Mediaboss Marketing

Two House Republicans endorsed a Democratic effort on Friday calling on the House and Senate committees with oversight of the Internal Revenue Service to request copies of President Trumps tax returns.

Reps. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) signed a letter urging the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee to ask for copies of Trump's tax documents from the last decade.

The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and signed by most of the 193-member House Democratic Caucus. It argues that letting members of Congress see whats in Trumps tax returns would clear up any questions about whether his business ties offer conflicts of interest.

Disclosure would serve the public interest of clarifying President Trump's conflicts of interest in office, the potential for him to personally benefit from tax reform, and ensure that he is not receiving any preferential treatment from the IRS, the letter states.

We believe the powerful and respected Committees on Finance and Ways and Means have the responsibility to ensure oversight of the executive branch by requesting a review of President Trump's tax returns and moving toward a formal release of these documents to the public.

Earlier this week, Pascrell forced a House vote on a resolution requesting the last ten years of President Trumps tax returns. It failed on a party-line vote, but Sanford and Jones both voted present.

Sanford has called for Trump to release his tax returns, including in a New York Times op-ed last year.

Pascrells resolution specifically would have directed the House to request Trumps tax returns and have the House Ways and Means Committee review them in a closed session. The panel would then vote to send the information contained in the returns to the full House.

The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees, along with the Joint Committee on Taxation, have the power to request individual tax returns from the Treasury Department.

But the chairmen of those committees have dismissed the idea.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin HatchOrrin HatchTwo Republicans sign on to effort demanding Trumps tax returns Senate panel approves pick for Medicaid and Medicare chief Democrats vow that GOP will take more Trump votes MORE (R-Utah) rejected a request from Democrats to ask for copies of the presidents tax returns.

And House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin BradyKevin BradySenate Dem: Border-adjustment proposal would be a 'gut punch' for working families Two Republicans sign on to effort demanding Trumps tax returns GOP takes heat for ObamaCare secrecy MORE (R-Texas) has cited privacy concerns in explaining why he wouldnt set a precedent of requesting Trumps tax returns.

"My belief is that if Congress begins to use its powers to rummage around in the tax returns of a president, what prevents Congress from doing the same to average Americans," Brady told reporters last month.

See original here:
Two Republicans sign on to effort demanding Trump's tax returns - The Hill

New York Times

Against Protests, Republicans Must Stand Strong New York Times Those are the exact words I told my fellow Republicans in the State Legislature in 2010, after we made big promises on the campaign trail. It was time to govern, and we did just that by taking on public-sector unions that had too much control over the ...

Read the original post:
Against Protests, Republicans Must Stand Strong - New York Times

Obamacare Got Their Goat: An Illustrated Guide to Republicans ... New York Times Health care legislation is complicated. And efforts to sum it up in a vivid, memorable phrase can result in images that verge on the surreal. and more »

Read the original post:
Obamacare Got Their Goat: An Illustrated Guide to Republicans ... - New York Times

Andy Colwell, Special to The Denver Post

In February 2013, in the wake of a mass shooting atan Aurora movie theater in my district, the Colorado legislature debated and then passed several measures to promote gun safety in our state. It was one of the most controversial and divisive periods in our states political history.

As a mother living with the memory of a son gunned down along with his fianc by killers connected to a gang, I carried some of the bills we passed that year.

We debated that legislation in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation. Threats of rape and violence against myself, my daughter and my granddaughters took place in an environment of hysteria and paranoia engineered by the gun industry and their political enablers. I received numerous death threats, was stalked by mentally unstable individuals and for a time was under protection by the Colorado State Patrol because of specific and heinous threats on my life.

With my life in danger, attending one town hall was deemed too risky by those protecting me.

Last week I was reminded of that traumatic period while watching many Republican members of Congress not only actively hide from their constituents, but insult and demean the people for whom they were elected to work to excuse their unavailability. In Colorado, we watched Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner use elaborate strategies to dodge constituents concerned and upset about the fundamental impacts on their lives that will come from his votes. Even worse, Gardner had the audacity to dehumanize, without evidence, his own constituents by labeling them paid protesters.

We deserve better. When a congressman like Colorados Mike Coffman isnt fleeing out back doors and into waiting cars to avoid vocal senior citizens, he and his Republican colleagues around the country attempt to justify their own frailty in the face of their constituents by saying their voices dont deserve to be heard.

I did my job despite unbalanced individuals threatening me and my family with rape, pain and death. Republicans in the U.S. Congress are simply being asked to listen to the voices of those they serve. It shouldnt have to take a profile in courage to look a cancer patient in the eye and hear what she has to say it only takes a little bit of compassion and an ounce of respect.

The real threat to these Republicans is not the violence of extremists, but the mere sound of the honest voices of regular, hard-working Americans. These politicians simply dont want to hear about the daily reality of struggling citizens who shouldnt have to sacrifice their health and economic security on the altar of right-wing ideology. That is why they turn to these pathetic conspiracy theories about paid protesters. We also witnessed the self-pitying victimhood of politicians like Sen. Marco Rubio andCongressman Jason Chaffetz the latter even describing his own constituents as bullies for daring to stand up and speak truth to power.

It is disgraceful. It is simply cowardly to say that the pain and despair of the people they work for are not really authentic and do not deserve to be heard. It is also a cynical strategy meant to rob citizens of their voices.

We cease to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people when the Republican majority in Washington, who now have great power over our futures, will not listen to or respect the voices of those of us who will have to bear in our day-to-day lives the consequences of their political agenda. At the barest minimum, at least have the courage to listen to those who stand to die for its sake.

Sen. Rhonda Fields, a Democrat, represents District 29 inthe Colorado Senate.

To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.

Original post:
Republicans' cowardly failure to face their constituents - The Denver Post

Congratulation, Montana GOP! Once again we are the subject of national news as we look like idiots to the rest of the world.

Do you suppose that people wonder about the sanity of a Republican House representative and a Republican Senate member proposing a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election for state representative to save the counties $750,000, only to have Jeff Essmann, GOP chair, say no dice because more people might vote? Do we need a sanity test, Republicans?

Let me see if I understand this. The clerks of every county begged their representatives in Helena to find a way to keep the counties from spending money that they don't have. Two sane people came up with a bill to save our bacon and yet Essmann is so frightened about the current atmosphere and the anger of the citizens of this state that he is bullying the sane members of his party to dump a bipartisan bill.

If you thought we were angry and outspoken before, try pulling this bull puckie. Our country is in peril. When will the patriots of this state stand up and put country before party and stop this insane action? Shame on you, Essmann! Shame on the Republican Party for raising taxes on seniors to try to keep your party in a power position, if they allow this bully to toss this bill.

Read more:
Republicans may need sanity test - The Missoulian