Greene County Democrat

Tag: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries

  • Newswire : Trump’s death threat against six Congress members, for video that explains service-peoples’ right to disobey “illegal orders”, sends Nation into crisis

    By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

    President Donald Trump has again shocked the conscience of the nation with his latest outburst. This time, the president accused six Democratic lawmakers of sedition and declared their conduct “punishable by DEATH” as he reposted calls on social media to “hang them” and demanded their arrest.
    The president’s words landed with a violent weight, particularly as he continues to publicly support and pardon individuals convicted of attacking the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump himself has long faced allegations of encouraging sedition by praising the rioters who erected gallows and hunted his own vice president.
    The president escalated his attacks after the lawmakers, all veterans or former intelligence officers, released a video urging members of the military to refuse unlawful orders. Trump responded with a barrage of posts accusing them of treason and sedition and sharing messages declaring “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD.” In one post, Trump wrote that their behavior was “punishable by DEATH,” calling their message “really bad, and Dangerous to our Country.”
    The six Democratic lawmakers at the center of Trump’s attacks include Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, Maggie Goodlander, and Chris Deluzio. In a joint statement, they reaffirmed their oath to the Constitution. “No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation,” they stated. “This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans.”

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released a statement that said political violence must never be normalized. “Political violence has no place in America,” they stated. “Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.”
    Members of Congress across the country denounced Trump’s language. Representative Norma Torres said the president’s words represented a direct threat to democracy. “The President of the United States is calling for Members of Congress to be executed,” Torres stated. “We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced.”
    Trump’s accusations arrive as concerns grow about his willingness to issue illegal orders and expand the use of military force both abroad and domestically. A CNN analysis noted that Democrats are responding to a pattern in which Trump has repeatedly floated illegal military actions. The analysis cited his past suggestions involving torture, shooting protesters in the legs, and ordering strikes that violated international law.
    Lawmakers who served in uniform said the president’s charges distort the law. Maine Senator Angus King said the Democratic lawmakers simply reminded service members of a basic principle. “All these people said was common knowledge,” King stated. “Military officers are not required to follow illegal orders. That is simply a statement of fact.”
    The reaction among members of Congress has been swift, wide, and unusually unified. Even Republican Senator Susan Collins condemned Trump’s words. “The president should not be calling for the death of members of Congress because of what they say,” Collins stated. “Such incendiary comments risk sparking political violence.”
    Texas Democrat Al Green, who has repeatedly sought Trump’s impeachment, said allowing this rhetoric to stand threatens constitutional order. “On our watch, we refuse to allow the demise of our democracy,” Green said on the House floor as he renewed his call for impeachment proceedings.
    As the warnings mount, the six lawmakers targeted by the president said they will not retreat from their oath. “In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage,” they stated. “We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated. Don’t Give Up the Ship.”

  • Newswire : Hakeem Jeffries slams GOP claims of ‘paid protesters’ at town halls

    By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

     

    Republican lawmakers are facing mounting pressure from angry voters at town hall meetings across the country. Constituents confront them over sweeping federal cuts, the dismantling of government agencies, and attacks on social safety net programs.
    In response, many Republicans are moving their town halls online, where they can pre-screen questions and avoid direct engagement with the public. Rather than acknowledging the widespread discontent, Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have resorted to false claims, accusing Democrats of organizing and paying protesters to disrupt GOP events.
    “Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, insisting without evidence that the outrage was staged. Johnson echoed the claim in an interview with CNN, dismissing the anger at these events as “Democrats who went to the events early and filled up the seats.” When pressed, he admitted, “I don’t know.”
    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries swiftly pushed back on the allegations. “Just got back to the Capitol. Another day, another lie from these people who are out of control,” Jeffries said in a video statement. “I’m told that Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and the extreme right Republicans are claiming that Democrats are sending paid protesters into their town hall meetings. “What’s wrong with y’all? We don’t need to send paid protesters into your town hall meetings,”
    Jeffries continued. “The American people are with us all across the country. People are rising to push back against the assault on the economy, the assault on hardworking families, the assault on our democracy, and the assault on Medicaid. “We don’t need paid protesters, bro. The American people are with us.”

  • Newswire : Congress working to avoid shutdown inches closer to a deal

    By Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Following weeks of negotiations and just before Congress reconvened from its holiday recess, key Senate and House members announced their consensus on setting the total spending at nearly $1.66 trillion. The deal aligns with the agreement struck last year between President Joe Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a deal that faced strong opposition from conservative factions and led to McCarthy’s ouster by MAGA Republicans.
    The agreement includes a boost in Pentagon spending to $886.3 billion while keeping nondefense funding unchanged at $772.7 billion. The figure incorporates an additional $69 billion agreed upon through an informal arrangement between McCarthy and the White House. As a compromise, lawmakers would accelerate $10 billion in cuts to I.R.S. enforcement and reclaim $6 billion in unspent COVID funds and other emergency allocations. The agreed framework does not include the additional $14 billion requested by Senate appropriators from Republican and Democratic sides for increased domestic and military spending.
    “By securing the $772.7 billion for nondefense discretionary funding, we can protect key domestic priorities like veterans’ benefits, health care, and nutrition assistance from the draconian cuts sought by right-wing extremists,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement.
    Describing it as a “favorable arrangement for Democrats and the nation,” Schumer and Jeffries, stressed the necessity for a bipartisan approach in Congress to “prevent an expensive and disruptive shutdown.”
    In a communication to his GOP colleagues, House Speaker Mike Johnson highlighted the Republicans’ achievement in securing spending reductions, particularly the additional money from the I.R.S. He argued that the outcome translates to tangible savings for American taxpayers and genuine reductions in the federal bureaucracy.
    Although Johnson hailed the agreement as a favorable spending deal for Republicans, he acknowledged that the final spending levels “may not satisfy everyone and do not achieve as much spending reduction as many would prefer.”
    Biden acknowledged that the deal “offers a pathway” to fund the government without significant cuts. He urged Congressional Republicans to fulfill their responsibilities, cease government shutdown threats, and allocate funding for critical domestic and national security priorities, including his supplemental request for Ukraine and Israel.
    With the initial deadline for passing four spending bills on Jan. 19, securing an overall agreement on total funding is just the initial phase of avoiding a shutdown. A subsequent deadline for finalizing the remaining eight appropriations bills, including the one for the Pentagon, looms on Feb. 2.