"Congress must cut all funding for the illegal war in Iran (and its deployment of troops and material) and for extrajudicial killings on the high seas"
As these acts are CRIMES, maybe even HIGH CRIMES, perhaps impeachment and removal of the entire group of abject failure officials in charge of defense and national security would be in order. Prez, Vice, SecState, SecDef & maybe more must go.
The path to accountability for Trump & Co's epic corruption is narrow. Hearings, investigations & prosecution at state & federal levels. The impeachment process is a distraction & waste of resources as conviction & removal are not possible.
Unfortunately, while without a doubt Don the Con and many of those on the next level under him commit several impeachable offenses on any given day, an impeachment resolution is probably a waste of House time. While I suspect that when you combine the Democrats with those GQP members who know in their heart of hearts that those people need to be shown the boot there would be enough votes for the needed 2/3 majority. The problem is that Don the Con has those Senators completely intimidated and they will never round up the guts to vote him out.
House time and actions would be better spent on the things suggested in the article and less time tilting at windmills.
The task before Congress is enormous. I would prefer that they prioritize convincing Americans that the Democrats can deliver a better quality of life to ALL Americans. I can't forget how the very excellent Jan 6 hearings basically did a face plant. Accomplished nothing. So I am skeptical of hearings into the misdeeds of the Trump regime. I suppose we need some, fine. But most important is to use the run up to the 2028 elections on issues like affordability and immigration reform, maybe the threat of AI... whatever convinces Americans their lives will be better with the Dems in charge.
Just imagine if, following the Jan 6 hearings and impeachment process, Congress actually did its job. I still rankle at Congress' abdication of its Constitution duties, saying the Courts will handle the problem. And here we are, Deja vu all over again (to steal a quote).
Thank you for getting the word out on how reckless, dangerous and destructive the current abuse of our military is under Hegseth and the corrupt Trump regime. A failed war in Iran is only one part of the degredation.
"Killing drug mules and blowing up boats is not solving the drug trafficking problem." Thank you for the "and" here, since it has never been shown that the people in boats being blown up are actually running drugs.
The death from the sky rained on 150 innocent school girls in Iran is not a bit different from the deaths of 350+ villagers in the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. A trigger got pulled and the wrong people died. Both actions are war crimes. If Congress will not afford some type of accountability when the Dems are in control of the house again, we are accepting that there are no rules, no morality, no consequences for innocent civilian deaths. All that matters is temporary power.
The big problem is that without a supermajority voting for any legislative solution, tRump will just veto it. I cannot agree more with the investigations and those are pretty much going to have to be done quickly and laid before the American people on the way to the 2028 election where the voters need to agree on the single most important American Principal: No Dictators, not now, not ever.
Thank you, Jen for this comprehensive summary and analysis of what happens when we have a congress that doesn’t do its job. What we have is nothing but chaos on a grand scale. Most definitely congressional reprimands should follow if military leaders are noncompliant with orders.
Agree with Ms Rubin. How do we make sure the current democratic leadership won’t waste all their time impeaching trump? Jeffries and Schumer have not been the leaders we need and I have my doubts they will become the leaders we will need.
I admit I'm probabluy naive, but I am disappointed that our Democrartic leadership has been unable to exert much if any influence over these multiple Trumpian transgressions.
The excsuse seems to be "What can we do without a majority?" Well "business as usual" doesn't seem to me the only choice.
Is it truly impossible to convince any of their Republican colleagues that the ultimate good might be in reining in our runaway madman? I had first thought of "reigning in" but then we don't want any more kings. this one is bad enough.
In Florida knickers seem knotted over the advent of the DSA gang. It seems possible to me that Democrats frustratred by the inaction of our leaderhisp are searching for more radical action and DSA seems the only group which falls to hand.
I do agree that it's nuts to advocate impeachment where the numbers to convict aren't there. What childishness. It might make sense for the house leadership to poll the Senate for votes for conviction before initiating any more impeachment proceedings.
unfortunately some of our best candidates are too easily seen as "elites" which because of the issues I've raised here are not considered by many to be likely to do what needs to be done.
As i wrote above, this is probably all naive on my part.
I fear that your articulation of the honorable principles of war and military power will go over the heads of every democratic congressperson. They might better understand and be able to voice a commitment to prosecute war criminals. Yes Congress must do its job.
I agree that such hearings are important. But the first order of business for the new Congress should be removing Trump from office. No other reforms are possible while he remains in the White House.
All talk. I don't believe that Congress, even under Democratic control, will do very much to punish those in the civilian Pentagon leadership or the military for the flamingly obvious war crimes carried out in the Caribbean or Iran. There will be endless committees, lots of pious talk, and a few "show trials". That's it. What's more, the vast majority of Americans will ignore even those actions, as will the billionaire-controlled MSM. Real consequences would require Nuremberg-style trials and include the indictments of significant numbers of the present regime. I'll believe it, when I see it.
"Congress must cut all funding for the illegal war in Iran (and its deployment of troops and material) and for extrajudicial killings on the high seas"
As these acts are CRIMES, maybe even HIGH CRIMES, perhaps impeachment and removal of the entire group of abject failure officials in charge of defense and national security would be in order. Prez, Vice, SecState, SecDef & maybe more must go.
The path to accountability for Trump & Co's epic corruption is narrow. Hearings, investigations & prosecution at state & federal levels. The impeachment process is a distraction & waste of resources as conviction & removal are not possible.
Also they must abolish ICE!
Unfortunately, while without a doubt Don the Con and many of those on the next level under him commit several impeachable offenses on any given day, an impeachment resolution is probably a waste of House time. While I suspect that when you combine the Democrats with those GQP members who know in their heart of hearts that those people need to be shown the boot there would be enough votes for the needed 2/3 majority. The problem is that Don the Con has those Senators completely intimidated and they will never round up the guts to vote him out.
House time and actions would be better spent on the things suggested in the article and less time tilting at windmills.
I agree, though I believe accountability is more important/effective than reducing funding.
Jennifer - Thank you so much for your insights and analysis. You are a must-read each weekday.
The task before Congress is enormous. I would prefer that they prioritize convincing Americans that the Democrats can deliver a better quality of life to ALL Americans. I can't forget how the very excellent Jan 6 hearings basically did a face plant. Accomplished nothing. So I am skeptical of hearings into the misdeeds of the Trump regime. I suppose we need some, fine. But most important is to use the run up to the 2028 elections on issues like affordability and immigration reform, maybe the threat of AI... whatever convinces Americans their lives will be better with the Dems in charge.
A large amount of the cause of that face plant was due the huge propaganda campaign by the reichwing media.
And the Republican Party. I do not think it was a face plant, perhaps we didn’t get what we wanted but I’m grateful they did it and it’s on record.
Just imagine if, following the Jan 6 hearings and impeachment process, Congress actually did its job. I still rankle at Congress' abdication of its Constitution duties, saying the Courts will handle the problem. And here we are, Deja vu all over again (to steal a quote).
I wonder! Dems were in charge before and here we are!
So very true. I've become increasingly concerned that if Congress does not do its job, the military will do it.
Thank you for getting the word out on how reckless, dangerous and destructive the current abuse of our military is under Hegseth and the corrupt Trump regime. A failed war in Iran is only one part of the degredation.
"Killing drug mules and blowing up boats is not solving the drug trafficking problem." Thank you for the "and" here, since it has never been shown that the people in boats being blown up are actually running drugs.
The death from the sky rained on 150 innocent school girls in Iran is not a bit different from the deaths of 350+ villagers in the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. A trigger got pulled and the wrong people died. Both actions are war crimes. If Congress will not afford some type of accountability when the Dems are in control of the house again, we are accepting that there are no rules, no morality, no consequences for innocent civilian deaths. All that matters is temporary power.
The big problem is that without a supermajority voting for any legislative solution, tRump will just veto it. I cannot agree more with the investigations and those are pretty much going to have to be done quickly and laid before the American people on the way to the 2028 election where the voters need to agree on the single most important American Principal: No Dictators, not now, not ever.
Thank you, Jen for this comprehensive summary and analysis of what happens when we have a congress that doesn’t do its job. What we have is nothing but chaos on a grand scale. Most definitely congressional reprimands should follow if military leaders are noncompliant with orders.
Agree with Ms Rubin. How do we make sure the current democratic leadership won’t waste all their time impeaching trump? Jeffries and Schumer have not been the leaders we need and I have my doubts they will become the leaders we will need.
I admit I'm probabluy naive, but I am disappointed that our Democrartic leadership has been unable to exert much if any influence over these multiple Trumpian transgressions.
The excsuse seems to be "What can we do without a majority?" Well "business as usual" doesn't seem to me the only choice.
Is it truly impossible to convince any of their Republican colleagues that the ultimate good might be in reining in our runaway madman? I had first thought of "reigning in" but then we don't want any more kings. this one is bad enough.
In Florida knickers seem knotted over the advent of the DSA gang. It seems possible to me that Democrats frustratred by the inaction of our leaderhisp are searching for more radical action and DSA seems the only group which falls to hand.
I do agree that it's nuts to advocate impeachment where the numbers to convict aren't there. What childishness. It might make sense for the house leadership to poll the Senate for votes for conviction before initiating any more impeachment proceedings.
unfortunately some of our best candidates are too easily seen as "elites" which because of the issues I've raised here are not considered by many to be likely to do what needs to be done.
As i wrote above, this is probably all naive on my part.
We just aren’t going to tolerate any Dems who are jello on any of the most pressing things that need fixing. We will bend them.
Congress acting like a co-equal branch of our government…now THAT would be refreshing…..
I fear that your articulation of the honorable principles of war and military power will go over the heads of every democratic congressperson. They might better understand and be able to voice a commitment to prosecute war criminals. Yes Congress must do its job.
I agree that such hearings are important. But the first order of business for the new Congress should be removing Trump from office. No other reforms are possible while he remains in the White House.
I don't think we can get a two-thirds majority in the Senate to convict, unfortunately.
Damn Straight!!! Thank you Jennifer.
All talk. I don't believe that Congress, even under Democratic control, will do very much to punish those in the civilian Pentagon leadership or the military for the flamingly obvious war crimes carried out in the Caribbean or Iran. There will be endless committees, lots of pious talk, and a few "show trials". That's it. What's more, the vast majority of Americans will ignore even those actions, as will the billionaire-controlled MSM. Real consequences would require Nuremberg-style trials and include the indictments of significant numbers of the present regime. I'll believe it, when I see it.
This reminds me of the decision President Ford made to not punish Nixon but to forge ahead. His reasoning was that the American people had to move on.
In the Nuremberg trials the excuse was, "I was following orders".
I have no solution but this is a great philosophical topic we will be chomping on for years.
We just have to get Trump out and restrained. He is delusional and the heart of this debacle.