Archive for the ‘Republicans’ Category

Based On A Theory About Global Warming, Republicans Are Risking Their Majority – Forbes


Forbes
Based On A Theory About Global Warming, Republicans Are Risking Their Majority
Forbes
If the Republican Party has an economic policy brand, it's historically been one defined by tax cuts. At least in modern times. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, and modern thinkers like Steve Forbes and Larry Kudlow, the Republican Party is known ...

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Based On A Theory About Global Warming, Republicans Are Risking Their Majority - Forbes

Republicans used to fear Russians. Here’s what they think now. – Washington Post

By Dina Smeltz By Dina Smeltz February 16 at 6:00 AM

For decades, the Republican Party has been more hawkish toward Russia than Democrats. Thats changed with President Trumps election. Even everyday Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia, according to several opinion polls.

In fact, on the issue of Russia cyber-meddling in the U.S. elections, Republican public opinion more closely resembles public opinion in Russia than overall opinion in the United States.

Heres an example. On Feb. 5, Trump spoke with Fox News host Bill OReilly. After the president reiterated his respect for Putin, OReilly interjected, Hes a killer, though. Putins a killer. To which Trump responded, What do you think, our countrys so innocent?

[Why back-channels with Russia cost Michael Flynn his job]

This softer line on Russia is out of step not only with GOP elites, but also with overall American views.

Americans remain largely unfavorable toward Putin and Russia.

Thats beentrue since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. A Jan. 20-25 Quinnipiac University survey found that only 9 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Vladimir Putin, while 70 percent are unfavorable. And a Dec. 16-18 Chicago Council Survey (CCS) shows that American attitudes toward Russia have fallen to new lows after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia hacked into the emails of both the DNC and the RNC.

[How low can Donald Trumps approval rating go?]

Even well before Michael Flynns resignation as national security adviser and revelations that Trumps campaign aides were in contact with Russian intelligence officers, a majority of Americans disapproved of the way Trump has responded to the issue of Russian hacking (54 percent disapprove, 35 percent approve).

And three separate surveys conducted between Jan. 12 and 25 foundthat majorities of Americans believe that Russia interfered in the U.S. elections (between 51 percent and 64 percent, depending upon the polling organization and question wording).

[Unlike all previous U.S. presidents, Trump almost never mentions democratic ideals]

In turn, a majority of Americans support further investigations into Russias role (68 percent) including a congressional inquiry (64 percent).

The new special relationship: U.S. and Russia?

Many interpreted Trumps Feb. 5 comments to OReilly as suggesting a moral equivalence between Russia and the United States, which a range of Republican political leaders were quick to condemn. On the Sunday news shows, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell(Ky.) and Sen.Ben Sasse(Neb.) bristled, while Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) tweeted their discomfort with Trumps comments.

But everyday Republicans disagree with the party elite.

As other pollsters have discovered, self-described Republicans are now more positive than Democrats toward Russia and Putin. And a majority of Republicans think that the Russian government did not interfere in the U.S. elections and oppose further investigations into the hack, contrasting sharply with the majority view among Democrats and independents.

This is where public opinion among self-described Republicans is closer to views in Russia than among their fellow Americans: Arecent January Levada Center survey found that 7 in 10Russians doubt that their government interfered in the U.S. election (12 percent Russia definitely/probably interfered, 72 percent probably/definitely did not).

[This is why Democrats lose in rural, post-industrial America]

In addition, while Democrats say that Trump is being too friendly toward Russia (68 percent), only 15 percent of Republicans agree (ABC News/Washington Post). Republicans are more likely to say that Trump has about the right attitude toward Russia (75 percent vs. 11 percent Democrats).

Russians have noticed the change. They have grown more favorable toward the United States since Trumps election (from 28 percent just before to 37 percent in a Jan. 20-23 poll). Almost half (46 percent) expect that relations between Russia and the United States will improve with Trump in the White House. And 42 percent of Russians volunteer that Trumps inauguration ceremony was the most memorable event of January, more so than the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey and Fidel Castros death.

Ordinary Republicans say they dont believe Russia hacked the U.S. election

Before the 2016 presidential campaign, a computer hack against the United States would have alarmed people of all parties. A February 2016 Gallup survey found large majorities of both Democrats (72 percent) and Republicans (77 percent) rated cyberterrorism the use of computers to cause disruption or fear in society as a critical threat facing the nation, ranking just below terrorism and Irans development of nuclear weapons. In a 2016 non-probability, opt-in ReportLinker survey of 513 online respondents, 53 percent agreed that Russia is the biggest cyberattack threat to the United States.

Moreover, in 2014 and 2015 CCS surveys, Republicans consistently felt more threat from Russia than Democrats, and were more likely to favor taking military actions to defend Ukraine from Russia. And on the question of Irans nuclear program and reducing the worlds nuclear stockpiles, slightly larger majorities of Republicans than Democrats said that Russia was working in a different (vs. same) direction than the United States, the 2016 CCS found.

All that was before Trump was elected president.

Perhaps Republicans have a lack of confidence in the intelligence agencies conclusions.Or perhaps ordinary Republicans are taking political cues from Trump rather than from traditional Republican hawks such as Rubio and John McCain. Or perhaps Republicans think that whatever hurts the Democrats has to be good for Republicans, even cyber-interference.

Meanwhile, Trumps equivocal positions toward Russia, including on the possibility of lifting sanctions, already appear to have consequences. Fighting has escalated in eastern Ukraine with unconfirmed reports of new armor from Russia arriving to rebel-held areas. Russia has deployed cruise missiles, violating a major arms control treaty; had its jets buzz a U.S. aircraft carrier; and sent Russian spy ships patrolling the U.S. East Coast.

With each sentence of praise for Putin or hints aboutlifting sanctions, Trump weakens any U.S. bargaining position toward Russia on Ukraine, Syria, nuclear disarmament and so on. No wonder Russians are more optimistic now than they have been since the government annexed Crimea.

Dina Smeltz is a senior fellow in public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.Lily Wojtowicz, an intern at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, also contributed to this report.

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Republicans used to fear Russians. Here's what they think now. - Washington Post

House Republicans seek Department of Justice investigation into potentially illegal leaks – ABC News

The GOP chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees have asked the Department of Justice inspector general to investigate immediately whether classified information was mishandled at the department after the resignation of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as White House national security adviser.

In a Wednesday letter to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Chairmen Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., requested an "immediate investigation" into the possible mishandling of classified information, citing reports before Flynn's resignation about his discussions about sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

"We have serious concerns about the potential inadequate protection of classified information here," the Republicans wrote in the letter.

With the missive to the agency watchdog, top Republicans are taking President Donald Trump's lead.

Rep. Elijah Cummings has fired back, saying in a statement today, "Chairman Chaffetz appears to be taking his marching orders directly from President Trump's tweet yesterday instead of investigating Gen. Flynn's lies to the vice president and the American people, as well as his troubling ties with Russia, the chairman chose to target those who brought them to light."

Cummings continued, "Congress should be doing independent oversight of the executive branch and protecting whistleblowers, not running interference while the White House conceals their abuses and misleads the American people for weeks. Chairman Chaffetz said he didn't want to go on 'fishing expeditions,' but that's exactly what he's doing here."

Since Flynn's resignation, the president has attacked the intelligence community for the leaks and blamed the media for Flynn's departure, though the White House has said Trump asked for Flynn's resignation.

"From intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked," Trump said at a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "It's a criminal action, criminal act."

"People are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton," Trump said.

While Democrats have uniformly called for investigations into Flynn's conversations and the White House's handling of the episode, House GOP leaders have instead focused on the leaks.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who is leading his panel's wide-ranging investigation into Russia and the election, plans to ask the FBI to assess leaks regarding Trump administration officials and classified information, an aide confirmed.

Nunes has downplayed concerns about Flynn's actions and whether to review them in committee, though several Senate Republicans want Flynn to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

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House Republicans seek Department of Justice investigation into potentially illegal leaks - ABC News

Trump, Republicans set timeframe for introducing Obamacare replacement – Reuters

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress said on Thursday that they will soon unveil plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, providing a timeframe for a legislative goal they have struggled with for weeks.

Republicans, who control the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, have long vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act but have had difficulty agreeing on a detailed plan for replacing the signature domestic policy of former Democratic President Barack Obama.

But announcements from Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan claimed progress.

"We're doing Obamacare, we're in the final stages," Trump told a news conference. "So we will be submitting sometime in early March, mid-March."

Earlier Thursday, Ryan told reporters on Capitol Hill that House Republicans would introduce legislation to repeal and replace Obama's program after a 10-day recess that begins on Friday.

"After the House returns following thePresidents Day break, we intend to introduce legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare," Ryan said at his weekly press conference. Presidents Day is on Monday and the House returns on Feb. 27.

Ryan spoke shortly after many House Republicans huddled in a closed session with newly-installed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to discuss their options to change the 2010 law.

The session was part pep talk and part laying out of talking points that can be delivered to constituents during the recess.

Lawmakers left the meeting saying there was plenty more work ahead on thorny issues, including squeezing savings from the Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled and possibly cutting some healthcare tax credits.

Trump's administration has gone through a succession of controversies since he was sworn in on Jan. 20, while lawmakers labored over Obamacare and tax reform.

Price, who served in the House before becoming HHS secretary, told Republican lawmakers that on Obamacare repeal, "The president is all in on this," according to a source who attended the meeting.

But they do not know exactly what they will be joining forces on.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady told reporters there is "a range of options" for giving states more say over Medicaid, an important tool for delivering medical coverage to the poor under Obamacare.

Brady said there were options to offset the cost of a Republican plan, such as capping the tax exclusion for employer-based healthcare plans.

(Reporting By Richard Cowan and David Morgan; editing by Grant McCool)

WASHINGTON In a heated moment during his unconventional and combative news conference on Thursday, President Donald Trumps command of the facts was openly challenged by a reporter who asked, Why should Americans trust you?

WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump's pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency and a final vote could occur on Friday.

NEW YORK/CHICAGO Restaurants and other businesses around the United States shut their doors on Thursday and thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of cities across the country in a walkout aimed at protesting President Donald Trump's policies.

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Trump, Republicans set timeframe for introducing Obamacare replacement - Reuters

Republicans Agree on Cutting Taxes, but Not on How to Do It – New York Times


New York Times
Republicans Agree on Cutting Taxes, but Not on How to Do It
New York Times
Republicans remain united in their desire to cut taxes, simplify the system and recover some of the $2 trillion in untaxed profits that American companies have stashed overseas, out of the reach of the Internal Revenue Service. And the possibility of a ...

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Republicans Agree on Cutting Taxes, but Not on How to Do It - New York Times