#sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

By Jess Coleman

When, in December 2021, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin announced he would vote “no” on President Biden’s signature legislative proposal, the Build Back Better Act, the reaction boiled down to: “Well, what did you expect?” After all, Manchin, despite being a Democrat, is from deep-red West Virginia, and politicians from deep-red states simply cannot vote in favor of major progressive policies championed by the leader of the Democratic Party. That’s just politics, dummy. That Biden and his fellow Democrats even tried was treated in some circles as painfully naïve: Unless Democrats learn that basic lesson and bring centrists into the fold, they’ll never achieve a vibrant, sustainable majority. Or so sayeth the conventional wisdom.

So when Manchin announced last week that he is considering leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent, his rationale was hardly difficult to predict. “The brand has become so bad,” he said, drawing on the oft-repeated talking point that the Democrats have lept too far left. In other words—and in contravention of all logic, given the results of the 2022 midterms—Manchin simply cannot in good conscience remain with a party that, in substance and style, provides no room for leaders seeking to appeal to a moderate, bipartisan electorate.

Don’t be fooled. Manchin’s charade is hardly one of principle. It’s one of total desperation.

There are no secrets about Manchin’s political situation at home. After being reelected in 2018 by just 3%, in a year in which Democrats vastly outperformed expectations nationally, Manchin has an enormous hill to climb with his reelection looming in 2024. But the West Virginia Senator doesn’t seem to have much interest in taking responsibility for the electoral crisis in which he has enmeshed himself. Instead, he’d like us to believe the political forces around him have simply left him no choice: Both sides have drawn too far to the extremes, leaving no political home for the critical mass of centrist West Virginians who sent him to Washington. Hence the need to chart a new path on his own.

The framing echoes a convenient perspective that is adored by the media and political establishment: Elections are not won with base voters, but through a small slice of persuadable, moderate swing voters, perpetually lurking just outside of frame. Democrats, in turn, need to have some Joe Manchins—those politicians who embody the voters who are key to electoral success—lying around to be taken seriously. The failure to keep these soi-disant moderate saviors on hand reveals a fundamental structural deficiency for the party writ large.

But if it’s true that Manchin is such a political genius—uniquely capable of surviving as a Democrat in a deep red state—you would expect that his victory is owed to a broad cross section of voters from a variety of political camps. Alas, that’s the complete opposite of what happened in 2018. According to CNN exit polls, Manchin garnered the votes of 64% of those who identify as moderates, and just 23% of conservatives. Those numbers are roughly in line with what New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand achieved that same year: 70% and 18%, respectively. The reality is Manchin barely made it over the finish line in roughly the same way Democrats all around the country win their seats: by running up the numbers with voters on the political left—Manchin won 80% of self-identified liberals in 2018.

Indeed, as The New Republic’s Alex Pareene observed in 2021, Manchin is actually far more reliant on Democratic voters than many of his blue state counterparts. While someone like Gillibrand can afford to lose large swaths of Democrats in a state where they are in ample supply, Manchin needs to pull virtually every registered Democrat in his state to win. Against all logic, Manchin approached Biden’s first term as if the rules that governed his electoral hopes were precisely opposite to reality. Instead of rewarding his most loyal voters—dyed-in-the-wool liberal Democrats—by delivering for them in Washington, Manchin has spent his latest term going out of his way to alienate his base and position himself in a political no man’s land: personally steamrolling key Democratic priorities while siding with his party on most routine issues and appointments.

In short, Manchin made a bet. He believed he could rely on the support of Democrats and spent nearly all his time trying to appeal to a tiny, if not nonexistent, group of voters who are up for grabs and have no real allegiance to either of the two dominant political parties. It hasn’t worked out the way Manchin anticipated, and this is where he now finds himself—orchestrating a last-ditch, hopeless effort to create a new political reality from thin air.

It is possible Manchin never had a shot at reelection, had fortune and circumstance not permitted him to avail himself of 2018’s political trends, we’d already have a Republican holding that West Virginia Senate seat. But the broader lesson is crucial for those in the media and elected leadership who constantly insist that disregarding the Democratic base in service of pursuing the allegedly vast rewards that come from focusing solely on the views of the so-called centrist, swing voters is the only viable path to victory in American politics. Those who subscribe to this view should explain why the two most notable Democrats who aggressively pursued this approach—Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin—are currently fighting for their political lives, while other red-state Democratic senators such as Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana have consistently survived—and remain loyal to the party’s big priorities even when their electoral hopes face massive headwinds.

Mostly, we have to understand something simple about Manchin: We are not watching a political genius at work. He’s not on the verge of revealing a masterful plan to pull off another miracle in West Virginia. This is a desperate politician squirming for his political life after making a series of catastrophic political decisions. Manchin has hardly proven that the Democratic Party is mortally wounded due to its failure to leave room for the center left. All he’s done is reinforce a very basic rule in politics: Doing the opposite of what your voters want is an idiotic election strategy.

#us politics #news #the new republic #2023 #west virginia #sen. joe manchin #biden administration #president joe biden #Democratic Party #Democrats #centrists #independents #2024 elections #sen. Kirsten Gillibrand #Alex Pareene #Sen. sherrod Brown #sen. Jon Tester #Jess Coleman #op eds

[cannabisbusinessexecutive]

Senate committee moves to let intel agencies hire people who have used marijuana

Senate committee moves to let intel agencies hire people who have used marijuana

The Senate Intelligence Committee has advanced legislation that would allow US intelligence agencies to hire applicants who have used marijuana in the past, according to committee aides. Language included in the committee’s annual authorization bill for the intelligence community — which passed unanimously on Wednesday — would prohibit intelligence agencies from discriminating against job…

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#Kirsten Gillibrand #marijuana workplace #Martin Heinrich #Sen. Ron Wyden #Senate Intelligence Committee #us senate marijuanaus senate marijuana

[zvaigzdelasas]

The only democracy in [North America] btw [21 Oct 23]

[tieflingkisser]

With Ceasefire Calls Growing, Israeli Military Launches Closed-Door “PR Blitz” on Capitol Hill

The Intercept has learned of around half a dozen events coordinated with Israeli officials during recent weeks — some of them hastily organized.

High-level Israeli military officers are conducting private briefings for members of the U.S. Congress on Israel’s war on Gaza, according to documents reviewed by The Intercept. The briefings ramped up as questions emerged on Capitol Hill about Israel’s conduct in the war and ceasefire calls gained steam. “There’s an Israel PR blitz happening this week facilitated by a handful of senators,” said a source familiar with the meetings in the upper chamber. “Practically all of the briefings on this issue these last few weeks have been members-only,” meaning congressional staff and the public are not welcome. One briefing exclusive to members of the Senate scheduled on Monday and organized by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., involved three senior Israel Defense Forces officers stationed at the Israeli Embassy. “Sen. Duckworth would like to invite your boss to a last-minute meeting with Israeli Defense officials to discuss Israel’s strategy, how they are waging the war and what to expect in the day after the scenarios,” according to a memo obtained by The Intercept. (Duckworth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) The briefings are coming as Israel faces an international backlash over its assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel says it is seeking to eliminate Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in its October 7 surprise attack. The Intercept has learned of around half a dozen events coordinated with Israeli officials during recent weeks. The Intercept reviewed materials relating to four of the briefings. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who said he had not spoken with the Israel Defense Forces in recent days, told The Intercept, “I know there are going to be some folks from the IDF here tomorrow or the day after to brief members of Congress.” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told The Intercept, “I have had private conversations with IDF officials but I didn’t attend any briefings.” (She declined to comment on her meetings.)

#free palestine #usa #israel #palestine

[bigguyinbigskycountry]

Jon Tester (D-MT) United States Senator

Here are my thoughts on Sen. Tester at the press conference about the Senate’s passage of Toxic Exposure Legislation.

Look at that belly on Jon. So hot. Let no one tell you other wise Jon.

Why does Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) get a hug from Jon and not me? Maybe because my boner would get in the way.

My theory of anyone standing next to Jon gets hotter as I want to fuck Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Then I see him with out Jon... noodle city.

Hell... even Sen. Gillibrand and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) stand next to Sen. Tester get more fuckable. Then again, I wanted to fuck Sen. Boozman before this. Sen. Gillibrand, not so much.

Same goes for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) as he looks fuckable next to Jon. Seeing pics by himself, not so much.

What? Even Jon Stewart gets a hug.

#Jon Tester #Kirsten Gillibrand #Chuck Schumer #John Boozman #Jerry Moran #Jon Stewart

[deadlinecom]

[esotericworld]

Cole Stevens, press secretary for the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, confirmed Wednesday to the Roswell Daily Record that the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee will be holding a new open hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).

In a follow-up call, a staffer confirmed to the Roswell Daily Record that Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), will be speaking at the hearing on April 19.

This announcement comes after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), chair of the subcommittee, expressed frustration publicly during a March 28 meeting on the Department of Defense budget request for Fiscal year 2024 over the failure to fully fund the AARO for a second year in a row. In a previous statement to the Roswell Daily Record, Sen. Gillibrand said, "The lack of full funding for AARO is a significant concern. We need to ensure that our government is taking the UAP issue seriously and dedicating the necessary resources to improve our understanding and response capabilities."

The new hearings will aim to address the concerns surrounding UAPs and the need for increased transparency and investigation. Sen. Gillibrand, a vocal advocate for further examination of the UAP phenomenon, has been pushing for more funding for the AARO and greater openness from the Department of Defense (DoD) regarding UAP incidents.

In her previous comments during the hearing to Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Michael J. McCord on March 28, Sen. Gillibrand stated, "Mr. McCord, I was disappointed for the second year in a row that the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution office, or AARO, was not fully funded in the department's budget request. Understanding that we cannot get into specific budget figures in this forum, can you discuss why AARO was not fully funded?"

These hearings will provide an opportunity for lawmakers and officials to discuss the importance of funding the AARO and address the growing concerns about UAPs over U.S. airspace. As the UAP issue gains traction, both in the government and public spheres, the hearings may shed light on the challenges and potential solutions surrounding this enigmatic phenomenon.

#uap

[mariacallous]

Biden calls for enshrining Roe v. Wade in federal law

06/22/2019 04:20 PM COLUMBIA, S.C. – Former Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday that he would work to enshrine into federal law the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision upholding abortion rights, as the Democratic presidential frontrunner seeks to mollify critics of his record on reproductive issues. Biden, speaking at a Planned Parenthood forum two weeks after reversing his opposition to federal funding for most abortions — an early flashpoint in the 2020 presidential campaign — said he would support codifying Roe as defined by a later decision that affirmed the landmark case’s central principles. “It should be the law,” Biden said. Democratic contenders Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, among others, have called for similar legislation amid concerns, in the wake of state laws that drastically limited abortions, that the Supreme Court could overturn Roe. Biden, however, has previously supported some restrictions on abortions or abortion funding, and his campaign recently declined to answer questions about what limitations, if any, he still supports. When the former vice president appeared on stage Saturday, a moderator said to him, “There are some voters who may have concerns about your overall support for sexual and reproductive health, just given your mixed record.” Biden responded: “First of all, I’m not sure about the ‘mixed record’ part,” calling his voting record “100 percent” before his mic momentarily cut out. When it came back on, Biden called for expanding federal health care funding and said he would work to “eliminate all of the changes that this president made” to federal family planning programs. He said that while the federal government cannot dictate how many clinics a state must make available to women, “what we have to do is we have to provide the access to increase the funding, which we fought to do, for Planned Parenthood … and other organizations.” “What we should be doing is investing a great deal more money in the entirety of how we deal with women’s health care and making it available across the spectrum,” he said.

#it's not quite the same thing and I think the nuance is important #he said he would work toward it but did not guarantee or ensure it would be and that is a pretty serious distinction

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Emotion fueled a debate on the Senate floor on Thursday as Republicans objected to taking up a Democratic bill that would guarantee a woman's constitutional right to travel across state lines to receive abortion care.

The Democratic bill, called the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 was introduced earlier this week by Sens. Patty Murray of Washington, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The bill would additionally protect providers in states that support abortion rights from lawsuits for helping women from other states.

Murray, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said GOP lawmakers across the nation "have already set their sights on ripping away the right to travel."

"Let's be really clear what that means: They want to hold women captive in their own states," she said. "They want to punish women and anyone who might help them for exercising their constitutional right to travel within our country to get the services that they need in another state. I hope everyone really observes how extreme and how radical and how un-American that is."

Sen. Steve Daines, Republican from Montana, argued the Senate must reject this "radical" bill because it would "give fly-in abortionists free rein to commit abortions on demand." He also argued it "protects the greed, frankly, of woke corporations who see it as cheaper to pay for an abortion and abortion tourism than maternity leave for their employees."

Cortez Masto, who made the unanimous consent request to bring up the legislation, pointed to examples of lawmakers in states like Missouri, Texas and Arkansas who have said "they want to pass bills to fine or prosecute women who travel for health care."

What GOP legislators are proposing to do across the country to restrict women from traveling for reproductive care is "just blatantly unconstitutional," she continued. "They are anti-woman, anti-business and anti-provider," she said.

Sen. James Lankford, Republican from Oklahoma, who objected to the request, said in remarks on the Senate floor that the conversation is "not just about the right to travel and the right to health care it's deeper than that, it's the right to live."

"To be very clear, no state has banned interstate travel for adult women seeking to obtain an abortion," Lankford added. "No state has done that. Now, am I confident there are some people that are out there talking? Yes, but there's also in this Senate 5,000 bills that have been filed and how many of them are actually going to move? As it is in every legislature across the country and everyone in this body knows it."

Lankford said Democrats are just trying to "inflame" and "raise the what ifs."

Cortez Masto said, "all my legislation says is: Respect my state. We are a choice state. We've made that decision as a state and if women want to travel to my state to seek services, and my providers want to provide those services, and employers want to help women travel then let the states do that."

#us politics #news #cnn #state's rights #abortions #abortion bans #us healthcare #2022 #us senate #Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 #Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto #Sen. Patty Murray #sen. sheldon whitehouse #Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand #Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions #democrats #Republicans #Sen. Steve Daines #Sen. James Lankford

[theyoungturks]

Congress passed a law that banned NDAs in Sexual Harassment Cases. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss on The Young Turks. Watch TYT LIVE on weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live Read more HERE: https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/congress-limits-use-of-ndas-in-sexual-assault-cases/ "The House of Representatives took action Wednesday to limit the use of nondisclosure or nondisparagement agreements used to silence victims of workplace sexual harassment. The Speak Out Act passed 315-109 and now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature. The Senate passed the bill unanimously in September. Sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Lois Frankel, the legislation will bar employers from enforcing nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs — often signed on the first day of work — that prevent workers from discussing workplace sexual harassment or assault “disputes” that occur later. The bill doesn’t define the term “dispute,” which some would argue constitutes a lawsuit while others say means a complaint filed with HR, Axios reported. It’s a line that courts will have to navigate, Bloomberg noted. *** The largest online progressive news show in the world. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. Help support our mission and get perks. Membership protects TYT's independence from corporate ownership and allows us to provide free live shows that speak truth to power for people around the world. See Perks: ▶ https://www.youtube.com/TheYoungTurks/join SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=theyoungturks FACEBOOK: ☞ http://www.facebook.com/TheYoungTurks TWITTER: ☞ http://www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/TheYoungTurks TWITCH: ☞ http://www.twitch.com/tyt 👕 Merch: http://shoptyt.com ❤ Donate: http://www.tyt.com/go 🔗 Website: https://www.tyt.com 📱App: http://www.tyt.com/app 📬 Newsletters: https://www.tyt.com/newsletters/ If you want to watch more videos from TYT, consider subscribing to other channels in our network: The Watchlist https://www.youtube.com/watchlisttyt Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey https://www.youtube.com/indisputabletyt Unbossed with Nina Turner https://www.youtube.com/unbossedtyt The Damage Report ▶ https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport TYT Sports ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytsports The Conversation ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytconversation Rebel HQ ▶ https://www.youtube.com/rebelhq TYT Investigates ▶ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNJt9PYyN1uyw2XhNIQMMA #TYT #TheYoungTurks #BreakingNews 221117__TA03_Jim_Jordan_Opposes by The Young Turks

#IFTTT #YouTube

[coochiequeens]

Thank you Supreme Court for undermining gun safety laws. Now a young woman is dead and her infant left motherless. Good thing the court is pro-life right?

A 20-year-old woman was shot in the head and killed Wednesday while pushing her infant in a stroller in New York City, according to police.

At about 8:23 p.m., the woman was walking with her 3-month-old in Manhattan, near the corner of East 95th Street and Lexington Avenue, when a man dressed in a black hoodie and black sweatpants shot her "from very close range," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

The man immediately fled on foot.

The woman was found unconscious and transported to the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 9:20 p.m., Sewell said.

No arrests have been made yet. Sewell was unable to confirm if the shooting was a domestic violence incident.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said earlier in the day of the incident, he had a meeting with New York City Attorney General Letitia James about "ghost guns," or untraceable guns, and later met with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about gun trafficking.

"This entire day, we have been addressing the problem of the over-proliferation of guns on our street, how readily accessible they are, and how there is just no fear in using these guns on innocent New Yorkers, and this is a result of that," Adams said.

A vigil was held for the victim at the site of the shooting Thursday.

Gun arrests are at a 28-year high in New York City. There were 2,007 gun arrests from January to May, a year-to-year increase of 84 arrests from the first five months of 2021, NYPD said.

[rapeculturerealities]

‘I Am Vanessa Guillen,’ The Film of The Late Fort Hood Soldier, Is Out This Month | BELatina

Guillen captured the media’s attention and continues to be a serious topic to be discussed – thanks to her family that remain resilient and continues to demand answers and much-needed change from the military.

The film’s press release, “I Am Vanessa Guillen” shows how Guillen’s sisters carried her name from protests in the streets to the halls of Washington, D.C. It captures behind-the-scenes footage of their pursuit to “change a deeply rooted, controversial military justice system.”

The 95-minute film also features interviews with family and friends as well as elected officials like Rep. Jackie Spears and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

It was directed by Christy Wegener, produced by “Mija’s” Isabel Castro, and executive produced by Story Syndicate’s Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, and Nell Constantinople.

#Documentary #Guillen #I Am Vanessa Guillen

[vibetribune]

[ufo-thetimesareripe]

[davestone13-blog]

Pols Pledged Safe E-Bike Charging Stations After Fatal Fire Last Summer. Keep Waiting.

A new deadly blaze highlights slow speed of rolling out $25 million project to build docks at dozens of NYCHA developments, with not a dime yet spent. By Greg B. Smith Feb 27 6:22pm EST The Roosevelt Island Daily News On a sunny day back in June, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand stood alongside Mayor Eric Adams and a gaggle of government officials outside the Baruch Houses on the…

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#E-Bikes #New York City #Public Safety