Political Opinion

The Lobby
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McConnell rejects NRSC Chair Rick Scott’s tax pitch

Driving the news: Standing before a crowd of reporters at the Capitol, Tuesday afternoon, McConnell sentenced the Scott plan to death.

  • “We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years,” McConnell said.

  • “That will not be part of the Republican Senate Majority agenda. We will focus instead on what the American people are concerned about: inflation, energy, defense, the border and crime.”

13387

Scoop: Biden team split on China tariffs

Biden administration officials are debating how — and even whether — to lower some of former President Trump’s tariffs against China to help ease inflation, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

13388

Some here continue to play the China card on inflation, sure you can blame China tariffs on Dollar Tree now charging $1.25 for everything, but this has nothing to do with fuel cost, Fuel cost are all on biden/democrats, and debating China tariffs is not going to lower diesel prices

Making China the issue is simply doubling down on stupid, Fuel cost are the real issue, lets have an adult conversation on that

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13389

who said fuel has nothing to do with inflation, there’s no need to hide who you’re talking about

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If we had a true Free Market, the current pricing in Fuel would work it’s self out and soon return to normal, but we do not have a true Free Market in the US. We have market that is heavily manipulated and regulated by the government. These prices at the pump are totally the end result of government action, specifically government actions in the last 15 months, China and the previous administration have no influence on current rising fuel prices, This is an internal US problem caused by actions of the current administration

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13391

The Keystone XL pipeline was designed to carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada and North Dakota to refineries along the Gulf Coast. The United States consumed nearly 20 million barrels of oil a day last year, and global consumption was close to 100 million barrels, so the pipeline – which was far from completion when Biden revoked a permit – would have contributed less than 1% to the world supply of oil.

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Mr. Biden warned that his ban on imports of Russian oil, gas and coal, announced on Tuesday as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, would cause gas prices to rise further. High costs are expected to last as long as the confrontation does.

While Republican lawmakers supported the ban, they asserted that the pain at the pump long preceded the war in Ukraine. Gas price hikes, they said, were the result of Mr. Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, the temporary halt on new drilling leases on public lands and the surrendering of “energy independence” — all incorrect assertions.

The primary reason for rising gas prices over the past year is the coronavirus pandemic and its disruptions to global supply and demand.

As pandemic restrictions loosened worldwide and economies recovered, demand outpaced supply. That was “mostly attributable” to the decision by OPEC Plus, an alliance of oil-producing countries that controls about half the world’s supply, to limit increases in production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Domestic production also remains below prepandemic levels, as capital spending declined and investors remained reluctant to provide financing to the oil

13393

Fearmongering- The action of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about a particular issue .

Facts and fearmongering can sometimes be hard to separate.

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biden/democrats declared war on the oil/gas industry on day one, this is all 100% on biden,

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you talking about the market reaction to the pipeline cancellation doesn’t mean that inflation resulted from it directly. Someone has to get rich, right?

Denis, let’s agree to disagree, and hopefully we’ll both live to see another day :pray:

13396

For entertainment purposes only

Thank you, Jen.

13397

confidence and cockiness walk down the same street, but on opposite sides

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"Joe Biden Is Trump's Greatest Strategist - YouTube

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Be Afraid - Be very Afraid !

“The Geat MAGA King…” - (Sleepy Joe)

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13400

Congress congress congress

American-made Javelin and Stinger missiles are heading to Ukraine. At least 20 members of Congress personally invest in the defense contractors behind them.

  • Defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon manufacture weapons that are heading to Ukraine.
  • At least 19 members of Congress or their spouses hold stock in these companies.
  • Some lawmakers sit on congressional committees that regulate defense policy.

Some members of Congress stand to personally profit off Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The stock holdings by members of Congress come as the US is preparing to send billions of dollars in defense aid to Ukraine. Both companies’ stock — especially that of Lockheed Martin — have risen since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Among those investing in the defense contractors is Republican Rep. John Rutherford of Florida who purchased between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of Raytheon stock on February 24 — the day Russia invaded Ukraine.

Another Republican, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Lockheed Martin shares on February 22.

Other federal lawmakers have traded stock in the defense contractors in recent weeks. Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee and her husband made three separate Raytheon trades worth up to $15,000 and Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida sold up to $15,000 in Lockheed Martin stock but retained shares in the company.

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More money on the way?

Zelensky welcomes U.S. Senate delegation led by McConnell to Kyiv in surprise visit

Zelensky shared a video of the surprise meeting online on Saturday, calling the visit a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine.

The footage shows Republican Sens. John Barrasso, of Wyoming; Susan Collins, of Maine; and John Cornyn, of Texas, walking alongside McConnell, of Kentucky, in Ukraine’s capital.

13402

My previous statement regarding inner city violence now has to be amended to refer to terrorism violence, may God protect us all from it

‘A Military-Style Execution’: 18-Year-Old Accused White Supremacist Kills 10 People In Buffalo Grocery Store In Orchestrated Terror Attack

Authorities say Payton Gendron, a heavily armed white 18-year-old man, entered the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominately Black neighborhood around 2:30 p.m. and unloaded a fusillade of bullets.

He identifies himself as a white supremacist.

“We are now investigating terrorism charges, other murder charges, along with working with our partners in the federal government so that they can perhaps file charges as well.

13403

This is the headline, does not matter what the “Not” is , it is never biden’s fault

Let’s Go branden

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13404

What the F is going on in my once land of plenty, some here I am sure will blame it on China, but one thing is certain " it is not biden’s fault"

Let’s go branden

1a

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13405

A shortage of baby formula has provoked misleading partisan claims that suggest President Joe Biden is responsible for the “bare shelves.” But the shortage has been caused by a recall and plant shutdown by a major manufacturer and ongoing supply-chain issues due to the pandemic.

The U.S. shortage has been driven largely by a recall from Abbott Nutrition, a major manufacturer of formula, and ongoing supply-chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts.

Recall Following Illness and Deaths of Infants

Between September and January, four infants became ill with Cronobacter, a bacterial infection, and two of them died. The Food and Drug Administration is still investigating.

Strict Regulations on Baby Formula

“Since the shutdown of Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis facility … the remaining baby formula manufacturers have struggled to quickly increase production because their operations were planned and designed to produce a steady level of product based on their pre-production projections of consumer demand,” Kevin Lyons, a professor at Rutgers Business School with expertise in supply chain management, told FactCheck.org in an email.

Pandemic Supply-Chain Challenges

Supply-chain problems include raw material and labor shortages, Lyons said, as well as suppliers and consumers making panic purchases.

Sources

Datasembly. Press release. “Nation-wide Out-Of-Stock is now at 43% for the week ending May 8th.” 10 May 2022.

White House. Press release. “FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Additional Steps to Address Infant Formula Shortage.” 12 May 2022.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Abbott Voluntarily Recalls Powder Formulas Manufactured at One Plant.” 17 Feb 2022.

Dumas, Breck. “Baby formula shortage hits ‘crisis’ level, sparking panic in parents across US.” Fox Business. Updated 10 May 2022.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Investigation of Cronobacter Infections: Powdered Infant Formula (February 2022).” Updated 11 May 2022.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Cronobacter and Powdered Infant Formula Investigation.” Updated 12 May 2022.

National WIC Association. “WIC Providers Respond to Abbott Recall of Powder Infant Formula.” 23 Feb 2022.

Oliveira, Victor. U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Winner Takes (Almost) All: How WIC Affects the Infant Formula Market.” 1 Sep 2011.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Takes Important Steps to Improve Supply of Infant and Specialty Formula Products.” 10 May 2022.

Abbott. Press release. “Abbott Provides Infant Formula Update.” 11 May 2022.

Lyons, Kevin. Professor, Rutgers Business School. Email to FactCheck.org. 11 May 2022.

Wowak, Kaitlin. Professor, University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Email to FactCheck.org 12 May 2022.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Questions & Answers for Consumers Concerning Infant Formula.” Updated 7 Mar 2018.

H.R.6940. An act to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to strengthen the authority under that Act to assure the safety and nutrition of infant formulas, and for other purposes. As enacted 26 Sep 1980.

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Baby Formula Shortage: House Oversight Committee Launches Probe Into Four Largest Manufacturers