Congress’s confirmation chaos continues today with Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services Rep. Tom Price (R-GA). His full confirmation vote is expected to come either tonight or early tomorrow morning. Need a refresher on Price? He’s been on a years-long mission to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he’s called “tyranny.” He thinks not one woman struggled to afford birth control before the ACA and that’s only a piece of his anti-woman agenda. And he spells doom for Medicare and Medicaid.
On top of supporting policies that would damage Americans’ health, Price also has a dark ethics cloud hanging over him. At best, Price is alleged to have engaged in dubious ethical decisions. At worst, he’s alleged to have engaged in illegal insider trading. What’s more, if allegations are true, he’s apparently lied about it to Congress. Congressional Republicans are rushing his confirmation to avoid tough questions on his stock trading and damaging policies. Thirteen organizations sent a letter to Senate leaders and more than 10,000 Americans signed a petition urging a delay on Price’s confirmation until the SEC can investigate his conduct. Read more about Price’s stock trades here. And read stories from three of Price’s constituents who’d lose health care under Price’s plan here.
ACTION OF THE DAY
#PriceIsWrong. Either supporting policies that would harm millions of Americans or having serious ethics violations would be enough on their own to make a cabinet nominee unfit for office. Tom Price has both. Call your Senator today at 1-877-240-0271 (or get connected here) and urge them to vote NO on Price’s confirmation.
WHAT’S TRENDING
#FreeLupita. This Arizona mother could become one of the first people deported under Trump’s new immigration orders. Lupita Garcia de Rayos came to the United States when she was 14 and is now the mother of two American citizens. Yesterday, ICE officials and Phoenix Police attempted to deport Lupita when she showed up for her regularly scheduled check in with ICE officers. Protesters surrounded the ICE van in an attempt to stop her deportation. These are the “bad dudes” Trump is so concerned about protecting our country from.
Strange(r) things have happened. This morning, after everyone’s civil rights got thrown in the upside down by the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, it was announced that Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange will take Jeff Sessions now-vacant Senate seat. You may remember Strange from when he defended a ban on same-sex marriage in Alabama in 2014.
The plague. Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch made a lot of headlines today after news broke that he called Trump’s various attacks on judges “disheartening” and “demoralizing” in a conversation with Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT). But as Sen. Schumer pointed out, “To whisper in a closed room behind closed doors to a senator that ‘I’m disheartened’ and not condemn what the president has done to the judiciary and not do it publicly…does not show independence.” Furthermore, Gorsuch has avoided answering questions on key issues like the emoluments clause, which the Trump Administration does not seem to have much respect for, and Trump’s executive orders, which may be unconstitutional. Trump, for his part, has continued to answer nearly every big news story, including this one, on Twitter.
Enigo Montoya. After Trump tweeted “Easy D,” allegedly meaning “easy decision” in reference to his immigration ban. We don’t think it means what he thinks it means.
TRANSITION TRACKER
Foreclosure King. We’re not done resisting Trump’s cabinet. There are still a few millionaires to go, including the nominee for Treasury Secretary, Steven “Foreclosure King” Mnuchin. Mnuchin made a significant portion of his estimated $620 million fortune by pushing hardworking American families out of their homes. He also allegedly lied in his hearing about practices at his bank, OneWest. Call your senators and ask them to vote no on the Foreclosure King.
UNDER THE RADAR
Not so fast. The message from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Public Citizen to President Trump. These groups are suing The Donald because of his 1-in-2-out executive order. They’re claiming the order exceeds Trump’s constitutional authority and will block important health, safety, and environment standards.
FACT CHECK
ATL. Sean Spicer is making up an Atlanta terror attack that never happened in order to support the false White House narrative that the media is ‘underreporting” terrorist attacks in the United States. Don’t believe him.
CHI. Trump’s saying that unauthorized immigrants ‘gangs’ are to blame for the Chicago’s high crime rates. They’re not. In fact, immigrants are way less likely than to commit crimes than people born in the U.S.