Latest news with #MittRomney
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Don't be fooled, Idaho. GOP's working-class rebranding is nonsense
In the last decade or so, the Republican Party has attempted to rebrand itself. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan campaigned on cutting taxes, especially on the rich, and balancing the budget by slashing entitlements. It was time for the makers to get their due, and for the takers to get put in their place. This proved to be a horribly unpopular platform, which sent President Barack Obama back for a second term. Now the party has been taken over by President Donald Trump, who all but banished Romney and Ryan from the party and claimed he would set a course of reviving American manufacturing jobs. Trump picked 'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance as his vice president, proof that he was embracing a departure from the GOP's old embrace of the rich, in favor of a white working class that had been culturally marginalized — Vance's Yale law degree notwithstanding. 'The image of the Republicans as the party of the Scrooge-like CEO, the basis of Obama's 2012 campaign against Mitt Romney, has been defanged by Trump, the self-styled billionaire who benefited from a rigged system and convinced his voters that only he could un-rig it on their behalf,' Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini wrote in 2023. How's the unrigging going? Don't trust what people — especially politicians — say. Believe what they do. As a recent report from the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy makes clear, the sum of the last five years of a steady rightward shift in the Idaho Legislature has been massive tax cuts benefiting mainly the rich, coupled with waning support for programs that help the poor and middle class. Middle-class Idaho families have been left out. If the Legislature doesn't act before the end of next legislative session, taxes will rise on many Idaho families with children. Those families who make between about $56,00 and $146,000 will see their taxes rise, as the 2018 child tax credit will sunset at the end of this year. The end result, the report notes, will be that middle-class Idaho families wind up with a net tax increase. So too will the very poorest Idahoans. Refusing the obvious, and wildly popular, option of eliminating the sales tax on groceries, lawmakers opted to increase the grocery tax credit. One consequence of this decision is that there will be no benefit for people who don't file income taxes, overwhelmingly very poor people. They continue to pay the full sales tax on food, with no access to the tax credit. Meanwhile, owners of physical gold bricks and coins will pay no capital gains tax on those assets — a specialized giveaway contained in House Bill 40, which also slashed income taxes for the richest people in Idaho. It will be a good year for Scrooge McDuck. Not so much for Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. In the Idaho GOP's rebuilt tax code, if you are poor — if your family has to survive on less than $31,000 per year — you can expect to pay more than 9% of your income in state taxes. But if your family makes more than $738,000, you'll pay about 6%. These are the policy changes Idaho lawmakers passed as they first tried to end Medicaid expansion, and when that was blocked in the Senate, sought to implement work requirements that, if approved by the feds, are expected to result in tens of thousands of working Idahoans losing their health insurance — because it's one thing to work, but another thing to repeatedly file all the paperwork to prove to a bureaucracy that you work. This is a precise mirror of federal policy under unified Republican control of government. Idaho's delegation has unanimously supported extending massive tax cuts that disproportionately help the rich, exploding the federal debt and, at the same time, ensuring that there will be more hungry children by cutting food aid and more people dying from lack of healthcare by slashing Medicaid. The GOP has shown you what the core priority is: Soak the poor. The current incarnation of the Republican Party has not transfigured itself into the party of the working class. Neither is it the party of fiscal responsibility. It is the party that transfers wealth from the poor to the rich. Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesman's editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Greg Lanting, Terri Schorzman and Garry Wenske.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mitt Romney, Gov. Cox, other Utah leaders post messages after Biden cancer diagnosis
Several former and current Utah political leaders posted messages to former President Joe Biden after he announced he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. According to a statement released by Biden's office, 'Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.' Former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who left the Senate at the end of 2024, offered prayers to the former president, who he worked closely with during his time in office. 'Thinking of President Biden and his family. Ann and I send our prayers for healing,' he said in a social media post. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also expressed his best wishes to Biden. 'Cancer sucks. My family and I will be joining Americans everywhere in praying for President Biden's continued health and recovery,' he said on X. Utah Sen. Mike Lee wrote, 'Sad news — President Biden has cancer,' above a post on X announcing the news. Utah Sen. John Curtis wished the former president a 'full recovery.' 'I'm wishing President Biden strength and a full recovery as he begins his fight against cancer. This is a difficult diagnosis for anyone, and I join many Americans in hoping for healing and peace in the days ahead,' he said in a social media post. President Donald Trump also responded to the news, writing, 'Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis vows to be independent voice as he breaks with Trump over key issues
In a Republican Party dominated by President Donald Trump, Sen. John Curtis, who was elected to fill retired Sen. Mitt Romney's seat last year, thinks it's still possible – and essential – to be an independent thinker, and isn't afraid to break with the president over key issues. 'I really think the best way to make President Trump successful is to let him know when we disagree,' the Utah Republican told CNN's Manu Raju on 'Inside Politics Sunday.' In a wide-ranging interview, Curtis praised Trump on certain issues, including border policy, but warned about the potential negative impacts of tariffs on small businesses and expressed concern over Trump's plan to accept a Qatari jet. Curtis also said he believes the president would need to come to Congress if the administration wants to suspend habeas corpus, a legal procedure that allows people to challenge their detention in court. 'We serve the president best when we act and function more like a board of directors,' he said, asking, 'you wouldn't want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right?' The senator's predecessor found himself a target of scathing attacks from Trump after voting to convict the president in both of his impeachment trials. But Curtis, who didn't back Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, isn't worried about the consequences of breaking with the leader of his party, who has often threatened Republican critics with primaries. 'That's a stereotype,' Curtis said, explaining that he believes Trump actually has 'respect' for people who confront him in 'the right way, the right time, the right place.' 'If I send out a mean, nasty tweet, of course, that's not received well, but if I have a thoughtful conversation with the administration about how I see something, I hope and trust that he actually values that as somebody who wants to help him,' he said. Curtis isn't concerned about blowback from base voters either, not hesitating to tout his double-digit lead over his three rivals in Utah's 2024 GOP Senate primary, including Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party. 'People in Utah want the president to be successful,' he said of the state that elected Trump to a second term by more than 20 points. 'I want the president to be wildly successful, and so it becomes a question of how do we help him be successful,' he said, adding, 'from time to time, not often, that means we're going to disagree.' In his maiden Senate floor speech this month, Curtis emphasized the merits of being 'wildly honest' in Washington. 'The odds of Congress delivering real results for the American people go up dramatically when we start telling each other the truth, not just behind closed doors, but out in the open,' he said. The freshman senator said he's already exhibited some of that 'wild' honesty with the Trump administration, telling the president's Cabinet nominees, all of whom he ultimately voted for, 'if we're not careful, we'll destroy small businesses with tariffs.' As Trump and his top advisers cobble together trade deals in the wake of global backlash to his sweeping tariff policies, Curtis said he understands the president is playing 'the long game' on the world stage, but warned of the impacts at home. 'We have to be very, very careful with our small businesses,' he said. Other areas where Curtis disagrees with Trump and his closest allies range from environmental issues to the value of highlighting diversity to the war in Ukraine. 'I think I've been very clear on where I feel about Ukraine and President Zelensky,' he said, adding '(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not our friend.' As Trump tests the limits of executive power, Curtis said he thinks the president should consult with Congress first before potentially suspending habeas corpus. He insisted that he would consider the move, which CNN has reported Trump has recently talked about, 'incredibly carefully.' 'Make a case to me, but I will tell you, as I judge that case, I'm going to be thinking in my mind: what if this is a Democrat president coming after something that I think is important,' he said. On another headline-making issue – Trump's plans for his administration to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One – Curtis would only speak for himself. 'I will just tell you, in my experience as an elected official, I have found it is best to avoid even the very appearance of being in a bad place,' he said. Though Curtis believes Congress has 'abdicated' some responsibilities, including managing the federal deficit, he's wary of the dramatic spending slashes shepherded by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. 'We need to cut,' he acknowledged, later adding, 'that doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion. That doesn't mean when we're letting a federal employee go that we shouldn't be thoughtful about perhaps that's the worst day of their life.' He also recommended a compassionate approach to his colleagues on Capitol Hill as they weigh how to advance Trump's sweeping tax promises without ballooning the deficit. 'We could do this without taking away critical benefits for those most in need, but if we don't make hard decisions, we're going to be making more drastic cuts in the future, and I don't want to do that,' he said. Curtis said he thinks GOP lawmakers will end up in a 'good place' with Trump's agenda, but he's among the chorus of Republicans calling for changes, urging caution about how the bill rolls back Biden-era clean energy tax credits. 'The honesty is we need clean, affordable, reliable energy,' he said, explaining that some provisions of former President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act are 'actually Republican priorities' when it comes to harnessing new forms of energy. The Utah Republican, who previously represented the youngest congressional district in the country, said he knows how much protecting the environment matters to young voters, implying that should be an asset to his party, not a hindrance. 'Republicans are far better on this than we're willing to admit,' he said.
CNN
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis vows to be independent voice as he breaks with Trump over key issues
In a Republican Party dominated by President Donald Trump, Sen. John Curtis, who was elected to fill retired Sen. Mitt Romney's seat last year, thinks it's still possible – and essential – to be an independent thinker, and isn't afraid to break with the president over key issues. 'I really think the best way to make President Trump successful is to let him know when we disagree,' the Utah Republican told CNN's Manu Raju on 'Inside Politics Sunday.' In a wide-ranging interview, Curtis praised Trump on certain issues, including border policy, but warned about the potential negative impacts of tariffs on small businesses and expressed concern over Trump's plan to accept a Qatari jet. Curtis also said he believes the president would need to come to Congress if the administration wants to suspend habeas corpus, a legal procedure that allows people to challenge their detention in court. 'We serve the president best when we act and function more like a board of directors,' he said, asking, 'you wouldn't want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right?' The senator's predecessor found himself a target of scathing attacks from Trump after voting to convict the president in both of his impeachment trials. But Curtis, who didn't back Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, isn't worried about the consequences of breaking with the leader of his party, who has often threatened Republican critics with primaries. 'That's a stereotype,' Curtis said, explaining that he believes Trump actually has 'respect' for people who confront him in 'the right way, the right time, the right place.' 'If I send out a mean, nasty tweet, of course, that's not received well, but if I have a thoughtful conversation with the administration about how I see something, I hope and trust that he actually values that as somebody who wants to help him,' he said. Curtis isn't concerned about blowback from base voters either, not hesitating to tout his double-digit lead over his three rivals in Utah's 2024 GOP Senate primary, including Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party. 'People in Utah want the president to be successful,' he said of the state that elected Trump to a second term by more than 20 points. 'I want the president to be wildly successful, and so it becomes a question of how do we help him be successful,' he said, adding, 'from time to time, not often, that means we're going to disagree.' In his maiden Senate floor speech this month, Curtis emphasized the merits of being 'wildly honest' in Washington. 'The odds of Congress delivering real results for the American people go up dramatically when we start telling each other the truth, not just behind closed doors, but out in the open,' he said. The freshman senator said he's already exhibited some of that 'wild' honesty with the Trump administration, telling the president's Cabinet nominees, all of whom he ultimately voted for, 'if we're not careful, we'll destroy small businesses with tariffs.' As Trump and his top advisers cobble together trade deals in the wake of global backlash to his sweeping tariff policies, Curtis said he understands the president is playing 'the long game' on the world stage, but warned of the impacts at home. 'We have to be very, very careful with our small businesses,' he said. Other areas where Curtis disagrees with Trump and his closest allies range from environmental issues to the value of highlighting diversity to the war in Ukraine. 'I think I've been very clear on where I feel about Ukraine and President Zelensky,' he said, adding '(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not our friend.' As Trump tests the limits of executive power, Curtis said he thinks the president should consult with Congress first before potentially suspending habeas corpus. He insisted that he would consider the move, which CNN has reported Trump has recently talked about, 'incredibly carefully.' 'Make a case to me, but I will tell you, as I judge that case, I'm going to be thinking in my mind: what if this is a Democrat president coming after something that I think is important,' he said. On another headline-making issue – Trump's plans for his administration to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One – Curtis would only speak for himself. 'I will just tell you, in my experience as an elected official, I have found it is best to avoid even the very appearance of being in a bad place,' he said. Though Curtis believes Congress has 'abdicated' some responsibilities, including managing the federal deficit, he's wary of the dramatic spending slashes shepherded by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. 'We need to cut,' he acknowledged, later adding, 'that doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion. That doesn't mean when we're letting a federal employee go that we shouldn't be thoughtful about perhaps that's the worst day of their life.' He also recommended a compassionate approach to his colleagues on Capitol Hill as they weigh how to advance Trump's sweeping tax promises without ballooning the deficit. 'We could do this without taking away critical benefits for those most in need, but if we don't make hard decisions, we're going to be making more drastic cuts in the future, and I don't want to do that,' he said. Curtis said he thinks GOP lawmakers will end up in a 'good place' with Trump's agenda, but he's among the chorus of Republicans calling for changes, urging caution about how the bill rolls back Biden-era clean energy tax credits. 'The honesty is we need clean, affordable, reliable energy,' he said, explaining that some provisions of former President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act are 'actually Republican priorities' when it comes to harnessing new forms of energy. The Utah Republican, who previously represented the youngest congressional district in the country, said he knows how much protecting the environment matters to young voters, implying that should be an asset to his party, not a hindrance. 'Republicans are far better on this than we're willing to admit,' he said.
CNN
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis vows to be independent voice as he breaks with Trump over key issues
In a Republican Party dominated by President Donald Trump, Sen. John Curtis, who was elected to fill retired Sen. Mitt Romney's seat last year, thinks it's still possible – and essential – to be an independent thinker, and isn't afraid to break with the president over key issues. 'I really think the best way to make President Trump successful is to let him know when we disagree,' the Utah Republican told CNN's Manu Raju on 'Inside Politics Sunday.' In a wide-ranging interview, Curtis praised Trump on certain issues, including border policy, but warned about the potential negative impacts of tariffs on small businesses and expressed concern over Trump's plan to accept a Qatari jet. Curtis also said he believes the president would need to come to Congress if the administration wants to suspend habeas corpus, a legal procedure that allows people to challenge their detention in court. 'We serve the president best when we act and function more like a board of directors,' he said, asking, 'you wouldn't want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right?' The senator's predecessor found himself a target of scathing attacks from Trump after voting to convict the president in both of his impeachment trials. But Curtis, who didn't back Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, isn't worried about the consequences of breaking with the leader of his party, who has often threatened Republican critics with primaries. 'That's a stereotype,' Curtis said, explaining that he believes Trump actually has 'respect' for people who confront him in 'the right way, the right time, the right place.' 'If I send out a mean, nasty tweet, of course, that's not received well, but if I have a thoughtful conversation with the administration about how I see something, I hope and trust that he actually values that as somebody who wants to help him,' he said. Curtis isn't concerned about blowback from base voters either, not hesitating to tout his double-digit lead over his three rivals in Utah's 2024 GOP Senate primary, including Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party. 'People in Utah want the president to be successful,' he said of the state that elected Trump to a second term by more than 20 points. 'I want the president to be wildly successful, and so it becomes a question of how do we help him be successful,' he said, adding, 'from time to time, not often, that means we're going to disagree.' In his maiden Senate floor speech this month, Curtis emphasized the merits of being 'wildly honest' in Washington. 'The odds of Congress delivering real results for the American people go up dramatically when we start telling each other the truth, not just behind closed doors, but out in the open,' he said. The freshman senator said he's already exhibited some of that 'wild' honesty with the Trump administration, telling the president's Cabinet nominees, all of whom he ultimately voted for, 'if we're not careful, we'll destroy small businesses with tariffs.' As Trump and his top advisers cobble together trade deals in the wake of global backlash to his sweeping tariff policies, Curtis said he understands the president is playing 'the long game' on the world stage, but warned of the impacts at home. 'We have to be very, very careful with our small businesses,' he said. Other areas where Curtis disagrees with Trump and his closest allies range from environmental issues to the value of highlighting diversity to the war in Ukraine. 'I think I've been very clear on where I feel about Ukraine and President Zelensky,' he said, adding '(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is not our friend.' As Trump tests the limits of executive power, Curtis said he thinks the president should consult with Congress first before potentially suspending habeas corpus. He insisted that he would consider the move, which CNN has reported Trump has recently talked about, 'incredibly carefully.' 'Make a case to me, but I will tell you, as I judge that case, I'm going to be thinking in my mind: what if this is a Democrat president coming after something that I think is important,' he said. On another headline-making issue – Trump's plans for his administration to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One – Curtis would only speak for himself. 'I will just tell you, in my experience as an elected official, I have found it is best to avoid even the very appearance of being in a bad place,' he said. Though Curtis believes Congress has 'abdicated' some responsibilities, including managing the federal deficit, he's wary of the dramatic spending slashes shepherded by Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. 'We need to cut,' he acknowledged, later adding, 'that doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion. That doesn't mean when we're letting a federal employee go that we shouldn't be thoughtful about perhaps that's the worst day of their life.' He also recommended a compassionate approach to his colleagues on Capitol Hill as they weigh how to advance Trump's sweeping tax promises without ballooning the deficit. 'We could do this without taking away critical benefits for those most in need, but if we don't make hard decisions, we're going to be making more drastic cuts in the future, and I don't want to do that,' he said. Curtis said he thinks GOP lawmakers will end up in a 'good place' with Trump's agenda, but he's among the chorus of Republicans calling for changes, urging caution about how the bill rolls back Biden-era clean energy tax credits. 'The honesty is we need clean, affordable, reliable energy,' he said, explaining that some provisions of former President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act are 'actually Republican priorities' when it comes to harnessing new forms of energy. The Utah Republican, who previously represented the youngest congressional district in the country, said he knows how much protecting the environment matters to young voters, implying that should be an asset to his party, not a hindrance. 'Republicans are far better on this than we're willing to admit,' he said.
