What: The house approved a bill to cancel 15 billion dollars in spending
When: June 8, 2018
Where: Washington D.C.
Why: Republicans are looking to save money 

Summary:

The house has approved a bill to cancel 15 billion dollars in spending at the request of president Trump. Some Democrats argue that the bill is a negative one since it cuts some funding for CHIP. Others are mocking the House for spending 2 trillion on tax cuts on the rich and putting what they refer to as a “band-aid” on a gaping wound. Despite the 15 billion dollars cut, this bill will only cut deficit spending by 1 billion in the coming decade. 

Reflection: 

 In my opinion it is good thing that they are trying to save some money instead of spending it recklessly. However, cutting funding for CHIP does not sound so good since I have CHIP myself. Instead, the government should cut military spending since that takes up nearly half the budget. I also find interesting how this bill cuts the deficit by just one billion over the next ten years! This comes to show how much our government spends and we need do something about it. 

What: Paul Ryan announced that the house would hold talks on immigration. This comes after democrats’ failure to achieve the required signatures to bring the issue to a vote.
When: June 12, 2018
Where: Washington D.C.
Why: The immigration issue has become a major talking point in U.S. politics and after negotiations Paul Ryan agreed to hold the talks
How: The house will consider two bills

Summary 

Speaker of the house Paul Ryan has agreed to hold talks over immigration in the coming weeks. The announcement comes after democrats fell two signatures short of bringing DACA to a vote. A reason for the delay is that Paul Ryan feels the issues will divide the Republican party. However, Democrats argue that ignoring the issues will bring political turmoil. If congress does not solve the problem then DACA could be left at the hands of the supreme court. 


Reflection

This is a good step forward after all the turmoil pertaining the issue. Dreamers and many other immigrants simply want to work and get an education. I hope the talks lead somewhere since the senate held talks back in February but little was solved. A persisting obstacle is the border wall which conservatives insists on including on the bill. It surprises me since the idea of a wall sounds irrational and ironic since they are praising Trump for his peacekeeping efforts in North Korea but it seems to be the opposite with our closest neighbors. 

What: Republican Primaries have become a loyalty test for many voters
When: June 18, 2018
Where: Across the country
Why: Conservative voters supportive of President Trump have voted for the candidate that appears more supportive of him
How: Some candidates have spoken against Trump’s policies which can make them lose the election

 

Summary

Republican candidates have found out that going against Trump’s policies can prove costly in the primary elections. One example is Mark Sanford of South Carolina whose conservative voting record played a smaller role than his support of Trump. It is also to notice that Trump has good approval rating from his Republican Party. Some Republicans have criticized the ironic practices and values of Republicans such as Traditional family values, yet families are being separated at the border. Other Republicans fear that moderate voters will move over to the democrats. Whatever the case. many people feel that the Republican Party is now Trump’s party. 

 

 

Reflection

I find it interesting and in a way scary that a single person can have so much influence in these elections. Conservative voters love President Trump but allowing him to swing their public opinion in such a way is not reasonable. People should be able to form their personal opinions on the issues that matter to the, and what the candidates think. Not some loyalty test. This will make voters focus on support of Trump rather than real issues. 

 

Summary

President Trump has asked the Pentagon to create a 6^th military branch called Space Force. This new branch would fall under the command of the Air Force. This new branch was proposed back in June and was added to a bill that passed the house. However, the branch did not make the final cut. The creation of the branch would be the first in 71 years. 

 

Reflection

I think that right now is not the time to make a new branch. President Trump just met with Kim Jun Un to discuss denuclearization creating this new branch does not send a peaceful message to the world. Additionally, this would increase military spending which is already in record numbers. Instead, the government should fix potholes since it is their job not Domino’s. Furthermore, the country should fix the immigration problem first. 

Where: New York City
Why: The U.S. claims the UNHRC is a cesspool of bias
How: The U.S. announced the decision yesterday 

 
Summary: 

The United States has left the United Nations Human Rights Council claiming it is a cesspool of bias. The decision also comes after UN criticism on Trump’s zero tolerance policy despite other countries in the council having a worse human rights record. Israel and the U.S. feel there is a strong bias against Israel and Israel has praised the move as an act against mockery and hypocrisy. Other countries like the UK and Australia have questioned the decision saying it is regrettable. Australia is also worried about this anti-Israel bias but says that the better option was to work from within. This is the latest international body the U.S. has left after withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords and the Iran Nuclear Deal.

 

Reflection:

 I can understand the United States' position on the matter. But I think the better move would have been to work from within as suggested by Australia. Human rights abuses are no small matter and United States’ influence as a global leader helps the cause. The current zero policy at the southern border also makes the U.S. look somewhat hypocritical but that cannot be compared to the actions of other countries such as Venezuela. 

 

 
Summary

The supreme court has declared that law enforcement officials require a search warrant before accessing a cell phones location record. The decision comes after a man named Timothy v. Carpenter was tracked through his cell phone after police tied him to several robberies. However, the decision does not address the need of a warrant for other types of records. The decision represents a victory for privacy advocates.

 
Reflection

I agree with the Court’s ruling. In this digital age anything can be visible to anyone and law enforcement has even more power being able to track anyone through their cell phone device. Such practice violates the 4^th amendment which protects against unreasonable searches. After major data leaks such with Facebook’s, people have expressed more concern over their digital privacy and this decision is one step forward. 

How: The court rule 5-4

 

 Summary: The Supreme Court ruled that online stores must collect taxes must collect taxes even if out of state. Current law does not require vendors to collect taxes if the vendor’s physical presence is outside the state of the buyer. This ruling will level the playing field for small businesses who are at a disadvantage since the same products can be found online without a tax. This decision will also help states like South Dakota collect much needed tax revenue and fund education and healthcare. Many think this was a necessary change since online sales make up a huge portion of the economy. 

 

Reflection: This ruling affects me because I buy a handful of things online. While I don’t like taxes, I do agree the change is needed to level the playing field. However new taxes could mean less revenue for big corporations and they may have to lay off workers. Online sales have only increased over the last couple years and regulation is necessary before it gets out of control. 

 

Summary: Brandon Dassey, who was found guilty of assisting in the murder of Teresa Hallbach, will not have his case heard by the supreme court. Dassey’s lawyers argue that Dassey was manipulated by police to self-incriminate himself. They state that at the time of interrogation when Dassey was 16, his parents were not present and that allowed the police officers to manipulate Dassey. To make things worse, the court did not give a reason as to why they refused to hear his case.

 

Reflection: I think the court made the wrong choice here. Lower courts found that Dassey’s confession was in fact involuntary and he at least deserves another chance to present his case. It is also strange that the court did not give a reason which is the least they could have done. He was also 16 at the time and a lower court determine Dassey is of “lower intellectual ability” which could have played a role in his confession.

 
Summary:

Democrats have called out Republicans for planning to elect a new judge in an election year. Back in 2016, Republicans denied Obama’s appointment saying that it was an election year and the people should have a say. Should republicans approve someone, it will be ironic from past claims. Democrats fear that a new conservative judge will make abortion illegal and tip court cases on the side of the conservatives. The announcement of Judge Kennedy’s retirement comes at a crucial time of political turmoil with the midterm election only 4 months away.

 

 

Reflection: 

Republicans must be consistent here. It is the right thing to do and if they proceed with the nomination they will suffer huge backlash which I think is justifiable. A new judge could drastically change the political landscape and the people should have a say in such an event. I have also seen many people classify Kennedy’s announcement as “immoral” for giving this power to Trump but I think people should respect his decision. 

What: Trump has downplayed Roe v. Wade in an interview with Fox News
When: July 1^st, 2018
Where: Washington D.C.
Why: Abortion rights have become a huge concern for people in the United States and Trump’s stance has made him unpopular among many voters
How: He said abortion rights may be determined by individual states

 

 

Summary:

In an interview with Fox News president Trump downplayed Roe v. Wade by saying abortion rights will left to the individual states. With supreme court justice Kennedy’s retirement many pro-choice advocates fear a new conservative judge will make abortion illegal. During his campaign Trump stated that he expected Roe v. Wade to be overturned automatically if he could appoint 2 justices. Trump will appoint a new judge in the coming week in what could be a huge setback for women’s rights. 

 

 

Reflection:

Roe v. Wade affects millions of women and is not something to be taken lightly. Democrats are currently pushing for nomination to occur until after the midterms. However, I think leaving the choice to individual states may not be a bad idea. If a woman’s state does not allow abortion then she could simply travel to another state that allows it. Right now, republicans control the senate which is troubling for many democrats. They hope to hold back the nomination until after midterms and prevent another conservative judge from taking a seat.