March, 31 2021, 12:00am EDT
Senate War Room Launches Hall of Shame Awarding Republican Senators Top Spots for Historic Obstruction of Biden Nominees
Those named to the "Senate Obstructionist Hall of Shame" not only voted against most—if not all—of President Biden’s slate of qualified Cabinet nominees, but also worked to actively obstruct the confirmation process Amid a global pandemic, unprecedented unemployment and poverty, and rising national and cyber security threats, these senators slowed down the confirmation of top health and national security roles The only Senator to have voted against every single Cabinet secretary, Josh Hawley (R-MO), takes the top spot in the "Senate Obstructionist Hall of Shame," with Senators Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, Tom Cotton, Rand Paul, John Barrasso, and Steve Daines following Accountable Senate War Room: "Senate Republicans failed to sink a single Cabinet nominee, and are left with little to show for months of obstruction. More importantly, the American people saw right through these bad-faith efforts to the truth: Republican senators care more about their special interest donors’ bottom line than the American people."
WASHINGTON
Today, Accountable Senate War Room unveiled the "Senate Obstructionist Hall of Shame" to call out the top Republican senators who, for months, delayed and obstructed President Biden's Cabinet nominees from being confirmed. Although their efforts ultimately failed with Biden's Cabinet on the verge of being fully-formed, these senators should be held accountable for their bad-faith tactics and called out for prioritizing special interest donors over American workers and families.
"From early on, Republican senators made it clear that they were going to do everything in their power to prevent the new administration from getting to work, even if that meant breaking with the long-standing tradition of ensuring the new administration's Cabinet is swiftly confirmed," said Mairead Lynn, spokesperson for Accountable Senate War Room. "Senate Republicans failed to sink a single Cabinet nominee, and are left with little to show for months of obstruction. More importantly, the American people saw right through these bad-faith efforts to the truth: Republican senators care more about their special interest donors' bottom line than the American people."
Members of the "Senate Obstructionist Hall of Shame" include:
- Senator Josh Hawley: Hawley made a household name for himself after attempting to overthrow a democratically-held election when his preferred candidate didn't win, helping incite a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that left five dead. The obstruction didn't stop there: Hawley would go on to vote against 19 of Biden's Cabinet level nominees, and was at the center of efforts to prevent a quick confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) -- the department responsible for stopping future insurrectionist attacks against our country.
- Senator Ted Cruz: Cruz joined his colleague in spreading false information regarding the 2020 election that helped incite the violent insurrection, and still voted to overturn a democratically-held election to appease his right-wing base. He continued obstructing President Biden's Cabinet by voting against 18 of Biden's qualified nominees, most notably Alejandro Mayorkas and Xavier Becerra. Cruz stood behind Trump's unqualified and conflicted nominees, but drew the line at Biden's slate of change-making nominees who would hold his special interest allies accountable.
- Senator Rick Scott: Another key Senator who helped incite the insurrection, Scott's obstruction didn't stop there. He was one of the senators who, from the beginning, hinted at what was to come, refusing to answer whether Biden's Cabinet picks deserved floor votes in the Senate. He voted against 18 of Biden's crisis-tested nominees, and took special aim at Neera Tanden, whom he called a "terrible choice" and a "big-government, big-spending radical liberal." Accountable Senate War Room discovered a disturbing trend: Republican senators tended to use harsher language when referring to President Biden's nominees of color, often painting them as extreme and "radical."
- Senator Tom Cotton: Cotton came out swinging against Biden's Cabinet before Inauguration Day, giving a glimpse into what was to come from him and his colleagues. He voted against 17 of Biden's nominees, taking particular aim at Xavier Becerra for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Cotton called on his fellow senators to join him in opposing the nominee in a letter -- an offer they did not take him up on -- and even used his own campaign funds to launch false and misleading attack ads against Becerra. These efforts failed as Becerra was confirmed with bipartisan support.
- Senator Rand Paul: Paul voted against 14 of Biden's qualified and crisis-tested nominees. Early on, Paul took aim at Xavier Becerra in a slew of false and misleading attacks against the nominee's personal political beliefs, using Fox News to propagate these lies and COVID-19 conspiracy theories. He was also particularly disrespectful to Rachel Levine, the nominee for under secretary of HHS and the first transgender person nominated to serve in a presidential Cabinet, in a slew of false and "harmful misinterpretations" against the transgender community.
- Senator John Barrasso: Voting against 12 of Biden's nominees, Barrasso couldn't even stay true to his own words from just four years ago when he said "the President coming in for his first term ought to be able to have the Cabinet. He won the election. He ought to have who he wants surrounding him." Barrasso's change of heart was immediate, as one of the first senators to promise a tough confirmation battle. Most notably, Barrasso took aim at Deb Haaland, Biden's nominee for Interior secretary, whose confirmation he worked to sink both leading up to and during her hearings. Referring to her as "radical" on more than one occasion, Barrasso's disdain for Haaland was not well hidden, even getting aggressive with her during her confirmation hearing in a line of questioning that garnered national attention.
- Senator Steve Daines: Daines voted against 11 of Biden's nominees and took a similar interest in sinking Deb Haaland's confirmation for Interior secretary. Before a hearing was even scheduled, Daines' opposition to Haaland was fierce. He opposed the nominee in a statement where he referred to her as "radical" - deemed a racist, sexist "dog-whistle" by the Billings Gazette Editorial Board - and threatened to block her confirmation. During her hearing, he was equally hostile and condescending, using his time to air personal grievances from past comments Haaland had made about him and his colleagues.
Learn more about these senators' obstruction and what the Senate War Room did to hold them accountable here.
Nonpartisan watchdog group Accountable.US recently launched the Accountable Senate War Room to fight back against those lawmakers who seek to overturn the will of the people by standing in the way of the smooth transition of power and the swift approval of nominees to ensure that the government can function and advance the interests of all American people, not just the rich and powerful.
LATEST NEWS
Complaints of Pregnant Patients Denied Emergency Care Surged After Dobbs
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," one critic said in response to reporting on patient stories.
Apr 19, 2024
New reporting from The Associated Press that complaints of pregnant patients turned away from emergency departments "spiked" after the reversal of Roe v. Wade sparked fresh condemnation of efforts to restrict abortion rights on Friday.
Since the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court ended nearly half a century of nationwide abortion rights with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, over 20 states have enacted new restrictions on reproductive healthcare, creating a culture of confusion and fear at many medical facilities.
Early last year, the AP filed a public records request for 2022 complaints filed under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law that requires hospitals and emergency departments that accept Medicare to provide screenings to patients who request them and prohibits refusing to treat individuals with an emergency medical condition.
"This is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life.'"
"One year after submitting the request, the federal government agreed to release only some complaints and investigative documents filed across just 19 states," the AP's Amanda Seitz reported. "The names of patients, doctors, and medical staff were redacted from the documents."
"One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her," the journalist detailed. "Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died."
According to Seitz:
Emergency rooms are subject to hefty fines when they turn away patients, fail to stabilize them, or transfer them to another hospital for treatment. Violations can also put hospitals' Medicare funding at risk.
But it's unclear what fines might be imposed on more than a dozen hospitals that the Biden administration says failed to properly treat pregnant patients in 2022.
It can take years for fines to be levied in these cases. The Health and Human Services agency, which enforces the law, declined to share if the hospitals have been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General for penalties.
Responding to the reporting on social media, journalist Jane Mayer declared, "This is barbaric."
Texas Poor People's Campaign said that women in the state "are being left to die in ER waiting rooms. We cannot let this policy violence against women continue. Please join us as we mobilize voters for the '24 election."
Going into November, abortion has been a key issue at the state and federal level. Supporters of reproductive freedom are working to advance various ballot measures while Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign has highlighted his support for abortion rights and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has bragged about his role in reversing Roe—he appointed three of the six justices behind the majority opinion.
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," stressed Alex Wall, senior vice president for digital advocacy at the Center for American Progress. Citing examples from Texas and Florida in the AP report, he reiterated, "MAGA Republicans did this."
Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said that "this is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life'—pregnant women being turned away at hospitals and emergency centers. Absolutely disgraceful. No woman should ever be denied emergency care."
Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, who covers U.S. legal battles, noted that this "devastating and timely story" from Seitz comes "just days before the Supreme Court considers whether emergency rooms can legally force patients to the brink of death before terminating a failing pregnancy."
The high court is set to hear arguments in that case Wednesday. The Biden administration is challenging Idaho's near-total ban on abortion, which "would make it a criminal offense for doctors to comply with EMTALA's requirement to provide stabilizing treatment, even where a doctor determines that abortion is the medical treatment necessary to prevent a patient from suffering severe health risks or even death," as the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit explains.
The Justice Department is seeking a judgment that Idaho's law is invalid under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution and "is preempted by federal law to the extent that it conflicts with EMTALA."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Progressives Oppose Israel Funding Advanced by US House
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives," said Rep. Cori Bush.
Apr 19, 2024
Progressive lawmakers on Friday dissented as the Republican-controlled U.S. House advanced legislation to provide more military funding to Israel as well as Ukraine and Taiwan, with Rep. Cori Bush condemning a committee's refusal to consider an amendment aimed at securing a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
The legislation passed a procedural hurdle in a vote of 316-94, placing votes for the separate aid packages and a bill calling for more humanitarian assistance to Gaza on the legislative agenda for Saturday.
Bush (D-Mo.) joined progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in opposing the legislation, with centrist Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina also voting with the left-wing faction.
The Missouri Democrat condemned the House Rules Committee's refusal to consider an amendment she submitted along with Tlaib, which called for a lasting cease-fire, a release of all hostages in Israel and Palestine, and "diplomacy to secure self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis."
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives, releasing the hostages and others arbitrarily detained, and prioritizing peace in the region," said Bush.
The funding package includes $26.4 billion for Israel, purportedly to support "its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies" following Iran's retaliatory drone attack on Israel this week—to which Israeli forces responded with a limited attack on Friday.
The new military aid was passed on top of more than 100 weapons transfers the Biden administration has made to Israel since October 7. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, two of the transfers were reviewed by Congress and totaled about $250 million.
"Our country spends billions of tax dollars to maintain this apartheid state and support the continued ethnic cleansing of Palestinians," said Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, in a statement on Thursday.
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said she was "encouraged" that Democrats in Congress were able to secure more humanitarian aid for Gaza, where dozens of people have starved to death as Israel has blocked nearly the vast majority of aid shipments since October, but said the provisions do not "come close to meeting the desperate needs of the people in Gaza," particularly considering the United States' suspension of funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"Americans will remember this moment," said Balint. "The United States must be firm in demanding a course correction from the Netanyahu government. Without a strong message against more offensive aid, the United States risks signaling support for an expanded offensive in Rafah, for an escalation with Iran, and for continued disregard for Palestinian life."
Omar called the funding package part of the U.S. government's "thinly veiled attempts to escalate an already very dangerous situation."
"What is needed most of all is a sober approach to de-escalation and conflict prevention," said the congresswoman. "Congress should be focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions—not inflame them."
Keep ReadingShow Less
US College Students Demonstrate in Solidarity With Palestinians, Columbia Protesters
"Columbia University made a huge mistake calling the cops on student protesters," said one educator. "It has transformed the activism of hundreds of students into a student movement of thousands."
Apr 19, 2024
Undeterred by Columbia University's sanctioning of a crackdown by the New York Police Department in which at least 108 people were arrested on Thursday for protesting Israel's war on Gaza, dozens of students continued to camp out on the campus' West Lawn Friday as solidarity protests cropped up at other schools across the country.
Students at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC) set up tents at a rally, while the Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee announced a walkout to express solidarity with "steadfast Columbia students" and emergency protests were announced at Boston University; Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; and Ohio State University.
"Columbia University made a huge mistake calling the cops on student protesters," said Jairo I. Fúnez-Flores, a faculty member at Texas Tech University. "It has transformed the activism of hundreds of students into a student movement of thousands with millions around the world watching."
National Students for Justice in Palestine, whose Columbia University chapter was shut down late last year after members protested against the institution's investments in Israeli companies and partnership with Tel Aviv University, called on all of its chapters across college campuses to join in solidarity actions.
"The supposed power of these administrators pales in comparison to the combined strength of the students, staff, and faculty committed to realizing justice and upholding Palestinian liberation on campus," said the national group.
At the impromptu rally at UNC, students chanted, "No justice, no peace!"
The solidarity actions came a day after Columbia president Minouche Shafik authorized the police to dismantle an encampment set up by dozens of students. Shafik testified before a Republican-controlled U.S. House committee on Wednesday where the focus was antisemitism on the school's campus, and admitted she has not witnessed anti-Jewish protests at Columbia since Israel began its assault on Gaza last October.
After the students were arrested Thursday, one student Barnard College—which is part of Columbia—posted on social media an email she had received from vice president and dean Leslie Grinage about the suspension of several students.
The students were forced to leave their housing and have had their access to all campus facilities revoked during the suspension.
Several members of the press reported being denied entry to Columbia's campus on Thursday and Friday, prompting the university's journalism school to offer its assistance and reiterate its support for a free press.
Barnaby Raine, an historian earning his Ph.D. at Columbia, urged fellow educators at the Ivy League school to demonstrate solidarity with the student-led protests.
"As my employer, Columbia University, calls armed riot police into campus to smash a peaceful protest against a genocide, we must all speak out," said Raine. "My former students have been arrested. I'm proud of you. History will be too."
Actor, activist, and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, who graduated from Barnard, condemned the administrators' response to the protests.
"I am shocked and ashamed that [Barnard] and Columbia are violently crushing the right of students to peacefully protest," said Nixon. "This is not who we are. Both schools must immediately reinstate these students and protect their right to fight for a free Palestine."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular