Edward-Isaac Dovere @IsaacDovere: Remember when Never Trump was a thing? [7/19/2016 7:30 p.m. EDT]
Philip Klein @philipaklein: Trump got under 14% of the vote in DC, but 100% of the delegates. [7/19/2016 6:30 p.m. EDT]
Garrett Haake @GarrettHaake: A @DCGOP delegate tells me they’re furious and confused. Were promised by the RNC that their votes would be counted as cast #gopconvention
Tarini Parti @tparti: DC dels say they’re upset their votes for Rubio & kasich went to Trump. But don’t want to call system “unfair” [7/19/2016 6:33 p.m. EDT]
Alex Burns @alexburnsNYT: At trade-protectionist Donald Trump’s convention, Matt Bevin boasts that Kentucky is home to the world’s largest Toyota factory [7/19/2016 6:41 p.m. EDT]
AJ Spiker @AJSpiker: @GOP hell will freeze over before my daughter/wife see me support @realDonaldTrump ever [7/19/2016 7:03 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin:
What happened?
-17 people ran
-Trump discovered base was unmoved by GOP agenda, moved by resentment
-No one responded until too late [7/19/2016 7:38 p.m. EDT]
Ed O’Keefe @edatpost: This is the quietest I’ve ever heard a convention hall upon announcement of a presidential nominee. [7/19/2016 8:09 p.m. EDT]
Toure’ @Toure: On the day Donald Trump was officially nominated, Roger Ailes was being removed from Fox News. It’s the end of the GOP as we know it. [7/19/2016 8:29 p.m. EDT]
Jon Ralston @RalstonReports: How many conventions feature boos during the roll call? [7/19/2016 6:26 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin: Crowd talk almost as loud as Mukasey in arena [7/19/2016 8:44 p.m. EDT]
Alex Burns @alexburnsNYT: Throngs of delegates just openly ignoring Mukasey, socializing on the floor, milling around. Yeesh. [7/19/2016 8:47 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin:This is about the most disinterested I have ever seen a crowd in a speech. [7/19/2016 8:46 p.m. EDT]
Philip Gourevitch @PGourevitch: Torture-champion Mukasey is a helluva guy to tell us about compromising national security and champion rule of constitutional law [7/19/2016 8:48 p.m. EDT]
Ben Pershing @benpershing: Waterproofing company guy getting better reception than the former AG [7/19/2016 8:50 p.m. EDT]
Katherine Miller @katherinemiller: Hear that electric enthusiasm in the room for principles [7/19/2016 9:26 p.m. EDT]
Jeremy Diamond @jdiamond1: Wow, very audible boos as Mitch McConnell takes stage [7/19/2016 8:10 p.m. EDT]
John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz: Delegates actively booing Sen. Mitch McConnell. Party on the verge of a nervous breakdown. [7/19/2016 8:10 p.m. EDT]
Matt Viser @mviser: This crowd booed Mitch McConnell, and only lightly applauded newly elected GOP senators and Paul Ryan reminding them he was their VP nominee [7/19/2016 9:20 p.m. EDT
Aaron Blake @AaronBlake: Haha this is the NRA Chris Cox. The program says it’s the ex-congressman and former SEC chairman Christopher Cox [7/19/2016 9:01 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin: This is truly incredible. It’s like the nominee does not exist. [7/19/2016 9:25 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin: Trump on Jumbotron barely gets applause. This crowd is half there. [7/19/2016 9:06 p.m. EDT]
Zeke Miller @ZekeJMiller: Trump now addressing the convention remotely [7/19/2016 9:05 p.m. EDT]
Jason Horowitz @jasondhorowitz:”Melania and I had such a great time last night,” Donald Trump said in a video from far away. [7/19/2016 9:06 p.m. EDT]
Gideon Resnick @gideonresnick:”We are going to win the state of Ohio,” Trump says a day after his campaign trashed its governor. [7/19/2016 9:06 p.m. EDT]
Kenneth P. Vogel @kenvogel: Why did Trump film this from his bathroom? [7/19/2016 9:07 p.m. EDT]
Kenneth P. Vogel @kenvogel: Also, why is he screaming? [7/19/2016 9:07 p.m. EDT]
Joy Reid @joyannreid: Ok, who gets to tell Chris Christie about Trump and Manafort’s affinity for Putin? [7/19/2016 9:45 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin: Wait, Christie is arguing Clinton is too soft on Putin? Does he know who the nominee is? [7/19/2016 9:45 p.m. EDT]
John Podhoretz @jpodhoretz: Hillary removed mention of Putin’s war against Ukraine and our support from it from the platform! Guilty or not gui–wait, that’s Trump [7/19/2016 9:50 p.m. EDT]
Joy Reid @joyannreid: Eric Trump just said, with absolutely zero foundation, that Hillary Clinton has “proposed” to “destroy Medicare.” [7/19/2016 10:15 p.m. EDT]
Joy Reid @joyannreid: This person, Eric Trump, has taken whole paragraphs worth of paranoid fantasies and cobbled them into a speech. Remarkable. [7/19/2016 10:15 p.m. EDT]
Matt Viser @mviser: Ben Carson eats up his time by complaining about the crowd clapping and eating up his time. [7/19/2016 10:35 p.m. EDT]
Teddy Schleifer @teddyschleifer: Ben Carson is still complaining about time to speak. [7/19/2016 10:34 p.m. EDT]
Chris Cillliza @TheFix: Word. Salad. [7/19/2016 10:37 p.m. EDT]
Josh Kraushaar @HotlineJosh: Saul Alinsky is NOT on the prompter. [7/19/2016 10:38 p.m. EDT]
Dan Eggen @DanEggenWPost: Don’t hear a lot of Lucifer references at political conventions [7/19/2016 10:38 p.m. EDT]
Kevin Cirilli @kevcirilli: CLEVELAND —
BEN CARSON’s is off-script. [7/19/2016 10:38 p.m. EDT]
James Pindell @JamesPindell Fruit salad #RNCinCLE [7/19/16 10:41 p.m. EDT]
Jessica Taylor @JessicaTaylor: I am still not sure what tonight’s theme “Make America Work Again” was supposed to convey. [7/19/2016 10:37 p.m. EDT]
Zeke Miller @ZekeJMiller Carson is going rogue. This is NOT in his prepared text [7/19/2016 10:38 p.m. EDT]
Jonathan Chait @jonathanchait Ben Carson talking about how Clinton is an agent of Saul Alinsky and Lucifer. Also Carson still does not have eyes. [7/19/16 10:39 p.m. EDT]
Michael Grunwald @MikeGrunwald Now we’re hearing how Hillary worships a Satan-worshipper. Going after those undecided voters. #RNCinCLE [7/19/16 10:39 p.m. EDT]
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias I hadn’t understood why Hillary did Benghazi until Ben Carson added the valuable Lucifer context. [7/19/16 10:40 p.m. EDT]
James Fallows @JamesFallows: Two more days left in the convention, but it’s going to be hard for anyone to match moon-bat tone of Ben Carson’s Lucifer / Alinsky speech. [7/19/2016 10:42 p.m. EDT]
Ross Douthat @DouthatNYT The unintentional comedy of this evening should not distract from how sickening it is. [7/19/16 10:49 p.m. EDT]
]]>CLAIM #1: Paul Ryan: Republicans offer a superior tax code. “We offer a better way for America, with ideas that actually work. A reformed tax code that rewards free enterprise, instead of just enterprising lobbyists.”
THE FACTS: Conservative former CBO director: Donald Trump’s tax plan “loses too much revenue to even be considered.” “Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said that from a legislative perspective, ‘The plan loses too much revenue to even be considered and lacks the cohesion of a genuine tax reform.’” [Fiscal Times, 5/17/16]
CLAIM #2: Paul Ryan: Republicans offer a superior health care system. “We offer a better way for America, with ideas that actually work. […] A reformed health care system that operates by free choice, instead of by force, and doesn’t leave you answering to cold, clueless bureaucrats.”
THE FACTS: Brookings senior fellow Henry Aaron: Donald Trump’s health care plan is “either the fraudulent offer of a huckster who takes voters for fools, or clear evidence of stunning ignorance about how insurance works.” “In simple terms, Trump’s promise to bar insurers from using preexisting conditions to screen customers but simultaneously to scrap the companion provisions that make the bar feasible is either the fraudulent offer of a huckster who takes voters for fools, or clear evidence of stunning ignorance about how insurance works. Take your pick.” [U.S. News opinion, 3/7/16]
CLAIM #3: Paul Ryan: Republicans offer better care for veterans. “We offer a better way for America, with ideas that actually work. […] A renewed commitment to building a 21st-Century military – and to giving our veterans the care they were promised, the care that they have earned.”
THE FACTS: Disabled American Veterans executive director: Donald Trump’s encouraging veterans to seek health care in the private sector “would lead to worse health outcomes for many veterans.” “Critics are calling Trump’s proposal a voucher program, where vets would get reimbursed by the VA for all their care. They have two main objections. Garry J. Augustine [executive director] at Disabled American Veterans (DAV) defended the VA as better-quality care for vets. After Trump’s speech, Augustine said in a statement: ‘Encouraging all veterans to seek care in the private sector, which lacks the expertise to treat military and combat injuries and illnesses, and which does not typically provide integrated or coordinated care, would lead to worse health outcomes for many veterans.’” [NPR, 7/13/16]
But perhaps most egregiously, Ryan, a well-known fitness nut, said he ran a marathon in under three hours. His real time? 4 hours 1 minute, 25 seconds.
Is nothing sacred, Mr. Speaker?
Paul Ryan said he would not run for Speaker of the House. “Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said he will not enter the race for House speaker. ‘While I am grateful for the encouragement I’ve received, I will not be a candidate,’ Ryan said in a statement Thursday. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) unexpectedly dropped out of the speaker race Thursday, causing current House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to postpone the vote.” [Huffington Post, 10/8/15]
Paul Ryan ran for Speaker of the House. “Rep. Paul Ryan was officially elected as the 54th speaker of the House after he got the votes of 236 members by the full House of Representatives. The vote was largely a formality after House Republicans nominated him for the position on Wednesday.” [CNN, 10/29/15]
Paul Ryan said that President Obama’s economic policies had “exacerbated inequality. They’ve exacerbated stagnation. They’ve made things worse.” “But even as Mr. Ryan criticized proposals that could be viewed as pitting class against class, he acknowledged a reality that many Republicans have long avoided: The rich are getting much richer. Republicans once held that liberal economic policies would stifle ‘the job creators.’ Now, Mr. Ryan said, the creators are doing well. Others are not. ‘The Obamanomics that we’re practicing now have exacerbated inequality,’ he said. ‘They’ve exacerbated stagnation. They’re made things worse.’ Mr. Ryan continued: ‘The wealthy are doing really well. They’re practicing trickle-down economics now.’” [New York Times, 2/1/15]
President Obama’s economic policies have reduced inequality. “What can be proven beyond a doubt is that, even if underlying economic trends have increased inequality, Obama’s economic policies have reduced it sharply. The stimulus included tax cuts for low-wage workers, and the Affordable Care Act was financed in part by higher taxes on the rich. […] After 2012, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts left the two parties at odds over the appropriate tax levels for the rich and the non-rich. Republicans like Ryan fiercely advocated extending the Bush tax cuts for all income groups, including the rich. Obama advocated extending them only for income below $250,000 a year. Republicans forced a compromise that raised the threshold, giving affluent Americans a larger tax cut than Obama wanted. Still, the result was much closer to Obama’s position than the Republican position, resulting in a further transfer of income from the rich to the non-rich: Plus, of course, the Affordable Care Act, in addition to its progressive financing mechanism, subsidized health insurance that mostly benefited Americans with modest incomes. Thus, Obamacare had an important inequality-reducing effect:” [New York, 2/2/15]
Paul Ryan claimed there was precedent for not nominating a Supreme Court Justice in the midst of a presidential campaign. “On the issue of replacing the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Ryan said, ‘The president has every right to nominate somebody, but the Senate has equally every right not to bring someone through.’ […] ‘This is a generational pick for the Supreme Court. And there is a precedent for not putting someone through in the middle of a presidential campaign,’ Ryan said.” [CNBC, 2/23/16]
On each of the five occasions that a Supreme Court vacancy occurred during an election year, the president made a nomination and the nominee was confirmed. “It’s rare for a Supreme Court vacancy to occur during a presidential election year — the last time was in 1940, although there were also two election-year nominations in 1968. But we could find no instances in which a president faced with a Supreme Court vacancy during a presidential election year did not make a nomination. It occurred five times between 1912 and 1940, and each time the nominee was confirmed. We rate Ryan’s statement False.” [PolitiFact Wisconsin, 3/4/16]
Paul Ryan said he ran a marathon in just under three hours. “H. H.: Are you still running? P. R.: Yeah, I hurt a disc in my back, so I don’t run marathons anymore. I just run ten miles or [less]. H. H.: But you did run marathons at some point? P. R.: Yeah, but I can’t do it anymore, because my back is just not that great. H. H.: I’ve just gotta ask, what’s your personal best? P. R.: Under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something. H. H.: Holy smokes. All right, now you go down to Miami University… P. R.: I was fast when I was younger, yeah.” [Hugh Hewitt Show via New Yorker, 9/1/12]
Paul Ryan finished the marathon in just over 4 hours. “A spokesman for the Romney-Ryan campaign e-mailed Runner’s World today to say Ryan ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, while a college student in 1991. When asked about Ryan’s finishing time, the spokesman said, “His comments on the [radio] show were the best of his recollection.’ Ryan’s name does not show up in the 1991 race results provided by Grandma’s. Runner’s World checked 11 years of results for Grandma’s Marathon, from 1988 through 1998, and found a finisher in the 1990 race by the name of Paul D. Ryan, 20, of Minneapolis. Ryan’s middle name is Davis, and he was 20 in 1990. The finishing time listed was 4 hours, 1 minute and 25 seconds.” [Runner’s World, 8/31/12]
Trey Gowdy admitted this week that the military couldn’t have gotten to Benghazi in enough time to save American lives, confirming that the Benghazi Committee — the eighth congressional investigation into this tragedy — is based on nothing but politics. Now, House Republicans are using procedural maneuvers to try to keep secret the amount of wasted taxpayer dollars spent on duplicative ‘investigations.’ But this isn’t surprising. Gowdy and Benghazi Republicans have repeatedly gone out of their way to withhold documents, hold secret meetings, refuse to make transcripts public and limit document access to Democrats and to the American public. This latest stunt just proves that they are trying to hide something. The American people deserve to see the full cost of the eight Benghazi investigations to the Department of Defense, which should be spending our taxpayer dollars on more important things like protecting our country.
House Republican Leadership Withheld Full Cost of Benghazi Investigations from the Public
House Republican leaders ruled an amendment that would have exposed the full cost burden of Benghazi investigations on DoD, “out of order.”
Trey Gowdy Limited Democrats’ Access to Transcripts
GOP members of the Benghazi Committee issued new rules prohibiting Democratic members and staff from receiving their own physical and digital copies of witness interview transcripts.
Trey Gowdy’s new rules may violate House procedures requiring “equitable treatment” for both sides regarding “the accessibility of committee records.”
Trey Gowdy Began Withholding Documents Even Before Questionable New Rule
Rep. Cummings: “Republicans are so desperate to keep us from sharing these facts with the public, they denied Democrats any access to some of these witness transcripts for weeks.”
Trey Gowdy Refused to Publicly Release Documents
Trey Gowdy refused to release emails handed over to the Select Committee.
Trey Gowdy Fought to Keep Testimony Behind Closed Doors
Trey Gowdy initially argued there was no alternative to a private interview with Hillary Clinton to discuss her emails.
Benghazi Committee Republicans rejected Cheryl Mills’ request for public testimony.
Trey Gowdy Rejected Every Request to Make Transcripts Public
Rep. Cummings called on Trey Gowdy to release full transcripts of all witness interviews and depositions conducted by the Benghazi Committee.
Trey Gowdy refused to release the Sidney Blumenthal deposition transcript despite calls from committee members.
Trey Gowdy reneged on plans to hold a vote on releasing the Blumenthal transcript despite prior assertions that a public business meeting would be held for the vote.
Benghazi Committee Republicans voted together to keep Blumenthal’s deposition transcript secret after Rep. Cummings forced a vote on the issue during Hillary Clinton’s public hearing.
Trey Gowdy refused to release the transcript of the Cheryl Mills interview despite calls from committee members.
Trey Gowdy Held Secret Witness Meetings, Excluding Democrats
As of January 2015, Benghazi Committee Republicans had held at least 5 secret witness interviews without a Democrat in attendance.
]]>
]]>Paul Ryan on supporting Trump: ‘Yes, I will support – of course I will.’ DICKERSON: ‘Will you support Donald Trump if he is the nominee?’ RYAN: ‘Yes, I will support — of course I will.’ DICKERSON: ‘And will you support Ted Cruz if he’s the nominee?’ RYAN: ‘Yes.’
Paul Ryan when asked if he could still support Trump: ‘I stand by all my comments … but do I believe that Hillary Clinton would make a better president? No way, I certainly do not believe that.’ RADDATZ: ‘You have said that Trump does not speak for the Republican Party when it comes to immigration, and you thought his comments were extremely disrespectful. So that’s a guy you could still support?’ RYAN: ‘Yes, I’d — my — I stand by all my comments, my previous comments. But do I believe that Hillary Clinton would make a better president? No way, I certainly don’t believe that. Look, I think we’re having a good primary process. It’s cathartic. It’s helpful. We have excellent people running for president. And so I think what really matters is not the personality, but the policy.
Paul Ryan on whether Trump has to change his policies: “No, no I’m not saying that at all… who am I?” JAKE TAPPER: But doesn’t he have to completely revoke, in order to become the man that can unite behind the principles and the policies that you support – doesn’t he completely have to say that he doesn’t support the deportation of 12 million undocumented immigrants, because you disagree with that? That he doesn’t support – PAUL RYAN: No, no I’m not saying that at all. JAKE TAPPER: He doesn’t support – PAUL RYAN: I’m not saying that. JAKE TAPPER: – banning all Muslims from entering the United States? Because you don’t support that. PAUL RYAN: Well, obviously – look, who am I? Look, I’m not saying he’s got to support my policies. JAKE TAPPER: You’re the Speaker of the House. PAUL RYAN: He won fair and square – he won fair and square on the policies. And yes, he comes from a different wing than the one I do. But I’ve got to tell you one thing, Jake, if we don’t unify all wings of the party, we’re not going win the election.
Ryan on Trump’s Muslim ban: “This is not conservatism. what was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for. And more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for.” RYAN: I do not comment on what’s going on in the presidential election. I will take an exception today. This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for. And more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for. Not only are there many Muslims serving in our armed forces, dying for this country, there are Muslims serving right here in the House, working every day to uphold and to defend the constitution. Some of best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islamic terror, are Muslims. The vast, vast, vast majority of whom are peaceful – who believe in pluralism and freedom, democracy, individual rights.
Ryan on Trump’s flirtations with white supremacists: “If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry.” RYAN: This is the kind of moment when we should be having a serious debate about the policies needed to restore the American idea. And instead the conversation over the last few days has been about white supremacist groups. As you know, I try to stay out of the day-to-day, ups and downs of the primary. But I’ve also said when I see something that runs counter to we are as a party and as a country, I will speak up. So today I want to be very clear about something. If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry. This party does not pray on peoples’ prejudices. We appeal to their highest ideals. This is the party of Lincoln. We believe all people are created equal in the eyes of god and our government. This is fundamental. And if someone wants to be our nominee, they must understand this. I hope this is the last time I need to speak out on this race.
Ryan on Trump’s immigration comments: “He doesn’t speak for the Republican party and I think his comments were extremely disrespectful…” QUESTION: Question is, is he damaging with his comments on immigration and should he be in the Republican debates? RYAN: He doesn’t speak for the Republican Party and I think his comments were extremely disrespectful and I don’t think that’s the way to have an immigration conversation. QUESTION: Should he be in the debates? RYAN: I’ll leave that to Reince to decide.
Paul Ryan on whether deportation could happen: “I can’t imagine how it could happen.” PELLEY: I take it you don’t advocate rounding up 11 million illegal immigrants and deporting them. RYAN: I do not. PELLEY: That’s not going to happen while you’re speaker of the House. RYAN: I can’t imagine how it could happen. So no.
Ryan: “It’s time to set aside the bullying, to set aside belittlement and appeal to higher aspirations – appeal to what is good in us.”JAKE TAPPER: Do you share Governor Romney’s views? Trump’s a phony, a bully, and a fraud? PAUL RYAN: Look, here is what I think Jake. And I think you’re going to see the tapes like that running all fall. The question is, can our presumptive nominee turn things around, unify and have a different kind of cadence going forward. The way I look at this, Jake, is it’s time to go from tapping into anger to channeling that anger into solutions. It’s time to set aside the bullying, to set aside belittlement and appeal to higher aspirations – appeal to what is good in us.
Ryan: “I don’t want to go back and roll the tape – look, I was pretty clear and I was outspoken on a number of occasions where I think that he did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing. and I’ll do that in the future if need be.” TAPPER: But what you’re saying is a fairly dramatic announcement, that the Speaker of the House cannot as of now support his nominee for president. Is there something specific that he has done that has brought you to this moment? RYAN: Well, like I said, I hope to support our nominee. I hope to support his candidacy fully and I want to do that. But right now, just, I’ve got to tell you, Jake, just being candid with you, at this point, I’m just not there right now. And it’s because I think, of part – I don’t want to go back and roll the tape – look, I was pretty clear and I was outspoken on a number of occasions where I think that he did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing. And I’ll do that in the future if need be. I hope it’s not necessary. But I think what a lot of Republicans want to see is that we have a standard bearer that bears our standards.
Today’s meeting of the low energy Republican Party leaders with their lyin’ nominee for President just highlights the hostile and nasty fight brewing within the GOP. This desperate attempt at making a deal to unify the party won’t erase the vicious rhetoric, weak policies, and continuous lies of Donald Trump. Republicans can’t run away from Trump’s bad judgement and dishonorable untruths now. Sad!
● Donald Trump’s ban would apply to both potential immigrants and tourists. “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he is calling for a ‘complete and total shutdown’ on Muslims entering the United States. Trump says in a statement released by his campaign Monday that his proposal comes in response to the level of hatred among ‘large segments of the Muslim population’ toward Americans. Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says Trump’s proposed ban would apply to ‘everybody,’ including Muslims seeking immigration visas as well as tourists seeking to enter the country.” [Associated Press, 12/7/15]
Donald Trump said he “would certainly implement” a national system to track Muslims in the United States. “Donald Trump ‘would certainly implement’ a database system tracking Muslims in the United States, the Republican front-runner told NBC News on Thursday night. ‘I would certainly implement that. Absolutely,’ Trump said in Newton, Iowa, in between campaign town halls. ‘There should be a lot of systems, beyond databases,’ he added. ‘We should have a lot of systems.’ When asked whether Muslims would be legally obligated to sign into the database, Trump responded, ‘They have to be — they have to be.’” [NBC News, 11/20/15]
Paul Ryan “[took] an exception” to his policy of not commenting on the presidential election to criticize Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims. “Freedom of religion is of fundamental constitutional principle. It is a founding principle of this country. Normally, I do not comment on what is going on in the presidential election. I will take an exception today. This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for and more importantly it is not what this country stands for. Not only are there many Muslims serving in our armed forces dying for this country, there are Muslims serving right here in the house working every day to uphold and defend the constitution. Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islamic terror are Muslims. The vast, vast, vast, vast majority of whom are peaceful, who believe in pluralism, freedom, democracy, individual rights. I told our members to always strive to live up to our highest ideals, to uphold those principles in the constitution on which we swear every two years that we will defend. That is why we are here and we are going to stay here to do the people’s house and do the people’s work.” [Ryan press conference, C-SPAN, 12/8/15]
Paul Ryan on his criticism of Donald Trump: “I’m not concerned about lasting damage to the party.” “Q: You were very forceful, though, right there in those comments. Do you think there could be lasting damage to the party from those types of comments? RYAN: I’m not concerned about lasting damage to the party; I’m concerned about standing up for our country’s principles. These are first principles and our party is dedicated to those first principles. And that’s why I think it’s incumbent on leaders of our party like myself to stand up and defend what conservatism is and what the Republican Party stands for.” [Ryan press conference, C-SPAN, 12/8/15]
Donald Trump made ending birthright citizenship a pillar of his immigration plan, calling it “the biggest magnet for illegal immigration.” “End birthright citizenship. This remains the biggest magnet for illegal immigration. By a 2:1 margin, voters say it’s the wrong policy, including Harry Reid who said ‘no sane country’ would give automatic citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.” [“Immigration Reform That Will Make America Great Again,” accessed 8/20/15]
Donald Trump in 2011: “Some four million anchor babies are now officially U.S. citizens. This has to stop.” “Some four million anchor babies are now officially U.S. citizens. This has to stop. The only other major country in the world that issues citizenship based on where one’s mother delivers her child is Canada. The rest of the world bases citizenship on who the kid’s parents are, which is of course the only sane standard.” [Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again, pg. 141, 2011]
Donald Trump’s proposal to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants could cost taxpayers upwards of $137 billion. “Trump said that ‘illegal immigration’ cost ‘more than $200 billion a year.’ We couldn’t find any support for that. Actually, it could cost taxpayers $137 billion or more to deport the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, as Trump proposes.” [USA Today, 9/17/15]
While it’s not clear what the GOP is going to do about the Party’s demise from within, one thing is clear: #NeverTrump became #EventuallyTrump and now the GOP has officially stamped what they like to call the “party of Lincoln” the #PartyofTrump. “The comb-overthrow of the Republican party is complete.”
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Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will unveil her proposal to rein in out-of-control prescription drugs costs—an issue that countless voters have raised as a priority for Clinton on the campaign trail. But, in contrast with Clinton’s bold tackling of the issue, Republicans—like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Chris Christie—have enacted policies that increased the out of pocket cost to consumers and made it more difficult for Americans to purchase their prescription medications.
The GOP’s silence on prescription drug costs will not go unnoticed, certainly not while Hillary Clinton takes on an issue so critically important to the American people.
Jeb Bush proposed reducing state’s payments for prescription drugs for Medicaid patients. “The spending reductions he recommended included about $ 225 million less in the state’s contribution to the pension fund, reduced payments for drugs for Medicaid patients and scattered economies throughout the government such as elimination of vacant positions. The most controversial proposed cut may be the $ 107 million reduction in payments for pharmaceuticals for Medicaid patients.” [Times-Union, 2/3/99]
Jeb Bush signed a $22.5 million cut to prescription drug assistance for poor seniors. “Some services for lower-income Floridians face reductions. Drug assistance for poor seniors, for example, faces a $22.5 million cut, halting plans to expand a program now used by 8,100 elderly.” [Orlando Sentinel, 12/3/01]
Jeb Bush vetoed $90,000 for a prescription access for the underserved program at the Suncoast Community Health Center. According to Jeb Bush’s 2002 veto message, “Specific Appropriation 574 Pages 112 and 113 – A portion of proviso language […] Prescription Access For The Underserved – Suncoast CHC – Hillsborough 90,000’” [Jeb Bush 2002 Veto Message, 6/5/02]
Jeb Bush signed a requirement that Medicaid and Medically Needy recipients pay a 2.5 percent co-pay for each prescription drug up to $7.50 per month. “Medicaid and Medically Needy recipients will pay a 2.5 percent co-pay for each prescription drug up to $7.50 per prescription per month.” [St. Petersburg Times, 5/23/03]
Jeb Bush recommended an $8 million cut to Medicaid prescription drug reimbursements for pharmacists. “Also taking a hit would be pharmacists, who would see the state pay them less to fill a Medicaid prescription, saving about $8-million. HMOs would see a 1 percent cut in their reimbursement for taking on Medicaid clients, saving $5-million.” [St. Petersburg Times, 1/21/04]
Jeb Bush pushed to limit the number of medications readily available to poor people. “Even Republicans are wary of the governor’s plan to cut costs by limiting prescription drugs. Gov. Jeb Bush’s plan to cut Medicaid costs by limiting the number of medications readily available to poor people is being met with stiff resistance from lawmakers in the governor’s own party. Senate President Toni Jennings and Speaker of the House John Thrasher both said Friday that they have real concerns about Bush’s plan. A House budget committee did not even consider the proposal when it met earlier this week. A Senate budget committee considered a much scaled-back version of the proposal Friday, but it too was criticized.” [St. Petersburg Times, 3/6/99]
Jeb Bush proposed a $292 million cut to prescription drugs under Medicaid. “Bush also proposed some major cuts in the $ 14.7 billion Medicaid program, including a $ 300 million cut in the Medically Needy initiative that helps 36,000 catastrophically ill Floridians who have exhausted their private insurance. The recipients would lose their hospitalization but could still get prescription drugs. Bush also supports more restrictions on the use of prescription drugs by Medicaid patients, which represents another $ 292 million cut.” [Ledger, 1/19/05]
Scott Walker considered cuts to Milwaukee County’s medical safety net program that would result in increased prescription drug costs for the poor. “Seven years after Milwaukee County committed to serving the uninsured after closing Doyne Hospital, County Executive Scott Walker is contemplating major cuts in – or elimination of – the county’s health care program for the poor, which served 29,000 residents last year. Walker said the county’s ongoing budget squeeze and the fact that no state law mandates the safety-net General Assistance Medical Program explains his consideration of reducing the county’s $13.7 million tax-levy support by $1 million to $5 million, or phasing it out entirely. […] It would also mean a new co-pay of $10 per visit to specialty physicians, boost the GAMP semiannual application fee from $35 to $50, and ask patients to pay more for prescription drugs, according to Henken. It would mean a loss of $1.4 million in matching funds.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/25/05]
Scott Walker’s budget proposal sought to slash $15 million from Wisconsin’s prescription drug program. “Gov. Scott Walker’s executive budget would cut $15 million from the state’s popular SeniorCare program over the next two years. The program provides senior citizens with prescription drug benefits. The governor’s budget would slash $15 million in state tax dollars from the program, resulting in the loss of a matching $15 million in federal funding and $66 million in program revenue. The only explanation Walker has offered is the cuts will ensure coherent alignment with Medicare Part D. The governor’s spokeswoman had no immediate explanation.” [Associated Press, 2/5/15]
Scott Walker’s budget would push Wisconsin seniors off of the state’s popular prescription drug program into the potentially more expensive Medicare Part D benefit. “Pushing eligible recipients of the state’s popular SeniorCare prescription drug plan into the potentially more expensive federal Medicare Part D benefit. It isn’t clear yet how many of the roughly 87,000 SeniorCare members would be affected. A similar proposal made in Walker’s 2011 budget bill was scrapped because of opposition from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. […] Seniors ages 65 and older pay a yearly $30 enrollment fee for SeniorCare as well as co-payments ranging from $5 to $15, but unlike the federal plan the Wisconsin plan is simpler and has no gaps in coverage.” [Journal-Sentinel, 2/23/15]
Marco Rubio supported the 2011 Ryan budget plan despite it increasing “out-of-pocket costs for the typical Medicare patient…by more than $6,000 a year.” “The Ryan budget plan […] would increase out of pocket costs for the typical Medicare patient of the future by more than $6,000 a year. Rubio said he still supports the Ryan plan. He said the message from constituents was that they wanted to ‘save Medicare.’ ‘The political risks are dwarfed by the real risks of allowing Medicare to go bankrupt,’ […] ‘The political risks do not measure up to the real risks of allowing Medicare over the next 5 to 12 years to have to cut benefits because it runs out of money.” [Sun-Sentinel, 5/10/11]
Chris Christie said he was “embarrassed” that prescription drugs for children were too cheap. “In a tirade against Barack Obama’s policies as U.S. President at one of his summer town halls here today, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he’s ‘embarrassed’ that he has to pay $3 dollars for his kids’ prescriptions when he goes to his local pharmacy. ‘I get this health plan now,’ Christie said, referring to ObamaCare, the president’s signature health care legislation. ‘And I have to tell you the truth, it’s embarrassing. I go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for one of my kids and you know what I pay most of the time? Three dollars. Three dollars for anything. And the guy behind the counter is looking at me, knowing he’s paying for me to get that. I’m embarrassed by that. It’s too rich. We can’t afford it.’” [Politicker NJ, 8/14/14]
Chris Christie’s proposed 2011 budget would increase fees for prescription drugs for the aged and disabled. “Beginning in January, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled beneficiaries would be required to cover an annual deductible of $310. Also, the co-payment for brand-name drugs rises from $7 now to $15 and the co-payment for generic drugs would drop from $6 now to $5. Senior Gold enrollees will also have to pay the $310 deductible and additional coinsurance.” [Home News Tribune, 3/16/10]
Newark Star-Ledger Editorial: Chris Christie “slashed important senior programs, like prescription drug assistance.” “Lately, the governor reminds us of a firefighter who torches a house so he can rush in, put out the blaze and be the hero. After two years of sticking it to fixed-income seniors (while protecting millionaires), Chris Christie is now sucking up to them in town hall meetings, even popping up at their kitchen tables to tell them he feels their pain. Of course he does. He inflicted a lot of it. He cut property tax relief, making it tougher for them to stay in the very homes he’s visiting. And he slashed important senior programs, like prescription drug assistance.” [Newark Star-Ledger editorial, 8/9/11]
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