Virginia's Public Square
Virginia's Public Square
When asked about the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, President Donald Trump said, “The Republicans love it. Industry loves it. Our country loves it. If it’s fair, it will pass easily. It’s a great deal.”
“If you don’t graduate, you get a lot of debt and no way to pay it back. If you get a degree that no one needs, you graduate into the proverbial parents’ basement and a big financial hole. But if what you get is an in-demand degree or credential that leads to a good job and strong lifetime earnings, then the investment can pay for itself many times over,” Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Kirk Cox said during an address to GO Virginia.
With drug activity increasing inside the United States and the Mexican cartels showing no signs of abating either in their production or aptitude for violence, calls from law enforcement to apply solutions may very soon transition into a clear and present danger should policy makers fail to act, especially as an ounce of prevention provides a pound of cure.
Ever since the violent Charlottesville rally one year ago, some localities around Virginia dotted with Confederate monuments have been working to pass measures that will have the General Assembly, in a Dillon Rule state, grant localities the authority the remove state-controlled statues.
Following Democratic senators walking out of the morning vote to confirm D.C. Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Senate Judiciary Committee votes through the nominee in a highly politicized manner. The vote comes less than 24 hours after the morning-long highly emotional testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused the nominee of sexual assault over three decades ago at a house party in suburban Maryland.
Senator Jeff Flake started off before the quorum vote, saying that he’d been talking with Democrats about the motions for Judge Kavanaugh and the hearings. He referenced that he and a contingent of Democrats on the committee have been working to make sure there is “due diligence” with the confirmation process in light of the accusations. He said that he would vote to follow through with a confirmation vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee if the Senate did a one week delay, tacking on an FBI investigation.
After the 11-10 party-line vote in favor of sending the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Senate floor, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), breaking from other committee Democrats, praised Flake’s proposal, but reiterated her feelings against the nominee.
Senator Flake also added later that “this country is being ripped apart” as a result of the confirmation process that has enveloped the nation for weeks. Though, the Arizona Republican will ask the White House for a full FBI investigation on the Supreme Court nominee.
Judge Kavanaugh is finally out of the committee, but with the wrench thrown in by Senator Flake there will likely be the same dramatic atmosphere on the Senate floor before the full vote occurs and that the matter is now pending an FBI investigation. Technically, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could call a vote tomorrow without an FBI investigation, but there is a high risk that Senator Flake would vote it down with already at least one swing vote on the Republican side – causing a likely block to confirmation.
After weeks of extraordinarily emotional, dramatic, and political feelings in Washington and around the country, the Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning to finally vote to confirm D.C. Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, just three minutes into opening remarks, several Democrats walked out of the vote.
Judge Kavanaugh has faced great scrutiny from Senate Democrats and progressives across the county as protests occurred not only before the confirmation hearings began, but when they started as the first day was interrupted by chants from almost 200 Kavanaugh dissenters.
When the discussions over Roe v. Wade ended, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford entered the picture with allegations of sexual assault against the Supreme Court nominee from 36 years ago in high school in suburban Maryland. The letter written to her local Congresswoman, which was later leaked to the press, has been at the heart of the turmoil of the confirmation process.
In the weeks following, more women came forward with uncorroborated allegations, but it was Ford, a clinical psychology professor from Palo Alto, California, who appeared before the Senate to testify on Thursday. Judge Kavanaugh gave an emotional testimony just after the accuser.
“We’re ramming through this nomination process,” said many Senate Democrats, but the vote was scheduled less than 24 hours after the unprecedented testimonies.
Friday morning, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee attempted to move the vote to the afternoon. After a few minutes of aggressive back and forth chatter, a vote to delay to 1:30 was beat.
When committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) gave his opening remarks, he went into a forceful shot at Democrats saying, “I found Dr. Ford’s testimony credible…I found Mr. Kavanaugh.”
He added that after yesterday, “there’s simply no reason to deny Judge Kavanaungh a seat on the Supreme Court…based on the evidence presented to us.
Grassley also charged that the questions asked of Judge Kavanaugh on part of Democrats during yesterday’s testimony were “unequivocally and universal hostile.”
Not long after he began talking, multiple senators walked out.
Still in her seat, Senator Dianne Feintstein (D-CA) remarked, “I have never seen any nominees for any position behave in that manner,” speaking to yesterday’s testimony by Judge Kavanaugh in front of the committee. Feinstein said she was “embarrassed” by his candor when questioned by Democratic senators.
In the hall just outside the committee room, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that Republicans “bent over backward to let Mrs. Ford be heard.”
Since there are a list of other judicial nominees to vote on, a vote is still set for 1:30.
When reporters asked the Democrats that walked out if their “seat would be empty at 1:30,” most said they “do not know.”
As scrutiny is being placed of the expansion of government programs under the administration of Governor Ralph Northam, built on his predecessor Governor Terry McAuliffe, it is interesting that there aren’t entire organizations dedicated to this – especially from the Libertarians, a boisterous group itself.
Will President Trump invoke the fiery brand he’s used to campaigning on and choose to aggressively reach out to OPEC and get gas prices down?
For this year’s figures, it will will be interesting to see what effects the federal tax overhaul has on one of Virginia’s lesser-touted industries.
If Republicans cave on Judge Kavanaugh, lacking the moral fortitude to fight back, forget about losing the midterms – that’s a certainty. The repercussions of this are so much worse than losing election. If the confirmation is officially derailed, Republicans, welcome to Room 101.