In our August 15th post included below, we provided a primer that explained what DACA is and why it exists after President Obama's 2010 DREAM legislation was filibustered by Republicans in Senate to prevent a vote. We said that by September 5th, DACA was at grave risk of being shut down and nearly a million individuals brought here as children would be deported to countries of birth that have no memory of or connection to.
Congressional Republicans have fought unrelentingly for years to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, put into place under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The purpose of the CFPB is to promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer financial products and services. The CFPB was created to provide a single point of accountability for enforcing federal consumer financial laws and protecting consumers in the financial marketplace.
While Trump campaigned to "drain the swamp," in practice he's done the opposite, filling his administration with people who hate the existence of the department they run. Is this case, we have the Department of Agriculture being filled not necessarily by people who despise the USDA, but rather by people who have no idea what the USDA is nor any qualifications to work there.
Trump and the GOP are taking advantage of their control over the Executive and Legislative branches to reshape our government in their image, one that works on behalf of corporations and the wealthiest, rather than The People.
It can be a struggle in daily conversations to explain the impacts this election has every day on the decisions being made to govern our society. Trump's handlers are putting individuals in positions of real, tangible power who are spending every hour of every day implementing policies in an efficient, destructive manner. They are doing the exact things their prior words, actions, and lobbyist bosses should have made obvious.
BE SMART ABOUT is our unfortunate series highlighting examples of those in power who you need to stay informed about so you can share this knowledge and together we can Be Smart and Actively Dissent.
Today we discuss Steve Gardner, Trump’s choice to head a federal coal mine regulator. Like most of his nominees, Gardner is a vocal critic of the very agency he’s being asked to lead!
We are overwhelmed during the past week with the tax scam bill, Alabama Senate election, CHIP defunding, and Trump's Muslim Ban being upheld temporarily.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress begin work last week to gut and rewrite of the laws that govern our nation's higher education system. It is now known as "Promoting Real Opportunity, Success and Prosperity Through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act."
Trump and his administration are installing people into power whose goal is to destroy the agency they are running. Trump and his administration have and will continue to institute policies that directly harm tens of millions of Americans. These policies and the people in power are causing enormous, disproportionate harm to Trump voters.
Another person who fundamentally hates the mission of the department they are picked to lead is about to be chosen by Trump. In this case it's Thomas Brunell, a Texas professor with no government experience likely to lead the Census Bureau.
Brunell, a political science professor, has testified more than half a dozen times on behalf of Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, and is the author of a 2008 book titled “Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections Are Bad for America.”
There are multiple Republican tax plans that are difficult to keep up with. The House, Senate, and White House each have their own plans. The Democrats in office will have no say in the matter. The underlying theme is to cut taxes as much as possible for the wealthiest. It's difficult to uncover and track the many hidden gems within their devious plans but Smart Dissent will try to share as many as we can.
We as individuals must undertake Smart Dissent by speaking up loudly and hoping numerous Republicans in Congress see the light.