Re: Healthcare
It’s so much easier to monkey wrench something than it is to build it and keep it in place. Even with a democratic president and congress, all we got was an incremental improvement in our healthcare system that pales in comparison to what other first world countries have had for decades. It seems that we won’t be able to accomplish anything unless we find a way to cut the Republicans loose and do it on our own.
Is that possible with 140 characters? This is part of why Twitter is so good for Trump - the platform simply doesn’t allow for substantive discussions. The people who have solid understandings of a subject are indistinguishable from those talking out their asses. It’s a platform that privileges zingers.
I actually like this one a lot.
The site of choice for drive-by shoutings.
Following the decision to reverse course, several lawmakers were quietly fretting that Mr. Trump’s megaphone was much more powerful than they had realized. (source)
Tiger by the tail…
http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20170102/BILLS-115hres5-PIH-FINALv2.xml
[quote=REVISED H. Res. 5]SEC. 4. COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND HOUSE OFFICES.
(a) House Democracy Partnership.—House Resolution 24, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such resolution applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress except that the commission concerned shall be known as the House Democracy Partnership.
(b) Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.—Sections 1 through 7 of House Resolution 1451, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such provisions applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, except that—
(1) the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission may, in addition to collaborating closely with other professional staff members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, collaborate closely with professional staff members of other relevant committees; and
(2) the resources of the Committee on Foreign Affairs which the Commission may use shall include all resources which the Committee is authorized to obtain from other offices of the House of Representatives.
© Office Of Congressional Ethics.—Section 1 of House Resolution 895, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such provision applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, except that—
(1) the Office of Congressional Ethics shall be treated as a standing committee of the House for purposes of section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i));
(2) references to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall be construed as references to the Committee on Ethics;
(3) any requirement for concurrence in section 1(b)(1) shall be construed as a requirement for consultation;
(4) the second sentence of section 1(b)(6)(A) shall not apply;
(5) members subject to section 1(b)(6)(B) may be reappointed for a third additional term;
(6) any individual who is the subject of a preliminary review or second-phase review by the board shall be informed of the right to be represented by counsel and invoking that right should not be held negatively against them; and
(7) the Office may not take any action that would deny any person any right or protection provided under the Constitution of the United States.[/quote]They’re still making changes, but it got rid of a lot of the horseshit. Here’s the original:
[quote=Original H. Res. 5]SEC. 4. COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, AND HOUSE OFFICES.
(a) House Democracy Partnership.—House Resolution 24, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such resolution applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress except that the commission concerned shall be known as the House Democracy Partnership.
(b) Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.—Sections 1 through 7 of House Resolution 1451, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such provisions applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, except that—
(1) the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission may, in addition to collaborating closely with other professional staff members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, collaborate closely with professional staff members of other relevant committees; and
(2) the resources of the Committee on Foreign Affairs which the Commission may use shall include all resources which the Committee is authorized to obtain from other offices of the House of Representatives.
© Office Of Congressional Ethics.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1 of House Resolution 895, One Hundred Tenth Congress, shall apply in the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress in the same manner as such provision applied in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, except as follows:
(A) The Office of Congressional Ethics (hereafter referred to as the “Office”) shall be designated the “Office of Congressional Complaint Review”, and each reference to the Office of Congressional Ethics in such Resolution shall be deemed to be a reference to the Office of Congressional Complaint Review.
(B) The Office shall be subject to oversight by the Committee on Ethics.
© The Office shall be treated as a standing committee of the House for purposes of section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i)).
(D) References to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall be construed as references to the Committee on Ethics.
(E) Any requirement for concurrence in paragraph (1) of section 1(b) shall be construed as a requirement for consultation.
(F) The second sentence of subparagraph (A) of section 1(b)(6) shall not apply.
(G) Members subject to subparagraph (B) of section 1(b)(6) may be reappointed for a third additional term.
(H) The board of the Office may not take any steps to undertake a preliminary review under section subparagraph (A) of section 1©(1) with respect to an alleged violation, including requesting information or other materials or interviewing witnesses (other than reviewing publicly available information), until the board has received a joint written request described in such section with respect to the alleged violation.
(I) Subparagraph (B) of section 1©(1) shall apply as if the reference to “30 calendar days” were a reference to “60 calendar days”.
(J) Subparagraph © of section 1©(1) shall apply as if the last sentence read as follows: “If the board votes to terminate the preliminary review, it shall send a termination report to the Committee on Ethics and to the individual who was the subject of the review.”.
(K) Clause (i) of section 1©(2)(A) shall apply as if the reference to “45 calendar days” were a reference to “60 calendar days”, and clause (ii) of section 1©(2)(A) shall not apply.
(L) If the board of the Office votes to make a recommendation under subparagraph (B) of section 1©(2) that a matter which is the subject of a second-phase review requires further review by the Committee on Ethics, the board shall transmit its recommendation to the Committee under such subparagraph not later than 7 calendar days after the vote.
(M) Subclause (III) of section 1©(2)©(i) shall apply as if the reference to “any supporting documentation” were a reference to “all materials related to any matter referred to the Committee on Ethics by the Board in carrying out the second-phase review, including, but not limited to, requests for information, transcripts, documentation and other materials, and any other relevant material”.
(N) Pursuant to its authority under section 1©(2)(F), the board of the Office shall adopt a rule that prohibits the board from accepting or considering any anonymous allegation.
(O) Paragraph (1) of section 1(d) shall apply as if the first sentence read as follows: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, upon receipt of a written request from the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct that the board cease its review of any matter and refer such matter to the Committee, the board shall refer such matter immediately to the Committee and cease its preliminary or second-phase review, as applicable, of that matter, and so notify any individual who is the subject of the review.”.
§ Paragraph (2) of section 1(d) shall apply as if the reference to “the board shall immediately begin or continue, as the case may be, a second-phase review of the matter” were a reference to “the board shall immediately cease any investigation of the matter, and shall notify the individual who is the subject of the review accordingly”.
(Q) In addition to the limitations on review described in section 1(e), the board of the Office may not undertake a review of any alleged violation that occurred before the One Hundred Twelfth Congress.
® Nothing in section 1(f) may be construed to authorize the board of the Office to make any public statement, or release any information or other material to the public or any other entity, unless such statement or information has already been released by the Committee on Ethics or the release of such statement or information has been authorized by the Committee on Ethics.
(S) The board of the Office is not authorized to employ any person for a position involving communications with the public, including a communications director or press spokesperson.
(T) If at any time the board of the Office discovers information indicating that a matter which is the subject of a review by the board may involve a violation of a criminal law, the Board will immediately refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics for further review or (if determined appropriate by the Committee on Ethics) referral to an appropriate law enforcement agency. Nothing in the previous sentence may be construed to authorize the Board to refer any matter directly to any law enforcement agency.
(U) The board of the Office shall include in its rules provisions to protect the due process rights of individuals who are the subject of a preliminary review or second-phase review by the board, and of witnesses, including informing such individuals and witnesses of the right to be represented by counsel and ensuring that the invocation of that right will not be held negatively against them.
(V) The Office may not take any action that would deny any person any right or protection provided under the Constitution of the United States.
(2) CONFORMING REFERENCES IN RULES.—During the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, any reference in the Rules of the House of Representatives to the Office of Congressional Ethics shall be deemed to be a reference to the Office of Congressional Complaint Review.[/quote]
I don’t want to legitimize Trump’s imperial tweets.
His childish behavior tweeting his displeasure at corporations and public servants should be mocked and derided.
His casually sloppy representation of the US government from his toilet should be rebuked by Lindsay Graham and whoever else is still vertebrate
You know, I keep thinking of this scene from Mars Attacks! I don’t know why.
Optimist. 
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