TODAY IN CONGRESS (TIC):
Your One Stop Shop For Learning What Our Congress Critters Are Up To!
Here Are The Headlines:
House Passes Bill to Save the Postal Service With a Surprisingly Bipartisan Vote!
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Postmaster DeJoy Gets Grilled by the House Oversight & Reform Committee TODAY!
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Day 104 Since the House Passed the HEROES Bill and it appears that the White House & GOP Senate Have Thrown in the Towel!
NOTICE: This will probably be my last TIC post until September since both the House and Senate are scheduled to be adjourned until then. But if something earthshaking happens in Congress before then, I will try to do a post.
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 Oversight & Reform Committee Hearing on Postal Service Operations & Mail-In Voting (Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general and Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. Duncan, testify on U.S. Postal Service operations during the Coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming elections.
Senate — Not in Session.
Saturday Votes:
House —
1. House Resolution 8015 (H.R. 8015): Vote on Passage of H.R.8015 - Delivering for America Act (This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020. Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning on enactment of this bill and ending on the last day of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any change to the operations or the level of service that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including
- changes in the nature of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide basis;
- revisions of service standards;
- closures or consolidations of post offices or reduction of facility hours;
- prohibitions on payment of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees;
- changes that would prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards;
- changes that would have the effect of delaying mail, allowing non-delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undelivered mail.)
You can read the Full Text of the Bill HERE.
Democrats- 231 Yes 0 No 0 Present 1 Not Voting
Republicans- 26 Yes 149 No 0 Present 23 Not Voting
Independents- 0 Yes 1 No 0 Present 0 Not Voting
Totals- 257 Yes 150 No 0 Present 24 Not Voting
PASSED
Voting Details HERE.
Senate — No votes.
Comments:
Legislative (IN-) Action —
H.R.6800 - HEROES Act — Well here we are at Day 104 (by my count) since the House passed the HEROES Act (a comprehensive Bill to provide additional Federal Aid related to the health and economic hardships caused by COVID-19) and it looks like neither the White House nor the GOP Senate are not the least bit interested in continuing any serious negotiations over a Corona Virus Relief Bill. There was of course this little side story of a contingent of Dem. House members who were trying to get Pelosi to schedule a Saturday vote on another Relief Bill. As posted by Joan McCarter:
A large contingent of House Democrats is pushing House Speaker Pelosi to do more, to use this time to vote new relief measures. As of now, the only thing scheduled for Saturday is the postal bill. “We’ve done our job in the House, but we have to keep putting pressure on Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans to do their job,” Rep. Steven Horsford, a Nevada freshman said. He was echoed by fellow freshmen, California Rep. Gil Cisneros. “There is urgency for us to act to protect the Post Office,” he said, adding, “We do need to act, as well, on relief.”
In the end Pelosi rejected the idea, and I have to say I agree with her decision. The House has done it’s job (passed the HEROES Act). We need to keep the pressure on McConnell’s Senate to do their job. Passing another different or smaller Relief Bill in the House that McConnell will also not take up in the Senate is not negotiating, it’s capitulating.
As I have said before, the GOP does not give a damn about Main Street, only about Wall Street. They won’t act on any real relief Bill until Wall Street starts hurting because that directly effects the financial well-being of Trump, GOP Senators and their very rich friends. The only question is if/when the economic hurt being felt on Main Street will cause Wall Street to tank? That is a question I will leave up to the DKos Economists.
Saturday Vote — In a very rare Saturday Session, the House passed the “Delivering For America Act”, a Bill to undo the destruction of the postal service caused by the new Postmaster, Louis DeJoy, and to provide it with an additional $25 Billion in funding. No surprise there. But what is surprising (it even surprised Speaker Pelosi) is that 26 House Republicans crossed the aisle to vote “yes” on the Bill with the Democrats. This Jessica Sutherland Post contains a tweet from Pro Publica identifying who these 26 Rouge Republicans are. I am sure they all had their “stated” reasons for voting for a Democratic Bill that Trump tweeted was dead on arrival (if it were ever to get to his desk), but my guess that political self-preservation was tops on each of their list of reasons.
Some in the media have suggested that having 26 House Republicans plus the Nationwide Pro-Postal Rallies, will make it difficult for #MoscowMitch to simply ignore the Bill as he has done with so many others in the past. But since the Senate isn’t due back in session until after Labor Day and there is no way Mitch will call them back before than, I am sure McConnell will hope this whole Postal mess will blow over by then or get blotted out by some new even worse Trump-made crisis, so he can ignore the House Bill.
Today’s C-Span TV Picks — Today’s pick for C-Span TV viewing is of course the House Oversight & Reform Committee’s Hearing on the Postal Service destruction by Postmaster General DeJoy, if for no other reason than it’s the only thing going on in Congress today. Still it has the chance to be an explosive hearing more than popcorn worthy. Details below under “Committee Activity”.
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)
House Oversight & Reform Committee Postal Investigation —
Background — See my Aug 21 TIC.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — Today is the Postal Service Hearing. Here is the official announcement from the Committee on House.gov:
On Monday, August 24, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will hold a hybrid hearing with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. Duncan regarding changes at the postal service under Mr. DeJoy’s leadership.
The hearing will examine operational and organizational changes at the Postal Service that have resulted in delivery delays across the country, including the delivery of critical medications, and the impact of these changes on the rights of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail in the November elections.
On August 18, 2020, Mr. DeJoy issued a statement suspending some of his recent changes, stating: “To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.”
However, he refused to reinstate the sorting machines, mailboxes, and other infrastructure he ordered removed. It is also unclear whether other possible changes—including how the Postal Service will prioritize election mail—will continue.
How this Hearing will go, nobody really knows. Will Democrats meekly ask a few polite probing questions as their Senate colleagues did (see Senate Homeland Security Hearing below), or will they go on full attack mode and try to get DeJoy to purger himself as often as possible? Will Republicans offer a strident defense of DeJoy’s actions as their Senate colleagues did, or will they sit back and squirm in their chairs throwing out some softball questions. Who knows? But House Hearings always tend to be more loud and confrontational than Senate Hearings, so I am hopeful our side will give Dejoy a good thrashing.
Some have suggested using the questioning method of each side having a seasoned Prosecutor asking the questions as was done during the House Intelligence Committee Impeachment Hearings instead of each Representative getting their 5 minutes of fame, as proposed by this Thomas Hailey Kloecker Diary. For the most part, I agree, more questioning by highly experienced prosecutors and less by show boat politicians). But if I had my druthers, I would give all the questioning time to Rep. Katie Porter. Let her open a Big Can of Whoop Ass on DeJoy.
However, although watching DeJoy get the thrashing he deserves is fun, I would suggest watching how Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Robert M. Duncan responds to questions, remembering the Board has the power to fire Mr. DeJoy and toss him out on his ass.
Senate Intelligence Committee Trump/Russia Investigation —
Background — See my Aug 21 TIC.
Recent Developments — One important thing in the Senate Report that I missed was pointed out to me in a comment on my Friday TIC by Animator9 was what it said about son Donald Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
One element that seems surprisingly under-reported from the Senate Intelligence Committee Report, I read that the Senate Intel Committee made criminal referrals of Don Jr. and Jared Kushner.
Why isn’t this being more widely reported even in diaries like this? Where are reporter’s questions to barr or trump or other mouthpieces about this? What happened to those referrals?
This would seem to be huge bombshell, yet it’s barely mentioned anywhere.
I Agree! Why is Salon the only one reporting this?
New Developments — None.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Postal Service Investigation —
Background — See my Aug 21 TIC.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — I watched a little of Friday’s Senate Hearing at the end and the Republicans were treating DeJoy like Mother Teresa instead of the Snidely Whiplash criminal he is. Frankly, the Democrats on the Committee didn’t do much better, asking some polite questions instead of giving DeJoy the thrashing he deserves. Maybe there were better questions earlier, but not that I heard in the last 15 minutes.
He is the person that caused the mess, not the person brought in to fix it.
He is the arsonist who threw gas on the postal service and lite the match, yet they all seem to be are asking him how he is going to put out the fire as if he were the Fire Chief! It’s just nuts!
I am hoping House Democrats do a better job today of treating him as the arsonist he is. At least they may be able to use some of what DeJoy testified to (under oath) on Friday to catch DeJoy in a Perjury Trap today. That would bring me Great “Joy”!
House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis —
Background — This Committee was born on the same day that the House passed CARES 3.5, by passage of H.Res. 938. As the name implies it will provide and coordinate oversight of the Trump Administration with regard to the Coronavirus Crisis. Also see my May 15 & Aug. 5 TICs for additional background.
Recent Developments — 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 & July 21 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. See my May 5 TIC for details on the April 28 DC Circuit Court (virtual) Hearing in this case. Also, see my Aug. 13 TIC.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None.
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 & July 22 TICs.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None.
House Judiciary Committee Barr Whistleblowers (Berman & Others) —
Background — See my June 24, 25, 29, July 21, 22, 29, 30& Aug. 22 TICs.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None.
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, June3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 23, 29 , July 22, Aug. 4, 13 & 21 TICs.
Recent Developments — None.
New Developments — None.
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, July 22, 23, 29 & Aug. 4, 5, 7, 13 &22 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. Vance (Criminal Case) — Case brought by Trump against against the Manhattan DA for Trump’s tax returns and other financial records. Trump is attempting to block a subpoena from the Manhattan DA to Mazars (the Trump Organization’s former Accounting Firm). 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 — Case #3 — Trump suffers another setback in his bid to prevent the Manhattan DA’s Grand Jury from enforcing the Mazar’s subpoena for his tax returns and other financial records. According to this CNN Report:
A federal appeals court denied President Donald Trump's attempt to halt the enforcement of a subpoena for his financial records but at the same time set a rapid schedule for oral arguments in the case, leaving a window of several days where prosecutors could seek to obtain the President's tax returns.
The ruling from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals came hours after the President's lawyers requested an emergency stay, or hold, on the subpoena.
Under a previous arrangement, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance agreed not to enforce the subpoena until seven days after the district court ruled. That deadline would expire next week.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled oral arguments on whether to grant a "stay" for September 1, raising the possibility that Trump's financial records and tax returns could be turned over to prosecutors before the hearing -- unless the President takes the case up to the Supreme Court or Vance's office agrees to hold off for the appeals' court decision.
A few important points that I will briefly cover:
1. This case is now moving at legal light speed. Even if Vance agrees to hold off enforcing the Subpoena until after the September 1 Hearing or the Supreme intervenes, we are still looking at only a few weeks before this case is wrapped up, and it’s not looking likely that Trump will win.
2. Even if the DA does get Trump’s financial records from Mazars in a few weeks, they will not likely be made public before the election since Grand Jury proceedings are secret until an indictment is filed.
3. Remember this is more than the Stormy Daniels payoff. This is about Trump committing Bank Fraud and/or Tax Fraud by both under valuing properties on his tax returns and over valuing them on his Deutsche Bank loan applications. The DA already has the Deutsche Bank Records, now he just needs the taxes.
New Developments — None.
THAT’S IT FOR TODAY! HAVE A FUN WEEKEND!