Trump Says "Let ObamaCare Fail" As Senate GOP Lack Votes For Repeal

Following the news that "repeal" would not garner the votes required to pass, President Trump said he was disappointed in the Senate"s failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and argued that Republicans should now let the law fail on its own.

Trump on the health care vote: In 2018, "we have to get more Republicans elected because we have to get it done" https://t.co/KRJZifYsXU

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 18, 2017

As The Hill reports, in his first on-camera remarks about the stalemate in the Senate, Trump said that Republicans should now “let ObamaCare fail” following the collapse of their effort to repeal and replace the law.

He added that it “will be a lot easier” to allow ObamaCare to falter on its own. 

“I think we"re probably in that position where we"ll let ObamaCare fail,” he said.

“We"re not going to own it. I"m not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it. We"ll let ObamaCare fail and then the Democrats are going to come to us."

*  *  *

Well that did not take long. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s new proposal to simply repeal Obamacare is already dead after GOP Senators Susan Collins, Shelley Moore Capito and Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday they’ll oppose a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Murkowski, who previously balked at the last version of the ObamaCare bill, said she is a "no" on the motion to proceed to a repeal-only plan. She is the third Republican senator to take that position.

"No. I said back in January that if we"re going to do a repeal there has to be a replacement. There"s enough chaos and uncertainty already," she told reporters Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Republican Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Susan Collins said on Tuesday that they will not support moving forward with the plan to repeal ObamaCare with a delayed replacement.

"My position on this issue is driven by its impact on West Virginians. With that in mind, I cannot vote to repeal ObamaCare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians," Capito said in a statement.

Collins said that she is still a "no" on proceeding to the House-passed bill, which would be used as a vehicle for any Senate action.

“We can’t just hope that we will pass a replacement within the next two years. Repealing without a replacement would create great uncertainty for individuals who rely on the [Affordable Care Act] and cause further turmoil in the insurance markets," she said.

And to kill the bill, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also said she wouldn’t vote to take up a repeal-alone measure.

"There’s enough chaos and uncertainty already and this would just contribute to it," Murkowski told reporters.

The announcements effectively put the healthcare push in limbo. With a 52-seat majority, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) can only afford to lose two senators and still let Vice President Pence break a tie.

Reuters reports that President Trump says:

"We are at a point where we likely need to let ObamaCare fail... Democrats will then come to us."

Confirming his earlier tweet:

As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged Republicans to start over and work with Democrats.

"The door to bipartisanship is open right now, not with repeal, but with an effort to improve the existing system," he said on the Senate floor.

As usual, the markets does not care because Netflix is up.

Trump's ANWR Move Could Spawn Epic Oil, Natural Gas Battle

Authored by Bob Williams via Platts "The Barrel" blog,

Oil majors thirsty for reserves likely to line up for any lease sale

President Trump has uncorked yet another controversy over energy vs the environment and it promises to be a heavyweight battle.

The White House budget proposal includes a revenue line of almost $2 billion from selling oil and gas leases in the richly oil-prospective northeastern coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

Until the climate change debate came along, leasing and drilling in the ANWR (pronounced an-war) Coastal Plain was arguably the most ferociously contested item on the oil and gas industry’s wish list at the national level.

First, a little background:

In 1960, less than one year after Alaska became a state, Congress created the Arctic National Wildlife Range.

Twenty years later, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) expanded the Arctic Range to 18 million acres, renamed it the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, designated 8 million acres as National Wilderness, designated three rivers as National Wild Rivers, and called for wildlife studies and an oil and gas assessment of 1.5 million acres of the ANWR Coastal Plain (the 1002 area).

There is not enough space here to track the tortuous history of legal and regulatory battles and failed legislation that has marked efforts to either develop oil and gas in the ANWR Coastal Plain or to lock it up against development permanently.

Suffice to say that ANILCA granted surface and subsurface rights to the Inupiat Native Americans living near the North Slope village of Kaktovik on the ANWR Coastal Plain, seismic studies were conducted on Inupiat land, and what has been called the “the tightest hole of all time” (KIC-1) was drilled and plugged on that acreage by a group led by Chevron.

Only a handful of people have ever known the well results—and no one has spilled the beans yet.

Battles over ANWR waxed and waned over the ensuing years, and while the refuge’s 1002 area has not yet seen another drillbit, neither has that option been entirely foreclosed.

Trump’s budget cites $2 billion in potential revenues from leasing the Coastal Plain, but given the dearth of onshore elephant-scale prospects worldwide and their dwindling oil and gas reserves bases, it’s likely that major oil companies would be scrambling to throw even more money than that at ANWR leases.

Since the majors thrive on megaprojects like Kashagan, Prudhoe Bay and deepwater Gulf of Mexico, ANWR could be a perfect fit for them.

It would also be an expensive venture and that likely will keep the smaller players from making much of an impact in ANWR.

Massive oil, natural gas potential

There is little doubt of the potential for oil on the ANWR Coastal Plain. The region lies between and is geologically analogous with two of the world’s most prolific oil and gas provinces, Alaska’s North Slope and Canada’s Mackenzie Delta.

The US Geological Survey, in a 1998 estimate, reckoned that the Coastal Plain contains 4.3 billion to 11.8 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and as much as 11 Tcf of natural gas, with a mean estimate of 7.7 billion barrels and 3.5 Tcf.

Industry contends these are very conservative estimates. As much as 32 billion barrels of oil is in place.

One recent study suggested that a commercial find on the ANWR Coastal Plain could yield more daily oil production than the volume of oil the US imports from Saudi Arabia today.

Aside from making major oil companies happy—not exactly a top priority for most Americans—billions of dollars in infrastructure are at stake in developing oil and gas on the ANWR Coastal Plain.

The hundreds of billions of dollars that the oil and gas industry has invested in North Slope production, processing, and pipeline facilities could be for naught in the future if North Slope oil production drops below a certain level.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) transports a bit more than 400,000 b/d of North Slope oil.

A 2011 study by pipeline operator Alyeska concluded that a host of problems affecting TAPS operations could develop with throughput between 300,000 b/d and 600,000 b/d.

Alyeska has already addressed some of those problems, but as the throughput continues to drop, those problems become even more challenging—even posing hazards to operation.

A nonviable TAPS could strand massive US oil and gas resources in Alaska.

Of course, Trump can’t authorize ANWR development. Only Congress can do that.

Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski has already said she will take up the issue, but there is nothing concrete in the works from Congress.

However, Interior Secretary Zinke has issued a Secretarial Order calling for an update of federal resource assessments of the ANWR 1002 area and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

It also is intended to review the currently blocked access to half the surface acreage in the NPR-A, a ban instituted under the Obama administration.

Whatever one’s stance happens to be, if you thought the battle over Keystone was big, this battle will truly be epic.

An EMP Attack Is Scary, But It Could Be Nothing More Than Alarmist Propaganda

In a recent hearing of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski put the recent EMP attack hysteria into perspective when she said, “The United States has recognized a potential EMP attack as a national security threat for decades, and our efforts to understand a potential EMP burst are not new.”

An EMP attack would devastate the United States for years but the study of that threat is still being conducted. In fact, the Department of Defense and national labs have been studying these issues since nuclear weapons came into existence. Extensive tests in the 1950s and 1960s examined the potential impact of an EMP burst on both military and civilian infrastructure.  But, in March of 2017, former Central Intelligence Agency director James Woolsey and Peter Pry wrote an op-ed in The Hill claiming an EMP attack “Could Kill 90 Percent Of Americans.” And that set off a chain reaction of EMP hysteria.

But before being overly concerned, there are a few things we should all know. When following a link provided in the article written in The Hill, it cites the words of former Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, who has gone off the grid after spending 20 years on Capital Hill.  He describes a novel he had read called One Second After. Bartlett stated that in the book, “The weapon was launched about 300 miles high over Nebraska, and it shut down our infrastructure countrywide. At the end of the year, 90 percent of our population is dead; there are 25,000 people only still alive in New York City.”  But what’s important to remember here, is that he’s speaking about a book.  An author’s work of fiction, and much like Agenda 21, while scary, it’s still just a book.

Woolsey has called the grid “totally vulnerable” to an EMP attack and called for $2 billion in funding to “fortify” the grid.  And that’s important because like any issue (for example climate change), we should always follow the money. Woolsey and Pry frequently produce EMP alarmist articles, that cite this statistic of an EMP attack killing most Americans – the statistic which came from a novel.  All the while, Woolsey has worked with three different venture capital firms who have investments in companies that profit off of EMP hysteria.

Woolsey is currently a Strategic Advisor with Paladin Capital, a D.C.-based private equity group who invests in cybersecurity, telecommunications, and alternative energy companies.

He is also a venture partner with Lux Capital, a firm who focuses on “long-term bets on contrarians” in emerging technologies. Lux Capital is invested in energy-based companies including Gridco Systems, a company who creates systems to help utilities avoid possible power disturbances and Crystal IS, which works on water purification. Before joining Lux Capital, Woolsey was a venture partner with VantagePoint Venture Capital, a group who invested in companies looking at “grid optimization” while he was a partner. Clearly, these interests should be kept in mind when we consider advice on EMPs, even if it is from the former head of the CIA. –Washington Examiner

So, the EMP threat is real, but in today’s world of competing challenges, not a top threat or priority in an age of limited resources, according to the Washington Examiner. Of course, most liberal media outlets feel this way about an EMP alarmist but cannot follow the money trail when it comes to climate change alarmists. Either way, our job is to present the public with information.  Much like climate change, it’s up to you to decide if you prep for an EMP attack or if it’s simply a way for alarmists to generate revenue.

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Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 396 people
Date: June 4th, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

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The Latest Trump Casualty: Labor Pick Puzder Withdraws

To summarize:

• In the latest blow to President Donald Trump as he tries to assemble his administration, labor secretary nominee, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his name from consideration on Wednesday amid concerns that he could not garner enough Senate votes to be confirmed. The reason for the pulled nomination is that Puzdre admitted earlier this month that he and his wife had employed an undocumented person as a housekeeper.


• He faced a flurry of complaints and legal cases brought in recent weeks and months by workers against his business and its franchises. Workers at some of CKE"s restaurants have filed claims in recent weeks alleging they were victims of wage theft or victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.


• At least seven Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, declined to publicly back Puzder in advance of the confirmation hearing, thereby making his election virtually impossible.


• “After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor," Puzder said in a statement.


• Puzder"s decision to withdraw is yet another setback this week for a White House still grappling with fallout from Monday night"s abrupt resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn, after less than a month in the job.


• Puzder, the chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Inc, which franchises fast-food chains including Hardee"s and Carl"s Jr, has been at the center of a swirl of controversies, complaints and potential conflicts. CKE declined on Wednesday to say if Puzder will remain as CEO after his decision to withdraw.

Update 2: It"s confirmed:

• PUZDER TO WITHDRAW NOMINATION FOR LABOR SECY: FOX NEWS

* * *

Update: that didn"t take long. As CBS" Chief White House reporter Major Garrett reported moments, ago a "source very close to Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder tells me he expects Puzder to withdraw. "He"s very tired of the abuse." And now begins the scramble by Trump to find a replacement.

News: Source very close to Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder tells me he expects Puzder to withdraw. "He"s very tired of the abuse."

— Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) February 15, 2017

* * *

Following Betsy DeVos" narrow confirmation, it seems Andrew Puzder may not be so lucky.

The President"s pick for labor secretary faces a Republican revolt as CNN reports a number of top Senate Republicans have urged Trump to withdraw the Carl"s Jr. CEO"s nomination.

EXCLUSIVE: Top Senate Rs have urged the WH to withdraw Puzder nomination. There are 4 firm no votes and up to 12, source says. Next on CNN

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 15, 2017

As CNN reports,

Top Senate Republicans have urged the White House to withdraw the Andrew Puzder nomination for labor secretary, a senior GOP source said, adding there are four firm Republican no votes and possibly up to 12.

Puzder needs at least 50 votes to pass with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Mike Pence, and Republicans only hold control of 52 seats.

Puzder, the CEO of the company that owns the Hardee"s and Carl"s Jr. fast food chains, has faced fierce opposition mostly from Democrats in part related to his position on labor issues as well as the fact that he employed an undocumented housekeeper.

This would inject yet more turmoil into a tempestuous first few weeks for Trump"s tenure as Republicans can lose 2 Republican votes and still secure a nominee, as they did with DeVos, but 4 is a dagger, as Democrats have solidified in opposition.

By way of backgrund The LA Times notes that concerns had been mounting as new controversies have arisen in recent days, including Puzder"s admission that he had employed a housekeeper for years who was in the U.S. illegally.

Puzder paid back taxes related to that employee after Trump picked him for Labor secretary in early December.

Some Republicans also have viewed a 1990 episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in which Puzder"s ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, made allegation of spousal abuse, according to Politico.

Fierstein wrote to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last month saying she later withdrew the allegations and vouching for Puzder as a "a good, loving, kind man."

But Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she had viewed the Oprah episode and told reporters Tuesday she had not made up her mind on Puzder"s nomination.

"There have been issues that have been raised about him, and I’m sure that all of them will be thoroughly addressed in the hearing," Collins said.

Asked about Puzder on Wednesday, Collins said, "I"ve expressed my concerns."

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) also said this week that they were awaiting the confirmation hearing before making a decision. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio also expressed concerns.

"I think it’s important that before we come to any conclusions or make any judgments that we have an opportunity to hear from him at his confirmation hearing respond to some of the questions that have been raised," Thune said Tuesday.

The issues involving his housekeeper and ex-wife came on top of controversial comments Puzder has made in recent years opposing an increase in the minimum wage to $15 and musing about deploying increased automation to his restaurants.

Democrats also have highlighted labor law violations at CKE Restaurants, and fast-food workers have staged protests against Puzder’s nomination in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Finally we noted that Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for Puzder to withdraw, calling him "probably the most anti-worker" choice ever for the Cabinet position... which means whoever Trump chooses next for the role is - by defintion - not "the most anti-worker" choice.