AZ Congressional Delegation

Senate Tea-Publicans filibuster veterans benefits while beating the drums for the next war

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Last Thursday, Senate Tea-Publicans blocked Democrats on a procedural vote from advancing a bill that would have expanded healthcare and education programs for our military veterans. The Hill reported, GOP blocks veterans bill:

mccain_flakeIn a 56-41 vote Thursday, the motion to waive a budget point of order against the bill failed, as Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome the Republican roadblock.

GOP Sens. Dean Heller (Nev.) and Jerry Moran (Kan.) voted with Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) refused to allow a GOP substitute amendment to get an up-or-down vote because it included Iran sanctions, which he said were unrelated to veterans’ issues.

“I hope all the veterans groups have witnessed all the contortions the Republicans have done to defeat this bill,” Reid said Thursday. “Shame on Republicans for bringing base politics into a bill to help veterans.”

Republicans tried to force consideration of the GOP amendment, but failed to table Reid’s pending amendments on a 44-52 vote.

[Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake voted to block the bill.]

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Congressman Ed Pastor retiring from Congress

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…Thank you for your service and let the scrum begin…

From the Washington Post –

Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) announced Thursday that he will be retiring after his current term, setting off what could be a widespread battle to replace him.

The 11-term lawmaker made the announcement via Facebook: “After 23 years in Congress serving the people of Arizona, I have decided that I will not seek re-election this year. It has been a great honor and experience, but it is time for me to close this chapter of my life and start a new one,” he said. “I want to thank everyone who has assisted me and supported me throughout my career. Thank you very much for all of your support.”

First, let me be one of the many who thank Congressman Pastor for his decades of service to the people of his district, to Phoenix, and Arizona. His quietly effective style of getting things done will be missed, and will leave some big shoes to fill, for whoever ends up with the job.

Second, the popcorn part of the post.

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Breaking: Congressman Ed Pastor to retire from Congress

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Arizona’s senior member of Congress, Ed Pastor, announced today that he is retiring from Congress. Thank you for your years of service, Ed. After 23 years in Congress serving the people of Arizona, I have decided that I will not seek re-election this year. It has been a great honor and experience, but it is … Read more

Lincoln Day dinners? Please, this is not your father’s GOP

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The Arizona Daily Star must be feeling left out today, but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about them.

Instead of publishing warmed-over press releases from the Martha McSally campaign as “news,” CD-2 candidate Martha McSally headlines Lincoln Day dinner in Hawaii, maybe the Star should have hired a political reporter to send down to Cochise County to cover the Lincoln Day dinner in closer proximity to Tucson. What, the Star can’t afford a stipend for gas and some food? Have Jim Click chip in.

Bill Hess at the Sierra Vista Herald can show your reporter how it’s done. Check out this report. Fighting for the ‘will of the people’ (the link has been fixed):

FORT HUACHUCA — Some words spoken more than 150 years ago are still a battle cry for Republicans.

For the GOP today the fight to ensure the will of the people is heard is what the Republican party stands for, Casey Jones, the chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee, said at the formal opening of the annual Abraham Lincoln Day Dinner.

Quoting Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the final 14 words of the speech should be the motto of the Republican Party, Jones said.

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Our Tea-Publican lawless legislature loses in court, again (part the infinity)

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6a00d8341bf80c53ef019103bb1102970c-piOur Tea-Publican lawless legislature has lost in court, again. This time it was our lawless legislature’s attempt to overturn the constitutionality of the voter-approved citizens initiative creating the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC), Prop. 106 (2000), to determine redistricting election boundaries rather than the state legislature. Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (CV12-01211-PHX-PGR).

I have previously explained that, based upon case law precedents, this should be a no-brainer for the court in favor of the AIRC. Arizona Legislature v. the AIRC court hearing this Friday. And it was, except for Justice Paul Rosenblatt, who agreed with part of the ruling, but argued the citizen initiative wrongly removed any power lawmakers would have to influence how the politically sensitive lines are drawn in his dissent. Justice Rosenblatt is simply wrong. It happens.

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