Trump claims he can gag Congress's watchdog for coronavirus bailouts

[Catch2.2]

Source: Quartz

This week the US Congress wrangled over how to ensure pandemic relief loans for corporations were given out responsibly. Under the final legislation, an independent watchdog is supposed to gather information for lawmakers about those loans and, if they get thwarted, let Congress know. That’s what negotiators from both parties decided on, and what the House and Senate both approved. Yesterday Donald Trump announced that he was going to ignore all that.

In a so-called signing statement, Trump said that the watchdog, technically a “special inspector general,” actually won’t be allowed to tell Congress if executive branch officials—such as Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin—stonewall, unless the executive branch approves. Trump said his administration would not treat the provision “as permitting the [Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery] to issue reports to the Congress without the presidential supervision required by the Take Care Clause, Article II, section 3.”

That clause of the US Constitution requires the president to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” Trump’s statement cites it while claiming he gets final say over what the special inspector general tells Congress. In essence, Trump asserts that the law lawmakers passed is unconstitutional—and rather than asking a court to settle the dispute, he is just going to ignore it.

Read more: https://qz.com/1827655/trump-claims-he-can-gag-congresss-watchdog-for-coronavirus-bailouts/?utm_source=YPL&yptr=yahoo

[stonecutter357]

1. Fuck trump and putin !

[gibraltar72]

2. Or a maggot on a gut wagon.

[kacekwl]

3. Sure he can because he's a criminal and

the criminal and corrupt republicans will refuse to convict him.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. No you can't. Reports to Congress, not you.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. That means he has already promised the money and collected the bribes

and does not want to give the bribes back.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

37. The $500 billion will be transferred to his big donors by noon Monday, at the latest.

And Trump is telling Congress that no matter what the bill he just signed into law says, he's not going to tell them anything about who gets the money. I wonder how many millions of dollars end up in his pocket?

Meanwhile, Fat Donnie is instructing Treasury to have his signature printed on the personal stimulus checks, so people will know he is personally giving them the money (lie #16,897). This is most likely against the law -- and definitely unprecedented -- but since when do laws bother him? Hell, the Republican senators already told him he can do whatever he wants and they've got his back.

[rickyhall]

6. When Biden wins the election in November dump will do the same damn thing.

What're we gonna do about it?

[Thekaspervote]

12. Please don't go there..and pile on! The election is an entirely different issue

[rickyhall]

14. Is it?

[Thekaspervote]

18. Yes, I believe it is

Congress sets the date. If dotard tries to cancel the election that won’t help him. If there is no election, come 1/20/2021 at noon he and pence are out and the speaker of the house becomes the interim president.

[3Hotdogs]

7. That's why "signing statements" should be challenged as unconstitutional.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Oh they can say what they want in one. But it carries no weight of law. . . . nt

[TheRickles]

8. Why not an appeal to the Supreme Court?

If he's overruled, great. If not, then at least we know for sure the SC won't be our saviors.

[Mr.Bill]

27. I'm sure they will come up with a verdict

in June of 2021.

[sarcasmo]

9. We have a Dictator.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

38. More accurately, we have a mob boss in charge of our country.

You better kiss his ring if you want his blessing, otherwise his supporters will put a horse's head in your bed.

[dhill926]

10. would that we could gag him....

orange piece of shit...

[Thekaspervote]

11. This just turns my gut!! I just can't imagine that Pelosi and Schumer didn't know about that

And were that easily hoodwinked.

Sure wish we would hear from the Dems about this!

Rethinking what I wrote above, I don’t think the Dems think he can do that, or we would be hearing from Pelosi, Schumer Schiff and others

[Laelth]

26. I suspect Pelosi and Schumer are talking about this now.

They’re not going to say anything until they have a unified response. That’s what I imagine is happening, in any event.



-Laelth

[Thekaspervote]

33. Hope so! Neither are easy fooled

[Ferryboat]

13. I despise this wrenched excuse of a man.

[marble falls]

15. He's bucking for an impeachment: Go for it, Donnie, sez I!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Why would he want to? Only 1 reason. Corruption. For personal gain (election) & rewarding red states

[Progressive Jones]

20. That, plus the ego massage. nt

[machoneman]

21. "....rewarding red state businesses" and hurting deserving blue state firms from Silicon Valley.

Yeah, give it all to coal, oil, mineral extraction firms. Liberty University. Rush Limpball's School of Losers. Jerry Falwell Jr's. League of Assholes. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[machoneman]

19. No, we knew he'd maybe try and pull this off. See, it could be a trap...

for not only Trump but camp followers like Mnuchin and other Treasury staff. See, we can easily fire up more impeachable offense articles and just before Election Day. Then, even though nothing would be resolved quickly, we can use the negative press against him. Here's some great framing:

"Hey, remember that lousy 1,200 check you got? Well, guess what?

Mnuchin got Trump $3.9 BILLION out of tthe same deal illegally by ignoring the Congressional mandate that none of Trump's business' could benefit. And tried to hide it as well.

Chaps you ass, huh?

Then vote the OrangeDildo out in November."

[Lock him up.]

28. orange virus would just tweet "FAKE NEWS" (the $3.9B)...

... to his base of gullible cultists and they would believe every single lie with no evidence given again.

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. signing statements: "I dare you to impeach me (again)"

Congress didn't have the guts to impeach Bush for his hundreds of signing statements- will they hold Trump accountable and uphold the rule of law?

[Lock him up.]

29. That Senate? Nope.

They (the Russiapublicans) will say there's an election coming. Let the voters decide.

[Freddie]

23. Please Joe

The ad writes itself: While thousands of Americans are sick and dying, Trump managed to sneakily invalidate part of a BIPARTISAN law - the part that would prevent him from making a profit off the American taxpayers.

[LiberalFighter]

24. Use this against him. Put it out there everywhere.

[TheFourthMind]

25. I assume his approval rating went up after making this outrageous statement? n/t

[bluestarone]

30. If they let tRUMP get away with this bullshit

Congress will be a thing of the past!! (until JOE gets in there) Then Harris will put them ALL in jail!!

[Catch2.2]

31. They better!!!

My fear is that we will hear the "It's time to unify the country and move on." line. Trump and the Republicans will get away with everything.

[bluestarone]

34. NO WAY

Harris will do her job!!! ( if she's AG. i hope)

[Catch2.2]

36. I hope!

She would make a great AG!

[olddad65]

32. Of course he can. As a result of the Senate GOPs...

..having failed the voters by not fulfilling their oath of office to defend the constitution. When Trump was not removed from office, the constitution was invalidated and on that day, democracy ended.
Trump is above the law. The dept of Justice has been gutted, the Senate has been gutted.
Trump is fascist dictator who is beholding only to a foreign fascist dictator who interfered with our 2016 presidental election and installed his puppet.
If you don’t think our government makes sense any m longer, perhaps you have not been looking at the situation from my perspective. From my perspective, it all makes total sense, and it isn’t pretty.
Wait a few months until Trump postpones the 2020 presidential election. If he wants to, he can declare martial law and invite his master to send ‘peacekeeping troops’.
Isn’t that we have done in the past to countless other countries all over the world. Turns out the cold war wasn’t really over in 1991, like Bush Sr. proclaimed.

[Thekaspervote]

35. dotard knows he can't postpone the election. Congress sets the date for election

And, if there is no presidential election, his term ends on 1/20/2021 and speaker of the house becomes the interim president

He truly believes he will be re-elected

[Turin_C3PO]

41. The election won't be cancelled or suspended.

Congress sets the date and individual states run the national election. Most states would tell him to fuck off if he even tried that bullshit.

[nwliberalkiwi]

39. Rat's Nest

Everybody knew this was coming!!! This system is so screwed!!! Everybody has blood on their hands allowing this to happen. We Democrats need to stand up and shine a light on this corruption on a massive scale.

[Brainfodder]

40. Chronic ignorer of rules/laws, this is so shocking!

NOT!