McConnell sets agenda as bills multiply



[ad_1]

Senate Republicans are under fire from Democrats for stacking bills passed by the House and realize that they must take steps that go beyond their confirmation. President TrumpDonald John TrumpWH, Spokesperson: We are working with DHS, ICE to try to send undocumented immigrants to sanctuary cities. Trump asserts that he has the legal right to send undocumented immigrants to sanctuary towns. Sanders asks him to delete his business plan PLUSThe nominees.

Majority leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCongress opens the door to heavy discussions about immigration. The Hill's report at 12:30 pm: GOP wants Trump to keep them informed. GOP is tired of being caught off guard by Trump. MORE (R-Ky.) Wishes to restart the credit process – which started well last year and then stalled – to revive the debate on a set of infrastructures, despite the widespread pessimism of its GOP colleagues who are looking for a way to pay for it.

Republicans say that they expect amendments to the law on the authorization of national defense, the re-authorization of the law on insurance against terrorism risks and to the redesign of the national flood insurance program.

McConnell, however, has refused to engage in actions on GOP-backed bills that pose risks, such as the Senate's annual budget resolution, legislation aimed at reducing Trump's ability to make money. impose tariffs and a measure that would make minor changes to the tax cuts and 2017 Act jobs.

He will not say whether Herman Cain, Trump's choice for a Federal Reserve position, will be subject to a vote on the ground. Four Senate Republicans said they were inclined to oppose Cain, which would leave him without enough votes if the Democrats remained united in the opposition.

"The biggest thing we need to do and we can not do without one another is the spending cap," McConnell told reporters last week, at the request of the 116th Congress' legislative priorities.

He sees the spending caps as an area in which the Democrats will negotiate, because they do not want to be forced to adopt a transitional spending measure at the end of the year or let the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration enter into force in January.

Beyond this, the leader of the GOP is hoping for an infrastructure contract, while insisting that its cost must be compensated.

"Everyone loves the infrastructure in the abstract. The real problem is how you are going to pay. The only thing I would rule out is that we will not do another $ 900 billion stimulus package, which was done in the first year of the Obama administration, "said McConnell, referring to the 2009 stimulus package providing for the financing of a series of "ready-to-use" projects. "Infrastructure projects to revive the economy after the 2008 financial collapse.

"I think we will be able to find something else," McConnell said about legislative elements likely to be changed before the 2020 election.

It also proposes bipartite legislation to address the migratory pressure at the southern border.

"Some of these problems can not be solved with the law in force, so I think it's high time that the two parties come together to see what we can accept to improve the situation," he said. -he declares. "Not only border security, but also asylum laws are very difficult when you face this attack of people.

"You can not solve everything by changing personnel," he added, referring to the recent restructuring of the Department of Homeland Security by the president. "Some of these things need to change this law. That means we have to deal with the Democrats; they are the majority in the House. "

But McConnell has not yet taken into account other issues such as negotiations between GOP members of the Senate Finance Committee who have competing proposals to reduce Trump's tariff authority. He also did not say whether the chamber would propose a bill to correct the 2017 law on tax reform.

For most of the year, the Kentucky Republican remained discreet on the agenda of the 116th Congress. He has often told his colleagues and journalists that his priority was to confirm the appointments of Trump judges to life positions in federal and district courts.

McConnell attacked the Democrats when they controlled the Senate in 2014, criticizing them for what he called a lack of legislative achievements. At the time, he had promised that if Republicans won the majority, they would "work harder and achieve more."

This year, Democrats have put increasing pressure on the GOP leader to become an accumulation of democratic bills passed by the House.

"Chief McConnell has turned the Senate into a legislative cemetery for the priorities of the American people. The biggest challenges we face – health care, income inequality, voting rights, firearms safety, environment, pay justice – McConnell and the Republicans refuse to take action, "said the chief of democracy in the Senate. Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerHealth Care at Night – Presented by PCMA – Sanders Welcomes Trump Struggle About "Medicare for All" | DOJ lawyer in the ObamaCare case leaving | NYC mayor defends vaccination mandate | The Ohio government signs a "heart-breaking" abortion bill Dems leaves a place for Abrams in the crowded presidential field The Dems border presents a resolution condemning Trump's closing threats MORE (D-N.Y.) Told reporters that Congress was preparing to take a two-week break after its first 100 days of session.

So far this year, the House has passed a number of high-profile legislative measures: a set of provisions relating to campaign fundraising, ethics and electoral reform known as HR 1 ; thorough background checks for the sale of firearms; the 2019 Law on the Reauthorization of Violence against Women; the law on pay equity; a disaster relief package; a net neutrality invoice; and several measures concerning the Justice Department's lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.

"The House has passed numerous bills on these issues. Will McConnell put them down? No, they do not have to file these bills. Let them put any bill on these issues and debate them, "Schumer said.

The Senate will likely commit to reauthorization of the Violence Against Women and Natural Disaster Assistance Act, but these efforts are broken in the midst of partisan wrangling.

Campaign funding and electoral reform adopted by the House, the Paycheck Fairness Act and the neutrality of the internet should not reach the Senate.

McConnell rejected Title 1 of the "Protecting Democratic Politicians Act," arguing that it would limit freedom of expression and provide taxpayer-funded grants for political campaigns.

On Tuesday, he declared internet neutrality legislation "dead on his arrival", while he had criticized Paycheck's equity legislation in the past as a sop for the Liberal interest groups.

Schumer asserts that McConnell has globally put an end to legislative activity in the Senate and predicts that history will judge him severely for turning the chamber into a machine to confirm Trump's candidates at the expense of bipartisan legislative achievement.

Democrats say Republicans have broken their promise to send the Senate to a vigorous debate room.

After the Republicans won the majority in November 2014, McConnell said, "In recent years, the Senate has done nothing. We do not even vote. "

Now Democrats are stealing a page from McConnell's 2014 notebook.

"He does not care about appointing all these judges, and I do not think history takes into account how he changed the rules to do it, but more importantly, the fact that the Senate did so little. for the big problems of the day, "Schumer told the press last week.

McConnell, a student passionate about history, strongly criticized this criticism and retorted that Schumer could not be otherwise – deplores the lasting impact that Trump's candidates will have on the federal seat, while thanking the GOP leader did not do it. Something substance on the floor of the Senate.

McConnell said efforts to confirm the judges would continue.

"The pace is changing as fast as the rules allow, and this will continue when we return" after the Easter recess, he said, pointing to a "backlog" of 53 nominees to district courts.

[ad_2]

Source link