The Thread For New Republican Legislation

[lpetrich]

Republican Lauren Boebert says 'I'm not in Middle School' when asked how she feels about Marjorie Taylor Greene calling her a 'bitch'
Telling that to Manu Raju in a CNN interview. Overall, she seemed more sober than MTG.

Once cast as two members of the conservative alternative to "the squad," Greene and Boebert have been increasingly at odds.

Greene, a Georgia Republican who has become a McCarthy ally, reportedly screamed at Boebert in a House bathroom in January. According to The Daily Beast, Greene was angry that Boebert joined a band of House conservatives in opposing McCarthy's election as speaker, a show of opposition that ground the chamber to a halt for days.

Marjorie Taylor Greene explains why she called Lauren Boebert a ‘little b***’ | Semafor

Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. isn’t backing down after calling Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. a “little bitch” to her face on the House floor Wednesday during a fight over their dueling efforts to impeach President Joe Biden.

Asked whether there was any chance the two would reconcile after the confrontation, Greene said: “Absolutely not.”

“She has genuinely been a nasty little bitch to me,” Greene told Semafor. (Their fight was first reported by The Daily Beast.)

After noting MTG's introducing articles of impeachment of President Biden,

Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Greene said that Boebert had “basically copied my articles,” then tried to leapfrog her. Later in the afternoon, she says Boebert confronted her about what she’d said to the press.

“I was sitting down, and so I stood up and I said, ‘I'm happy to clarify my public statements to your face,’” she told Semafor. “I told her exactly what I think about her.”

Then,

“It’s purely for fundraising,” she told Semafor. “It's throwing out red meat so that people will donate to her campaign because she's coming up on the end of the month, and she's trying to produce good fundraising numbers.”

Greene said that at one point in the fight, parts of which were caught from afar on video, Boebert accused the Georgia lawmaker of accidentally spitting on her lip. Then, toward the end of the exchange, Boebert tried to re-engage her, but she cut the conversation off. “I said ‘you need to shut up because the only person that’s recognized to speak right now is Luna,’” she told Semafor, referring to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who was then giving a speech on the floor.

 

[lpetrich]

Greene calls Boebert a ‘little b- – – -‘ as tensions boil over on House floor | The Hill

Greene expanded on her frustration with Boebert while speaking to reporters at the Capitol.

“I have defended her when she’s been attacked. She and I have virtually the same voting record. We’re both members of the House Freedom Caucus. We should be natural allies,” Greene said. “But for some reason, she has a great skill and talent for making most people here not like her. And so, it’s her issue.”

Then about LB's effort to get her impeachment resolution straight to the House floor,

“She didn’t talk to anyone about it. She didn’t come to the conference [meeting]. She didn’t address it with anybody. She copied my articles of impeachment, refused to cosponsor mine,” Greene said.

MTG and LB are much alike ideologically and stylistically.

But the two have diverged in their tactical approaches over the last year or so, and they have made clear they do not get along with each other.

One House GOP member told The Hill that Boebert and Greene have never liked each other and sit at opposite ends of the table during House Freedom Caucus meetings.

 

[lpetrich]

Last January, in that argument in that bathroom,

“You were OK taking millions of dollars from McCarthy, but you refuse to vote for him for Speaker, Lauren?” Greene reportedly said.

“When she started going after me, I looked at her and said, ‘Don’t be ugly,’” Boebert said.

The Dana Show on Twitter: ""Don't be ugly..."
NEW: @laurenboebert REVEALS to @DLoesch what actually went down in the Congressional women's bathroom during the Speaker vote fight. #DanaRadio (vid link)" / Twitter
That interview was fun, with LB saying how well-organized Congress was, on both sides of the aisle, and how most pro-Kevin Congresspeople were professional except for MTG. She said that "Don't be ugly" was what her grandmother told her when she was being bratty.

And in a December interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Boebert lamented being “accused of believing a lot of the things that [Greene] believes in.”

“I don’t believe in this, just like I don’t believe in Russian space lasers — Jewish space lasers and all of this,” Boebert said, in reference to a 2018 Facebook post from Greene in which she floated that a “laser beam or light beam” from “space solar generators” could be to blame for wildfires in California, also mentioning the “Rothschild Inc.” Greene later said she did not know the Rothschilds have long been at the center of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

MTG responded

“She gladly takes our $$$ but when she’s been asked: Lauren refuses to endorse President Trump, she refuses to support Kevin McCarthy, and she childishly threw me under the bus for a cheap sound bite,” Greene said of Boebert.

 

[lpetrich]

Manu Raju Reports on Marjorie Taylor Greene Calling Lauren Boebert a 'Little Bitch' over Biden Articles of Impeachment

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have made names for themselves during their short tenures in the House, not for achieving any actual accomplishments for their districts, but for their bombastic rhetoric and inflammatory partisan resolutions.

After noting where MTG called LB a "little bitch",

There is still “palpable tension” between Boebert and Greene, he reported, cuing up video of his conversations with the two.

In the first clip, Greene insisted that Boebert “basically copied my articles, and then introduced them, and then changed them to a privileged resolution, so of course, I support them, because they’re identical to mine, they’re basically copycats.”

When Raju asked Boebert about Greene’s accusation, Boebert would only reply “I am not in middle school” as she continued walking.

LB seems sober in comparison to MTG, but she has a different sort of kookdom.
Lauren Boebert says she's being 'directed' by 'God' to impeach Biden - Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism

"All glory to God," Boebert explained. "This is grace. This is God's empowerment and His ability and staying grounded, rooted in the Word of God, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

"And I am directed and led by Him," she added. "You know, there was pressure for me not to introduce the articles of impeachment tonight, well, not introduce them, but to bring them up and call them for a vote."

noting
Right Wing Watch on Twitter: "Rep. Lauren Boebert claims that she is forcing a House vote on impeaching President Biden because she is "directed and led" by "the spirit of God" in everything she does: "We are doing what is right, what is righteous. History will prove that." (vid link)" / Twitter
Seems hallucinatory, as if the ruler of this big Universe cares about this squabble -- and neglects to tell everybody else in it what It thinks.

 

[lpetrich]

What I find weird about the MTG-LB squabble is that there doesn't seem to be anything like it on the Left. AOC and Cori Bush aren't known for publicly squabbling with each other, for instance.

Also, MTG seems to be the more aggressive of the two, while LB seems more like "Why can't we all get along?"

 

[lpetrich]

If this impeachment mania isn't enough, some House Republicans want Donald Trump's two impeachments expunged -- removed from the official record.

H.Res.1010 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2] (Introduced 03/29/2022) - cosponsors: 8

H.Res.1131 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Expunging the January 13, 2021, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2] (Introduced 05/18/2022) - cosponsors: 33

This year:

H.Res.538 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14] (Introduced 06/22/2023) - cosponsors: 9

H.Res.547 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Expunging the January 13, 2021, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] (Introduced 06/22/2023) - cosponsors: 1

MTG and Elise Stefanik are original cosponsors of each other's expungement resolutions. Did the two agree on who gets to be the sponsor of which expungement?

 

[lpetrich]

Republicans Declare Banning Universal Free School Meals a 2024 Priority | The New Republic - June 15, 2023 - "As states across the country move to make sure students are well fed, Republicans have announced their intention to fight back."

The Republican Study Committee, with some 3/4 of House Republicans, removed the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) from its draft 2024 budget. Why? Because “CEP allows certain schools to provide free school lunches regardless of the individual eligibility of each student.”

Of note is that the CEP is not even something every school participates in; it is a meal service program reserved for qualifying schools and districts in low-income areas. The program enables schools that predominantly serve children from low-income backgrounds to offer all students free breakfast and lunch, instead of means-testing them and having to manage collecting applications on an individual basis. As with many universal-oriented programs, it is more practically efficient and, as a bonus, lifts all boats. This is what Republicans are looking to eliminate.

So far, CA, CO, ME, MN, NM, and VT provide universal free meals, and at least 21 other states are considering doing so, but Republicans want to get in the way.

Their budget also includes efforts to

• cut Social Security and Medicare
• make Trump’s tax cuts for the top 1 percent permanent
• impose work requirements on “all federal benefit programs,” like food stamps and Medicare
• extend work requirements on those aged 55–64
• bring back all of twice-impeached and twice-arrested former President Donald Trump’s deregulations, including the weakening of environmental protection.

 

[robnisch]

New laws that took effect on 7/1 in Floriduh, 6 week abortion ban, tough new laws on immigrants, expansion of "don't say gay" etc. What a failed state!

 

[robnisch]

New laws that took effect on 7/1 in Floriduh, 6 week abortion ban, tough new laws on immigrants, expansion of "don't say gay" etc. What a failed state!

And now the water nazi in Texass.

 

[ZiprHead]

Republican attorneys general issue warning letter to Target about Pride merchandise

The letter did not include any specific demands nor did it outline how the attorneys general believe the campaign could violate child protection laws.

www.cbsnews.com

Seven U.S. state attorneys general sent a letter to Target on Wednesday warning that clothes and merchandise sold as part of the company's Pride month campaigns might violate their state's child protection laws.

Republican attorneys general from Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina signed the letter, writing that they were "concerned by recent events involving the company's 'Pride' campaign."

The attorneys said that they believed the campaign was a "comprehensive effort to promote gender and sexual identity among children," criticizing items like T-shirts that advertised popular drag queens and a T-shirt that said 'Girls Gays Theys.' They also highlighted merchandise with "anti Christian designs such as pentagrams, horned skulls and other Satanic products."

The letter also criticized Target for donating to GLSEN, an LGBTQ+ organization that works to end bullying in schools based on sexual and gender identity. The company stated in a 2020 guide that school staff should not tell parents about a child's gender or sexual orientation without consulting the child first, something the attorneys general said undermines "parents' constitutional and statutory rights."

Jesus titty fucking christ. Fuck these assholes.

 

[bilby]

The attorneys said that they believed the campaign was a "comprehensive effort to promote gender and sexual identity among children,"
...
They also highlighted merchandise with "anti Christian designs such as pentagrams, horned skulls and other Satanic products."

So what?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Nothing in there about an exception for sexual identity, nor Christianity.

It's almost as though these idiots want everyone to know that they're not even competent to grasp the absolute fundamentals of their jobs.

 

[crazyfingers]

Whatever pride I held for the US in my youth just keeps getting flushed down the toilet by these kinds of stated and republican shits. I would never, ever fly an american flag. There are parts of the country Iwould never, ever visit.

 

[lpetrich]

Gas-stove culture warring in Congress: where are the bills now?

All the sponsors and cosponsors of these bills are Republicans, unless indicated otherwise.

H.R.1615 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 5 cosponsors
S.240 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 2 cosponsors, 1 original

"his bill prohibits the Consumer Product Safety Commission from using federal funds to (1) regulate gas stoves as a banned hazardous product; or (2) issue or enforce a product safety standard that prohibits the use or sale of gas stoves, substantially increases the price of gas stoves, or makes a type of product unavailable based on the kind of fuel it consumes."

The House bill had one Democratic cosponsor, Mary Peltola AK, and the Senate bill Joe Manchin WV, an original one.

That bill got an amendment, authored by Lauren Boebert, adding a little bit of wording:
H.Amdt.186 to H.R.1615 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

That amendment's vote
R: Y 216, N 3, nv 5
D: Y 6, N 207, nv 2
Ttl: Y 222, N 210, nv 7

Those D's: Allred TX, Cuellar TX, Davis NC, Fletcher TX, Landsman OH, Perez WA
Those R's: Bacon NE, Mace SC, Smucker PA

The bill itself
R: Y 219, nv 2
D: Y 29, N 180, nv 3
Ttl: Y 248, N 180, nv 5

It passed the House, though it is still not voted on in the Senate.

Those D's: Allred TX, Bera CA, Budzinski IL, Caraveo CO, Cohen TN, Craig MN, Cuellar TX, Davis IL, Davis NC, Fletcher TX, Garcia TX, Golden ME, Gonzalez TX, Harder CA, Hayes CT, Horsford NV, Jackson NC, Landsman OH, Lee NV, Manning NC, Moskowitz FL, Panetta CA, Peltola AK, Perez WA, Sewell AL, Sorensen IL, Stanton AZ, Vasquez NM, Veasey TX

 

[lpetrich]

H.R.1640 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Save Our Gas Stoves Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 63 cosponsors, 1 original
S.1859 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Save Our Gas Stoves Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 7 cosponsors, 5 original

The House bill had Democratic cosponsors Henry Cuellar TX, Mark Vessey TX, Mary Peltola AK, and the Senate one Joe Manchin, an original one.

This bill places limits on energy conservation standards for kitchen ranges or ovens under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

The Department of the Energy (DOE) may not prescribe or amend energy conservation standards for kitchen ranges or ovens if they would result in the unavailability of a product on account of the type of fuel the range or oven uses.

In addition, DOE may not finalize, implement, or enforce the proposed rule titled Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products issued on February 1, 2023, or any substantially similar rule. The proposed rule prescribes energy conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking tops, including electric cooking tops, gas cooking tops, electrical ovens, and gas ovens.

A Democrat offered this amendment: H.Amdt.188 to H.R.1640 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) | Congress.gov | Library of Congress "to prohibit Section 3 of the bill from taking effect unless and until the Secretary of Energy certifies that the provisions of the section would not adversely affect the energy security of the United States."

The vote on it
R: N 221, nv 3
D: Y 207, N 3, nv 5
Ttl: Y 207, N 224, nv 8

D's against it: Golden ME, Landsman OH, Perez WA

H.Amdt.189 to H.R.1640 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) | Congress.gov | Library of Congress "to strike provisions in the bill that would significantly limit future DOE rulemaking authority."

The vote on it
R: N 222, nv 2
D: Y 209, N 3, nv 3
Ttl: Y 209, N 225, nv 8

D's against it: Golden ME, Landsman OH, Lee NV

The final vote on it
R: Y 220, nv 1
D: Y 29, N 181, nv 2
Ttl: Y 249, N 181, nv 3

D's for it: Allred TX, Bera CA, Budzinski IL, Caraveo CO, Correa CA, Costa CA, Craig MN, Cuellar TX, Davids KS, Davis IL, Fletcher TX, Golden ME, Gonzalez TX, Gottheimer NJ, Harder CA, Horsford NV, Jackson NC, Kildee MI, Landsman OH, Manning NC, Moskowitz FL, Panetta CA, Pappas NH, Peltola AK, Perez WA, Schrier WA, Stanton AZ, Veasey TX, Wild PA

A lot of overlap with the previous list, but with some mismatch.

It passed the House, though the Senate has not taken any action on it.

 

[lpetrich]

H.R.263 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Stop Trying to Obsessively Vilify Energy Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 30 cosponsors, 1 original
S.244 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): STOVE Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 5 cosponsors, 1 original

"This bill prohibits federal agencies from promulgating rules or guidances that restrict or ban the use and purchase of gas-powered stoves, cooktops, ranges, or ovens in the United States."

STOVE = Stop Trying to Obsessively Vilify Energy


H.R.337 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): GAS Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 53 cosponsors, 43 original

"This bill prohibits federal agencies from banning the use or sale of gas-burning stoves."

GAS = Guarding America’s Stoves


H.R.3818 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): To prohibit the Secretary of Energy from finalizing a proposed rule related to consumer conventional cooking products, and for other purposes. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

 

[lpetrich]

Congressional Republicans showed their love of fossil fuels, or at least their love of fossil-fuel donor money, with
H.R.1 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Lower Energy Costs Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress - 49 cosponsors, 3 original

"This bill provides for the exploration, development, importation, and exportation of energy resources (e.g., oil, gas, and minerals). For example, it sets forth provisions to (1) expedite energy projects, (2) eliminate or reduce certain fees related to the development of federal energy resources, and (3) eliminate certain funds that provide incentives to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases."

I'll skip over all the votes for amendments and the like and get to the final vote
R: Y 221, N 1
D: Y 4, N 203, nv 6
Ttl: Y 225, N 24, nv 6

D's for it: Cuellar TX, Golden ME, Gonzalez TX, Perez WA -- that's Vicente Gonzalez, the Gonzalez TX in my previous posts

R's against it: Fitzpatrick PA

This bill got an amendment
H.Amdt.142 to H.R.1 - 118th Congress (2023-2024) | Congress.gov | Library of Congress "to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from implementing its proposed rule regarding gas stoves, or any other rule that would limit consumer access to gas stoves."

The amendment passed, with 29 D's supporting it.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

The GOP war on clean water for Americans.

.....
The advocacy group Food & Water Watch on Thursday called out Republicans on a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee panel for pushing a 64% cut to a pair of federal clean water funds in the next fiscal year.
....
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), on Thursday marked up a GOP appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024. A Republican fact sheet celebrates proposed "cuts to wasteful spending" and "claw-backs of prior appropriations," highlighting that it "reins in" the Environmental Protection Agency, "limits abuse of the Endangered Species Act," and provides protections for the fossil fuel industry.

The GOP proposal would slash appropriations for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The former provides low-interest loans for infrastructure projects like wastewater facilities while the latter provides assistance for initiatives like improving drinking water treatment and fixing old pipes.
......

'Far-right radicalism': GOP wants to cut funding for clean water programs by 64%

The advocacy group Food & Water Watch on Thursday called out Republicans on a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee panel for pushing a 64% cut to a pair of federal clean water funds in the next fiscal year."House Republicans should be ashamed of themselves," declared Mary...

www.rawstory.com

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Typical alt-right GOP (of course, that is the mainstream alt-right). The radicals are trying to nix Ukrainian military support right now as well.

 

[robnisch]

Yea, but Ted is saving us from our toaster !

Ted Cruz proposes bill to help detect if your house is spying on you

The Republican senator is trying to rally support for the Informing Consumers about the Smart Devices Act

news.yahoo.com

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I'm confused, why is the air fryer spying on me important, but not the phone or smart speaker? I agree we should know what the devices are doing, but it seems peculiar to omit the devices that many already have from the list that we know have the capacity to spy.

Good ole Cruz, fighting a war against the wrong stuff.