Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation

Donald Trump Is Inciting Violence, And Is A “Clear And Present Danger”, Who Needs To Be Prosecuted!

Former President Donald Trump is openly inciting violence and domestic terrorism, causing threats against even members of the Republican Party who have the “gall” to have voted for an infrastructure bill that helps the nation, and the people in all congressional districts and states.

Trump is totally out of control, and the one third of Americans who are “brainwashed” to follow him, as if he is a cult leader, have become a serious threat to the stability and security of America.

Trump needs to be prosecuted as a “clear and present danger” to the party, to Congress, and to all sane Americans, who now have to fear domestic terrorists daily.

There is a serious issue with mentally ill, unstable people being a threat to law abiding Americans, and Trump is at their leadership, very troubling!

Growing Threats To Election Officials In States, Members Of Congress From Right Wing Trump Supporters!

The refusal of Donald Trump to concede in the Presidential Election of 2020 one year later and counting has created a poisonous, threatening situation for dozens of election officials in many states, AND members of Congress who have been courageous enough to be critical of Trump, including supporting his impeachment and support the infrastructure legislation that passed by a bipartisan vote.

It has also caused threats and confrontations of election board and school board members in many states, including threatening phone calls and emails, designed to discourage people from participating in promotion of American democracy and educational curriculum and more.

Private security and police support is required for so many public officials and staff who never had to worry before now about dangers to their lives and families.

We are in the midst of a “Reign of Terror”, by domestic terrorists and white supremacists, egged on by the 45th President, and yet, so far, nothing seems to be working to hold him accountable, and deal with the horrific situation the nation faces.

And the next rounds of elections, state and congressional in 2022, and the presidential election of 2024, seem highly likely to be a time of potentially greater crises and threats than even the events of the past year, from the US Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021 onward!

There is a growing sense that America may experience the kind of Fascist authoritarian threat presented in the mid 20th century by Fascist Italy and Benito Mussolini, and Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, as well as other authoritarian leaders in other nations past and present!

Finally, The Physical Infrastructure Legislation Is Passed In The House Of Representatives With Bipartisan Vote!

Finally, overnight, the House of Representatives passed the Physical Infrastructure bill that had passed the US Senate with a bipartisan vote of 69-30 in August.

And happily, there were 13 Republicans who supported the legislation in the House, making the legislation truly a bipartisan accomplishment, with a final vote of 228-206.

This is a major victory for Joe Biden and the Democrats, despite the tortuous delay of more than two months, and the $1.2 trillion of spending on roads, airports, bridges, rail systems, broadband, environmental cleanup, and electric vehicles will advance the American economy dramatically!

The nation desperately needed this legislation, and it will help the Democratic argument to keep them in the majority in the 2022 Midterm Congressional Elections a year from now!

However, with all of the excitement that this legislation engenders, it IS a fact that without the 13 Republicans, including a number who voted to impeach Donald Trump the second time, the legislation would NOT have passed, as 6 “Progressives” voted against it, including

Jamaal Bowman of New York
Cori Bush of Missouri
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
Rashida Tlaib of Michigan

The latter four have been called the “Squad”, and the first two have been considered to be additions to the group by the news media, and seemingly, have indicated they are glad to be part of the group.

Four of the 13 House Republicans who supported the legislation also supported impeachment of Donald Trump in January 2021:

Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (not running for reelection)
Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio (not running for reelection)
Fred Upton of Michigan
John Katko of New York

Even without the other nine Republicans, those four principled Republican House members who did the right thing on both impeachment and the infrastructure bill, basically saved the legislation, as with their votes alone, the legislation would have passed 219-215!

The present House of Representatives has 221 Democrats, and 213 Republicans, so there is a working majority of just three members, although the Democrats have eight more members than the Republicans.

A Crucial Month For Joe Biden And America!

The month of September is an extremely crucial month for the Joe Biden Presidency.

The issue of expansion of the national debt ceiling is essential.

So is how to bring about the two Infrastructure bills the administration has been promoting, one bipartisan and one by “reconciliation”.

Also, the need to deal with voting rights legislation; abortion rights guarantees to continue; the climate change crisis; the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread; and working to reform the Supreme Court and the filibuster.

Realistically, not all of these can be resolved that quickly, but progress is essential, as accomplishing change will not be easier in an election year, with the midterm elections of 2022!

Afghanistan Crisis May Harm Joe Biden’s Agenda In Congress, And His Public Opinion Support

The Afghanistan Crisis over evacuations may harm Joe Biden’s Agenda in Congress.

After accomplishing so much in his first seven months in office, there are Democrats now who are alienated from Biden, on the issue of infrastructure, with moderates and progressives with different views on timing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, which has gained Republican support, and the Human Infrastructure bill, with no Republican support.

The issue of Voting Rights legislation is also in trouble, as Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and other states are setting up voting barriers for future elections.

Afghanistan, and the way Joe Biden has dealt with it, has also made some Democrats highly critical of the failure of the Biden Administration to plan removal of Americans and Afghans who helped the war effort on a timely basis, rather than the total chaos and anarchy now occurring at Kabul Airport.

Joe Biden’s public opinion support on his Presidency and on Afghanistan policy has been high, but now there is danger of that support collapsing.

And there are Republicans and right wing talk show hosts who are calling for Joe Biden to resign, or that he should be impeached, although there is no chance of any success on impeachment or conviction, and clearly, no possibility of resignation.

But the situation in Afghanistan muddies the waters dramatically!