Trump regime

Ralph Nader  - Professor Emeritus Roddey Reid could have retired from the University of California San Diego to a life of deserved leisure. Instead, he has just published a Handbook on Political Intimidation/Bullying, which is increasingly dominating government, business, and civil society....

Reid argues, Newt Gingrich launched this political onslaught in 1994 when he took over the GOP, led the Republicans to victory and became House Speaker. “To be clear,” Reid continues, “political intimidation and public bullying are forms of psychological and physical political violence…meant to injure, humiliate, isolate, coerce, and even destroy opponents and entire communities.” These interviews should spark a civic rebellion.

The political intimidation operates in both open sight – from the belligerent bully-in-chief Trump, and in the shadows with serious anonymous threats to members of Congress, judges, and their families. Combined, this viciousness has meant the difference in razor-thin votes in Congress. For example, the violent-talking, unfit Secretary of Defense being confirmed by the Senate.  Other Trump nominees, who are also staggeringly inexperienced, totally obeisant to Trump’s wrecking of America in daily violation of the Constitution and federal laws, have also squeaked through Senate confirmation votes.

 NY Times - Higher Obamacare prices — which Democrats have made central to the standoff behind the government shutdown — have become public in a dozen states. The sharp increases came to light as Trump threatened new shutdown-related cuts to federal aid and workers. 

 Roll Call - It’s been a year full of money grabs by an executive branch that puts less weight on Congress’ “power of the purse” than any since the Nixon administration.

But President Donald Trump’s latest budget maneuver — paying military salaries out of unrelated research funding — has so openly flouted federal law as to make lawmakers’ appropriations authority, and Congress itself, practically irrelevant, critics argue.

“President Trump has been ignoring Congress’ authority to say which funds should be spent since the early days of this administration. He is now increasingly disregarding the requirement of an appropriation before spending money,” said David Super, a Georgetown Law professor and expert in federal budget law.

“This renders the appropriations process essentially meaningless if the president continues along this course,” Super said.

Roll Call - Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday that the food stamp program will run out of funds in two weeks because of the partial government shutdown, potentially leaving nearly 42 million people without monthly benefits.

“We’re going to run out of money in two weeks. So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families, that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown,” Rollins said outside the White House.

The Agriculture Department later in the day released an Oct. 10 letter to regional SNAP directors directing them to stop work on November benefits. 

“Considering the operational issues and constraints that exist in automated systems, and in the interest of preserving maximum flexibility, we are forced to direct States to hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to State EBT [electronic benefit transfer] vendors until further notice. This includes on-going SNAP benefits and daily files,” the letter said. 

The Agriculture Department has limited options to find another source of money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, after the GOP budget reconciliation law earlier this year drained the Commodity Credit Corporation, a possible funding option.