MORNING MESSAGE
Trump’s EPA Cuts: No One Will Protect Us
As
I travel from one polluted community to the next, women weep as they hold their
children, and explain how chemicals in their air, water or land have made their
families sick. Local leaders describe how their city or town won’t help them,
because it’s a company town, and no one will hold the polluter responsible. They
go on to say their state agency isn’t much better. Their only recourse is the
federal EPA ... There is no gentle way to state the obvious. Trump prioritizes
corporations over people, children and the planet. These cuts will gut the
agency, removing protections for American families.
Gorsuch Hearings Begin
Senate
Judiciary Committee hearings on Gorsuch begin at 11 AM ET today.
Dems
prepare five lines of attack. Politico: “… Gorsuch was extensively involved
in defending the anti-terror policies of the George W. Bush administration …
they see a major vulnerability in Gorsuch’s rulings for large companies and
institutions over sympathetic plaintiffs … Gorsuch has shown deep skepticism
toward the so-called Chevron deference, a longstanding doctrine that calls on
judges to defer to how federal agencies interpret key laws [and] has led to key
victories in environmental and labor policies…”
Red
state Dems feel squeezed. NYT: “Both sides are honing in on a group of
roughly 10 Democrats up for reelection in 2018 in states carried by Trump and
who could make or break his nomination … Republicans will need to break off at
least eight Democrats … Any move to support Gorsuch will inflame the party’s
progressive base, but opposing him will be fodder for Republicans and outside
group ahead of 2018.”
Dems
divided over filibuster. NYT: “Some Democrats believe that Republicans are
posturing in an effort to intimidate the opposition and don’t yet have the votes
to end the filibuster. They also worry their party could face a severe political
reprisal from its energized liberal backers if they do not do whatever they can
to oppose Judge Gorsuch no matter the consequences. Other Democrats privately
take a different view. They say the party shouldn’t test the limits on the
Gorsuch nomination since his approval won’t change the ideological makeup of the
court from when Justice Scalia served. They believe Democrats should hold their
fire in the expectation of another vacancy.”
Tight Health Care Vote This Week
House
may vote on ACA repeal Thursday with outcome uncertain. The Hill: “President
Trump won support on Friday from leaders of the conservative Republican Study
Committee (RSC) after agreeing to provide states with the options of receiving
block grants for Medicaid and imposing work requirements for Medicaid recipients
But members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus maintained they are largely
still opposed to the legislation … It’s unclear if the CBO will have a chance to
weigh in on the changes agreed upon by Trump and the RSC before the full House
vote.”
NBC’s
Mark Murray tweets: “Per NBC’s count, 17 House GOPers are nos … Can afford
just 21 defections”
Entire
GOP agenda at stake. Politico: “…The rest of the GOP agenda will be
endangered if [Speaker Paul] Ryan loses Thursday’s vote. The House majority
would likely be at risk from emboldened Democrats. And Ryan can expect a fresh
wave of criticism from conservative hard-liners, who have already turned against
a man they backed for the job. Ryan and his allies believe he’ll win but that it
will be razor close.”
Ryan
concedes bill as written hurts older people. AP: “‘We believe we should have
even more assistance. And that’s one of the things we’re looking at for that
person in their 50s and 60s because they experience higher health care costs,’
…he allowed the additional assistance was one of several House revisions to be
discussed in advance of Thursday’s vote, along with possible changes to help
low-income people more with tax credits and require able-bodied Medicaid
recipients to meet work requirements.”
Primary Challenges Loom
Former
Sanders volunteers recruit primary challengers to Democratic incumbents.
NBC: “…they’ve yet to prove they are capable of being any kind of a force to
be reckoned with … One called #WeWillReplaceYou has warned specific members of
congress it may challenge them. But it promises to use discretion in targeting
only those Democrats it feels have strayed from the party. Another new group
staffed by ex-Sanders aides, Justice Democrats, has less clear plans [but] they
have an innovative model that could be used to run a large slate of candidates
on the cheap … Justice Democrats merged operations with another anti-incumbent
group founded by former Sanders aides, Brand New Congress …”
Sen.
Chuck Schumer working on 2018 economic message. The New Yorker: “‘It’s going
to be based on two things—putting more money in the average person’s pocket and
reducing the expenses they pay out of their pocket,’ he said. ‘I was going to
call it the paycheck agenda, but my staff reminded me that people under
forty-five don’t know what a paycheck is.’ … In a challenge to Trump, Senate
Democrats have proposed their own infrastructure plan, totaling a trillion
dollars. But when I asked Schumer if he could share any other parts of the
agenda with me, he said no.”
Progressive
Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to
activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's
Action. more
»
