Senate Republicans Are NOT Happy About Trump's Mexican Tariffs

Donald Trump 

Senate Republicans appear to be on a collision course with their own president over Donald Trump's announced plans to place big ticket tariffs on imports from Mexico.

Via The New York Times:

Republican senators sent the White House a sharp message on Tuesday, warning that they were almost uniformly opposed to President Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, just hours after the president said lawmakers would be “foolish” to try to stop him.

“I want you to take a message back” to the White House, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, told the lawyers, according to people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Cruz warned that “you didn’t hear a single yes” from the Republican conference. He called the proposed tariffs a $30 billion tax increase on Texans.

Texas would be hit the hardest by the proposed tariffs on Mexican products, followed by Michigan, California, Illinois and Ohio, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

A 25 percent tariff would threaten $26.75 billion of Texas imports. “We’re holding a gun to our own heads,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called the tariffs "a distraction:"

Pelosi on Trump's proposed Mexico tariffs: "It's wrong. I don't even think it rises to the level of policy. I think it's notion-mongering ... it's really, well, let's face what it is: It's a distraction from the Mueller report. And it's served its purpose. Here we are."
Via ABC pic.twitter.com/jSsie1m0By

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 5, 2019

“Summing up the mood of the lunch, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said, according to sources familiar with the matter: The administration ‘trying to use tariffs to solve every problem but HIV and climate change.’” ⁦@burgessev⁩ & ⁦@JamesArkin⁩ https://t.co/hBldHNFDNC

— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) June 5, 2019

.@LACaldwellDC: "More than half a dozen Republicans stood up" to tell White House lawyers in a Tuesday meeting that they disagreed with administration's push for tariffs on Mexico.

"They offered tremendous warning signs to these White House officials saying: Don't move forward."

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 4, 2019

12 GOP Senators Vote For Resolution To Rebuke Trump's 'National Emergency' Declaration

Donald Trump

UPDATE: Twelve Republican senators joined with Democrats to approve a resolution denouncing Donald Trump's declaration of a 'national emergency' to gain funding for his long-sought border wall by a vote of 59-41.

12 Senate Republicans have voted Yes on disapproval resolution (vote still open):
Alexander
Blunt
Collins
Lee
Moran
Murkowski
Paul
Portman
Romney
Rubio
Toomey
Wicker

— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) March 14, 2019

The Trumpster made his next step perfectly clear immediately after the vote, tweeting "VETO!"

VETO!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019

*****************************

Donald Trump went on a pre-emptive Twitter rant in advance of a vote in the GOP-controlled Senate today on a Democratic resolution to block Trump's emergency declaration in order to get funds for his beloved border wall.

In his tweet, Trump threatens to veto the resolution which would be his first use of veto powers while in the White House.

A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction). I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019

So far, seven Republican senators have announced they will vote for the resolution - Sens. Mitt Romney, Mike Lee, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Rand Paul, and Lamar Alexander.

The Hill suggests Sens. Marco Rubio, Ben Sasse, Ron Johnson and Jerry Moran could join the list of Republicans voting against the president.

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake Announces He Won't Seek Re-Election Due To Trump's "Reckless, Outrageous, Undignified Behavior"

Sen. Jeff Flake, Republican senator from Arizona, just gave a breathtaking speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate announcing he will not seek re-election in 2018.

In doing so, he pointed to the "reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior" of Donald Trump as president.

Flake pretty much left it all out on the Senate floor as he called out the president as well as calling his fellow senators "complicit" in allowing Donald Trump to continue to debase the office of the presidency.

Read the full speech here, and watch excerpts below.

Sen. Jeff Flake: "I rise today to say enough" https://t.co/R7EJLvUEjP

— CNN (@CNN) October 24, 2017

"I will not be complicit or silent." Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says he won't be running for reelection, after months of criticizing Trump. pic.twitter.com/KIDNMLYrV9

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) October 24, 2017

Thank you to my dear friend @JeffFlake for your honorable service to the state of #Arizona & the nation.

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) October 24, 2017

Jeff Flake's speech on the Senate floor will end up in the history books.

— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) October 24, 2017

Senate Republicans Making Another Attempt At Trumpcare 2.0

Senate Republicans are trying yet again to come up with legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Via the New York Times:

The measure, sponsored by Mr. Graham and Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, is a last-ditch effort by Republicans to fulfill their seven-year-old promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Supporters say it is gaining traction in the Senate, but it remains several votes shy of passage.

Under the bill, millions could lose coverage, Medicaid would see the same magnitude of cuts that earlier repeal bills extracted, and insurers in some states could charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions. The Senate Republican leadership has been taking the pulse of its caucus, trying to determine whether it can muster enough votes.

A clock is ticking. If the Senate does not vote by the end of next week, it will become nearly impossible to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The drive to kill the bill will lose the procedural protections that allow it to pass the Senate with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes that would otherwise be needed to overcome a filibuster.

As a cancer survivor, I'm personally concerned about the bill. I pay for my own health insurance and having my premiums jump even higher because of a disease I beat 8 years ago is clearly untenable.

According to political prognosticators, the Republicans don't quite have the 50 votes they need to pass the bill.

Call 202-224-3121 and ask for your senator's office and let them know this is a bad deal for America.

Sen. Lindsey Graham pitches the Graham-Cassidy bill: “Obamacare is failing for a reason. It’s a bad idea” https://t.co/matqJ8EzQF

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 19, 2017

Lacking Votes, Senate Republican Healthcare Bill Put On Hold

Per the Associated Press, the Senate Republican healthcare bill, lacking votes, is on hold until after the July 4th recess.

At last count, at least five Republicans Senators (Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Susan Collins, Dean Heller, Ron Johnson) have publicly stated they can't vote for the healthcare legislation put forward by a group of 13 GOP senators.

With a scant 52 member majority, the Republicans can only lose two votes and still pass their bill.

Years and years of grousing about Obamacare, promises of immediate "repeal and replace" thanks to the election of Donald Trump, and the Republican party controlling the House, Senate and White House - but these folks can't get their act together to do anything.

#sad

Congressional Budget Office: Senate Republican Healthcare Bill Would Increase Uninsured By 22 Million

The numbers are out from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office regarding the current Senate Republicans' healthcare bill:

CBO and JCT estimate that enacting this legislation would reduce the cumulative federal deficit over the 2017-2026 period by $321 billion. That amount is $202 billion more than the estimated net savings for the version of H.R. 1628 that was passed by the House of Representatives.

The Senate bill would increase the number of people who are uninsured by 22 million in 2026 relative to the number under current law, slightly fewer than the increase in the number of uninsured estimated for the House-passed legislation. By 2026, an estimated 49 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.

Bolding is mine.

The bill also calls for cuts to Medicaid to the tune of $772 billion over the next ten years.

And premiums for a 64-year old with middle income go from $6,800 under current law to $20,500 under the Senate Republicans legislation.

Click image to enlarge

So, good news for those conservatives looking to see deficit reduction, but 22 million uninsured isn't much better than the 23 million uninsured predicted for the House Republican healthcare bill.

New CBO score for Senate bill:

2018: 15 million more would be uninsured than under Obamacare

2020: 19 million more

2026: 22 million more pic.twitter.com/7cMnfDnZZr

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 26, 2017

CBO on Senate bill: "insurance would pay smaller share of benefits; most people would have higher out-of-pocket spending than current law"

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) June 26, 2017

CBO says Trumpcare 2.0 will strip 22,000,000 Americans of health insurance. Where’s the “heart”? For 22 million, it’s as mean as ever. https://t.co/Ki4AdGHu8R

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 26, 2017

Nevada: Sen. Dean Heller Says "No" To Senate GOP Trumpcare Bill

Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada

Republican Senator Dean Heller of Nevada (my state) announced today he will not be voting for the newly unveiled Senate version of Trumpcare.

Heller is considered the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection in 2018 being from a very purple state that went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.

Via Politico:

“This bill that’s currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer. It’s simply not the answer,” said Heller, the most vulnerable Senate Republican in the 2018 midterm election. “It’s going to be very difficult to get me to a yes."

Heller is now the fifth Republican to go public with a threat to vote against the bill, which is the culmination of seven years of GOP campaign promises. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can lose only two of his 52 members for the bill to pass when he holds a vote in a week.

On Thursday, four conservatives — Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson — said they aren’t ready to support the draft bill because it preserves too many of Obamacare's regulations but said they’re open to negotiations.

Heller did leave the door open to supporting the bill if changes are made.

"Both Republicans and Democrats can agree the [Affordable Care Act] does need some fixes," the Nevada Republican said.

Heller said he is opposed to the rollback of the Medicaid expansion because it hurts Nevada.

"This is all about Medicaid expansion. ... You have to protect Medicaid expansion states,” Heller said, adding that he wouldn't support rolling back Medicaid unless payment rates for a state like Nevada are boosted.

Trust and believe I was one of the phone calls his office received over the past couple of days.

Heller becomes the fifth Senate Republican to say they won't be supporting the GOP Healthcare bill. Republicans only have a two vote majority, so with five saying "no," this bill has to be amended. The problem is the moves to get moderate Repubs on board will push far-right GOPs away, and vice-versa.

The answer to healthcare is for Republicans to work WITH Democrats to address fixes in Obamacare. Period.

Senate Republicans: "American People Simply Will Not Tolerate" Blocking Trump SCOTUS Nominations

After absolutely NO movement on President Obama's SCOTUS nominee for 294 days, Senate Republicans have the nerve to say "the American people simply will not tolerate" Democrats blocking Trump's SCOTUS nominees.

Let's remember that almost 3 million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump.

Watch Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell serve up some serious hypocrisy:

McConnell: "The American people simply will not tolerate" Democrats blocking Trump's SCOTUS nominee https://t.co/9b6sqFrQTM

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 4, 2017