Raw Story

An analyst warns Thursday that GOP lawmakers "drunk with power" have made a major stumble amid the ongoing government shutdown, unleashing "Republicans' worst nightmare."

Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton writes about how Obamacare premiums are set to soar — something President Donald Trump had promised to replace — and now "appears to be one step too far" for Americans.

"Ten years of similar promises have shown that replacing the Affordable Care Act wasn’t so easy after all — and that the only health care plan the GOP ever truly wanted was one called 'you’re on your own,'" Digby Parton writes.

Republicans haven't introduced any alternatives, instead people are receiving notices that their healthcare premiums are set to rise, while they cut Medicaid and close a number of rural hospitals, add work requirements and deny care to millions. And although they've pointed to Project 2025, aiming to force people into a privatized version of Medicaid and "plan to open up the market to sell junk insurance plans which are worth virtually nothing," it's still a half-baked policy, the writer argues.

"But the GOP’s lack of strategy and success makes it clear the party is as flummoxed on this issue as they’ve always been, and they know it’s a loser for them," she writes.

Healthcare matters for Americans because it's something that effects their daily lives, she adds, and "it’s now on the front lines of this massive war against our social safety net."

As the Trump administration works to defund scientific research and following "the government's shambolic response during the first year of the pandemic and the damage being done every day by the administration to our scientific research community, I suspect a lot of people are feeling insecure about their actual health care these days."

That could leave room for Democrats to step in and hold the line.

"If Democrats can find the fortitude to hold out for their demands, they will have taken the first step in reining in this lawless administration and given the American people something to hold onto in these dark days," Digby Parton writes.

A number of Federal Emergency Management Agency staff that openly criticized President Donald Trump are under intense investigation from FEMA leadership, and under threats of termination should they refuse to reveal the names of their colleagues who criticized Trump anonymously, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Nearly 200 FEMA employees signed onto a letter in August pushing back against the Trump administration’s cuts to FEMA, warning that the cuts could jeopardize the agency’s ability to adequately respond to disasters.

More than a dozen FEMA employees – all of whom signed onto the letter – were soon placed on leave. Now, remaining staff that had signed onto the letter using their name are being investigated by agency leadership, being threatened to reveal the names of their colleagues who signed the letter anonymously, according to insiders who spoke with Bloomberg and documents reviewed by the outlet.

“The interviews with FEMA workers have been carried out by the agency's division that investigates employee misconduct, and those interviewed have been told they risk being fired for failure to cooperate,” Bloomberg writes in its report. “The employees have been instructed not to bring counsel, according to people familiar with the process.”

The revelation that FEMA staff under investigation were being instructed not to bring legal counsel was revealed, in part, by Colette Delawalla, the founder of the nonprofit organization Stand Up for Science, the same organization that helped FEMA staff publish its letter of dissent.

“They are not really given an option not to comply,” Delawalla told Bloomberg. “They don’t have guidance while they’re in there.”

Trump has previously said he wanted to phase out FEMA and “bring it down to the state level,” with the agency struggling to respond to emergencies such as the deadly Texas flood in July following new Trump administration policies that led to funding lapses for the agency.

A previous batch of FEMA employees – 140 of them – were placed on leave back in July for signing onto a different letter of dissent, which itself followed a number of FEMA employees being forcibly reassigned to work for Immigrations Customs and Enforcement amid Trump’s mass deportation push.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) offered to be the "Democrat leading the committee" to campaign for President Donald Trump to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

On Thursday, Fox News host Aishah Hasnie asked Fetterman if he supported a Nobel Prize for Trump after the president announced a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

"Well, I mean, if this sticks, I think the whole point of having a Nobel Peace Prize is for ending wars and promoting peace," the senator replied. "And I'm going to make a direct appeal to the president. You know, I hope he chooses to provide the Tomahawks to the Ukrainians — and give them the tools that they need to push back against the Russia, and if he brings the Ukrainian war to its end, I'll be the Democrat leading the committee for his Nobel Prize — peace — for ending both of these terrible wars."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) was accused of embarrassing himself after causing chaos in a congressional hallway by confronting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Instead of meeting with Jeffries in private on Wednesday, Lawler stopped the Democratic leader in front of a crowd of people to ask him to sign on to a temporary extension of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Democrats have said that they would not accept only one year of subsidies for the health care program.

"Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?" Jeffries asked.

"He's not my boss!" Lawler insisted. "And by the way, why did you vote to shut the government?"

"You're making a show of this to make yourself relevant," Jeffries charged. "You're embarrassing yourself right now. You're chasing a crowd."

"You have to sign on to the bill," Lawler demanded.

"Let me ask you a question," Jeffries said. "You voted for the 'One Big Ugly Bill,' correct?"

"I voted for a tax cut bill that gave the largest tax cut to Americans in history," Lawler countered. "Are you against that?"

"You're embarrassing yourself right now," Jeffries noted as Lawler talked over him.

"You're not going to talk to me and talk over me because you don't want to hear what I have to say," the Democrat said. "So why don't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"And so you voted for this 'One Big Ugly Bill, a permanent extension of massive tax breaks for your billionaire donors," he added.

A Democratic voting rights group was "sounding the alarm" Wednesday, warning of a "nightmare scenario" wherein the U.S. Supreme Court could "clear the path for a one-party system" and give Republicans control of Congress.

The high court is slated to rehear Louisiana v. Callais on Oct. 15, and in a new Politico report, Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund signal that removing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could give Republicans a path to redraw up to 19 House seats to benefit their party.

The Voting Rights Act — the landmark Civil Rights-era legislation — has been targeted by Republicans, aiming to remove this particular section, Politico reports.

The move would "clear the path for a one-party system where power serves the powerful and silences the people,” Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown said in a statement.

The ruling could also ultimately remove 30% of Congressional Black Caucus seats and 11% of Congressional Hispanic Caucus seats, according to Salon.

This could leave limited options for Democrats.

"Democrats could also find ways to use any changes to the VRA to their benefit. The party could redraw maps in heavily-blue areas with VRA protections to try and expand their margins, but there will be fewer opportunities," Politico reports.

The law has been used to offer protections against racial gerrymandering in redistricting, a topic that's become a key move ahead of midterm elections amid President Donald Trump's push to maintain GOP control in Congress, putting pressure on Republicans to redraw district lines and saying "there could very well be consequences" if they don't take action.

Former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor thinks he's probably next on the list of people to get the James Comey treatment from President Donald Trump.

Trump demanded that the Justice Department act on the former FBI director with a prosecution. On Wednesday, Comey was arraigned in court, and Taylor was in court to watch.

"I showed up because I agree or disagree with James Comey's decisions over the years, to me, this is so obviously a case of selective and vindictive prosecution, and sets an extraordinary precedent. Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't say I think that precedent probably affects my fate as well. I'm on the president's enemies list. I think that there's a coin flip chance he tries to put me in the same shoes as James Comey, charge me with something that's obscure," Taylor surmised.

He went on to assert Comey's rights are being violated — and that would apply to anyone in that situation.

"I think it was important for people to go up there, including former Trump officials like myself, to be there at the courthouse and to point out that this is, again, a vindictive prosecution," Taylor added.