**Senators blast 'insane' Trump plan for aid cuts, seek Venezuela plan**

By Patricia Zengerle
,Reuters•April 30, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic U.S. senators blasted President Donald Trump's proposal for a 23 percent cut in the U.S. budget for foreign aid and diplomacy as "insane" and "short-sighted" on Tuesday, and said it would not pass.

"We're not going to approve this budget reduction. It's insane. It makes no sense," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the State Department and foreign aid budget.

"I don't know who writes these things over in the White House, but they clearly don't understand the value of soft power," the Republican senator, a close Trump ally on many issues, told a subcommittee hearing on the foreign aid budget.

Graham also called the plan "short-sighted" and said the Appropriations panel would restore funding to previous levels, rather than enacting the 23 percent cut Trump proposed earlier this year.

Graham also asked Mark Green, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to send Congress a plan for how it would assist Venezuela in case of a change in government in the troubled South American state. [nL1N22C1PL]

The hearing took place on Tuesday against a backdrop of upheaval in Venezuela, where Washington's desire to ship in millions of dollars in foreign aid has been a central theme of the Trump administration's push for a change in government. [nL1N22C07O]

The Senate subcommittee's top Democrat, Senator Patrick Leahy, also opposed the cuts, citing the importance of "soft power" like foreign aid to U.S. influence around the world.

"Our soft power should not be a partisan issue, it should be an American issue and we're going to try to keep it that way," Leahy said at the hearing, at which Green testified on Trump's proposed budget.

Graham asked if Trump's administration had a plan in place to help the Venezuela people if President Nicolas Maduro's government were to fall. Graham suggested that the administration submit an emergency funding request for Venezuela to his committee, including a plan.

"I think most members of this committee would gladly help you with some resources to stabilize Venezuela when Maduro falls, not if. In that regard, we would very much appreciate any advice you give us about what a good response would look like," Graham said.

https://news.yahoo.com/senators-blast-insane-trump-plan-aid-cuts-seek-195845421--business.html?.tsrc=notification-brknews

RealClearPolitics current polls...very interesting

You know how narcissist always project right?

I just read one of Trumps' past tweets when he said Tom Steyer didn't have the money to run for president.


Tom Steyers ' net worth...$1.62 billion (USD)


Ok

Party loyalty?

I remember before the Mueller report came out Trump complained about Rosenstein and Mueller , he said they were compromised etc. I remember hearing on Morning Joe that Trump shouldn't complain cause both men are registered republicans etc. Now here we are.

If I had the opportunity to interview Trump, I would ask him...

You say you aren't a racist and that you are the least racist person ever. Then why do racist think your'e racist?



* I know he would call me a racist just for asking

Trump defends Charlottesville violence cause people felt strongly about Robert E. Lee statue...

Just now on MSNBC.


So people were attacked and someone was killed over strong feelings of a statue? STFU


Joe Biden was smart to bring this up, now Trump is doubling down on it and making himself look bad...again

Lol, Trump called Biden 'old'....

He thinks cause he dyes his hair he is young. He's overweight, doesn't excercise and eats non healthy food. He's 72 and Biden is 76, a 4 years difference. LOL

Can you do this Donnie?

Anamosa lawmaker leaves GOP for Democrats

James Q. Lynch James.lynch@thegazette.com Apr 23, 2019 Updated 29 min ago

DES MOINES — Rep. Andy McKean, the longest-serving Republican in the Iowa Legislature, is now the newest member of the House Democratic caucus....

McKean’s departure from the GOP was announced Tuesday, shaving Republicans’ margin in the chamber to 53-47. He is now listed on the legislative website as “no party specified,” but plans to change his registration when he is back home in Jones County.

McKean, 69, an Anamosa lawyer who was elected to the Iowa House in 1978, said there was no single issue that precipitated his move, but cited the election of President Donald Trump in 2016 and a Republican Party he found “very changed” when he returned to the Legislature in 2017.

“I found myself increasingly uncomfortable with the stance of my party,” he said. “Quite frankly, in listening to the discussion on the critical issues of the day since I’ve been back in Des Moines, I’ve felt in great sympathy with the Democratic Party on most of those major issues....

...more at the link

https://qctimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/anamosa-lawmaker-leaves-gop-for-democrats/article_741d3ff0-4b75-5da7-baf5-04db82e38315.html

***BREAKING** from NBC news

IMMIGRATION & THE BORDER


Leader of militia detaining migrants allegedly said group trained to assassinate Soros, Clinton, Obama, complaint says
Larry Mitchell Hopkins has been described as the “commander” of the United Constitutional Patriots that has been detaining migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.


April 22, 2019, 4:00 PM EDT
By Daniella Silva
A leader of a New Mexico militia that has been detaining migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border said that the group was “training to assassinate George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama,” according to an FBI agent's sworn deposition describing reports phoned into the agency's public tip line.

Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and made an initial appearance in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on the charge Monday.....much more at the link below

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/leader-militia-detaining-migrants-allegedly-said-group-trained-assassinate-soros-n997176?cid=eml_nbn_20190422

**A militia group detained migrants at the border. The ACLU calls it kidnapping**

By Catherine E. Shoichet, Deanna Hackney, Geneva Sands and Paul P. Murphy, CNN

Updated 5:47 PM ET, Fri April 19, 2019


(CNN)A militia group near the US-Mexico border detained hundreds of people this week, New Mexico's attorney general told CNN.

"My office has been informed that this week, an armed group has detained nearly 300 people near Sunland Park, New Mexico," Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a written statement. "These individuals should not attempt to exercise authority reserved for law enforcement."

Videos posted online purportedly showing migrants held by the United Constitutional Patriots group and handed over to the US Border Patrol drew swift condemnation from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico.
"We cannot allow racist and armed vigilantes to kidnap and detain people seeking asylum," the ACLU said in a letter to state authorities denouncing the actions and asking the government to step in. "We urge you to immediately investigate this atrocious and unlawful conduct."

CNN has reached out to the United Constitutional Patriots for comment.
The New York Times reported that a spokesman for the militia group said their actions were legal, "comparing the detention of the migrants to 'a verbal citizen's arrest.'"

Videos show armed men in masks, fatigues
Various private militia groups -- often espousing anti-immigrant views -- have patrolled the border for years.

But it's rare to see video of an armed group detaining migrants on the US side of the border.
Authorities say they're looking into videos posted on the United Constitutional Patriots New Mexico Border Ops Facebook page.
CNN has reached out to the group and the individuals who posted the videos for comment but has not confirmed details about who shot the videos, or when and where they were recorded.

A member of United Constitutional Patriots is pictured patrolling near Mt. Christo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on March 20, 2019.
The videos purport to show members of the group detaining migrants, including families with children, who've just crossed the border.
They show people often in full military fatigues, with handguns strapped to their sides, wearing gloves and black face masks. Armed men order migrants to stop, force them to sit on the ground and then apparently call Border Patrol to pick them up. At least two videos posted on the group's Facebook page depict a man in fatigues verbally identifying himself as "Border Patrol" as he stops a group of migrants.....(more at link)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/us/border-militia-migrants/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNN&utm_content=2019-04-20T14:54:36&fbclid=IwAR1W1f05xfmDizCWP_gQ72i4LP2MTbyjk2TZA_fl-0wbE4aFkwfBfVRc2zo