Joe Says No! What’s Next?

In a move that some have called a negotiating tactic, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said that he cannot vote for President Biden’s Build Back Better program “in its current inflationary form”; his announcement, which was made on Fox News, was not given to the White House in advance, although he sent an aide over to inform them slightly ahead of his TV appearance. The White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, declaring in what has been called a scathing response, said:

“On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted — to the President, in person, directly — a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the same priorities,” Psaki said. “While that framework was missing key priorities, we believed it could lead to a compromise acceptable to all. Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground. If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.”

She added:

“Maybe Senator Manchin can explain to the millions of children who have been lifted out of poverty, in part due to the Child Tax Credit, why he wants to end a program that is helping achieve this milestone — we cannot,”

So where does this response leave the agenda touted by the President and approved following a great effort in the House when members were guaranteed that the program would pass in the Senate and adhere closely to the House Bill? If you remember, the House Progressives held off voting for passage until they had received these promises by the President and others in the Senate.

Manchin objected to several provisions which were integral to the President’s agenda in his social reform and climate initiatives. According to reporting by CNN, Manchin released a statement after his TV appearance, which said in part:

 “In the last two years, as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and with bipartisan support, we have invested billions of dollars into clean energy technologies so we can continue to lead the world in reducing emissions through innovation. But to do so at a rate that is faster than technology or the markets allow will have catastrophic consequences for the American people like we have seen in both Texas and California in the last two years.”

CNN also noted: Manchin also was concerned about what the legislation would do to the nation’s rising debt and soaring inflation that came after Congress passed a sweeping stimulus bill earlier this year, as well as the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

NPR reported that Manchin’s claims about the lack of readiness for energy transitions are just not true and noted that the Defense Department has indicated that climate changes are a national security issue.  The extremes that have been seen in recent storms were mentioned in that report. Both NPR and the Washington Post made note recently of the ties Senator has to the coal industry. Mother Jones reported Manchin has received more money from industries across the energy sector, including pipeline companies, than any other Senator. The Post reported that investments the Senator has paid him thousands of dollars, even though he claims his investments are in a blind trust; he knowingly collects money from a methane-producing coal reclaiming business he owns. The climate provisions in the BBB program would move thousands from coal production toward cleaner energies such as solar and wind.       

Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal released a statement about Machins’ declaration that he could not support the BBB:

“Senator Joe Manchin made a promise to President Biden to support a framework that would help lower health care costs, cap the price of insulin and other prescription drugs, lower child care costs for Americans, address the climate crisis, and give working people and poor people a shot in America. Today, Senator Manchin has betrayed his commitment not only to the President and Democrats in Congress but, most importantly, to the American people. He routinely touts that he is a man of his word, but he can no longer say that. West Virginians, and the country, see clearly who he is.

“The American people want and deserve to have their critically important daily needs addressed. That is why all the elements of the Build Back Better legislation are overwhelmingly supported by Americans across the political spectrum. We will never stop fighting to truly build back better for the American people. Too much is at stake.”     

As reported by the Daily Beast and shown on CNN, Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Budget Committee, called for a vote on the Bill in the Senate and demanded that Senator Machin explain to the American people and those in the State of West Virginia why he does not have the guts to stand up to powerful energy industries.

It is probably a good thing that the Congress is in recess for the Christmas holidays and will not return until the New Year. Perhaps by then, some mediators can step in and stop this internecine battle. This is not doing the Democratic Party any favors. It is also not good that a Senator would so disrespect the President of his own party who had thought, until recently, that bargaining was taking place. (Some Presidential aides had said that the President thought that an agreement might not happen, but still had hoped it would.) There should be a way to tailor this bill to address issues that Democrats and others have said are important to the American people. I think that a bill that would help with child care, elder care, climate change, drug costs, Medicare services, and union jobs is a bill that supports the interests of Main Street, not Wall Street, and is long overdue. Even the price tag Manchin suggested of 1.75 trillion was in the ballpark of recent amounts discussed, so I think his protestations are a ruse. Instead of tiptoeing around his moves, fearing that he might join the Republicans, Democrats need to make him understand he needs to be a team player and support the President.

Despite the protestations by Manchin, many senior economists (including those at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) have said that this bill is mostly paid for and does not trigger more inflation. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said that controlling the Coronavirus is critical for expansion and lowering inflation.

**************************************************************************************************

The COVID news this week is not good at all. Delta cases continue to rise even as we are seeing Omicron cases surge. Although Omicron cases are said to usually be mild in vaccinated and boosted persons, those who are not vaccinated are not as lucky. Many cities are seeing lines for testing return to clinics that had been closed and requests for boosters are exceeding supplies. The US has now recorded more COVID deaths than any other country, over 800,000 with total cases exceeding 50 million. When predictions that this number might be reached were made in the early days, I did not believe that this was possible. Hospitals in the Midwest are again at capacity. The unvaccinated population is currently infected at a rate 5 times higher than the vaccinated group. The country of Denmark now is reporting a sudden rise in Omicron cases and has shut down the country until early January. South Africa is reporting that its recent Omicron spike is showing signs of easing, but it is early days yet. I hope that this is a swift passing variant.

Maryland has stopped elective hospital admissions as COVID cases are rising in our state. However, the State Department of Health has reported no COVID statistics for over two weeks now, as the computers continue to be compromised and the Governor is saying little. Thankfully, the state now reports 70% of the population is vaccinated. Many athletic teams across the country have postponed games since so many players have recently tested positive. More bad news for parents of young children has come from Pfizer, as the company reported that the reduced dose for children 2-5 who they tested did not provide adequate immunity, so they are revising their protocols and do not expect to have doses ready until late Spring.

COVID Stats – NY Times

US Totals: Total Cases:  50,811,522. New Cases:133,012.

                    Total Deaths: 804,916. New Deaths: 1,296.

********************************************************************************************

Recently I read Michael Lewis’ book on pandemics called Premonition. In this recounting of the race to get ahead of viral diseases, he shows how now that we are all interconnected across lanes of travel and commerce, viruses that might have been isolated, spread rapidly if not initially contained. Think of the extraordinary efforts to keep Ebola in the African countries where it was first identified a decade ago. Had China been more honest about the viral spread when it was first noticed, it might have been contained. But, once it left Wuhan, there was little chance of containment. However, as the author notes, there were scientists, epidemiologists, and public health physicians who knew how to reduce the spread, but their words were disregarded. If the US had only closed down earlier and acknowledged the seriousness of COVID, rather than comparing it to the flu, many millions of people could have been spared the torment of this disease and its cost to the country and its families. He shows how the CDC, as a bureaucracy, is cumbersome and unable to act with alacrity when necessary. Lewis shows how the best results were obtained by circumventing its processes and notes the politicization of the scientists in charge there who were not allowed to speak truth to power - in this case, the President - who always wanted to minimize the news about the virus. This President is listening to the science and the scientists on the vaccines and the boosters. We should heed his words.

“Til next week–Peace!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Thoughts on Redistricting, Elections & More

The Department of Justice (DOJ) challenged the redistricting plan recently put in place by Texas Republicans, claiming that it is not fair to the minorities who have mainly been responsible for the population growth in that state. This growth was mostly responsible for the state’s two newly allocated seats for representatives. According to the lawsuit, Texas “failed to draw a seat encompassing the growing Latino electorate in Harris County” and “excised minority communities from the core of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.” The lawsuit further claims that Latino communities and districts were eliminated through exclusion or manipulation from seats at the State House. This new map also targeted current Congressional representatives and redrew the map in Houston, which had two African American reps. (Sheila Jackson-Lee and Al Green) into the same district, so only one could be elected. African Americans make up about 12% of the state’s population and currently African Americans hold five Congressional seats in the Texas delegation.

According to recent census data published in the Texas Tribune, “Texans of color accounted for 95% of the state’s population growth. The 2020 census puts the state’s population at 29,145,505 — a 16% jump from 25.1 million in 2010. Hispanic Texans handled half of that increase. Non-Hispanic white Texans now make up just 39.8% of the state’s population — down from 45% in 2010. Meanwhile, the share of Hispanic Texans has grown to 39.3%.”

Attorney-General Garland further noted that if the Voting Rights Act provisions for pre-clearance were still in effect, that Texas could not have taken these steps without DOJ approval. Pre-clearance was taken out of the Voting Rights Bill in the Supreme Court Shelby County vs. Holder decision of 2013. Many, including myself, consider this single move one of the worst decisions of the Roberts Court; indeed, the Chief Justice himself wrote the opinion. Garland again urged the Senate to pass the Voting Rights legislation already passed by the House, which reinstates the provision struck down by the Court. I’ll mention more about this below.

Other states are also creating new district maps as required by changes in the census. California and Florida are still in the preliminary stages in their new maps, but those two states alone handle 80 legislative seats. According to 538, some changes can favor Democrats, but Republicans hold most of the statehouses where the decisions take place. They further note that districts in Ohio and North Carolina, drawn by Republicans, are so biased that they are likely to be challenged by the courts. Virginia could not agree on the new district lines, so the court appointed special masters who redrew the districts there. This has caused some current Congressional representatives (Abigail Spanberger and Elaine Luria) to no longer live in their newly drawn district, so they are scrambling to learn their new constituents. Both Democrats are now considered more vulnerable now that Republican Glenn Youngkin won the Governor’s race, although Spanberger is considered to have the safer seat. Republicans have already announced that they will target these three Democratic women who were elected in the blue wave of 2018; the third one is Jennifer Wexler, who represents a district where Youngkin did better than expected. So, as we have seen, Virginia remains a purple state even though President Biden won there handily, Youngkin drew many of the suburban voters back into the Republican tallies.

Maryland is, however, a different story. 538 describes the current redistricting here. Republican Governor Hogan created a commission that developed a map that was redone by the Legislature in a recent special session. The Governor vetoed that redrawn map. The Democrats, who control both houses in the State Assembly, overrode his veto and so the newly drawn districts became law. Maryland is a blue state, but it is blue in the core urban cities and counties and red in the Western and eastern districts. Previous redistricting drew condemnation for its District 3 Congressional map which snaked around several counties and crossed rivers traditionally thought of as natural boundaries. District 3 still seems gerrymandered, but maybe less so than before. The 6^th District in Western Maryland, long a Republican stronghold, was diluted with parts of more Democratic Montgomery County and now is represented by a Democrat.

The lone Republican in the Maryland Congressional corps is Andy Harris in the 1^st District, which covers the eastern shore and parts of northern Maryland. That District has been changed to include more areas with Democratic voters and make his reelection more challenging. Harris, an anesthesiologist, and physician is an outlier in the delegation. He is a MAGA supporter, Biden election denier, and abortion foe, whose most recent claim to fame occurred when he tried to bring a gun onto the House floor. A suit has been filed against him for improperly prescribing an animal medicine Ivermectin for human patients; this use was promoted by many conspiracy enthusiasts and vaccine deniers. Given his history, it remains surprising that Harris actually gave the COVID vaccine to patients. Is it fair to make his district more Democratic? Probably not, but that is the game of politics.

I am a Democrat and I understand partisan redistricting and the concept-if they do it, we must do so when we can have the advantage. I get it. But I firmly believe that there is a better way to accomplish this. Some states already have non-partisan commissions established to draw districts. According to Ballotpedia, fourteen states already have commissions to draw their state redistricting maps and eight states have them for the Congressional maps. Seven of these are non-politician commissions; New Jersey is not. If a truly non-partisan commission is established, then everyone will probably be somewhat unsatisfied because each will see disappointments, but it will not disenfranchise voters as now. There are rules to follow–each Congressional District must have about the same number of constituents–give or take a few, so that helps set up the parameters.

The Brennan Center is urging that the voting rights legislation be passed for many reasons and the redistricting provisions are core to this belief. It recently stated the following:

“At the core of the bill’s redistricting reforms is a robust statutory ban on partisan gerrymandering in the drawing of congressional maps that could be brought in federal court in Washington, D.C.. This ban would fill the gaping hole left in 2019 when the Supreme Court held that federal courts had no power to decide partisan gerrymandering claims asserted under the U.S. Constitution, leaving the policing of gerrymandering instead to Congress and the states. 

A ban on partisan gerrymandering is a crucial protection for communities of color. Whether gerrymanderers are Democrats or Republicans, the targeting of communities of color is often the key to creating a map that favors one party over the other. This cycle, map drawers in Texas and other southern states are already defending racially discriminatory maps on the basis that the maps were drawn on a supposedly “color-blind” basis and target Democrats rather than Black, Latino, and Asian voters — even though map drawers are fully aware that their maps invariably dilute the power of communities of color.”

 

I fully agree with that assessment and hope to see this legislation, already passed by the House, enacted by the Senate. To me, this and the companion bill are the two most vital pieces of legislation before this Congress. It is the last best chance we have to save free and fair elections in this country. Republicans are decimating election boards, threatening state vote counting officials, and putting partisans in place of respected election judges across the country. An article in the NY Times describes how partisans are running for so-called minor positions on election boards and school boards in an attempt to be in position for the next elections, often catching Democrats off-guard. The article describes some members who were at the January 6^th events, returning home ready to try to take over. They truly fear free elections and continue to spread the MAGA lies, which endanger us all.

 

*******************************************************************************************

Covid is still with us as the new variant Omicron is now identified in 25 states, but cases are described as mild. Delta remains the dominant variant and is still causing over 1000 deaths per day. Vaccinations have increased; perhaps people realize that this is not going away quickly. As long as there are unvaccinated people around who can spread the virus, it will remain among us. Maryland’s governor reported that 90% of Marylanders have received at least one vaccine so far. Maryland could not report any data for the past week as the computer system apparently was compromised in some manner – whether it was a hack or a ransom demand is not known.

 

COVID Totals NY Times:

 

Total US Cases: 49,880,186. New Cases:119,288. Total Deaths: 795,921. New Deaths:1,298.

 

***********************************************************************************************

Those of you who watch MSNBC TV know that long-time network newsman Brian Williams stepped down from his anchor position at the 11^th Hour evening program. He will be missed by many, including myself. I would like for you to hear his parting remarks, which I repeat below.

In his on-air goodbye, Williams warned against extremism in the country.

“My biggest worry is for my country,” Williams said. “I’m not a liberal or a conservative. I’m an institutionalist. I believe in this place. And in my love of my country, I yield to no one, but the darkness on the edge of town has spread to roads and highways and neighborhoods.”  

“It’s now at the local bar, and the bowling alley, at the school board, in the grocery store.”

“Grown men and women who swore an oath to our constitution, elected by our constituents, possessing the kinds of college degrees I can only dream of have decided to join the mob and become something they are not, hoping we somehow forget who they were,”

Williams continued. “They’ve decided to burn it all down with us inside. That should scare you to no end as much as it scares an aging volunteer fireman.”

As Lawrence O’Donnell might say–Brian Williams gets the last word.

“Til next week–Peace!

How Many More Children Will We Kill?

Yes, how many times can a man turn his head Pretending he just doesn’t see? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind. Yes, how many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind.    Words from Bob Dylan Blowin’ in the Wind -excerpted. Yes, I know that these words were written by Dylan as a protest song during the Vietnam War, but to me, they seem fitting now as another school is mourning its dead. In no other country are school children killed at the rate that America is permitting its children to die. Our politicians indeed pretend that they do not see, even as they attend the funerals of the dead or visit the families of the wounded. Do they not hear the cries of the mourners, see the trauma on the faces of the survivors? Just how many deaths indeed, will it take before they know that too many people have died, Dylan asked plaintively. We should ask the same questions. When are we, as a society, going to put in place safeguards to keep disturbed young men (and they, to my knowledge, have all been young men) from getting easy access to firearms that they subsequently used to murder their classmates? Obviously, Sandy Hook and Parkland were not awful enough to spur those we elect into action, so just how bad does the massacre have to be? In Colorado, alone, we have seen Aurora, Columbine, and the King Soopers store shootings in the lifetimes of my children, but many more shootings happened there over time, and that is just one state. Why do I mention my children? Well, now I have grandchildren and while school shootings occurred when my children were young, but were rare, now with the easier access to more powerful weapons, they are happening with greater frequency. And when we have parents who purchase these powerful weapons for 15-year-olds who do not always have the maturity to control their emotions, we get the result that was seen in Oxford, Michigan this week. They charged the parents with not controlling the access to this semi-automatic handgun, which they purchased for their son a few days before. This model is used by the Seals and is touted as being a good size for concealed carry. The school noted some warning signs in the student’s behavior and called the parents in for a conference; neither the parents nor the student mentioned his gun, and he returned to class after the meeting. The parents were told to arrange counseling immediately. Sadly, two hours later, the shootings began.    According to Education Week, there have been 29 school shootings so far this year and we still have a few weeks left in this calendar year, so, sadly, it may go even higher. So far there have been 11 people killed and 49 injured in these school shootings just this year.        Since 2018, it further reports, there have been 87 school shootings. The numbers decreased when many children were in virtual classrooms, as might be expected. However, no section of the country was immune, as the tragedies happened in twenty different states. It is well past time to bring back the assault weapons ban and to implement serious and sane gun registration and usage practices.   In recent days, the Supreme Court heard arguments about gun permitting in New York state and about abortion restrictions in Mississippi. I find a linkage here. Perhaps it is farfetched, but hear me out. The Court tea leaf readers thought the justices would strike down some restrictions for permitted carries in New York and would chip away at the supposedly settled law in Roe which held that abortions could occur until viability or around 23 weeks; the Mississippi law was written to create a challenge and reduce the term length to 15 weeks. Justice Thomas had long wanted to rule on gun rights cases after the limited ruling in Heller. Their decisions will probably be released in June, as is common with controversial cases.   In the decades since the assault weapons ban expired, more and more such guns have been purchased across this country. According to Forbes, there are over 20 million assault rifles in private hands in the US and at least 400 million additional firearms in private homes and businesses. That amounts to over one gun for every citizen of this country. Yet, the right-wing persists in reminding followers that the left is coming for your guns! This threat seems absurd, as to how would such a search be conducted? Do they really believe that Uncle Sam is going to go door to door and seize weapons? I remain wary of states with open carry and hope that those who want open carry laws to have interstate reciprocity by noting the permit is with the person, not the state, are defeated in this quest.   I think assault weapons should be banned because they have no purpose except to kill people; they are not used for hunting deer or other animals. I know many people would disagree with me, but I have yet to see an instance where such weapons have been used in civilian venues. A few years back, there was a shooting on a college campus in Oregon, where others were armed, but they did not shoot back because there was too great a chance of injuring passersby in cross fires. The police killed the shooter, but not before he killed ten people.   Listening to some of the conservative justices during the oral arguments in the Mississippi case was surreal. Despite all justices having said at one time or another that they would uphold precedents, few seemed to consider that in this instance, even saying that Brown could be overturned just as Plessy was. Justice Sotomayor was scathing in her comments, indicating that the stench of politics would be all over this court should they modify Roe in the way suggested.   Justice Barrett suggested that a mother could carry to term and drop her baby at the symbolic police station, hospital, or church steps under the safe haven principle. Hello, Justice Barrett–what part do you not understand about abortion–the point is not to have to carry a pregnancy for whatever reason, the mother felt was urgent enough to need to terminate her pregnancy. Pregnancy is not always good for every mother. Justice Kavanaugh, once thought to be moderate on this issue, was reportedly solidly on board with his conservative pals.   The Washington Post columnist, Ruth Marcus, has evaluated this current court in an article that is must reading for all who are concerned about the future of our democracy. This court, she says, is not as once thought, 3 liberals, 3 conservatives, and 3 moderates; no, she indicates, the conservatives are firmly in charge of a 6-3 court. She cites the Voting Rights decision in Brnovitch vs. the Democratic Party which challenged Arizona law that threatened to disenfranchise Native Americans who often did not vote in their home precinct. That law was upheld by the court in June. Mail voting is also difficult for this population, which often voted absentee and used collection points or neighbors to deliver ballots; this is now banned. Arizona throws out more ballots than any other state and this ruling will probably increase that statistic. Her conclusion is grim: “And so, for those who believe the court has a vital role to play in protecting democracy, promoting civil rights and achieving justice, “the outlook is not good at all,” said Donald B. Verrilli Jr., who served as solicitor general in the Obama administration. “Things may unfold more slowly or less completely than our worst fears. But I think most of our worst fears are going to be realized. It’s just a question of at what pace.”   If that grim diagnosis seems correct, the cure is more elusive. Some treatments, like court-packing, would be worse than the disease. Others, like imposing term limits, are harder to administer and wouldn’t be effective for years. Which means: The court is where it is. The Rule of Six is now in force. Conservatives have time to write their views into the law books, where they will remain for decades to come. The change they choose to enact will be swift or slow; it will be open or stealthy. But make no mistake: It is coming. The court, and the nation, will be worse off for it.”   This is another reason the Congress has to pass the Voting Rights Bill–hear me please, Senator Schumer–or will this get thrown under the proverbial bus along with legislation for Dreamers and immigration reform?   Some have thought that if the idea of upholding precedent can be overturned, is Gay marriage next? The Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges in 2015 was precedent setting and applauded by many, but not all. Just last year Justices Thomas and Alito blasted the Court for not taking up a case that had challenges to that ruling. And do not doubt the possibility that the right-wing is coming after contraception next.   Now, remember, that linkage I mentioned–well if one looks at loosened gun laws, and reduced personal rights and weighs the sanctity of life against measures that reduce the safety of lives, aren’t there contradictions here? If the court expands the use of guns and denies abortions, (increasing the chances of maternal deaths from illegal procedures) allows the death penalty, and lets children have guns that kill their classmates–where are the protections for personal life and liberty? Just wondering. Well, this has gone on for a bit, hasn’t it? I will just briefly look at COVID stats. *********************************************************************** The Omicron variant is here; no one quite knows what to make of it just yet. It seems to have 30 spike proteins, some of which can elude established vaccines. It is in Maryland and several other states, mostly from people who have been to South Africa recently. However, it is not yet dominant here. So, there is still time to get vaccinated; over 2 million vaccines were given in a single day last week, so that is a start. The Delta variant is still here; most likely the increase in numbers is because of the post-Thanksgiving surge. Maryland is 68% vaccinated and seems stuck there.   COVID stats – NY Times   Total US Cases: 49,044,822. New Cases: 109,822. Total US Deaths: 786,964. New Deaths: 1,178. Maryland Totals: Total Cases: 542,912. New Cases: 1,340.                             Total Deaths: 11,255. New Deaths: 11. *********************************************************************** In closing, I just want to note that Fox has gone lower than usual when it did not condemn the remarks of one of its hosts who compared Dr. Fauci to the Nazi docs who experimented on prisoners. Dr. Fauci spoke out about this.   “Til next week–Peace!