Over this past weekend, Senator Graham announced that he was not going to read the released transcripts, although he had complained bitterly about them not being released previously, and that he had made up his mind. Senator Kennedy from Louisiana, in contrast, indicated that if the allegations against Mr. Trump were true with regard to the Ukraine, then they may well reach the level of an impeachable offense. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin also vehemently defended the President, and seemed to indicate that his mind was made up, as well. Republicans are now focusing on the legal aspects of this matter, saying that what the President has done is not a crime, just improper, and thus, not impeachable. If we are going to go by a strict interpretation of the law, then all those Republican Senators who will act as jurors and have made up their minds, must recuse themselves. Or maybe those rules don’t apply.
The Wall Street Journal this week described how farmers are running out of credit from their local banks, as the AG economy continues to weaken. These farmers are turning to expensive lenders who charge higher interest rates, and have much greater restrictions on the use of funds. When this is added together with an extremely wet spring in 2019, and the damage caused by the Trump trade war with China, farmers are really hurting. Is there anyone in the government who is seriously doing anything to remedy those things that are not in the hands of Mother Nature. It appears not.
The USMCA may be moving towards a vote based upon the Speaker’s comments. A surprise to me, but important to the region. We need certainty for continued investment in our region by our Canadian neighbors.
A recent Federal Court decision in Massachusetts limits the searching of cell phones and other devices by CBP with regard to individuals who are being processed for entry into the country, unless there is some basis to believe they have committed a crime, as opposed to the random process which is now employed. The decision granted Summary Judgment to the Plaintiffs, but not an injunction. Thus, the practicable effect of the ruling is unclear.
Staying with the courts, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on November 12th, with regard to the Dreamers. Unfortunately, I think that this is a very narrow legal question, and that the actions of President Obama, although legal, were in fact, discretionary, that is, there is no legislation which mandates nor permits this. It is unclear to me whether the Administrative Procedures Act requires President Trump to provide reasons, since, in effect, he would be acting within his discretion, as well. Irrespective of the make-up of the court, I think the position of the Trump administration will be upheld.
We are now back to continuing Resolution time. For those of you who haven’t seen this in a while, it is method of continuing government funding without passing all of the necessary appropriations bills. In effect, it is a catch-all appropriation. This is back on the table now, with a proposal for approximately one-month CR with the likelihood that it could be further extended into January. The inability of Congress to get these appropriation bills completed, which was the case when I was there as well, is embarrassing and wholly unproductive. This is the best example of the extremes in both parties being unwilling to compromise.
It appears that the Trump budget will bring a $1 trillion dollar deficit this year and for the next ten. The month of October alone had $134 billion deficit. As I have commented before, the tax cuts have not helped reduce the deficit as Republicans had predicted. These deficits leave me scratching my head about Republicans and the Tea Party who were obsessed with the deficit and the debt, and seeking a balanced budget amendment. Where are they now?
The impeachment hearings wander on and run the risk of becoming a circus. Republicans cross examination fails to elicit anything which impeaches the witnesses. The clamor for the whistleblower is misplaced. If I was a judge, I would not allow the whistleblower to testify since it was hearsay, and others have testified directly on the issues like Lt. Col. Vindman, thus, the whistleblower is now irrelevant.
President Trump meets with Turkey’s Erdogan, and Mr. Trump says he is a big fan. This is an incredulous statement given what Erdogan has done in his own country as a dictator, buying weapons from the Russians and attacking the Kurds. What exactly is Mr. Trump a fan of, other than protecting his own economic interests in Turkey.
Apparently, Paula White, POTUS’s personal spiritual advisor has been accused by President George Bush’s Chief Ethics Lawyer of committing fraud and running a Ponzi scheme. Apparently, she is selling religious items that she claims will provide spiritual and material benefits to buyers under the “prosperity gospel” saying things like “send me money and God will make you rich”. A huckster in the White House, hard to believe.
George Conway, one of my favorites, says he is horrified over the GOP’s impeachment defense of POTUS. It seems hard for me to believe that Mr. Conway can live peacefully in his household when his wife, Kellyanne, one of POTUS’ most strident supporters. Can you imagine Sunday dinner with the two of them?
Bill Owens is a former member of Congress representing the New York 21st, a partner in Stafford Owens in Plattsburgh, NY and a Senior Advisor to Dentons to Washington, DC.
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