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The New Deal is often held up as the zenith of Democratic success in the United Statesand for good reason. With bottom-up pressure from a rapidly growing and increasingly militant labor movement, the programs that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed under the New Deal banner instituted some of the largest changes to working-class Americans material conditions in the countrys history. And those changes were incredibly popular, with many of the programs, such as Social Security, still counted among the most popular governmental programs in the nation.

In Kentucky, New Deal programs were particularly successful, with $650 million (adjusted for inflation, thats over $13 billion in todays currency) spent on projects in the commonwealth alone, according to George T. Blakely in his 1986 book Hard Times and New Deal in Kentucky 1929- 1939. As Blakely explains, Kentuckys members of Congress were almost universally supportive of Roosevelts plans, and most regular Kentuckians embraced many of the New Deal programs without reservations.

Kentuckians received better answers from the federal government than from their traditional self-reliance and state leaders, Blakely writes. In the 1932 presidential election, which was seen as a bellwether for Roosevelts New Deal policies, 67% of all Kentuckians voted, far exceeding the national average participation rate and doubling the rate of many other Southern states. Roosevelt won overwhelmingly.

Unsurprisingly, trying to flank Republicans from the right has been an unsuccessful tactic in Kentuckyand most of the South. [Amy] McGrath lost by almost 19% after running a campaign that cost a whopping $94 million.

This kind of political engagement seems impossible to imagine today in a state like Kentucky, which ranked 44th in citizen public engagement prior to the 2020 election, and whose two current senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, are among the most devoted curtailers of the role of the federal government. Paul, in particular, is driven by a libertarian philosophy and has argued for the end of many of the programs established during the New Deal.

Because of the electorates strong support for Republicans, Kentucky is often written off in Democratic circles as a deep red state. The mainstream Democratic tactic for running candidates in Kentucky and other such red states has frequently been to pick the most right-wing candidate possible in the hopes of appealing to more moderate Republicans. This has led to a litany of disastrous campaigns by candidates such as Amy McGrath, who challenged McConnell in his last election as a self-proclaimed a Trump Democrat. Unsurprisingly, trying to flank Republicans from the right has been an unsuccessful tactic in Kentuckyand most of the South. McGrath lost by almost 19% after running a campaign that cost a whopping $94 million.

Charles Booker, a former Kentucky state representative and the current front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the race to challenge Pauls Senate seat, is not trying to appeal to the right. In fact, he has made the cornerstone of his campaign a broad set of progressive policy initiatives that he calls a Kentucky New Deal.

We are trying to tell a story with the Kentucky New Deal, trying to help folks to remember the promise and the opportunity that was the New Deal [which created] these long-term investments in regular folks, Booker told TRNN. Theres also this understanding that, in a lot of ways, the promise of a New Deal, which was really about ending poverty, has been undermined for years by politicians like Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, who are really looking to screw us every chance they get and sell us out to the highest bidder.

While Democratic politicians have invoked the New Deal for decades when running for office, and the Green New Deal has been an essential rallying cause in progressive organizing in the past five years, Booker is specifically focusing on the poverty-relieving aspects of the New Deal as a cornerstone of his campaign. But Booker has lived a very different life than most candidates running in Kentucky, and his understanding of the issues reflect that.

I come from the struggle, growing up in the West End [of Louisville] and living especially in the Russell neighborhood where, for years, 40203 was the poorest ZIP code in Kentucky, and rationing my insulin as a Type 1 diabetic, Booker said. Ive been homeless, [Ive had] my lights and water cut off on my mom and I when I was little.

[I]n a lot of ways, the promise of a New Deal, which was really about ending poverty, has been undermined for years by politicians like Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, who are really looking to screw us every chance they get and sell us out to the highest bidder.

Candidates from LouisvilleKentuckys largest cityhave often had difficulty connecting with more rural communities, and Booker, a Black man from Louisville, could be seen as an outsider in many parts of the state. But Bookers campaign slogan, from the Hood to the Holler, connects the struggles of working-class people in his own West Louisville community with the struggles of working-class people in Appalachia and all over Kentucky. Booker believes that the forces uniting people in the state are far greater and stronger than those that divide themand that, together, they can build a stronger Kentucky.

Hood to the Holler is like a rallying cry, a declaration from people who are tired of being divided and driven apart, Booker said.

Booker draws on his work at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife as an indicator of his ability to bridge this divide: As an agency, as a department, Fish and Wildlife is more than a jobits a way of life, its culture, its heritage, its the beauty of our Commonwealth. Its also like 99% white, Booker said. And by me being in every room I was in, I was typically the only Black person, [but I was] able to share my story and hear stories to find those common bonds.

Booker believes that the desire for better treatment of working people is shared by Kentuckians across the state, and that this is evident even in the most Republican of counties: A lot of the folks who voted for Trump, especially in Appalachia, voted for Bernie Sanders, so theres this through line that isnt partisan. Folks are looking for someone to fight for them, he said.

A lot of the folks who voted for Trump, especially in Appalachia, voted for Bernie Sanders, so theres this through line that isnt partisan. Folks are looking for someone to fight for them.

Sanders fight for Medicare for All is one that Booker has enlisted in. Having quality, readily available healthcare, Booker argues, is a poverty alleviation issue that can unite people all over the state

The West End of Louisville has more in common with Appalachia than it does the rest of Louisville, in a lot of ways, Booker said. He points to the news that Norton Healthcare has agreed to build a hospital in the West Enda new facility that, according to the Courier Journal, will be the first hospital built west of Ninth Street since 1845as proof of this connection, because people in rural areas know all too well what it means to lack access to hospitals and quality healthcare.

Poverty alleviation efforts were the focus of much New Deal legislation. By 1939, 57,000 Kentucky seniors were receiving Social Security benefits, which almost ended extreme poverty among the elderly in Kentucky. More than 90,000 Kentucky families received food assistance during the height of the New Deal, and 8 million articles of clothing were provided to Kentucky families, a move that made it possible for many children throughout Appalachia to attend school for the first time. The New Deal also saw the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act Amendments, which standardized the 40-hour work week, banned child labor, and set a federal minimum wage, bringing relief to thousands of working Kentuckians.

Paul has gone on the record expressing his desire to repeal many of the protections set forth in the New Deal and is openly opposed to raising the minimum wage to $15, an amount that Booker already thinks is too low: We absolutely need a living wage. We know thats over $20, so certainly raising the minimum wage is the lowest bar. That shouldnt be a partisan statement at all because, at this point, we know poverty is a policy choice, he said.

However, Booker goes farther than the usual Democratic call for raising the minimum wage and supports the establishment of a universal basic income (UBI), creating a minimum income floor for all Americans.

By 1939, 57,000 Kentucky seniors were receiving Social Security benefits, which almost ended extreme poverty among the elderly in Kentucky. More than 90,000 Kentucky families received food assistance during the height of the New Deal, and 8 million articles of clothing were provided to Kentucky families, a move that made it possible for many children throughout Appalachia to attend school for the first time.

The reason [I support UBI] is I believe in giving Kentuckians, giving Americans, the ability to make decisions in their lives, the opportunity to put food on the table and keep the lights on, even if your job leaves, he said. As a human being, your value is not just your job.

Jobs programs in Kentucky were an essential part of the original New Deal. Adult work programs through the Works Progress Administration employed thousands of Kentuckians in various infrastructure projects. These programs ran the gamut from hiring high school students to work in forestation and fire control, to providing the first funding for Mammoth Cave employees, to establishing a packhorse library program that reached the most isolated areas in Appalachia. People were employed to paint more than 25,000 murals on Kentucky buildings, and there were even programs developed to employ people to interview former enslaved people in the commonwealth and to collect regional recipes.

In the programs proposed in the Green New Deal, Booker thinks there is a great opportunity to create the kind of jobs for Kentuckians that the New Deal created almost a century ago: Theres an opportunity here, if you look at the mines, the land that has been extracted and exploited a climate corp in Kentucky that can focus on all this remediation and infrastructure needs would create jobs there, he said.

Booker also sees cannabis legalization as a key to bringing jobs to Kentucky. Legalization could be a boon to Kentuckys economy similar to the end of prohibition in 1933, when more than 35,000 workers were allowed to return to the distilleries that had been shuttered. Kentuckys land is uniquely suitable for the growing of cannabis, and Kentucky already has the most illicit cannabis plants per capita in the nation.

We need to legalize, we need to expunge records, we need to commute sentences, we need to make targeted investments in communities that have been preyed upon by the war on drugs, Booker said. Kentucky is well poised to lead the nation and create booming industries for a lot of communities this is an opportunity we shouldnt pass up.

In addition to adding many new jobs, the New Deal in Kentucky also saw an incredible increase in organized labor, particularly in coal country. Thousands of miners joined the United Mine Workersa historic milestone after the bloody battles that had been fought in the Kentucky coal fields, culminating in Bloody Harlan in 1931. The passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) under Roosevelt made it possible for more workers to organize and made many of the union-busting actions of the bosses illegal.

The reason [I support UBI] is I believe in giving Kentuckians, giving Americans, the ability to make decisions in their lives, the opportunity to put food on the table and keep the lights on, even if your job leaves.

Booker, who supported striking workers at the Blackjewel mine in Harlan, believes that a similar revitalization of the labor movement is necessary for Kentucky now. He strongly supports the Protecting the Right to Organize (or PRO) Act, which aims to repair the NLRA, make it easier for workers to unionize, and implement substantive penalties for union-busting employers.

To me, the path towards a better future requires strong organized labor, strong labor unions, so that people can have gainful employment and be protected, he said.

In addition to providing a sturdier base for the organization of labor unions, the New Deal also cracked down on many of the excesses in the financial industry that led to the Great Depression. The Glass-Steagall Act, which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), eliminated the worry of regular Kentuckians that their banks would fail, an occurrence so regular in the early 1930s that over 50% of Kentuckys industries shuttered due to these failures. Booker sees a need to revive these kinds of regulations on the financial industry in the Too Big To Fail era.

I really appreciate Senator Elizabeth Warrens focus on the banks, really stressing the need to break up the big banks and the idea of a 21st-century Glass-Steagall that will make sure we are not allowing for the concentrated exploitation of regular folks who are trying to survive, Booker said.

To me, the path towards a better future requires strong organized labor, strong labor unions, so that people can have gainful employment and be protected.

New Deal programs in Kentucky were also instrumental to changing the face of public space in the commonwealth. During the Roosevelt administration, through New Deal programs, schools were built in 81 counties throughout the state, 19 new airports and airfields were constructed, and 14,000 miles of roads were added, along with 73,000 bridges, viaducts, and culverts, and more than 900 other public buildings. In addition, the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the building of the Kentucky Dam brought electricity, as a public utility, to all of rural Kentucky.

Booker supports the passage of President Bidens Build Back Better Act, which he thinks would bring needed infrastructure improvements to Kentuckys failing roads and bridges. He also supports expanding public transportation and rail to areas of the state that are currently difficult to access, and treating broadband internet as a public utility.

One thing Ive noticed over my years of working across Kentucky is how isolated a lot of communities are. Theres a need for more investment in public transportation, including rail a need for interstate access so communities arent just completely isolated, Booker said.

Bookers agenda contains more expressly progressive programs than that of any major statewide candidate in at least 25 years. His explicit focus on the needs of working-class people, and his refusal to downplay the benefits that federal government programs have provided to Kentuckians, is a departure from most mainstream Southern Democratsand his strategy is considered risky by moderate pundits. On top of that, he already faces a steep uphill climb to bring his Kentucky New Deal to voters. According to the last fundraising report, Paul has outraised Booker nearly 6-1 and is currently leading at the polls by a 55-39% margin. There are also numerous Super PACs that have organized to oppose Booker in the upcoming election.

However, Bookers campaign has over 15,000 volunteers statewide and has been working to practice relational organizing, a strategy that relies more on in-person contacts, deep conversations, and storytelling to forge meaningful connections with potential voters. Such a strategy is a deviation from the big money national organizing strategies that candidates like McGrath have employedMcGrath pumped millions of dollars into her campaign, which garnered much national attention, but ultimately failed to connect with people on the ground.

If Booker wins the primary, he will force [Rand] Paul to at least justify many of the anti-government positions that he has heldpositions that are oftentimes deeply unpopular when polled without mentioning party affiliation.

We are really shining a light on how you can invert what is typically considered the model for campaigns, and we are prioritizing organizing, we are prioritizing investing in communities that Democrats have given up on and Republicans exploit, Booker said. We are using a lot of storytelling and personal community building to do that, and its tried and truehow you build community is person to person.

If Booker wins the primary, he will force Paul to at least justify many of the anti-government positions that he has heldpositions that are oftentimes deeply unpopular when polled without mentioning party affiliation. Pushing issues of poverty elimination and the needs of everyday working Kentuckians to the forefront of the story could help make this a very different campaign season, and may shift the Overton window of what is considered politically possible in the state of Kentucky.

It really is the spirit of what I am pushing not only in this campaign, but in my lifes work as a Kentuckian: for us to end poverty in Kentucky and in this country, and to make sure everyone can win a gainful life, even if youre from the hood, or from the hollers, or anywhere in between, Booker said.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, The Real News does not oppose or endorse candidates for political office.

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The New Deal changed Kentucky forever, Charles Booker wants to revitalize it - The Real News Network

After nearly two decades, passage of a National Provider Identifier remains elusive.

Since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed and signed in 1996, a National Provider Identifier and many of the laws transactions and code set standards have been successfully implemented, and now have been in use for years. However, efforts to implement another type of identifier found in the act, a National Patient Identifier, have continued to be frustrated by Congress blocking any funding from being put towards it.

For the last two and half decades, Section 510 of the Department of Labor/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill has constituted a longstanding ban prohibiting the use of federal funds in developing this patient identifier. However, for the better half of a year now, it was looking like the ban might finally be over, as the Houses version and Senates draft version of this years bill saw the section removed. Additionally, removal saw support from both sides of the aisle in Congress.

In spite of this, when Congress passed the final version of the Labor/HHS bill, Section 510 remained fully intact, ensuring that the debate will continue between those who believe the ban is outdated and those who think it is needed to protect patient privacy.

Section 510 was initially introduced in 1998 by former Congressman Ron Paul. Continuing the family tradition, his son, Senator and Doctor Rand Paul, remains passionate about prohibiting the development of any National Patient Identifier.

Citing doctor-patient trust and privacy, Sen. Paul worries both about security breaches and having intimate personal information centralized by the government. In a 2021 letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Paul expressed his worry about a cradle-to-grave tracking system for private medical history of Americans, and recent attacks by hackers and cyber-terrorists.

Although Paul has not yet again filed his National Patient Identifier Repeal Act after it failed to move forward in 2019, his continued advocacy has proved to be an effective factor in the repeated renewal of Section 510.

In contrast, many healthcare and health IT groups believe that developing a National Patient Identifier is a keyway to innovate the healthcare industry and prevent potentially deadly misidentification and medical errors. While many among these groups acknowledge that Section 510 perhaps made sense back in the day of paper medical records, they believe that in the digital era, the only purpose it serves is to hinder both patient safety and progress in the healthcare industry.

Advocates say that the need for a national strategy on identifying patients has never been stronger than in times of COVID. They spoke to issues reported during the pandemic with COVID test results and vaccine records being matched to the wrong patient, hindering both public health efforts to combat the pandemic, as well as individual health outcomes for the patients involved, who might not have fully accurate medical records going forward.

Outside of the pandemic, a previous Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) study found that seven out of every 100 patient records are mismatched, and within healthcare entities, the error rate is typically close to 20 percent. That number dramatically increases when looking at healthcare entities that exchange information with each other.

Advocates believe that this disproportionately affects underserved and minority populations, as they are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses that can lead to delayed treatment if their information is matched to the wrong patient. Advocates also suggest that this decreases potential innovation in healthcare by increasing administrative burdens and costs to the system.

Despite several signs seen in the last few months that it might finally be the patient identifiers time to shine, the Section 510 ban remains in place for now. There is little indication, however, that either side intends to give up the fight, so expect to see the debate continue into the foreseeable future.

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As Healthcare Officials Watch, Ban on NPI Funding Continues for Another Year - RACmonitor

By Lorie Hailey

(Editors note: The March issue ofThe Lane Report features our semi-annual list of the Top Women in Business. At lanereport.com, were shining the spotlight on one of the honorees each day. Day 9: Aubrey Vaughan Travis, executive director of the Rubicon Institute.)

Our occasional feature, Top Women in Business, highlights some of the women in and around Kentucky who are making an impact in business, the professions, politics and economic development. The feature recognizes women in key roles whose work ethic and body of work are making important contributions to commerceand lifein Kentucky.

Top Women in Business has grown to become one of The Lane Reports most popular features. Over the years, weve profiled nearly 115 women who shatter stereotypes, encourage other businesswomen and help their Kentucky companies reach new heights. The women featured in this issue are no exception. From president of the Kentucky Hospital Association to executive director of the Rubicon Institute, and the founder of Jeptha Creed Distillery to regional president of PNC bank and others, these women are forging their own paths, proving that hard work, perseverance and creativity pay off.

Aubrey Vaughan Travis is executive director of the Rubicon Institute, which pursues policy reforms to end waste on behalf of Rubicon, a digital marketplace for waste and recycling and provider of innovative software-based sustainability solutions to businesses and governments.

Title/company: Executive director of the Rubicon Institute. Rubicon is a software company that provides smart waste and recycling solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Rubicon Institute is a brand-new project of the company dedicated to advancing innovative policy solutions that support ending waste. Rubicons global operations are based in Lexington, the home of its founder and CEO, Nate Morris.

Previous jobs/positions: General counsel for U.S. Senator Rand Paul; executive advisor for Gov. Matt Bevin in the Public Protection Cabinet; Kentucky state director for Right on Crime; finance committee manager for Rand Paul for President.

Education: B.A. in political science with a minor in studio art from Wake Forest University (2012) and juris doctor from University of Kentucky College of Law (2015).

Top accomplishment: My proudest accomplishment is the president signing into law two pieces of legislation I drafted in Sen. Pauls office.

Volunteer work: I love to volunteer with my church, Christ the King. One of my favorite events is their annual Oktoberfest celebration.

The person(s) who most influenced or mentored me: My parents, so many wonderful teachers and professors, great mentors in all of my jobsgenerally, people who pushed me outside my comfort zone to always be creative and curious, and to learn and grow.

My advice to younger women in business: I am a big advocate of the one-page resume and saving the details for your interview or LinkedIn. Also, apply to jobs that you want even if you dont meet all of the qualifications. You can miss out on so much if you dont put yourself out there.

Something I learned during the pandemic: Life skillI became a mom in 2020. New hobbyI learned how to brew kombucha.

Something I love doing: I love doing ink and watercolor art, especially for my friends weddingstheir signature drink signs, wedding maps, and envelope calligraphy. I also love trying new restaurants and exploring the outdoors in Kentucky.

When I was a child, I wanted to be: I have always wanted to be involved in politics, and I am so grateful to have worked in campaigns, the federal government, state government and think tanks throughout my career.

Im inspired/driven by: Always trying to leave the world better than I found it, even if it just means a small compliment or word of thanks to someone.

Where I do my best thinking: I have always loved working out of coffee shops, especially local onesthe caffeine and constant background noise help keep me going.

In the next five to 10 years, I hope to accomplish: Our goal with the Rubicon Institute is to make Rubicon the premier thought leader in waste policy, beginning with four main issue areas: space waste, waste as a national security issue, rural waste, and urban waste. Each area presents unique challenges in waste reduction, but our objective is to implement innovative policy and thinking to improve sustainable outcomes over the coming years.

Day 1: Kay Geiger of PNC

Day 2: Nancy Galvagni of the Kentucky Hospital Association

Day 3: Jeanne Schroer of Catalytic Development Funding Corp.

Day 4: Joyce Nethery of Jeptha Creed

Day 5: Carri Chandler of St. Elizabeth Foundation

Day 6: Nicole Yates of Passport Health Plan

Day 7: Meredith Moody of Buffalo Trace

Click herefor more Kentucky business news.

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Top Women in Business Spotlight: Aubrey Vaughan Travis of Rubicon - The Lane Report

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FIRST ON FOX: Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Dan Bishop of North Carolina, as well as Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance, spoke about the consequences of record-high inflation and NATO weaknesses during the "Up from Chaos" conference hosted by American Moment, a conservative nonprofit, and The American Conservative magazine.

The Republicans expressed their constituents' concerns about paying higher prices in the grocery store and in the gas pump, as well as President Biden's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO's purpose three decades after the end of the Cold War.

"My constituents are feeling the maleffects of inflation. The price of food and the price of fuel is going up. Its permanent. Its not going to go back down, and Im worried that its going to get worse," Massie told Fox News Digital in an interview at the conference Thursday.

"Im worried that Joe Biden may try to push through this Democratic congress another stimulus package or COVID packages, and Americans cant afford another one of those COVID packages."

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., at the "Up from Chaos" conference hosted by the American Moment nonprofit and The American Conservative magazine. (Fox News Digital)

Vance, the Senate candidate from Ohio and author of "Hillbilly Elegy," similarly told Fox News Digital that inflation is one issue he hears "most about on the campaign trail."

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES

"Inflation is very bad. Its one of the things I hear most about on the campaign trail. The way that I think about it is: youve got a lot of grandparents in Ohio, who, like my grandparents, took care of me. Theyre taking care of grandkids they werent expecting to take care of because the opioid problem is raging in Ohio, theyre living on a fixed income, and now, inflation is making it harder for them to put food on the table for their grandkids," he said.

"And that, at the end of the day middle-class people in Ohio are finding it harder to pay for basic things, and that is a huge, huge tragedy. And unfortunately, its one of those things thats forced by very bad policy from the Biden administration."

Vance also suggested that President Biden's $5.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2023 which would raise taxes by $2.5 trillion, largely be borne by Wall Street and the top sliver of U.S. households would make inflation worse.

Republican Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance at the "Up from Chaos" conference hosted by the American Moment nonprofit and The American Conservative magazine. (Fox News Digital)

"One of the reasons we have an inflation problem is because were spending money that we dont have," he said. "And so, if you say were not going to tax middle-class people, but then you propose a budget that causes inflation to go up by 10%, well, you are taxing middle-class people. Youre just doing it through inflation."

Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., said that while the "American people are greatly sympathetic to the people of Ukraine," their "lives are being turned upside-down by crisis after crisis," including the border crisis and inflation.

WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER PRESSED ON BUDGET PLEDGE: IS INFLATION NOT A TAX ON FAMILIES?

"[G]as prices are $4 or $5 in some places and likely to get up into $6, $7, $8. We are crippling American energy production. Just terrible decisions on every front, and the American people are ready to make a change," he said.

Wednesday's conference featured speeches from several Republican members of Congress, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as well as panelists from various Washington, D.C., publications and think tanks, centered around American security as it relates to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speakers and panelists discussed a wide range of subjects from U.S. sanctions against Russia; the mainstream media's reaction to Russia's invasion; U.S. border security; and the purpose of NATO after the Cold War.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at the "Up from Chaos" conference hosted by the American Moment nonprofit and The American Conservative magazine. (Fox News)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental, military-political alliance between the United States, Canada and a number of European countries. NATO was founded after World War II in 1949 in an effort to protect NATO countries against threats from Russia then the Soviet Union.

Ukraine is not part of NATO, which plays no formal role in Russia's war with Ukraine, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has called on NATO officials to enact a no-fly zone over his country to stop Russian missile attacks. Most NATO officials have thus far denied those requests, citing concerns of a third world war against Russia.

END UKRAINE SLAUGHTER AND STAND UP TO RUSSIA, AMERICANS TELL BIDEN IN NEW POLL

Some panelists argued that NATO is not serving its purpose to defend the West from Russian aggression and has instead provoked Russia as NATO allies expand further East.

"I dont want to suggest that NATO is weak or should be weak or that we should abandon it in any way. But the way for it to be strengthened is for Europe to know that defending the integrity of Europe is primarily a European responsibility," Bishop told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., at the "Up from Chaos" conference hosted by the American Moment nonprofit and The American Conservative magazine. (Fox News Digital)

Bishop and Vance pointed to former President Trump's demands that NATO countries commit to putting 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) toward NATO defense.

"One way in which [Trump] really affected American thinking was about the NATO alliance and what should happen to it. The NATO alliance is very important to Western security, but Europe needs to be responsible financially for itself and, frankly, ought to be a very leading force in NATO rather than be dependent upon the United States," Bishop said.

Vance said that while the United States is "still a global power," but that could change if the government keeps "making very bad decisions, especially here at home."

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"Part of being a global power is having a safe and strong country at home. Right now, we dont have either, and so, eventually that global power starts to fade," he said. "I think about Donald Trump, who went to NATO and said, If you guys want to have an effective alliance, you need to keep your end of the bargain, versus Bidensometimes is babying NATO into weakness. If its going to be an alliance, the allies have to keep their end of the bargain."

Massie argued that the United States "should immediately reverse our policy of expanding NATO to every country that we can."

"Even if NATO were relevant and had a place in a post-Cold War era, it wouldnt make sense to include smaller countries that really dont benefit us in a mutual defense agreement," he said.

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Republicans discuss impact of rising inflation, NATO weaknesses at American security conference - Fox News

By Chan Kung*

Politicians in Europe are now waiting for Ukraines popularity to wane, so that they can get back to how things were in the past. Their current reluctant support for Ukraine is after all, a result of mass pressure. In the United States, Senator Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, expressed concern that the bill to halt normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus has not been introduced. Although President Joe Biden has just visited new European countries, it remains to be seen how much role can the enthusiasm for Ukraine play in American politics and in the Democratic Partys election.

For this reason, Senator Mike Crapo, the ranking Republican on the panel, said to CNN that, I wish we had been able to move last week. But as you know, in the Senate, we have to get unanimous consent or spend a week or more on a filibuster battle. Weve been working really hard to get it put together and weve been making some progress. And my hope is that well be able to move soon.

What he was saying was that President Biden has previously proposed suspending normal trade relations with Russia and banning imports of seafood, vodka and diamonds from Russia to increase economic pressure on it for invading Ukraine. The move however, requires approval from Congress. The House passed the bill on March 17, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an emotional appeal in a virtual address to Congress. Now the legislation has moved to the Senate, which requires consent of all 100 senators. If there is any objection, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer might take time consuming procedural steps to overcome it, assuming he gets 60 votes. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul objected to a quick vote, and demanded changes to the bills sanctions language, worrying that it would be too broad and could be potentially abused by the U.S. government. Nonetheless, Schumer refused to take more time to overcome this objection.

In political language, these twists and turns are attempted negotiations to reach consensus, but as for now nothing has been produced.

The problems in the U.S. may be a little more complicated than this, but in any case its enthusiasm in Ukraine is cooling down, and people are increasingly considering about real issues. With more considerations, there is less room for real actions. In the end, the support for Ukraine will become perfunctory, and any act taken would be constrained by the bureaucracy. The zeal for Ukraine cannot be underestimated, as it is related to a series of adjustments such as political bottom line, principles, and resources. How Ukraine responds to this is related to information warfare. Time factor is crucial in any form of passion; the longer the time, the lower the enthusiasm will become.

I think Ukraine now needs more new materials to sustain such enthusiasm. Unless Zelenskyy and his team can do this, the zeal of various countries for Ukraine will gradually dwindle. We will hear more impatient voices from the governments, the Congress, the refugees and from elsewhere. Such is the reality for information warfare. Ukraine can choose to wait for everything to pass, but of course the condition for this would be that it could still hold on. Russia too, may opt for this strategy to deal with information warfare.

The test for Zelenskyy and his PR team has come.

*Chan Kung, Founder of ANBOUND Think Tank (established in 1993), Mr. Chan Kung is one of Chinas renowned experts in information analysis. Most of Chan Kungs outstanding academic research activities are in economic information analysis, particularly in the area of public policy.

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Ukraine In The Predicament Of Information Warfare OpEd - Eurasia Review