New York Times | Democratic Member to Quit Election Commission, Setting Up ... New York Times Ann M. Ravel has said she will cut short her term on the Federal Election Commission because of continued gridlock between the panel's three Democrats and ... Departing the Federal Election Commission Medium |
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Erin Kelly, Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY Published 11:48 a.m. ET Feb. 15, 2017 | Updated 7:01 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2017
While introducing bipartisan legislation that would give Congress the ability to review any changes to sanctions on Russia, House Democrats spoke out against alleged ties between the Trump administration and Russia. (Feb. 15) AP
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer meets with reporters on Capitol Hill on Feb. 14, 2017.(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
Democrats in Congress raced to every open microphone Wednesdayto demand a broad and independent investigation of Russian ties to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the president's handling of information about his subordinates' contacts with Russia.
Democratic leaders said National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his pre-inauguration telephone calls with the Russian ambassador and news reports indicatingadditional contacts between Trump's camp and Russian intelligence agents have raised a spate of new questions requiringan independent probe.
"Every White House press briefing and early morning tweet seemingly introduces new inconsistencies and contradictions that demand a full accounting," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "Every report that suggests deeper ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government needs to be followed up on and verified."
Read more:
White House under siege over probe into Russian contacts with Trump campaign
Plenty of unanswered questions about Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia
Donald Trump's ties to Russia go back 30 years
Senate Democrats convened an "emergency" meeting of their caucus on Wednesday to discuss their strategy for advancing investigations.
Immediately following that meeting, Schumer said Democrats had agreed on three principles to guide investigations:
"I've been in Congress for a long time; I've never seen anything like this," Schumer told reporters. "These reports and revelations should not pit the two parties against one another. They should unite the parties in pursuit of the full truth. We are Americans before we are Democrats or Republicans. Nothing less than our system of checks and balances, democratic institutions, the rule of law and our national security is at stake."
A group of 11 Democratic senators, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, called for the appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate Flynn's contacts with Russia.
"An independent investigation is now necessary to determine what General Flynn did, who knew about it, and when,"the senators wrote in a Wednesday letter to Sessions. "To maintain the confidence, credibility and impartiality of the Department of Justice, we urge you to immediately appoint an independent Special Counsel to investigate collusion with the Russian government by General Flynn and other Trump campaign, transition, and Administrative officials."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks with reporters on Feb. 8, 2017.(Photo: Michael Reynolds, European Pressphoto Agency)
In a rare bipartisan approach to the issue, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the senior Democrat on the panel, wrote a joint letter to Sessions and to FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday requesting a Justice Department briefing and documents about the events that led to Flynn's resignation.
Specifically, the two senators are seeking details of Flynns reported communications with Russian officials, the Justice Departments response, and potential leaks of classified material. They asked for a briefing for committee members during the week of Feb. 27.
"We request that individuals with specific knowledge of these issues from both the FBI and Justice Department brief committee members and staff," the senators wrote. "We similarly request copies of the transcripts of Mr. Flynn's intercepted calls and the FBI report summarizing the intercepted calls referenced in the media. We anticipate that some of these documents may be classified, some may not, and others may contain both classified and unclassified information."
Feinsteinsaid she is satisfied for now that the investigation can be handled by the Judiciary and Intelligence committees.
I think we just need to move forward very aggressively," she said.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a member of the Intelligence Committee, said he supports any and all investigations into the matter. The Intelligence Committee is "thick and heavy" into its own investigation, he said, and he hopes the panel will call Flynn, Manafortand othersto testify in public sessions if possible.
"Lets bring them all in, Manchin said. Were very much concerned about being as public as we can up to the secure level."
Manchin said the panel's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is on board with conducting the probe "in the most open light that we can."
Read more:
The first 100 days of the Trump presidency
Trump, Russia and Flynn: A timeline of key events
Who's who with Trump and Russia? A look at the key players
Most Republicans on Tuesday said they supported investigating Flynn's contacts with Russia, but they suggested it could be handled by the House and Senate intelligence committees, whichare already probing Russian attempts to interfere in the election last year.
But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told ABC News on Wednesday, If there are contacts between Trump officials and Russian intelligence operatives during the campaign, we need a joint select committee in Congress to get to the bottom of it and also look at Trump's business ties to Russia if it is true.
Graham said there should be a preliminary investigation first to make sure there is credibility to the allegations of repeated contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence operatives. If they are credible, Graham said, a joint select committee would be the best way to investigate.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Congress needed to find a non-hysterical but sobering way to get to the bottom of the allegations.
He said the constant dribble of damaging news about Trump and Russia was interfering with Congress ability to focus on urgent policy matters.
Its obviously disruptive to governing, Corker said. We need to figure out way to better handle this and I dont know what the answer is.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn. arrives on Capitol Hill on Feb. 9, 2017, for the committee's hearing about the future of U.S. relations with Russia.(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
He said the Senate Intelligence Committee probe might be the best way for that to happen and expressed concern that an independent probe would simply drag the process out.
The last independent probe was a 2 year process, Corker said, referring to the commission created to probe the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Im not sure thats what the American people would sign up for."
Intelligence agencies announced last year that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic Party email accountsin an attempt to undermine the presidential election.
Top House Democrats sent a letter Wednesday to White House Counsel Donald McGahn asking a series of questions about his office's review of Flynn's contacts withRussian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The White House has indicated that Trump was alerted several weeks ago that Flynn had not accurately described the content of those calls, yet Flynn continued to serve while the counsel's office reviewed whether he had broken any laws by discussing U.S. sanctions with Kislyak.
The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday adopted a non-binding list of oversight activities for the year, saying the committee will continue to conduct oversight into allegations of misconduct by executive branch officials including any evidence that classified material had been leaked. The Republican majority on the committee rejected Democratic efforts to specifically promise an investigation of Flynn, but did agree that the committee can investigate any allegations of improper interference with American institutions or elections.
In a press conference Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Flynn was "a wonderful man" who had been mistreated by "criminal" leaks from intelligence agencies.
Contributing: Paul Singer, Herb Jackson and Nicole Gaudiano
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Democrats press for Trump-Russia probes on all fronts
Guy Cecil 5:05 a.m. ET Feb. 15, 2017
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in November.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
In the months since President Trump's victory, Democrats have been debating whether we must focus onourparty's demographically diverse base or redirect our attention tothe white, working-class voters whodefected in historic numbers to Donald Trump.
This is a false choice. To be successful in 2017, 2018 and beyond, Democrats need to persuade and motivate all of these voters. And there is early evidence that the twogroups share enough concerns about their economic futures and the risks of the Trump presidency that Democrats can forge a unifying message and reassemble a winning electoral coalition..
Over the last month, Priorities USA commissioned an extended survey of two key categories of voters whose behavior was decisive in the 2016 election. The first was "swing" voters specifically, Trump supporters who had previously voted for Barack Obama at least once. The second group consisted of traditional Democratic voters,largelyAfrican Americans and Millennials,who simply failed to show up this time.
As might be expected, the latter group of voters was most surprised by Trumps victory and most vocal in its fear about what Trumps presidency will bring. But the swing voter group had serious concerns, too. Fully half of these voters said that they voted for Trump with reservations. Of these soft Trump supporters, only 35% have confidence he will be a good president.
The basis for concern among these two sets of voters was strikingly similar. Both groups said they are worried that Trumps temperament will get us into a war. Both are very concerned that he might make cuts to important government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
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Most importantly, both groups are concerned that a Trump-Republican agenda may end up favoring the wealthy, rather than people like them.
These voters swing voters and turnout targets alike are deeply concerned about their economic situation. They cite, for instance, how their income is falling behind the cost of living. As they continue to struggle, they have serious questions about whether the establishment, including the Democratic Party, will do anything to improve their lives.
But these voters are still not convinced Trump will make good on his promises to prioritize the working and middle class. They fear Trump and the Republicans will put the interests of wealthy Americans and corporate executives first. Soft Obama-Trump voters even raised concerns about the proposed tax on imports that would raise the costs of products that Americans buy.
All of this leaves an opening for Democrats to re-establish themselves as the party of the working and middle class. To capitalize on this, Democrats should work to position themselves against the agenda Republicans in Congress are set to advance. This means fighting to protect Medicare and Social Security from privatization efforts, and fighting for tax reform that prioritizes the middle class, rather than the wealthiest.
Democrats should also lean into infrastructure investmentand paid leave for new parents. Both groups of voters we analyzed named these as among the policies they most want to see enacted. Both were Trump campaign promises, so spotlighting Republican inaction on these issues presents another opportunity to show how Trump is betraying these voters.
Nor shouldDemocrats shy away from talking about the Republican bind on the Affordable Care Act. Repealing the law with no replacement at the ready is a real concern. Ensuring all Americans have access to affordable insurance is a top priority of these voters, and nearly half (46%) of Obama-Trump voters with mixed feelings say repealing Obamacare without a replacement in place is a major concern about Trump.
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POLICING THE USA:Alook atrace, justice, media
Of course, identifying a message that resonates with these voters is only part of our challenge. We must also have the discipline and commit the resources to wage sustained persuasion and turnout efforts that reach voters where they live. That is harder than ever in a digital age, whenmore and more of these swing voters rely on social media for their news and can curate their feeds in ways that create an echo-chamber effect. We must find ways to break through these information filters.
Ultimately, our politics should be about addition and inclusion. We can'ttreat voters as a series of demographic boxes to check three months before the next election.
In 2017 and 2018, Democrats face an electoral map ofchallenges in red-state Senate contestslikeNorth Dakota, Missouri and Indiana, as well as enormous opportunities in gubernatorial and state legislative races. We must be fully committedto comprehensive campaigns that reach out to working and middle class families, whether they are traditional swing voters or part of the Democratic base. Our success depends on both groups. And more important, the heart and soul of our party requires both.
Guy Cecil is chairman ofPriorities USA.
You can readdiverse opinions from ourBoard of Contributorsand other writers ontheOpinion front page,on Twitter@USATOpinionand in our dailyOpinion newsletter.To submit a letter, comment or column, check oursubmission guidelines.
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Democrats have a viable path forward: Guy Cecil
A growing number of Democrats are openly questioning President Trumps mental health.
Rep. Earl BlumenauerEarl BlumenauerDemocrats raise questions about Trumps mental health Dem launches panel to review presidential removal procedures 40 House Dems to urge Trump to suspend Flynn MORE (D-Ore.) in a floor speech this week called for a review of the Constitution's procedures for removing a president. He warned the 25th Amendment of the Constitution falls short when it comes to mental or emotional fitness for office.
Sen. Al FrankenAl FrankenAT&T, Time Warner defend deal The Hill's 12:30 Report FCC chair responds to Franken's net neutrality concerns MORE (D-Minn.) during a weekend interview with CNNs State of the Union said that a few Republican colleagues have expressed concern to him about Trump's mental health.
And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) plans to introduce legislation that would require the presence of a psychiatrist or psychologist in the White House.
Blumenauer told The Hill he started taking another look at the 25th Amendment because Trump had casually repeated easily disproven claims, such as stating that it wasnt raining during his speech on Inauguration Day when it was.
Its not normal behavior. I dont know anybody in a position of responsibility that doesnt know if theyre being rained on. And nobody I work with serially offers up verifiably false statements on an ongoing basis, he said in an interview steps from the House chamber.
But suggesting the president has a mental health problem invites criticism that Democrats are going too far.
Its divisive. The bottom line is, if Trump doesnt succeed, we all fail. Its time to give the guy a chance, said Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.).
Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) both burst out laughing when told some Democratic colleagues were questioning Trumps mental health.
Are you serious? Hunter asked. Yeah, I dont care what they say.
I think thats a stretch, Simpson said.
The White House didnt return a request for comment.
Trump and his supporters promoted conspiracy theories during the presidential campaign about Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonConway criticized by president of alma mater Buttigieg endorsed by ex-treasurer in DNC race Jerry Springer: Trumps media attacks go too far MOREs health, proving that both parties will take shots when it comes to an opponents physical and mental health.
But mental health professionals say the politicization comes at a cost. Political actors suggesting an opponent has psychological problems risks stigmatizing people with actual mental illnesses, they say.
I think the politicization is troubling, said Joshua Miller, a psychologist at the University of Georgia whose research focuses on pathological personality traits and personality disorders. We certainly wouldnt want individuals to use mental illness as a weapon to harm others.
The American Psychiatric Association has long held its unethical for psychiatrists to give professional opinions about public figures they havent personally examined.
Yet in a sign of the polarized times, thousands of mental health professionals have signed a Change.org petition declaring Trump is mentally ill and must be removed.
Thirty-five psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers also signed a letter to The New York Times saying that the grave emotional instability indicated by Mr. Trumps speech and actions makes him incapable of serving safely as president.
Lieu argued it's justifiable to scrutinize the mental health of anyone in control of the nation's nuclear codes.
I think it is a legitimate issue to raise. I am not a mental health professional, so I dont know in terms of any sort of medical expertise on this. But I do see and hear the same things that other people see and hear, and a lot of people have concluded that whats going on is not normal. So what do I do with that as a member of Congress? he told The Hill.
Anyone who can launch 4,000 nuclear weapons in minutes absolutely should be questioned on any matter related to their physical and mental health.
Blumenauer is starting a working group, which he says at least a half-dozen colleagues have expressed interest in joining, to review the presidential removal procedures.
He also plans to introduce legislation that would empower former presidents and vice presidents to determine, in coordination with the sitting vice president, if the president is unfit for office.
The 25th Amendment currently says a majority of Cabinet members must make that decision with the vice president, which Blumenauer says isnt enough if a mentally unsound president simply fires them all.
Asked if its appropriate for members of Congress to question the presidents mental health, Blumenauer replied: All Ive said is that this is strange behavior. Its not normal in the circles I run in. And it raises questions. People can make their own diagnosis. Im not.
Simpson, the Republican congressman who initially laughed off the Democrats remarks, said its fair to question Trumps judgment.
Now, to question his judgment, thats a different story, Simpson said. The behavior is somewhat disturbing."
He also said Trumps false statements could end up hurting him at some point.
The concern I have how do I say this and still be respectful? Every presidency, no matter who it is, theres going to come a point in the presidency where youre going to have to go to the American people and get their support for something, he said.
If this continues much longer, hes going to lose the ability to rally those people.
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San Diego Rep. Scott Peters has held town halls for years. The reality?It was common for the Democratsstaff to outnumber the constituents who showed up.
Since Donald Trump won the White House and took office a month ago, Peters says thousands of people have asked to meet with him, many of them asking, What can I do?
The 700 seats available at a how to get involved workshop hes hosting this weekwith fellow San Diego Democrat Rep. Susan Davis were claimed in two days and they say people are pushing them to hold another.
They just want direction. People are hungry for places to go and ways to be helpful, Davis said. Theres this element where people think someday their grandchild will say to them, where were you when all this was happening in the country?
For the Democrats in California's congressional delegation, thisweeklongPresidents Day recess reflects both anew opportunity and a dilemma: Can the surge of anger and activism in Democratic California be harnessed to win moreelections?
In a state where 6 in 10 voters picked Hillary Clinton, many of them are looking for a way to resist the new Republican administration and Democratic leaders are looking for a way to turn the blue state even deeper blue. Nationally,theyretargeting 61 Republican districts, includingseven California districtswhere voters electeda Republican to the House but picked Hillary Clinton for president.
Some of the districts targeted by Democrats have seen the biggest outpouring of activists. Protesters have appeared repeatedly outside the offices of Reps. Mimi Walters, Dana Rohrabacher, Darrell Issa, Duncan Hunter and others, asking for in-person town halls.
If they can harness the protest energy, there could be some parallels between the lefts resistance movement and the tea party wave that swept Republicans into power after Barack Obama took office. Democrats need to pick up24 seats nationwide to take back the House in 2018.
Peters said getting there will require being disciplined enough to turn the current protests and meetings into longer-term momentum.
We have to point it in the right direction, not at each other, Peters said. "Elections have consequences and theres elections all over the country in two years.
California Democrats have planned more than 25 town halls or meetingsin the next few weeks, according to a list curated by the progressive Town Hall Project 2018. Despite activists repeated protests and petitions,only one Republican Rep. Tom McClintock has scheduled any in the near future. (McClintock, who was escorted out of Roseville town hall by police earlier this month, is planningtwo more town halls this week.)
Across the country, progressive activist groups are forming under a variety of names, including Resistance, Indivisible and Huddles, to try to direct the progressive energy embodied in town hall efforts, and a few members of the California delegation are jumping in to help.
Ethics rules bar members of Congress and their staffs from using federal funds to encourage constituents to grass-roots lobby, so some eventsareorganized and paid for by their reelection campaigns.
Noisy town hall protests show how the left is trying out tea party tactics
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) said 950 people RSVPed for her town hall in San Francisco last Saturday, an event that would normally draw200 people at most.
They feel that democracy is about to implode in front of their eyes and they desperately want something done, Speier said. The argument that we dont have a majority doesnt cut it for them. They werent satisfied [hearing] I dont have any control over that.
Shes planning to have her campaign rent space and direct herdissatisfied constituents toward activist groups they can work with.
In a town hall meeting I cant direct them to do anything politically, Speier said.
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) plannedtwo organizing meetings this weekend with activists in her district. She expectedat least 100 people to show up. Then shell hold a town hall funded by her congressional office on Wednesday.
There is the awareness that 2018 is where people need to be focusing, Bass said. Protesting without a goal of changing something, I think, makes you feel good,but we need to channel it into taking back the House.
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Read more about the 55 members of California's delegation at latimes.com/politics
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California's Democrats are trying to harness a new wave of progressive energy - Los Angeles Times