Congressman Auchincloss: Community Office Hours in Franklin this Friday - May 21

Neighbor,  This Friday I'll be hosting community office hours in Franklin and State Representative Jeff Roy will be in attendance as a special guest. This is an opportunity for you to come meet me, talk about issues important to you, and get updates on what I'm doing to serve our community. Details about our visit are below, I hope you'll be able to join me.   Community Office Hours with Congressman Jake Auchincloss and Special Guest State Representative Jeff Roy Friday, May 21, 1-3 pm Intermission Café 36 Main Street (Rear), Franklin, MA 02038 Sincerely, Jake Auchincloss Member of Congress OFFICE LOCATIONS WASHINGTON DC OFFICE • 1524 Longworth House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515 • Phone: (202) 225-0182 NEWTON DISTRICT OFFICE • 29 Crafts Street Suite 375 • Newton, MA 02458 • Phone : (617) 332-3333 ATTLEBORO DISTRICT OFFICE • 8 N. Main St. Suite 200 • Attleboro, MA 02703 • Phone : (508) 431-1110 Congressman Auchincloss: Community Office Hours in Franklin this Friday - May 21

"A remarkable GOP admission: Undermining the electoral college threatens our best path to the White House"

"The last two Republicans to win a majority of the popular vote in a presidential contest were father and son: George H.W. Bush in 1988 and George W. Bush in 2004. At no other point since the elder Bush’s first term came to a sudden end with the 1992 contest has a Republican won the popular vote at all, much less with a majority of votes cast. While Republicans have controlled the White House for 12 of the past 20 years, only four of those years have resulted from a Republican having gotten more votes than his Democratic opponent.

This is not a new observation. Particularly after President Trump won the White House in 2016 despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million, there’s been an enormous amount of attention paid to the role the electoral college plays in determining the winner of the presidential contest. What in 2000 was something of a fluke — George W. Bush narrowly won the electoral vote while narrowly losing the popular — 16 years later became an eyesore. Trump is president thanks to about 78,000 votes in three states, despite far more Americans having preferred Hillary Clinton."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/04/remarkable-gop-admission-undermining-electoral-college-threatens-our-best-path-white-house/?s=03#click=https://t.co/oE1qvkauQd

The Washington Post: "Congress overrides a Trump veto for the first time"

Congress overrides a Trump veto for the first time with Senate vote on defense bill https://t.co/SMceouKirR

Boston Globe article:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/01/business/senate-moves-closer-vote-overriding-trump-defense-veto/

New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/01/us/politics/senate-override-trump-defense-bill.html

A subscription for each newspaper may be required to continue reading the articles online

The election endgame is underway

Having completed watching "The Queen's Gambit" over the holiday weekend, the chess term is quite appropriate here. Some refer to politics as a game, I tend not to, especially since it affects our lives and livelihoods. Nonetheless, the term applies well. 

 

"A Republican congressman from Texas sued Vice President Mike Pence in the latest long-shot effort to reverse President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.

In the lawsuit, Representative Louie Gohmert seeks a court order forcing the vice president to acknowledge what Gohmert claims is Pence’s power to disregard states’ chosen Democratic electors and instead select competing slates of GOP electors on Jan. 6.

That’s the day the Senate and House meet jointly to open and count certificates of electoral votes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The vice president has the constitutional role of presiding over the Senate, which has traditionally included overseeing the formal acceptance of the Electoral College vote."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/28/business/pence-is-sued-by-republican-congressman-long-short-effort-reverse-bidens-victory-over-trump/

The Boston Globe headline "Pence is sued by Republican congressman in long-shot effort to reverse Biden’s victory over Trump". 

The podcast "What Trump Can Teach Us about Con(stitutional) Law" provides insights into this recent development in the Presidential Election of 2020  https://trumpconlaw.com/47-lame-duck

 

 

What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law

 

Inside the deal: "There was still one important person to persuade: the president"

From the New York Times:

"A week before Thanksgiving, a small group of moderate senators gathered in the spacious living room of Senator Lisa Murkowski’s home on Capitol Hill to embark on what they considered an urgent assignment.

They were there — eating Tuscan takeout as they sat socially distanced, with the windows open to let the cold air circulate as a coronavirus precaution — to talk about how to get the Senate, polarized and paralyzed on nearly every issue, working again.

They were also determined to find a way to deliver a more immediate kind of relief, brainstorming how to break a monthslong partisan stalemate over providing a new round of federal aid to millions of Americans and businesses buckling under the economic weight of the coronavirus pandemic."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/us/politics/stimulus-deal-congress.html

And given the late news that the President is signaling that he would not to sign the bill as drafted after saying he would, we wait. That doesn't take away from the story. The story on how to broker a deal via compromise and collaboration still is a good message on what works for rational folks.

 

Washington Post: "Congress bans anonymous shell companies"

From the Washington Post, an article of national interest to Franklin:

"A groundbreaking measure to ban anonymous shell companies in the United States cleared Congress on Friday as the Senate joined the House in passing a defense-spending bill with a veto-proof margin.

The Corporate Transparency Act, which was tacked onto the defense bill, would require corporations and limited liability companies established in the United States to disclose their real owners to the Treasury Department, making it harder for criminals to anonymously launder money or evade taxes. The rule applies to future and existing entities alike.

The measure passed the Senate with an 84-to-13 vote as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which cleared the House earlier this week. Trump pledged to veto the defense bill — one of few laws that passes every year — because it doesn’t include his demand to repeal liability protections for social media companies. Trump also opposes a clause that orders military bases named for Confederate leaders to be renamed."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/12/11/anonymous-shell-company-us-ban/

Letter to the Editor: Bill O'Donnell

 August 12, 2020 

Letter to the Editor:

Dear Residents,

I have never written a letter to the editor on behalf of a candidate running for office. However, we live in unique times with a number of serious issues that need to be collaboratively worked on and addressed.

I urge you to vote for Congressman Joe Kennedy in the Democratic Primary for United States Senator. Joe Kennedy can meet the pressing issues of our society. He will make himself available to the communities that make up Massachusetts and the residents that live in our Commonwealth.

It is my hope that Joe Kennedy can make government work at the federal level for all of us. As an elected official whose job takes him to all 28 communities in Norfolk County I have been very impressed with Joe Kennedy since he undertook to represent a good portion of Norfolk County as an elected Congressman. Joe Kennedy's decency, compassion, thoughtfulness and record of accomplishment is a solid foundation with which to build upon in years to come.

Please consider voting for Joe Kennedy for United States Senator.

Bill O'Donnell

Norfolk County Register of Deeds

In the News: "Last-ditch virus aid talks collapse; no help for jobless now"

 From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A last-ditch effort by Democrats to revive Capitol Hill talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money collapsed in disappointment Friday, making it increasingly likely that Washington gridlock will mean more hardship for millions of people who are losing enhanced jobless benefits and further damage for an economy pummeled by the still-raging coronavirus.

“It was a disappointing meeting,” declared top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, saying the White House had rejected an offer by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to curb Democratic demands by about $1 trillion. He urged the White House to “negotiate with Democrats and meet us in the middle. Don’t say it’s your way or no way.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, “Unfortunately we did not make any progress today.” Republicans said Pelosi was relying on budget maneuvers to curb costs and contended she has overplayed her hand.

Often an impasse in Washington is of little consequence for the public — not so this time. It means longer and perhaps permanent expiration of a $600 per-week bonus pandemic jobless benefit that’s kept millions of people from falling into poverty. It denies more than $100 billion to help schools reopen this fall. It blocks additional funding for virus testing as cases are surging this summer. And it denies billions of dollars to state and local governments considering furloughs as their revenue craters."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200807/last-ditch-virus-aid-talks-collapse-no-help-for-jobless-now?rssfeed=true 

In the News: "Candidates for Kennedy’s seat advocate views on voting, racial justice, COVID-19"

 From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

If one of the nine Democrats running for the state’s 4th Congressional District seat wins, voting rights, the environment, racial justice and tackling COVID-19 will be top priorities during his or her first term.

All 11 candidates vying for office, including two Republicans, discussed their experience and goals during the Aug. 5 League of Women Voters’ virtual forum. Questions came from league members and the public ahead of time.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200806/candidates-for-kennedys-seat-advocate-views-on-voting-racial-justice-covid-19?rssfeed=true

“The incentive structure is misaligned for compromise. That’s the reality of it"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"For a moment, Congress had a chance to act on a policing overhaul, mobilized by a national trauma and overwhelming public support. Those efforts have stalled now and seem unlikely to be revived in an election year.

It’s the latest example of how partisanship and polarization on Capitol Hill have hamstrung Congress’ ability to meet the moment and respond meaningfully to public opinion.

Major changes in policing policy appear likely to join gun control and immigration as social issues where even with Americans’ overwhelming support, their elected representatives are unable or unwilling to go along, especially when President Donald Trump is indifferent or opposed.

“In this moment, as it was with gun violence and immigration reform, we don’t know where the president really is,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who weeks ago was expressing skepticism weeks ago about a breakthrough. “If this were the first time we were in this situation, I’d be more hopeful,” he said then."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200628/once-again-congress-unable-to-act-during-national-trauma

Massachusetts Norfolk County (Franklin & Medway) Representative Jeffrey Roy Endorses Alan Khazei For MA-04

Massachusetts State Representative and Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, Jeffrey Roy, announced his endorsement of Alan Khazei’s bid for Congress in the fourth congressional district on Wednesday, May 13. Calling Khazei a "movement leader, coalition builder, and policy innovator," Representative Roy highlighted his belief that Khazei is the candidate who is most prepared to effectively represent the 4th district in Washington.

The longtime public servant emphasized Khazei’s experience co-founding City Year, working with Senator Kennedy, President Clinton and President Obama to pass three major pieces of legislation creating and expanding AmeriCorps, his idea for “Restore the Dream Accounts” to relieve student debt and jumpstart all young people on the path to the American Dream, and his leadership in responding to the Covid-19 crisis by calling for policies like Emergency Wage Support to support Small Businesses, Vote by Mail, and one million Service Year Jobs.

“Alan Khazei has devoted decades to creating a culture of public service, through which he’s impacted the lives of more than 30,000 young leaders who have served through City Year and 1.1 million in AmeriCorps. We’ve seen first hand in Massachusetts how people in City Year and AmeriCorps programs put their idealism to work to educate our children, build housing, care for our elderly, and preserve our environment. They are given opportunities to learn important skills and access higher education, to achieve their full potential,” said Chairman Roy. 

“Recently, Alan’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic by supporting Vote by Mail legislation, which I’ve called for and we desperately need, and by proposing innovative policy solutions like Emergency Wage Support for small businesses and one million Service Year Jobs. I have no doubt that Alan will continue to be a leader in Washington where he will fight for progressive causes, including eliminating student debt, expanding health care, addressing climate change, reforming our democracy, sensible gun safety reform, and of course national service. He is the best candidate to effectively represent the 4th district.”

Massachusetts State Representative and Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Higher Education Jeff Roy has represented the 10th Norfolk district since he was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2012. Before his election to the legislature, he was elected to the Franklin School Committee and later the town council, and as chairperson of the Franklin Democratic Town Committee. 

In addition to his career as a public servant, Chairman Roy is the founding partner at his law firm, Roy Law, in Franklin, Massachusetts. He primarily focuses on the representation of injured persons. He has represented clients at every level of the Massachusetts Judicial System, including in cases heard by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Jeff Roy is a recipient of the St. Thomas More Society of Worcester Law School Scholarship and winner of the American Jurisprudence Award for Constitutional Law.

Alan Khazei For MA-04

Reacting to Roy’s endorsement of his campaign, Khazei said, “I’m greatly honored to earn the endorsement of Chairman Roy. He commands a deep understanding of the needs of people in his district and our state and knows what it means to represent them effectively. Coming from Franklin, the home of our nation’s first Public Library and Horace Mann, Chairman Roy has been a tremendous champion for K-12 education and access to higher education so that every young person in Massachusetts has the chance to reach their fullest potential. 

Chairman Roy’s focus on putting his values into action, outstanding commitment to serving his constituents, solving problems, and building bridges is exactly the kind of leadership I want to emulate in Congress. If elected, I will work closely with Massachusetts leaders like Chairman Roy to advocate for those policies that the fourth district desperately needs, including better access to healthcare, recovering from the economic effects of Covid-19, tackling climate change, education, and addressing gun safety.” 

Alan Khazei campaign page  https://alankhazei.com/

“The president doesn’t just walk in"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Teaching the government shutdown

"When U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested delaying the State of the Union amid a government shutdown in January, Massachusetts educators jumped at a teaching opportunity. 

“The shutdown highlights separation of powers that people don’t think about until an unusual moment like this occurs,” said Peter Ubertaccio, dean of the school of arts and sciences at Stonehill College in Easton. “Simple questions like, ‘How does this happen?’ suddenly become really relevant.” 

The longest shutdown in U.S. history, which ended on Jan. 25, left thousands of furloughed workers without pay checks for weeks, and put numerous federal programs at risk of losing resources. But it also created new opportunities for Americans to learn more about how government works and what it means when it doesn’t work."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190125/teaching-government-shutdown

"The practice arises from a duty of the President under the State of the Union Clause of the U.S. Constitution:^[5]

He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

— Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution

Though the language of the clause is not specific, since the 1930s, the President has made this report annually in late January or early February. Between 1934 and 2013 the date has been as early as January 3,^[6] and as late as February 12.^[7]

While not required to deliver a speech, every president since Woodrow Wilson, with the notable exception of Herbert Hoover,^[8] has made at least one State of the Union report as a speech delivered before a joint session of Congress. Before that time, most presidents delivered the State of the Union as a written report.^[6]"

For more on the State of the Union
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union

A full copy of the US Constitution can be found online
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

Page one of the original copy of the Constitution (via wikipedia)

Library of Congress: NEW BOOK- “Game Faces: Early Baseball Cards from the Library of Congress”

NEW BOOK: "Game Faces: Early Baseball Cards from the Library of Congress" “Game Faces: Early Baseball Cards from the Library of Congress” AVAILABLE NOW! A new book, "Game Faces: Early Baseball Cards from the Library of Congress," offers baseball fans and historians a visual delight that showcases early baseball cards from the 19th and early 20th centuries alongside photos from the early days of the nation's beloved pastime. Author Peter Devereaux takes readers behind the scenes of the Library of Congress' Benjamin K. Edwards Collection to see the vibrant world of the early boom of America's pastime. Click here for more information https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-130/?loclr=ealn .

Library of Congress Launches New Set of Educational Apps

The Library of Congress, in collaboration with educational organizations, today announced the launch of two new web- and mobile-based applications related to Congress and civics for use in K-12 classrooms. The two new civics interactives are: DBQuest, developed by iCivics. DBQuest teaches history and civics through the use of primary source documents and evidence-based learning. It offers a platform, accessible on mobile devices, that reinforces evidence-based reasoning and document-based questioning by teaching students to identify and evaluate evidence, contextualize information and write sound supporting arguments. Case Maker, developed by Bean Creative. Case Maker is a customizable system for inquiry-based learning for K-12 students using primary sources from the Library of Congress. Modeled after the “observe, reflect, question” framework, developed under the Teaching with Primary Sources program, Case Maker guides students to challenge a question, collect evidence and make a case. For more information: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-112/?loclr=ealn Library of Congress: New Educational Apps