At Least They Don't Have The Strength To Gut Social Security Now
More than two dozen vulnerable Republican incumbents are members of the Republican Study Committee, the biggest House GOP caucus— and the one that wrote the proposals to raise the retirement age again and make devastating cuts to social safety net programs. Devastating to working families… not to the multimillionaires and billionaires who would gobble up those cuts with new tax “relief.” One of those Republicans is California reactionary Jay Obernolte.
Derek Marshall the progressive Democrats running for the San Bernardino-based seat Obernolte represents, has a very different perspective that the RSC or Obernolte. "As I see it,” he told us yesterday, “these proposals from the Republican Study Committee, including those championed by California's own Jay Obernolte, are not just misguided, but dangerously so. They claim fiscal responsibility, yet what they're really proposing is a stark deviation from our duty to protect the most vulnerable. By raising the retirement age and cutting critical social safety nets, we're not solving problems, we're creating new ones— especially for those who can least afford it. It's clear to me that while these policies might benefit the multimillionaires and billionaires, they're a direct attack on the working families who are the backbone of our nation. As someone committed to the well-being of every American, I cannot and will not stand by policies that so blatantly disregard the needs of the many in favor of the few.”
David Schweikert, an extremist representing a moderate swing district, is another Republican interested in shredding the social safety net. He's met his match this cycle, though. Democrat Conor O'Callahan: “David Schweikert is just fine upending Social Security and severing the contract people have made with the government their entire lives. His charade of the folksy neighborhood lawmaker is over. We’re shining a light on his extremist policies.”
Blue America has a Flip Congress ActBlue page you might want to visit if you want to do something about keeping the GOP from shredding the social safety net and raising the retirement age.
These are the GOP incumbents who are both electorally vulnerable and members of the RSC and eager to wreck Social Security and Medicare: David Schweikert (AZ), Juan Ciscomani (AZ), Mike Garcia (CA), Kevin Kiley (CA), Jay Obernolte (CA), Lauren Boebert (CO), Laurel Lee (FL), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Cory Mills (FL), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Zach Nunn (IA), Ashley (IA), Bill Huizenga (MI), John James (MI), Don Bacon (NE), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ), Nick LaLota (NY), Brandon Williams (NY), Troy Balderson (OH), Mike Turner (OH), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Tony Gonzales (TX), Bob Good (VA), Rob Wittman (VA) and Bryan Steil (WI). (Nashville area wing-nut Andy Ogles would be on that list too, but the Tennessee Democratic Party is so moribund that they’re not even fielding a candidate against him this cycle.)
Wisconsin state Senator Chris Larson was pissed off when he saw the RSC proposal. “The only major policy initiative to pass during Trump’s otherwise incompetent presidency was tax cuts for the rich,” he reminded us. “Republicans are making clear that if they are given power again, they will not only cut taxes for the wealthy even more, they’ll pay for them by pulling the money out of social security and force non-wealthy Americans to work longer before they retire. Mr. Steil wasn’t there for the first tax cuts for the rich but he’s showing he’s salivating at the chance to lead the class war if given the chance.”
Meanwhile the dictatorial Republicans removed the furniture from Ken Buck’s office during the night, a little way of saying they don’t like him, either for...
voting against Mayorkas’ impeachment
announcing he would be retiring from Congress early
being the first Republican to sign on to Jim McGovern’s discharge petition to force a vote on aid to Ukraine
And speaking of early retirements— yesterday Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said he’d had enough too and will be exiting and leaving MAGA Mike with no maneuverability at all— a one vote margin error! He’s out April 19. At least he’ll be around to vote against Marjorie Traitor Greene’s resolution to vacate the chair, which she announced after MAGA Mike worked with the Democrats to keep the government open— against Trump’s express demand to shut it down. Had Gallagher left before the second Tuesday of April, the governor would have been obligated to call a special election to fill the seat— and since it’s an R+10 district it would likely have meant another Republican. As is, it will be empty until January.
One more item, though it is no longer MAGA Mike’s problem per se. Expelled freakshow, George Santos announced that he’s quitting the Republican Party. Doesn’t expulsion mean they already quit him? He said he was embarrassed by the vote to approve the budget on Friday. One of the biggest swindlers in the history of Congress wrote, “The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base. I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything.” He in good conscience has been raising money for a primary against Nick LaLota in the district next door to the one that he represented. He has no intention of running, just stealing the contributions. But now he says he’ll run as an independent.
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