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On Iran, GOP Presidential Candidates Are Right Of Reagan


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On National Security, GOP Candidates Are “Wannabes With Little In Common” With Reagan

As the debate draws nearer, the GOP candidates for president are scrambling to out-Reagan each other. However, their actions, including on national security issues, do not align with the Gipper, as a new report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund highlights. To be clear, Reagan’s foreign policy record is far from perfect. But there is a stark difference between Reagan and the extremism of the GOP candidates on foreign policy. Despite his foreign policy rhetoric, Reagan was actually open to negotiating with his enemies and supported treaties created by previous presidents. Here are two ways Reagan differs from today’s extreme GOP.

Reagan negotiated with his enemies on nuclear arms.

Reagan negotiated with the Soviet Union and he held multiple summits with the Soviet Union’s General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Despite their differences, the two men signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminating an entire category of nuclear missiles. As the Reagan Foundation puts it, “the unlikely pairing of a devoted anti-Communist advocate of capitalism with a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist resulted not only in the most significant arms reduction treaty in history, but in a permanent change in U.S.-Soviet relations.”

Current GOP candidates have veered far from Reagan’s stance toward negotiations and have instead taken extreme positions. Scott Walker declared, “I will put in place crippling economic sanctions on Iran and I will convince our allies to do the same.” And former Gov. Huckabee said he would consider using “military force, to topple the terrorist Iranian regime” if he were president.

Reagan upheld treaties from previous presidents.

As president, Reagan upheld Nixon’s SALT I treaty and Carter’s SALT II treaty, despite the fact SALT II wasn’t even ratified by the Senate. In contrast, many GOP candidates have said they would not uphold the Iran deal, even though the deal is the best option we have to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuke. Gov. Walker, Fiorina, and Sen. Rubio even committed to ripping up the deal on the first day of their presidency. Not to be outdone, Sens. Cruz, Paul, and Rubio undermined President Obama’s negotiations by signing a letter to the leaders of Iran advising them that the president has no authority to negotiate with them.

Though GOP candidates love to love Reagan, these staunch differences in approach to national security prove they aren’t following in his footsteps. Lawrence Korb, the assistant Secretary of Defense under Reagan, sums it up well: in reality, the current GOP candidates are “wannabes with little in common” with Reagan.

BOTTOM LINE: In Wednesday’s debate, GOP candidates will most likely compete to be viewed as the heir to Ronald Reagan’s legacy. But these are not Reagan Republicans. Their extreme positions on the Iran deal and other issues show that they all lack the pragmatism and penchant for compromise that allowed the 40th president to appeal beyond his conservative base.

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the Senate ~~ CONGRESS 9/15 the House


votingThe Senate stands adjourned until 9:30am on Friday, September 11, 2015, for a pro forma session with no business conducted. When the Senate adjourns on Friday it will stand adjourned until 1:00pm on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.

Tomorrow morning, Friday, September 11, at 8:46 a.m., the United States Congress will recognize Patriot Day by observing a campus-wide moment of silence. There will be no official gathering for the Moment of Silence.

On Tuesday, following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of H.J.Res.61, the legislative vehicle for the Congressional disapproval of the proposed Iran nuclear agreement. The time until 6:00pm will be equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees. The cloture vote on the McConnell substitute amendment #2640 will occur at 6:00pm.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

  1. Motion to invoke cloture on McConnell substitute amendment #2640 to H.J.Res.61, Iran resolution of disapproval; not invoked: 56-42.

Legislative Business

Passed S.2036, to suspend the current compensation packages for the chief executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and for other purposes.

Adopted S.Res.245, designating the week beginning September 13, 2015, as “National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week”.

Adopted S.Res.254, recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrating the heritage and culture of Latinos in the United States and the immense contributions of Latinos to the United States.

Adopted S.Res.255, designating the week beginning September 14, 2015, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.

Adopted S.Res.256, designating September 2015 as “School Bus Safety Month”.

Began the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business S.2035, Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act (Cardin).

Began the Rule 14 process to place on the Legislative Calendar of Business H.R.36, Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (Republican request).

No Executive Business

===================================================

Last Floor Action:
 3:02:46 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on September 16, 2015.

3:00:11 P.M. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
3:00:23 P.M. The Speaker designated the Honorable Thomas J. Rooney to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
3:00:42 P.M. Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.
3:02:07 P.M. The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
3:02:11 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
3:02:46 P.M

.
.
The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on September 16, 2015.
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Right of Reagan … The Progress Report


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Today’s Republicans Are More Extreme Than Their Conservative Idol

In two days, the GOP candidates for president will head to the Reagan Library for their second debate. Most will likely espouse their love of Reagan and try to highlight similarities between the Gipper’s policies and their own. However, as a new report from the Center for American Progress Action Fund shows, today’s candidates are in fact far more extreme than their Republican idol. To be sure, Reagan was no progressive. He has a record that includes initiating failed trickle-down economic programs that only help the wealthy, creating the false narrative of the welfare queen that still exists today, and gutting President Carter’s clean energy and energy efficiency efforts.

But, unlike today’s GOP candidates, he also was not a pure ideologue who was unwilling to negotiate and work across the aisle. His former chief of staff, James Baker, explained it well: “If Reagan told me once, he told me fifteen thousand times—I’d rather get 80 percent of what I want than go over the cliff with my flags flying.” In practice, this philosophy meant that President Reagan adopted moderate, bipartisan stances on several important policy positions – positions that the current presidential contenders would find abhorrent. Over the course of his presidency:

  • Reagan provided a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. In 1986, Reagan supported and signed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, which provided a pathway to citizenship for 2.7 million undocumented immigrants. Current GOP candidates oppose a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, though creating such a pathway would boost the U.S. economy by $1.2 trillion over 10 years.
  • Reagan stood up to the National Rifle Association, or NRA, to establish background checks. He strongly supported the establishment of national background checks for gun purchases, as well as a ban on assault weapons. Current GOP candidates wouldn’t dare stand up to the NRA as most act to preserve their ‘A’ rating from the organization. Sens. Rubio, Cruz, Paul, and Graham have blocked legislation to expand background checks.
  • Reagan signed the Montreal Protocol, a multilateral international treaty to reduce pollution. In the face of scientific research showing that chemical gasses were depleting the protective ozone layer, Reagan signed the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that phased out nearly 100 of these dangerous gases, many of which are also greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Current GOP candidates either deny that climate change is real or ignore the science behind it and have strenuously opposed the Obama administration’s effort to regulate pollution.
  • Reagan negotiated with the Soviet Union to reduce nuclear proliferation. As president, Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union, eliminating an entire category of nuclear missiles. Current GOP candidates have adopted an unyielding stance on national security, especially as it relates to President Obama’s recent deal with Iran. Mike Huckabee threatened to topple Iran using military force, and many of the other candidates also have stated that they would not uphold the current Iran nuclear deal.
  • Reagan grew the federal government through deficit spending. Despite his public image as the champion of small government, Reagan tripled the national debt, increased the federal workforce by about 324,000 workers, doubled the U.S. Department of Education’s budget, and created a new federal agency, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Current GOP candidates have embraced uncompromising positions on the federal budget, opposing any deficit spending, even in the face of pressing national need. Sen. Cruz demonstrated astounding fiscal irresponsibility, costing the economy $20 billion by orchestrating the government shutdown in 2013.
  • Reagan closed tax loopholes favoring the wealthy and raised taxes to reduce the federal deficit. In fact, he raised taxes 7 out of his 8 years in office and has said that tax loopholes “sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing, while a bus driver was paying ten percent of his salary, and that’s crazy.”

To be clear, Reagan was no progressive hero, but at times he was able to mix pragmatism with conservatism, something the current GOP candidates refuse to do. As the Washington Post puts it, despite their proclaimed love of Reagan, current GOP candidates “actually represent a break from core aspects of his approach to the presidency.”

BOTTOM LINE: Regardless of what the GOP candidates say in Wednesday’s debate, the reality is their positions are far to the right of Reagan’s actions on a number of critical issues. Despite the folklore, it is hard to imagine any of these candidates claiming fidelity to Reagan and his principles in a way that the 40th president could embrace.

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Leaving Children Behind … CAP


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Congressional Republicans’ Education Bills Could Harm Our Most At-Risk Students

This week House and Senate Republicans are working to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—also known as No Child Left Behind. Reauthorization of our largest K-12 education law presents a rare opportunity for Congress to ensure that all students—regardless of zip code, background, or family income levels—can receive a quality public education. Unfortunately, this afternoon the House passed H.R. 5 its version of the reauthorization bill that cuts federal funding from our most at-risk students and brings us a step backwards to the days when our most underserved communities were ignored.

This letter, written by the Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights and signed by more than 50 other organizations, outlines how H.R. 5—also known as the Student Success Act—undermines important federal protections for some of our most vulnerable students.

The most egregious provision included in the House bill is a “portability” provision, which eliminates the targeting of federal funding to schools and districts with the highest concentrations of students living in poverty. That means federal funding that goes to schools with the most low-income students would flow out of those districts and into richer districts. This could cause the most impoverished districts to experience a federal resource cut as large as 74 percent, while the most affluent districts could receive an average of more than $290 dollars per student. The graph below shows how harmful that could be and more on portability can be found here.

The Senate is also working on its considerably more moderate version of ESEA reauthorization this week, known as the Every Child Achieves Act. The Senate’s bill takes important steps to curb over testing and maintains investments in research-based innovation. This afternoon the Senate also adopted an important amendment that allows schools to use Title 1 funds to create fiscal assistance teams designed to help schools spend their money efficiently.

The Senate bill does considerably more to help vulnerable students, but more should be done to ensure it fulfills its role as a civil rights law. And the bill is far from final. As it stands the Senate bill does not include a portability provision, but a portability amendment will be considered soon, which brings the potential damage one step closer to reality.

BOTTOM LINE: The opportunity to receive a quality public education should not be determined by a child’s zip code. HR 5, passed by House today, is a major step backward to a time when federal funding was inequitably distributed and our most vulnerable communities were ignored.

 

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I lost my sister, husband, and mother


Petitioning President of the United States

Declare August 30th National Grief Awareness Day
Petition by National Grief Awareness Day
13,963
Supporters

My name is Angie Cartwright.

I’ve endured a lot of loss in my life, starting with my baby sister when I was 5 years-old. In 1996, I lost my husband to a car wreck, and my mother died of a drug overdose in 2010. By then, I was paralyzed with grief.

I am now dedicated to raising awareness about bereavement and helping those experiencing grief to heal. I’m asking President Obama to make August 30th National Grief Awareness Day. Why?

By reaching out to hundred of thousands of grievers on social media for the past four years, I found that healing can only take place when grief is not shamed, rushed or tabooed. This is how I found my own healing. Unfortunately, we live in a world that sees grief differently. When we lose someone, we are told to move on and to get over our sadness, because grief is commonly perceived as something that needs to be fixed. As a result, the bereaved feel misunderstood, and they end up grieving in silence, while the topic of death becomes a stronger taboo.

And silent grief can become deadly grief. I’ve seen it too many times.

Having National Grief Awareness Day recognized by our government will be the first milestone in opening our eyes to a serious issue that has never been properly addressed. This way we’ll start seeing grief as the natural consequence of the love we have for someone we’ve lost.

Please, join me in asking President Barack Obama to declare August 30th as a day of awareness and education around grief.

Why August 30th? I picked this day because it’s my mom’s birthday.

This petition is also supported by #1MMemories, a movement where people are sharing 1 million memories of loved ones they’ve lost with the hashtag #1MMemories, via Twitter or Instagram.

All these memories will be beautifully gathered at 1MMemories.com, and then printed in a one-of-a-kind book that we will hand to President Barack Obama, along with the 1 million signatures supporting this petition.

Both your signature and you joining the #1MMemories movement will help millions of grievers.

With all my love,

Angie Cartwright, Founder of National Grief Awareness Day

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