Verification of Trump's action against Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan



[ad_1]

On Wednesday, Pelosi practically dissuaded Trump from delivering the State of the Union address to the House, citing security concerns and suggesting to the President to wait until the end of the closure. On Thursday, Trump fought back and canceled the undisclosed Pelosi project to visit US troops in Afghanistan as well as a congressional delegation, which allowed coverage of what is normally a secretive trip.

Here is an overview of the factors surrounding Trump's decision to prevent Pelosi and other lawmakers from using military transports when the market closes

Does this have any link with the closure?

Not directly. The Department of Defense has been fully funded since September and the trip would not necessarily require employees on leave affected by the closure.

In his letter, Trump claimed that the trip would prevent Pelosi from entering negotiations to end the closure. (It should be noted that the President visited Iraq at the end of December at the time of the closure.)

Trump allowed to do so?

Pretty good. With respect to support for military air transport to congressional delegations (CODEL), the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs – with a few exceptions – must approve. As we have seen, however, the president may intervene and refuse the request insofar as, as commander-in-chief, he has authority over the army.
As announced in a memo sent from the Office of Management and Budget Friday morning, it is now forbidden for all congressional delegations to use "a government-owned, rented plane, rented or chartered "without the authorization of the Acting Chief of Staff of the White House, Mick Mulvaney.

Could she fly commercial?

Not really. In her letter to Pelosi, Trump said she was free to advertise. And, according to her press service, she tried to do it.
In one night, the State Department updated its assessment of the security threat to travel, Pelosi's office found it more dangerous because of Trump's decision . make the trip public. Citing these security concerns, the delegation canceled the trip.

Since the Speaker of the House ranks second in the matter of presidential succession, behind the Vice President, military security is often required to travel to high-risk areas, even though the President is able to carry out commercial activities. In any event, if any of the stops on the trip include a visit to US military personnel stationed in a war zone such as Afghanistan, the speaker can not remain without military assistance.

Has this happened before?

Yes and no.

We could not find another case where a president had distinguished some members of Congress and rejected their request for CODEL. It is also unprecedented that a president has alerted the public about CODEL's relocation plans into a war zone, which, according to Pelosi spokesman, Drew Hammill, has raised the threat level of the department of State in the evaluation of the safety of the trip.

Congress to travel abroad. In 2015, President John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, disapproved of the planned trip of Texas GOP representative, Louie Gohmert, to Egypt and Africa. (Boehner did the same with Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa earlier that year.)

In the past, members of Congress were limited in their ability to travel to certain countries because military operations in the region and limited resources.

According to retired Rear Admiral and CNN analyst John Kirby, lawmakers have been temporarily denied CODEL's requests to war zones during President Barack Obama's term of office due to kidnappings and security concerns. security of the military authorities. However, noted Kirby, the ban applies to Republicans and Democrats and does not designate a particular Congressman, as Trump did before his government issued a blanket ban.

[ad_2]
Source link