Parliamentarian Blocks Spending Cuts
This week, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) "cannot cut Medicaid funding for sex changes or illegal immigrants. The eligibility of these two categories is a policy decision made by a previous president and a previous congress and cannot be changed by a simple majority vote on this reconciliation bill."
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala) asserted "the 'woke' Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid ten years ago, just struck down a provision banning illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. The Parliamentarian 'advises.' She does not 'rule.' Reducing the amounts spent is germane to the purpose of the BBB. Ms. MacDonough should be fired for exceeding her authority. Our Majority Leader has the right to appoint a replacement. He should exercise that right."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said "it's been 50 years since a parliamentarian has been fired. I am not going to risk five decades of amity between the Parties by firing one now just to try to save taxpayers a few billion dollars. The federal debt is trillions of dollars. It's never going to be repaid. Why quibble over delaying an inevitable bankruptcy by a few months? Our Democrat colleagues firmly believe that transgenders and illegal aliens deserve to have their medical needs funded by tax dollars. It would be disrespectful for us to disregard their beliefs for such a trivial amount of money."
Honors Student Sues School
Aleysha Ortiz, a 19-year-old who graduated from Hartford Public High School in Connecticut with academic honors is suing the school. "At first, I was very excited about graduating with honors," she said. "I thought I was ready to soar. At least that is what my teachers told me I would do. But the world outside of school is harder than I thought it would be. I found out I couldn't read well enough to understand or complete a job application. This has caused me severe emotional distress. Lawyers advised me to sue."
A spokesperson for the school district insisted that "Ms. Ortiz was not discriminated against in any way. Our schools meticulously followed the guidelines set forth by the state. She was advanced through the system in accordance with those guidelines. If she feels she is less well-prepared than she ought to be it is not the school's fault. Perhaps her post-graduate aspirations are too high for her innate abilities. There are many jobs out there that do not require good academic skills to succeed. For those who can't succeed on their own there is always marriage or public assistance. In any case, it's time for her to move on to the next stage of her life."
In related news, the State of Oregon has eliminated the requirement that students achieve proficiency in reading, writing, and math in order to graduate. Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon (D-Woodburn) explained that "the Oregon Education Association made a persuasive case that the standardized testing methods that we previously used were not reflecting the real world or the needs that teachers felt would best serve the students. Now we rely on the teachers who actually deal directly with each student to assess whether he or she is ready to enter adult life. I'm pleased to say graduation rates have increased and dropouts are down."
Gangs Urged to Defend Turf from ICE
Concerned that "ICE enforcement efforts to arrest illegal immigrants are taking over our streets," Vice-Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez of Cudahy--a suburb of Los Angeles--urged members of two local gangs Florencia 13 and 18th Street "to defend our turf from these uninvited invaders who are terrorizing Latinos."
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, a union representing thousands of police officers, condemned the Vice-Mayor's remarks, saying "what Ms. Gonzalez urged and taunted these specific gangs to do in her social media post puts police officers and other law enforcement professionals at greater risk. These two gangs have murdered police officers. Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal. She should resign and she should be prosecuted if what she called for broke the law."
Gonzalez denied she was attempting to solicit violence. "These two gangs have played prominent roles in our community for decades," she said. "They have a vested interest in what is going on. I didn't suggest that they hurt anyone. I merely thought that their presence at the locations where police were being assaulted and fires being started might help deter ICE from further brutalizing innocent immigrants."
Rent Moratorium for Illegals Suggested
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said "the ICE raids are scaring immigrants from going to their jobs to earn the income they need to pay their rent. Everyone I talk to says that as long as ICE is here we need another rent moratorium to prevent these folks from being evicted."
Kenia Alcocer, representative of the Los Angeles Tenants Union and an illegal alien herself, says "we know that many immigrants will not be able to pay their rent come July 1. Without a rent moratorium landlords will be able to kick us out of our homes. We had a moratorium during the pandemic. We need another one now."
Daniel Yukelson of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, pointed out that "over 85% of rental property owners in the city of Los Angeles are independent moms and pops who, for the most part, are already struggling to pay their bills. Many suffered big losses during the pandemic rent moratorium. Another one could put more of them into bankruptcy."
Unfazed by the potential threat to renters' income, Bass suggested "the City can takeover for any defaulting landlords and let the immigrants stay for free until the deportation crisis passes. None of our newcomers should be homeless just because they can't afford to pay rent."
In related news, the Denver City Council voted unanimously to shut down the City's auto anti-theft tracking system to prevent ICE from accessing it to locate illegal immigrants. Over the past year the system led to the recovery of 170 stolen cars and 300 arrests. The data has also helped police investigate hit-and-runs and murder cases. Councilman Kevin Flynn defended the move, admitting that "the shutdown will hamper police from fighting crime, but protecting our immigrants from being deported is a higher priority."
Face Masks Made Optional
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has decided that face masks will be strongly encouraged rather than required for their August 2025 national convention. This slight move to allow a small bit of individual choice was harshly condemned by the Democratic Socialists of Maine (DSM).
"The National Political Committee's decision to make masking optional, despite years of advocacy from DSA's Disability Working Group puts members at risk, and has already had an impact on our delegation," said a name-witheld-on-request spokesperson for DSM. "COVID is still a threat to the working class in 2025, and to deny this would be a grave mistake. Additionally, bird flu cases continue to rise, which disproportionately harms our immigrant neighbors."
"It is bad enough that the fascist Trump regime has discarded the compulsory health mandates for masks and vaccinations freely provided by the semi-socialist Biden Administration, but for our own national leadership to neglect to compel all members to be masked at the convention is a betrayal of socialist values," the DSM spokesperson complained. "It also needlessly exposes us to being identified and persecuted by the Trump Gestapo that we all fear has infiltrated our ranks."
DSA Co-chair Megan Romer tried to calm down the Maine delegation by pointing out that "all convention attendees must show proof of COVID vaccination and a booster taken within the last 12 months and a negative COVID test within 48 hours of the August 8 to 10 convention. In addition, anyone showing any symptoms of any disease is instructed to not attend."
The DSM spokesperson was not mollified, saying "if we are not going mandate the full range of appropriate behaviors for ourselves how can voters be assured we will mandate them for the entire country once we gain power? Maybe we need an American Lenin to bring true socialism to our country."
Muslim Socialist Wins Democrat Primary for NYC Mayor
Though former Governor Andrew Cuomo entered the Democrat primary for Mayor of New York City as the favorite, the less well known State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani came out on top. His campaign promises included globalizing the intifada, budgeting $65 million for transgender medical care, replacing police with social workers to combat crime, and funding government grocery stores so free food can be provided to fight hunger.
Sen Kirsten Gillibrand asserted that "New York City is home to the largest Jewish population in the country. If a democratic socialist is serious about governing here he must openly denounce globalizing the intifada not endorse it."
Gov. Kathy Hochul said "Mamdani's plan to fund his socialist wet dream by raising taxes on the rich won't work. Our state's taxes on the rich are already so high that they are leaving in droves and slicing billions off of the revenues we have been used to getting."
Long time Democrat strategist James Carville called Mamdani's victory "potentially damaging for the Democratic Party. Openly embracing socialism is going to frighten a lot of folks. Socialism led to poverty and oppression in Russia and China. Endorsing the intifada evokes images of Muslim terrorists butchering Jews in Israel. I can't imagine that any Democrat candidate in any race across the country can totally escape being at least a bit tainted by Mamdani's unfortunate victory."
In related news, during a CNN panel discussion of the "terrible Islamophobic attacks against the newly elected Democrat mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani," former Rep. Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) asserted that "the systemic racism of American whites is making Blacks sick. Heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes are bigger in the Black community because of the stress we carry from having to deal with being called the n-word out loud or silently every day. I was impressed to see that Mamdani says he will levy a tax on whites to fund these medical problems caused by their racism."
RFK and Congressman Wrangle Over Vaccines
At a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F Kennedy jr and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) locked horns over the issue of vaccine safety. It started with Pallone impugning Kennedy's approach to vaccines, saying "you've fired the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) without input from the dedicated medical experts who support the work that this committee has done to try to keep Americans healthy. You yourself have consistently sided with the conspiracy nuts who oppose the vaccines this committee has mandated every child be given before being allowed to attend public schools. You even opposed the COVID vaccine mandated by President Biden despite the fact that it saved millions of lives. How do you explain your actions?"
Kennedy replied "Congressman Pallone, 15 years ago, you were a champion of people who had suffered injuries from vaccines. Since then, you've accepted $2 million from pharmaceutical companies in contributions, more than any other member of this committee. You became a champion of the ACIP despite the fact that its recommendations were tainted by conflicts of interests."
At this point Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo), raised a point order, saying "Mr. Kennedy is impugning Mr. Pallone." Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-Ga) briefly conferred with with committee members and staffers, after which he said "impugning a member of Congress while testifying is improper. Mr. Kennedy, will you retract your remarks?"
Kennedy agreed to retract his remarks and added "my words on the matter weren't intended to impugn. They were intended to inform. Anyone can look up the campaign contributions Congressman Pallone has received and the votes he has taken on pharmaceutical legislation for themselves and draw their own conclusions."
Pallone objected to Kennedy's characterization of his stance on vaccines insisting that "I never was a champion of people who allegedly were harmed by vaccines. I have always stood behind the experts in the pharmaceutical industry and they have always stood behind me since I first entered Congress in 1988. We were united behind the idea that patented medicines are the best way to protect human health. I took their contributions so I could continue to promote this approach through necessary legislation."
Iran Declares Victory
In an address to Iranian citizens Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told them that "we have repelled the aggressors who treacherously tried to take our land from us. Though many of our heroic military leaders lost their lives in the conflict the nation as a whole has survived the bombings. I have successfully eluded assassination."
"Our victory was achieved in only 12 days," he added. "The Zionist little Satan hit us with everything they had, but was forced to retreat without accomplishing their goal of dislodging me from my post or causing our people to lose faith in the eventual triumph of Islam. The Great Satan was too frightened to do more than one tiny sortie to bomb three targets--all of which they failed to destroy. Our retaliatory strike on the US air base in Qatar was enough to convince Trump to request a ceasefire, which we mercifully granted."
"As further punishment to our enemies, our Guardian Council has suspended all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," Khamenei boasted. "Now we will be completely free from impediments to our nuclear armament program. Within the next year we will have tens of thousands of bombs and the missiles needed to deliver them against all who would ever dare to attack us again. Meanwhile, the brave jihadis we have infiltrated into the homeland of the Great Satan will carry out their continuing mission to win elections and implement the policies and assassinations needed to convert city-by-city and state-by-state into Islamic caliphates until all the world is for Allah."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) cited Khamenei's speech as "proof that President Trump's claim to have obliterated Iran's nuclear weapons program is false. His decision to bomb Iran without prior authorization from Congress will now lead to a disastrous catastrophe for America. He has made us the aggressors and Iranian terrorists will have just cause for taking revenge on innocent men, women, and children. Only if we atone for Trump's murderous attack on Iran by impeaching him could we hope to mitigate the horrors to come."
