A report card on the Biden administration

You believe that fairy tale?

 

Biden is busy.

The Times reports, "A pair of proposals would invest in infrastructure, education, work force development and fighting climate change, with the aim of making the economy more productive.

"President Biden’s economic advisers are preparing to recommend spending as much as $3 trillion on a sweeping set of efforts aimed at boosting the economy, reducing carbon emissions and narrowing economic inequality, beginning with a giant infrastructure plan that may be financed in part through tax increases on corporations and the rich."

It is so refreshing to have a President who is actually doing his job. We have been waiting a long time for such a President. Biden has loads of experience, and he knows how to get things done.

Interesting that all the Republicans are doing is complaining about events at our southern border. While tragic, the interests of 330 million Americans can be judged to be more important. Biden and the DHS director are working on the problem at our border.

In the meantime we must focus on the problems affecting Americans, a deadly pandemic, a stagnant economy, and getting kids back into school. That is Biden's focus. That is the focus of most Americans.

Republicans are out of step again.

 

They are crazy in Colorado as well!

First, Columbine, then Aurora, now Boulder.

Colorado, like Texas, has open carry. A person can walk down a street in Boulder carrying an AR-15 and it is perfectly legal.

"President Biden said Tuesday that he was “devastated” by the killing of 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., and called on Congress not to “wait another minute” in enacting legislation to ban assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines," Times

"WASHINGTON — On the heels of two mass shootings that have shocked the country, the Senate is, once again, weighing an overhaul of the nation's gun laws — with a murky path ahead," NBC.

As in the cases following San Bernardino, Calif., Charleston, S.C., in 2015; Newtown, Conn., Aurora, Colo., in 2012; Virginia Tech in 2007, a Walmart in El Paso, a high school in Parkland, Fla., Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. not a damn thing will be done!

Why? The Republican Party will not allow it.

 

The Times reports, "Vice President Kamala Harris will be in charge of efforts to reduce illegal immigration by finding ways to improve conditions in Central American countries, President Biden said Wednesday as his administration struggles to confront a surge of migrants at the country’s southern border.

“This new surge we are dealing with now started in the past administration, but it is our responsibility” now to deal with it, Mr. Biden said as he made the announcement during a meeting with top immigration advisers.

"He called the vice president the most qualified person to deal with Mexico and Central American countries as they try to limit what he called “serious spikes” in the number of people trying to cross the border illegally."

 

Biden will announce new Covid vaccine goal: 200 million shots within his first 100 days
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/25/bid...-million-shots-within-his-first-100-days.html

 

Nothing new about that Goal -

 

Politico reports, "President Joe Biden held his first news conference since taking office more than two months ago. The high-profile event came as his administration grapples with the pandemic, a struggling economy, a border surge and new threats from North Korea."

It was extremely refreshing to have a President who was remarkably candid with the White House press corps and his American audience.

It was extremely refreshing to have a President who answered a yes or no question with a "yes" or "no." That is extremely rare in a politician.

It was extremely refreshing to have a President who does not want to be the center of attention.

Biden's predecessor needed always to be the center of attention, causing some to suggest that Trump had become a daytime television star. Trump never let a insult go to waste no matter how trivial and, because of his incompetence and stupidity, there were plenty during the long four years of his term.

Not Biden, Biden is the people's President. He wants only to do the job he was chosen to do.

Fanfare and meaningless conspiracies not allowed.

 

USA Today reports, "Republicans have seized on the situation at the border to slam the Biden administration's immigration policy. The White House has repeatedly said the border is closed and has called on migrants to stop trying to make the dangerous journey to the United States, but Republicans lay the blame at the Biden administration's feet for what they describe as a crisis."

Republicans are critical of Biden because he is humane!

Which, of course, explains why they have become the losers. Biden is remarkably successful in fighting the pandemic. Far more successful than Trump. The economy is on the upswing, and millions of Americans are being helped by his American Rescue Plan, which came to them with every Republican in Congress voting "nay."

The only thing Republicans can do is criticize Biden for a problem that has existed for over 50 years in varying degrees.

And, of course, continue to vote "nay" to Biden's programs such as badly needed gun reform, infrastructure investment, immigration policies, getting tough with Russia and China, and more.

All of which makes the Republican Party -- losers of the House, Senate, and Presidency within a span fo four years -- the party of losers.

In addition, the GOP is experiencing a record number of retirees for the third year in a row. Many Republican Senators and representatives have no desire to work with Trump and the uninformed, intelligence challenged members of Trump's cult.

 

NBC News reports, "This week Kim Jong Un's regime fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, describing them early Friday as a new type of tactical guided weapon.

"Having brushed off two smaller missile tests less than a week ago, this time President Joe Biden condemned the ballistic missile launches, which were in violation of a United Nations resolution."

On the threat level scale involving Russia, China, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea, N.K. ranks dead last.

Kim is screaming, "Pay attention to me, too!"

 

This is why Trump is still dangerous!

Not to the average American. Not to the Democratic Party.

Trump is a threat to the viability and strength of the Republican Party. Led by Trump, they are becoming more ludicrous by the day. Now Republicans have outlawed providing water to people waiting in line to vote in Georgia.

How absurd can you get.

It only gets worse.

CNN reports, "The same week that a major backer of Trump's false election fraud narrative admitted it was unreasonable, Republican lawmakers in Georgia turned legislation inspired by the false narrative into law."

Lawyer Sidney Powell, who pushed the most virulent and false claims of fraud in 2020, faces a massive defamation lawsuit by the election infrastructure company Dominion Voting Systems, which were active in Georgia in 2020.

Powell repeatedly pressed the voter fraud myth as fact on the airwaves and in court after the election, but facing Dominion's lawsuit, she said in a filing that "reasonable" people would not accept her statements as "fact."

Also, in response to the network's many lies about voter fraud, Dominion sued Fox News this week, asking for $1.6 billion in damages.

Because he lost the election in Georgia, because Georgians refuted his leadership and elected two Democratic Senators giving the Democrats control of the Senate, Trump is seeking vengeance against those who voted against him and his party.

The Republican Party is being led by a man seeking retribution, not what is best for the party or -- heaven forbid -- best for the country. Allow me to repeat:

Republican lawmakers in Georgia turned legislation inspired by the false narrative into law."

Americans are looking at all of this, and that does not bode well for the Republican Party. Like lemmings, they are being led over a very deep cliff.

 

John Blake writes, "By passing one of the nation's most restrictive voting bills, Republican lawmakers in Georgia have forgotten a lesson from the past and are setting themselves up for defeat in the future.

"The sweeping bill, signed into law Thursday by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to hand them food and water.

"Kemp said the law allows Georgia to "take another step toward ensuring our elections are secure, accessible, and fair." Voting rights advocates, though, said it's a thinly disguised and racist attempt to suppress the Black vote."

"No one but Pee Wee Herman believed them when they talked about the 'integrity of the vote,'" says the Rev. Tim McDonald.

"What's happened in Georgia is part of a national trend. So far this year Republican lawmakers in more than 40 states have introduced more than 250 bills to restrict voting.

"But it may prove to be a clumsy political miscalculation. There's growing evidence to suggest that voter restriction laws sometimes backfire against their proponents.

"By attacking voting rights Republicans have abandoned a GOP political strategy that helped them win close elections. And they have angered a powerful bloc of Black voters who have already mobilized against them."

 

It is the Democratic Party that always bites the bullet and improves the lot of the American people. During the Obama administration there was the investment in our future to fight the Great Recession he inherited from the previous administration. Then came Obamacare to provide health care to millions of Americans. Republicans were kicking and screaming through it all.

Trump did nothing for the American people. He was too busy taking care of himself, his family, and his high-powered friends and the pandemic raged.

With Biden came the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to fight the pandemic, improve our stagnant economy, provide financial help to millions of desperate unemployed Americans, and get the kids back in school. Not one Republican in Congress voted for the badly needed legislation.

Now Biden embarks on an investment in our future, fixing our 70 to 100 year old infrastructure before many more die from collapsing bridges and a heavily damaged freeway system.

The White House is preparing for its next big swing on the economy.

Vox explains, "President Joe Biden is preparing to unveil his “Build Back Better” plan Wednesday during a public address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The White House discussed an approximately $3 trillion infrastructure package on a call last week with Senate Democrats, but the price tag and final details are still under discussion, a person familiar with the plan told Vox.

"Those close to the Biden White House underscore this is a key part of the president’s agenda, and his goal of steering America’s economy toward clean energy and manufacturing. Biden and Democrats see an infrastructure package as the best way to tackle climate change and get the country to net-zero electricity emissions by 2035, by installing more electric vehicle charging stations on the nation’s roads, modernizing the electrical grid, and incentivizing more wind and solar projects. It could be financed at least in part with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans."

But it comes with high price tag as Fox points out. "The White House increased the scope of planned tax hikes by approximately $2 trillion to assuage concerns among some officials about the impact President Biden’s costly infrastructure plan would have on US economy’s long-term health, according to a report Monday."

No doubt, in Congress Biden will face an uphill battle with Republicans.

Like I said, the Democrats bite the bullet. Our government has neglected our infrastructure for decades. Fixing it won't be cheap.

Look on the bright side. Biden's plan will create thousands of new jobs.

 

Fox can't effectively pick on Biden.

So, Fox picks on Biden's dog.

Fox has reported, "President Biden’s dog Major on Monday afternoon bit another employee, who then required medical attention.

"First Lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael de Rosa confirmed the "nip" in a statement to Fox News. "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury.'"

 

The Times reports, "Senior Democrats on Monday proposed a tax increase that could partly finance President Biden’s plans to pour trillions of dollars into infrastructure and other new government programs, as party leaders weighed an aggressive strategy to force his spending proposals through Congress over unified Republican opposition.

"The moves were the start of a complex effort by Mr. Biden’s allies on Capitol Hill to pave the way for another huge tranche of federal spending after the $1.9 trillion stimulus package that was enacted this month. The president is set to announce this week the details of his budget, including his much-anticipated infrastructure plan.

"He is scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday to describe the first half of a “Build Back Better” proposal that aides say will include a total of $3 trillion in new spending and up to an additional $1 trillion in tax credits and other incentives."

 

The Post reports, "Under what the administration calls the American Jobs Plan, Biden aims to tackle some of the nation’s most pressing problems — from climate change to decaying water systems to the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

"Biden pitched his plan as a transformative effort to overhaul the nation’s economy. He called it the most significant federal jobs investment since the World War II era, saying it would put hundreds of thousands of electricians and laborers to work laying miles of electrical grid and capping hundreds of oil wells. He said the plan’s research funding would make America the global leader in emerging sectors such as battery technology, biotechnology, and clean energy."

He promised no one making less than $400 thousand a year will see tax a increase. Instead he will restore the corporate tax to where it was before the Republicans reduced it in 2017.

The Post explains, "On the tax side, Biden’s plan includes raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent; increasing the global minimum tax paid from about 13 percent to 21 percent; ending federal tax breaks for fossil fuel companies; and ramping up tax enforcement against corporations, among other measures."

“This is not a plan that tinkers around the edges. It is a once-in-a-generation investment in America, unlike anything we’ve done since we built the Interstate Highway System and the Space Race,” in the 1950′s and 1960s, Biden said.

As was the case with the popular American Rescue Plan, the Republicans are saying "Nay!"

“Our nation could use a serious, targeted infrastructure plan. There would be bipartisan support for a smart proposal. Unfortunately, the latest liberal wish-list the White House has decided to label 'infrastructure' is a major missed opportunity by this Administration," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

 

Politico reports, "President Joe Biden is using his infrastructure plan to take aim at President Donald Trump's signature economic achievement: his corporate tax cuts.

"The administration is calling for $2 trillion in new spending on roads, bridges and a myriad other projects, and sticking big companies with the bill. To defray its cost, his plan would roll back Trump’s cut in the corporate tax rate — Biden would hike it to 28 percent, from 21 percent — while stiffening a minimum tax on multinational corporations.

"While Democrats cast the tax increases as a matter of fairness, they also hope it will make good politics. The coming fight promises to reignite a debate over how much corporate taxes matter for the health of the economy, not to mention the political fortunes of lawmakers."

 

The Times reports, "President Biden held his first cabinet meeting on Thursday, a day after rolling out his $2 trillion infrastructure plan, with the socially distanced participants gathering in the East Room of the White House — a less cramped space than the Cabinet Room.

"The afternoon meeting came just over 10 weeks into Mr. Biden’s presidency, a period in which the Senate confirmed all of his cabinet secretaries and almost all of his nominees to other cabinet-level positions.

"Mr. Biden began by delegating five cabinet secretaries — Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; Marcia L. Fudge, the housing secretary; Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo; Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm; and Marty Walsh, the labor secretary — to serve as his emissaries on infrastructure.'

Pretty routine stuff. Biden is merely doing what he is being paid to do.

Boy, do I miss Trump.

 

Fox News reports, "A shocking video of two little girls dropped over a border barrier in New Mexico is fueling criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis at the southern border -- with critics saying the administration is encouraging smugglers and illegal immigrants."

Somehow, according to Republicans, that was Biden's fault.

The Post reports, "Preliminary enforcement data for March confirms what border officials have been saying for weeks: The number of migrants crossing into the United States has skyrocketed to the highest levels in at least 15 years, and record numbers of teenagers and children arriving without parents have overwhelmed the government’s ability to care for them."

Single adults still make up the majority of border apprehensions, with 99,300 encountered in March, the preliminary data reveals, up from 71,598 in February. Single adults are largely being turned away at the US southern border as soon as they're encountered under a public health order, according to CNN.

CNN added, "In March, CBP encountered 18,800 unaccompanied children at the border, according to the preliminary data, nearly doubling the number apprehensions of children in February and setting a record high."

It is amazing that Republicans, desperate to find fault with Biden who actually acts like President, are critical of the President for not solving the problem at the border instantaneously.

Other than foolishly recommending a return to Trump's draconian and ruthless methods, Republicans offer no solutions to the problem, just criticism.

 

I mean, of course it's criticism. The former President had control over the border. Biden doesn't have that control and is enabling these actors to reengage their sex crimes of trafficking, rape, etc. If he can't take the heat then he should get out of the kitchen.

I also agree with Senate Minority leader McConnell that a package of 'electric" stations, for what is less than 1 million such cars in the US is absolutely ridiculous: https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-electric-cars-in-united-states/

How much is that going to cost? How are the Democrats going to facilitate the move of gasoline vehicles for middle class Americans?(You know, those who make 50K a year or less, not the big bad corporations they wanna tax.)

Smh.

 

In the meantime, President Biden is working to offset the debilitating effects of the pandemic and improve our economy.

The Post reports, "The U.S. economy added 916,000 jobs in March, as coronavirus vaccine distribution improved, Congress approved a $1.9 trillion stimulus package and states across the country lifted restrictions on businesses.

"The unemployment rate edged down to 6 percent last month from 6.2 percent in February, according to the monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"The surge in hiring comes one year after the pandemic threw the U.S. economy into a tailspin, sending a signal that the recovery may have reached a turning point. It followed several sluggish months in the labor market as coronavirus cases surged and many employers paused rehiring amid concerns about efforts to control the pandemic."

We have a President again, folks!

 

I provided facts and sources. You should read them. You provided your Republican-like opinion.

Which has more credibility? Facts provided by respected sources or your opinion.

I know, you are trying hard to find fault. Trust me it is not working.

 

Recently, I have made two statements several times, and I believe both to be true. Part of the reason I hold those statements to be true is that no one has challenged them.

The Republican Party is in trouble due to the nature of grassroots Republicans.

The grassroots Republican voter is intelligence challenged.

Despite all the evidence, which would include their own eyes IF they have seen the videos shown hundreds of times, 55 percent of Republicans believe that the riot was started by “violent left-wing protesters.

The Times reports, "About half of Republicans still do not accept the verified fact that conservative protesters, supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a poll released Monday.

"Overall, 61 percent of Americans think Mr. Trump “is at least partly to blame for starting the deadly Jan. 6 riot” — but only 28 percent of Republicans agreed with that statement, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

"And 55 percent of Republicans believe that the riot was started by “violent left-wing protesters trying to make Trump look bad.” The F.B.I. has said there is no evidence to support those claims.

Despite 60 court decisions, the Supreme Court, countless investigations, and all 50 states certifying the election results, six in 10 Republicans also believe Mr. Trump’s false assertion that the presidential election “was stolen” from him as result of widespread ballot fraud.

I predict we will hear nothing from Republicans on this forum.

This explains why the Republican Party is in a heap of trouble.

 

The Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA), signed during the Obama administration, permanently barred Iran from making a nuclear weapon. In 2018, Trump single handedly destroyed the agreement. Iran resumed her nuclear research, and she is closer to a nuclear device than ever. U.S. officials now estimate that Iran’s “breakout time” — the time necessary to assemble enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon — is now down to a few months.

It is for those reasons that the Biden administration is trying to restore the agreement. Better for us, better for our allies, and better for Iran.

The Times reports, "In indirect talks in Vienna, the U.S. and Iran agreed to try to synchronize Washington’s lifting of sanctions and Iran’s limiting of uranium enrichment.

"The United States and Iran agreed through intermediaries on Tuesday to establish two working groups to try to get both countries back into compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

"In a meeting of the current members of the deal in Vienna, all parties agreed to establish one working group to focus on how to get the United States back to the deal by lifting harsh economic sanctions imposed or reimposed after President Donald J. Trump pulled out of the accord in May 2018.

"President Biden has vowed to bring the United States back into the deal, which would mean removing the 1,600 or so sanctions imposed on Iran after Mr. Trump pulled out of an accord he regarded as too weak. Trump failed to force Iran to renegotiate through economic pressure."

 

Saying things that encourages non-residents to attempt to cross the border is not humane. Its irresponsible and now Biden is feeling the pressure of his words.

It's like giving an alcoholic money... it's enabling. It isn't humane. Stop kidding yourself.

 

Most legislation requires 60 votes to advance in the Senate, and Democrats are unlikely to get Republican support for their more ambitious and expensive proposals.

CBS News explains it this way. "One such path is budget reconciliation, a procedural maneuver which allows for budget-related items to pass with a simple majority. Democrats used a budget resolution for the current fiscal year to lay the groundwork for passing the American Rescue Plan. Although typically budget reconciliation has been used only once per fiscal year, the ruling by the Senate parliamentarian will allow Democrats to use reconciliation as often as possible — paving the way for Democrats to use the reconciliation process for Mr. Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

"Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 can allow for multiple reconciliation bills per fiscal year."

I'm guessing Elizabeth is a Democrat.

Budget reconciliation, a parliamentary procedure to bypass the two-thirds requirement for legislation, was used to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan without any Republican support.