A lot has happened over the holidays:Â Nancy Pelosi has retaken the gavel as Speaker of the House; Democrats have regained control of the House of Representatives; Donald Trump is still “Trumping,” and that darned wall has shut down the US government.
Current Events
Let’s take an in-depth look at the details:
.
NANCY PELOSI
Following a contentious face-off with fellow Democrats, California Democrat Nancy Pelosi became the most powerful woman in US politics by being elected Speaker of the House for a 2nd time.
The 78-year-old Pelosi won with 220 votes, with 12 Democrats voting for someone other than Pelosi and 3 Democrats voting present. When Pelosi cast a vote for herself, her granddaughter held her hand and jumped for joy at the results.
“Two months ago, the American people spoke, and demanded a new dawn,” Speaker Pelosi said during remarks after the vote. “They called upon the beauty of our Constitution: our system of checks and balances that protects our democracy, remembering that the legislative branch is Article I: the first branch of government, co-equal to the presidency and judiciary.”
Rising Democrat and potential future House Speaker, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, was named the new Democratic Caucus chairman.
.
DEMOCRATS REGAIN THE HOUSE/MAKE HISTORY
The 116th Congress was sworn-in on Thursday. Not only did Donald Trump’s worst nightmare of Democrats in control of the House come true, but the new Congress includes perhaps the most diverse mix ever seen in US politics.
Among the history makers was Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Somali-American member of Congress, who noted the history of her election on Twitter.
“23 years ago, from a refugee camp in Kenya, my father and I arrived at an airport in Washington DC,” she tweeted. “Today, we return to that same airport on the eve of my swearing-in as the first Somali-American in Congress.”
Among those serving for the first time are Muslim women, including Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan; Native American women, including Reps. Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland, the first 2 Latina representatives from Texas; 2 black congresswomen from New England; and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who is younger than 30.
.
TRUMP WALL/GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Donald Trump continued to throw a temper tantrum over his proposed wall along the US/Mexico border, by refusing to sign a spending bill to allow the US government to reopen until he gets his way.
With the government shutdown now entering its 3rd week, Trump and the Republicans are beginning to realize that it’s a new day in Washington. The days of an automatic Republican rubber stamp giving ‘The Donald’ whatever he wants is done. Democrats are running the House show now and are NOT going to give in. Additionally, the American public is holding the GOP responsible for the shutdown impasse. Many within Trump’s base are beginning to feel the pinch of the shutdown, particularly those who require food stamps for their daily survival. Those vacationing at government parks are being turned away. Paychecks for government workers have dried up. The stock market has been in continuous decline.
As for ‘The Donald,’ he is playing a dangerous game of chicken and bragging that he’s willing to let the government remained closed for weeks or even months until he gets what he wants.
Trump can’t put his usual spin on this one… or can he??
Realizing that he has backed himself into a corner, Trump is now considering using an executive order to declare a national emergency just to get the funding for his wall. If he can utilize emergency powers to secure the $5.6 billion needed to build the “Keep The Mexicans Out” wall, Trump could get his way, declare victory (as he’s prone to do even in defeat), and reopen the government — all while saving face.
However, if a national emergency is declared just to build Trump’s wall, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats are prepared to file lawsuits questioning the legality of the move.
“The President’s authority in this area is intended for wars and genuine national emergencies,” Evan Hollander, communications director of the House Appropriations Committee said. “Asserting this authority to build a wasteful wall is legally dubious and would likely invite a court challenge.”
Stay tuned…
