Brooks and Dionne from 7/30/21

 

Habemus Senate Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

Photo from WWOK 

Do you believe in miracles?

A group of Democratic and Republican Senators (including Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema) has concluded a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal that would provide much-needed funding to the nation's roads, bridges, railways, waterways, airports, and broadband.

Eureka!

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said earlier today (July 28, 2021) that a vote to advance the bill could come later this evening.

President Joe Biden has reportedly conveyed to Senator Sinema, whom he discussed the infrastructure package with yesterday as "excited."

On the package, the senior Arizona Senator, who was also the leading Democratic negotiator said:

"We do expect to move forward this evening. We're excited to have a deal. We've got most of the text done, so we'll be releasing it and then we'll update it as we get those last pieces finalized."

Ohio Senator Rob Portman, the leading Republican negotiator, relayed:

“We now have an agreement on the major issues. We are prepared to move forward.”

While most details remain to be publicized, it is known that $110 billion for roads, $65 billion for broadband, and $47 billion for environmental resiliency are part of the infrastructure package.

While this, if the vote goes well, is a potentially great development for the country and American People, much needs to still be done.

Namely, passing the $3.5 trillion Democratic budget reconciliation bill which will contain all the infrastructure (like clean energy) and social justice measures like expanding the child tax credit which many families are benefiting from, that Republicans have balked at supporting.

Earlier today, the Arizona Democratic Party released a sampling of Grand Canyon State political figures that support investments in infrastructure. These include Senators Sinema and Kelly, Mayors Romero, Gallego, and Giles, and Representative Stanton.

https://twitter.com/SenatorSinema/status/1420082809574723587?s=20

https://twitter.com/TucsonRomero/status/1415112025479421957

https://twitter.com/KateWGallego/status/1415081603173216258

https://twitter.com/MayorGiles/status/1415107731149656067?s=20

https://twitter.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1417175437483003928?s=20

https://twitter.com/RepGregStanton/status/1415786333000327178?s=20

Hopefully, this infrastructure bill and the Democratic reconciliation plans will pass both houses of Congress.

The American People need Twenty-First Century clean energy and sustainable transportation, water, and information delivery system. They also need paid family leave, human care, and an extension of the child tax credit.

It is time for the United States to lead in innovation and social justice again. These bills will help accomplish that.

If only these same Republicans would work with the Democrats on protecting and expanding voting rights.

If only.

Some Good News for the Forces of Truth and Reality Over the Last 24 Hours

 While unscrupulous political opportunists like Elise Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy. Ron DeSantis, Doug Ducey, and Donald Trump have spent the last 24 hours peddling lies about Nancy Pelosi's role in the Capitol security arrangements leading up to January 6, 2021, or trying to blame the Biden/Harris Administration (instead of themselves for their own ineptness, cowardice, and science denialism,) for reinstituting COVID Mask recommendations for indoor facilities like schools, there have actually been several examples of good news for the forces of truth and reality over the last 24 hours. 

The first example is the Center for Disease Control and Biden/Harris Administration for following the science and reinstituting COVID masking recommendations and their move to mandate federal employees be vaccinated or submit to periodic Coronavirus testing.

These moves, unlike the bend the knee to the reactionary Know Nothing Fringe right demonstrated by mental midgets and political opportunists Ducey, DeSantis, and Trump, will actually help curb the spread of the Delta Coronavirus Variant and save lives.

The second example was the moving and factual testimony from four Police Officers (Capitol Police officers Aquilino Gonell and Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officers Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges) yesterday in front of the Bipartisan House Select Committee investigating the causes of the Trumpist Domestic Terrrorist Attack on the Nation's Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Unlike Republicans like McCarthy and Stefanik who want to falsely blame the attack on Nancy Pelosi, the four police officers placed the blame on the true culprit: Donald Trump.

When Liz Cheney asked Officer Gonell whether the insurrectionists were loving as the twice impeached former President asserted, he responded:

"It's a pathetic excuse for his behavior for something that he himself helped to create -- this monstrosity. I'm still recovering from those 'hugs and kisses' that day..."It's insulting, it's demoralizing because everything that we did was to prevent everyone in the Capitol from getting hurt."

Another officer, Harry Dunn, referred to Trump as "the hitman" who sent the insurrectionists to the Capitol.

The officers also condemned Republicans, like Stefanik and McCarthy, that wanted to avoid investigating the causes of January 6. Officer Fanone said:

"The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful. I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them and the people in this room, but too many are now telling me that hell doesn't exist or that hell actually wasn't that bad."

Fanone is right. Members of the former Party of Lincoln need to leave the Trump Zone-Fox Island and come back to reality.

The third example of truth and reality having a good day is the Justice Department deciding it will not defend Mo “start taking down names and kicking ass.” Brooks from a lawsuit accusing him of helping to instigate the January 6, 2021, Domestic Terrorist attack.

Click on the video below.

As I wrote in a previous article, why is Brooks not in jail now along with others Judges are fearful of releasing?

The final example of truth and reality having a good day is protestors finally giving Republican Neo-Fascist-Know Nothing-Blackshirts Marjorie "Jewish Space Lasers cause California Wildfires" Greene, Paul "my siblings will not vote for me" Gosar, Andy "Freedom Circus Chair" Biggs, Matt "How old was she" Gaetz, and Louie "I am a nut too" Gohmert back some of what they have been doing to people.

The protestors, one of them utilizing a loud annoying whistle, were able to stop these reactionaries, who were at the Justice Department, from attempting to defend the January 6, 2021, Trumpist Domestic Terrorists, who they say, according to Rolling Stone, "being mistreated by the Department of Justice."

How about how these same domestic terrorists mistreated the Capitol and D.C. police who were protecting these same Congressmen on January 6, 2021?

It was really funny watching these bullies behave like the cowards they are run like hell because of a person coming behind them with a sign and a loud whistle in the background.

The Capitol and Washington DC police had to fend off hundreds of people with weapons. They only had to contend with a person with a sign and a whistler.

Hopefully, their misguided followers finally saw what their representatives were truly like and will treat this as a teachable moment.

Hopefully.

So yesterday was a good day for truth and reality but more needs to be done. A significant part of the nation's populace still subscribes to the Big Lie that Donald Trump was cheated from reelection. Others still feel wearing masks and/or getting Coronavirus vaccines challenges their personal freedom and is not necessary.

For the health of Democracy and the American People, the fight needs to go on to ensure truth and reality prevail.

 

 

 

 

Editorial Poster from Capitalism Kills

 

Editorial Cartoons for the Week