Key Republican would vote against GOP's ObamaCare replacement

Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said Monday that he could not get behind the Republican’s current plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.
Walker, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, which has 170 members, told Bloomberg that he would recommend that his fellow members reject the plan, too.
“The bill contains what increasingly appears to be a new health-insurance entitlement with a Republican stamp on it,” he said.
With the GOP-controlled Congress starting its third month of work on one of its marquee priorities, unresolved difficulties include how their substitute would handle Medicaid, whether millions of voters might lose coverage, if their proposed tax credits would be adequate and how to pay for the costly exercise.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office made their job even dicier recently, giving House Republicans an informal analysis that their emerging plan would be more expensive than they hoped and cover fewer people than former President Obama’s statute. The analysis was described by lobbyists speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations with congressional aides.
For many in the party, those problems — while major — are outweighed by pledges they’ve made for years to repeal Obama’s 2010 law and substitute it with a GOP alternative. Conservatives favoring full repeal are pitted against more cautious moderates and governors looking to curb Medicaid’s costs also worry about constituents losing coverage. But Republicans also see inaction as the worst alternative and leaders may plunge ahead as soon as next week with initial House committee votes on legislation.

“I believe they have left themselves no choice. Politically they must do something,” Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican economist and health analyst, said Monday.
President Trump spoke about health care’s complexities on a day he held White House talks with dozens of governors worried Republicans could shift a huge financial burden to the states by curbing Medicaid, the federal-state program that helps low-income people and those in nursing homes pay bills.
Trump also met with insurance company executives concerned that uncertainty about possible GOP changes could roil the marketplace. Insurers said they remain committed to working with the administration and the GOP-led Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Monday that Republicans have yet to win any Democratic support for their effort and said “the odds are very high” Obama’s law won’t be repealed.

Dems already cranking up Trump impeachment talk

Even before Donald Trump had taken the oath of office, some House Democrats, apparently stunned at the election results and bruised by being left entirely out of the Washington power structure, were suggesting impeachment was in order. The movement has only grown stronger more than a month into the Trump presidency.
It is centered around two alleged violations that Trump critics maintain rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors.
"I mean on day one he was in violation of the Emoluments Clause," Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN.) said in a recent CNN town hall.
The Emoluments Clause  to which Ellison refers, reads in part, "...no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."
Ellison's charge is based on Trump's children now running his businesses.  With no blind trust in effect, some believe there is a risk of bribery. "I think a reasonably strong case can be made and a number of constitutional scholars have  made that case, says  Julian Epstein, former counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the Clinton impeachment.
Bruce Fein, a Deputy Attorney General during the Reagan Administration, agrees. "If you can prove bribery by circumstantial evidence or something that a foreign government is patronizing the Trump Hotel in exchange for some benefit in trade or military sale, that's bribery. That clearly satisfies the impeachment standards, leaving open the possibility of bribery," he says.
The second potential violation is the charge Trump team's had Russian connections. "This President absolutely was in collusion with the Kremlin and Putin and Russia during the campaign," alleges Rep. Maxine Waters,D-Calif.
Fein believes  Waters' argument is weak, noting Trump had not been sworn into office when the alleged violation occurred. "Obviously what  he did wasn't corrupting government, he wasn't even president yet exercising presidential powers. It verges on frivolity, in my judgment," he says.
Indeed, Republicans say the charges of a Trump-Putin collusion thus far are based on anonymous leaks and hearsay. "We don’t have any evidence that they talked to Russians," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said during a press briefing on Monday.
But impeachment is more than a legal process, it's a political one, too, something that Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, noted in a panel discussion with radio talk show host Mark Levin at last week's CPAC Convention.
"Do the Democrats understand that they need to control the House of Representatives to impeach somebody?" Levin asked of Cruz.
Cruz replied to uproarious applause, "The Democrats right now are living in an alternative universe."
Epstein believes that may change."The president's support is a mile wide but an inch deep," he says. "If the president's approval numbers, which are in the low 40s right now, dip into the mid- 30s or the low 30s or the high 20s, then you could foresee a situation where  Republicans could begin to think that Mike Pence is a much better alternative," he says.
Epstein cautions against impeachment, citing his own experience. "Impeachment is a little like war," he says.  "People tend to romanticize the idea of impeaching a president when the opposition party is in the White House. I have lived through an impeachment and it's an incredibly divisive fight that leaves wounds that sometimes takes years and years to heal," he says.

Trump's first budget calling for $54B increase in defense spending faces GOP hurdle

The White House said Monday that President Trump's upcoming budget will propose a whopping $54 billion increase in defense spending and impose corresponding cuts to domestic programs and foreign aid.
The result is that Trump's initial budget wouldn't dent budget deficits projected to run about $500 billion.
White House budget officials outlined the information during a telephone call with reporters given on condition of anonymity. The budget officials on the call ignored requests to put the briefing on the record, even though Trump on Friday decried the use of anonymous sources by the media.
“The president will propose and the Congress will dispose,” Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., told Politico. “We’ll look at his budget, but at the end of the day we in Congress write the appropriations bills, and I am not one who thinks you can pay for an increase in (military) spending on the backs of domestic discretionary programs, which constitute 13 or 14 percent of all federal spending.”
Trump's defense budget and spending levels for domestic agency operating budgets will be revealed in a partial submission to Congress next month, with proposals on taxes and other programs coming later.
The big, approximately 10 percent increase for the Pentagon would fulfill a Trump campaign promise to build up the military. The senior budget office official said there will be a large reduction in foreign aid and that most domestic agencies will have to absorb cuts. He did not offer details, but the administration is likely to go after longtime Republican targets like the Environmental Protection Agency.
Tentative proposals for the 2018 budget year that begins Oct. 1 are being sent to agencies, which will have a chance to propose changes to the cuts as part of a longstanding tradition at the budget office.
Trump's budget, once finalized and sent to Congress in mid-March, is sure to set off a huge Washington battle. Democrats and some Republicans are certain to resist the cuts to domestic agencies, and any legislation to implement them would have to overcome a filibuster threat by Senate Democrats. A government shutdown is a real possibility.
Trump's budget also won't make significant changes to Social Security or Medicare, according to an administration official.
Capitol Hill aides confirmed details of the upcoming blueprint on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that's not yet been made public.
Trump's first major fiscal marker will land in the agencies one day before his first address to a joint session of Congress. For Trump, the primetime speech is an opportunity to refocus his young presidency on the core economic issues that were a centerpiece of his White House run.
The upcoming submission covers the budget year starting on Oct. 1. But first there's an April 28 deadline to finish up the unfinished spending bills for the ongoing 2017 budget year, which is almost half over, and any stumble or protracted battle could risk a government shutdown then as well.
The March release is also expected to include an immediate infusion of 2017 cash for the Pentagon that's expected to register about $20 billion or so and contain the first wave of funding for Trump's promised border wall and other initiatives like hiring immigration agents.
The president previewed a boost in military spending during a speech Friday to conservative activists, pledging "one of the greatest build-ups in American history."

Kimmel Cartoons

Spicer checks WH staffers' phones for leaks, vows more searches coming

As the Trump administration hunts for the source of a series of politically embarrassing leaks that have plagued the young administration, dozens of White House staffers have had their phones searched in what is being termed “recess” compared to what may be planned, two top administration officials told Fox News.
One official told Fox that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called nearly two dozen staffers into his office and demanded the staffers’ cell phones in order to check for evidence of leaks. Spicer warned that the initial search would be “recess” compared to what awaits staffers in round two of the investigation, if the leaker – or leakers – aren’t discovered.
A second senior administration official confirmed the first official's account to Fox, adding that staffers were instructed to place their phones on a desk as soon as they walked in.
Spicer also deleted the Confide app from his phone to show that high-ranking officials weren’t immune to rules and regulations, Fox News learned.
Spicer's action was first reported by CNN.
Confide is an encrypted messenger app that does not allow forwarding of a message or for screenshots to be taken of messages. It also deletes a message after it’s been sent. According to CNN, Spicer told the group of aides that using the app for White House communications violates the Federal Records Act.
The entire cellphone search and lecture on communications was done with White House counsel Don McGahn standing by, according to CNN. Politico reported that Spicer consulted McGahn prior to calling the “emergency meeting,” Politico reported.
Staffers had not only their work phones searched, but also whatever other electronics were on them when they entered Spicer’s office, according to Politico.
Ironically, Spicer’s warning about leaking quickly leaked to the press.
President Trump and his top advisers have grown increasingly frustrated as unnamed and anonymous sources continue to populate a deluge of negative press. Politico reported that the mood inside the communications department has grown tense, with a Spicer deputy being driven to tears during a recent meeting. Spicer and the deputy denied the report.

School: No More Music Composed by White Guys

By Todd Starnes
I have some bad news for all of you Burt Bacharach fans.
The Spring Lake Park High School in Minnesota has decided to stop purchasing music composed by white guys -- at least for the time being.
Click here to get a copy of Todd's newest book - The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again!
"We made a commitment this year to only buy music from composers of color," marching band director Brian Lukkasson told National Public Radio.
And the truth is Burt Bacharach is about as white as a jar of Duke's Mayonnaise.
The marching band also pledges to toot their horns to at least one musical selection composed by a lady.
Apparently, some of the teenage musicians were terribly offended and downright disturbed because they were performing music composed by white folks.
"There's a kind of an ideological segregation of who can and cannot be in band, based on who the composers are, and what the music is like," student Kia Muleta told the radio network partially funded by your tax dollars.
"I really, really want other students of color to be able to feel like they are welcomed and appreciated anywhere, that they don't have to check themselves at the door," she added.
I have no idea what that means - but whatever.
"The more you practice talking about race, culture and ethnicity, the more comfortable you are," band director Nora Tycast said.
It sounds to me like racism disguised as diversity.
Mr. Holland's opus it is not.

Judge Jeanine: Officers Supporting Sanctuary Cities Have 'Blood' on Their Hands

In her opening statement on "Justice," Judge Jeanine Pirro called out police officers who support sanctuary cities.
The judge said that these officers have a decision to make, and if that decision is tough, "get the hell out of law enforcement," she said.
"I hate to say this; everyone of you in law enforcement who bought into this liberal nonsense also has blood on your hands," Pirro said.

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'I'm Worried About Your Leadership': Tucker Battles CT Mayor on Illegal Immigration
Jorge Ramos: Illegal Immigrants Use Fake ID's 'Because They Are Working For Us'

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She continued with the heated attack on these officers.
"If this is a tough one for you and you are going to start listening to the ACLU or some liberal mayor who doesn't give a damn about you, your contract or your oath, directing that you release the wanted criminal alien out the side door, then maybe you should rethink this and go into social work," she said.
"You are too damn dumb to be in law enforcement."

GOP Congress back to work with mandate: end ObamaCare, use majority to fulfill promises

Rep. Leonard Lance on town hall protests, president's agenda

Congressional lawmakers begin returning to Washington on Monday after a tense week-long recess in which Republicans got an earful about ObamaCare and other issues and ahead of President Trump’s first speech to a joint session of Congress.
With the GOP controlling both chambers of Congress and now the White House, Republican lawmakers’ first trip home this session could have been a victory lap. They were instead accused in the media of having done little in roughly their first three weeks. And several were confronted at town hall meetings about plans to replace ObamaCare if and when it’s dismantled.   
The president will have his say Tuesday night. Majority Republicans in the House and Senate will be closely watching the prime-time address for guidance, marching orders or any specifics Trump might embrace on health care or taxes, areas where some of his preferences remain a mystery.
Treasure Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday told Fox News that the speech will include Trump’s plan for corporate and individual tax reform. He also suggested that the president is not sold on House Republicans’ so-called “border tax adjustment plan” to tax exports to essentially offset proposed tax cuts.
Trump is expected to deliver his fiscal 2018 budget to Congress in mid-March.
Congressional Republicans insist they are working closely with the new administration as they prepare to start taking votes on health legislation, with the moment finally upon them to make good on seven years of promises to repeal and replace ObamaCare.
House Republicans hope to pass their legislation by early April and send it to the Senate, with action there also possible before Easter.
Republicans will be "keeping our promise to the American people," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said as he sent lawmakers home for the Presidents Day recess armed with informational packets to defend planned GOP changes to the health law.
However, the recess was dominated by raucous town halls in which Republicans -- including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Virginia Rep. Dave Brat, a favorite of the Tea Party movement -- faced tough questions about their plans to replace the far-reaching law with a new system built around tax credits, health savings accounts and high-risk pools.
Among the important, unanswered questions are what will be the overall cost and how many people will be covered.
There's also uncertainty about how to resolve divisions among states over Medicaid money, with at least a couple of GOP plans circulating, including one by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford.
The lack of clarity created anxiety among voters who peppered the lawmakers from coast to coast with questions about what would become of their own health coverage and that of their friends and family.
It has forced Republicans to offer assurances that they don't intend to take away the law and leave nothing in its place, even though some House conservatives favor doing just that.
"I think we have a responsibility in Washington to try to make the system better,” GOP Rep. Leonard Lance told an overflow crowd last week in his politically divided New Jersey district.
Many Republicans say that how they will handle health legislation will set the stage for the next big battle, over taxes. And the GOP's early plans for major infrastructure bill do not appear on the table.
Senators also will be weighing the nomination of federal appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch, Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Hearings soon will get under way in the Senate Judiciary Committee; floor action is expected before Easter.
Despite Gorsuch's sterling credentials, Democrats are under pressure from their liberal supporters to oppose him, given voters' disdain for Trump and the GOP's refusal last year to allow even a hearing for Obama's nominee for the high court vacancy, federal appeals Judge Merrick Garland.
Yet some Democrats are already predicting that one way or another, Gorsuch will be confirmed. Even if he doesn't pick up the 60 votes he needs, McConnell could use a procedural gambit to eliminate Democrats' ability to filibuster Gorsuch, an outcome that Trump has endorsed.
The Senate has confirmed 14 Cabinet and Cabinet-level officials, fewer than other presidents at this point.
Next up will be financier Wilbur Ross for Commerce secretary, Rep. Ryan Zinke to lead the Interior Department, retired neurosurgeon and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson to be Housing secretary and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry at the Energy Department.
How Democrats vote will be telling, given the extreme pressures on them to oppose Trump at every turn.