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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLame Duck Trump Admin Will Do All It Can To Loot Before Jan. Dems Must Be Ruthless In Thwarting It
I've changed one word of the TPM headline for my subject line, since their wording was ridiculously understated. Their headline said the Trump admin will "pilfer" -- which means just petty theft. Jeez, check a dictionary, people. Especially if you're a writer or an editor...
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/lame-duck-trump-admin-do-all-can-pilfer-before-january-dems-must-be-ruthless-thwarting-it
The way tomorrows election will go remains highly uncertain. If Trump loses, however, there is no doubt that his administration will set about destroying and pilfering all that it can. Already, as they stare down the barrel of electoral defeat, Trump and his entourage are previewing their lame-duck plan to shovel every federal dollar they can to family and friends.
On many issues, the Trump team seems to simply make it up as it goes along. But when it comes to looting public coffers in the seemingly waning days of Trumps presidency, this administration got ahead of the game. As early as February, Trump officials were moving to get contracting awards for the border wall into companies hands faster by waiving rules that would require open-bidding or basic due diligence. Soon after, as the pandemic raged and the economy crashed, the administration announced that new, exorbitant contracts would go to firms with a well-documented history of Republican giving.
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But Democrats arent helpless to thwart Trump, even if it can sometimes seem like they think they are. Both Congress and the potential Biden transition team can take steps in advance of inauguration to turn off the flow of ill-gotten funds. And if Biden takes office, his team should take a hard look at both the contracts put in place over the last four years, and the contracting practices that have given the Trump administration such a free hand to loot the public treasury.
First, House Democrats should stop issuing the Trump administration a blank check. The federal government is only funded through Dec. 11, and a new continuing resolution will be needed to avoid a shutdown. Congress should use its power to put limits on what an appropriation may be used for, and ban the use of funds for entering into new federal contracts or providing grants before Jan. 21, 2021. That will close the window on the Trump teams pilfering, hopefully cutting off a number of pending egregious deals. If exceptions must be made for programs needed for health and safety, appropriators should make those instructions specific enough to limit the administrations notoriously loose construction of appropriations rules.
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bullimiami
(13,037 posts)prosecution, penalties and sentences follow.
They have been looting us for 4 years. No reason to think they will stop on their own.
Hopefully we spend the next few years getting our stuff back + penalties and hard time for the crooks.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)What biden must do is telegraph to all Federal agencies that accountability will happen, any employee fired for not doing trumps bidding will be rehired with back pay. Biden can put a freeze on what happens easy enough
albacore
(2,387 posts)No quarter... no prisoners.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)2naSalit
(86,042 posts)To put all those criminals.