I don't normally experience schadenfreude. I'm finding it enjoyable at the moment.

[Sunlei]

and other comments off NYT breaking news about congress sanctions bill


Philip W
Boston 1 hour ago
Is it possible they found the guts to put country before their Party and their horrible agenda which would destroy millions?

COMET
Upstate NY 48 minutes ago
Maybe just maybe they could use this as a road map going forward on health care access and insurance (single payer) and a budget that does.not reward those stunningly wealthy individuals and corporations while devastating rhe middle.and lower income citizens.

Once upon a time.in America it was not seen as a betrayal to reach across an aisle and work towards the common good. It was not seen as weakness to fund things like health care for ALL Americans- this goes back to.Teddy Roosevelt I believe. It was not a measure of how sadistic one party could be towards not only another Party but against singular health care providers who serve men and women who may have no other access TO health care. It was not seen as a religious obligation to pander to evangelicals. It was not seen as a.way to steal from such valued.programs as Social Security and Medicare.

Partys come.and partys go. Good.governance does not depend on one name or another, it depends on people in power doing the right thing for the right reasons.

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Daniel Merchán
Evanston, Illinois 1 hour ago
"Proponents of the measure seek to impose sanctions on people involved in human rights abuses."

Does this include Trump holding Melania captive?

REPLY
Patsy47
Bronx NY 11 minutes ago
Maybe she's just waiting for her contract to run out.



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wcdessertgirl
is a trusted commenter New York 1 hour ago
Even if the Russia investigations ultimately prove that Trump co. did not collude with the Russia during and after the election, the stink of compromise will hang over his administration, ironically just like Clinton's email scandal. And it sets and awful precedent for legislation that the most successful bipartisan bill is a measure to restrict the Presidents ability to negotiate with Russia directly or North Korea.

Without saying so, the GOP is basically admitting they don't trust the President. This on the heels of the healthcare failure and with the upcoming budget/tax negotiations will greatly impact Trumps ability to accomplish significant elements of the platform his voters really want. And no matter what he says, he will have ultimately "own" these failures.

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MEH
Ashland, OR 2 hours ago
Wow. Sanctions are a big bet thrown into the pot by Congress. Indeed, Mr. Trump seems edgiest about alleged collusion and cover-up: quick to deny, excuse, evade, and maybe even pardon. Indeed, alleged Russian interference has paralyzed us at home and discredited us abroad. Worse, it strikes at the heart of our democratic enterprise. I think it's incumbent on concerned citizens to petition the Senate for full, open, bipartisan hearings on Russian influences, past and present. We have a right to know about the greatest crisis in a generation, and we have a duty to make our concerns known. (Apparently calls are more effective than emails, as are short, hand-written post cards.) Just use your indoor voice, and speak from the heart.

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Inkblot
Western Mass. 1 hour ago
It's a sad day when it's an act of courage for Congress to do the right thing. Have our standards and expectations fallen that low?

REPLY
M.I. Estner
Wayland MA 1 hour ago
e.g., see Hungary, Poland, and Turkey

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Blank Ballot
South Texas 2 hours ago
Evidently a LOT of people need to read the Constitution.
The House of Representatives HAS NO SAY in foreign policy. That is reserved for the Senate. If the Senate lets the House attach such a provision then the Senate is giving away it's power.
The House can only influence foreign policy by refusing to fund spending.
The Senate cannot originate tax or spending bills. That POWER is reserved for the House.

REPLY
Bill B
NYC 1 hour ago
Evidently you're the one who needs to read the Constitution. This is a statute in which the House has as much say as the Senate. There is an explicit provision regarding the origination of revenue bills, there is none regarding legislation that happens to concern foreign trade. The Senate does have the sole say in confirmations and ratifying treaties but that is not the same as a general exclusive say over foreign matters.

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JFH
Coppell, TX 2 hours ago
It's not done until Congress overrides the likely veto.

REPLY
Inkblot
Western Mass. 49 minutes ago
It's not over until the fat man signs?

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