Donald Trump’s former budget director is reportedly playing a significant advisory role for House Republicans as they seek to leverage a fast-approaching debt ceiling crisis to enact spending cuts that would disproportionately impact low-income working families.
The Washington Post reported former Office of Management and Budget chief Russ Vought “has emerged as one of the central voices shaping the looming showdown over federal spending and the national debt.”
“As Republicans struggle to craft a strategy for confronting the Biden administration over the debt ceiling, which limits how much the government can borrow to pay for spending Congress has already approved, Vought has supplied them with a seemingly inexhaustible stream of advice: suggestions for negotiating with the White House, briefings about dealing with the media, a 104-page memo that proposes specific spending levels for every federal agency,” the Post reported (2/19.
More specifically, Vought has suggested that the GOP sideline efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare and instead focus on a “push to obliterate almost all other major forms of federal spending, especially programs that benefit lower-income Americans, and dare Biden to stand in the way.”
Vought’s agenda, the Post noted, proposes $9 trillion in federal spending cuts over the next 10 years, targeting thousands of domestic programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
If adopted, Vought’s proposal would inflict $2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, potentially compromising coverage for millions across the United States—and compounding the impact of lapsing pandemic protections.
Vought’s proposed cuts to SNAP—a food aid program long attacked by Republicans—would amount to $400 billion. A recent survey found that 64% of respondents said affording food is one of the biggest challenges they’re facing amid elevated inflation.
SNAP accounts for a tiny fraction of the federal government’s overall spending, Jake Johnson noted at CommonDreams (2/20).
“At a moment when food distribution centers are seeing increases in demand as American families struggle to feed their children, Republican lawmakers are putting families in their political crossfire by threatening to dramatically decrease spending on essential programs like SNAP. The timing of this could not be worse,” said Ailen Arreaza, executive director of ParentsTogether. “Further cuts to essential policies helping families to keep food on the table would be unconscionable—and those politicians responsible will pay a political price.”
Vought, who is also urging Republicans to cut Labor Department funding in half and slash the Affordable Care Act, presents such austerity as needed to rein in an out-of-control federal bureaucracy. But as the Post notes, Vought “oversaw enormous increases in the national debt as Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget,” making clear to critics that his priority is gutting programs that low-income people rely on to meet basic needs.
“The Republican playbook is always to drive more people deeper into poverty, while giving kickbacks and tax breaks to their super-rich friends,” said progressive organizer and former congressional candidate Melanie D’Arrigo.
More than 70 House Republicans have introduced legislation that would make 2017 Trump tax cuts for individuals permanent, a major giveaway to the rich that would cost the federal government around $2.2 trillion in revenue through 2032.
The Biden White House and congressional Democrats have indicated that they would oppose federal spending cuts as part of any deal to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a catastrophic default, which could come as soon as this summer if lawmakers don’t act.
BIDEN RAISES SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE AWARENESS AND MAKES GOP LOOK LIKE FOOLS. President Joe Biden had a strategy going into his State of the Union address: Draw Republicans into a back-and-forth on Social Security and Medicare that simultaneously raises the profile of the issues while diminishing his rivals’ stature, Kerry Eleveld noted at DailyKos (2/16)
New polling from the progressive consortium Navigator Research suggests he largely succeeded on both fronts. But the polling also shows continued room for improvement on the economy.
The survey released Feb. 16 found the share of registered voters who now rate Social Security and Medicare a top-four issue increased by 4 points since the last poll conducted in late January. Social Security/Medicare now ranks as voters’ No. 3 issue at 34%, with Jobs/Economy No. 2 at 46% and Inflation No. 1 at 55%.
Democrats also enjoy a 14-point advantage over Republicans on protecting Social Security/Medicare, with 50% preferring Biden and the Democratic Party compared to just 36% who trust the Republican Party. Democrats also maintain a 16-edge on the matter among independents.
In addition to the president getting traction on Social Security and Medicare, Republicans’ juvenile responses also played poorly among voters nationwide, with a 44% plurality disapproving of their behavior during the address compared to just 30% who approved (net -14). Republicans were 13 points underwater among those who watched part or all of the speech live, with a 55% majority disapproving to a somewhat notable 42% who apparently liked what they saw. There’s no accounting for taste.
Congressional Republicans also get particularly negative reviews on the way they are handling their jobs more generally, with 58% disapproving to just 36% approving (net -22).
On the negative side, the survey continued to show Republicans are more trusted than Democrats on jobs/economy, 46%-42%, and inflation, 49%-38%. In fact, Navigator notes that Republicans’ advantage on inflation has grown 4 points since mid-January, from +7 points to +11 points.
AMID OHIO NIGHTMARE, RAIL WORKERS ALLIANCE URGES LABOR TO BACK RAILROAD NATIONALIZATION. An alliance representing rail workers across the US published an open letter (2/16) urging all of organized labor to support the nationalization of the country’s railroad system, arguing that the private and inadequately regulated industry has “shown itself incapable of doing the job,” Jake Johnson noted at CommonDreams (2/17)
“In face of the degeneration of the rail system in the last decade, and after more than a decade of discussion and debate on the question, Railroad Workers United (RWU) has taken a position in support of public ownership of the rail system in the United States,” reads the letter, which was published as the small town of East Palestine, Ohio was attempting to recover from the toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train two weeks earlier.
“We ask you to consider doing the same, and announce your organization’s support for rail public ownership,” continues the letter, which was addressed to unions as well as environmental, transportation justice, and workers’ rights organizations. “While the rail industry has been incapable of expansion in the last generation and has become more and more fixated on the operating ratio to the detriment of all other metrics of success, precision scheduled railroading (PSR) has escalated this irresponsible trajectory to the detriment of shippers, passengers, commuters, trackside communities, and workers.”
PSR is a Wall Street-backed model that has taken hold across the US rail industry, gutting workforces and undermining safety in pursuit of more “efficiency” and larger profits for rail carriers and rich investors. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 trains derail every year.
In its open letter, RWU—whose ranks include workers from a number of different unions and rail professions—noted that “on-time performance is suffering” and “shipper complaints are at all-time highs” as rail carriers prioritize their profit margins over all else.
Norfolk Southern, which also owns the train that derailed outside of Detroit (2/16), brought in record revenue and profits in 2022.
“Passenger trains are chronically late, commuter services are threatened, and the rail industry is hostile to practically any passenger train expansion,” RWU’s letter states. The workforce has been decimated, as jobs have been eliminated, consolidated, and contracted out, ushering in a new previously unheard-of era where workers can neither be recruited nor retained. Locomotive, rail car, and infrastructure maintenance have been cut back. Health and safety have been put at risk. Morale is at an all-time low.”
The alliance also pointed to the White House-brokered contract that Congress forced rail workers to accept last year as evidence of broader industry dysfunction. At the center of the contract negotiations—which nearly resulted in a nationwide strike—was the issue of paid sick leave, which is denied to most rail workers due to PSR.
The solution, RWU contended, is to nationalize the rail industry, a step that would open the door to “a new fresh beginning for a vibrant and expanding, innovative, and creative national rail industry to properly handle the nation’s freight and passengers.” The organization is calling on allies to back its resolution supporting public ownership.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN ON TEXAS BORDER SAYS ASYLUM BILL ‘HAS 0% CHANCE OF GETTING SIGNED.’ House Republicans’ first immigration-related bill in the new Congress is so extreme it derailed itself, after so-called moderates refused to sign on. One of them, Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales condemned Texas Rep. Chip Roy’s bill gutting US asylum early on as “not Christian” and “very anti-American,” Gabe Ortiz noted at DailyKos (2/20)
He’s been even more vocal since then, The Texas Tribune noted. “Anyone who thinks a 3-page anti-immigration bill with 0% chance of getting signed into law is going to solve the border crisis should be buying beach front property in AZ,” Gonzales tweeted.
Gonzales also told the conservative Washington Examiner that it’s “in the interest of many politicians” to have immigration-related issues “continue to flare up,” The Texas Tribune continued.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to fast-track Roy’s bill as part of his corrupt bargain, but after blowback from so-called moderates, it’s been sent back to committee. Even if passed the House, Ortiz noted, it’s not getting picked up by Senate Democrats.
Gonzales added that, as a lawmaker representing the border region, he doesn’t have the “luxury” of pumping out messaging bills. He might believe that’s true, but it’s his own party that he needs to chat up. Particularly Senate Republicans, who derail bills passed by the House by refusing to help overcome the Jim Crow filibuster. Even just bipartisan immigration talks get derailed by Republicans. Sure, Gonzales feels he might not have the “luxury” to play politics. But way too many Republicans feel they do.
GREGG ABBOTT’S BORDER PHOTO OP NEEDS $460 MILLION TO GET THROUGH THE SUMMER. One of the oldest anti-immigrant tropes is that undocumented people are a massive drain on our government’s resources, despite paying billions of dollars in local, state, and national taxes annually. The truth is that Republican officials are the actual moochers, Gabe Ortiz notes at DailyKos (2/14). The Texas Tribune reports that Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border stunt needs nearly $2 billion to continue running through the two-year budget cycle beginning in September.
Nearly $460 million is needed to keep the political stunt operational just through this August, a top Texas Military Department (TMD) official said. Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer revealed that Abbott had already given TMD nearly $290 million swiped from other agencies just to keep Operation Lone Star running for a couple months, from January to March. But, please, keep telling us how immigrant families are the burdens to taxpayers.
“The mission has proven costly,” The Texas Tribune said. “In September 2021, the Texas Legislature approved nearly $2 billion to ramp up the border operation intended to curb the number of migrants crossing from Mexico.” But TMD “quickly burned” through funding because Abbott increased the Texas National Guard deployment at the US/Mexico border.
Just over 4,500 soldiers are currently deployed to the region, and they have complained about late pay, equipment shortages while subjected to poor living conditions, and a payroll screw-up that could leave them paying huge amounts in back taxes. Several soldiers deployed by Abbott have died by suicide. Just last month, one soldier shot an unarmed migrant.
The political operation has been a disaster, yet Abbott has nevertheless moved funds from agencies that have nothing to do with this scheme to help pay for it, promising to pay them Tuesday for a hamburger today. “Last year, top state officials, at the behest of Abbott, transferred more than $1.3 billion to the military department to keep its border operations going,” the report continued.
But his financial shenanigans could turn out to be unlawful. Abbott (along with Florida’s Ron DeSantis, a fellow nativist) is currently under investigation by the Treasury Department inspector general after congressional lawmakers urged the watchdog to probe his very questionable use of federal coronavirus funds. Lawmakers said state agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Juvenile Justice Department “received billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds,” but expressed alarm the right-wing governor “may be allocating funds intended for coronavirus relief to fund Operation Lone Star.”
YET ANOTHER QUESTIONABLE REPUBLICAN RESUME HAS EMERGED. The newest faces of Congress continue to surprise, but not in the way voters might’ve hoped when they cast their ballots.
The latest sketchiness comes from Middle Tennessee, where the resumé of freshman Republican Rep. Andy Ogles—who won a highly gerrymandered seat in November—is getting a closer look. According to NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, Ogles has at various times claimed to be a businessman, an economist, law enforcement, and even an “expert in international sex crimes,” Jen Hayden noted at DailyKos (2/17)
Ogles gained a national spotlight during the vote to make Kevin McCarthy (barely) speaker of the House when he initially opposed McCarthy, alongside fellow freshman scammers George Santos and Anna Paulina Luna. Since then, NewsChannel 5 has unpacked his resumé, and bit by bit, his backstory seems to be full of holes.
For instance, during an appearance on C-SPAN, Ogles claimed to be an economist and said he was seeking a position on the House Financial Services Committee. It wasn’t the first time he’d made the claim. In an interview with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and longtime evangelical lobbyist, Ogles said, “I’m an economist. I worked in economics, in health care, and so the budget of the county was in disrepair, so I ran to fix it.”
Heck, over on his official congressional bio, it says quite clearly: “Andy obtained his degree from MTSU, where he studied policy and economics.”
Just one problem: Middle Tennessee State University refuses to release his records, apparently at Ogles’ request, and there is no record he studied economics. In fact, as NEWSChannel 5 dug deeper, it found a copy of Ogle’s 2009 resumé in which he claimed a degree in international relations, with minors in psychology and English.
Ogles also made the extraordinary claim that he had a “mid-life crisis” in 2009 and decided to go into law enforcement. According to NewsChannel 5, Ogles was sworn in as a volunteer reserve deputy with the Williams County Sheriff’s Office in 2009, but two years later, he lost the volunteer gig for “not meeting minimum standards, making no progress in field training and failure to attend required meetings.”
That hasn’t stopped Ogles from repeatedly claiming he “worked in human trafficking.” The Williams County Sheriff’s Department has strongly refuted his claims.
“There is nothing in Mr. Ogles training or personnel file that indicates he had any involvement in ‘international sex trafficking’ in his capacity as a reserve deputy,” Williamson County sheriff’s spokesperson Sharon Puckett told NewsChannel 5.
Finally, Ogles claimed to be the chief operating officer of the nonprofit Abolition International in 2011, where he oversaw “operations and investments in 12 countries” and again claimed he worked to bust human trafficking with this organization.
Hats off to NewsChannel 5 really doing terrific work exposing his embellishments and/or outright fiction. Reporters found tax records that show Ogles was only paid $4,000 for part-time work and an archived copy of the nonprofit’s website from 2012, which shows no mention of busting human trafficking. The site says the organization was merely providing grants to “holistic ministries.”
Ogles has now joined the ranks of other ethically dubious freshman lawmakers, including Ana Paulina Luna, who claimed to be “raised Messianic Jew” by her father. Her family vehemently denies she had a Jewish upbringing and notes her paternal grandfather immigrated to Canada after serving time as a German soldier in World War II. You can read more about her questionable resumé via the online version.
And of course, Ogle joins New York’s Anthony Devolder George Santos, who has far too many ethical and potentially criminal infractions to list here.
From The Progressive Populist, March 15, 2023
Blog | Current Issue | Back Issues | Essays | Links
About the Progressive Populist | How to Subscribe | How to Contact Us