The transparency with which the Repugnantcans are responding to the Jan. 6 hears would be comical if they weren’t being paid huge salaries, frequent vacations (recesses), and generous benefits to “represent” us in Washington.
But it’s far from being amusing on any level when they can so blatantly follow the Fox News script in their efforts to deflect from the hearings on the events of 6 Jan., 2021, which came perilously close to toppling the world’s oldest democratic republic.
As EXHIBIT A, I give you MIKE JOHNSON, US Rep. from Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District.
In his humble opinion, people have “moved on” from the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection that damn near toppled our government.
Moved on? How dare you, you contemptuous, imperious ass!
So now you are the infallible arbiter of what is morally acceptable in the Mike Johnson Mores of Human Responsibility? I don’t bloody well think so.
Sorry, but I don’t have much truck with someone who so obviously takes his talking points from a political party as opposed to listening to his conscience and doing and saying the right thing.
The Shreveport native, a former member of the Louisiana Legislature prior to his election to Congress in 2016, is paid $174,000 a year to represent the good people of northwest Louisiana. Let’s take a look at his voting record for the year 2021:
- American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Nay.
- For the People Act of 2021: Nay
- American Dream and Promise Act: Nay
- Equality Act: Nay.
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Nay.
- SAFE Banking Act of 2021: Nay.
- Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021: Nay.
- COVID 19 Hate Crimes Act: Nay.
- Impeaching Donald Trump: Nay.
- Congressional Budget for FY 2022: Nay.
- National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2022: Yea.
Each of the foregoing bills were passed by the House, no thanks, except for the final one, to Mike Johnson.
Let’s look at what each of the bills said or did:
American Rescue Act: Signed into law on March 11, 2021, the bill provided funding for a national vaccination program, response funding to safely reopen schools, extended unemployment benefits, and provided payments of $1400 per person to relieve economic stress on American families. (How many of Johnson’s constituents declined those unemployment benefits or the $1400 stipends?)
For the People Act: Expanded voting rights, expanded the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, required additional disclosure of campaign-related campaign fundraising and spending, and required additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising. (Well, we certainly don’t want folks voting – this is a democratic republic, after all. And who needs more transparency in guvmint?)
American Drean and Promise Act: More controversial, to be sure, this bill proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure. (Pretty sure the Choctaw, Cherokee, and the Caddo tribes would’ve liked to have had some kind of illegal immigration laws in place a few centuries ago.)
Equality Act: Prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in public accommodations, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit and the jury system. (It was the gender identity part that many found objectionable but to be truthful, there are many others who would deny rights to anyone who is different in appearance, acts, or even personal or political preference. Mike Johnson appears to be one of those.)
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Signed into law on Nov. 15, 2021, this act provided, among other things, funding for new infrastructure projects, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. (Have you seen the roads in Louisiana? Have you lost power during a storm? Noticed your tap water taking on an ugly, brownish color, slow internet? Nuff said.)
SAFE Banking Act of 2021: Prohibits federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses or from declaring proceeds from such transactions as proceeds from unlawful activity. (The key word in this is “legitimate” and regulated cannabis is legal i.e., legitimate, in some states. But some people just can’t handle it.)
Build Back Better Act: Provided a budget framework for spending on climate change and renewable energy, childcare and universal pre-K, healthcare and Medicare hearing expansion, public house and affordability issues, and home care. (Now protecting a child before it is born is one thing but childcare and pre-K after it is born is just a bridge too far. And as far as expanding Medicare, haven’t we heard from Rick Scott and Lindsey Graham that the long-term goal is the eradication of Social Security and Medicare? And who needs climate change – Gawd, it’s hot.)
Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021: Prohibits governmental restrictions on the provisions of and access to abortion services. (Well, it passed, but Johnson won’t have to worry once that already leaked Supreme Court decision comes down. Who cares about women’s rights, anyway?)
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act: Signed into law on May 20, 2021, it raised awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines. (Okay, since a crime is a crime, I’ve always wondered what’s the difference between ordinary, garden-variety sicko crime and hate crime. Sometimes Congress can get carried away in its kneejerk reactions, so I’ll give Johnson a pass on this one.)
Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2022: Normally a fairly routine vote to approve the budget for the US government for the coming year. (Question is, how would Johnson suggest financing the operations of the government – particularly his $174,000-a-year salary, plus all manner of perks?)
National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2022: Johnson’s only yes vote in this listing, this bill authorized Department of Defense activities and programs for FY 2022. (I get it, Barksdale AFB and Fort Polk are both in his district, so he’s got to take care of them. Plus, Repugs traditionally breast feed the military. Anything the war machine wants, it gets. But what about all those Social Security and Medicare recipients he voted against in the Congressional Budget Bill?)
In the years 2019-2020, Johnson also voted against:
- Reimposing federal net neutrality rules (passed, 245-182);
- Expanding restrictions on online campaign ads and regulating foreign involvement in elections (passed, 227-181);
- Mandating federal approval before some states can change voting practices (passed, 228-187)
But Johnson somehow feels uniquely qualified to suggest that we ignore an attempt to literally overthrow the government of the United States because we have “moved on” and that there are other problems which demand our attention?
Well, maybe he’s too wet behind the hears to remember, but I most certainly am not and my memory is quite clear. Back in the early 70s we had runaway inflation, an unjust war raging in Vietnam, protests in the streets, killings of students on university campuses by our own police and national guard, and, exactly 50 years ago this week, another little constitutional crisis called Watergate raised its ugly head which, thankfully, we didn’t ignore because of “other” pressing problems. Instead, we managed to multitask our way through. Even the so-called “Conscience of Conservatism,” Barry Goldwater saw the handwriting on the wall in those dark days.
So, Mr. Johnson, if I may be so bold, I would respectfully suggest that you shut your mouth about what we should or should not do about the overrunning of our nation’s Capitol by a lynch mob hellbent on hanging the vice president and the speaker of the House.
If The Repugnantcans can justify spending $70 million investigating Bill Clinton (including $30 on oral sex in the Oval Office – compared to $15 million authorized for the 9/11 Commission – then I see a pretty obvious double standard in any objections to a full investigation of an armed invasion of our Capitol.
I, for one, have not – and shall not – move on.
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