I say YES. YOU say NO....Numero Tre! Enjoy!

DivineMrsM

Love it, Spookiesmom!

I'm glad to see the infrastructure bill is advancing.

From what I read, many U.S. citizens from both partie are in favor of an infrastructure bill. They realize how needed it is. I think Biden said it’s the first one of its kind in a century. Whether the Florida condo collapse has any bearing on the matter or not, people know that we must improve and upgrade that which is the foundation of our country keeping it running. They don't want a bridge collapse or some other catastrophe where lives are lost.

The Repug politicians in DC know this and are caught between loyalty to orange blob or voting for a popular bill their constituents want.

Personally I feel the Dems are actually doing work while the Repugs do their best to impede any progress only for the sake of trying to win back power. Most Repugs refuse to put the interests of U.S. citizens first.

DivineMrsM

From CNBC :

The Senate voted Wednesday to advance a bipartisan infrastructure plan, a critical step toward Democrats passing their sweeping economic agenda.

Senators voted 67-32 to push the bill forward; 17 Republicans and all 50 Democrats voted yes

The vote opens the process to debate and amend the proposal, which would put $550 billion into transportation, broadband and utilities. While senators who backed the procedural motion could oppose a final package, Wednesday's vote bodes well for its chances of passage.

The deal came together earlier in the day after Democratic and Republican negotiators resolved disputes over transit and broadband funding, among other issues. The plan was trimmed from the $579 billion in new spending senators and the White House agreed to last month — a sum many Democrats considered paltry.

Supporters of the bill have hailed it as a needed investment that will boost the economy as the U.S. tries to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats still face a range of pitfalls as they try to get the bipartisan bill and their separate $3.5 trillion spending package to President Joe Biden's desk in the coming months.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will have to keep all 50 members of his caucus and at least 10 Republicans on board to ensure the infrastructure plan passes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will need to win progressive support for the smaller-than-desired bill in a narrowly divided chamber.

A second, separate $3.5 trillion plan to invest in child care, paid leave, education and measures to curb climate change could pose more problems. Every Democrat in the Senate will need to support the package to pass it without Republican votes.

Some Democrats, such as Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have signaled they want a smaller final budget reconciliation bill. Sinema was the lead Democratic negotiator on the bipartisan bill.

Attempts to appease centrists could alienate liberals who worry the bipartisan infrastructure bill fails to do enough to address climate change or strengthen the social safety net.

Schumer aims to pass both the bipartisan bill and the budget resolution that sets up the reconciliation process before the Senate leaves for its recess next month. The Senate will have to rush to pass both measures on Schumer's timeline in an institution not known for speed.

Pelosi has insisted she will not bring the infrastructure bill or budget measure to the House floor until the Senate passes both of them.

DivineMrsM

From Heather Cox Richardson (how I love her input!), breaking down numbers in the infrastructure bill:

July 28, 2021 (Wednesday)

It appears that it is finally infrastructure week. Today, negotiators hammered out a deal on a bipartisan bill, which includes $550 billion in new spending.
This evening, the Senate voted to move the bill forward by a vote of 67 to 32, with 17 Republicans joining all the Democrats to begin debate on the measure.The bill is not fully hammered out yet, and the Congressional Budget Office, which examines bills to see how much they will cost, has not yet produced a final number, but it appears that the bill will cost about $1.2 trillion over 8 years. It puts together unspent monies from other programs and from new "user fees" to pay for it, but Republicans demanded that funds to increase funding for the IRS to enable it to crack down on tax cheats, who cost the United States about $1 trillion a year, be stripped from the bill. The White House said the bill would create about 2 million "good-paying" jobs a year for the next decade. It provides $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, $66 billion for passenger rail, $73 billion to upgrade the electrical grid; $7.5 billion for electrical vehicle chargers on highway corridors, $17 billion for rebuilding our ports, $50 billion for addressing climate change and cybersecurity, and $55 billion for clean drinking water. The bill also calls for $65 billion to expand broadband internet, tying all Americans into the same grid and lowering prices. In the White House statement, Biden explicitly tied the expansion of broadband to the nation's 1936 expansion of access to electricity through the Rural Electrification Act. Through that act, the government tried to level the playing field between urban Americans who had electricity through private companies and rural Americans who did not because the profit margins weren't high enough to make it worthwhile for private companies to bring electricity to them.Electrification not only enabled rural Americans to enjoy the new products created in the early twentieth century, but also created a new industry of consumer products that helped the post–World War II economy boom. Then, as now, federal funding for a vital infrastructure need opened up the door to government oversight and regulation of that utility, a principle that today's Republicans oppose, especially when it comes to broadband. (It's an interesting thought, though: could regulation of publicly supported broadband help address the problem of disinformation on social media?) That is only one of the ways in which this bipartisan bill remains precarious. There are others. It is always possible that the Republicans cannot muster the 10 votes they need to pass the bill, and continuing to tinker with it is simply a way to run out the clock on the congressional session so that the Democrats cannot get the infrastructure deal they want so badly. From the other direction, progressive Democrats have made it clear they will not accept this bill, which focuses on "hard" infrastructure like roads and bridges, unless it goes along with a larger "soft" infrastructure bill that focuses on human infrastructure. There are not enough Republican votes to pass that second measure over a Senate filibuster, so it will have to pass the Senate through budget reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority. But that means it will need all 50 Democratic votes, and today Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema said she does not support the bill in its current form. She apparently wants adjustments, but what they are and whether progressives will accept them remains unclear.Still, the idea of this new, sweeping infrastructure package becoming reality is huge. Former president Donald Trump, who wanted badly to pass an even larger infrastructure bill during his own term of office but who couldn't do so, has responded to the idea that Biden might manage to pull this off with a demand that Republicans scuttle the entire thing. That several prominent Republicans are ignoring him illustrates the potential of this deal to weaken the Trump supporters in the party as the weight begins to shift toward measures that are popular with voters and away from the party's more common obstructionism.News of this historic investment in the country happened to come on the same day researchers Laura Wheaton, Linda Giannarelli, and Ilham Dehry of the Urban Institute think tank, established by the Lyndon Johnson administration to study the results of antipoverty laws passed during its years in power, published a study of the effects of the American Rescue Plan.That $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, passed without a single Republican vote and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, was projected to reduce the annual poverty rate to 8.7% for 2021—it had been 13.9% in 2018—and to cut child poverty by more than half. The new study shows that, in fact, the poverty rate for 2021 looks to be on track to hit 7.7%. The study's authors project the 2021 poverty rate to be highest for Hispanic people (11.8%), non-Hispanic Asian American and Pacific Islanders (10.8%), and Black, non-Hispanic people (9.2%). For white, non-Hispanic people, the rate is projected to be 5.8%.The study pointed to federal stimulus checks as the more important piece of this development. Those checks alone raised 12.4 million people out of poverty. Taken all together, recent antipoverty measures reduced child poverty from 30.1% to 5.6%. For all that other issues are getting more dramatic headlines, the infrastructure bill marks a sea change from the past forty years of slashing government investment and regulation to the more traditional vision of a government that promotes the general welfare. The latter vision was behind the Rural Electrification Act that, more than eighty years later, still shapes the national economy. Getting today's Republicans to sign onto such a measure would be momentous indeed.

IllinoisLady

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. . . . The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

IllinoisLady

Always happy to see Heather Cox Richardson entries so thank you Divine. I get her blog daily and should be helping you get some in here. The analysis is correct. The Reps. are pretty boxed in about the infrastructure. The 'gibbon' is trying to sabotage it, but that is only making him look foolish and showing more loss of control. He has in fact lost since 1/6 with all the court cases etc. He is painting Ms. Wight loss for her husband's senate seat still as a win since the man who won that run-off was a Reps. also. Just another way to try and project influence that just isn't there and likely will keep slipping.

We do desperately need this infrastructure and I'm glad to see even our overpass in town has undergone repair improvements. So much use there, as it is one of the few ways to get through town when trains, including Amtrak are running through town. We have double tracks down below and we can get on either side of town easily just with a slight route change. I'm so glad Pres. Biden stayed the course.

Merritt Garland has reminded AZ as well as other states that they are being watched closely for the possibilities of breaking federal laws in their quest to try and overturn solid election results as well as those states hoping to change voting laws that unfairly target citizens. He has already sued GA and so they are all on notice that the same could befall them too.

DivineMrsM

IllinoisLady

All my experience of the world teaches me that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the safe side and the just side of a question is the generous side and the merciful side. -Anna Brownell Jameson

IllinoisLady

IllinoisLady

Betrayal

Can we start with Jordan? Funny how he knew to wear body armor and yet didn;t think to share this with those who were in direct contact with the morons.

IllinoisLady

Wasn't that person Mo Brooks, or maybe both he and Jordan had armor. Sounds now like it just all may be made known as to just how many of the Reps. were a part of the planning that went into trying to overthrow the election/government. I've wondered before just how long the orange loony might have been consoled into not worrying much about the election outcome since "there were things" one could do -- and he certainly felt he had plenty of people just waiting in the wings to make it all happen.

One of his saddest moments must have come when Barr turned his back and would not do the one thing he needed badly and sanction the Big Lie for him. I presume he really did come to believe he was bullet proof and would always have the "help" needed to get him where he wanted to go. Hating to put it this way but frankly I think we were all lucky that he was morally bankrupt and mentally disabled.

Fortunately for me ( though I had pretty much quit right before the election ) I have not reacted to some of the memes that my next door neighbor puts on Facebook on occasion. I use to find the nastiest meme I could find about the orange one or any of his other buffoons and return her favor but I figure it will soon be at the point that even she will likely have to admit that orange maggot is OVER. I hate to admit how much it got under my skin.

Also hope the media will get over playing up that hideous failure and back off. We all want to know when things happen such as the DOJ putting Mo Brooks on his own as well as the maggot's taxes finally going to Congress ( knowing he could try and stall them ) but just hand out the facts sans the drama and innuendo that is presented.

IllinoisLady

Yes I would love to send it to my next door neighbor, but I'm not going to.

IllinoisLady

Actually, she has an awful lot of company in the Reps. party right now.

IllinoisLady

ChiSandy

Good one, Jackie!

Trish, I'm just getting caught up on reading two weeks' worth of posts (life intrudes into the internet). I am so sorry about what you went through, but it was wonderful how supportive and loving your mom was (as every mother should be). SCOTUS (or more precisely, the "icky six") needs to be graphically reminded of the horrors of the pre-Roe days.

Betrayal

Jackie, it was Mo Brooks so I do stand corrected for confusing them. Jordan is just a fellow idiot.

IllinoisLady

In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft and virtually spineless. Not so!Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity. Instead of losing, the gentle gain.Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead! -Charles Swindoll

IllinoisLady

Betrayal, thanks for letting me know. I had just read several articles on Brooks and wondered if I had missed something on Jordan. I actually miss a lot since I seldom look for new sources. It is easy to get 'played' and so I stay with the ones I've had as go to's for a long time. I do think by the way that Jordan is in some possible trouble. He talked about the fact that there was a phone call or ? calls with the orange one on 1/6. I wondered if he let go of that for his own reason and then the orange one threw him under the bus about the call so now it is pretty much a sure thing. He could be used as a witness. McCarthy as well. I'll never say never after 2016, but I am not seeing how the Reps. get out of all this at the moment.

IllinoisLady

And they will have the My Pillow loony to back them up and live happily ever after.

IllinoisLady

So true.

IllinoisLady

Thru the yrs.

IllinoisLady

Apology tendered in advance if this has been in here before.

IllinoisLady

Spookiesmom

👍👍

IllinoisLady

K. McCarthy ( who hated that the word Minority was one of the words in his title ) just thinks he has it going on. I read that he was making really bad jokes about taking the SOTH gavel from Nancy Pelosi and having a hard time not using it to pound her with it. Well, I don't think even a lot of his so-called co-horts want him as SOTH. He is such ( so fitting a description from Nancy ) a moron. First, you have to win your elections and increase your numbers ( yes, we are definitely on a minus side at this point ) and then you have to have enough of the members of the 'successful' party to vote you into the position. McCarthy butchers the Minority position so I doubt his own party would be too thrilled to put him up into a position where you best have it going for you because you will definitely show your deficiencies quickly if you don't.

Betrayal

Love all the above! BTW, I am tired of supporting the rich by paying their share of federal taxes. Is anyone else with me?

Plus if 45 did take his salary for his last 6-9 months in office than he should have damn well paid his own greens fees. What a cheap SOB.

IllinoisLady

Count me in Betrayal although I will admit we no longer make enough money to actually pay taxes. We are told we don't even have to file, but I found out the hard way that if you don't you are not 'current' in the system and may not get things like stimulus payments. We had to file a non-filer's form late when everyone we knew got the stimulus and we didn't.

The SOB is cheap and been cheating on everything he could since way back when. I have great hopes that our government will find a way to add up all the yrs. of back taxes the orange maggot owes and replenishes the IRS what it is owed. I/we spent many yrs. having to pay ( never huge sums because we never had big salaries, but from Reagan on until Obama -- we paid. With Obama we once again could get a little back but at that time we were always asking the max amt. come out so we wouldn't get burned too bad.

In fact, I do think the rich very much deserve to pay more. If they can fly into space, they can pay some 'real' taxes. I don't mind that some people can make a lot of money, but at some point I think it often goes beyond making money and becomes an obsession. Time to give the REAL tax payers the break and I am talking about all of you who still pay and pay.

Spookiesmom

Our accountant said even though we both were on SS, we still should file every year to prevent identity theft. So we did. Even this year, after he died, I filed. We never made big $$, but if that helps keep me safe, small thing to do. And agree, the rich should pay their share.

ruthbru

They could pay their damn taxes and still have more than enough for their vanity space travels, luxury yachts etc. etc. etc.

I mostly steer away from contraversy on my Facebook page, but did share this one.

ruthbru

Donald Trump's former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is almost broke and Trump doesn't seem to care all that much, sources have told The New York Times.

Giuliani is currently struggling under a mountain of legal fees as he attempts to fend off a major federal investigation and answer a $1.3 billion lawsuit. Trump, meanwhile, isn't pitching in a dime of the millions he has raised in his ongoing battle against a legitimate election, according to New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman.

*lets all send our 'thoughts & prayers'.......