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House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Rebukes Trump’s Orders to Federal Agencies to Prepare for Mass Firings of Federal Workers

By
lowkell
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See below for a press release from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11), ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. By the way, for those who love to bash Connolly because he’s old, that’s just f’ing obnoxious (and ageist), given that the question should be whether he can do his job (he can), how good he is at that job (he’s very good at it), etc. And for those who claim that Connolly should be doing more – I mean, what do you want exactly? The guy’s already doing a ton of media, even while fighting cancer, and working very hard, despite the fact that Democrats hold essentially ZERO levers of power in Washington, thanks to the FUBAR 2024 election results. And sure, you can love AOC or whoever, but what does that have to do with whether Connolly’s doing a good job in the role he’s in? Finally, how about we focus our anger at *REPUBLICANS*, and also at *THE MEDIA*, because ultimately they are the ones who bear the vast majority of blame for the situation we’re in, not Democrats like Rep. Connolly…

Ranking Member Connolly Rebukes Trump’s Orders to Federal Agencies to Prepare for Mass Firings of Federal Workers
Washington, D.C. (February 26, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo to the heads of federal agencies ordering them to develop “Agency Reorganization Plans” to prepare for “large-scale reductions in force” by March 13, 2025.“This unlawful plan to engineer a massive government reorganization, ripped straight from the Project 2025 playbook, cannot be ordered by executive fiat. Donald Trump is not a king, and we are not his subjects.  Congress is a coequal branch of government, despite the Republican majority’s pathetic abdication of their constitutional authority.  This kind of wholesale remaking of the federal government requires congressional input and authorization. 

“The mass indiscriminate firing of hundreds of thousands of dedicated, nonpartisan civil servants by a wannabe strongman and his unelected pet billionaire will have an immediate and devastating impact on the integrity and capability of our federal workforce.  Worse yet, it is the American people who will suffer as vital aid is delayed, calls to Social Security offices go unanswered, communities are deprived of critical resources and services, and veterans can’t access vital health care.  The loss of these services will affect health care, childcare, veterans benefits, social security benefits, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, our national parks, cancer research, student loans, farm payments, and a myriad of other services in red and blue communities alike.

“The Americans who serve this nation day in and day out are not faceless bureaucrats – they are the dedicated, patriotic public servants who inspect your food, provide care to our veterans, and make sure you get your social security benefits.  Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s mindless approach to slashing the federal workforce and gutting vital programs and protections will render Trump’s government incapable of delivering for the people it is supposed to serve. The victims here are the American people.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight this assault on the people’s government in courts of law, in the halls of Congress, and in the court of public opinion.  For the sake of their own constituents who will be harmed by Donald Trump’s wrecking ball approach to government, it is long past time for House Republicans to muster what little courage they have left and join us.”

 

Ranking Member Connolly Rebukes Trump’s Orders to Federal Agencies to Prepare for Mass Firings of Federal Workers
Washington, D.C. (February 26, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo to the heads of federal agencies ordering them to develop “Agency Reorganization Plans” to prepare for “large-scale reductions in force” by March 13, 2025.“This unlawful plan to engineer a massive government reorganization, ripped straight from the Project 2025 playbook, cannot be ordered by executive fiat. Donald Trump is not a king, and we are not his subjects.  Congress is a coequal branch of government, despite the Republican majority’s pathetic abdication of their constitutional authority.  This kind of wholesale remaking of the federal government requires congressional input and authorization. 

“The mass indiscriminate firing of hundreds of thousands of dedicated, nonpartisan civil servants by a wannabe strongman and his unelected pet billionaire will have an immediate and devastating impact on the integrity and capability of our federal workforce.  Worse yet, it is the American people who will suffer as vital aid is delayed, calls to Social Security offices go unanswered, communities are deprived of critical resources and services, and veterans can’t access vital health care.  The loss of these services will affect health care, childcare, veterans benefits, social security benefits, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, our national parks, cancer research, student loans, farm payments, and a myriad of other services in red and blue communities alike.

“The Americans who serve this nation day in and day out are not faceless bureaucrats – they are the dedicated, patriotic public servants who inspect your food, provide care to our veterans, and make sure you get your social security benefits.  Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s mindless approach to slashing the federal workforce and gutting vital programs and protections will render Trump’s government incapable of delivering for the people it is supposed to serve. The victims here are the American people.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight this assault on the people’s government in courts of law, in the halls of Congress, and in the court of public opinion.  For the sake of their own constituents who will be harmed by Donald Trump’s wrecking ball approach to government, it is long past time for House Republicans to muster what little courage they have left and join us.”

WaPo Owner Jeff Bezos’ Attitude: “Freedom is what the boss tells you to write and think”

By
lowkell
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0

Veteran WaPo columnist Philip Bump sums it up well regarding Jeff Bezos’ massive interference with the paper’s editorial content: “what the actual fuck”???

“I’m writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages. We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets,” Bezos said.

“We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others. There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job.”

So…of course the WaPo can have – and very much DOES have! – content from a conservative/”personal liberties and free markets” perspective. But at this point, the WaPo’s owner, Jeff Bezos, has put his thumb HEAVILY on the scale both FOR his own preferred political views and AGAINST those he doesn’t like (“viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others”). Well, ok, it’s his paper and he can do whatever he wants with it, but that doesn’t mean that any of us have to: a) subscribe to it; b) share content from it; c) treat it as anything but Jeff Bezos’ personal rag. Instead, what Democrats should be doing is sharing/amplifying independent media, pro-democracy media, etc., and NOT doing that with oligarch-owned, anti-democracy crap like what Bezos is doing with the WaPo…

With that, see below for some more reactions, including:

Re: Jeff Stein’s comment, it’s just completely false that there’s no “encroachment” on the “news side of coverage”; in fact, there VERY MUCH has been for years, certainly since the WaPo’s relentless sliming of Hillary Clinton in 2016, their whitewashing/sanewashing of Trump since 2016 (at least), their constant “both sidesism” and false equivalence, just this morning their reference to supposed House “moderate Republicans” (of which there are none, proven by their votes last night for the horrific, far-right-extremist House budget)…

Ranking Members Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) and Maxwell Frost Request Answers From EPA on the Ceased Enforcement of Environmental Protection Laws and Enactment of Project 2025 Playbook

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11)’s office:

Ranking Members Connolly and Frost Request Answers From EPA on the Ceased Enforcement of Environmental Protection Laws and Enactment of Project 2025 Playbook

Committee Democrats Sound the Alarm Over the Politicization of the EPA and Mission to Protect Human Health and the Environment
 
Washington, D.C. (February 26, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, sent a letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing their concern regarding the EPA ceasing enforcement of environmental protection laws and implementing the Project 2025 Playbook.

“We write with concern over the politicization of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its mission to protect human health and the environment.  In particular, we are concerned that the EPA is ceasing enforcement of environmental protection laws and forcing out nonpartisan staff in an effort to enact the radical agenda laid out in Project 2025,” wrote the Ranking Members.  “This pause in enforcement coupled with the January 20, 2025, Executive Order threatens to roll back all of the progress made on improving environmental enforcement under President Biden and will do tangible harm to communities across the country.”

On his first day in office, President Trump issued the Executive Order “Unleashing American Energy,” which directed federal agencies to prioritize domestic energy resources, especially fossil fuel-based energy.  On January 24, 2025, then-Acting EPA Administrator James Payne issued a directive ordering EPA staff to halt all external communications.  One EPA employee explained that “all enforcement is effectively shut down by this directive,” adding that the directive “pretty much shuts down EPA.”

In addition to pausing EPA enforcement actions, the Trump Administration appears to be pushing out key enforcement officials at the agency.  During President Trump’s second week in office, career senior EPA officials who oversaw key sections of EPA’s work were demoted, including at the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA).  Notably, Project 2025 calls for the elimination of OECA.

Unsurprisingly, Project 2025 also calls for eliminating the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR).  Since January 20, 2025, nearly 170 employees at OEJECR have been put on administrative leave.  As President Trump implements the Project 2025 playbook across the federal government, it appears that Project 2025 contributors are working closely with and even becoming political appointees at the EPA.

In order to better understand the current status and future of EPA enforcement, as well as the role that Project 2025 and its authors and contributors have played and continue to play in setting environmental policy, the Ranking Members requested Administrator Zeldin provide documents and communications related to the EPA’s paused enforcement actions and associated policy changes no later than March 11, 2025.

Click here to read the letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Meet Former Del. Dave LaRock, Who Is Challenging Winsome Earle-Sears for the 2025 VA GOP Gubernatorial Nomination From Her Faaaaar Right

By
lowkell
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0

It now looks like Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, not exactly a “moderate” herself, has a challenge for the 2025 VA GOP gubernatorial nomination from her faaaar right. That would be former Del. Dave LaRock (R-Berryville), whose website is now up and running, and who is a far-right-extremist by any definition, a hard-core MAGA guy, a Trump fanatic, a January 6th insurrection/”Stop the Steal” supporter, a COVID denier/ivermectin promoter, a virulent homophobe, a gun nut, you name it. See below for some images to illustrate what I’m talking about.

BTW, note that LaRock could actually defeat Sears, running to her faaaar right, especially if he gets the endorsement of Donald Trump – a possibility given Sears’ past, intense criticism of Trump  (“He bailed on US”; “I think it’s YOU who’s sanctimonious”; “I didn’t join the Trump Party, I joined the REPUBLICAN Party!” etc.) and the ensuing bad blood between Sears and Trump (the Trump campaign promised there would be a “reckoning” for Earle-Sears’ apostasy). Now, Earle-Sears has belatedly attempted to make amends with Trump, but…good luck with that??? We’ll see; stay tuned!

P.S. BTW, Abigail Spanberger’s campaign (already ahead in the polls, such as this new one yesterday) has go to be REALLY happy about this, because LaRock vs. Earle-Sears promises to be vicious, expensive, divisive for the VA GOP, etc. It also puts Earle-Sears in the worst of all worlds politically, as her past apostasy vis-a-vis Trump means she probably won’t have the enthusiasm by hardcore Trump supporters she’ll need in a VA GOP primary, but her attemps to show her loyalty to Trump could just hurt her more in the general election, if she defeats LaRock for the nomination…

 

Wednesday News: Trump Posts Bizarre “Gaza Riviera” Video; House GOP Passes Disastrous Medicaid Cuts; “Techno-Fascism Comes to America”; “Trump’s Cuts Are Hammering Virginia in an Election Year”; “DOGE’s Latest Cut: Glenn Youngkin’s Balls”

By
lowkell
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0

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, February 26.

“All Virginia House Republicans Vote YES to Rip Away Healthcare for Virginians to Give Handout to the Rich”

By
lowkell
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See below for statements on the US House’s passage this evening of an appalling “budget resolution that would pave the way for massive cuts to critical programs impacting Virginia families, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while providing tax cuts to the wealthiest in the nation.” Note that EVERY House Republican from Virginia voted for this, meaning that they all richly deserve to lose their next elections…and really to have never been elected in the first place, given how horrible they are.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA03): “After all of their speeches about the deficit, House Republicans just passed a budget scheme that makes the deficit worse, while showering the top 1% with tax cuts and making everybody else suffer.”

Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04): “Today, House Republicans advanced their “billionaires first, Americans last” budget plan. I voted NO. Here’s what you need to know about the Republican Rip Off. Donald Trump and Republicans promised lower costs, but instead they’re running their oldest playbook: huge tax breaks for the wealthiest in this country, paid for by the American people. Who’s at risk? Our nation’s seniors, veterans, mothers, and working families. While Republicans insist on “saving money” by slashing funds for nutrition programs, education, and health care for our nation’s veterans, this plan adds $4.5 trillion to our national debt. This budget would wreak havoc on Medicaid and increase premiums for the tens of millions of Americans who get healthcare through the Affordable Care Act.  For example, a 60-year-old couple with a household income of $85,000 in VA-04 would see their health insurance costs increase by $13,461 per year. Their plan cuts nutrition programs for families and free meal programs at school that are crucial for reducing child hunger — a cruel part of Republicans’ plan that will take food off families’ tables and Make America Hungry Again. This is a betrayal of working families who wanted lower costs. That’s why I voted NO.”

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10): “I voted NO on the Republican budget tonight because it will cut Medicaid for families across Virginia and hurt working families. Kids will go hungry and millions will suffer.”

From the DCCC:

From Protect Our Care

BREAKING: House Republicans Voted for Draconian Cuts to Medicaid That Will Take Health Care Away From Millions
Tonight, every Virginia Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives — including Rep. Jen Kiggans — voted for a budget resolution that includes slashing Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion in order to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. This budget resolution opens the door for Republicans to achieve their goal of cutting up to $2 trillion from Medicaid, ripping away health care from tens of millions of Americans.

Medicaid is an essential pillar of our health care system with 72 million Americans currently covered through the program, including about 1.8 million Virginians. The GOP plan to slash Medicaid would have a devastating impact on low-income seniors, children, veterans, people with serious disabilities, and people who take care of their children or elderly parents. Americans across party lines oppose cuts to Medicaid, and polling finds that a majority of Americans think the government should spend more on health care — not less. Protect Our Care is continuing its “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign to defend Medicaid from devastating cuts with ads in 10 key House districts.

In response Protect Our Care Virginia State Director Katie Baker issued a statement:

“Republicans like Jen Kiggans are ripping away health care from their own constituents to give a tax break to billionaires and big corporations. No matter where they live or what political party they belong to, Americans of all backgrounds want and need Medicaid for critical health care coverage. Voters overwhelmingly oppose these cuts to Medicaid and every member who supports these cuts will pay the price. This fight is far from over.”

From the Democratic Party of Virginia:

NEWS: All Virginia House Republicans Vote YES to Rip Away Healthcare for Virginians to Give Handout to the Rich

On Tuesday night, all five Virginia House Republicans–Rob Wittman (VA-01), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), John McGuire (VA-05), Ben Cline (VA-06), and Morgan Griffith (VA-09)–advanced the Trump-endorsed reconciliation bill that puts Virginia’s families last.

Donald Trump and House Republicans have repeatedly proposed gutting Medicaid to pay for their billionaire tax handouts, even as this program serves 79 million Americans and 2 million Virginians. Virginia is one of the nine states where Medicaid expansion will be reversed if federal funding is cut by even one percent. That means 630,000 Virginians would be automatically disenrolled from Medicaid.

“By voting to advance this reckless budget, Virginia House Republicans have chosen to put the interests of billionaires ahead of the needs of hardworking Virginians,” DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker said. “The next time Republicans claim to care about working families, remember this vote—one that could strip Medicaid from 630,000 Virginians just to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest. Make no mistake: we will fight tirelessly to protect Virginia’s families and hold them accountable for this harmful bill.”

Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Speaks on US Senate Floor About His Trip to Finland, the Importance of NATO

By
lowkell
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0

Nice job by Sen. Tim Kaine, even as Republicans are busy selling out democracy, our allies, our own interests, etc.

VIDEO: KAINE SPEAKS ON SENATE FLOOR ABOUT TRIP TO FINLAND AND IMPORTANCE OF NATO

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, spoke on the Senate floor to discuss his trip to Finland, one of the newest NATO members. During Kaine’s trip—which coincided with the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine—he attended Arctic Forge 25, a joint exercise between the Karelia Brigade of the Finnish Army and the Virginia National Guard. Kaine also met with the Finnish President, the Finnish Foreign Minister, and other government officials to reaffirm U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine following President Trump’s remarks blaming Ukraine for starting the war with Russia and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections.”

“I rise to describe an amazing journey that I took this weekend—that was a powerful journey connected to my Virginia National Guard and also to issues that are very, very prominent right now in the world,” Kaine said. “We finished voting on the Senate floor a little bit before 5 AM on Friday on the reconciliation bill, and a few hours later, I went to Dulles Airport and flew to Finland.”

“The reason for the visit over the weekend was to see my Virginia National Guard. The Virginia Guard—as most states—are active participants in the State Partnership Program that was established back in the 1990s where a state’s guard unit connects with the military of an allied country and engages in joint training exercises,” Kaine continued. “Once Finland decided to join NATO, Virginia, which already has a partner in the State Partnership Program, reached out and said to Finland, we would like to work with you as well.”

“It was a great trip—too short—but really powerful,” Kaine said. “There was a sobering element to it too…To be in Finland—a nation that had to fight two wars against Russia in the late 1930s/early 1940s to maintain its independence—and to be there with those leaders on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was sobering and thought-provoking.”

Kaine continued, “Finland knows Russia and Russian leadership better than just about anybody… and that memory of fighting two wars against Russia to maintain Finnish independence is still a very present day and palpable memory for the Finns, even though those wars happened in the late 1930s and early 1940s. You can be sure…that our friends, our allies, those we are training together with had some pretty strong thoughts about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the commemoration of the third anniversary.”

During his floor speech, Kaine discussed the United States’ vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that acknowledged Russia invaded Ukraine and called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. The United States also abstained on a vote on its own United Nations General Assembly resolution after European countries successfully amended it to add stronger language in support of Ukraine.

“These Finnish colleagues—who are friends and allies—were pretty candid about their disappointment in the United States for not being willing to state a truth that this war was instigated by Russia,” Kaine said. “They’re puzzled with an American leadership from the President to the Secretary of Defense…that’s unwilling to state that Russia started this war.”

“It takes sacrifice to protect democracy. Our nation is coming up on the 250th anniversary of our democracy—and not only our democracy, but our leadership role in democracies around the globe. The world needs us to continue to stand strong. Our friends like Finland are hoping and praying that we continue to stand strong. It is my belief that in the heart of the American people there is a desire to stand strong,” Kaine concluded.

Video: Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07) Says Trump, a “Mad King” Surrounded by “third-rate fanatics and clowns from the MAGA world,” Is Turning “American foreign policy from a force for good in the world to a force for evil”

By
lowkell
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0

See below for video and highlights of Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07) speaking last night on MSNBC (Jen Psaki’s show), as well as this morning on the US House floor (Rep. Vindman speaks about 1 1/2 hours in, right after the odious extremist Rep. Ben Cline from VA06). According to Rep. Vindman:

  • “You got to remember that the sole reason all of these people are in [Trump’s] Cabinet is not because they’re competent, capable, they have experience, they’ve ever managed anything – it’s loyalty, it’s blind loyalty. They would never be selected as manager of a McDonald’s, as opposed to a Secretary of Defense. So I think it’s laughable. And so what they’re doing is they know that their their job depends on pleasing their boss, there’s only one person that they actually have to listen to and abide and it’s Donald Trump. And it’s shameful. It’s not in accordance with our values and it’s a hard turn towards dictatorships and autocracies away from what this country has always stood for.”
  • “It’s simple – he fired the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff because he is a Black man. He fired the the director of Naval operations, she was a woman…Hegseth also fired his senior military aid, a lieutenant general who was a woman. So what they’re trying to do is they’re trying to purge folks that have quality, that achieved their positions through decades of hard work, experience, every position, and they’re replacing them with yes men and folks that will not challenge them. And the firing of the lawyers, the head lawyers, is actually in some ways the most disturbing thing, because those lawyers are tasked with interpreting the Constitution and letting…the civilian and and military leaders know that these are the lawful parameters, these are constitutional parameters, and you can’t cross this line. And he’s eliminated that. And so who is he going to bring in behind him? That’s why the question I asked was it’s not a request, may I please have this information? We have a role in Congress, an oversight role, and I am demanding that they provide answers to why they fired qualified capable individuals that are serving in apolitical roles and what are their criteria for hiring the replacements? That’s what I want to know.”

  • “In this month and in this year, the Pax Americana – the rules based international order which established in the aftermath of WW2 and order that has delivered peace and prosperity to the United States. – has been brought to a dishonorable end…Trump ordered the US representative to the UN to vote with autocrats and against democracy.”
  • “Pete Hegseth, the Fox Weekend television host, improbably elevated into an American Secretary of Defense, announced that NATO membership for Ukraine was off the table…that Ukraine’s return to its 2014 borders was no longer in the cards…thereby deprived Ukraine and the West of two of their most valuable bargaining chips…”
  • “Donald Trump, the President of the United States, standing facts on their on their head, called Volodomyr Zelenskyy – the leader of Ukrainian democracy – quote, an unelected dictator. And incredibly, spewing another blatant falsehood, blamed Ukraine for starting the war. In this month, in perhaps the most shameful statement from an American president in the history of our Republic, Trump explained that because Russia had lost so many soldiers, it was entitled to keep some or all of its territory that it had seized in its unprovoked war of aggression.”
  • “It’s bad enough that these are lies and betrayals of America’s great traditions…that these statements legitimize violations of the fundamental principle of Pax America and the UN Charter, namely the rules of the jungle no longer apply to international relations, that might does not make right, and that powerful nations cannot employ force to redraw international borders at will…”
  • “But things are even worse than all that. Under the tutelage of Donald Trump, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation of American foreign policy from a force for good in the world to a force for evil. Trump is aligning American foreign policy with that of the Kremlin…the USA is now run by gangsters who want to ally with other gangsters and are using threats of disruption and violence to get their way.“
  • “This time there are no such adults in the room. Trump has surrounded himself with sycophants and yes men, third-rate fanatics and clowns from the MAGA world. The guardrails are gone. Trump is free to follow his peculiar whims and unhinged instincts – indeed, he is free to act as would be a mad king. The results are plain to see…This is not the behavior of a great democratic power, the leader of the free world. It’s the behavior of a mafia state engaged in coercion and blackmail. It is impossible not to be ashamed by what is being done in the name of America…Trump is living inside a disinformation bubble…”
  • “At root, Trump’s policies betray a fundamental misunderstanding of the American idea, the fact that we are a free and self-governing people, a democracy that has always been a beacon of liberty. The president and his billionaire shadow co-president have embraced a dystopian ideology based on falsehoods. The effect of their disinformation is rapidly bringing us to a crisis point where their falsehoods will crash into the reality of great power competition. If America abandons Ukraine and embraces the Kremlin, the consequences for the United States and for the world will prove ruinous.”

Exactly right on all points!

House Oversight Committee Ranking Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11), Others Call on President Trump to Cease All DOGE Activities that Endanger America’s Cybersecurity

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From the Oversight Committee Democrats (of which Rep. Gerry Connolly is ranking member)’s Press Office:

Ranking Members Connolly, Brown, Stansbury Call on President Trump to Cease All DOGE Activities that Endanger America’s Cybersecurity

Following Cyber Exposures, Top Oversight Democrats Demand a Briefing from DOGE on Efforts to Protect Sensitive Government Systems
Washington, D.C. (February 25, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Shontel M. Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, and Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee Delivering on Government Efficiency, sent a letter to President Trump urging his administration to cease all DOGE activities that create serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, expose government networks to cyberattacks, and risk disclosure of sensitive information.

“We write with increasing alarm about how individuals associated with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) appear to have introduced negligent cybersecurity practices into information technology systems at multiple government agencies.  This reckless disregard of critical cybersecurity practices creates opportunities for hostile actors to access sensitive information.  We urge your Administration to cease all DOGE activities that create serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, expose government networks to cyberattacks, and risk disclosures of sensitive and personal information,” wrote the Members.

On February 4, 2025, Committee Democrats sent a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) highlighting reports of a server added to the OPM network “without regard for crucial security and privacy protections.”  Although the deadlines in that letter have passed, the Committee has yet to receive a response from the Administration. In the weeks since Committee Democrats sent that letter, further evidence indicates that DOGE activities have continued to expose sensitive internal systems, including the Department of Treasury’s payment systems and critical systems at labs that support the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.

“Decades of efforts by both Republican and Democratic administrations, along with bipartisan collaboration in Congress, have strengthened the federal government’s cybersecurity practices, making them more transparent, enforceable, and resilient.  In a matter of weeks, reckless behavior by the unelected and unaccountable DOGE team has undermined this progress and left multiple government agencies vulnerable to cyberattacks by foreign agents and malicious actors,” concluded the Members.

To determine the severity of reported cybersecurity and privacy violations, Committee Democrats requested documents, information, and briefing from the leadership of DOGE on how DOGE is ensuring malicious actors do not have access to sensitive government systems no later than March 11, 2025.

Click here to read the letter to President Trump.

New Roanoke College Poll Finds Spanberger with 15-Point Lead Over Earle-Sears; Trump at 37%-58% Favorable; Youngkin at Just 48%-42% Favorable

By
lowkell
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0

UPDATE 3:35 pm – Here’s what former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Trump-voting conservative Republican, thinks:

“I seriously doubt that Abigail Spanberger’s lead over Winsome Earle Sears in the 2025 Governor’s race is 15%, but I have no doubt that Spanberger has a sizable lead.

It’s time for Republicans to get real. Winsome Sears is not a strong statewide candidate. If she is the Republican nominee, she will lose.

The question is, in a state that favors Democrats, and in a year that will likely favor Democrats, is there any Republican who could win?”

Roanoke College polling is not the most reliable or accurate (see here and here for examples of what I mean), but for the record, here are the findings from their latest poll of Virginia. BTW, note that Trump was at a similar approval rating in the fall of 2017…and Northam won in a landslide. So obviously don’t take this election for granted, but if Trump’s approval’s in the 30%’s (or lower) this fall, Virginia Republicans will likely get crushed.

  • 15-point lead for Spanberger over Earle-Sears: “In a very early look at the likely November gubernatorial matchup, Democrat Abigail Spanberger leads Republican Winsome Earle-Sears 39%-24%…One-third (32%) of registered voters are undecided, and 4% said they would vote for someone else.”
  • Terrible ratings for Trump; under 50% favorable for Youngkin (that’s not good for a governor, given that governors are usually very popular): “Virginians remain more likely to view Youngkin favorably (48% favorable/42% unfavorable), while Trump’s favorable rating is again similar to his first term (37% favorable/58% unfavorable).”
  • As Sam Shirazi puts it: “Lots of undecideds in new Roanoke College poll of Virginia; Spanberger 39% Sears 24%. But Trump is at 59% disapproval vs. 37% approval in Virginia. Many voters not tuned into Governor’s race yet. But those [are] rough numbers for GOP to run with an incumbent President”
  • Mixed views on immigration: “Virginians generally favor increasing opportunities for legal immigration to the U.S. (81%), but also favor increasing deportations of those who are here illegally (59%). They also favor making it easier for asylum seekers to legally work while awaiting decisions on their applications (72%) and increasing penalties for businesses that hire people who are not legally allowed to work here (60%), but oppose substantially expanding the wall with Mexico (52% oppose; 46% favor)…A majority of respondents (72%) think undocumented immigrants who are currently here should be allowed to stay if they meet certain conditions, while 26% think they should not be allowed to remain in the U.S.”
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