Ceding tariff authority to the executive was the Congress' way of escaping the political consequences of fulfilling their responsibilities under the constitution, but that may be changing

 The phenomenon is mirrored in the states by the enthusiasm for referenda, aka ballot measures, which are promoted as democracy but are in fact simply a reflection of elected representatives' desire to escape the consequences of their votes.

"Hey, don't look at me, that's what the people wanted".

 

7 GOP senators sign on to bill to check Trump’s trade authority 

Seven Republican senators, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the Senate’s president pro tempore, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the former Senate Republican leader, have signed on to a bipartisan bill that would require Congress to approve President Trump’s steep tariffs on trading partners.

Grassley and McConnell have joined five other Republicans — Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Todd Young (Ind.) and Susan Collins (Maine) — in supporting the Trade Review Act of 2025. ...

It would require that new tariffs sunset after 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution approving them.

And it provides a pathway for Congress to cancel tariffs before the 60-day period expires by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.

Trump has already threatened to veto the bill. ...

Trump last week announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries and territories by invoking his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

 

Yeah, that saying everything is an emergency business has got to go, too

 

 

This is brutal: A list of Senate Democrats who were all for last week's failed filibuster after they were against it

 In the first column are 30 Democrats who infamously voted to abolish the filibuster late in the evening on Jan 19, 2022, which failed 48-52 because of Sinema and Manchin, but happily tried to mount one last week.

The roll call vote in the US Senate is here (the Wikipedia entry is wrong on this, citing a CBS story and dating the vote to Jan 20).

In column two are 7 Democrats who campaigned to abolish the filibuster but who also happily tried to mount one last week.

The 2017 letter to Mitch McConnell in the last column references the names of 19 Democrats who then said they were for the filibuster, but last week 5 of them weren't lol.

The irony of all this of course is that Joe Biden's spending for fiscal 2025 was just passed with little modification by Republicans with the help of 10 Democrats (1 Independent) and the Democrats are beating themselves up over it.

But it's kind of hard to crow about Joe Biden's success after you just forced him out of power.

🤷

 

A few GOP senators are not happy with Trump on Ukraine

 Republicans press Trump to resume military, intelligence aid to Ukraine 

 ... Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) ...

... Susan Collins (R-Maine) ...

... One Republican senator who requested anonymity called the threat to deport thousands of Ukrainian refugees excessively “punitive.” ...

... Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, said he doesn’t support the decision to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine. “I disagree with it,” he said. ...

 

Kash Patel confirmed to FBI by the US Senate 51-49

 

You would think a president who needs the votes of a senator from Maine to confirm his nominees would give it a minute before imposing tariffs on Canada, its primary trading partner

But you would be wrong.

 

Pete Hegseth is confirmed to SECDEF 51-50, VP Vance breaks 50-50 tie

 

Republican Senators Murkowski, Collins, and McConnell voted against Pete Hegseth, necessitating the tie-breaking vote from Vice President J. D. Vance.

Hell of a hill for Vance to die on.

Sad!

Hegseth advances to a final vote with 51-49 vote to end debate, with Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting against him

 Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon clears a key hurdle in the Senate

I find myself in small company agreeing with two of the most liberal Republicans in the US Senate, but that's what's become of the men.

Judicial overreach drives Trump critics within the GOP to support him, including Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Mike Pence

 Even former Trump Vice President Mike Pence, who has refused to endorse Trump, called the verdict an “outrage.” ...

“He might win in a landslide,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) last month about the political impact of a guilty verdict on Trump’s chances in the general election. “It looks so awful.”

Paul noted that New York’s statute of limitations had expired on Trump’s falsification of business records, which forced Bragg to combine them with campaign finance violations to bring his case forward.

More.

Republican Senators Collins, Murkowski, and Romney vote to confirm soft-on-sex-crime Judge Jackson to Supreme Court

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was clearly a rush to push Breyer out and confirm a candidate before Biden becomes any less competent in office than he already is.

AP Obama's coverage is comic:

Jackson will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, solidifying the liberal wing of the 6-3 conservative-dominated court. ... Jackson could wait as long as three months to be sworn in, as the court’s  session generally ends in late June or early July. She remains a judge on the federal appeals court in Washington, but she stepped away from cases there when she was nominated in February. 

Peeling off Romney and Collins for a 49-51 result isn't losing "so horribly": That those Republicans cared so little for the constitutional order, which hangs by a thread, should upset us

Democrat Adam Schiff alienates more Republican Senators: Murkowski, Barrasso, Collins, Risch and Cotton

Republican traitors in US Senate AGAIN help Democrats pass bill ending border emergency

Senate again votes to end Trump emergency declaration on border wall:

Senators voted 54-41 on a resolution to end the declaration, which Trump used to shift billions of dollars from the military toward wall construction. ...

GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Susan Collins (Maine), Mike Lee (Utah), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Mitt Romney (Utah), Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.) voted to end the president's declaration. ...

The Senate previously voted to end it in February, with 12 Republicans voting with Democrats, but the House was unable to override a veto.

Gotta give it to Trump here, his lizard brain has scared the open borders Republicans out of the bushes for everyone to see

They think he is weak (he is), but the Republican base is ready to feed on the flesh of these bastards as much as is the lizard himself.

These Republican traitors don't give a damn about the Constitution, the separation of powers, infringement of those powers by the executive, or anything else.

These are your open borders Republicans in the US Senate, America, pure and simple:

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Lee of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and Mr. Jerry Moran of Kansas.

The most notable one is Mitt Romney, since he ran for president on a platform of turning off the immigration magnets. A shape-shifter on just about everything else conservative, this vote proves Romney was never on our side on anything and could never be counted on.

And don't forget Mitt Romney now has to be counted on to cooperate

I can just see it now.

Mitt Romney, Lisa Mercowskie and Susan Collins will form the trio of stooges broken by the death of John McCain to stand in the way of Mitch McConnell.

Well, at least Jeff Flake and Bob Corker are out of the equation.

Hillary, Democrats and Twitter (but I repeat myself) incite terrorism against Senator Susan Collins

Susan Collins wins one for The Sniffer

Susan Collins' speech was good but definitely contained too much information

Susan Collins was expecting Monday

The news just now said Senator Susan Collins is moderate and believes in abortion rights

In what world is murder moderation?

John McCain, Liza Mercowskee, and Susan Collins vote against skinny repeal, leaving millions in bondage to healthcare mandates

Bloomberg reports here:

The GOP’s ‘skinny’ repeal bill was defeated 49-51, falling just short of the 50 votes needed to advance it. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski also voted against it. ... "I sadly feel a great many Americans will feel betrayed, that they were lied to, and that sentiment will not be unjustified. You cannot campaign against Obamacare and then vote for Obamacare," Republican Senator Ted Cruz said early Friday.