Katherine Tai, a longtime congressional staff lawyer, won Senate confirmation on Wednesday as the first woman of color to serve as the top U.S. trade negotiator.
The Senate approved her nomination 98-0, marking a rare bipartisan agreement in a deeply-divided Washington.
Among her first tasks will be advising the president on what to do about existing tariffs on most imported Chinese products, presiding over enforcement of a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and seeking a negotiated end to a long-running commercial dispute with the European Union.
"Katherine Tai, a longtime congressional staff lawyer, won Senate confirmation on Wednesday as the first woman of color to serve as the top U.S. trade negotiator.
Whenever I see this, while it's great this is the case finally, it's also an indictment on the system, that it's taken this long.
Though, to be honest, I was legit surprised when I looked it up, and saw it was a 98-0 confirmation. Honestly thought confirmations would cap out at ~80 votes.
Katherine is the lead advisor to the Chairman and Democratic Members of the Committee on Ways and Means on matters of international trade. She was named to this position in 2017 after serving three years on the Committee as Trade Counsel.
Katherine came to the Committee in 2014 from USTR’s Office of the General Counsel, first as Associate General Counsel from 2007 to 2011 and then as Chief Counsel for China Trade Enforcement with responsibility for the development and litigation of U.S. disputes against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Before joining USTR, Katherine worked in the international trade departments in several Washington, DC law firms. From 1996 to 1998, she lived and worked in Guangzhou, China teaching English at Zhongshan University as a Yale-China Fellow.
Oh, and she is from Taiwanese descent. It shouldn't matter, but it will. So, given that the US is not negotiating any trade deals at the moment thanks to COVID except taking the UK to the cleaners post-Brexit, and given that the national mood is "fuck Xi", that vote doesn't surprise me at all.
Apparently, the Alaskan republican party has voted to censor Murkowski because her voting to confirm Haaland was the final straw for them. Will be funny if the GOP reaction to Haaland's confirmation ends up being something that kills their stranglehold on Alaskan politics.
I'll be honest, there's a small part of me that is surprised that Murkowski hasn't gone the King/Sanders route, and gone Independent. She already won the seat once that way, and it doesn't stop her from caucusing with Republicans (much as King and Sanders do with Democrats), and it's clear her vision of the Republican party, and the one currently exists, aren't even close to similar.
And that was a half year BEFORE the second impeachment hearing.
Quick tangent, but Alaska recently voted in ranked choice, so when it's time for Murkowksi to run for reelection, she'll have the benefit of the left voting her for #2 since she's infinitely more preferably than whatever extremist Republican they'll trot out.
Not impossible to knock her out, but extremely difficult.
People push ranked choice voting for 3rd party candidates most of the time, but in most states its going to benefit moderates much more than either wing. Murkowski is basically untouchable now.
Well, the people who were teens in the '90s have actual power now.
Not in Congress they don't.
Shit, there's only a handful of Senators who would even have been teenagers even at the start of the 90s and only for like the first few years which barely count.
Hey Marco Rubio was 18 on Jan 1 1990. There are 12 Senators who were teenagers in at least part of the 1990s.
In fact, Jon Ossoff was never a teenager in the 1990s because he was born in 1987. The Senators who were teenagers the longest in the 1990s are:
1(tied) Josh Hawley b December 31, 1979
1(tied) Tom Cotton b May 13, 1977
3 Kyrsten Sinema July 12, 1976
Well, the people who were teens in the '90s have actual power now.
Until recently the most powerful Millennial in government was Stephen Miller.
His sort of role, the brains behind the ancient old fossil, is indeed where Gen-X is right now.
We are never going to have power in our own right/name. Never.
The Boomers are going to hold onto everything until the last of them finally die, and by then we'll all be too old and it will skip over us right to the Millenials. Just like always.
Well, the people who were teens in the '90s have actual power now.
Until recently the most powerful Millennial in government was Stephen Miller.
His sort of role, the brains behind the ancient old fossil, is indeed where Gen-X is right now.
We are never going to have power in our own right/name. Never.
The Boomers are going to hold onto everything until the last of them finally die, and by then we'll all be too old and it will skip over us right to the Millenials. Just like Prince Charles.
Just don't fill the positions. It works for the Republicans, let it work for the Democrats too.
It did not work for Republicans except in so far as Trump's goal was to have a nonfunctional government.
i'm cool with that wrt DHS
I'd prefer my brother in law actually have his green card get mailed to him. And be able to board a plane to go see him and my nephew sometime this year
Considering there's a bunch of money in their budgets it doesn't make sense just to let the departments lie dormant, especially if the republicans can just pick up where they left off whenever they get into power again, it would be better to softly reinterpret their charters into something more productive and beneficial to the country
Just don't fill the positions. It works for the Republicans, let it work for the Democrats too.
It did not work for Republicans except in so far as Trump's goal was to have a nonfunctional government.
i'm cool with that wrt DHS
I'd prefer my brother in law actually have his green card get mailed to him. And be able to board a plane to go see him and my nephew sometime this year
True, but not one employee or manager was fired. All he did was disband the advisory committee, which sounds like just another resume stuffer with any managerial or rule making power. That's good, one less soapbox for Pubs to stand on and cry bipartisanship while only accepting conservative ideas.
They also want to make the board that will replace it much more diverse. Sounds like in addition to be full of shithead trumpists, the board was also very white and male. Now my demographic doesn't have the monopoly on racist, sexist pig fucking racists, but a more diverse board might be less likely to put out fuck awful ideas. Plus, this was another case of the nazi shit known as, Ken Cuccinelli, getting fired.
As for DHS, since it's unlikely to get gutted by this Congress. I'd argue the best approach is actually filling in the appointed seats with people that want to dismantle the racist agenda. As noted, leaving shit empty, just means that the next racist ass republican gets to pick up where Trump left off. There are also things that can only be done by having the proper positions filled as well. I'd wager some of the stuff we'd like to see happen, that would fuck over all the racist pigs, likely involves having the top spot filled. Pretty much get people in there that will get policy changes that make it much, much harder for the racist pigs to do business as normal. One idea that has come to me, is seeing if CBP can have it's hands tied on making arrests, once you are a 5-10 miles away from the border. Pretty much, load up a ton of policies that, yes, the racist fuckers will fight to prevent form happenings, but get them in now so that the CRA can't be used in the even that the GOP takes both chambers of Congress in 2022. Also, yes, when they get the WH back they'll move to dismantle and ignore that stuff, but you can probably fuck with them there because that's a whole process they have to go through and you can get a shit ton of their stuff thrown out if they fail to follow the rules (as a reminder, Trump failed to get many dreamers thrown out because his cadre of racists fuckers thought they could ignore the process and do as they please). Honestly, the DHS is probably fairly easy for Biden to fuck with, if he felt incline because the stuff he'd want to mess with, is stuff where you don't care if the department can't do it's normal thing because of legal fights. The few legitimate things that department does either are already mired in a process to try and unfuck them after Trump left them fucked or are things that the GOP and democrats agree should be happening (I do believe the idiotically took something off the secret service that dealt with smuggling and then got fucked by the racists because they racists fuckers raided it's funds. So that's one area where worst case, it can fight smuggling because shithead republicans insist on keeping it broken, but at best, could get back on it's feet because most of the GOP decide that's are really dumb hill to die on.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland overturns ‘former guy’s’ treaty breaking order—returning lands along the Missouri River back to Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland overturns ‘former guy’s’ treaty breaking order—returning lands along the Missouri River back to Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations.
The author is a Native activist.
I can think of nothing more Unamerican than honoring a treaty. Hell, I think ignoring a treaty with France was one of Washington’s first acts.
Technically so was every American. It's the oldest of all American traditions!
Nope. Basically, the colonial population was divided into thirds on the matter - one third were rebels, one third were loyalists, and one third were more focused on things like "life" and "survival". The fact that a favorite party game of the first third was to tar and feather members of the second may have been part of why the first third's voice was more prominent.
Technically so was every American. It's the oldest of all American traditions!
Nope. Basically, the colonial population was divided into thirds on the matter - one third were rebels, one third were loyalists, and one third were more focused on things like "life" and "survival". The fact that a favorite party game of the first third was to tar and feather members of the second may have been part of why the first third's voice was more prominent.
Technically so was every American. It's the oldest of all American traditions!
Nope. Basically, the colonial population was divided into thirds on the matter - one third were rebels, one third were loyalists, and one third were more focused on things like "life" and "survival". The fact that a favorite party game of the first third was to tar and feather members of the second may have been part of why the first third's voice was more prominent.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will purge more than 40 outside experts appointed by President Donald Trump from two key advisory panels, a move he says will help restore the role of science at the agency and reduce the heavy influence of industry over environmental regulations.
The unusual decision, announced Wednesday, will sweep away outside researchers picked under the previous administration whose expert advice helped the agency craft regulations related to air pollution, fracking and other issues.
Critics say that under Trump, membership of the two panels — the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) and Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) — tilted too heavily toward regulated industries and their positions sometimes contradicted scientific consensus.
The house cleaning continues now we have confirmed people in positions.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has asked Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to prepare a memo on the president's legal authority to cancel student debt, White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Thursday, amid growing pressure for the administration to address the student loan crisis crippling millions of Americans.
In an interview with Politico, Klain said Biden will make a decision on how to proceed once he reviews the memo, which could be sent to his desk within the next few weeks.
"He’ll look at that legal authority, he’ll look at the policy issues around that, and then he’ll make a decision," Klain said. "He hasn’t made a decision on that, either way, in fact, he hasn’t yet gotten the memos that he needs to start to focus on that decision."
At the end of Thank you for Smoking, when Nick Naylor tells the phone executives how to respond to questions about cell phones causing cancer, and they lean back, relax, and go "ahhhh".
That's how I feel every time I think about Biden being President now.
Why his editor published this piece instead of treating it as manifest demonstration of incompetence I have no idea.
Here's me playing the world's tiniest violin over the fact that this tabloid journalist is living in the sunset of four straight years of perpetual click-bait pouring forth from the White House. Boo hoo, you no longer get the daily traffic from the latest gish gallop from the Trump admin.
I mean the white house hold a press conference everyday, and they have officials out, cabinet members touring talking to the press (I mean fuck sake Pete Buttigieg was even on fox for god sake). But because they got so used to palace intrigue bullshit they are unhappy.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
I mean the white house hold a press conference everyday, and they have officials out, cabinet members touring talking to the press (I mean fuck sake Pete Buttigieg was even on fox for god sake). But because they got so used to palace intrigue bullshit they are unhappy.
It's also just that Biden's team, like with a surprising number of things, seems to be finally catching on. The press are not your friends and they are not where you go to vent on background. As a political leader you want your people to show some discipline and shut their fucking mouths. The US federal government has for some insane reason always been terrible at this. Especially Democrats. I assume it's related to dumb DC insider culture bullshit. Now it seems like all the leaks are just coming from people not on the inside trying to feel important.
Posts
Katherine Tai made her career at the Office of the Trade Representative by going against Beijing on the WTO:
Oh, and she is from Taiwanese descent. It shouldn't matter, but it will. So, given that the US is not negotiating any trade deals at the moment thanks to COVID except taking the UK to the cleaners post-Brexit, and given that the national mood is "fuck Xi", that vote doesn't surprise me at all.
Senators tend to be old... it's in the name. But their advisors and assistants etc would generally be in their 40s right now.
Until recently the most powerful Millennial in government was Stephen Miller.
His sort of role, the brains behind the ancient old fossil, is indeed where Gen-X is right now.
Hey Marco Rubio was 18 on Jan 1 1990. There are 12 Senators who were teenagers in at least part of the 1990s.
In fact, Jon Ossoff was never a teenager in the 1990s because he was born in 1987. The Senators who were teenagers the longest in the 1990s are:
1(tied) Josh Hawley b December 31, 1979
1(tied) Tom Cotton b May 13, 1977
3 Kyrsten Sinema July 12, 1976
So I kinda wish that group had less power.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
I misread that as "Marco Rubio was born on Jan 1 1990" and I almost did a spit take all over my shiny new widescreen monitor
We are never going to have power in our own right/name. Never.
The Boomers are going to hold onto everything until the last of them finally die, and by then we'll all be too old and it will skip over us right to the Millenials. Just like always.
Kidding aside, power isn't bestowed. It's taken.
GOOD
Secretary Mayorkas fired almost the entire Homeland Security Council, which was staffed with Trump people.
Now just abolish the whole department and roll the pieces back where they make more sense.
Sadly, requires Congress, but it should still happen.
battletag: Millin#1360
Nice chart to figure out how honest a news source is.
chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
It did not work for Republicans except in so far as Trump's goal was to have a nonfunctional government.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
i'm cool with that wrt DHS
I'd prefer my brother in law actually have his green card get mailed to him. And be able to board a plane to go see him and my nephew sometime this year
True, but not one employee or manager was fired. All he did was disband the advisory committee, which sounds like just another resume stuffer with any managerial or rule making power. That's good, one less soapbox for Pubs to stand on and cry bipartisanship while only accepting conservative ideas.
As for DHS, since it's unlikely to get gutted by this Congress. I'd argue the best approach is actually filling in the appointed seats with people that want to dismantle the racist agenda. As noted, leaving shit empty, just means that the next racist ass republican gets to pick up where Trump left off. There are also things that can only be done by having the proper positions filled as well. I'd wager some of the stuff we'd like to see happen, that would fuck over all the racist pigs, likely involves having the top spot filled. Pretty much get people in there that will get policy changes that make it much, much harder for the racist pigs to do business as normal. One idea that has come to me, is seeing if CBP can have it's hands tied on making arrests, once you are a 5-10 miles away from the border. Pretty much, load up a ton of policies that, yes, the racist fuckers will fight to prevent form happenings, but get them in now so that the CRA can't be used in the even that the GOP takes both chambers of Congress in 2022. Also, yes, when they get the WH back they'll move to dismantle and ignore that stuff, but you can probably fuck with them there because that's a whole process they have to go through and you can get a shit ton of their stuff thrown out if they fail to follow the rules (as a reminder, Trump failed to get many dreamers thrown out because his cadre of racists fuckers thought they could ignore the process and do as they please). Honestly, the DHS is probably fairly easy for Biden to fuck with, if he felt incline because the stuff he'd want to mess with, is stuff where you don't care if the department can't do it's normal thing because of legal fights. The few legitimate things that department does either are already mired in a process to try and unfuck them after Trump left them fucked or are things that the GOP and democrats agree should be happening (I do believe the idiotically took something off the secret service that dealt with smuggling and then got fucked by the racists because they racists fuckers raided it's funds. So that's one area where worst case, it can fight smuggling because shithead republicans insist on keeping it broken, but at best, could get back on it's feet because most of the GOP decide that's are really dumb hill to die on.
battletag: Millin#1360
Nice chart to figure out how honest a news source is.
The author is a Native activist.
I can think of nothing more Unamerican than honoring a treaty. Hell, I think ignoring a treaty with France was one of Washington’s first acts.
twitch.tv/Taramoor
@TaramoorPlays
Taramoor on Youtube
Technically so was every American. It's the oldest of all American traditions!
Nope. Basically, the colonial population was divided into thirds on the matter - one third were rebels, one third were loyalists, and one third were more focused on things like "life" and "survival". The fact that a favorite party game of the first third was to tar and feather members of the second may have been part of why the first third's voice was more prominent.
Well the first third was more like 40%.
But other than that yeah
Duh.
The house cleaning continues now we have confirmed people in positions.
Biden to review executive authority to cancel student debt
Why his editor published this piece instead of treating it as manifest demonstration of incompetence I have no idea.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Just the one, it’s like he’s not even trying
That's how I feel every time I think about Biden being President now.
Except when the press is calling for it to be killed, that was horrific.
pleasepaypreacher.net
I can’t see Twitter but I’m pretty confident this is the garbage WaPo article I read about Biden’s White House not leaking like a sieve
Yes, and the response has...not been kind. Apparently the "reporter" involved took umbrage at people telling him to do his job.
Here's me playing the world's tiniest violin over the fact that this tabloid journalist is living in the sunset of four straight years of perpetual click-bait pouring forth from the White House. Boo hoo, you no longer get the daily traffic from the latest gish gallop from the Trump admin.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Psaki’s on like her ....6th Scaramucci!
It's also just that Biden's team, like with a surprising number of things, seems to be finally catching on. The press are not your friends and they are not where you go to vent on background. As a political leader you want your people to show some discipline and shut their fucking mouths. The US federal government has for some insane reason always been terrible at this. Especially Democrats. I assume it's related to dumb DC insider culture bullshit. Now it seems like all the leaks are just coming from people not on the inside trying to feel important.