China Joe Agrees To Meet With Republicans Who Have COVID Relief Legislation

Republicans had been 100% ignored by China Joe and the Democrats in Congress in crafting a COVID relief package, so, they came up with their own. China Joe has agreed to talk with them. How long till he dismisses the plan out of hand? First, the plan

10 Republican senators agree to meet with Biden to talk COVID-19 relief

Sore Winner DemocratsA group of 10 Republican senators announced late Sunday that they accepted an invitation from President Biden to visit the White House to discuss the next steps in the COVID-19 relief proposal.

Reports have indicated that these Republicans—many who are considered moderates within the party— initiated the contact with the hope of talking Biden down from the $1.9 trillion relief package he has in mind. These Republicans have expressed concern over another massive package weeks after former President Trump approved a $900 billion measure, NPR reported.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who is among ten Republican senators who proposed an alternative $600 billion coronavirus relief package, told Fox News on Sunday, “If you say you want bipartisanship … and then you have a budget reconciliation which is chock-full of payouts to Democratic constituency groups … you don’t want bipartisanship, you want the patina of bipartisanship.”

Let’s take a quick look what else Cassidy said (it’s that last link)

“The President’s team did not reach out to anybody in our group, either Democrat or Republican when they fashioned their proposal,” Cassidy said. “So if you want unity, if you want bipartisanship, you ought to start with a group that’s shown it’s willing to work together for a common solution. They did not.”

So, here’s China Joe

The White House issued a statement obtained by Fox News that said Biden spoke with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and invited her and the other signers “to come to the White House early this week for a full exchange of views.”

Expect the plan from the 10 Republicans … Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Cassidy; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Shelley Moore Capito, R-Wyo.; Todd Young, R-Ind.; Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Mike Rounds, R-S.D.; and Thom Tillis, R-N.C….. to be dismissed out of hand by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, who’ll take the heat rather than putting it on Biden.

It is a much smaller plan, and also much more targeted

(The Hill) Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said on Sunday that the framework for a COVID-19 economic relief package unveiled by 10 Republican senators would cost $600 billion, less than half the price of the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion proposal.

Cassidy said on “Fox News Sunday” that the pared-down GOP proposal unveiled earlier Sunday includes $1,000 direct payments to individuals that would be targeted to certain income levels. He did not specify if the GOP’s threshold would be those who made under $75,000 in the 2019 tax year. President Biden’s proposal includes a third round of direct payments of $1,400.

Funding for schools is also slashed in the GOP package, which Cassidy said offers $20 billion instead of Biden’s $170 billion. Cassidy noted previous COVID-19 relief proposals that funded schools and the notion that assisting public schools would help teachers unions that are skeptical of whether returning to in-person teaching is safe.

Cassidy said one area of agreement is vaccinations, with the 10 GOP senators agreeing to match the White House’s $160 billion figure to distribute and administer shots.

Unlike the Democrats proposal, it is not a a porkalapalooza, and it also avoids the massive payouts to irresponsible Democrat run cities and states

(Axios) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shot back at the plan via an interview with the New York Daily News, saying: “They should negotiate with us, not make a take-it-or-leave-it offer.”

Negotiate on what? Democrats crafted their plan without Republicans, and were talking about using budget reconciliation from the get go. Are Dems willing to remove the payouts to Dem groups, states, and cities?

Read: China Joe Agrees To Meet With Republicans Who Have COVID Relief Legislation »

New Zealand To Get Rid Of Fossil Fueled Vehicles, Reduce Number Of Cows

I’m just wondering if the fossil fueled vehicle elimination applies to the Elites and politicians. And, what about their use of fossil fueled airplanes. And, what of tourists coming in on fossil fueled planes? And all the goods brought to the island nation on fossil fueled planes and boats?

Climate Change: New Zealand to Phase Out Petrol Cars and Slash Cow Herds

New Zealand unveiled a blueprint Sunday to phase out petrol-powered cars while its dairy industry, a key pillar of the economy, must slash cow numbers under the ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The changes are among a raft of recommendations presented to the government by the Climate Change Commission on steps New Zealand must take to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

Commission chairman Rod Carr acknowledged the advice was ambitious but said it was realistic and made a clear case for “immediate and decisive” action.

“As a country, we need transformational and lasting change to meet our targets,” he said.

“There are a few actions that are critical to meeting our targets: electric vehicles, accelerated renewable energy generation, climate-friendly farming practices and more permanent forests, predominantly natives.”

The commission wants to end imports of petrol-powered cars by 2032 and projects that more than half of all light vehicle travel would be in electric vehicles by 2035.

And the other half would be on what, exactly? Since most people won’t be able to afford EVs. And what of construction vehicles and other big vehicles for things like moving goods around the country? Oh, and what kinds of ships will be bringing those EVs to New Zealand? What are they powered by?

“Action on climate change is critical to our ongoing economic success. New Zealand exporters rely on our clean, green brand and there will be new opportunities for Kiwi businesses as we adapt to a zero-carbon economy.”

How are they going to export their products? Sailing ships? Do these climate cultists even consider this stuff, or is it all just emotion and bullshit?

Read: New Zealand To Get Rid Of Fossil Fueled Vehicles, Reduce Number Of Cows »

If All You See…

…is an evil fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Legal Insurrection, with a post on Biden’s first step on court packing.

It’s women in uniform week!

Read: If All You See… »

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

Earl Moran Patriotic Pinup

Happy Sunday! A rainy/snowy day in the Once And Future Nation of America. But, we need the rain, and the snow looks great. This pinup is by Earl Moran, with a wee bit of help.

What’s happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. The First Street Journal discusses the Truth being blocked on Twitter (which includes why Twitter gave me a 7 day timeout)
  2. Raised On Hoecakes covers erasing history
  3. Shot In The Dark features a barrel with no bottom
  4. The American Conservative discusses the death of free speech under China Joe
  5. The Gateway Pundit highlights Cancel Culture going after a beauty influencer for Wrongthink
  6. The Last Refuge is doing Days Of Resistance – now day #12
  7. The Lid discusses the NY Times complaining about China Joe’s EOs
  8. The People’s Cube notes an uppity prole arrested for mematic interference
  9. The Right Scoop covers #NeverTrumper grifters attacking Ted Cruz
  10. This ain’t Hell… wonders about pointing fingers
  11. Vox Popoli cover pre-emptively burning books
  12. Weasel Zippers wonders why the fortifications are getting bigger in D.C.
  13. Independent Sentinel discusses violent BLM nominated for a Nobel
  14. Powerline covers more statue toppling, including that of Gandhi
  15. And last, but not least, Patterico’s Pontifications has more news of California’s high speed rail boondoggle

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me.

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

Las Vegas Journal Review Takes On Biden’s War On Private Sector Workers

Hey, perhaps the people of Nevada should have voted Donald Trump for president, rather than Dementia Joe. In fairness, the editorial board of the Las Vegas Journal Review came out for Donald Trump for president in early October, Back then they wrote

The most pressing matter facing Nevada and the nation in coming months, and even years, will be the resurrection of the economy post-pandemic. Mr. Trump’s record on job creation and economic growth speaks for itself. Mr. Biden disingenuously blames the current administration for the economic downturn, implying that Mr. Trump had the power to stop a worldwide pandemic. That’s desperate nonsense. Prior to the lockdowns, U.S. growth was more consistently robust than it had been in years and wages were continuing their upward trend for workers.

They couldn’t really write anything about China Joe’s resume on job creation because he never ran a business, only worked in the private sector for a few years before going into politics in 1972, and has really done nothing while a Senator or as Vice President. And now?

EDITORIAL: The Democratic attack on private-sector employment

The war on private-sector employment is in full gear as President Joe Biden begins his second week in the White House.

Last week, Mr. Biden issued a flurry of executive orders, including one that revokes the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. By doing so, the new president elevated feel-good green utopianism above the interests of Canada, one of our closest allies and thousands of high-paying jobs in this nation.

“Environmental ideologues have now prevailed,” read a statement from North America’s Building Trades Unions, “and over a thousand union men and women have been terminated from employment on the project.”

The administration haughtily dismissed such concerns, claiming most of the jobs were only temporary — aren’t they all? — and that union workers will have ample opportunity to latch on to one of the abundant make-work green energy jobs that Mr. Biden’s central planners will create through government fiat as they remake the American economy from inside the Beltway. Meanwhile, enjoy the unemployment checks.

How is it again that Donald Trump managed to attract rabid support in blue-collar America? It remains a puzzler.

Las Vegas was devastated by the Wuhan Flu, and needed the economic leadership of Trump. How will it recover under Biden? Time will tell, and it will probably be a long time till it starts recovering. But, can it ever get back to where it was? How many jobs will a $15 minimum wage kill off? And, it certainly cannot operate without fossil fuels

Not to be outdone, congressional Democrats on Tuesday announced that they have an even more ambitious plan to outlaw thousands of private-sector jobs. At a time when small businesses across the country are hanging by a tree limb over the abyss thanks to the pandemic, the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seek to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

To show they have a sense of humor about the whole thing, House Democrats plan on including the mandate in a coronavirus relief package. You can’t make this up.

If it is included, the only way it passes the Senate is by getting rid of the filibuster, and Democrats would own the economic destruction

Sen. Sanders thunders that the current $7.25 hour is a “starvation wage.” Never mind that about 98 percent of minimum wage earners aren’t the sole family breadwinner. Of course, a lucky few will make more money under a higher wage floor. But many others will see their hours cut, and still others will be sent to the sidelines.

Just like has happened in the Democratic Party run cities and states that are slowly raising their minimum wage to $15. Jobs are being cut, hours are being limited (kiss any OT goodbye), and businesses are moving elsewhere, including Mexico.

This is bad enough during prosperous times. But to embark down this road as small businesses attempt to rebound from the devastation wrought by COVID is to signal a callous indifference to their fate. Does today’s Democrat understand where the money that funds the public sector comes from?

Nope. They don’t. Most of them in Congress have zero idea how business works. How many have worked in the private sector recently or ran a business? Not Comrade Bernie. Not Bartender AOC. And all these climate crisis (scam) executive orders will kill more and more jobs. Except Joe and the Dems to work to kill more private sector jobs. The question now becomes “did the GOP learn anything about fighting back during the Trump years?” They don’t need the amp turned up to 11, just an 8 or 9, in pointing out what the Dems are doing. In resisting. In refusing to vote for any of this. In explaining the poison pills in legislation that would otherwise have been bipartisan. Will the have a spine? Time will tell.

Read: Las Vegas Journal Review Takes On Biden’s War On Private Sector Workers »

New York Times Is Here To Remind You That Winter Weather Is Caused By You Driving A Fossil Fueled Vehicle

Yeah, we all heard about you taking that fossil fueled trip to get a cheeseburger with a big syrupy soda full of carbon pollution (the photo in the excerpt is the one the NY Times uses to convince you you’re a horrible person causing winter weather)

Forecast: Wild Weather in a Warming World

The polar vortex is experiencing an unusually long disturbance this year because of a “sudden stratospheric warming.” Bundle up.

Rough winter weather is working its way across the United States, with bitterly cold air hitting the Northeast and snowstorms expected along the East Coast next week.

Forecasts predict Chicago can expect several inches of snow. Six to eight inches of snow could fall along the I-95 corridor from Washington through New York and up to Boston on Monday and Tuesday. (snip)

Research into the interplay of the complex factors that bring on blasts from the polar vortex is ongoing, but climate change appears to be part of the mix. While warming means milder winters overall, “the motto for snowstorms in the era of climate change could be ‘go big or go home!’ said Judah Cohen, director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, a company that provides information to clients about weather and climate-related risk. (snip)

To Dr. Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, the influence of climate change on these phenomena is inevitable, if still somewhat mysterious. “We’re changing the planet in such dramatic and incontrovertible ways,” she said. “The atmosphere is different now. The Earth’s surface is different now. The oceans are different now. So there must be some connections that are yet to be discovered as we do more research on the stratospheric polar vortex.”

See? Your fault. Winter weather used to be wholly natural, now it’s the fault of Mankind. According to a doomsday cult that blames every type of weather now on humanity.

Meanwhile

Local climate coalition aims to make Charleston the climate action leader of Southeast

Charleston relies on the tourism industry, golfing, and fishing, which all require fossil fuels. Will they tell people to not come? But, hey, there’s someone we totally need to hear from

Poet Amanda Gorman, star of Biden inauguration, on climate change

Poet Amanda Gorman got well-deserved rave reviews for her dramatic reading of her six-minute “The Hill We Climb” poem January 20 before a global TV and online inauguration day audience.

It’s fair to say that for many, she in effect “stole the show” during the Biden/Harris inauguration day ceremonies. And she continued to do so through countless major- and social-media follow-ups since then.

But what if Gorman, 22, the nation’s youth poet laureate, could bring her poetic, presentation skills, and grace to the issue of climate change?

Read: New York Times Is Here To Remind You That Winter Weather Is Caused By You Driving A Fossil Fueled Vehicle »

If All You See…

…is a horrible fossil fueled vehicle turning the Earth into a desert, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Don Surber, with a post on turning D.C. into the Forbidden City.

Read: If All You See… »

China Joe, Democrats Move On From Plans To Woo Republicans

How can one have a plan to move on from a plan when one never implemented the first plan in the first place?

Biden, Democrats prepare to move beyond efforts to woo Republicans

A week and a half into the Biden presidency, Democrats are adopting a more muscular approach to dealing with Republicans, essentially declaring they will work with them if they can but are prepared move past them if they must.

Top Senate Democrats are now working on dual tracks, planning to hold a speedy impeachment trial to avoid derailing President Biden’s legislative agenda while also laying the groundwork for Biden’s covid relief package to pass shortly afterward.

The moves come after Biden launched his administration without Republicans in his Cabinet and started by issuing dozens of executive actions, a clip far more rapid than any of his recent predecessors.

Taken together, the moves are energizing Democrats eager for the party to flex its political muscle. But the tougher approach could also jeopardize one of Biden’s chief goals: achieving more bipartisanship in a capital that has been gripped by polarization.

Many Democrats are concluding that Republicans are unlikely to work with them and that waiting for them to do so would be a mistake. Biden seems to be heeding that argument to some degree.

The two parties will still have numerous opportunities to work together, of course, on issues like infrastructure and foreign policy. But Biden, despite his longtime emphasis on bipartisanship as a principal campaign theme, is signaling that once he has asserted his willingness to work with the GOP, he will not delay his initiatives in hopes that will happen.

Could someone point out what Biden has done so far that in any way resembles unity and bipartisanship? His agenda is far, far left, and his executive orders are anything by ones that are bipartisan or show unity. We’ve had multiple climate cult ones, one that allows federal funds for abortion on demand, ones that protect illegal aliens and stop deportations, climate ones that kill jobs, ones that are about racial divisions, one letting the gender confused in the locker rooms, bathrooms, and showers of girls, while also ruining women’s sports for biological women, paying federal workers $15 an hour minimum, and so much more. There’s very little in the list that could get agreement from Republicans, and the stuff that is not bipartisan certainly overshadows that that is.

And we know so much more is coming, like kowtowing to Iran and China, destabilizing the Middle East, raising taxes, and more. You can bet the next COVID package will be full of lots of unrelated Democrat policies, which means the GOP will not vote for it and will block it in the Senate. And Joe, rather than pushing a “clean” (meaning related simply to COVID), will blast Republicans. Because Unity.

Read: China Joe, Democrats Move On From Plans To Woo Republicans »

Democrats Says Environmental Justice Is Racial Justice, Push Partisan Legislation

We all know that the Cult of Climastrology has hijacked real environmentalism, so any talk of “environmental justice” is about Hotcoldwetdry. Racial justice? Well, considering the way Democrats treat “minorities” in Democratic run cities, well, yeah, they could use some of that. But, but using climate crisis (scam) justice as the basis Democrats can enact more restrictions on people’s lives along with taxation

Ed Markey, Cori Bush Introduce ‘Environmental Justice Mapping’ Bill: ‘Environmental Justice Is Racial Justice’

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) introduced on Thursday the ‘‘Environmental Justice Mapping and Data Collection Act of 2021’’ to gather data and direct federal money to communities around the country they say face environmental injustice.

Those injustices, they say, include pollution, police killing black Americans and other minorities, and poverty, among others.

“Environmental justice is racial justice,” Bush, who was a Black Lives Matter activist before winning election to the House of Representatives in 2020, said at the virtual press conference.

President Joe Biden has said he would direct 40 percent of environment-related funding to communities with high numbers of low-income and minority residents. The funding, Biden said, could pay for clean energy and wastewater projects.

Markey said at the press conference that the bill is a tool to make sure the money is properly directed.

“That tool is going to be essential to direct at least 40 percent of the funding for a clean and climate safe future into communities facing environmental injustices,” Markey said. “So that’s our goal and it’s completely consistent with what President Biden has laid out as his agenda.”

“When we talk about gun violence and when we talk about community violence, we’re talking about where the disparities are to make sure that funding is there to fix decades of injustice that have opened the door to this,” Bush said. “It’s not just pointing a finger at the issue, but it’s about how we can fix the issue.”

So, something like this is all over the place, and, because it is a smattering of Virtue Signaling and SJW insanity, it would never achieve anything of consequence for the people it proports to help. Like other Dem pushes it would most likely harm said minorities.

Bush said at the press conference that a safe environment is about more than air or water quality.

“If we fix those things, but if we continue to have this stressor [sic], this situation, where the police can just murder us disproportionately and without impunity, then did we fix our environment? Is our environment now safe?” Bush said.

Perhaps Bush should be talking to her community, since she thinks the Black community is separate from everyone else, about committing less crime per proportion. It may be called raaaaacist, but, by percentage, the black community has a much higher portion of crimes committed, including violent crimes. You look at all those Democrat run cities, and the vast majority of shootings and murders are committed by blacks. Against other blacks. FBI crime statistics bear this out.

Bush is also the person who got caught in a lie in attempting to say Republican Marjorie Taylor Green (who’s rather nutty) and her staff attacked Bush and her staff, when it was Bush and her staff who initiated everything.

BTW, when are both Bush and Markey going to give up their own use of fossil fuels?

Read: Democrats Says Environmental Justice Is Racial Justice, Push Partisan Legislation »

CDC Issues Order Requiring Face Masks For Travel Or Something

First of all, where does the CDC get the stutory authority to make this proclamation, which seems more a function of the Legislative Branch? Second, this pretty much being done in the 31 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico already. Will the other states declare their 10th Amendment Rights, at least at it applies to non-federal travel?

CDC orders sweeping U.S. transportation mask mandate as COVID-19 rages

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a sweeping order late Friday requiring the use of face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation Monday as the country continues to report thousands of daily COVID-19 deaths.

The order, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday (0459 GMT Tuesday), requires face masks to be worn by all travelers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at transportation hubs like airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports.

President Joe Biden on Jan. 21 ordered government agencies to “immediately take action” to require masks in airports and on commercial aircraft, trains and public maritime vessels, including ferries, intercity bus services and all public transportation.

Under Donald Trump, who was president until Jan. 20, a CDC push to mandate masks in transit was blocked and the agency instead only issued strong recommendations for mask use. Trump also rejected efforts by Congress to mandate mask use.

“Requiring masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic,” said the 11-page order signed by Marty Cetron, director for CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.

Being that mask mandates have been in place since around Memorial Day, if not earlier, yet COVID infections actually surged after that, what does the science say about wearing masks? Here’s where it gets a little funky

While airlines and most transit modes already require masks, the CDC order will make not wearing a mask a violation of federal law that could make it easier for flight attendants and others to enforce.

A U.S. airline group told Biden this month that carriers had had to bar “thousands of passengers” from future flights for failing to comply with airline mask policies.

The CDC said people violating the order could potentially face criminal penalties but suggested civil penalties would be more likely if needed. The order will be enforced by the Transportation Security Administration and federal, state and local agencies.

I’ve looked through about 15 other articles, as well as the CDC website, in an attempt to find out just what those federal penalties would be, but, to no avail. Any penalties would seem a serious Executive Office overreach, and possibly unconstitutional without legislation from the Legislative Branch.

The CDC said this week it was “actively looking” at requiring negative COVID-19 tests for domestic air travel after mandating it for nearly all international travel effective Jan. 26. The prospects of domestic COVID-19 testing drew strong opposition Friday from airlines and other groups.

And then they will require negative tests for more and more. They will find a way to keep you peons locked down.

Read: CDC Issues Order Requiring Face Masks For Travel Or Something »

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