Be Smart. Stay Informed. Actively Dissent.
The battle to stop the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the Department of Education Secretary was lost and with that comes consequences. For the most part, it's too early to gain visibility in the changes being put into motion. However, Taylor Hansen, former lobbyist for the largest group of for-profit college and recently Trump-appointed official with the Department of Education, has already achieved one of his goals.
Share
While federal judges in Maryland and Washington handle cases challenging what has been termed "Muslim Ban 2," a federal judge in Hawaii has issued a nationwide temporary restraining order. The ban was set to take effect at midnight on Thursday March 16th (the evening of the 15th).
Share
The White House signed an executive order on Monday aiming to "reorganize" the executive branch of government. Titled the "Comprehensive Plan For Reorganizing The Executive Branch," the order seeks to empower the president and his advisers to eliminate federal agencies. Essentially, we have the "destruction of the administrative state" words Steve Bannon used several weeks ago put into direct action.
Share
In an effort to cut domestic spending by more than $50 billion, Trump's budget proposal would slash the budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The plan would squeeze public housing support and end most federally funded community development grants, which provide services such as meal assistance and cleaning up abandoned properties in low-income neighborhoods.
Share
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the target of Republican leaders and their base since its passage. With full control Congress and the White House, they now hold the power to make changes but as it turns out, they have no idea what to do. The one thing they are certain of is their desire to remove the funding mechanism for ACA -- a tax on the wealthiest citizens -- everything else be damed including millions of citizens who will not be able to obtain or afford coverage.