayor to oversee the $1 Trillion infrastructure spending?
Extra!) Approximately how many turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving in the US?
Minutes after being censured for posting an animated video of him killing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paul Gosar reposted the same video on Twitter because Republican voters don’t care if their representatives make their lives better as long as they make others’ lives worse. – Middle Age Riot
As I write this on Friday there are rumors in Washington that the short reign of Louis DeJoy as Post Master General will be coming to an end fairly soon. He has been a disaster in this role. Apparently he saw his role as the person who would come in and destroy the USPS and then sell the parts off to corporations for pennies on the dollar.
His main contribution to America was to cause disruption in the election process by having machinery purposely destroyed and by having procedural slow downs meant to affect the election in the favor of Republicans. Never has any Post Master nor as far as I know any governmental department leader done so much damage on purpose.
His job is in the hands of the USPS Board of Governors. The USPS board of Governors appears to be ready for a major change as the terms of a Trump loyal Democratic member and a a Republican member are about to come to and end.
Hopefully we can expect Biden to appoint members to the Board of Governors who will be less concerned about politics and more concerned about customer service. The Postal Service has a long and proud history which has been undermined by DeJoy.
The process for replacing members of the Board of Governors is that the President nominates Board members and the Senate confirms. I would suspect that Mitch McConnell will do all he can to slow walk this process. He and the Republican Party will see a damaged USPS as an election plus for them heading into the mid-term elections next year.
Once the Board is filled they can go about the business of firing DeJoy and replacing him. As noted in the previous paragraph it will probably become yet another of the Republican strategy to undermine the government and blaming it on Democrats.
After DeJoy is removed, let us hope the Justice Department does the right thing and investigates DeJoy for the sabotage of the USPS. With millions of dollars of equipment destroyed and business practices designed to undermine their ability to do their job someone should be accountable. Sending DeJoy to jail would send a message that saboteurs will be accountable.
Along with removing and investigating DeJoy, Congress needs to fix the laws that forced the USPS to fund retirement andhealth benefits 75 years in the future. No other business is under such rules. These rules were enacted at a time when the USPS was investigating changing their vehicle fleet to all electric vehicles.
By forcing the USPS to fund these benefits, the USPS had no more money for such improvements. This plunged the USPS from a profitable organization to an organization that now runs annual debts. This had the added benefit (to Republicans) of making the most unionized workforce in the country in jeopardy of their company going under.
As we look forward to the year’s end and the coming of new hope in the new year, let us hope that the USPS once again becomes the business it is supposed to be. Let us hope DeJoy is fired, and charges are brought for the sabotage he committed. Let us also hope Congress repeals the laws passed to handicap the USPS in 2006.
Let us also hope the USPS can go back to its role of delivering mail and no longer be used as a weapon of Republicans. American lives depend on it.
Iowa’s Republican delegation will go along almost certainly. It is not like they care about you.
Well we come off another stellar week for Iowa’s Republican contingent in the US House of Representatives. After Arizona representative Paul Gosar tweeted out a sickening video of an anime cartoon of himself slicing off the head of fellow congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said enough. She called for a censure vote on Gosar’s implied threat of physical harm.
Had Gosar been working in any other public or private business in the US and had so very blatantly threatened a fellow worker, he would have been shown the door immediately. Yet that is not the way it works in the US House. We had to have a hearing AND a vote by his peers on whether his behavior was reprehensible.
Amazingly, despite the threat being clear in the video, nearly every Republican voted that Gosar’s behavior was OK. When I say ‘nearly’ every Republican I mean that all republicans approved of Gosar’s behavior by either voting “NO” he should not be censured or by not voting. The two Republicans that did vote to censure Gosar were Lynn Cheney and Adam Kissinger.
Note that among those APPROVING of Gosar’s behavior were Iowans Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Randy Feenstra and Ashley Hinson. APPROVING! You might also recognize that this tremendous trio of people who do not represent Iowans views in Congress joined together to vote AGAINST the much heralded infrastructure bill a couple of weeks ago.
But surely you can expect each one of them to be at ribbon cutting ceremonies when money from the infrastructure bill is used for much needed bridge repairs and more bridge repairs as Iowa’s bridges are about the worst in the country. Miller-Meeks, Hinson and Feenstra will be doing all they can to take credit in an election year.
Earlier in the year they stuck together to try to sink the stimulus check in the spring. This was followed by a round of taking credit for the stimulus checks. Misdirection and lies is what they do.
Right now we are on the cusp yet again of congress refusing to raise the debt ceiling so the US can’t pay the bills that have been voted on by congress. Rather than do the right thing, pay our bills, Iowa’s three amigos will waste our time and that of the media claiming the bills we refuse to pay were run up by Democrats – which they will say with a sneer.
Of course that is a lie. The largest portion of the debt was run up under the last 4 Republican presidents – Reagan, Bush, Bush and Trump. These debts were run up as huge tax cuts to the rich which did nothing to create economic stimulus, wars which we never paid for and the worst possible response to an emergency in history.
According to Janet Yellen we have until December 15th to raise the ceiling or economic Armageddon will rain down on the world. But she said we better have the debt ceiling raise ready to go long before that or we will see the foundations of the world economy start to tremble, causing early damage.
Based on what Iowa’s Republican representatives do and say they have no conception of what the debt ceiling is.Must be nice to know so little about your job and still get paid so much. Rather than try to learn what their role is, Iowa’s Republicans will be using valuable time just trying to blame somebody else and trying o make election gold while the world’s economic system trembles.
Of course what they are hoping for is that once again Democrats will save the day and raise the debt ceiling with time to spare. Then Iowa’s 3 House Republicans and two senators will claim they saved the economy from– wait for it – Democrats. Then they will go on carping and misleading on the debt while they refuse to do the one thing that could really help the debt. That is to raise taxes on the wealthy so they are paying as much as secretaries and teachers.
As a side note, the Build Back Better Bill passed with all Republicans in opposition. That means Iowa’s three Republican representatives voted against things like middle class tax cuts and negotiating drug prices by Medicare including life necessary drugs like insulin, whose price is way out of line today in America and Iowa.
Left-Right Paul Deaton and Ed Flaherty, Vets for Peace
The public is hungry for peace, but have little idea of what it looks like or how to get there. PLEASE come, if you can, to the east side of the Pentacrest in Iowa City on the UI campus on Friday afternoon, Nov. 19th from 3:30-4:30. Even if you can stay only 15 minutes your presence and voice are important. Bring a lawn chair if you wish, bring a sign if you wish. There will be signs and handouts available.WEAR A Mask!
Pedestrian traffic and auto traffic will be heavy. We are needed now more than ever. Let us talk with each other and the 100’s of students we’ll see. This is a very pregnant time for the country, and shall the birth be a new determination for peace, or a doubling down on the rhetoric of the past 20 years?
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
Blog For Iowa 