August, 12 2022, 05:39pm EDT

Rep. Jamaal Bowman Votes Yes on and House Passes Inflation Reduction Act
Today, the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a reconciliation package of climate, healthcare, and tax measures to strengthen our economy and bring down costs for people in America. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) issued the follow statement following the bill's passage:
WASHINGTON
Today, the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a reconciliation package of climate, healthcare, and tax measures to strengthen our economy and bring down costs for people in America. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) issued the follow statement following the bill's passage:
"Many people cannot afford basic necessities to live, and many more are just one missed check or unexpected expense away from a financial catastrophe. The cost of housing, child care, groceries and transportation is astronomical without considering other necessary expenses such as life-saving medicines like insulin," said Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). "The Inflation Reduction Act - sets us on the right path. We're empowering Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities. We're making long-needed improvements to IRS enforcement and closing tax loopholes that the ultra-wealthy have taken advantage of without accountability. Billion-dollar corporations will start paying a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and a 1 percent tax on corporate stock buybacks - which marks essential progress towards making corporations pay their fair share. With this bill, we're significantly investing in the clean energy transition. Together, these measures will reduce inflation by centering people and community wellness. Progressives championing issues central to the people is how House Democrats were able to pass the Build Back Better Act. The House-passed Build Back Better Act of 2021 is why we have the Inflation Reduction Act heading to the President's desk for signature today. It is a start, and we have more work to do to fully respond to the cost of living crisis. People deserve lower insulin prices and lower drug prices in general, including if you have private health insurance. We need to protect frontline communities from fossil fuel pollution, and finally end our dependence on oil, gas, and coal. Our work continues to deliver affordable, quality housing, child care, and education, a $15 minimum wage, immigration justice, and more. As we celebrate the progress made today, we recommit to addressing every priority in Build Back Better and more."
Jamaal Anthony Bowman is an American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 16th congressional district since 2021.
(202) 225-2464LATEST NEWS
'A Trainwreck': House GOP to Hold Biden Impeachment Hearing as Shutdown Nears
"MAGA House leaders are holding baseless impeachment hearings against President Biden to deflect attention from the ongoing major legal efforts to hold Trump and his cronies accountable."
Sep 26, 2023
A government shutdown with potentially disastrous implications for millions of federal aid recipients and the overall U.S. economy is just days away, but House Republicans have made clear that their focus is not entirely on reaching a deal to prevent such an outcome.
On Monday, the GOP-controlled House Oversight Committee announced the names of the witnesses who will testify Thursday at a hearing titled, "The Basis for an Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr."
The announcement was seen as confirmation that Republicans are bent on moving ahead with what critics and the White House have described as a sham impeachment inquiry even as the government barrels toward a harmful shutdown, one made increasingly likely by far-right GOP lawmakers' push for steep federal spending cuts and other extreme demands.
The impeachment probe will be spearheaded by Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who respectively chair the House Oversight and Judiciary committees.
The first hearing is scheduled to take place just two days before the deadline to pass a government funding measure. Republicans have signaled that they won't pause their impeachment probe if the government shuts down.
"The GOP-led House is a trainwreck," Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said in a statement Monday. "Instead of focusing on resolving the budget to avoid a catastrophic government shutdown, MAGA House leaders are holding baseless impeachment hearings against President Biden to deflect attention from the ongoing major legal efforts to hold Trump and his cronies accountable for their criminal efforts to subvert the 2020 election and stop the peaceful transfer of power."
"We expect the hearings to be a rehash of the lack of evidence found connecting Hunter Biden to the president," said Gilbert. "And no matter what theatrics the MAGA circus presents during the 'impeachment hearings,' the truth is, there is no avoiding the real story—the multiple upcoming trials of those indicted in the attacks on our democracy."
The federal government will shut down on October 1 unless the House and Senate approve a funding measure by Saturday.
The Washington Postreported late Monday that the Senate is expected this week to "begin moving ahead with its own short-term solution, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, by advancing a shell bill that can eventually house an expected bipartisan deal."
"That bill, however, is probably dead on arrival in the House, unless Democrats and moderate Republicans tack it onto a vehicle that wouldn't need leadership's explicit approval for a floor vote," the Post added. "But even that course of action could cause McCarthy significant headaches, underscoring the complexity of the debate over policy and procedure that has upended the House Republican Conference for several weeks."
Twice last week, a small faction of far-right House Republicans tanked procedural votes on a military spending measure, embarrassing defeats for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who sent members home for a long weekend after the second failed vote Thursday.
House lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, but there's little public indication that Republicans are anywhere close to a deal that would keep the government open as hardliners continue to demand massive cuts to education, nutrition assistance, and other nonmilitary spending.
A recent
analysis by the Center for American Progress noted that House Republicans are pushing for an 80% cut to Title I education grants that help fund elementary and secondary schools in low-income neighborhoods as well as sharp reductions in spending on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)."
According toPolitico, "House GOP leaders on Tuesday will try to move forward on four spending bills jam-packed with conservative wins that would do nothing to avert a shutdown that looms Saturday at midnight."
"Meanwhile, McCarthy is pushing forward with a Republican-only short-term funding bill, which he could put on the floor later this week," Politico reported. "The Californian has pitched a bill that would extend reduced government funding for a month, combined with a GOP border proposal and a debt commission."
Progressives have warned that a "debt commission" is a ploy to fast-track cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
"If they get their way, women and children who count on this food assistance could soon start being turned away at grocery store counters."
The Biden White House estimated in an analysis released Monday that a government shutdown could put "vital nutrition assistance at risk for nearly 7 million women and children who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—a program that serves nearly half of babies born in this country."
"During an Extreme Republican Shutdown, women and children who count on WIC would soon start being turned away at grocery store counters, with a federal contingency fund drying up after just a few days and many states left with limited WIC funds to operate the program," the White House noted. "And the reason food assistance for these families is at risk is extreme House Republicans’ continued efforts to slash funding for vital programs, including WIC, rather than work in a bipartisan manner to keep the government open and address emergency needs for the American people."
Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, toldThe Hill on Monday that "instead of working to avoid the pain they and their extreme House Republican colleagues could inflict on Kentuckians and Ohioans with their shutdown plan, Comer and Jordan are posing for the cameras to attack President Biden with debunked smears—it's D.C. politics at its worst."
"While Comer and Jordan are focused on baseless political stunts to get themselves attention on
Fox News, 300,000 people at risk in Kentucky and Ohio—including vulnerable infants—could lose access to the food assistance they need because of extreme House Republicans' shutdown plan," said Sams. "If they get their way, women and children who count on this food assistance could soon start being turned away at grocery store counters."
Keep ReadingShow Less
IEA Says 'Unprecedented' Clean Energy Surge Has Kept Key Warming Target Alive
"The pathway to 1.5 °C has narrowed in the past two years, but clean energy technologies are keeping it open," said International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol.
Sep 26, 2023
The International Energy Agency said Tuesday that the rapid acceleration of clean energy growth worldwide has kept the Paris climate accord's critical 1.5°C warming target alive for now—but warned the continued burning of fossil fuels poses a dire threat to efforts to stave off the worst of the planetary crisis.
In a new report, the IEA noted that the adoption of clean energy technology has "surged at an unprecedented pace over the last two years," with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity additions growing by close to 50% and electric car sales rising by 240%.
"This progress reflects cost reductions for key clean energy technologies—solar PV, wind, heat pumps, and batteries—which fell by close to 80% on a deployment-weighted average basis between 2010 and 2022," according to the IEA's report.
Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said in a statement that "the pathway to 1.5°C has narrowed in the past two years, but clean energy technologies are keeping it open."
"With international momentum building behind key global targets such as tripling renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, which would together lead to a stronger decline in fossil fuel demand this decade, the COP28 climate summit in Dubai is a vital opportunity to commit to stronger ambition and implementation in the remaining years of this critical decade," Birol added.
The IEA's report comes on the heels of a record-hot summer that saw catastrophic extreme weather events across the globe—disasters that scientists say will increase in frequency and intensity if world leaders don't take immediate action to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels.
The World Meteorological Organization warned in May that there's a 66% chance that, over the next five years, global temperatures will rise beyond 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels for at least a year.
"The time for a swift, equitable, and fully funded phase-out of fossil fuels is now, with rich countries moving first and fastest."
In its new report, the IEA makes clear that despite some encouraging progress, nations—particularly the wealthy countries most responsible for fossil fuel emissions—aren't doing nearly enough to curb their polluting activities and transition to renewable energy.
The report finds that global carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector "remain worryingly high," hitting a new record last year. Additionally, the report observes that fossil fuel demand and investments in supply have increased, "spurred by the energy crisis of 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine."
"The energy sector is changing faster than many people think, but much more needs to be done and time is short," the IEA said Tuesday. "Momentum is coming not just from the push to meet climate targets but also from the increasingly strong economic case for clean energy, energy security imperatives, and the jobs and industrial opportunities that accompany the new energy economy. Yet, momentum must be accelerated to be in line with the 1.5°C goal and to ensure that the process of change works for everyone."
If nations don't rapidly scale up their climate ambitions, the IEA warned, keeping warming below 1.5°C by the end of the century would require "massive deployment" of unproven carbon removal technologies.
"This report reaffirms a stark truth: To limit global temperature rise as agreed upon internationally, there's no room for new oil, gas, or coal fields," Kelly Trout, research director of Oil Change International, said in a statement Tuesday. "The time for a swift, equitable, and fully funded phase-out of fossil fuels is now, with rich countries moving first and fastest and paying their fair share to finance a global just transition."
"As countries prepare to make serious climate commitments at COP28," Trout added, "they must take into account the unequivocal evidence that the shift away from fossil fuels must happen, and it must happen fast."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Fetterman to Return Menendez Donation... in 'Envelopes Stuffed With $100 Bills'
"The jorts-and-hoodie senator has the only rational anti-corruption position here, while all the fancy-suit senators complaining about dress codes but saying nothing about Menendez now look ridiculous," said one journalist.
Sep 25, 2023
In addition to calling for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's resignation over federal bribery charges, Sen. John Fetterman is planning to return $5,000 that the New Jersey Democrat gave to Pennsylvania Democrat's 2022 campaign.
"We are in process of returning the money," Fetterman spokesperson Joe Calvello toldThe Messenger on Monday, "in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills."
While a Menendez spokesperson did not respond to the outlet's request for comment, the embattled senator—who on Friday temporarily stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—was defiant on Monday in response to demands for him to resign from the chamber, publicly saying that "not only will I be exonerated, I will still be New Jersey's senior senator."
"Think of the ink spilled and beds wet about how John wearing a Dickies shirt and shorts will destroy the decorum of the Senate, but yet no one can muster calling for Menendez to resign."
Menendez and his wife are accused accepting bribes in the form of "cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value" in exchange for helping three businessmen and the Egyptian government.
According to the indictment unsealed Friday, federal agents who raided the Menendez home found various pieces of possible evidence, including "over $480,000 in cash—much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe."
Fetterman on Saturday was the first senator to join a growing number of House Democrats and Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in calling for Menendez—who is up for reelection next year—to resign now.
Menendez is "entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system," Fetterman said, "but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations."
In a series of posts on social media Monday, Calvello noted that "more senators, both Republicans and Democrats, have forcefully denounced how John Fetterman dresses than have called for Menendez to resign for being corrupt."
As House Republicans have continued to risk a government shutdown in recent days, GOP lawmakers and right-wing pundits have been melting down on social media and cable news over a relaxation of the Senate dress code that they have blamed on Fetterman, known for sporting more casual attire on Capitol Hill.
"This is a perfect snapshot of what is wrong with Washington and why people outside the beltway have no faith in D.C.," Calvello added. "Think of the ink spilled and beds wet about how John wearing a Dickies shirt and shorts will destroy the decorum of the Senate, but yet no one can muster calling for Menendez to resign."
The Lever's David Sirota declared Monday that "the jorts-and-hoodie senator has the only rational anti-corruption position here, while all the fancy-suit senators complaining about dress codes but saying nothing about Menendez now look ridiculous."
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Monday afternoon became just the second senator to urge his indicted colleague to willingly exit the chamber. He simply said that "Sen. Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate."
Monday night, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) became the third, saying: "Sen. Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the people of New Jersey and the United States Senate are entitled to an effective senator. The shocking and specific allegations against Sen. Menendez have wholly compromised his capacity to be that effective senator. I encourage Sen. Menendez to resign."
This post has been updated with comment from Sen. Peter Welch.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular
Independent, nonprofit journalism needs your help.
Please Pitch In
Today!
Today!