U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

Nancy Pelosi @Speaker Pelosi
Our Congressional Delegation was honored to meet with @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv to salute his leadership and courage, to commend the Ukrainian people for their outstanding defense of Democracy and to say that we are with you until victory is won.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1520672718823297032

Our Congressional Delegation traveled to Kyiv and met with @ZelenskyyUa to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy conveyed the need for continued security, economic & humanitarian assistance from the U. S. & our delegation delivered the message that additional American support is on the way, as we work to transform
@POTUS’ funding request into a legislative package.

Our delegation conveyed our respect and gratitude to President Zelenskyy for his leadership and our admiration of the Ukrainian people for their courage in the fight against Russia’s oppression.

Our delegation will now continue our travels in Poland, where we will meet with President @AndrzejDuda and senior officials. We look forward to thanking our Polish allies for their dedication and humanitarian efforts.

When we return to the United States, we will do so further informed, deeply inspired and ready to do what is needed to help the Ukrainian people as they defend democracy for their nation and for the world.

Read my full statement here:

Pelosi, Congressional Delegation Statement on Visit to Kyiv, Ukraine
MAY 1, 2022 PRESS RELEASE

Rzeszow, Poland - Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Members of a Congressional delegation issued this statement following their visit to Kyiv, Ukraine.  This visit is the first official Congressional delegation to have visited Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.  The full delegation, which includes Chairman Jim McGovern, Chairman Gregory Meeks, Chairman Adam Schiff, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Bill Keating and Congressman Jason Crow, will continue travel in southeast Poland and Warsaw.

"Our Congressional Delegation had the solemn opportunity and extraordinary honor of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top Ukrainian officials in Kyiv.

Our delegation traveled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine.  Our meeting with President Zelenskyy began with him thanking the United States for the substantial assistance that we have provided.  He conveyed the clear need for continued security, economic and humanitarian assistance from the United States to address the devastating human toll taken on the Ukrainian people by Putin's diabolic invasion – and our delegation proudly delivered the message that additional American support is on the way, as we work to transform President Biden’s strong funding request into a legislative package.  Our delegation conveyed our respect and gratitude to President Zelenskyy for his leadership and our admiration of the Ukrainian people for their courage in the fight against Russia’s oppression.

"Our delegation will now continue our travels in Poland, where we will meet with President Andrzej Duda and senior officials.  We look forward to thanking our Polish allies for their dedication and humanitarian efforts.  We will proudly convey the gratitude of America for the work of U.S. servicemembers and diplomats and other civilian leaders in Poland.  When we return to the United States, we will do so further informed, deeply inspired and ready to do what is needed to help the Ukrainian people as they defend democracy for their nation and for the world."

https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/5122

Join Members of our delegation and me in Rzeszów, Poland for a press conference on the situation in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1lPKqmkrvDZKb

[Rick Plant]

A new ABC/WP poll shows voters prefer Democrats to control the House of Representatives 46%-45%. 

[Rick Plant]

Reminder: House Democrats capped insulin at $35 and McConnell Republicans have been blocking it for over five months.

[Rick Plant]

Bill Pascrell, Jr. @BillPascrell 

480 days ago insurrectionists ransacked the US Capitol and *hours later* 138-of-202 (68%) House republicans voted to make trump a dictator. They tried to finish the rioters’ job and end democracy. Never forget it.

Here are the 138 House republicans who voted to install trump as a dictator hours after rioters tried to do the same.



https://twitter.com/BillPascrell/status/1520916615902248961

[Rick Plant]

Ron DeSantis' war on Disney has bondholders panicked over who's responsible for $1 billion in debt: report



The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a decision by the Republican-led legislature in Floria -- at the behest of Gov. Ron DeSantis -- to strip the Disney Company of its special taxing privileges has bondholders in a frenzy over who will be responsible for approximately $1 billion in debt payments.

The Disney bill, signed by the governor in retaliation after the media titan criticized his so-called "Don't say gay" bill, leaves the future of the special taxing district known as Reedy Creek up in the air -- and that has anxious investors asking questions.

Withn the report stating, "Florida law dictates the bondholders must be paid," the Journal's Heather Giller wrote, "Those caught up in the fight include municipal bond investors, firefighters, and the $210 billion global media and marketing enterprise behind Star Wars, the Avengers and ESPN."

With investors asking, who will be held accountable for repaying nearly $1 billion in municipal debt used to build the infrastructure surrounding the massive Disney World theme park, the Journal is reporting, "One of the bill’s sponsors is now considering re-establishing a watered-down version of Reedy Creek to unwind the legal mess. "

According to the report, Reedy Creek bonds are plunging in value over repayment concerns.

"Reedy Creek bonds maturing in 2028 traded at 87.5 cents on the dollar Thursday and Friday, down from about 100 cents in January, according to Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board data. Two major ratings firms have flagged the bonds for potential downgrade, saying it isn’t exactly clear who owes investors their money," the Journal's Giller explained.

According to Michael Rinaldi, head of U.S. local government ratings at Fitch Ratings, "It’s mere speculation at this point. We don’t have any information.”

With a DeSantis spokesperson is trying to calm the financial community, claiming the governor has a plan, Florida State Rep. Randy Fine (R) who co-sponsored the bill, suggested what may come to pass.

According to the Journal, Fine claimed "... a court or additional legislation could help determine how to divide the debt up among local governments," adding "...another option would be for lawmakers to re-establish a less-powerful version of the Reedy Creek Improvement District for the purpose of servicing the debt."

The Journal report added, "Mr. DeSantis’s office said in a statement when he signed the Reedy Creek bill that he didn’t expect it to increase residents’ taxes. The impact to local governments could extend well beyond having to take over debt payments, however."

You can read more here:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/floridas-1-billion-disney-question-11651347911

[Rick Plant]

Marjorie Taylor Greene becomes visibly frustrated as reporter grills her over 'Jewish space laser' rant

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Monday clashed with a reporter who questioned her about a 2018 Facebook post in which she suggested the Rothschild family might be using satellites to ignite wildfires in California.

Greene has faced frequent criticism for the comments, which went viral after New York Magazine published a headline that stated: "GOP Congresswoman Blamed Wildfires on Jewish Space Laser."

“This is your post under your name,” the reporter said, “and you’re talking about the Rothschild family, which has been at the center of anti-Sematic conspiracies since the 19th century.”

“I did not know that,” Greene interjected. “I have no idea. I’m telling you.”

The congresswoman said that in 2018, she was just “a regular American. Never been in politics. I couldn’t have told you some people back in politics or families names, don’t know their backgrounds.”

“But now that you do know,” the reporter pressed, as Greene became visibly frustrated. “Now that you’ve been told… anti-Semitism is on the rise at an alarming rate.”

“I’m fully against anti-Semitism,” Greene said. “You’re mixing two things together. You’re accusing me of something I did not do, and then you’re trying to blame me for anti-Semitism.”

Watch video below:

[Rick Plant]

Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate shares photo of self in front of swastika
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/05/02/gop-gubernatorial-candidate-shares-photo-of-self-in-front-of-swastika/

[Rick Plant]

Senior administration officials are traveling the U.S. to discuss how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is fulfilling
@POTUS's promise to rebuild safe roads and bridges, provide clean drinking water, create good-paying jobs, and deliver for rural communities.

A few highlights:

@EPAMichaelRegan toured a wastewater treatment plant in West Salem, WI where @EPA funding helped make critical upgrades to the facility’s capacity & ability to protect public health. This is the kind of investment the infrastructure law will fund in rural communities nationwide.




@MitchLandrieu46 visited a community in South Carolina where they highlighted the $100M+ the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to investing in the state so every South Carolinian has access to affordable, high-speed internet.




@SecDebHaaland met with wildland fire leaders at Heil Valley Ranch in CO — an area severely impacted by the Cal-Wood fire — to discuss how the infrastructure law will improve wildfire mitigation, firefighter training, post-fire recovery, & more, especially in western rural areas.




@SecretaryPete visited Tell City, IN, a small port with a big impact. Materials handled there go into equipment and economic activity that benefits people thousands of miles away. The infrastructure law will support our growing economy by investing in ports just like Tell City.




@USDOT Under Secretary Carlos Monje traveled to Alaska and met with University of Fairbanks engineers who are working on drones to transport goods to rural Alaskans. Monje also met with tribal leaders in Venetie to learn about native communities' transportation needs and goals.




Arlando Teller, @USDOT Dep. Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, visited New Mexico where he inspected multiple bridges in disrepair. Teller discussed how the infrastructure law will rebuild our nation's bridges, including those providing access to Navajo Community Facilities.




@SecVilsack and @EPA Administrator Regan visited a waste water facility in Franklinton, North Carolina to highlight the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and how it will help fund projects like this across the country.




To learn more about how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is supporting and investing in rural communities, visit http://build.gov/rural.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/rural/?utm_source=build.gov

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1521260753998725122