Latest news with #dischargepetition
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Finally, Democrats are fighting back: How Trump-Epstein and redistricting have ignited a revolt
On Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson let the House of Representatives break for August recess one day early. Johnson had no other option because Democrats ground the chamber to a halt in an attempt to get their Republican colleagues to vote on files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) — joined by Trump-rebelling Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — had been gathering co-sponsors for their discharge petition that would allow them to circumvent leadership to release files related to the convicted sex offender and trafficker. But discharge petitions need seven legislative business days to 'ripen,' so cutting short the calendar delays the ripening. It marked a turning point for a party that's been flailing since Donald Trump won last November. For the past few months, while Democrats have opposed Trump's initiatives, they have not landed a single clean punch politically. Rather, they've mostly stayed out of the way and hoped for his unforced errors, of which there have been several. But that changed significantly this week. Democrats of all stripes in the House signed onto the discharge petition. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) represents a district that voted for Trump. But she signed onto Khanna and Massie's discharge petition and did not mince words. 'We deserve transparency and I'm pretty appalled to see parliamentary procedure used to hide pedophiles,' she told The Independent. Democrats did get some substantial wins out of it, too. Not only did the House Oversight Committee vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and associate who is serving a 20-year sentence; three Republicans crossed over in one of the subcommittees to subpoena files related to the Epstein investigation. And Democrats are not just gumming up the works on the House side. Earlier this week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), told The Independent that he hoped that the Senate would not take up the Epstein files. Unfortunately for his caucus, Democrats in the Senate decided to hijack the committee process there, too. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for legislation Cornyn wanted to pass through the committee on opioids. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) attempted to include an amendment related to Epstein. In the same token, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) tried to force a vote to disclose files related to Epstein, but Republicans blocked his efforts on the floor. It should be stated that Booker and Gallego both likely want to run for president. During the August recess, Gallego will head to Iowa, which traditionally hosts the first presidential caucus. And ever since Booker's record-breaking sort-of filibuster, he has raised prodigious amounts of money and he likely sees this as a way to boost his profile even more. But Democrats are not just drawing blood on Epstein. Earlier this month, the Texas state legislature announced it would reconvene in the middle of the decade to redraw its congressional maps in an attempt to flip more seats and grow the GOP majority. That seems to have set off something in Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Democrats should respond in kind by having California redraw their map. And it's not just liberal Newsom who supports this idea. Rep. Adam Gray, a freshman Democrat who narrowly flipped a seat Trump won, expressed openness to Newsom's proposal. 'I think what's important is that people all play by the same rules,' he told The Independent. 'And you know, I think it doesn't necessarily help either party to be toying around or trying to manipulate the rules, or change the rules, that seems to be what Texas is doing, which I think is a poor decision.' California has a unique situation because it has an independent commission that draws congressional districts. Any effort to shore up Democrats in the Golden State would need to pass legal scrutiny or change that situation. Unsurprisingly, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) put it more bluntly. 'The only way that you can deal with a bully is by socking them back, so it's time for us to sock them back,' Crockett told The Independent. 'Right now they decided to start a fight so that they could shit on the American people. The least that we could help is fight back so that we could help the American people.' But perhaps the most audacious idea came from Gallego, who suggested that Democrats dilute districts that the Voting Rights Act protected to ensure equal representation of Black voters, as a way to make more districts where Democrats could win. 'I would tell you what I would know would happen the Republicans at any point should they ever take control of the registry commission in Arizona, what absolutely do anything, do to do to screw us,' he told The Independent. Therefore, he said that Democrats should not be afraid to use the same weapons against Republicans. That might not go over well with some African-American voters, who are the most consistent voters in Democratic primaries. At the same time, in a time when Democratic voters have demanded that theys see elected officials fight, they might be more unwilling to let go of old decorum rules.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Between Trump-Epstein and redistricting, Democrats finally figured out how to fight back
On Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson let the House of Representatives break for August recess one day early. Johnson had no other option because Democrats ground the chamber to a halt in an attempt to get their Republican colleagues to vote on files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) — joined by Trump-rebelling Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — had been gathering co-sponsors for their discharge petition that would allow them to circumvent leadership to release files related to the convicted sex offender and trafficker. But discharge petitions need seven legislative business days to 'ripen,' so cutting short the calendar delays the ripening. It marked a turning point for a party that's been flailing since Donald Trump won last November. For the past few months, while Democrats have opposed Trump's initiatives, they have not landed a single clean punch politically. Rather, they've mostly stayed out of the way and hoped for his unforced errors, of which there have been several. But that changed significantly this week. Democrats of all stripes in the House signed onto the discharge petition. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) represents a district that voted for Trump. But she signed onto Khanna and Massie's discharge petition and did not mince words. 'We deserve transparency and I'm pretty appalled to see parliamentary procedure used to hide pedophiles,' she told The Independent. Democrats did get some substantial wins out of it, too. Not only did the House Oversight Committee vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and associate who is serving a 20-year sentence; three Republicans crossed over in one of the subcommittees to subpoena files related to the Epstein investigation. And Democrats are not just gumming up the works on the House side. Earlier this week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), told The Independent that he hoped that the Senate would not take up the Epstein files. Unfortunately for his caucus, Democrats in the Senate decided to hijack the committee process there, too. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for legislation Cornyn wanted to pass through the committee on opioids. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) attempted to include an amendment related to Epstein. In the same token, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) tried to force a vote to disclose files related to Epstein, but Republicans blocked his efforts on the floor. It should be stated that Booker and Gallego both likely want to run for president. During the August recess, Gallego will head to Iowa, which traditionally hosts the first presidential caucus. And ever since Booker's record-breaking sort-of filibuster, he has raised prodigious amounts of money and he likely sees this as a way to boost his profile even more. But Democrats are not just drawing blood on Epstein. Earlier this month, the Texas state legislature announced it would reconvene in the middle of the decade to redraw its congressional maps in an attempt to flip more seats and grow the GOP majority. That seems to have set off something in Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Democrats should respond in kind by having California redraw their map. And it's not just liberal Newsom who supports this idea. Rep. Adam Gray, a freshman Democrat who narrowly flipped a seat Trump won, expressed openness to Newsom's proposal. 'I think what's important is that people all play by the same rules,' he told The Independent. 'And you know, I think it doesn't necessarily help either party to be toying around or trying to manipulate the rules, or change the rules, that seems to be what Texas is doing, which I think is a poor decision.' California has a unique situation because it has an independent commission that draws congressional districts. Any effort to shore up Democrats in the Golden State would need to pass legal scrutiny or change that situation. Unsurprisingly, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) put it more bluntly. 'The only way that you can deal with a bully is by socking them back, so it's time for us to sock them back,' Crockett told The Independent. 'Right now they decided to start a fight so that they could shit on the American people. The least that we could help is fight back so that we could help the American people.' But perhaps the most audacious idea came from Gallego, who suggested that Democrats dilute districts that the Voting Rights Act protected to ensure equal representation of Black voters, as a way to make more districts where Democrats could win. 'I would tell you what I would know would happen the Republicans at any point should they ever take control of the registry commission in Arizona, what absolutely do anything, do to do to screw us,' he told The Independent. Therefore, he said that Democrats should not be afraid to use the same weapons against Republicans. That might not go over well with some African-American voters, who are the most consistent voters in Democratic primaries. At the same time, in a time when Democratic voters have demanded that theys see elected officials fight, they might be more unwilling to let go of old decorum rules.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Between Trump-Epstein and redistricting, Democrats finally figured out how to fight back
On Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson let the House of Representatives break for August recess one day early. Johnson had no other option because Democrats ground the chamber to a halt in an attempt to get their Republican colleagues to vote on files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) — joined by Trump-rebelling Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — had been gathering co-sponsors for their discharge petition that would allow them to circumvent leadership to release files related to the convicted sex offender and trafficker. But discharge petitions need seven legislative business days to 'ripen,' so cutting short the calendar delays the ripening. It marked a turning point for a party that's been flailing since Donald Trump won last November. For the past few months, while Democrats have opposed Trump's initiatives, they have not landed a single clean punch politically. Rather, they've mostly stayed out of the way and hoped for his unforced errors, of which there have been several. But that changed significantly this week. Democrats of all stripes in the House signed onto the discharge petition. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) represents a district that voted for Trump. But she signed onto Khanna and Massie's discharge petition and did not mince words. 'We deserve transparency and I'm pretty appalled to see parliamentary procedure used to hide pedophiles,' she told The Independent. Democrats did get some substantial wins out of it, too. Not only did the House Oversight Committee vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and associate who is serving a 20-year sentence; three Republicans crossed over in one of the subcommittees to subpoena files related to the Epstein investigation. And Democrats are not just gumming up the works on the House side. Earlier this week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), told The Independent that he hoped that the Senate would not take up the Epstein files. Unfortunately for his caucus, Democrats in the Senate decided to hijack the committee process there, too. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for legislation Cornyn wanted to pass through the committee on opioids. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) attempted to include an amendment related to Epstein. In the same token, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) tried to force a vote to disclose files related to Epstein, but Republicans blocked his efforts on the floor. It should be stated that Booker and Gallego both likely want to run for president. During the August recess, Gallego will head to Iowa, which traditionally hosts the first presidential caucus. And ever since Booker's record-breaking sort-of filibuster, he has raised prodigious amounts of money and he likely sees this as a way to boost his profile even more. But Democrats are not just drawing blood on Epstein. Earlier this month, the Texas state legislature announced it would reconvene in the middle of the decade to redraw its congressional maps in an attempt to flip more seats and grow the GOP majority. That seems to have set off something in Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Democrats should respond in kind by having California redraw their map. And it's not just liberal Newsom who supports this idea. Rep. Adam Gray, a freshman Democrat who narrowly flipped a seat Trump won, expressed openness to Newsom's proposal. 'I think what's important is that people all play by the same rules,' he told The Independent. 'And you know, I think it doesn't necessarily help either party to be toying around or trying to manipulate the rules, or change the rules, that seems to be what Texas is doing, which I think is a poor decision.' California has a unique situation because it has an independent commission that draws congressional districts. Any effort to shore up Democrats in the Golden State would need to pass legal scrutiny or change that situation. Unsurprisingly, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) put it more bluntly. 'The only way that you can deal with a bully is by socking them back, so it's time for us to sock them back,' Crockett told The Independent. 'Right now they decided to start a fight so that they could shit on the American people. The least that we could help is fight back so that we could help the American people.' But perhaps the most audacious idea came from Gallego, who suggested that Democrats dilute districts that the Voting Rights Act protected to ensure equal representation of Black voters, as a way to make more districts where Democrats could win. 'I would tell you what I would know would happen the Republicans at any point should they ever take control of the registry commission in Arizona, what absolutely do anything, do to do to screw us,' he told The Independent. Therefore, he said that Democrats should not be afraid to use the same weapons against Republicans. That might not go over well with some African-American voters, who are the most consistent voters in Democratic primaries. At the same time, in a time when Democratic voters have demanded that theys see elected officials fight, they might be more unwilling to let go of old decorum rules.
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Analysis: Why Republicans can't hide from their Epstein problem
A remarkable scene is playing out in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday: In an effort to avoid votes on releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Republicans are shutting it down early and heading out on a weekslong August recess. Nevermind that the Trump administration promised to release these files, and many Republicans want them to do so. The day-early dismissal is rather transparently to avoid an issue that Trump wants no part of, buy themselves some time, and maybe even hope the issue just fades away. But the issue is showing no signs of quieting, with many Trump supporters continuing to press for more transparency over Epstein and the administration taking steps – albeit limited ones – to try to quell the unrest. Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky even predicted to CNN on Tuesday that the files would ultimately come out – either the easy way or the hard way. So what are the key pressure points here in forcing the issue? Comer, in his comments to Manu Raju, pointed to the looming threat of a discharge petition. This is an effort spearheaded by fellow Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie that would force the House to vote on releasing the Epstein files if 218 members – from a majority of the 435 districts – sign on. 'The president, by September, will surely have turned over everything,' Comer predicted. 'If things haven't been turned over by then, I think the Massie resolution will pass on the floor.' Discharge petitions are rarely successful in actually forcing votes on the underlying legislation – only about 4% of the time, according to the Brookings Institution – but the mere threat of them can force leaders to cut deals and act on similar measures. Thus far, Massie's discharge petition has the support of 12 House Republicans, including him. If nearly all of the House's 212 Democrats signed on, that could be enough to get it to 218. But there's a real question about whether these Republicans would actually follow through. Discharge petitions are provocative because they undercut leadership – and in this case would undercut Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday criticized Massie for teaming with Democrats and not pushing a similar measure under the Biden administration. But he also made clear he was paying attention. 'So do I have some concern about that? I do,' Johnson said. He added: 'So let me just say about Thomas Massie: Could you just accept my Southern 'bless his heart?' OK? I don't know what else to say about it. We're for maximum transparency. We're engaging in that right now, and we don't need political games.' But these Republicans seem to be saying: We're ready to do this if you don't want to take the easy route. It's up to Johnson and Trump to try and call their bluff – to the extent it's actually a bluff. The House's move might seem like a great way to get away from the issue – to head home and let things settle. But home isn't always a great place for such things. We've seen over and over again how lawmakers departing Washington to interact with their constituents can inflame situations. The most significant recent example is the rise of the tea party starting in 2009, which really got its foothold during the August recess. Tense scenes also greeted Republicans during the first August recess of Trump's first term in 2017. Indeed, there is a long tradition of these periods serving as flashpoints, dating back decades. And just a few months ago, Republicans began urging their members not to hold town halls after some ugly scenes over the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. We also know that Democratic-leaning voters are highly motivated right now. A CNN poll released last week showed 72% of them said they were 'extremely' motivated to vote in next year's midterm election; that was much higher than Republican-leaning voters (50%) and suggested Democratic-leaning voters were even more motivated than they were at the tail end of the 2024 presidential election. That suggests they could come out in force. But it might not just be Democrats forcing the issue over the August recess. Americans overall disapprove of Trump and his administration's Epstein actions by more than 3-to-1 margins in recent polls – by far his worst issue. The Republican base is unprecedentedly unhappy with Trump's handling of this. Even pro-Trump influencers are pressing for more. And this is an issue that would seem to motivate the most vocal portions of the GOP base. It remains to be seen how many Republicans will even hold town halls or public events. But if they don't, that will also be telling. And it's not difficult to see this becoming a powder keg. While the discharge petition effort is being led by some of the more unwieldy members of the House Republican Conference, they're not the only ones pressing for more Epstein information. Others are pushing for middle-ground congressional action that could at least keep the issue alive or pushing the administration hard to relent. Comer and Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee are pressing forward with an effort in the House Oversight Committee to subpoena Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. (The Trump administration signaled Tuesday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will seek a separate interview with Maxwell.) Both Comer and Burchett suggested they're acting independently of Trump. 'I know that President Trump has said he's going to release all the information they have,' Comer said. (Trump has not, in fact, said this.) 'But we have members that want to go a little bit further, be a little more aggressive.' Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio told CNN this week that Bondi, who over-hyped the release of the Epstein files and made a series of curious statements, should be called to testify and explain herself. Democrats have suggested these kinds of things are half-measures, but they could still add fuel to the fire. Other prominent Republicans also continue to press the case, including Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. 'Release the damn files. It makes no sense to me,' Tillis said Wednesday at an Axios event, adding: 'Either the promise to release the files during the campaign was either overplayed and we got a nothingburger if the files get released, or it's something really disturbing. And that's actually even a more compelling reason to release it. 'And this nonsense – well, we've got to protect the innocent, witnesses, those sorts of things – that's called redactions. We do that all the time,' he added. Tillis' commentary reinforces that there are just no good answers here for the GOP, shy of a sizable disclosure. And the North Carolina Republican, who can speak more freely now that he's not running for reelection, also assured this was going nowhere because of that. 'If anybody thinks that this is going to go away because the House left a day early or something, this is going to be like those zombies in 'The Walking Dead,' ' Tillis said. 'Every time you think you've killed it, another one's just going to come out of the closet after you. 'This is going to be an issue all the way through next year's election.'
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Analysis: Why Republicans can't hide from their Epstein problem
A remarkable scene is playing out in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday: In an effort to avoid votes on releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Republicans are shutting it down early and heading out on a weekslong August recess. Nevermind that the Trump administration promised to release these files, and many Republicans want them to do so. The day-early dismissal is rather transparently to avoid an issue that Trump wants no part of, buy themselves some time, and maybe even hope the issue just fades away. But the issue is showing no signs of quieting, with many Trump supporters continuing to press for more transparency over Epstein and the administration taking steps – albeit limited ones – to try to quell the unrest. Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky even predicted to CNN on Tuesday that the files would ultimately come out – either the easy way or the hard way. So what are the key pressure points here in forcing the issue? Comer, in his comments to Manu Raju, pointed to the looming threat of a discharge petition. This is an effort spearheaded by fellow Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie that would force the House to vote on releasing the Epstein files if 218 members – from a majority of the 435 districts – sign on. 'The president, by September, will surely have turned over everything,' Comer predicted. 'If things haven't been turned over by then, I think the Massie resolution will pass on the floor.' Discharge petitions are rarely successful in actually forcing votes on the underlying legislation – only about 4% of the time, according to the Brookings Institution – but the mere threat of them can force leaders to cut deals and act on similar measures. Thus far, Massie's discharge petition has the support of 12 House Republicans, including him. If nearly all of the House's 212 Democrats signed on, that could be enough to get it to 218. But there's a real question about whether these Republicans would actually follow through. Discharge petitions are provocative because they undercut leadership – and in this case would undercut Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday criticized Massie for teaming with Democrats and not pushing a similar measure under the Biden administration. But he also made clear he was paying attention. 'So do I have some concern about that? I do,' Johnson said. He added: 'So let me just say about Thomas Massie: Could you just accept my Southern 'bless his heart?' OK? I don't know what else to say about it. We're for maximum transparency. We're engaging in that right now, and we don't need political games.' But these Republicans seem to be saying: We're ready to do this if you don't want to take the easy route. It's up to Johnson and Trump to try and call their bluff – to the extent it's actually a bluff. The House's move might seem like a great way to get away from the issue – to head home and let things settle. But home isn't always a great place for such things. We've seen over and over again how lawmakers departing Washington to interact with their constituents can inflame situations. The most significant recent example is the rise of the tea party starting in 2009, which really got its foothold during the August recess. Tense scenes also greeted Republicans during the first August recess of Trump's first term in 2017. Indeed, there is a long tradition of these periods serving as flashpoints, dating back decades. And just a few months ago, Republicans began urging their members not to hold town halls after some ugly scenes over the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. We also know that Democratic-leaning voters are highly motivated right now. A CNN poll released last week showed 72% of them said they were 'extremely' motivated to vote in next year's midterm election; that was much higher than Republican-leaning voters (50%) and suggested Democratic-leaning voters were even more motivated than they were at the tail end of the 2024 presidential election. That suggests they could come out in force. But it might not just be Democrats forcing the issue over the August recess. Americans overall disapprove of Trump and his administration's Epstein actions by more than 3-to-1 margins in recent polls – by far his worst issue. The Republican base is unprecedentedly unhappy with Trump's handling of this. Even pro-Trump influencers are pressing for more. And this is an issue that would seem to motivate the most vocal portions of the GOP base. It remains to be seen how many Republicans will even hold town halls or public events. But if they don't, that will also be telling. And it's not difficult to see this becoming a powder keg. While the discharge petition effort is being led by some of the more unwieldy members of the House Republican Conference, they're not the only ones pressing for more Epstein information. Others are pushing for middle-ground congressional action that could at least keep the issue alive or pushing the administration hard to relent. Comer and Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee are pressing forward with an effort in the House Oversight Committee to subpoena Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. (The Trump administration signaled Tuesday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will seek a separate interview with Maxwell.) Both Comer and Burchett suggested they're acting independently of Trump. 'I know that President Trump has said he's going to release all the information they have,' Comer said. (Trump has not, in fact, said this.) 'But we have members that want to go a little bit further, be a little more aggressive.' Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio told CNN this week that Bondi, who over-hyped the release of the Epstein files and made a series of curious statements, should be called to testify and explain herself. Democrats have suggested these kinds of things are half-measures, but they could still add fuel to the fire. Other prominent Republicans also continue to press the case, including Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. 'Release the damn files. It makes no sense to me,' Tillis said Wednesday at an Axios event, adding: 'Either the promise to release the files during the campaign was either overplayed and we got a nothingburger if the files get released, or it's something really disturbing. And that's actually even a more compelling reason to release it. 'And this nonsense – well, we've got to protect the innocent, witnesses, those sorts of things – that's called redactions. We do that all the time,' he added. Tillis' commentary reinforces that there are just no good answers here for the GOP, shy of a sizable disclosure. And the North Carolina Republican, who can speak more freely now that he's not running for reelection, also assured this was going nowhere because of that. 'If anybody thinks that this is going to go away because the House left a day early or something, this is going to be like those zombies in 'The Walking Dead,' ' Tillis said. 'Every time you think you've killed it, another one's just going to come out of the closet after you. 'This is going to be an issue all the way through next year's election.'
