Economy

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.

Ben Carson was confirmed as secretary of Housing and Urban Development in March 2017.  Carson has zero experience in housing policy, but has said that anyone who questions his qualifications are stupid.  He actually said that. 

Yet here we are and millions will suffer as a result.  Carson ought to go back to wasting taxpayer dollars on office furniture.  At least that damage was limited to a few hundred thousand dollars.

Nothing is more emblematic of the Trump doctrine than to spit in the face of a poor, homeless American.  Conservatives love to make it sound so simple.  Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps they say.  WHAT IF YOU HAVE NO BOOTS?  What if you have literally nothing?  These safety net programs are the last resort for millions of Americans.

As usual but to unimaginable extremes, Republicans and Trump and working daily on behalf of corporate interests instead of the American workers.  THIS IS THE SWAMP.  Hundreds of recent lobbyists on corporate payrolls are now running our government agencies that exist to work ON OUR BEHALF.

Five expert committees advised the federal government on ways to improve workplace safety and enhance whistleblower protections. Under Trump, their work has stopped and their recommendations are now stalled.

There is a ton in the 2,232 page "omnibus spending bill" and today Smart Dissent will do its best to offer a summary.

If America seeks to enhance its greatness, perhaps our supposed leaders should take a look at what Mexico is doing.  Yes, Mexico.

Mexico City got a substantial warning before the shaking from a distant earthquake arrived [February 16th] — some 30 to 60 seconds broadcast over loudspeakers from an earthquake early warning system.

It was another success for Mexico City’s earthquake warning system — one which California, Oregon and Washington state still lack, and one that is an ongoing target for elimination by Trump.

In Smart Dissent's Budget Cuts Series, we are examining the White House proposed budget cuts to learn what's hidden beneath the surface and later update based on Congressional budget proposals and actions.  This is our third to focus on proposals related to 2019.  Since Congress never got their act together for 2018, most of Trump's proposals didn't go into effect fortunately and hopefully the same is true for 2019.

Ajit Pai, the FCC Chairman who is owned by the telecom and cable industry, is pushing closer to grant their wishes.  Named by Trump in January 2017, Pai has been working every day since then to repeal rules that classify internet service as a utility. Under the Pai plan, high-speed internet service will no longer be treated like a public utility with strict rules, as it is now. Instead, he said, the industry "should largely be left to police itself.”   

First, what is the Community Reinvestment Act that Trump's Treasury Department is seeking to destroy?

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), enacted by Congress in 1977.... is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate..... intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound banking operations.

Despite failing to outright repeal the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), Trump and Republicans have plenty of ways to sabotage it nonetheless by stripping reimbursements to insurers forcing them to leave the exchanges, ending marketing of the healthcare plans, and more.  What they are doing is directly harming the people they are supposed to work for.  

In early January 2018, the Trump Administration took the first step in a new effort to undermine the law and make healthcare less affordable and less available for millions of Americans.