TODAY IN CONGRESS (TIC):
Your One Stop Shop For Learning What Our Congress Critters Are Up To!
Today’s Headlines:
House Democrats on the Judiciary Committee Give Republicans An Earful Over Their Non-Germane (STUPID) Amendments!
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DoJ Files Brief Defending Former Mueller Prosecutor in Flynn Case While Still Pushing for Dismissal!
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DAY 33 Since the House Passed the HEROES Bill and Not A Peep From Mitch!
Here’s today’s schedule with the events I think may be the most interesting in bold. You can watch C-Span HERE. NOTE: Sometimes C-Span posts additional Congressional events not on my list, later in the day.
Today’s Events:
House —
10:00 am — House Pro Forma Session
12:00 pm — House Intelligence Committee Hearing on Online Foreign Influence Operations (The House Intelligence Committee holds a virtual hearing to examine online foreign influence operations during the pandemic and as elections approach.)
4:00 pm — House Homeland Security subcommittee Hearing on Coronavirus & Air Travel Safety (A House Homeland Security subcommittee holds a hearing on air travel safety during the coronavirus pandemic.)
Senate —
9:30 am — Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Coronavirus Response & Future Int'l Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention (The Senate Foreign Relations Committee convenes a hearing to examine the coronavirus response and U.S. pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response for the future.)
10:00 am — Senate Session (The Senate will discuss the GOP police reform bill, the Justice Act and vote on the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to be on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.)
10:15 am — Senate Armed Services Committee National Guard Chief & Project Warp Speed Confirmation Hearing, Part 2 (The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a confirmation hearing for Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson to become chief of the National Guard Bureau and Army Gen. Gustave Perna to lead Project Warp Speed in its development of a coronavirus vaccine.)
Wednesday’s Votes:
House — No votes
Senate —
1. Senate Substitute Amendment 1617 (S.Amdt. 1617) to House Resolution 1957 (H.R. 1957): Vote on Passage of S.Amdt. 1617 Great American Outdoors Act (Read Full text of Amendment HERE.)
Democrats- 43 Yes 0 No 0 Present 2 Not Voting
Republicans- 28 Yes 25 No 0 Present 0 Not Voting
Independents- 2 Yes 0 No 0 Present 0 Not Voting
Totals- 73 Yes 25 No 0 Present 2 Not Voting
PASSED
Voting Details HERE.
Comments:
Today Topics/Events —
Police Reform Legislation — As each day goes by the partisanship over the competing police reform Bills continues to worsen (see House Judiciary Committee fireworks below under “Committee Activity”) to the point that it’s becoming hard to see how any meaningful legislation gets through the House and Senate before the election. While that is of course bad, it could be even worse for Republicans if voters find them to blame for the lack of progress on police reform. If that voter sentiment emerges over the coming days it may offer a glimmer of hope on passage of a decent Bill. While Democrats would like to get a Bill through, they would rather run on the issue of police reform than capitulate to passing a watered down Senate Bill. However, on other side of the political divide, if the GOP realizes the dire political reality they will face being labeled as the Party that killed police reform with huge protests going on in the streets, some of them may be more willing to compromise to get a Bill passed before Summer break. As I have always said, the side that wants a Bill more will be the side more willing to give in to get it. It’s an outside shot, but it’s hope. Otherwise, police reform will go the way of meaningful gun safety legislation after a mass shooting, that being nowhere. Time will tell?
COVID-19 Legislation — Today is Day 33 since the House passed the HEROES Bill with still no response from #MoscowMitch or any Senate Republican. However, rumors have it that the Senate will take up some form of Corona Virus economic aid legislation after the July recess now that the Stock Market is floundering again. No hurry folks, as thousands continue to die, over 13% of the country is unemployed and State and Local governments go broke and are on the verge of massive layoffs.
Today’s C-Span TV Picks — Not a lot of interesting stuff to watch today, but if you were to pin me down, I would go with the 9:30 Senate Hearing on US Corona virus response preparedness. It should be good for a few laughs.
Wednesday’s Votes — Well after over a week of debating, Cloture Votes and amendments on top of amendments, the Senate finally passed the essential Great American Outdoors Act which the Country can’t possibly do without (tongue firmly in cheek). Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for funding improvements to our National Parks, especially since I plan on visiting many of them next year. But with massive protests over racially based police brutality and COVID-19 killing thousands and creating record unemployment, THIS Bill is the GOP Senate’s priority! As I said before this was all about trying to preserve GOP Senate seats in National Park rich States like Colorado and Montana, and by extension trying to preserve Mitch’s post as Majority Leader which is all he really cares about. This was not a Republican policy priority as is evident by the fact that McConnell couldn’t even get half of his caucus to vote for it. It was a purely political move that has very little chance of paying off, but was of course a tremendous waste of time.
COMMITTEE ACTIVITY:
Introduction:
NOTE #s1 — 4: To keep this diary as short as possible while still providing a means for new readers to obtain a chronological history on each Committee Activity topic/event below, I have squirreled away the Background information on these topics in other previously posted diaries. So each topic’s Background section below will include links to my September 26, 2019 Diary for Background prior to November 22, my November 22, 2019, 2019 Diary for Background between November 22, 2019 and January 30, 2020, and my January 30, 2020 Diary for Background from January 30, 2020 until today. This and other regular TIC diaries will only include Recent Developments (stuff that happened the day before) and New Developments on each Committee topic/event. Also, I will discontinue posting Committee topics/events that have been inactive for weeks, but their histories will remain in the Background Diaries. If something new happens on these discontinued topics/events, I will bring them back from the dead and post it in the regular TIC.
Now on with the show. (New and Important stuff in bold)
Senate Judiciary Committee — Police Reform Legislation —
Background — See my June 8 TIC.
Recent Developments — The Senate Judiciary Committee held a Hearing yesterday on Police Reform and it was somewhat startling to hear the words of condemnation coming out of the mouth’s of GOP Senators. Here are some highlights from NPR:
In his opening address, Graham acknowledged how differently he, as a white man, views his interactions with police, as opposed to how many black Americans feel in their dealings with law enforcement.
"I've learned over the years, but particularly recently, that every black man in America apparently feels threatened when they are stopped by the cops. It is not 99%; it's like 100%," Graham said. "When I see a cop behind me, the first thing I think about is what did I do wrong, and can I talk myself out of this ticket? There is literally no fear. And I wouldn't like to live in a country where I'm afraid to be stopped."
Nothing like finally waking up to something that has been going on in this Country for decades.
None.
New Developments — None.
House Judiciary Committee Barr Subpoena for Mueller Grand Jury Materials —
Background — Pre-Nov. 22 CLICK HERE. Nov. 22 to Jan. 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Also, see my May 11 , 19, 20 & June 5 TICs.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None.
House Judiciary Committee McGahn Subpoena —
Background — Pre-Nov. 22 CLICK HERE. Nov. 22 to Jan. 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Also, see my May 5 TIC for details on the April 28 DC Circuit Court (virtual) Hearing in this case.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None, awaiting Court Ruling.
House Judiciary & Intelligence Committee News —
NOTE #1: This used to be the “House Intelligence Committee’s Whistleblower Investigation”. Then it was titled the “House Intelligence, & Judiciary Committees’ Impeachment Investigation”. Then it was titled the “House & Senate Impeachment Proceedings.” But since Trump’s first impeachment is over, I have changed the heading again.
Background — Pre-Nov. 22 CLICK HERE. Nov. 22 to Jan. 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Also, see my May 11 TIC, June 5, 8, 11 & 15 TICs.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — The House “Justice In Policing” Bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee’s Markup process by a Party Line vote of 24 to 14. But the real story from this Committee markup is how Republicans went off the rails and were called out on their Full of Crap amendments by one pissed of Democrat. Here’s a summary of the fireworks from RollCall:
The House Judiciary Committee’s debate on a broad policing overhaul bill Wednesday meandered predictably along partisan lines for hours as Republicans raised issues like abortion, allegations about the left-wing group Antifa and the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn — until Rep. Cedric Richmond decided to call them out in an unusually personal way.
The next five minutes — raised voices, fingers pointed, and Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz responding, “Who the hell do you think you are?” — in many ways encapsulated how typical Washington forces already threaten to squash any political momentum that started with the death of George Floyd at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer and was bolstered with days of demonstrations nationwide.
“By the time I’m finished, it will be clear that we are not good friends,” Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat and a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told Republicans on the committee.
Richmond said he has been “singing this same song since 1991.” He said this was a national crisis. And he characterized the Senate Republicans’ version of a policing bill, introduced that morning, as a watered-down measure “that mandates nothing.”
Richmond did more than hint that the Republican approach to the markup was seen differently by a political party that is overwhelmingly white as opposed to the more racially diverse Democratic caucus.
“To my colleagues, especially to the ones that keep introducing amendments that are a tangent and a distraction from what we’re talking about, you all are white males, you never lived in my shoes and you do not know what it’s like to be an African American male,” Richmond said.
He spoke about how some members of Congress voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — landmark bills for black rights — because of side issues.
“If you are opposed to this legislation, let’s just have a vote,” Richmond said. “But please don’t come in here and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community.”
Richmond said that this is a crisis, people are losing their lives, and he’s not interested in a watered-down bill or “equality with all deliberate speed” — and that he’s not interested in investigating Antifa or even the Klu Klux Klan as part of the policing overhaul.
“I will give you the benefit of the doubt that it is unconscious bias that I’m hearing, because at worst it’s conscious bias and that I would hate to assume of anyone on the other side,” Richmond said.
Gaetz interjected. He asked whether Richmond knew if any Republicans had children who were black, and the two lawmakers spoke over each other as Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., banged the gavel for order.
“Man, stop. I’m not about to get sidetracked by the color of our children,” Richmond told Gaetz. “It is not about the color of your kids. It is about black males, black people in the streets, that are getting killed. And if one of them happens to be your kid, I’m concerned about him too, and clearly, I’m more concerned about him than you are.”
Gaetz replied: “You’re claiming you have more concern for my family than I do. Who the hell do you think you are?”
“If the shoe fits,” Richmond said. “Kicked dog holler.”
Gaetz called it outrageous. Richmond replied, “Was that a nerve?”
“Yeah, you’re damn right it was a nerve,” Gaetz said.
Rep. Ted Lieu, who was born in Taiwan, cited his racial background later when he picked up on Richmond’s comments.
“I want my Republican colleagues to understand why it’s offensive, at this hearing about the killing of black Americans by the government, you’re talking about freaking Michael Flynn? And you talk about Google and Twitter, and you’re talking about protests in Seattle, things that have nothing to do with our government murdering black Americans,'' Lieu said.
“It is offensive when you bring up these random issues; it shows that you don’t get the problem. I want you to have some humility and understand why many of us minorities get offend by your tactics,” Lieu said.
It’s good to see Democrats call out Republicans for trying to make a mockery of this important legislation with their BS amendments.
House Judiciary & Intelligence Committee Flynn Subpoena —
Background — Pre-Nov. 22 CLICK HERE. Nov. 22 to Jan. 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Also, see my May 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 19, 20, 27, June 3, 5, 8, 11 & 15 TICs.
Recent Developments — As we approach the 4th of July Holiday it appears some fireworks regarding Barr’s handling of the Flynn case are about to go off in the House Judiciary Committee. Here’s the jist from CNN:
One of former special counsel Robert Mueller's deputies who quit the Roger Stone case after the Justice Department eased the sentencing recommendation will testify before a Democratic-led House committee next week as part of a hearing scrutinizing the actions of Attorney General William Barr.
The House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas Tuesday to Mueller prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky and John Elias, a Justice Department official in the Antitrust Division, who will both testify on June 24 alongside a former deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, described Zelinsky and Elias as whistleblowers and said they would "speak to the lasting damage the President and the Attorney General have inflicted on the Department of Justice."
Zelinsky plans to comply with the subpoena to the full extent that's appropriate, his attorney Robert Litt said on Tuesday.
This will definitely be a popcorn worthy event when it happens. I will keep you posted.
None.
New Developments — After getting pummeled in last Friday’s Appeals Court Hearing, the DoJ filed a 46 page Brief with the Court in which they defend their own actions in the handling of the Flynn case while simultaneously throwing blame on the FBI. As reported by POLITICO:
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s claims of prosecutorial misconduct are “unfounded,” the Justice Department argued Wednesday in a court filing that nevertheless persists in the government’s unusual attempt to abandon the criminal case he pleaded guilty to 2½ years ago.
“Flynn’s allegations are unfounded and provide no basis for impugning the prosecutors from the D.C. United States Attorney’s Office,” Justice Department attorneys said in the filing, suggesting that the government has other reasons for seeking to back away from its case against Flynn.
The denial of wrongdoing by DOJ prosecutors, contained in a lengthy footnote buried in the 49-page filing, came despite Flynn’s lawyers’ repeated attacks on prosecutor Brandon Van Grack, some of which they reiterated Wednesday in their own submission to the U.S. District Court in Washington.
While the Justice Department submission indicates that the Flynn legal team’s numerous accusations of misconduct against Van Grack and other prosecutors are unwarranted, the filing gives no similar pass to the FBI. Indeed, the government’s brief is replete with suggestions of impropriety on the part of various senior FBI officials and agents.
With the exception of the Justice Department’s defense of its prosecutors, Flynn and the government largely agreed that Sullivan has no authority to investigate the reason Barr opted to drop the charge against Flynn.
So it’s all the FBI’s fault and we still think the charges against Flynn should be dropped, the same charges that Van Grack was right to vigorously prosecute Flynn for. Twisted DoJ logic!
House Committees Subpoenas/Requests for Trump Banking/Financial Records & Taxes:
Background — Pre-Nov. 22 CLICK HERE. Nov. 22 to Jan. 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Also, see my May 11 , 12 , 13 & 14 TICs.
NOTE: In previous TICs, there were 3 separate topic threads (1. Deutsche/Capital One Bank Subpoenas, 2. Mazars’ Subpoena, and 3. Trump Taxes) covering 5 different court cases. Since they are all dealing with the same general topic (Trump’s hidden financial history) and were starting to get intertwined in my brain, I have rolled them all under the single header above to hopefully make things less confusing.
Also, to further help keep things organized, below are the five (5) ongoing court cases dealing with Trump’s Banking/Financial Records and tax returns.
1. Trump vs. Deutsche Bank and Capital One — Case brought by Trump against the the two banks in an effort to block a subpoena from the House Financial Services and Intelligence Committees for the Trump Organization’s banking records, including tax returns.
2. Trump vs. Mazars (Congressional Case) — Congressional Mazar’s case brought by Trump against Mazars (the Trump Organization’s former Accounting Firm) in an effort to block a subpoena from the House Oversight and Reform Committee for the Trump Organization’s financial records, including tax returns.
3. Trump vs. Mazars (Criminal Case) — Case brought by Trump against against Mazars (the Trump Organization’s former Accounting Firm) in an effort to block a subpoena from the Manhattan DA for Trump’s tax returns. The DA has subpoenaed these takes returns in conjunction with his criminal investigation of Trump’s hush money pay off to Stormy Daniels.
4. Congress vs. the IRS & Treasury Department (Trump’s Federal Tax Returns) — This case is a lawsuit brought by the House Ways & Means Committee against the IRS and Treasury Department for their failure to turn over Trump’s tax returns upon the Committee’s request as required BY LAW.
5. Trump vs. NYS Tax Department (Trump’s State Tax Returns) — This case is a lawsuit brought by Trump to block NYS from turning over his State tax returns to Congress.
I will use these case #s below to help keep things organized.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None, awaiting SCOTUS rulings.
THAT’S IT FOR TODAY! Stay Healthy All!