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bill pascrell
The Best Bill Pascrell Takedowns of 'Lowlife' Trump and His 'Soulless Goons'
The feisty Democratic congressman from New Jersey died August 21.
Aug 21, 2024
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a longtime congressman from New Jersey and unflinching critic of former President Donald Trump, died at 87 years old on Wednesday, his family announced.
Pascrell (D-N.J.), a former public school teacher, state assemblyman, and mayor of Paterson, was first elected to Congress in 1996 and served 14 terms.
His death led to an outpouring of tributes from dignitaries in New Jersey and across the country. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called him "a constant fighter for what is right and just."
Pascrell, not one to hold back for fear of impropriety, was known for memorable one-liners. After he arrived in Washington, he put a bumper sticker on his door that said "NAFTA is Shafta," expressing his opposition to free trade agreements.
"The joy of Bill Pascrell is you never walked away from Bill Pascrell saying he was undecided," Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), his colleague on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said in 2020.
As he advanced in age, Pascrell became something of an ally to younger colleagues, endorsing a Green New Deal, for example. In 2019, he tweeted a satirical article from The Onion titled "82-Year-Old New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Quietly Asks Ilhan Omar If He Can Be Part Of The Squad."
"Well. How 'bout it," he jokingly asked the the small, left-wing band of lawmakers, getting an immediate "You're in, Bill Pascrell!" in response from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Mostly, Pascrell was known in his later years for his no-holds-barred criticism of Trump—whose tax returns he pursued vigorously, in his role on the Ways and Means Committee—and other Republicans, and the comedy he produced at their expense.
Pascrell took seeming delight in Trump's recent felony conviction in the New York hush money trial.
Good morning. Republican donald trump is a convicted criminal. pic.twitter.com/YxrRcIJSDG
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 13, 2024
A few days earlier, Pascrell took aim at U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who's been mired in controversy for unreported gifts he accepted from Republican megadonors in the past. Pascrell posted an artistic rendering, based on a real scene from five years ago, of Thomas smoking a cigar while he sits beside megadonor Harlan Crow, his main benefactor, and right-wing legal influencer Leonard Leo, among others.
Corrupt republican supreme court judges are taking bribes from billionaires while attacking your rights and crushing democracy pic.twitter.com/UaQgkfLPIO
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 9, 2024
Pascrell communicated with a directness that many Democratic officeholders are reluctant to employ, drawing praise—and smiles—from left-leaning followers of his social media account.
The republican party’s record is a disgrace and all Americans should see it for themselves. Please share. pic.twitter.com/FpTgtfo4Dd
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 23, 2023
In 2018, when Trump remarked that immigrants were coming to the U.S. from "shithole" countries, Pascrell invoked a racist character from the 1970s sitcom All in the Family.
Once again, @POTUS has made a fool of himself & our nation on a worldwide stage. He’s showing his bigoted tendencies in ways that would make Archie Bunker blush. White House statement makes it even more obvious that this president needs some help - what a national disgrace! https://t.co/j0N4K4c495
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) January 11, 2018
Pascrell, who was an advocate for veterans who'd suffered brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, objected to Trump's disrespect for those who'd given their lives for the country.
Trump wouldn’t visit a cemetery for US soldiers who gave their lives in battle because he said it was “filled with losers.”
What more can be said about this lowlife? He is beneath contempt. Republicans keep him in office bc they value their power more than America’s honor. https://t.co/koxOz6kkHm
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) September 3, 2020
During the pandemic, Pascrell warned that Trump's approach to dealing with Covid-19 could be deadly for Americans.
🚨 Trump and his soulless goons are trying to reduce covid testing to lower the number of reported positive cases.
Responsible for countless dead Americans, trump is willing to kill even more to make himself look better.
The republican party is a direct threat to your life. https://t.co/2ujI9odmrd
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) August 26, 2020
Trump's attorney general, William "Bill" Barr, was a frequent target of Pascrell's wrath: The congressman called him the "worst most corrupt despicable attorney general in U.S. history." So when Barr made claims about the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots of 2020, Pascrell proved skeptical.
Bill barr is a lying disgrace whose word isn’t worth a nickel. Barr should be impeached and then stripped of his personal law licenses for life. #ImpeachBarr #DisbarBarr https://t.co/TG9FqL03q1
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) September 1, 2020
In a 2020 debate, when Trump interrupted President Joe Biden while the then-Democratic nominee spoke about the military service of his son Beau Biden, who'd died of cancer five years earlier, Pascrell was unimpressed.
Trump smearing Beau Biden. There is no low for this lowlife piece of impeached garbage. #Debate2020
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@PascrellforNJ) September 30, 2020
Pascrell was an indefatigable critic of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, whom he said had tried to sabotage—that is, slow down—the work of the U.S. Postal Service as a way of helping Trump's elections chances in 2020. (Most mail-in votes were for Democrats.) Pascrell blamed not just DeJoy but also the service's Board of Governors who had appointed the Republican businessman as their head.
Good question. On Jan 25 I was the first member of Congress calling for @POTUS to fire the entire USPS Board of Governors. They’re complicit in dejoy’s destruction. Americans are fed up. Time to clean house at USPS. https://t.co/wTGmjL9Ws4 pic.twitter.com/YZjJPU7oDs
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) February 7, 2021
Pascrell kept beating the drum against DeJoy, unsuccessfully, until he died. (DeJoy is still the postmaster general.) The congressman also regularly used social media as a platform to argue that Republicans posed a threat to democracy.
Tapping the sign as republicans today again try to destroy your voting rights pic.twitter.com/a4gIgZ9ZgJ
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 10, 2024
Pascrell, who was the second-oldest member of the House, will likely be replaced by another Democrat, as his district leans solidly blue.
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Protect Social Security by Dumping GOP 'Death Panel,' Say 116 House Dems
"We cannot allow House Republicans to ram through their closed-door commission that is designed to fast-track cuts to the benefits hardworking Americans rely on," asserted Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.
Jan 12, 2024
Decrying Republican plans for "ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors" via a so-called fiscal commission, more than half of U.S. House Democrats on Thursday urged congressional leaders to scrap plans to fast-track the controversial panel.
Fiscal commission legislation being considered by the House Budget Committee "would create a process in which legislating would be done by a small group of individuals behind closed doors" to pass a law "that cuts benefits and calls for an up-or-down vote without hearings, and that is unamendable," 116 House Democrats led by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
The lawmakers continued:
There is no shortage of legislation that will improve the fiscal standing of the United States while directly benefiting the public. Democratic proposals include legislation that would extend Social Security's solvency for another generation while expanding benefits the American people rely on—benefits that haven't been expanded in more than 50 years. It is Congress' responsibility to conduct the oversight and recommend enhancements to solvency or cuts, and it should be done in the open and not behind closed doors.
In a statement, Larson said that "we cannot allow House Republicans to ram through their closed-door commission that is designed to fast-track cuts to the benefits hardworking Americans rely on, like Social Security."
"If they want to have debates about policy that directly impacts the lives and livelihoods of Americans families, we should have these discussions out in the open for our constituents to see and be a part of," he added.
While House Republicans claim the purpose of the proposed fiscal commission is to control the $34 trillion national debt, Democrats have expressed skepticism regarding their true intentions, noting that GOP lawmakers have dramatically increased the debt via tax cuts for corporations and rich Americans in recent years.
In November, House Republicans proposed cuts to Internal Revenue Service funding that would slash federal revenue by $27 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. A 2023 analysis by the Center for American Progress found that tax cuts approved during the George W. Bush and Trump administration have added $10 trillion to the national debt this century.
Social Security, meanwhile, does not add to the long-term federal deficit because the program is required by law to pay benefits from an internal trust fund and is prohibited from borrowing.
"Republicans are not serious about the deficit. They are not even serious about governing. They are serious about only one thing, and that is ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors," said Schakowsky. "A so-called fiscal commission would fast-track cuts to vital benefits Americans rely on."
"Social Security benefits are already modest—only about $21,384 a year, yet Republicans want to put these hard-earned benefits at risk," she added. "We must expand Social Security benefits, not cut them."
"Republicans are not serious about the deficit. They are not even serious about governing. They are serious about only one thing, and that is ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors."
Republican presidential candidates have openly expressed willingness to slash Social Security, a stance still viewed as the deadly "third rail" of U.S. politics. While GOP front-runner and former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have attacked rival Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, for openly advocating slashing the program and raising the retirement age, Trump told the World Economic Forum in 2020 that he would consider cutting benefits "at some point," while DeSantis said he would "revamp" Social Security.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), who signed the letter, called Social Security "one of America's great success stories."
"It stands as a monument to decency and dignity, and is a birthright of hardworking Americans, yet it has been under attack," Pascrell said on the House floor Wednesday night. "The Republican Study Committee proposed slashing Social Security benefits by $718 billion and the GOP leadership wants to create a so-called 'fiscal commission'—a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Other critics have likened Republicans' proposed fiscal commission to a "death panel." The proposal is deeply unpopular, with more than 80% of U.S. voters opposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Advocates applauded House Democrats for standing against the proposal.
"They recognize it for what it is—a scheme to slash Social Security behind closed doors," Nancy Altman, president of the advocacy group Social Security Works, told Common Dreams.
"Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate should make it clear that a commission is a poison pill, something they will never accept under any circumstances," Altman continued. "Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits. They should never be negotiating chips."
"Instead of a closed door commission, the House should hold an up or down vote on the Social Security 2100 Act," she added. "This legislation increases Social Security's modest benefits and ensures the expanded benefits can be paid in full and on time for decades to come."
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)—the nation's largest federal workers' union—said in a statement that "a fiscal commission would give a small group of lawmakers and nonelected individuals enormous power to recommend cuts to Social Security and other popular programs without any ability for the public to weigh in."
"If Congress is serious about preserving Social Security, Medicare, and similar programs for future generations, then it needs to have an honest discussion about how to do that—not pawn off these decisions to a secret group behind closed doors," Kelley continued.
"With just a week before government funding runs out for various departments including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, [Housing and Urban Development], and Transportation, Congress should focus on passing full-year funding for these and other government programs instead of trying to pawn off its tough decisions to an exclusive commission," he added.
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'Corruption, Plain and Simple': Gifts Flowed to Clarence Thomas After Salary Complaints
"What a coincidence," Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. wrote in response to ProPublica's latest revelation. "Corrupt Clarence Thomas should resign from the Supreme Court."
Dec 18, 2023
The investigative outlet ProPublica revealed Monday that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas complained about his salary to a Republican congressman more than 20 years ago, setting off concerns that the right-wing judge would resign and deprive the conservative movement of one of its most powerful champions.
What followed Thomas' private complaint to then-Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) in 2000 was "a stream of gifts from friends and acquaintances that appears to be unparalleled in the modern history of the Supreme Court," ProPublica noted Monday, pointing to the free luxury travel, private school tuition, loan forgiveness for an RV purchase, and other support that the justice has gotten from right-wing billionaires such as Harlan Crow, a Republican megadonor.
While the outlet acknowledged that there is "no evidence the justice ever raised the specter of resigning with Crow or his other wealthy benefactors," watchdogs described the latest revelations about Thomas' conduct as further evidence of the justice's corruption.
"Here's the motive for the scheme to give Clarence Thomas a lifestyle of luxury: to keep him on the court, advancing a right-wing agenda to change our rights," Lisa Graves, founder and executive director of True North Research, wrote on social media. "This is corruption, plain and simple."
"He threatened to quit the court unless he got a pay raise, then billionaires started secretly funding his luxury lifestyle and making payments to Ginni."
Thomas was reportedly hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt when he began complaining about his salary, which was $173,600 a year in 2000—equivalent to more than $300,000 today.
The justice's salary complaint to Stearns and suggestion that "one or more justices will leave soon" over supposedly insufficient pay were detailed in a June 13, 2000 memo that a judiciary official sent to then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist. ProPublica obtained the memo and other documents that shine light on how Thomas was discussing his finances at the time.
"He was one of the least wealthy members of the court, and on multiple occasions in that period, he pushed for ways to make more money. In other private conversations, Thomas repeatedly talked about removing a ban on justices giving paid speeches," the outlet reported, adding that Congress never removed the prohibition.
Following Thomas' complaint, Stearns pledged in a letter to the justice that he would "look into a bill to raise the salaries of members of the Supreme Court" and later "sought help from a lobbying firm working on the issue."
Congress did not end up giving the justices a substantial raise.
In a recent interview with ProPublica, Stearns said that he and other conservatives "wanted to make sure he felt comfortable in his job and he was being paid properly."
"His importance as a conservative was paramount," said Stearns.
ProPublica's investigation found that Thomas' finances appear to have "markedly improved" during his second decade on the high court, which has recently been embroiled in an ethics crisis stemming largely from undisclosed gifts that Thomas and fellow right-wing Justice Samuel Alito received from ultra-rich conservatives with interests before the court.
"In 2003, [Thomas] received the first payments of a $1.5 million advance for his memoir, a record-breaking sum for justices at the time. Ginni Thomas, who had been a congressional staffer, was by then working at the Heritage Foundation and was paid a salary in the low six figures," the outlet reported. "Thomas also received dozens of expensive gifts throughout the 2000s, sometimes coming from people he'd met only shortly before."
Alex Aronson, former chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, argued that ProPublica's "bombshell provides evidence of quid pro quo corruption by Clarence Thomas."
"He threatened to quit the court unless he got a pay raise, then billionaires started secretly funding his luxury lifestyle and making payments to Ginni," Aronson added.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.Y.) wrote on social media that "right-wing billionaires feared Clarence Thomas would resign and then poof glitzy trips and paid flights and free RVs and tuition materialized magically."
"What a coincidence," Pascrell continued. "Corrupt Clarence Thomas should resign from the Supreme Court."
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With Funds Opposed by GOP, IRS to Target Ultrawealthy Tax Delinquents
"This news stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by House Republicans, who want to allow wealthy tax cheats to continue business as usual," said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.
Sep 08, 2023
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Friday won praise from congressional Democrats and progressive groups for announcing "a sweeping, historic effort to restore fairness in tax compliance by shifting more attention onto high-income earners, partnerships, large corporations, and promoters abusing the nation's tax laws."
The IRS effort is enabled by some of the $80 billion in funding for the agency included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Joe Biden signed into law last year. About a quarter of that money is set to be clawed back as part of his recent deal with congressional Republicans to temporarily suspend the nation's debt limit.
The agency intends to contact about 1,600 people with incomes above $1 million and over $250,000 in tax debt, building on an earlier push that collected $38 million from more than 175 high-income earners. It also aims to expand a pilot program targeting large partnerships, with help from artificial intelligence (AI). The IRS plans to launch examinations of 75 partnerships with an average of over $10 billion in assets—including hedge funds, law firms, and real estate investors—this month.
"This new compliance push makes good on the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure the IRS holds our wealthiest filers accountable to pay the full amount of what they owe," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. "The years of underfunding that predated the Inflation Reduction Act led to the lowest audit rate of wealthy filers in our history. I am committed to reversing this trend, making sure that new funding will mean more effective compliance efforts on the wealthy, while middle- and low-income filers will continue to see no change in historically low pre-IRA audit rates for years to come."
"The nation relies on the IRS to collect funding for every critical government mission—from keeping our skies safe, our food safe, and our homeland safe. It's critical that the agency addresses fundamental gaps in tax compliance that have grown during the last decade," he added. "There is a sea change taking place at the IRS in every aspect of our operations. Anchored by a deep respect for taxpayer rights, the IRS is deploying new resources towards cutting-edge technology to improve our visibility on where the wealthy shield their income and focus staff attention on the areas of greatest abuse."
The commissioner pledged that "we will increase our compliance efforts on those posing the greatest risk to our nation's tax system, whether it's the wealthy looking to dodge paying their fair share or promoters aggressively peddling abusive schemes. These steps are critical for the future of the nation's tax system."
Americans For Tax Fairness was among the organizations that celebrated the announcement on social media, declaring that "this is what happens when you give the IRS the funding it needs to catch rich tax cheats."
Groundwork Action highlighted that the agency's new moves are "all possible thanks to additional resources from the Inflation Reduction Act," while its sister organization Groundwork Collaborative said, "Just think of what we can accomplish with a fully funded IRS and a tax code that makes corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share."
However, such policies are highly unlikely to pass in the current Congress, with many Republicans who continue to not only oppose IRS funding but also push for tax bills designed to serve rich individuals and companies.
In addition to welcoming the "historic crackdown on rich tax cheats," Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) said, "Reminder: every single Republican in Congress voted against this crackdown on big business tax cheats."
Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) similarly praised the IRS while calling out the congressional GOP.
"Today's announcement from the IRS makes clear that wealthy tax cheats are no longer allowed to play by a different set of rules than everyday Americans," he said in a statement. "I'm pleased to see the IRS using the enforcement funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to crack down on large, complex partnerships using groundbreaking technology—this is a big deal and represents a fresh approach to taking on sophisticated tax cheats."
"This action goes to the heart of Democrats' effort to ensure the wealthiest are paying their fair share so Medicare and Social Security can be protected and strengthened, education can be improved, and more investments can be made in priorities Americans are demanding," he added. "This news stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by House Republicans, who want to allow wealthy tax cheats to continue business as usual, paying little to no tax and asking middle-class taxpayers to foot the bill."
The New York Times reported Friday that "the fight over IRS funding is continuing, as the House and the Senate try to agree on spending legislation to avert a possible government shutdown at the end of the month. Senate Democrats want to hold the base budget of the IRS steady while holding on to some of the Inflation Reduction Act money that lawmakers had agreed to rescind as part of the debt limit deal, while House Republicans are pushing for far deeper cuts that would eat into the tax agency's enforcement budget."
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House Democrats Call on Clarence Thomas to Resign Over 'Stunning' Corruption
"Justice Thomas' alleged actions don't just appear corrupt, they are corrupt," said Rep. Ted Lieu.
Aug 11, 2023
Several House Democrats on Thursday pushed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to immediately resign after the investigative outlet ProPublica revealed fresh details about the powerful judge's billionaire-funded—and undisclosed—luxury vacations.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Thomas' "alleged actions are not just shocking, they are illegal."
"Disclosure laws like the ones Justice Thomas allegedly violated are meant to provide transparency and prevent corruption," Lieu added. "Justice Thomas' alleged actions don't just appear corrupt, they are corrupt because of the unprecedented scale of his ethical and legal violations. Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and eroded the credibility of the Supreme Court. Justice Thomas should resign immediately."
ProPublica reported Thursday that Thomas has taken at least 38 luxury trips on the dime of ultrawealthy executives and Republican donors, some of whom have had business interests reach the high court.
The outlet noted that "while some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises, and expensive sports tickets."
ProPublica's detailed account of the gifts Thomas has received for decades from a group of right-wing executives renewed outrage over the Supreme Court's lack of ethical standards. Unlike every other federal court in the U.S., the Supreme Court does not have a binding code of ethics, providing an opening for justices to take dozens of private jet flights and stay at luxury resorts with the help of conservative billionaires.
"No justice should accept these types of gifts," Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Thursday. "Thomas has repeatedly brought dishonor and ethical malpractice to our highest court. I reiterate my call that he must resign. This is exactly why we need SCOTUS ethics reform."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Thomas' conduct "unprecedented," "stunning," and "disgusting," writing that it is "the height of hypocrisy to wear the robes of a SCOTUS [justice] and take undisclosed gifts from billionaires who benefit from your decisions."
"Resign," she added.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) joined his colleagues in demanding Thomas' resignation, slamming the right-wing justice as "corrupt as hell."
Thomas insists that he has "always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," but the justice has a long history of failing to disclose key items, such as income that his wife has received from right-wing organizations.
In April, after ProPublica reported that Thomas has been taking undisclosed yacht and private jet trips funded by billionaire GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for more than two decades, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told The Lever that she would be willing to draft articles of impeachment against Thomas if no other House member did so.
To date, no House lawmaker has unveiled articles of impeachment even as the Supreme Court's ethical crisis spirals further out of control. An impeachment vote against Thomas would stand no chance in the House, which is controlled by Republicans.
A few House Democrats nevertheless voiced support for an impeachment vote on Thursday.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) noted that she "called for a vote to impeach Justice Thomas if he would not resign back in April—before we even knew just how much farther his corruption goes thanks to ProPublica's reporting."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), for her part, wrote Thursday, "Today's a good day to impeach Clarence Thomas."
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Dems' Wealth Tax Bill Would Extend Social Security Solvency by 75+ Years: Analysis
"This bill shows that Social Security is fully affordable—as long as the wealthiest among us pay their fair share," said one advocate.
Jul 11, 2023
Legislation recently introduced by a pair of Democratic U.S. lawmakers to save Social Security for generations to come would extend the vital social program's lifespan by at least 75 years, according to a federal analysis published Tuesday.
The Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act—introduced in April by Senate Budget Committee Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), with a companion bill put forth Tuesday by Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) in the House—"would extend Social Security solvency indefinitely by making the nation's highest earners contribute their fair share," Boyle's office said in a statement Tuesday.
The bill would require taxpayers making more than $400,000 annually to contribute more to Medicare, while closing legal loopholes and also ensuring "that wealthy owners of pass-through businesses like hedge funds and private equity firms with more than $400,000 in annual income cannot avoid Medicare taxes."
The Democrats say that, if passed, their bill would also "extend Medicare solvency by an estimated 20 years."
According to an analysis by the Social Security Administration's Office of the Chief Actuary, if enacted, the legislation's provisions would be sufficient to "pay scheduled benefits in full and on time throughout the 75-year projection period."
"This legislation saves Social Security and Medicare for generations to come," Boyle said in a statement. "Social Security and Medicare represent a commitment made by this country decades ago to honor the dignity and independence of senior citizens and disabled citizens. Rather than tearing these programs down, as some in Congress want to do, we should be strengthening and securing them."
Whitehouse, who is set to hold a Wednesday hearing examining ways to protect Social Security, said that "the megarich—taking advantage of our rigged tax code—have avoided paying Social Security taxes on most of their income, threatening the promise of Social Security for future generations."
"But as the new analysis from the Social Security Administration shows, we can protect this bedrock program for all and improve our broken tax code—a win-win in my book," Whitehouse continued.
"Republicans recently joined Democrats in promising not to cut Social Security, which leaves raising revenue as the only option to protect the program," the senator added. "I invite my Republican colleagues to join me in shoring up this vital lifeline by leveling the playing field so that teachers, nurses, and firefighters aren't paying more of their income in taxes than billionaires."
In May, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced the launch of a fiscal commission tasked with finding ways to reduce the national debt. This, after the speaker struck a deal with President Joe Biden to suspend the nation's borrowing limit until 2025.
McCarthy said he was "going to make some people uncomfortable" by looking at cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
"Republicans are openly admitting they want to steal your Social Security and Medicare and then force you to work until you drop dead."
"Republicans are openly admitting they want to steal your Social Security and Medicare and then force you to work until you drop dead," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a bill introduced earlier this year by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) would increase Social Security benefits by at least $200 per month and prolong the program's solvency for decades by lifting the cap on the maximum income subject to Social Security payroll tax.
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House Hearing Puts 'GOP Tax Scam 2.0' in Spotlight
Following "recent Republican chaos, we're now back to their regularly scheduled programming: Cutting taxes for millionaires," said Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell. "They did it in 2017 and now Republicans are again pushing tax cuts for the rich."
Jun 13, 2023
House Republicans are poised to advance regressive taxation measures that would increase the federal deficit just weeks after they nearly blew up the global economy over ostensible concerns about the U.S. government's debt, eliciting condemnation from Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates.
The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing Tuesday to mark up the so-called American Families and Jobs Act (AFJA), which packages three bills: the Tax Cuts for Working Families Act, the Small Business Jobs Act, and the Build It in America Act.
This trio of bills—dubbed the "GOP Tax Scam 2.0" by the panel's ranking member, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)—would expand Trump-era tax cuts whose benefits flow overwhelmingly to corporations and the wealthy. In the wake of demanding—and winning—sharp reductions in anti-poverty spending along with other reactionary reforms during negotiations to raise the debt ceiling, the GOP-controlled House is now moving to starve the federal government of essential revenue.
"It didn't take long for the MAGA majority's alleged debt 'concerns' to go right out the window in pursuit of more wasteful tax breaks for their billionaire donors and corporations."
"It didn't take long for the MAGA majority's alleged debt 'concerns' to go right out the window in pursuit of more wasteful tax breaks for their billionaire donors and corporations that ship jobs overseas," Liz Zelnick, director of Economic Security & Corporate Power at Accountable.US, said in a statement.
"If the recent past is prologue, the MAGA majority will try to pay for their trillion-dollar corporate tax giveaway on the backs of average Americans, including devastating cuts aimed at seniors, veterans, and the food insecure," said Zelnick. "Once again, the MAGA House majority has only corporations and the wealthy in mind."
Zelnick's sentiment was echoed by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee.
"This is the most ill-considered piece of legislation that I've witnessed in years in front of this committee," said Neal. "Just 10 days after our Republican colleagues were prepared to bring the nation to the brink of default... to the precipice, if not over the edge, they now come back with a tax cut."
"Apparently, the debt only matters if it's about spending, never about tax cuts," said Neal, who lamented "$10 trillion of tax cuts" enacted in 2001, 2003, and 2017—years when Republicans held both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) derided what he called the GOP's "tax scam 2.0" as one of the worst sequels in history.
"After months of some of you actually liking the idea of keeping other people hostage, some of you are back to the single issue that unites your party: Tax cuts for the well-off," Pascrell said in a message to Republicans on the panel. "It's far past time to retire" the argument that "tax cuts 'pay for themselves.' They just don't. You can't prove it."
Among other things, the AFJA would expand corporate and business tax breaks enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) approved by congressional Republicans and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2017.
If the new proposal were to pass, the richest 1% of U.S. households would receive $28.4 billion in tax cuts (an average of $16,560) next year, compared with $1.4 billion for the poorest 20% ($40, on average), according to Steve Wamhoff, federal policy director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Because foreign investors own a substantial share of stock in U.S. corporations, they would also receive $23.8 billion next year under the legislation.
House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) has claimed that the cost of the tax cuts would be offset through a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy tax credits. But as Wamhoff explained in an analysis published earlier this week, deliberately hindering the nation's renewable energy transition would impose additional costs "in the form of greater climate damage."
Moreover, "the true costs are hidden by budget gimmicks," Wamhoff noted. "The most important budget gimmick is that the legislation enacts the biggest tax cuts for only two years even though its proponents plan to extend them in the future, making them, in effect, permanent."
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: "The bill would cost $80 billion over a decade with interest ($19 billion before interest), including $320 billion through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2025. The smaller 10-year cost is driven by several factors but mainly by the fact that most of the bill's tax cuts expire at the end of 2025. We estimate that the plan would cost over $1.1 trillion ($950 billion without interest) through 2033 if these temporary tax cuts and extensions were made permanent."
The benefits of the 2017 TCJA "never trickled down," Americans for Tax Fairness tweeted. "Instead, the rich got richer and corporations made bigger profits. We should be repealing the Trump tax cuts, not making them permanent."
In a blog post published Tuesday, Chuck Marr and Samantha Jacoby of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also urged lawmakers to "reject this bill and pursue tax policy that works better for the country as a whole—not just wealthy investors and high-income households."
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GOP Silence on Trump's Call to Axe Constitution Reveals 'Full Embrace of Fascism': House Dem
"Last week the leader of the Republican Party had dinner with a Nazi leader and a man who called Adolf Hitler 'great,'" said Rep. Bill Pascrell. "Yesterday Trump called for throwing out the Constitution and making himself dictator."
Dec 04, 2022
Repeating his thoroughly disproven lie that the 2020 election was stolen, former President Donald Trump called Saturday for discarding the U.S. Constitution to overturn his loss.
In response, pro-democracy advocates argued that Trump's comments, other recent actions, and the refusal of GOP lawmakers to denounce them are reflective of the Republican Party's growing support for right-wing authoritarianism.
In a viral post on his so-called Truth Social platform, Trump wrote:
So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great "Founders" did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!
As CNN reported, "Trump's post came after the release of internal Twitter emails showing deliberation in 2020 over a New York Post story about material found on Hunter Biden's laptop."
"Employees on Twitter's legal, policy, and communications teams debated--and at times disagreed--over whether to restrict the article under the company's hacked materials policy," the news outlet noted. "The debate took place weeks before the 2020 election, when Joe Biden, Hunter Biden's father, was running against then-President Trump."
The administration of President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump by more than seven million votes and 74 Electoral College votes, quickly responded. In a statement rebuking Trump, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said:
The American Constitution is a sacrosanct document that for over 200 years has guaranteed that freedom and the rule of law prevail in our great country. The Constitution brings the American people together--regardless of party--and elected leaders swear to uphold it. It's the ultimate monument to all of the Americans who have given their lives to defeat self-serving despots that abused their power and trampled on fundamental rights. Attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation, and should be universally condemned. You cannot only love America when you win.
By contrast, Republican Rep. Dave Joyce (Ohio) told ABC's "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that Trump's post conveying his support for overthrowing the Constitution is not a deal-breaker. The twice-impeached president officially launched his 2024 campaign last month.
"I will support whoever the Republican nominee is," said Joyce, chair of the influential Republican Governance Group.
"The leader of the Republican Party has just called for the overthrow of our fundamental law and the installation of a dictator."
When Stephanopoulos expressed disbelief that he would "support a candidate who's come out for suspending the Constitution," Joyce said: "He says a lot of things... I can't be really chasing every one of these crazy statements that come out about from any of these candidates at the moment."
Pushing back again, Stephanopoulos asked, "You can't come out against someone who's for suspending the Constitution?"
Joyce responded: "He says a lot of things... but that doesn't mean that it's ever going to happen. So you got to [separate] fact from fantasy--and fantasy is that we're going to suspend the Constitution and go backward."
Joyce's remarks are symptomatic of Republican lawmakers' refusal to censure Trump, who remains the de facto leader of the party even after his backing of election deniers weakened the GOP's midterm performance and despite his increasingly open penchant for autocracy and bigotry.
"Last week the leader of the Republican Party had dinner with a Nazi leader and a man who called Adolf Hitler 'great,'" Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell (N.J.) tweeted Sunday, referring to Trump's recent meeting with white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and antisemitic rapper Kanye West.
"Yesterday Trump called for throwing out the Constitution and making himself dictator," Pascrell added. "Republicans' full embrace of fascism is the story."
Just days ago, Trump reiterated his support for the far-right insurrectionists who participated in the deadly January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying in a video played during a fundraiser that "people have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and we're going to get to the bottom of it."
Trump claimed earlier this year that he was "financially supporting" some January 6 defendants and said that if reelected, he would "look very, very favorably" at full pardons for those being prosecuted. More than 950 people have been charged so far, including two leaders of the far-right Oath Keepers militia who were convicted last week of seditious conspiracy. In the immediate aftermath of Trump's failed coup, 147 congressional Republicans voted to reverse Biden's victory.
In an essay published Saturday, U.S. historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote that Trump's social media post "seems to reflect desperation from the former president as his political star fades and the many legal suits proceeding against him get closer and closer to their end dates."
"But the real story here is not Trump's panic about his fading relevance and his legal exposure," the Boston College professor argued. "It's that Trump remains the presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party in 2024. The leader of the Republican Party has just called for the overthrow of our fundamental law and the installation of a dictator."
"Republicans, so far, are silent on Trump's profound attack on the Constitution, the basis of our democratic government," she added. "That is the story, and it is Earth-shattering."
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With GOP House Control Looming, Pascrell Calls for Swift Release of Trump Tax Records
"Donald Trump tried to hide his tax returns from our oversight but after 1,329 days we have finally obtained the documents," said the New Jersey Democrat. "We should review and release them."
Dec 02, 2022
It took U.S. House lawmakers more than three-and-a-half years to get their hands on former President Donald Trump's federal tax returns, but with Republicans assuming control of the chamber next month, Democrats are quickly running out of time to examine and publish the highly sought-after records.
"There is no one in this country... that is above the law."
That's the stark warning issued Thursday by Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), who told Punchbowl News: "There's a time factor here. We got [until] January 3. And that doesn't count up to too much time to me."
Pascrell's comments came after he and other Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which obtained six years of Trump's tax returns on Wednesday following a prolonged legal battle in which the ex-president fought against sharing the financial documents that all of his predecessors since the 1970s had willingly disclosed, met in Chair Richard Neal's (D-Mass.) office.
As Punchbowl News reported Friday, "Neal is facing pressure from Ways and Means Democrats to move quickly to analyze Trump's returns--and possibly release them to the public--before Republicans take over and make the whole question moot."
"But Neal is providing little detail about how he plans to spend the next 32 days," the outlet noted. "In fact, the Massachusetts Democrat wouldn't even acknowledge gaining access to six years of Trump's tax returns, citing privacy laws. His nonanswer comes despite the Treasury Department saying this week it had turned over the information to the panel after the Supreme Court declined to intervene in the long-running battle with Trump."
On more than one occasion, Trump--who officially launched his 2024 campaign last month--argued in court that if Democrats were to obtain his tax records, they would immediately leak them to hurt him politically. Neal's awareness of this claim was evident as he answered reporters' questions on Thursday.
"It's very sensitive information," said Neal. "We intend to deal with it professionally the way that we have."
In contrast to the committee chair's hesitant approach, multiple Democrats on the panel, including Pascrell and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), have made clear their desire to make Trump's tax returns publicly available.
Speaking with MSNBC on Thursday, Pascrell said, "I want them all released."
"These records are so important. The delay has been as long as the Civil War," Pascrell continued. "This is unprecedented in every way. This isn't about one man. This is not about just one part of the law. This is whether we affirm that there is no one in this country--be it the president, a congressman, or whomever--that is above the law. And we intend to follow through on this."
Democrats will be racing against the clock, however.
According to Punchbowl News:
The only real information Neal divulged was that he has appointed an undisclosed number of staff to serve as "agents"--experts who can officially review Trump's tax documents.
Democrats on the panel didn't get much more info from Neal in their closed-door meeting either, according to several members we checked with after. The discussion was tense at times, with members "extremely frustrated" about the lack of transparency regarding next steps with so little time left, one Democrat told us. Led by some of their senior colleagues on the panel, Neal was grilled about his intentions and offered little on his plans.
Doggett, for his part, predicted that "before January 3, we will get some opportunity to determine--probably in executive session--whether what [the agents] found justifies our taking some further action, which could include, but does not necessarily include, releasing those to the public."
"Personally, my opinion is that it'd be very difficult for even the most skilled agent to review these documents thoroughly," he added. "I believe that reviewing them thoroughly may well indicate the need to look at some of the documents we don't even yet have."
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'Corrupt as Hell': Demands for Clarence Thomas to Resign Follow New Details of Wife's Election Scheming
"If Clarence Thomas had any shame, he would resign immediately," said one advocacy group. "But he doesn't."
Sep 01, 2022
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faced fresh calls to step down Thursday after new reporting revealed that his wife's involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election was broader than previously known, extending to the battleground state of Wisconsin as well as Arizona.
"Reminder that Clarence Thomas heard election cases while his wife conspired to overthrow democracy."
Emails obtained by the Washington Post and the organization Documented show that Ginni Thomas, a longtime far-right activist with close ties to the conservative dark money network, "messaged two Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin: state Sen. Kathy Bernier, then chair of the Senate elections committee, and state Rep. Gary Tauchen," the newspaper reported.
"Bernier and Tauchen received the email at 10:47 a.m. on November 9, virtually the same time the Arizona lawmakers received a verbatim copy of the message from Thomas," the Post added. "Ginni Thomas' political activism is highly unusual for the spouse of a Supreme Court justice, and for years it has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest for her husband. She has said that the two of them keep their professional lives separate."
But watchdog groups and Democratic lawmakers have questioned that claim and demanded that Thomas, at the very least, recuse himself from election-related cases--something he notably didn't do while his wife was engaged in attempts to keep former President Donald Trump in power.
"Reminder that Clarence Thomas heard election cases while his wife conspired to overthrow democracy," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) tweeted Thursday. "Clarence Thomas is corrupt as hell and should resign from the Supreme Court."
House Democrats have also called on the party leadership to launch impeachment proceedings against the right-wing justice, a demand backed by more than 1.2 million people across the U.S.
Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America, said in a statement Thursday that "if Clarence Thomas had any shame, he would resign immediately."
"But he doesn't," Harvey continued, "so Congress must act immediately to pass a code of ethics for the Supreme Court that would require justices to recuse themselves in cases where they have an actual or apparent conflict of interest."
The latest revelations from the Post add to the newspaper's previous reporting about Ginni Thomas' messages to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Arizona Republicans in the wake of Trump's election loss.
"Ginni Thomas didn't just push Mark Meadows to overturn the election or urge lawmakers in Arizona to ignore the popular vote," tweeted the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "She also pushed Wisconsin lawmakers to ignore Biden's victory in the state."
"Despite all this, she's still on a federal board," the group added, referring to Thomas' spot on the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board. Trump appointed her to a five-year term on the board in May 2020.
Thomas' actions in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential contest have drawn the scrutiny of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, an attack fueled by Trump's lies about the presidential election.
The Post reported Thursday that the House panel "asked Thomas to sit for a voluntary interview in June."
"The committee also sought a broad range of documents from her, including any related to plans to overturn the election and all communications with members of Congress and their staff and Justice Department employees," the Post noted. "At the time, Thomas indicated she would comply. 'I can't wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them,' Thomas told the Daily Caller, her former employer."
"Less than two weeks later, on June 28, Paoletta told the committee that while Thomas remained willing to sit for an interview, he did not believe there was 'sufficient basis' for her to do so," the Post added.
The House committee is expected to kick off a new series of hearings on the January 6 attack this month.
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