Tag Archives: Democrats

Current Affairs, Politics

Ways and Means Committee Votes to Release Investigation of the IRS’s Mandatory Audit Program Under the Prior Administration | Ways and Means Committee – Democrats

Dec 30, 2022, Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC—The Ways and Means Committee voted to publicly release the Committee’s investigation of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Mandatory Audit Program under the prior administration.

The Committee’s investigation found the mandatory program was dormant, at best, with only one audit opened while the former President was in office, and none have been completed.

Excerpts from Chairman Neal’s opening statement:

“Ways and Means is entrusted with great responsibilities. Today, the weight of our job is heavy. Congress serves as a check on the Executive Branch, and our Committee is entrusted with oversight of our revenue system. We all come to Ways and Means with the goal of creating a fairer tax code. Because at the root of it all, it is our federal tax system that funds the democracy we all cherish and love.

Our voluntary collection relies on the public confidence that our tax laws are applied evenly and justly, regardless of position or power. For four years, the Committee has been reviewing how the IRS enforces the federal tax laws against, and ensures compliance by, a president.

“A president is no ordinary taxpayer. They hold power and influence unlike any other American. And with great power comes even greater responsibility.

“We are only here today because four years ago, our request to learn more about the program under 6103 was denied. This was the first time that this key oversight function was hampered, and our Committee’s jurisdiction was challenged.

“The Committee expected that these mandatory audits were being conducted promptly and in accordance with IRS policies. However, our review found that under the prior Administration the program was dormant. We know now, the first mandatory audit was opened two years into his presidency. On the same day this Committee requested his returns.

“We anticipated the IRS would expand the mandatory audit program to account for the complex nature of the former president’s financial situation yet found no evidence of that. This is a major failure of the IRS under the prior administration, and certainly not what we had hope to find.

“But the evidence is clear. Congress must step in. I’ve proposed legislation to put the program above reproach. Ensuring IRS conducts yearly, timely examinations while publicly disclosing certain information.

“Our work has always been to ensure our tax laws are administered fairly and without preference, because at times, even the power of a president can loom too large.”

Neal’s opening statement is available HERE.

The Committee’s report is available HERE, and JCT’s report (Attachment I) is available HERE.

Neal’s Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act of 2022 (Attachment J).

Attachment A, Attachment B, Attachment C, Attachment D, Attachment E, Attachment F, Attachment G, & Attachment H.

The vote to go into Executive Session was 23-16, and the vote to transmit the documents to the House was 24-16.

Editor’s Note: The attachments to the article contain Trump’s tax returns, the .zip file Attachment E. I’m posting that attachment online here.

Source: Ways and Means Committee Votes to Release Investigation of the IRS’s Mandatory Audit Program Under the Prior Administration | Ways and Means Committee – Democrats

Current Affairs, Politics, Television, Times They Are A-Changing

Biden attacks Trump and his Republican supporters as a threat to democracy : NPR

By Frank Ordonez, Updated September 1, 20229:31 PM ET

President Joe Biden speaks outside Independence Hall on Sept. 1, in Philadelphia.
Evan Vucci/AP

President Biden on Thursday warned Americans that democracy is under attack from a faction of the Republican party led by former President Donald Trump, and called on Democrats, mainstream Republicans and independents to “speak up, speak out, get engaged — vote, vote, vote.”

In a rare prime time speech, Biden attacked his predecessor, saying that “too much of what’s happening in our country today isn’t normal.” The speech came just two months ahead of midterm congressional elections, where Democrats are fighting to keep their slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Biden said the Republican party is “dominated, driven, intimidated by Donald Trump” and his supporters, calling it “a threat to this country.”

Source: Biden attacks Trump and his Republican supporters as a threat to democracy : NP

Current Affairs, Politics, Science & Health

Schumer proposes federal legislation to decriminalize marijuana | CNBC

Published Wed, Jul 14 202112:51 PM EDT
By Emma Newburger@emma_newburger

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) talks to reporters following the Senate Democrats weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 13, 2021.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed legislation to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
  • The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and introduce regulations to tax cannabis products.
  • It would also expunge federal records of nonviolent cannabis offenders.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed legislation Wednesday to legalize marijuana at the federal level, a move aimed at easing restrictive drug policies that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and the poor.

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and introduce regulations to tax cannabis products. The proposal would expunge federal records of nonviolent cannabis offenders and allow people serving time in federal prison for nonviolent marijuana crimes to petition a court for resentencing.

“This is monumental. At long last, we are taking steps in the Senate to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a press conference at the Capitol. Schumer unveiled the draft along with Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J.

Source: Schumer proposes federal legislation to decriminalize marijuana

Current Affairs, Politics, Television

Trump is a Laughing Stock … Joe Biden ad from Twitter…

“The world is laughing at President Trump. They see him for what he really is: dangerously incompetent and incapable of world leadership. We cannot give him four more years as commander in chief.

Current Affairs

Inside Trump’s Hanoi heartbreak: A long road to nowhere – CNNPolitics

Video


Editor’s Note: Here’s a tip to great headline writer, and stealing it.. For 2020, let’s talk about how electing Trump in 2016 put us on “A Long Road To Nowhere” .. a slogan I can believe in 🙂

 

It was meant as the sequel to rival the original — another far-flung encounter, laced with backslapping and friendly banter alongside the world’s most ruthless dictator.

Source: Inside Trump’s Hanoi heartbreak: A long road to nowhere – CNNPolitics

Current Affairs

Democrats – You Need to Have a National Plan, and Transparency

democrat
Image source: http://imgarcade.com/1/democratic-party-symbol-2013/

I’ve become discouraged and disappointed in my party, the Democratic Party of the United States.

In this time, which we’ve seen before (see: 1960s, Vietnam War, Nixon, Reagan), the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seem disorganized, have no significant national leader of note, no visible national plan for restoring the party to national control in the Senate, the House, and the Presidency, and no transparency for the party at the national level.

Yes, there’s some efforts underway to get a leader, and organize.  But, to me, given the nature of the assaults on our Nation’s Democracy, we are too slow, too unable to gather together as a single force for and .

More on those points below, but on transparency, my large complaint is the continual, ongoing begging for donations and funds to fight without a single clue or report or publication or social media sharing of their use of resources and donations given to them.

For me, I wouldn’t give to a charity or organization that doesn’t have a annual report, a disclosure of how its funds are spent, and frequent regular reports to its contributors or membership about how the donated funds are used.  See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_in_the_United_States#Political_parties

Yes, there are state level and local level Democratic Party organizations, but the biggest role is the national organization.  You lead from the top, or you don’t lead at all.  Where’s my report on how you used my money to try and elect Hillary Clinton?  Where’s the staff listing, salaries, operational organization chart, annual report, disclosures?  What are we Democrats getting from our national “team” and their leadership thus far into 2017.  I don’t see much.

Today’s page (2/22/17) reminds me at the first view to call the Republicans in Congress?  See screenshot below…

democrats-org-change-that-matters

Really??  That’s the best you got.  No wonder we got beat in the Electoral College…

POPULAR VOTE

n_maddow_acivilwar_161123-video_1067x600
Source: MSNBC

They (we) won the popular vote by millions, but the Party seems unable to capitalize on any support from that, IMHO.  Given these numbers, there should be a huge number of citizens who voted for her that would be interested in a Democratic Plan to regain national power in politics, and resist and fight back against the current administration.  So far, all I get are emails from state and national Democratic Party organizations only when something seems huge or big or crazy or outrageous –and always ends with a pleas for funds, i.e., donations (money).  Never have those messages offered feedback on how any money would be spent, how they are spending it now, and where’s the National Plan?

Buried in their DNC Web site, is the 2016 campaign’s platform, which I guess is still some kind of substitute plan.  A national political party should have a consistent, published, ongoing, updated National Plan of Action.  Whether they are in control of states, Congress, or the White House.  Remember those “This I Believe” messages, see more at http://thisibelieve.org/

At this point, the Democrats need something, anything to establish their values, what they believe, how they are moving forward, what are their plans, what’s next, events, actions, ways to help, ways to fight back.  Their national silence is deafening…