January, 17 2021, 11:00pm EDT
Watchdog Group Releases New Report Highlighting Hypocrisy of Republican Senators Who Once Urged the Speedy Confirmation of Cabinet Members for National Security
In a new report, Accountable Senate War Room lays out Senate Republicans’ departure from precedent, hypocrisy regarding the obvious stalling of national security picks, and the inherent danger posed to Americans should this slow-walking continue. Accountable Senate War Room Spox Mairead Lynn: “To see the same Republican senators who clamored for quick confirmations for Trump’s nominees slow walk President-elect Biden’s picks is the height of hypocrisy”
WASHINGTON
Today, Accountable Senate War Room released a new report detailing the rank hypocrisy from Senate Republicans who slow-walked President-elect Biden's national security nominees, now leaving him at risk of entering office without a single confirmed Cabinet secretary. The report focuses on comments from the current chairs of the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees, who in 2017 advocated for a president's right to his national security picks as quickly as possible, but failed to act on advancing President-elect Biden's nominees until the last possible second.
President-elect Biden will take office on January 20, a mere two days from today. Yet, under the leadership of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and enabled by committee chairs in the Senate, not a single confirmation hearing has taken place -- including for crucial national security positions. This Trumped-up obstructionism is a dramatic breach of precedent, as Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush had their picks for national security positions confirmed and ready to hit the ground running on day one of their administrations.
"To see the same Republican senators who clamored for the quick confirmation of Trump's nominees slow walk President-elect Biden's picks is the height of hypocrisy," said Mairead Lynn, spokesperson for Accountable Senate War Room. "By abdicating their responsibility to ensure a smooth transition of power and a swift confirmation process for Biden's national security picks, Senate Republicans have put our safety and the security of our nation at risk. It's time for these Republican senators to end their partisanship and hypocrisy and step aside and let President-elect Biden's experienced, crisis-tested team get to work."
Below are some highlights from Accountable Senate War Room's report:
Trump, Obama, and Bush received confirmation from the Senate on a number of defense positions during their first day in office:
- The Senate Confirmed Two Crucial Trump Nominees, For Defense And For Homeland Security, Hours After Trump Was Sworn Into Office. "Just hours after President Trump was sworn into office, the Senate on Friday confirmed two nominees for critical national security positions, approving James N. Mattis as defense secretary and John F. Kelly as homeland security secretary." [New York Times, 1/20/17]
- On Obama's First Day In Office, His Nominees For Homeland Security, Energy, Agriculture, Education, And Interior Were All Confirmed. "The Democratic-led U.S. Senate began confirming new President Barack Obama's Cabinet on Tuesday, but it put off until Wednesday a vote on the designee for secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a single unanimous vote, the Senate confirmed Steven Chu as energy secretary, Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary, Arne Duncan as education secretary, Ken Salazar as interior secretary and Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security. It also approved Peter Orszag as head of the White House budget office." [Reuters, 1/20/09]
- President Obama's First Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, Was A Holdover From The Bush Administration. "President-elect Barack Obama has decided to keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in his post, a show of bipartisan continuity in a time of war that will be the first time a Pentagon chief has been carried over from a president of a different party, Democrats close to the transition said Tuesday." [New York Times, 11/26/08]
- President George W. Bush's Secretary Of State, Treasury Secretary, And Defense Secretary Were Confirmed Within Four Hours Of Bush's Swearing In. "Following a brief flurry of activity on Saturday and the end of a 17-day Democratic takeover, the Senate goes to work this week in the unfamiliar posture of having a Republican majority in both chambers and in the White House. [...] But the narrow majority did not matter on Saturday, when the Senate swiftly confirmed by voice vote seven of President Bush's Cabinet nominees. As planned, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill, and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld were confirmed within four hours of Bush's swearing in." [Congressional Quarterly, 1/21/00]
During the Trump era, Republican senators called for the president to have his Cabinet on "Day One," saying it was in the national interest to keep Americans safe amidst international uncertainty:
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) Justified His Vote For Rex Tillerson To Be Secretary Of State, Despite Concerns, As Grounded In Opposition To Unnecessary Delays That Were Against The "National Interest" In An Uncertain World. "U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement today announcing his support for Rex Tillerson as America's next secretary of state: I believe the president is entitled to significant deference when it comes to his choices for the cabinet. [...] I have no doubts about Mr. Tillerson's qualifications and patriotism. [...] However, his answers on a number of other important questions were troubling. [...] But in making my decision on his nomination, I must balance these concerns with his extensive experience and success in international commerce, and my belief that the president is entitled to significant deference when it comes to his choices for the cabinet. Given the uncertainty that exists both at home and abroad about the direction of our foreign policy, it would be against our national interests to have this confirmation unnecessarily delayed or embroiled in controversy. Therefore, despite my reservations, I will support Mr. Tillerson's nomination in committee and in the full Senate." [Senator Marco Rubio - Press Release, 1/23/17]
- Senator Rubio Said Mike Pompeo Was Nominated To Be Secretary Of State At A "Critical Juncture" For The Department And Hoped He Would Be "Confirmed Quickly." "Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): 'I know Mike Pompeo well. He is an excellent choice. His experience as CIA Director, an Army officer, and a congressman, and his proven leadership on national security matters give him unique qualifications to lead the State Department at this critical juncture. I will enthusiastically support his nomination and am hopeful he can be confirmed quickly.'" [White House - Briefing Statement, 3/14/18]
- Senator Johnson Said He Hoped UN Ambassador Nominee Nikki Haley Would Be "Swiftly Confirmed By The Senate" As The Country Needed Leadership "Now More Than Ever." "Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this Tuesday after voting in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to confirm Nikki Haley as the next United States ambassador to the United Nations: 'Now more than ever our country needs a steady leader who will aggressively champion American interests and values at the United Nations. I am confident that Governor Nikki Haley's executive experience has fully prepared her to do just that, and I hope she will be swiftly confirmed by the Senate as the next United States ambassador to the United Nations.'" [Senator Ron Johnson - Press Release, 1/24/17]
- Senator Portman Said He Voted To Confirm Rex Tillerson As Secretary Of State As President Trump "Needs A Secretary Of State At His Side" As He Began "Confronting The Many Threats To Our Security." "U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced today that he intends to vote for the nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State during a vote at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He issued the following statement: 'After much deliberation, I plan to vote for Rex Tillerson to be our next Secretary of State. I have long argued that every president -- no matter the party -- should be given considerable leeway when it comes to putting together his or her team. President Trump needs a Secretary of State at his side as he begins the task of restoring American leadership and confronting the many threats to our security around the world." [Senator Rob Portman - Press Release, 1/23/17]
Former President George W. Bush had his defense team confirmed within four hours of his swearing-in -- and during his term, Republican senators defended the president's claim to a Cabinet of his choosing:
- Asked About A Controversial Bush Nominee, Then Senator-Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Referenced A 50-50 Split In The Senate, And Said The President Deserves To Have The People That He's Nominated As Long As They're Quality People." "HUME: Senator, we're almost out of time, but let ask you -- give you a chance to make a quick response to something that your colleague, Democratic Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, has said this, day which is that in his view the nomination of John Ashcroft is divisive and comes from a man who promised to be a uniter and not a divider. What's your reaction to that? HATCH: Well, I don't see anything divisive about it. Every senator there knows John Ashcroft is a man of integrity. [...] And to be honest with you, I think it's time for us to get together as Democrats and Republicans. We're 50-50. One of the most divisive things they could do is to Bork John Ashcroft, and I might add Linda Chavez or Gale Norton. They're good people. And I'll tell you, the president deserves to have the people that he's nominated as long as they're quality people, and all three of them are." [Fox News - "Fox News Sunday," 1/7/01]
- Referencing News That George Tenet Would Continue In His Role As CIA Director, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) Objected, Saying Bush Should Choose Someone New To Have "His Own Person There." "The current [CIA] director, George Tenet, would like to keep his job, according to CIA officials and lawmakers. 'He enjoys the job, and I think he would be willing to continue serving, if asked for some period of time,' said one intelligence official familiar with Tenet's views. [...] On Thursday, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Bush should choose a new director of Central Intelligence so that he would have 'his own person there.'" [Chattanooga Times Free Press, 12/29/00]
- Senator McConnell Joined Then-Senator Frist (R-TN) To Say They Looked Forward To Pushing The Nomination Of Defense Secretary Robert Gates During A Lame-Duck Session, With McConnell Expressing Optimism He Would Be Confirmed Before The End Of The Year. "Robert Gates, picked by President Bush to take over at the Pentagon, received initial endorsements from Republican and Democratic Senate leaders Friday after meeting with them on Capitol Hill. [...] Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell said they looked forward to pushing through the confirmation in the lame-duck session. 'We're optimistic that Bob Gates will be confirmed before the first of the year,' said McConnell, R-Ky., who will become minority leader next year." [Associated Press, 11/18/06]
Watchdog group Accountable.US recently launched the Accountable Senate War Room to fight back against those lawmakers who seek to overturn the will of the people by standing in the way of the smooth transition of power and the swift approval of nominees to ensure that the government can function and deliver results for the American people.
Accountable.US is a nonpartisan watchdog that exposes corruption in public life and holds government officials and corporate special interests accountable by bringing their influence and misconduct to light. In doing so, we make way for policies that advance the interests of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful.
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Gore Calls Out Fossil Fuel Industry 'Shamelessness' in Lying to Public
"They are continuing to do similar things today to try to fool people and pull the wool over people's eyes just in the name of greed," the former vice president said.
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In reflecting on nearly 50 years of climate advocacy, former Vice President Al Gore said that he had "underestimated" the greed of the fossil fuel industry.
The remarks came in an interview published in USA Today on Sunday. When asked if he had any regrets, Gore responded that he had "put every ounce of energy" he had into climate advocacy, but added:
"I was pretty slow to recognize how important the massive funding of anti-climate messaging was going on. I underestimated the power of greed in the fossil fuel industry, the shamelessness in putting out the lies."
"They are continuing to do similar things today to try to fool people and pull the wool over people's eyes just in the name of greed," Gore continued.
"What's at stake is so incredible."
Gore, who tried to raise awareness about the climate crisis in the U.S. House of Representatives as early as 1981 and brought the issue to national attention in 2006's documentary An Inconvenient Truth, has taken a harsher tone against oil, gas, and coal companies in recent months. In August 2023, he said that the "climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis," and in September, he implored the industry to "get out of the way." In December, he lamented that the industry had "captured the COP process," referring to the appointment of the United Arab Emirates national oil company CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber to preside over the United Nations' COP28 climate conference in that country.
In the USA Today interview, Gore also named the fossil fuel industry when asked about his greatest frustration.
"Well, that we haven't made more progress," Gore answered, "and that some of the fossil fuel companies have been shameless in providing, continuing to provide lavish funding for disinformation and misinformation."
"What's at stake is so incredible," he added.
However, Gore told USA Today that he tried not to focus on his anger, but instead on continuing to raise awareness about the crisis and what can be done about it. And he remained hopeful that his grandchildren would live in a world in which people had come together and acted in time.
"We've got all the solutions we need right now to cut emissions in half before the end of this decade," he said. "We've got a clear line of sight to how we can cut the other 50% of emissions by mid century."
He also encouraged more people to get involved with the climate movement.
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"Going full steam ahead with new North Sea oil and gas is a sure fire route to the worst climate scenarios," one campaigner said.
Mar 16, 2024
Climate activists in six North Sea countries came together on Saturday to carry out acts of civil disobedience in protest of their governments' continued fossil fuel development.
Demonstrators in the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands blockaded roads, ports, and refineries; dropped banners; and held solidarity concerts as part of the North Sea Fossil Free campaign to demand that their governments align their plans for the shared body of water with the Paris agreement goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
"For too long, the U.K., Norway, and other North Sea countries have avoided scrutiny for their oil drilling plans as the emissions are not included in their national inventories," a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion U.K. told Common Dreams. "Going full steam ahead with new North Sea oil and gas is a sure fire route to the worst climate scenarios."
"The only serious response we can make is for citizens to unite, but we need to see many many more people doing this work."
The day of action, which was organized by Extinction Rebellion (XR), came days after a new report from Oil Change International revealed that none of five North Sea countries—Norway, the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark—have plans consistent either with limiting warming to 1.5°C or with the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels reached at last year's United Nations COP28 climate conference. If the five countries were counted as one, they would be the seventh biggest producer of oil and gas in the world.
In particular, these governments continue to issue permits to explore for and develop oil and gas fields, despite the fact that the International Energy Agency has said that no new fossil fuel development is compatible with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. In one high-profile example, the U.K. approved the undeveloped Rosebank oil field in September 2023. Taken together, these permits could lead to more than 10 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The worst offenders were Norway and the U.K., which could be among the top 20 developers of oil and gas fields through mid-century if they do not change course.
"The five major North Sea countries are at a crossroads: One path leads toward global leadership in climate action and green industries, where they take bold action to phase out oil and gas production that creates sustainable jobs and communities. The other path leads to catastrophic climate change, economic crisis, and the loss of status as climate leaders globally, as they cling to outdated practices while the world moves forward," Silje Ask Lundberg, North Sea campaign manager at Oil Change International, said when the report was released.
Extinction Rebellion co-founder Clare Farrell said that the North Sea governments' policies were a betrayal of their citizens and the world following the hottest year on record.
"Temperatures have tracked 1.5°C above average recently, almost 2°C," Farrell said. "Our global commitments, such that they are, are being flushed away with no regard for what the public really want. Where's the consent for that here in our democracies? No government has a mandate to do that. So people deserve to know that our governments are willfully destroying everything. The people of these North Sea nations have not consented to destroying civilization, but that's what is going to happen. Their governments are unhinged and unchecked."
Saturday's protests, Farrell continued, were a way for the people in these countries to make their voices heard.
"The only serious response we can make is for citizens to unite, but we need to see many many more people doing this work," Farrell said. "Direct action like this should shake us awake; our governments will destroy democracy and society if we let them continue, that's the course we are on, and they are redoubling their efforts despite the facts and knowing how much suffering they are already causing all over the world as climate breaks down."
The demands of Saturday's protests were threefold: An end to new oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea, for governments to tell the truth about the realities of the climate crisis, and for the countries to pursue a just transition to renewable energy. In addition, many activists made additional demands specific to their nations' policies.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, activists with Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion blocked all roads and railways leading to the largest oil refinery in Europe: Shell's Pernis refinery. They targeted Shell because the oil major has received new permits to drill in the Victory Gas Field and has also restarted its drilling in the Pierce Field. What's more, the company has refused to clean up its aging equipment in the North Sea, leaving old pipelines and drilling platforms to rust and pollute the sea with mercury, polonium, and radioactive lead. While there are 75 aging Shell oil and gas platforms in the Dutch North Sea that should be removed by 2035, current efforts are not on track to meet this deadline.
"Like the rest of the fossil industry, Shell is only interested in profits and shareholder returns," said Bram Kroezen of XR Netherlands, adding that Shell's appeal of a landmark court ruling ordering it to reduce emissions showed that the company "completely lacks a moral compass."
Germany
Activists with Ende Gelände blocked off access to a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the port of Brunsbüttel, Germany, beginning at 9:00 am local time. The activists are calling for an end to LNG imports, as new science reveals the so-called "bridge" fuel may in fact be at least as damaging to the climate as coal due to previously unaccounted for methane leaks.
"LNG is a double climate killer," Rita Tesch, spokesperson for Ende Gelände, said in a statement. "Because it consists of methane. Methane is even more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. It escapes into the atmosphere during transportation by LNG ships and at terminals such as here in Brunsbüttel, and heats it up rapidly. The carbon dioxide from burning it is on top of that. It's clear: LNG imports are a climate crime!"
Norway
Activists with XR Norway targeted Rafnes Petroleum Refinery, with some blockading access on land while another group entered the security area by boat.
"I'm ashamed to be a Norwegian," XR Norway spokesperson Jonas Kittelsen said in a statement. "Norway profits massively from aggressively expanding our oil and gas sector, causing mass suffering and death globally. My government portrays us as better than the rest of the world, which we are not."
Denmark
Performance collective Becoming Species and Extinction Rebellion Denmark worked together to stage a creative protest targeting the oil company Total Energies, which is the leading oil and gas producer in the Danish North Sea and currently has plans to reopen "Tyra Feltet," Denmark's largest gas field. Four members of the band Octopussy Riot climbed a Total-owned container and staged a punk concert in Denmark's Esbjerg Harbor.
"We octopuses have formed the band Octopussy Riot and have arrived here to play our song, a demand for you two-legs to stop oil and gas extraction," performer Linh Le, said. "The sea is dying, our climate collapsing. We will not accept that the most rich and powerful destroy our home. We do not want to go extinct."
Sweden
Members of XR Sweden blocked the road to Gothenburg's Oil Harbor, where the group has been protesting since May of 2022. The activists called on Sweden to stop investing in the harbor and on city officials to develop a plan to dismantle the harbor and refineries.
"Twenty-two million tons of oil enter Gothenburg's port every year, which is owned by the city," one activist said. "There is no plan for decommissioning. This does not go together with the climate goals."
Scotland
Finally, protesters across Scotland stood in solidarity with the other actions with performances and banner drops. In Aberdeen, activists unfurled banners outside the offices of Equinor, which owns 80% of Rosebank, and Ithaca, which owns the remaining 20%. The banners read, "North Sea Fossil Free," "Stop Rosebank," and "Sea knows no borders." In Dundee, protesters targeted the Valaris 123 oil platform off the coast with banners. Shetland Stop Rosebank also brought signs to Lerwick Harbor, from where the first stage of Rosebank's development is launching. XR Forres organized a performance of the group the "oil slicks" along the Moray Firth, to demonstrate what an oil spill would do to its unique coastal landscape.
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Mar 16, 2024
Around one-third of children under two in northern Gaza are now suffering from acute malnutrition, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund announced on Friday.
That's double the percentage of children under two who suffered from acute malnutrition in January, as the rate jumped from 15.6-31% in one month.
"The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.
"The situation is beyond catastrophic."
The UNICEF data came from screenings it conducted with its partners in February. While the rates of malnutrition are higher in the north, no part of Gaza remains untouched. As a whole, the agency concluded that "malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip due to the wide-reaching impacts of the war and ongoing restrictions on aid delivery."
A full 28% of children in Khan Younis in central Gaza have acute malnutrition, while in Rafah, around 10% suffered from acute malnutrition by the end of February. That was also double the 5% who suffered from acute malnutrition in January in the southern city. In the north, as many as 25% of children under five also suffer from acute malnutrition, up from 13%. The new figures come as humanitarian groups and U.N. agencies have been warning about potential famine in the Gaza Strip for months.
UNICEF also found in February that 4.5% of children in shelters and health centers in northern Gaza suffer from severe wasting, the most serious and potentially fatal form of malnutrition, for which the necessary treatment is not on hand. In Khan Younis, more than 10% of the malnourished children have severe wasting. Even in Rafah, the number of children under two with severe wasting more than quadrupled from 1% to over 4% between January and the end of February.
In total, at least 23 children have died from starvation or dehydration in northern Gaza in the last few weeks alone, UNICEF said. Israel's bombardment and invasion of Gaza has been particularly devastating for children as a whole, killing around 13,450 out of a total death toll of more than 31,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
"We've been sounding the alarm that children will die due to malnutrition and disease since the beginning of the war," Save the Children UK said on social media on Saturday. "Our worst fears have now come true. These man-made conditions continue to deteriorate toward famine and will continue to take innocent children's lives."
Lucia Elmi, UNICEF's special representative in the Palestinian territories, toldThe New York Times that children were declining at such alarming rates because the available water, bread, and flour was not enough to provide the nutrition they need.
"They need protein, they need vitamins, they need fresh products, and they need micronutrients, and all of this has been completely missing," Elmi said last week. "That's why the deterioration has been so fast, so rapid, and at this scale."
Dominic Allen, the United Nations Population Fund representative for Palestine, told reporters on Friday that everyone he spoke to Gaza was "gaunt, emaciated, hungry."
"The situation is beyond catastrophic," he said.
Russell said that UNICEF had not been able to acquire the supplies it needed to properly treat malnourished children. Humanitarian groups have criticized Israel for making aid deliveries more difficult by searching every truck that enters the strip and rejecting whole shipments because they contained items like children's scissors or wooden instead of cardboard boxes for toys. In multiple instances, the Israeli military has fired on on aid convoys and on people gathering to receive aid, killing scores.
"We have repeatedly attempted to deliver additional aid and we have repeatedly called for the access challenges we have faced for months to be addressed. Instead, the situation for children is getting worse by each passing day. Our efforts in providing life-saving aid are being hampered by unnecessary restrictions, and those are costing children their lives," Russell said.
Ultimately, Russell continued, the only way to properly feed and treat Gaza's children is for Israel to stop its attack on the strip.
"An immediate humanitarian cease-fire continues to provide the only chance to save children's lives and end their suffering," Russell concluded. "We also need multiple land border crossings that allow aid to be reliably delivered at scale, including to northern Gaza, along with the security assurances and unimpeded passage needed to distribute that aid, without delays or access impediments."
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