Commentary

Dem-Controlled House Ready to Take on Trump Beginning Thursday

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The changing of House leadership will mark the first time Trump will sit at a clear disadvantage as he continues to try and build a wall on the southern border and push through other parts of his divisive policy.

Published

6 years ago

January 1, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

According to several new reports, the House will vote Thursday on a funding bill to re-open the government and end the partial government shutdown.

January 3 is when the new Democratic majority in the House will be sworn in.

It’s also when President Donald Trump will begin facing what outlets like CNN said will be an intensified level of scrutiny in the new year because Democratic House committee chairs, led by prominent members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are poised to “comb through every corner of his administration, subpoena his Cabinet and investigate” Trump’s personal finances, associates and business interests.

The changing of House leadership will mark the first time Trump will sit at a clear disadvantage as he continues to try and build a wall on the southern border and push through other parts of his divisive policy.

“Democrats should not give an inch,” former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said.

Further, “Democrats can’t negotiate with Trump on the shutdown because he’s mentally incapacitated,” said former Democratic National Chair Howard Dean.

NPR noted that this week’s legislation to end the shutdown will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills and stop-gap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion in border wall funding is contained.

House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi has previously stated that the House would take up a bill to reopen government as a first order of business.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he will only put a bill on the floor if President Trump will support and sign it, NPR reported.

McConnell didn’t respond to messages left by NNPA Newswire.

The Senate previously passed a bill to keep the government open without the president’s wall funding, before Trump changed his mind and decided not to sign it, according to NPR.

The outgoing Republican House majority passed a bill with Trump’s wall funds that was not passed by the Senate, where Democratic votes are necessary for such legislation. Now, that Democrats are taking over as House majority, Trump’s battles are about to worsen.

CNN broke down the five Democratic Chairs who figure to send Trump into more of his infamous tweet storms. Among them is Waters, who has spoken outwardly of impeaching the 45th president.

Now she’ll run the Financial Services Committee, which will give her an avenue to probe the finances of Trump and the Trump Organization.

Waters has lashed out at Trump over his controversial immigration policy which led to the separation of families at the border, including infants being taken away from their mothers.

She’s also pressed for an investigation into Deutsche Bank, a lender to Trump that was separately implicated in a Russian money laundering operation in 2017 and Waters has pushed the Treasury Department to divulge financial ties between Russia and the Trump family.

The jurisdiction of Waters’ committee makes it likely she’ll clash with Trump in a way that particularly hits home for him: his finances, according to CNN.

Also, Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, will have perhaps the broadest authority to investigate Trump and his administration as the new chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

He recently spoke of Trump’s ever-secret tax filings that the president still hasn’t divulged.

“I think there’s a lot of information in them that would be of interest to my committee. For example, we’d like to know exactly what … has been the sources of income for this President,” Cummings told CNN.

“He’s made all kinds of claims that he doesn’t have relationships with Russia. He told us he didn’t have any relationships with Russia, we come to find out that’s not accurate. So, there’ve been a lot of allegations, but I think the tax returns where he has to swear that the information is accurate, that would tell us a lot,” Cummings said.

The longtime congressman has asked the administration to comply to letters he sent out recently by January 11. The letters ranged from questions about Cabinet secretary travel to immigration to security clearances to hurricane recovery efforts by the administration, CNN reported.

But Cummings has also warned that he doesn’t want his committee to only zero in on Trump’s perceived failings.

“I believe that what we do in this Congress over the next year or so will have impact for the next 50 to 100 years,” he said.

“We’re going to cautiously go about with subpoenas. … There would have to be something that has a compelling interest to the citizens of the United States and would have to be something that comes under our jurisdiction. So there’s certain criteria that has to be met. I do not expect to be issuing subpoenas – even the 64 that we’ve asked for because there are so many things that are backed up. And we’ll never get a chance to do everything.”

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org