Tag: politics

Another ‘Missing’ Lawmaker? 83-Year-Old Democrat Rep. Frederica Wilson Hasn’t Voted in Nearly One Month – Missed 43 Straight Votes

Another ‘missing’ lawmaker?

Democrat Rep. Frederica Wilson has not voted on the House floor in nearly one month.

Wilson missed all 10 votes on Wednesday.

The 83-year-old Florida lawmaker has missed 43 straight votes.

Rep. Wilson is also reportedly posting old photos to her social media pages.

Last month, it was reported that Rep. Thomas Kean (R-NJ) had missed more than 50 roll call votes.

Speaker Johnson told ABC News that Rep. Kean is dealing with personal health matters.

“I was happy to speak to Tom Kean, Jr. this afternoon by phone. He is attending to a personal health matter and expects to be back to 100% very soon,” Johnson told ABC News last month.

“Tom is one of the most dedicated and hardest-working Members of Congress, and I am grateful for all he does and will continue to do to serve New Jerseyans and our country,” Johnson said.

Tom Kean eventually broke his silence and thanked his constituents for their patience as he addressed his personal medical issue.

The lawmaker said he expects to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent.

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Romania’s Presidency on Trial: 400,000 Romanians Demand President Dan’s Suspension for Serious Violations

Romania’s political crisis is entering a new and volatile phase, as questions surrounding democratic legitimacy, institutional overreach, and the country’s political future continue to intensify.

Nearly a year into the presidency of Nicușor Dan, a formal suspension initiative—however symbolic—has been submitted to Parliament, according to reports from the Romanian press. While unlikely to advance procedurally, the motion has reignited deeper concerns about governance and the direction of the Romanian state.

The proposal, filed by the nationalist S.O.S. Romania invokes Article 95 of the Constitution, which allows for presidential suspension in cases of serious violations. Though the motion lacks sufficient parliamentary backing, its contents have forced a broader national conversation.

At the heart of the controversy are allegations that Dan has blurred the constitutional boundaries of his office. Critics argue that his actions reflect a pattern of institutional interference rather than the neutrality required of the presidency.

Among the accusations are claims that the president has inserted himself into judicial matters, including consultations with magistrates and the collection of legal materials. These steps, critics say, risk creating a parallel structure of influence outside established institutions.

Concerns have also been raised over public remarks directed at the Constitutional Court. Observers note that even indirect commentary from the presidency can be perceived as pressure in Romania’s fragile institutional ecosystem.

The suspension proposal further alleges that Dan has conditioned government formation on ideological criteria. Specifically, references to a “pro-Western” alignment have drawn scrutiny for introducing political filters not explicitly grounded in constitutional provisions.

Another flashpoint has been the president’s visible presence at partisan political events. His public support for a candidate in Bucharest’s mayoral race has fueled accusations that he has abandoned the neutrality expected of his office.

Equally contentious is the continued absence of a permanent civilian director for the Romanian Intelligence Service. Critics warn that maintaining interim leadership while advocating expanded powers raises concerns about oversight and accountability.

The proposed expansion of intelligence services into areas such as anti-corruption and tax enforcement has further complicated the picture. Without clear civilian control, such moves risk reviving long-standing fears about the concentration of power.

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Hochul forks over another $4B to bail out Mamdani’s NYC budget woes as she faces intense election pressure

Look what the Kat dragged in.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a whopping $124.7 billion executive budget for New York City on Tuesday – built on the back of $4 billion in funny money from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The governor’s bailout – announced hours before the city budget’s reveal – was quickly criticized as a fiction used to help out her reluctant ally Mamdani as she faces re-election and pressure to appease the lefty mayor’s comrades.

Mamdani, for his part, got to save face by backing away from his months-old threats to impose a nearly 10% property tax hike and drain the city’s reserves to help close a reputed $5.4 billion budget gap – both of which he warned would be necessary if his “tax the rich” dreams evaporated.

“Only fools believed our young mayor would follow through on a property tax hike and service cuts as his first act,” a New York City Democratic strategist said.

“The threat was tactical chess. The Governor blinked, so the gambit worked but he may have bankrupted his own credibility in the process.”

The supposed state assistance largely consisted of kick-the-can measures delaying massive spending, namely a move to restructure $2.2 billion in pension plan payments.

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Did Doug Ford just sell his private jet for a massive taxpayer loss?

Well, we finally have an answer in terms of how much Air Ford One cost Ontario taxpayers: almost $200,000.

That’s what Ontario taxpayers are on the hook for after Doug Ford experienced buyer’s remorse, big time, and returned his infamous $28.9 million “Gravy Plane” to Bombardier.

That’s a steep fee for a plane that apparently never got off the runway in the brief 13-day time span that the province owned that swank Challenger 650.

In other words, Ford’s would-be flight of fancy cost the Ontario taxpayer about $15,585 per day just to sit in a hangar collecting dust.

Little wonder people across the political spectrum screamed blue murder about the province’s chief cherry cheesecake enthusiast purchasing a private jet.

And really, how tone-deaf was Doug Ford to purchase something like this during a time of soaring unemployment, inflation, homelessness, and food bank usage?

Talk about not reading the room.

However, despite attempts at damage control, within 48 hours Team Ford flip-flopped on the Challenger. They said they learned their lesson and that the government would seek a refund.

But apparently, it’s a buyer’s market these days when it comes to luxury jets. That’s because Bombardier only agreed to buy back the Challenger after the government agreed to a surcharge of almost $200,000.

That includes almost $18,000 for “acquisition support” – whatever that means. The taxpayer was also dinged for almost $34,000 for outside legal advice. But the lion’s share of charges was in the form of nearly $140,000 for maintenance, storage, training, and preparation.

Perhaps we need to contact the fine folks at the Guinness Book of World Records? Could this $200,000 haircut work out to be the largest fee for a flight that was never taken?

Looks that way to us.

Hard to believe that Doug Ford used to run on the slogan, “Respect for Taxpayers.” Hard to believe this guy was all about derailing the gravy train before falling in lust for a gravy plane.

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Warren Whines As Senate Banking Committee Advances Crypto CLARITY Act, Two Democrats Break Ranks

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on a 15–9 vote Thursday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D‑Md.) joining all 13 Republicans to move the sweeping crypto market structure bill to the full Senate.

The Clarity Act is the Senate’s bid to build a federal framework for digital asset trading, stablecoins and intermediaries, splitting oversight between the SEC and CFTC and setting registration, disclosure and compliance rules for exchanges, brokers and custodians. It now advances alongside a related bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, with the two texts expected to merge before a floor vote.

Chair Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) cast the markup as a turning point after years in which crypto firms operated in what he called a “regulatory gray zone” under “outdated rules.” 

He said the bill aims to protect consumers, keep innovation in the United States and “close the doors that criminals, terrorists and hostile regimes have tried to exploit,” after months of cross‑party talks that expanded the draft by more than 200 pages.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑Wyo.), who leads the committee’s digital assets panel, called the Clarity Act “the hardest piece of legislation” she has worked on across decades in state and federal office. She described it as a “case of first impression” that tries to fit new asset types and software into a regulatory code built for earlier markets.

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Communist Mamdani’s Latest Redistribution Scheme: Tax On All New York Homes Over $1 Million Bought With Cash

Two days ago crestfallen commie mayor Zohran Mamdani abandoned his desperate plan to aggressively hike property taxes (even more) on New Yorkers following unprecedented pushback (but not before earning the former capitalist mecca a credit rating downgrade warning from most rating agencies). However, since communists who are not redistributing wealth (eventually under the barrel of a gun) are useless communists, it only took Mamdani administration 48 hours before pitching his latest idea how to take: according to Bloomberg, New York lawmakers are planning a new tax on New York City homes purchased in cash for at least $1 million.  The lawmakers are also considering expanding the tax to all-cash purchases over $1 million in New York, including those in the suburbs and upstate.

The New York City levy alone is expected to raise $160 million to help fill the city’s budget hole. The proposed tax would be levied at 1% of the purchase price and would be paid by the buyer, according to the people. 

A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said she “announced a general agreement with the State Legislature on many of the major elements of the FY 2027 Budget. The final budget bills will provide additional details.”

All-cash transactions have risen in New York as soaring mortgage costs have deterred financing, and instead buyers opt to be hit with capital gains taxes and liquidated other securities to fund real estate purchases. They are also an attractive option for sellers in New York City’s ultra-competitive real estate market as it’s faster than dealing with the lengthy mortgage approval process, and less likely to fall through.

Such purchases made up more than 60% of the nearly 18,000 transactions in New York City in the first six months of 2025, according to data compiled by the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. The report found that in Manhattan, nine out of 10 purchases over $3 million were done in all-cash transactions between January and June of 2025.

New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the tax would be included in the final budget as “part of the plan to help close the city’s deficit.” State Senator James Skoufis, who sits on the chamber’s finance committee, also said in an interview the new levy was discussed.

Mamdani unveiled his $124.7 billion budget plan for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 that includes more assistance from Albany. He is also counting on funds from a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million that state and city lawmakers are still figuring out how to implement. Hochul said the state will send $4 billion in new aid to the city to help close the budget hole.

“New Yorkers are already the most heavily taxed residents in the country, and the city’s budget issues will not be solved by more taxes,” said James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. He said that the new proposal would further burden home buyers and sellers in the city and threaten existing revenue. 

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Texas Dem. Congressional Candidate Says 1st Vote Will Be to Impeach Trump – Pledges Return to Biden-Era Open Borders

A Democrat congressional candidate in deep East Texas said that his first vote as a U.S. Representative would be to impeach Donald Trump. The candidate also told a local ABC affiliate that he opposes border walls and would support a bill similar to an amnesty plan proposed by Congress during the Biden administration.

Democrat congressional candidate Dan Alexander told KLTV ABC7 in Tyler, Texas, that he would support an effort to impeach President Trump if he were elected to the state’s 1st Congressional District — a seat currently held by Republican Nathaniel Moran. He called the immigration enforcement policy of mass deportation “an assault on the American people.”

“Walls don’t work,” the candidate’s website Issues page states. He supports legalizing abortion in federal law and calls for red-flag laws for “gun safety.”

Alexander called the current conflict with Iran an “illegal war.”

“He’s violated high crimes and misdemeanors… he’s led an assault on the American people via immigration issues,” the candidate told the ABC affiliate. “He started illegal wars in Iran.”

The incumbent, Rep. Moran, called the $25 billion spent by the Trump administration on the conflict with Iran, “a great investment” in a recent interview with CBS19 in East Texas.

“Congress needs to have a very strong voice in this. We are the Article 1 branch of government,” Moran stated. “As the conflict carries on, we need to make sure that we say these are the conditions upon which we will actually allocate funds or not.”

He added, “When you’re talking about national security interests, $25 billion is a great investment.”

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Hawaii Passes Bill To Undo Effects Of Citizens United, Urges Governor To Sign It Into Law

Friday, the Hawaii State Legislature approved a historic measure that would effectively undo the corrosive effects of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. The bill now heads to Gov. Josh Green’s (D) desk for his signature.

The measure would redefine corporate law so that corporations are no longer granted the power to spend in the state’s politics. In response, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

Hawaii made history today in the fight against corporate and dark money that has sullied American politics for the past 16 years. Once the governor signs this measure into law, it will send a message that will be heard in legislatures far beyond the Aloha State. States can redefine the powers they grant to corporations. And they can choose not to give those corporations the power to spend money in state politics. This groundbreaking law makes Hawaii a leader in the national fight to get corporations out of politics and return power to the people.

The bill draws on a breakthrough legal strategy crafted by the Center for American Progress: States define the powers of the corporations they create, and a state’s corporate code can grant every power a business needs while withholding political spending power.

What would S.B. 2471 do?

The bill redefines the powers Hawaii grants to corporations that operate within the state. The powers that Hawaii grants to corporations would no longer include the power to spend in federal, state, and local elections in Hawaii. The bill also applies to out-of-state corporations that operate within Hawaii. It does not regulate corporate speech.

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Smith pledges to appeal judge’s “anti-democratic” decision to quash independence petition

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will appeal a court ruling that blocked a citizen-led effort to force an Alberta independence referendum, calling the decision “incorrect in law and anti-democratic.”

The ruling, issued Tuesday by Liberal-appointed Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice S. Leonard, quashed the approval of a proposed referendum question asking Albertans whether the province should become independent.

In the decision, the judge claimed Alberta failed to fulfil its duty to consult affected First Nations before allowing the citizen initiative process to move forward.

Justice Leonard also ruled the referendum proposal could not legally proceed under transitional provisions added to Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.

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Senate approves resolution to withhold senators’ pay during future govt. shutdowns

The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday sponsored by Louisiana GOP Senator John Kennedy that mandates a freeze on senators’ pay during any future government shutdowns.

By making federal closures financially uncomfortable for lawmakers, the bipartisan measure aims to create a more urgent incentive for Congress to pass funding bills before critical deadlines.

This agreement follows a period of increasingly frequent and record-long shutdowns, reflecting a growing consensus that legislators should face tangible consequences when they fail to fulfill their core responsibility of funding the government.

The resolution was passed via a voice vote and is scheduled to take effect immediately following the general election on November 3, 2026. Because of this specific implementation timeline, the new rules could be enforced during potential funding lapses at the end of the calendar year, though they would not apply to any shutdown occurring before the current fiscal year expires on September 30th.

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