Affordable Housing In Iowa Threatened By Out Of State Corporations

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Trish Nelson

Mom and pop owned mobile home parks across Iowa and the U.S. are being bought up by greedy out of state companies that then drastically increase the cost to live there. New owners have been jacking up rents as much as 50-70% forcing residents out of their homes in some cases, or to have to choose between medicine and rent.  Sometimes there are lengthy, incomprehensible, take-it-or-leave-it contracts that are decidedly unfriendly to the home owner.  Owning a mobile home has been a source of affordable housing for seniors, people on disability and low wage workers.  Until now.

State Senator Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) has shown great leadership on this issue and chaired a hearing Saturday with testimony from park residents around the state as well as representatives from the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association and others.

We are starting to understand the reality of what is happening across this state.

Every single voice that we heard in this room is just one part of a story that is unfolding across Iowa. It is my deep hope that the mom and pop operators in this state who for a long time have done the right thing and who we heard a lot of affection for today, will do the right thing, that they will continue to make affordable housing an option for residents and that they will join us in fighting back against rent gouging from greedy out of state corporations who don’t see Iowans, they see dollar signs. We need help. We hear that there is an openness to working with the legislature. I deeply hope that is sincere… It is my hope that the Iowans in this room will work together to protect this state, the Iowans across this state who are hurting because we deserve better than what is happening right now.

For this to advance we will need a bipartisan – Democrats and Repbulicans in the house and senate – working together to put people first. Don’t just lobby your own legislators. Encourage your friends and family across the state to get in touch with their respresentatives and senators to make sure they are hearing from people in their districts about what is happening across the state.

Listen to the heart wrenching testimony of Iowans who are being affected.

“Nobody else in my park seemed to want to stand up so here I am. Before I was paying $265 a month water included. Rent increased $30 and I’m now paying an extra $107 a month for water so far… The new contract (47 pages) stipulated it wants to be the beneficiary of our homeowner insurance… We expect it to get worse before it gets better. I’m sure it’s not going to get better.” – Angela, Muscatine ” –

“10 years ago I bought a mobile home and I came off of section 8 and now I’m getting back on it in a place that won’t accept it even though it’s my own home… If Iowa is going to open the door to this type of business then Iowa needs to protect Iowans. My question is what will you do to protect home owners from the lack of laws to protect us?” ” – Sue Ellen, Dubuque

“They gave us a contract. We got a lawyer to help us understand what was going on… They didn’t like us getting a lawyer that wasn’t their lawyers.. The contract was that we were to pay 302% more for fifteen years. After 15 years we were supposed to get a mortgage to finance the remainder.. ” – Marguerita, Iowa City

“Have had to apply for heating assistance to stay in my home.”- Michelle, Dubuque

No Republicans were present at this hearing.

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House Passes Loebsack’s Broadband Data Act

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Trish Nelson

The House unanimously passed legislation Dave authored to improve the accuracy of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadband availability maps. Dave’s Broadband DATA Act changes the way broadband data is collected, in order to best know where high speed broadband is actually needed.

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List Of Iowa Impeach And Remove/Nobody Is Above The Law Rallies Tuesday

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Trish Nelson


There are events planned in Iowa City, Des Moines, Dubuque, Red Oak, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City.  These are the ones we know about as of Sunday evening, so check the Moveon.org website on Monday if your town isn’t listed or if you would like to plan an event.

ALL EVENTS ARE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 5:30

SIOUX CITY
FEDERAL BUILDING

IOWA CITY
Ped mall near the fountain

CEDAR RAPIDS
U.S. Federal Courthouse
We will rally outside the Cedar Rapids offices of Senators Grassley and Ernst to show our support for impeachment. We will not allow this president to destroy our democracy. Please note we are rallying on the “back” side of the courthouse, in city parking lot #44.

DES MOINES
Iowa Capitol Building
Front Lawn

DAVENPORT
Chuck Grassley’s office and Joni Ernst’s office
We will be rallying the night before the vote to impeach. This will be at the offices of Senior Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst in Davenport IA. Once our group is activated we will be on site setting up.
Directions: We will be at the First Bank building on the corner of 2nd and Main, Downtown Davenport

DUBUQUE
Washington Park

RED OAK
Fountain Square Park
On Dec 17, the anticipated night before the House of Representatives takes a historic vote to impeach Trump, the people will gather in cities and towns across the United States in order to: ACT in solidarity with others across the Nation; HONOR our responsibility to protect the Constitution; DEMAND that our Representatives and Senators execute their Constitutional duty to impeach and remove President Trump; and, COLLABORATE to develop next steps in our work to safeguard American democracy. This is a time to speak out, not celebrate. If you want to participate in a smaller event outside of a metro area, in Joni Ernst’s hometown, please join us!
Directions: Fountain Square Park is in the heart of downtown Red Oak and is in the center of the city square. Gather at the stage in the NE corner near the intersection of 3rd and Reed Streets.

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Impeach & Remove Events are ON: The Nobody Is Above the Law network has activated.

Events are called for Tuesday, December 17th at 5:30 p.m. local time, but check your local event for a confirmed time and location. Numerous reports indicate that the House will vote on impeachment on Wednesday. December 18th.

Nobody Is Above the Law. That’s why we’re calling on Congress to Impeach & Remove Donald Trump. 

The night before the House of Representatives takes a somber vote to impeach Trump, we’ll head to every congressional office and public square to declare that Nobody Is Above the Law as representatives finalize their positions and senators look on.

Join this historic nationwide mobilization on the eve of Trump’s impeachment vote: RSVP for an event near you or sign up to host one. Events will be visible, family-friendly, public gatherings to demonstrate to our lawmakers that their constituents are behind them to defend the Constitution—and that Trump has left them no alternative to uphold their oath of office but to support impeachment and removal.

moveon.org/event/impeach-and-remove

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Sunday Funday: Longest Night Edition

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Dave Bradley

I am back with more questions and hopefully correct answers.

First let me thank colleagues Trish Nelson and Paul Deaton for covering for me the last couple of weeks as we went to visit family. Our family is getting quite far flung now so it is no longer just a short drive to say hi. Now we must plan to say hello.

Secondly may I remind you or possibly introduce you to the celebration of Longest Night or as it is known in Iran, Yalda. We have a friend from Iran who told us about this day many years ago when I asked her what celebrations her culture had at the solstice. As she told us Longest Night is quite the blowout for some. It is one of the most widely celebrated fests in the world.

For those of us who need little excuse to party, here is another excuse. (2.5 minutes)

What’s been happening?

  1. Due to election results in Britain Thursday it looks like what controversial policy will be completed by the end of January?
  1. The Iowa Board of Regents entered into an agreement with a French company that will run what at the U of Iowa in exchange for what appears to be a billion dollar loan?
  1. The Inspector General of what cabinet department said the FBI did NOT engage in spying on presidential candidates?
  1. Former presidential candidate Kamala Harris is leading a group senate Democrats in calling for the immediate removal of what senior administration advisor?
  1. Now that new Kentucky Governor Andy Beshears has restored voting rights for felons, what state(s) continue to keep felons from voting?
  1. What cabinet member is getting sever backlash from House Democrats as her department fails to fully forgive loans that were given for fraudulent schools?
  1. Congress passed the new budget which included money for what new branch of the military?
  1. The Chosen One tweeted that who has “anger management problems”?
  1. What was the background that caused the Chosen One to target the above individual?
  1. What former Iowa congress member died last week? Notable because he was a Democrat in what is now an overwhelmingly Republican district.
  1. Today is the 349th birthday of which of the the world’s greatest composers? Hint: he brought us Joy.
  1. What giant company won a major NLRB settlement that stated a company is not responsible for labor violations of its franchisees and is not “joint employer”?
  1. What former White House physician and Navy Rear Admiral who was publicly disgraced following a Chosen One physical filed to run for congress in Texas last week?
  1. The Arctic passed a major and very worrisome milestone last week when it began emitting more what than it captured?
  1. How many articles of impeachment were sent forward by the House Judiciary Committee Friday?
  1. Merriam-Webster, the dictionary folks, picked what as their word of the year last week?
  1. Burleigh County, North Dakota came within one vote of blocking what in their county? They would have been the first in the country.
  1. “Blue New Deal” is a proposal by what Democratic presidential candidate that will deal with the health of the oceans?
  1. Sanna Marin, age 34, is the new PM of what European country?
  1. White Island in New Zealand was the site of what natural disaster last week?

Trump brought in Pam Bondi to help him come up with an impeachment strategy and they apparently settled on “make fun of a teenager.” – Adam Parkhomenko (hat tip to allhatnocattle.blogspot.com)

Answers:

  1. Brexit!
  1. The utilities for the U of Iowa
  1. Department of Justice
  1. Stephen Miller
  1. Iowa
  1. Betsy DeVos of Education
  1. The Space Force
  1. Greta Thunberg
  1. Thunberg was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine. Someone was very jealous.
  1. Berkely Beddel
  1. Ludwig von Beethoven
  1. McDonald’s
  1. Ronny Jackson
  1. Carbon
  1. Two
  1. “They”
  1. Refugee resellers. Burleigh county is home to the state capital of Bismarck
  1. Elizabeth Warren
  1. She(!) is the new PM of Finland
  1. A volcano eruption

video 5.5 minutes:

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Merry Christmas: Republicans Cut SNAP Benefits

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Dave Bradley

 

This would be bad news no matter what time of year it was announced, but announcing cutbacks to food programs just before the holidays seems particularly cruel. For this current administration it is par for the course in their treatment of children. The fact that no Republican anywhere put up a fight for the poor is no surprise.

These cutbacks are expected to affect 700,000 recipients and save $5 billion over 5 years. Not too surprisingly, the effects will not be limited to 700,000 as families and communities will also suffer. The billion dollars a year is such a small blip in the sea of federal government spending. This os but a few hours of spending for the Pentagon.

Nathalie Baptiste at Mother Jones magazine did some research into what these cutbacks will mean. Here  are some excerpts from her story:  

“The Trump Administration issued a draconian rule in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that will cut off basic food assistance for nearly 700,000 of the nation’s poorest and most destitute people,” Robert Greenstein, the president and founder of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said in a statement

<<snip>>

“These are folks who are already living on the edge,” says Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, the executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. She adds, “It is our national nutrition safety net and it serves 40 million Americans. I’ve never witnessed anything like this. It’s a deliberate attack.” Unsurprisingly, the rule will hit communities of color and people living in rural areas the hardest.

Despite conservative rhetoric, able-bodied adults without dependents who receive SNAP are some of the poorest Americans. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, their average income is 18 percent of the poverty line. Their average monthly SNAP benefits are approximately $165 a month. For many of them, because they are adults without children or other dependents, these are the only federal benefits they are eligible for.

<<snip>>

Along with gutting a crucial benefit for the poor, the new Trump administration rule could also affect grocery stores in rural {ed. note – this will affect areas in Iowa} and other high-need areas where many customers use SNAP. “Grocery stores are not going to stay in those communities,” Hamler-Fugitt says. “That’s a quality-of-life issue for everyone.” She notes that food banks won’t be able to serve as a stand-in for federal food assistance. “Do not think for one minute that food banks and pantries can fill this gap.” (my bolding – ed.)

It seems readily apparent that the target are poor people living in the cities. Our myth is that that is where those “sponging” off the government are located. As usual the myth is wrong and the administration’s shotgun approach will as usual hit unintended victims. In this case it will hit the poor living in rural areas and small town. This is the Republican base and similar to the same groups that took the most direct hits from the current president’s poorly thought out and executed tariff policies.

The Food Stamp program – now SNAP – began in the late 1930s as a way to feed the poor and hungry in the cities at a time when farms were destroying over production. Rather than waste the good food, the food stamp program was created. This is still one of the purposes of the program. So SNAP not only helps the poor, it also creates a market for farmers.   

 

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Be Sure To Add Ernst To This List

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Dave Bradley

Houston Police Chief went off on a much needed rant the other day calling out politicians whose cowardice in the face of the NRA he felt led to the death of one of his officers in a domestic dispute (1.3 minutes):

In the category Acevedo called “others” the first name I would include would be Joni Ernst. In what has to be one of the most cynical of political moves I have ever heard of, Ernst introduced a bill to replace the elapsed Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with a bill that would allow partners in temporary domestic violence situations to have guns.

From a previous post on blogforiowa:   

Ernst’s VAWA reauthorization attempt allows convicted stalkers to continue gun possession

Des Moines, Iowa — Progress Iowa released a report today, detailing the failure of Senator Joni Ernst to protect domestic violence survivors in Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization. Ernst’s legislation comes months after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a VAWA reauthorization bill in April.

The report discusses the history of the Violence Against Women Act, as well as the current efforts to reauthorize the legislation, which has lapsed for over a year. After a VAWA reauthorization passed in the U.S. House, the Senate began working on a counterpart. Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced a version with bipartisan support that closes the so-called boyfriend loophole and includes a number of other provisions backed by advocates and survivors of domestic violence.

Key findings in Progress Iowa’s report include that Ernst’s VAWA reauthorization would allow convicted misdemeanor stalkers to continue gun possession, and it would not prohibit people subject to a temporary domestic violence restraining order from gun possession, and it would adversely impact indigenous women and the LGBTQ community.

“If Senator Ernst continues to refuse to support VAWA as passed by the House and supported by Senators from both sides of the aisle, I can only conclude that she is in denial of the terror these crimes inflict even though she has been subjected to it in her own life,” said State Representative Marti Anderson of Des Moines. “These crimes strike horrific fear in women and children who are targeted. Senator Ernst’s failure to do everything the can to stop this insidious violence gives enormous power and control to abusers — men who say they love the women they abuse and often threaten with death. Senator Ernst must listen to survivors and those who work for their safety. She can distinguish herself by doing all she can to stop violence against women.”

It is readily apparent that the cynical Ernst is trying to earn some chits as a champion for women. Yet, she is very aware that her original election was due to huge support from the NRA. No doubt she realizes her re-election will once again need the help of the NRA. So she is publicly projecting the image of a champion against women’s violence while making sure that her benefactors are not in any way hurt by laws that may cost them a gun sale or two.

Now there is a policeman in Houston dead because of Republicans failure in the senate to act to remove guns from potential domestic violence situations. An Ernst bill would do nothing to change that situation.

Cynical, cynical, cynical.

Don Paulson of Muscatine who writes an occasional letter to the editor sums the Ernst VAWA situation up in this concise LTTE:

Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is failing us. She is putting her Party over her constituents.

Her latest failure involves the Violence Against Women Act. While the U.S. House passed a good bill last spring, it has been hung up in the Senate. If you are wondering why, it’s because the NRA and Republicans said the House bill “would restrict gun rights by preventing people convicted of stalking or abusing dating partners from buying a gun.” (Jordan Carnay, The Hill, 11/8/19) Senator Ernst has come up with a flawed replacement. Johna Sullivan, from the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center in Adel, says, “While it’s true her bill dramatically increases funding for programs like mine, it also rolls bacl existing protections for LGBTQ nondiscrimination provisions; fails to protect Native survivors; cuts important enhancements for under-served communities overall in rape education and prevention, violence reduction and youth programs; and fails to address the epidemic of gun violence against victims of domestic violence.” (“Ernst can do better on legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence”, Johna Sullivan, 11/27/19, Des Moines Register)

Other recent Ernst failures include voting to confirm Steve Menashi to the Second Court of Appeals, voting to confirm Eugene Scalia to be Secretary of Labor, suggested discussions on changes to be made to Social Security be done behind closed doors, voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act four times (with no replacement plan), and voted to let insurance companies to sell junk insurance plans.

Iowans can certainly do better than this.
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Iowa Democrats Vote To Lower Prescription Drug Prices

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Trish Nelson

U.S. Capitol

Iowa’s Democratic Representatives in Congress Dave Loebsack (IA-02), Cindy Axne (IA-03), and Abby Finkenauer (IA-01),  voted yesterday for Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) that will drastically reduce Americans’ prescription drug prices by up to 55% and save taxpayers nearly $500 billion over the next 10 years. 

We need to elect more Democrats in the Senate to make sure bills passed in the House that actually help the people of Iowa become law.  Statements below from Axne and Loebsack from QC Times:

Axne:“Every week, I hear from Iowa seniors and families in my district about their struggle to pay for their prescription drugs,” Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA Dist. 3) said before the vote. “I’m proud to vote today to cap Medicare drug costs, allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, and save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars to ensure that no Iowan ever has to decide again between buying medication and making ends meet.”

Loebsack: “It is past time that Medicare is able to negotiate with drug companies, similar to what the Veterans Administration has been doing for years. These negotiated prices will then be passed along to Iowans who have private healthcare insurance,” Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-Dist. 2) said in a press release after passage of the bill.”

From Finkenauer’s Twitter feed:

From roundtables in Dubuque and Waterloo, we have heard about the true cost of high drug prices for families across #IA-01. Today, I proudly voted yes on historic reforms that put people over big pharma.

Read more at the QC Times

 

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Loebsack Statement on House Passage of FY20 Defense Policy Bill

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Trish Nelson

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the House passed the conference report to the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Loebsack, a former member the House Armed Services Committee, helped incorporate several provisions in this year’s legislation that will help create jobs here at home, increase defense research and strengthen the Rock Island Arsenal. This bill represents the final agreement between a joint House-Senate committee that was convened to work out the differences between the two chamber’s bills. The conference report passed the House on a large bipartisan basis and now heads to the Senate before going to the President’s desk.

Loebsack worked to include a provision to extend Temporary Installation Reutilization Authority for leasing excess space at Army arsenals, depots, and plants through September 30, 2025. This will allow the Rock Island Arsenal to continue leveraging private investment through long-term facility use contracts, property management contracts, leases or other such agreements.

Additionally, Loebsack worked with the Armed Services Committee to include language that will require the Secretary of Defense to report on the status of legislation included in last year’s defense bill that directs DoD to work with private industry and academia to accelerate development of human factors modeling and simulation technologies to support soldier training and performance. This will help strengthen cooperation between the DoD and existing human factors modeling and simulation research projects, including the University of Iowa’s Virtual Soldier Research program, further enhancing academic research and development and the University.

“Our men and women in uniform, along with their families, proudly and honorably serve our country and this bill will help ensure they have the resources they need. At the same time, this bill is certainly not perfect and failed to include many important provisions, which must be addressed in the future,” said Loebsack. “I am pleased the legislation takes important steps to drive additional workload to the Rock Island Arsenal, which helps both the Arsenal and Quad Cities’ economy remain strong. Additionally, I am especially pleased that this bill finally eliminates the Widow’s Tax and also provides all federal employees with 12 weeks of paid parental leave. As a military parent, I was proud to work with members from both sides of the aisle to ensure the security of our nation and provide our troops with the support they need.”

Additionally, Loebsack pushed to include many provisions important to our troops and their families, including:

·        Provides for a 3.1 percent pay increase for the troops, the largest pay increase in a decade;

·        Repeals the “widow’s tax” which requires military surviving spouses to forfeit all or part of their military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity if they become eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments when their spouse dies;

·        Provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the entire federal workforce in the case of birth, adoption, or fostering;

·        Requires DoD to develop a comprehensive mental health policy and requires a report on the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs;

·        Creates greater protections for military families by establishing rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants of privatized military housing, requiring DoD to identify and measure health and safety hazards in housing, and providing additional funding to improve oversight and management of military family housing; and,

·        Prohibits an additional round of BRAC.

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Articles Of Impeachment: President Trump Abused Power And Obstructed Congress

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Trish Nelson

Read the text below of the articles of impeachment or click here for the PDF.

Article I: Abuse of power

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment and that the President shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald J. Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency, in that:

Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 United States Presidential election. He did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage. President Trump also sought to pressure the Government of Ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official United States Government acts of significant value to Ukraine on its public announcement of the investigations. President Trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit. In so doing, President Trump used the powers of the Presidency in a manner that compromised the national security of the United States and undermined the integrity of the United States democratic process. He thus ignored and injured the interests of the Nation.

President Trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct through the following means:

(1) President Trump—acting both directly and through his agents Within and Outside the United States Government—corruptly solicited the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations into—

(A) a political opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.; and

(B) a discredited theory promoted by Russia alleging that Ukraine—rather than Russia—interfered in the 2016 United States Presidential election.

(2) With the same corrupt motives, President Trump—acting both directly and through his agents within and outside the United States Government–conditioned two official acts on the public announcements that he had requested—

(A) the release of $391 million of United States taxpayer funds that Congress had appropriated on a bipartisan basis for the purpose of providing vital military and security assistance to Ukraine to oppose Russian aggression and which President Trump had ordered suspended; and

(B) a head of state meeting at the White House, which the President of Ukraine sought to demonstrate continued United States support for the Government of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

(3) Faced with the public revelation of his actions, President Trump ultimately released the military and security assistance to the Government of Ukraine, but has persisted in openly and corruptly urging and soliciting Ukraine to undertake investigations for his personal political benefit.

These actions were consistent with President Trump’s previous invitations of foreign interference in United States elections.

In all this, President Trump abused the powers of the Presidency by ignoring and injuring national security and other vital national interests to obtain an improper personal political benefit. He has also betrayed the Nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections.

Wherefore President Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self- governance and the rule of law. President Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

Article II: Obstruction of Congress

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—

Donald J. Trump has directed the unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance of subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives pursuant to its sole Power of Impeachment. President Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

The House of Representatives has engaged in an impeachment inquiry focused on President Trump’s corrupt solicitation of the Government of Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 United States Presidential election. As part of this impeachment inquiry, the Committees undertaking the investigation served subpoenas seeking documents and testimony deemed vital to the inquiry from various Executive Branch agencies and offices, and current and former officials.

In response, without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those subpoenas. President Trump thus interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the “sole Power of Impeachment” vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives.

President Trump abused the powers of his high office through the following means:

(1) Directing the White House to defy a lawful subpoena by withholding the production of documents sought therein by the Committees.

(2) Directing other Executive Branch agencies and offices to defy lawful subpoenas and withhold the production of documents and records from the Committees—in response to which the Department of State, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense refused to produce a single document or record.

(3) Directing current and former Executive Branch officials not to cooperate with the Committees—in response to which nine Administration officials defied subpoenas for testimony, namely John Michael “Mick” Mulvaney, Robert B. Blair, John A. Eisenberg, Michael Ellis, Preston Wells Griffith, Russell T. Vought, Michael Duffey, Brian McCormack, and T. Ulrich Brechbuhl.

These actions were consistent with President Trump’s previous efforts to undermine United States Government investigations into foreign interference in United States elections.

Through these actions, President Trump sought to arrogate to himself the right to determine the propriety, scope, and nature of an impeachment inquiry into his own conduct, as well as the unilateral prerogative to deny any and all information to the House of Representatives in the exercise of its “sole Power of Impeachment.” In the history of the Republic, no President has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate “high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” This abuse of office served to cover up the President’s own repeated misconduct and to seize and control the power of impeachment and thus to nullify a vital constitutional safeguard vested solely in the House of Representatives.

In all of this, President Trump has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, President Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. President Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

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Sign Up For Legislative Website Training

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Trish Nelson

facebook.com/iowahousedemocrats/

Excited to offer Legislative website training again! Have you ever wondered how to track a bill through the legislative process, find contact information for your legislators, research who sits on which committees and other information? Sign up to attend the Legislative website training through DMACC. Please email or call to sign up, wcbreckenridge@dmacc.edu/641-521-6714. Open to everyone!

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