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Home Front: Politix

Report: 55 House Democrat ‘Deadbeats' Skip Paying Dues to DCCC as Midterm Red Wave Builds

2022-03-31

[Breitbart] Fifty-five powerful and influential House Democrats are reportedly financially stiffing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), failing to pay the dues they owe because of the likelihood that Republicans will retake the chamber.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) reportedly pleaded with members on Tuesday to pay up. But many members are not paying their dues, perhaps because Democrats perceive the 2022 midterm election as a lost cause. “The House Democratic majority is in deep trouble, with both history and the polls against them; and Republicans have overtaken what’s been traditionally a large lead by the DCCC in fundraising, thanks in part to a huge spurt in online fundraising,” Punchbowl noted.

One congressional Democrat told the publication Pelosi is trying her best to force the “deadbeats” to cough up the money by keeping a list of those who have not paid.

“The speaker is very focused on exactly who’s paid dues and who hasn’t. You really don’t want to be on the wrong list right now,” the member said.

Many of those who are stiffing the committee are some of the most powerful and influential members in the caucus, such as Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) has $685,000 in a campaign account, yet refuses to pay any dues. Others stiffing the committee include Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ).

Many members who are running for different political positions or are retiring from Congress after the midterms also have unpaid dues. Those reportedly include Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Conor Lamb (D-PA), Val Demings (D-FL), and Charlie Crist (D-FL), among others.

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-Short Attention Span Theater-

FAA administrator Steve Dickson will step down midway through his term

2022-02-18

Hattip 3dc. NPR’s original headline was Steve Dickson, Trump-appointed FAA head, to resign ..., referring his nomination in 2019. One wonders how much mutual annoyance he and his boss, the famous Buttigieg (or however it’s spelt) experienced from one another before he decided to walk away.

I doubt BootyGig is the problem. He rarely shows up for work
[NPR] The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who took over the agency as it was reeling from allegations of lax oversight in the aftermath of two Boeing 737 MAX airplane crashes, is stepping down.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson is a former Air Force and Delta Air Lines pilot who worked his way up to be Delta's senior vice president of flight operations.

He came out of retirement from Delta to head up the FAA, which at the time was under intense scrutiny for certifying Boeing's 737 MAX jetliner, when two of the planes crashed and killed a total of 346 people.

The FAA had approved the new jetliner while knowing little about an automated flight control system that crash Sherlocks blame for playing a significant role in the crashes.

Dickson refused to approve the 737 MAX to fly passengers again until he flew the plane himself, which he did in September of 2020.

Dickson told FAA employees in a letter that he was proud of his tenure, saying, "The agency is in a better place than it was two years ago, and we are positioned for great success."

He said his decision comes with "mixed emotions and a heavy heart."

"Nevertheless, after sometimes long and unavoidable periods of separation from my loved ones during the pandemic, it is time to devote my full time and attention to them. As I wrote in my letter to President Joe Biden

...... 46th president of the U.S., who gives the term geriatric a bad name. He blames Afghans for losing Afghanistan.......
, it is time to go home," he told employees.

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Home Front: Politix

Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio announces he won't seek re-election after 36 years

2021-12-02

[KPTV] Congressman Peter DeFazio, who has represented Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District for 36 years, announced Wednesday he won’t seek re-election in 2022.

DeFazio is the longest serving House member from Oregon and the 65th-longest serving member of the House in U.S. history.

"With humility and gratitude, I am announcing that I will not seek re-election next year," DeFazio said in a blurb Wednesday. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as Congressman for the Fourth District of Oregon. For 36 years I have fought corporate greed and special interests to benefit Oregon’s working families... Thank you for putting your trust in me."

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Science & Technology

SpaceX successfully launches 60 more Starlink satellites into space

2021-05-01

[UPI] Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket into space late Wednesday, deploying its payload of 60 Starlink Internet network satellites into low-Earth orbit.

The two-stage, 70-meter rocket lifted off at 11:44 p.m. EDT as scheduled from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

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Government Corruption

Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) attempt to halt SpaceX development.

2021-03-30

[SpaceNews] Congress raises concerns about FAA’s handling of Starship launch license violation

As SpaceX gears up for another test flight of a Starship prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration is facing new scrutiny from Congress for how it handled SpaceX’s violation of its launch license on an earlier test flight.

SpaceX had planned to launch its SN11 Starship vehicle March 29 from its Boca Chica, Texas, test site. That flight will be similar to those of previous Starship prototypes, going to an altitude of 10 kilometers before landing on a nearby pad.

However, SpaceX called off the March 29 launch attempt because an FAA inspector could not arrive to observe the flight during a five-hour window. “FAA inspector unable to reach Starbase in time for launch today,” tweeted Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, using the proposed new name for the Boca Chica site. “Postponed to no earlier than tomorrow.”

The requirement for an FAA presence on site at the test site is new for the SN11 launch. The latest version of SpaceX’s FAA launch license for the Starship suborbital test flight program, issued March 12, allows those test flights to take place “only when an FAA Safety Inspector is present at SpaceX’s Boca Chica launch and landing site.”

The FAA cleared SpaceX to proceed with launches, with SN9 and SN10 launching and landing — and both exploding upon or shortly after landing — on Feb. 2 and March 3, respectively. Neither caused any damage outside of the SpaceX test site.

The FAA’s response to SpaceX’s launch license violation, including the lack of any penalties beyond the investigation, prompted criticism from two key members of Congress. In a March 25 letter to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) sought to “register our concerns” with the incident. DeFazio is chair of the House Transportation Committee and Larsen the chair of its aviation subcommittee.

“Given the high-risk nature of the industry, we are disappointed that the FAA declined to conduct an independent review of the event and, to the best of our knowledge, has not pursued any form of enforcement action,” they wrote after summarizing the incident and investigation.

In the letter, DeFazio and Larsen called on the FAA to “resist any potential undue influence on launch safety decision-making” by taking “all the time and actions necessary” to evaluate proposed launches. They also urged the FAA to implement “a strict policy to deal with violations of FAA launch and reentry licenses” that includes civil penalties, and to evaluate its current approach to safety oversight and enforcement for commercial space activities.

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Home Front: Politix

Portland protests drive powerful Dem's Oregon district toward young Republican rival

2020-10-19

Another race to watch.

[FoxNews] In the regularly blue state of Oregon, voters in a purple district near the city of Portland are turning away from long-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Peter DeFazio in favor of a young Republican challenger.

Army veteran Alek Skarlatos, 27, gained international fame for halting an turban attack aboard a Gay Paree-bound train in 2015.

His adventures, along with two friends, are described here. There was also an Englishman and a Frenchman or two who courageously involved themselves, as reported in subsequent articles on the subject. Genuine WoT heroes, all.

He's also one of House Republicans' best recruits this year, outraising DeFazio by $1.2 million and outspending him by over $900,000 in the most recent quarter.

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Home Front: Politix

Liberals Try to Prevent Pelosi From Bringing Tax Bill to the Floor

2010-12-08

Fox has learned that Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Jay Inslee (D-WA) are crafting a letter to share with the House Democratic Caucus that would try to prevent the Speaker from bringing the tax bill to the floor.

They hope to get 60 signatures on their letter (which is still being drafted) and then force a vote in the caucus. DeFazio says he thinks that if a majority of House Democrats are against this compromise, they shouldn't bring it to the floor.

In other words, they are seeking a majority of the majority to move this and a senior House democratic source indicates they don't know if they have a majority of democrats, saying they haven't whipped this yet.

In an interview with Fox, DeFazio criticizes the president and says a majority of the House Democratic Caucus does not support the tax rate compromise. "There does not seem to be a majority of the Democrats who support the deal negotiated by Vice President Biden," DeFazio said. "So we want to have a record vote in the caucus on a resolution that says this resolution should not go to the floor without a majority of Democratic votes."
I smell desperation. Also, if the dhimocrats got hammered on this just a month ago, doubling down on FAIL really doesn't seem all that bright.

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Home Front: Politix

Nancy Pelosi: The Gift That Keeps on Giving!

2010-11-17

Duplicate but we like the value-added in-line commentary ...
Despite the party's drubbing in the midterm elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will remain the Democratic leader in the next Congress.
Thank you, Lord for your most bountiful blessings...
Members of the caucus voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to make Pelosi minority leader, brushing aside a challenge by Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.), a Blue Dog Democrat who says Pelosi's controversial public image and low approval ratings are a liability to Democrats looking ahead to 2012.
Move along. Nothing to see here.
The tally was 150-43.

During Wednesday's proceedings, Pelosi was nominated by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), while Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), another Blue Dog leader, officially made Shuler a contender.
Stella! Stella!!
During his nominating speech, Doyle trumpeted Pelosi's fundraising prowess, noting she used most of the money to support other members even as conservative groups were spending millions of dollars attacking her.

"She wouldn't spend it for herself because she was spending it for us," Doyle said, according to an aide in the room. "How can we fold on her when she's not folding on us?"
Because she's an albatross around your necks?
Earlier in the day, House Democrats rejected a proposal to delay caucus leadership elections until December. Behind Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), some Democrats lobbied to push the vote to Dec. 8, arguing that members needed more time to digest the reasons behind their trouncing in the midterm elections.
No Madam Speaker. I am not saying you are in an Egyptian River...
"Considering these disturbing exit polls, we believe we should not rush to elect a leadership slate next week, but rather spend more time to understand these historic losses," DeFazio and Kaptur wrote to colleagues last week. "Before we chart a new path forward, we need to understand where we erred to avoid repeating past mistakes."
It's not the policies....
The vote to delay the election -- among the first items under debate Wednesday as the full caucus huddled in the Cannon office building -- was defeated 129-68, according to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.).

That led to the first leadership election of the day, in which Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) won reelection as House Democratic caucus chairman in a vote by acclamation.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) predicted well before the vote that Pelosi would win the minority leader spot by a "substantial" margin.

"It'll be Pelosi," Cummings said. "I expect you'll have a headline that says Pelosi elected Speaker -- I mean, leader."
A Freudian slip.
Pelosi supporters were wondering why the two-term Shuler -- who voted against many of the Democrats' top legislative priorities, including healthcare reform -- was qualified for the position.
Shuler speakers were wondering why Pelosi -- who oversaw the virtual overthrow of the republican form of government and one of the biggest mid-term disasters in the last 100 years -- was qualified for the position.
"The accomplishments of the last two years have been achieved without Heath's vote," Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) told reporters. "And now he wants to be leader?"

Pelosi's contest against Shuler marked the second of five contests. It is to be followed by votes on Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) -- who's running uncontested for minority whip -- Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) -- for whom Pelosi carved out a new "assistant leader" post last week -- and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who's vying to keep his spot beneath Larson as vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

If there are no surprises, it means the Democrats will keep the same five leaders in the next Congress -- in the same order of seniority.

Some senior Democrats say that all the hype -- not to mention controversy -- over the leadership races is irrelevant outside the Washington Beltway, where voters care more about policy than intra-party popularity contests.

"Who the minority leader is or isn't -- or who the whip is or isn't -- is very much a Washington-insider issue," Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Finance Committee, said. "The general public cares about public policy, not personality."
Yes, Barney. And that is exactly why you were nearly sent home...and you lost your chairmanship.
Asked if Pelosi's abysmal approval ratings among independents pose a problem for the party looking ahead to 2012, Frank said they don't "because she's not running for president."

"You people are focused on this, the voters aren't," he said, referring to the media. "The general public is much more focused on substance."

Frank asserted that Pelosi had "virtually nothing" to do with the poor election outcome for Democrats.
No Madam Speaker. I am not saying you are in an Egyptian River...
"Going forward," he said, "we will be judged on what the public policies are."
Maverick: This is what I call a target rich environment.

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Home Front: Politix

David Freddoso: Progressives blame their own 2010 victims

2010-11-11

[Washington Examiner]

Progressives will say that of the 78 House members in the Congressional Progressive Caucus, only three lost on Tuesday. What they won't mention is those three losers were the only progressive caucus members from competitive districts. (That actually overstates the case, because Rep. Phil Hare's Illinois district is not competitive, and he lost it anyway.)

The liberals won't mention that even progressive stars with heavily Democratic districts came within a few thousand votes of losing: Dennis Kucinich (53 percent of the vote), Raul Grijalva (49.4 percent), Maurice Hinchey (52.4 percent), Peter DeFazio (53.6 percent), Loretta Sanchez (52 percent).

They won't mention that progressive nominees lost in every single competitive open-seat House race.

Why did Democrats lose? Maybe it's because the voters, even if they are willing to elect Democrats at times, reject progressive policies. Maybe it's because only 20 percent of Americans identify themselves as liberals, while twice as many identify as conservatives.

But a discussion like that requires more introspection than most progressives seem able to muster right now. It can't be that -- it has to be a "messaging problem!" It has to be that evil corporations bought the election! It has to be Karl Rove! Rahm Emanuel! Halliburton! Fox News!

Some people call this "epistemic closure."

And that's why Pelosi, who has made possible the largest Republican House majority since 1946, will not only continue to lead her party, but will receive no serious challenge for the top position.

Just think: The 2012 cycle is already here, and Republicans won't have to make a single new political ad.

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Economy

As federal gasoline tax revenues decline is mileage based tax on vehicles next?

2009-04-28

WASHINGTON A House committee chairman said Tuesday that he wants Congress to enact a mileage-based tax on cars and trucks to pay for highway programs now rather than wait years to test the idea.

Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., said he believes the technology exists to implement a mileage tax. He said he sees no point in waiting years for the results of pilot programs since such a tax system is inevitable as federal gasoline tax revenues decline.

"Why do we need a pilot program? Why don't we just phase it in?" said Oberstar, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman. Oberstar is drafting a six-year transportation bill to fund highway and transit programs that is expected to total around a half trillion dollars.

A congressionally mandated commission on transportation financing alternatives recommended switching to a vehicle-miles traveled tax, but estimated it would take a decade to put a national system in place.

"I think it can be done in far less than that, maybe two years," Oberstar said at a House hearing. He was responding to testimony by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who recommended that the transportation bill include pilot programs in every state to test the viability of a mileage-based tax.

Blumenauer said public acceptance, not technology, is the main obstacle to a mileage-based tax.

Pilot programs "would be able to increase public awareness and comfort and it would hasten the day we could make the transition," Blumenauer said.

Oberstar shrugged off that concern.

"I'm at a point of impatience with more studies," Oberstar said. He suggested that Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the highways and transit subcommittee, set up a meeting of transportation experts and members of Congress to figure out how it could be done.

The tax would entail equipping vehicles with GPS technology to determine how many miles a car has been driven and whether on interstate highways or secondary roads. The devices would also calculate the amount of tax owed.

"At this point there are a lot of things that are under consideration and there is also a strong need to find revenue," Oberstar spokesman Jim Berard said. "A vehicle miles-traveled tax is a logical complement, and perhaps a future replacement, for fuel taxes."

Gas tax revenues the primary source of federal funding for highway programs have dropped dramatically in the last two years, first because gas prices were high and later because of the economic downturn. They are forecast to continue going down as drivers switch to fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has ruled out raising gas taxes to make up for the funding shortfall, and the White House has rejected a mileage-based tax. They have not offered an alternative.

"The funding of the highway trust fund is a complex issue that will require consultation with Congress and consideration of a number of creative ideas," said Transportation Department spokeswoman Jill Zuckman. "The secretary looks forward to working with Chairman Oberstar and others as they consider how to keep the highway trust fund going."

A mileage-based tax has been unpopular in some states where it has been proposed. Critics say it unfairly penalizes drivers who live in rural areas and intrudes on privacy.

"When we can solve the equity issues to a majority's satisfaction in the Congress, when we can solve the privacy issues to the satisfaction of the American people, we can look at moving forward, but I just don't think we have the data or the experience right now to say we can set a timeline or a deadline," DeFazio said in a recent interview.

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Home Front: Politix

The President Is 'Keeping Score'

2009-04-02

Chicago politics has moved into the White House.

By Karl Rove

"Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." That's what President Barack Obama said to Rep. Peter DeFazio in a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus last week, according to the Associated Press.

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Home Front: Politix

Was the Bailout Vote a Partisan Set-Up?

2008-09-30

Nancy Pelosi must be the most ineffective House Speaker of modern times. The Democrats have achieved virtually nothing since taking control of the House and Senate in 2006, and have consistently avoided the responsibility that goes with being the majority party. Which may explain why, until very recently, most Americans were unaware that the Democrats were actually in control of Congress.

Pelosi's ineffectiveness has been due, in part, to her unrelenting and strident partisanship, which brings us to today's vote on the bailout bill: suspicion is growing that Pelosi and the Democrats made no serious effort to pass the bill, and that it failed at least in part because Pelosi tried to misuse it for political advantage.

Everyone has heard about the weirdly partisan and inaccurate rant which Pelosi contributed to the debate on the bailout bill. But that speech did not take place in a vacuum. Public opinion is running strongly against the bill, and it required political courage to vote for it. If you look at the list of those who voted "No" in both parties, it is mostly members who are engaged in tough re-election campaigns. This is true on both sides of the aisle.

That being the case, and given the fact that the legislation was in fact a negotiated, bipartisan compromise, the first duty of the majority party is to line up its members to support the majority's bill. But evidence is growing that the Democrats did no such thing.

As of yesterday, the Democrats' House whip, Jim Clyburn said that he hadn't even begun "whipping" Democratic representatives, and wouldn't do so unless and until he got orders from Nancy Pelosi. Today, Democratic Congressman Peter DeFazio told NPR that he never was "whipped" on the bill. So Pelosi evidently left Democrats to vote their consciences--which is to say, vote against the bill if they thought it was politically necessary--while counting on Republicans to put the bill over the top.

This is a classic Charlie Brown and the football maneuver. Pelosi gives a speech that frames the issue, falsely, as the result of bad Republican policies, then allows her own threatened representatives to do the popular thing while expecting Republicans to take one for the team by casting an unpopular vote. Which, of course, their Democratic opponents would use against them, thereby increasing the Democratic majority in the House.

If this was Pelosi's plan it failed, in part, perhaps, because her over-the-top partisan diatribe tipped off Republicans as to what was afoot. If, as it now appears, it's true that the Democrats made no serious effort to pass the bailout bill, it is just one more example of the failure of leadership we have seen since they took control of Congress.

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