FDA refuses to say when America's largest formula plant will reopen

[homersapien 11,388]

On 5/21/2022 at 1:49 AM, Cardin Drake said:

We quit being capitalists a long time ago.  In a capitalistic country, governments and corporations aren't allowed to borrow money at 3% when the inflation rate is 8% (really more like 10% if it was being measured honestly).  I'm not sure exactly when the left went from hating the government to being their biggest cheerleader, but anybody can see the FDA mishandled this and bears a large portion of the blame.

"Citizen's United"  took the lid off.

I agree that both parties now operate by the same corrupt rules but it wasn't "the left" who set the stage for those rules, just the opposite.  It was conservative judges on the SCOTUS.

If anything, the "left" - or at least many on the left - are trying to mitigate or reverse them:

 

https://www.majorityleader.gov/content/ten-years-after-citizens-united-house-democrats-call-senate-take-house-passed-government

Ten Years After Citizens United, House Democrats Call on Senate to Take Up House-Passed Government Reform Measures

January 14, 2020

This month marks ten years since the Supreme Court’s major ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case. The ruling removed reasonable campaign contribution limits and has allowed a small group of individuals and corporations to spend enormous sums of money on campaigns without disclosing their identities. As a result, this “dark” money has been able to drown out the will of the people on key issues.

The American people elected House Democrats on the pledge that we would clean up corruption in Washington and ensure that government worked for the people. One of the first bills to come to the Floor under the Democratic Majority was H.R. 1, the For the People Act.  This legislation reforms our campaign finance system to undo the disastrous consequences of Citizens United and includes other critical government reforms. Here’s a look at how this comprehensive government reform measure and other legislation passed by the House will return us to a government that is of, by, and for the people:   

THE IMPACT OF THE CITIZENS UNITED DECISION
 

In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court asserted that corporations are people and removed reasonable campaign contribution limits, allowing a small group of wealthy donors and special interests to use dark money to influence elections. This has led to policies that benefit special interests, not policies that enjoy support from the majority of Americans. According to an analysis by End Citizens United: 

• Outside groups have spent over $4.4 billion in federal elections since the Citizens United decision.
• Of the $4.4 billion, nearly $1 billion has been spent in federal elections as untraceable, “dark money” expenditures since the decision.
• Eighty-six percent of all outside spending in federal elections in the past 30 years has come in the ten years since the decision.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS PASS REFORMS TO OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM

In March 2019, the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act. The bill addressed the Citizens United decision by reforming our campaign finance system, ensuring complete transparency, and putting in place reasonable limits. Specifically, the legislation:

• Expresses Congress’ intent to curb the use of shell companies and other illicit activities that allow foreign money to enter and undermine our democracy.
• Bans foreign money.
• Ensures disclosure of online political ads.
• Requires all political organizations to disclose their large donors.
• Prohibits big-money contributors and special interests from hiding the true funding sources of their political spending.
• Empowers citizens by establishing a matching system for small donations. 
• Restructures the Federal Election Commission to have five commissioners in order to break gridlock, devotes resources to ensure campaign finance laws are enforced, and improves oversight of existing campaign finance laws.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS PASS ADDITIONAL REFORMS
TO MAKE GOVERNMENT WORK FOR THE PEOPLE

In addition to campaign finance reforms, the For the People Act puts in place other reforms to ensure government works for the people:

• Redistricting Reform: Puts in place national redistricting reform by requiring states to adopt independent redistricting commissions for purposes of drawing Congressional districts.
• Ethics Reform: Demands accountability and guarantees public officials put constituents first by:
  • Prohibiting Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards.
  • Requires the online linking of Federal Election Commission reports and Lobbying Disclosure Act reports.
  • Prohibiting Members of Congress from using taxpayer funds to settle any case of employment discrimination acts by the Members.
  • Requiring presidents t disclose ten years of federal tax returns.
  • Strengthening the Office f Government Ethics.
  • Closing loopholes for lobbyists and foreign agents.
  • Addressing conflicts of interest in the Executive Branch.
  • Instituting a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. 
• Voting Reforms: Ensures clean and fair elections and makes it easier for Americans to exercise their right to vote by:
  • Creating automatic voter registration.
  • Expanding early voting and targets policies that lead to disenfranchisement and limit voting hours.
  • Restring voting rights to citizens who have served felony sentences.
  • Providing financial support to improve election infrastructure and improves oversight by requiring a national strategy for protecting U.S. democratic institutions.
  • Prohibiting voter roll purges, a tactic used in Georgia, Texas, North Dakota, Missouri, Ohio and other states to kick eligible voters off the voting rolls.

The House has also passed legislation to restore voting rights and secure our elections, so that every American can exercise their most fundamental right and voice their will on key issues: 

• Voting Rights: In December 2019, the House passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Amendment Act, to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act and combat voter suppression.
• Election Security: The House has also passed two major bills to secure our elections and prevent foreign interference:
  • Securing America’s Federal Elections Act: In June 2019, House Democrats passed an election security bill that authorizes a $600 million Election Assistance Commission (EAC) grant program to assist states in securing election infrastructure.
  • The SHIELD Act: In October 2019, House Democrats passed a bipartisan election security bill to prevent foreign interference in our elections and defend the integrity of our voting systems.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS CONTINUE TO CALL ON THE SENATE TO TAKE ACTION

Government reform continues to be a top priority of the American people. According to a poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 66% of the public thinks that major changes are needed to the U.S. government.  House Democrats have passed comprehensive reforms to return government to the people and are continuing to call on Senator McConnell to allow consideration of this legislation in the Senate.
Click here to read the PDF.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_People_Act

The act was originally introduced by John Sarbanes in 2019, on behalf of the newly elected Democratic majority in the United States House of Representatives as the first official legislation of the 116th United States Congress.^[6][8] The House passed the bill on March 8, by a party-line vote of 234–193.^[9][10] The bill was viewed as a "signature piece of legislation" from the Democratic House majority.^[11] After the House passed the bill, it was blocked from receiving a vote by the then Republican-controlled Senate, under Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.^[12][13]

In 2021, in the 117th Congress, congressional Democrats reintroduced the act as H.R. 1 and S. 1.^[14] On March 3, 2021, the bill passed the House of Representatives on a near party-line vote of 220–210, advancing to the Senate, which is split 50–50 between Democrats and Republicans (Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote^[15]), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to bring it to the floor for a vote. On June 22, 2021, a vote on the bill was held in the Senate. It received unified support from the Democratic caucus, but Senate Republicans blocked the bill with a filibuster, as it lacked the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture after a party-line vote. Some Senate Democrats expressed support for abolishing the filibuster for the bill, but others in their caucus remained opposed or expressed reservations about doing so, including Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.^{[15][16][17][18]}

Edited May 22, 2022 by homersapien

[Cardin Drake 1,834]

George Soros says hi...

Any large bill is bound to contain provisions designed to give partisan advantage to the party sponsoring it. You know the reform I could get behind. How about requiring members of Congress to publish an intent to purchase 5 days BEFORE they purchase stock? 

[icanthearyou 4,463]

And,,, right back to the hole of partisan nonsense.

[homersapien 11,388]

23 hours ago, Cardin Drake said:

George Soros says hi...

Any large bill is bound to contain provisions designed to give partisan advantage to the party sponsoring it. You know the reform I could get behind. How about requiring members of Congress to publish an intent to purchase 5 days BEFORE they purchase stock? 

BS 

Republicans aren't interested in changing anything about the problem of money corrupting our political system.  Not even incremental change - such as full disclosure.  Their record of filibustering this bill proves it.

They weren't interested in trying to negotiate a compromise.  They just wanted to stonewall it.