Friday, April 17, 2026. Chump continues to destroy the economy, US service members on ships are not getting quality meals or enough to eat, Senator Patty Murray demanded to know the cost of this war, CNN analyzes Jeffrey Epstein with the help of a former profiler and former prosecutor, Minnesota stands up for its citizens yet again, and much more.
Now
the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran is expected to make inflation worse,
according to a report published by the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) in March 2026 (6).
The
OECD predicts that America could have the highest inflation in the G7
by the end of this year, in large part due to the war and the ongoing
impact of Trump’s tariff policy.
Here are the report’s projected 2026 inflation rates for G7 countries:
U.S. 4.2% (up from 2.6% in 2025, according to its calculation)
U.K. 4% (up from 3.4%)
Germany 2.9% (up from 2.3%)
Canada 2.4% (up from 2.1%)
Italy 2.4% (up from 1.6%)
Japan 2.4% (the outlier, down from 3.2%)
France 1.8% (up from 0.9%)
If these projections are to be believed, some of the very staples Trump said were getting cheaper are getting more expensive.
The
OECD warns that inflation could spike as the Middle East conflict
disrupts supply chains and the normal flow of trade. The longer it drags
on, the worse things could get.
In particular, energy prices are an issue: Trump can no longer claim the cost of energy is down.
With
the planting season ending in six weeks, skyrocketing fertilizer prices
are forcing farmers into an impossible choice: cut back and lose crop
yield or stay the course and lose money.
A
survey published Tuesday of 5,700 farmers conducted by the Farm Bureau
shows that around 70% of farmers are unable to afford all the fertilizer
they need, while nearly six in 10 said their finances have worsened due
to the rising cost of both fertilizer and fuel.
As
a result, prices for the three major fertilizers farmers use (nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium), have all increased by double digits,
according to Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer at financial
services firm StoneX Group.
[. . .]
The
clock is ticking. These farmers have only until the middle of May when
planting season ends to decide whether they will scale back on their
fertilizer use—which in the long run could lead to lower crop yields—or
absorb the elevated costs and potentially lose money on their harvest.
Otherwise, some farmers may even choose to sit out the season and
potentially add debt through borrowing to make ends meet, Bryan Hansel,
chief revenue officer at regenerative agriculture company Holganix, told
Fortune.
“This is heart-wrenching for farmers to decide, do I lose money, or do I cut fertilizer, or, like, what do I do?” he said.
A
new survey revealed that a majority of U.S. farmworkers say they cannot
afford fertilizer due to rising costs caused by the U.S.-Israeli
conflict in Iran.
The survey released by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)
on Tuesday shows that 70 percent say fertilizer is too expensive and
has left them unable to purchase the fertilizer they need. The AFBF also
found that 94 percent of respondents say their financial situation has
worsened or remained the same, compared to 6 percent who say their
financial situations improved. And, again as FORTUNE noted, the clock is ticking. They've got weeks to make a decision.
Brandon Gomez (CNBC) points out, "When
farmers cut fertilizer use or shift acreage, it raises the risk of
lower crop yields and reduced overall production. With large portions of
the South, Northeast and West unable to fully fertilize crops, the Farm
Bureau suggests those risks are building."
The
farmers suffer and the consumers will suffer. Some of the suffering
going on right now can be traced elsewhere, however. Take tomatoes.
Greg Iacurci (CNBC) notes:
Prices
for fresh tomatoes have soared in recent months, largely on the back of
tariffs, higher energy costs triggered by the , and weather-related
supply shocks, according to agricultural economists.
The
average retail price of field-grown tomatoes jumped to about $2.26 per
pound in March, the highest level in more than eight years, according to
data tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Consumers
saw prices for fresh tomatoes spike about 15% in the month of March
alone, following a 6% increase in February, according to the consumer price index, an inflation barometer. The
monthly inflation rate for tomatoes in March was the largest for any
consumer good or service, outside of energy commodities like gasoline
and fuel oil, which have risen sharply due to an oil supply shock tied
to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Overall, fresh tomato prices are up 23% over the past year, according to CPI data.
So it's not just Chump's war of choice destroying the economy and sending prices soaring, it's also his tariffs. Greg Iacurci notes that "the US imports about 70% of its tomato supply — and Mexico accounts for about 90% of U.S. imports of fresh tomatoes" and that "the
Trump administration levied tariffs of about 17% on fresh tomatoes from
Mexico starting in July." Ah, yes, the tariffs. The tariffs that
Chump swore would lower prices but instead caused prices to increase.
And increase some more.
Jeremy Phillips (24/7 WALL ST.) observes:
Overall
grocery inflation slowed to 1.9% in March 2026, but this masks the real
threat: tariffs and diesel prices are stacking to create an
inflationary perfect storm on fresh produce—tomatoes spiked 22% due to a
17% tariff on Mexican imports while WTI crude jumped from $71 to $114
per barrel in five weeks, hitting perishable foods on the grocery store
perimeter first as diesel tracks oil upward.
This
emerging squeeze applies to any household buying fresh produce, dairy,
and meat in 2026—particularly those without the income buffer to absorb
price hikes on perimeter items—while the relief from egg and butter
discounts masks deeper structural cost pressures that have not yet fully
traveled through the supply chain.
Anthony Scaramucci thinks economic pain isn't coming for the US. It's already here.
"If
you're asking me, 'Are we currently in a recession?' I believe, after
37 years on Wall Street, that we already are in one," he told Business
Insider in an interview this week.
A
number of people would agree with Scaramucci. And don't believe Chump's lie that the IRS tax refund is going to save Americans. Last night on THE 11TH HOUR WITH STEPHANIE RUHLE, Stephanie spoke with Brendan Greeley and Natasha Sarin about the reality of the tax returns.
On MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, this morning, Ben notes the Iran War -- still ongoing, Donald's spin on Israel and Lebanon and much more.
Dan F. was alarmed when his daughter, a Marine
aboard the USS Tripoli, a warship deployed to fight the Iran war, sent
him a photo of a meal served on the ship. A lunch tray, two-thirds
empty, carried one small scoop of shredded meat and a single folded
tortilla.
A picture of a mid-April dinner on
the USS Abraham Lincoln, shared by a service member with his family, was
similarly unappetizing – a small handful of boiled carrots, a dry meat
patty and a gray slab of processed meat.
Dan
and other military family members worried that their loved ones deployed
to the Middle East are going hungry are filling boxes with items they
hope could help service members ride out prolonged deployments in the
Middle East – homemade fudge, Jolly Ranchers, crossword puzzle books,
playing cards, toothpaste, Girl Scout cookies and fresh socks. But mail
delivery to military ZIP codes across the Middle East has been
indefinitely suspended as of April, and packages in transit now hang in
limbo.
Where's the money? This is supposed to be budgeted in. Did one of Chump's cronies get the supply contract? Who's stealing from the US taxpayers and making money off short changing our service members? There needs to be a Congressional investigation.
There won't be right now because Congress -- both houses -- are controlled by idiots who believe that they serve Chump and not the American people. This is why we have to turn out in the midterms and vote Democrat. We need oversight of the government and we need accountability and we are not getting that from our Republican controlled Congress.
These are among the things
hurting Chump in the polls. There's also the war on immigrants, The
Epstein Scandal, and other issues that allow Chump to now claim to have
won in a landslide. He didn't win the 2024 election in a landslide (he
won by 1.5% of the popular vote).
Jermaine Hall (LEVEL) announces Chump's "landslide the world's most unpopular man:"
In
America, there is constant polling to gauge the president's popularity.
Recent results show Trump’s public standing sinking to some of the
weakest levels of his presidency, with disapproval consistently
outpacing approval by double‑digit margins. A YouGov/Economist survey
reported a net approval of –23, with 58% disapproving of his performance
and only 35% approving, marking a new low driven by erosion among his
own 2024 voters. Meanwhile, The Economist’s tracking average places his
approval at 37% and disapproval at 56%, reinforcing a sustained pattern
of majority‑level unfavorability.
Results
like those would send most presidents off to rethink and re-engage on
policies. Not Chump. No a Chump's a chump for life. The con artist
thinks he can still pull a con over on the American people.
Jarrett Renshaw, Jacob Bogage and Steve Holland (REUTERS) report
the 'big plan' Chump's devised, "U.S. President Donald Trump will look
to brush off concerns about the economy and the sagging political
prospects of his Republican Party during a campaign-style swing through
the battleground states of Nevada and Arizona this week, as the war with
Iran pushes gasoline prices higher." That's a right, a nation already
choking on Chump's lies are being fed more lies.
Speaking
of lies, remember when Chump claimed that the US was fine on weapons
and had all they needed to fight Iran? We noted that wasn't the case
because it wasn't.
SEEKING ALPHA notes, "Senior
Pentagon officials held talks with top executives of several companies,
including General Motors (GM) and Ford (F), to discuss production of
weapons and other military supplies, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The officials also approached GE Aerospace (GE) and machinery maker
Oshkosh (OSK), according to people familiar with the discussions."
Chump remains in
trouble for posting an image of himself as Christ. The blasphemous
image followed days and days of Chump attacking Pope Leo.
Zoe Engels (MEDIAITE) reports that Chump got questioned about his attacks on the Pope yesterday:
Thursday
afternoon, a reporter asked Trump about his motivations for “fighting”
with the Pope and whether he’s worried it’s “upsetting” his “image” in
an unfinished question quickly cut off by the president.
“No,
no, I have to do what’s right,” he said. “The pope has to understand
that, very simple. I have nothing against the pope. His brother is MAGA
all the way. I like his brother, Louis [Prevost].
The reporter pressed again: “Why are you fighting with him?”
“I’m
not fighting with him,” Trump claimed. “The pope made a statement. He
says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear
weapon. If the pope looked at the 42,000 people that were killed over
the last 2-3 months as a protester with no weapons, no nothing. I mean,
you take a look at that. So, I can disagree with the pope. I have the
right to disagree with the pope.”
It
was this great sin of certainty that was on full display this week in
Trump’s now-deleted Truth Social post in which he lambasted Pope Leo
XIV, accusing the pontiff of being “weak” on crime and “terrible on
foreign policy.” The president claimed the only reason Pope Leo was
named head of the Catholic Church was because the church thought that
would be the best way to deal with Trump, stating, “If I wasn’t in the
White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” The rant was accompanied
by an AI-generated image of Trump appearing as Jesus Christ, surrounded
by an American flag, bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and figures
resembling … Power Rangers? Facing fierce backlash, Trump has since
claimed the image was not meant to depict him as Jesus but as a doctor
in biblical robes because, in his words, “I do make people better. I
make people a lot better.”
Trump’s rant was a reaction to Leo’s condemnation of his administration’s recent military misadventures, which have included a genocidal threat
to wipe out Iran’s civilization. It’s not hard to imagine this catching
Leo’s attention. Indeed, during his Palm Sunday homily the pope
declared, “God does not listen”
to the prayers of those who wage war. His homily was in reference to
rhetoric from Trump and his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who have
claimed the war in Iran has been carried out “under the protection of
divine providence.” But as crazy as Trump’s Jesus-like grandeur may be,
it was his administration’s reported behavior earlier this year that
gives real pause for concern.
In
January, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then papal nuncio—the Vatican’s
ambassador to the U.S.—was invited to the Pentagon for a meeting with
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of war for policy. The invite
was a response to the pope’s then-fresh comments lamenting the growing
use of force to resolve diplomatic disputes. The meeting turned tense
after Colby appealed to the papal nuncio to align the Vatican with
Washington’s policies. When the cardinal declared that Pope Leo would
continue to follow his own course guided by church values, a Pentagon
official invoked the Avignon papacy of the fourteenth century, when the
French king appointed his own “antipope” in reaction to Rome. The
invocation was read as a clear threat: If Leo did not start toeing the
Trump line, the president might be forced to appoint his own rival pope.
Like
many threats from the Trump administration, one to appoint a pontiff
was not well thought through. Like all holy leaders, popes strive to be
living allegories of their faith. Many throughout history have fallen
short, but one spiritual responsibility of the pope is to serve as a
unifying spiritual figure for over 1.3 billion believers for the
Catholic Church. What sets the pope apart from other Christian leaders
is that Catholics believe in papal infallibility; that when he speaks ex
cathedra on doctrines of faith and morals, his words are inspired
directly by God (JD Vance, take notice).
And despite Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Vice President JD Vance
arguing that the pope should stick to theology while politicians stick
to politics, the Trump administration appears increasingly bent on
casting the Iran conflict as a holy war blessed by God.
That makes for an awkward argument: While Pope Leo shouldn’t judge wars, Trump and Hegseth are allowed to judge God’s will.
Here’s a brief recap (with a tip of the cap to CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf, who has been documenting this for weeks):
- Hegseth has said the military strikes are being “carried out under the protection of divine providence.”
- He has quoted a Psalm which says, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.”
- At a Christian service at the Pentagon recently, Hegseth cited imprecatory psalms
— basically, prayers seeking God’s retribution against foes — which
included asking for God to “break the teeth of the ungodly” and for
God’s “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no
mercy.”
- At another service Wednesday, the Defense secretary recited a vengeful prayer he said was shared with him that appears to echo a notorious Samuel L. Jackson character’s monologue in “Pulp Fiction.”
- He on Thursday suggestively cited a pair of rescue missions of American airmen as “miracles, you might say.”
- Hegseth previously drew parallels between one of those rescues and Jesus’ resurrection.
- Trump has punctuated his own remarks by saying, “glory be to GOD.”
- And the president later wagered that God supports the war because “God wants to see people taken care of.”
The pope appears to have noticed this trend.
Mere minutes after Hegseth’s comments at the briefing Thursday morning, Pope Leo posted a pointed comment from a speech he had just delivered in Bamenda, Cameroon.
“Jesus
told us blessed are the peacemakers,” the pope said. “But woe to those
who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military,
economic or political gain — dragging that which is sacred into
darkness and filth.”
Turning to Chump's pal Jeffrey Epstein who died behind bars awaiting a trial on sex trafficking.
Daniel Hampton (RAW STORY) notes Chump mentioned his former friend yesterday, "President Donald Trump appeared to casually dismiss
survivors of Jeffrey Epstein
and Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday during a brief gathering with
reporters, referring to them as 'victims, or whatever.' Trump took
questions from reporters outside the White House when he was asked
whether he believes there should be a public hearing for more Epstein
survivors." In a second piece,
Daniel Hampton notes some of the reaction to Chump's comments:
"First,
he's lying — no one refused to go under oath," wrote progressive
political commentator Aaron Parnas on X. "The survivors said it's not
their responsibility to testify in front of Congress when they've
already spoken to the FBI. Second, 'victims or whatever' is one of the
most derogatory things the President could say."
Political
commentator Polly Sigh went further, pointing out that at least one of
Epstein's survivors had accused Trump himself of rape.
"He's
also lying about them refusing to go under oath," she wrote. "They
spoke with the FBI — including the woman who accused Trump of raping her
when she was a child."
MeidasTouch summed up
the reaction bluntly: "Trump is now lying about the Epstein survivors,
or as he calls them, 'the victims or whatever.'"
One
commenter drew a sharp contrast with Trump's recent self-portrayal. "He
may have depicted himself as Jesus," wrote NHL analyst Mike Rifkin on
X, "but he is the devil." He called Trump's dismissal a "disgusting
thing to say."
Yesterday, CNN did a lengthy segment on Epstein. They had a prosector and a profiler on to discuss Epstein and they also spoke with survivor Danielle Bensky.
Any Donald Trump presidency inevitably evolves into a constellation of scandals, with him at the center of a scurrilous universe, as controversies orbit near him and then away, only to return again.
The
always controversial figure of Errol Musk – father of Elon – has
resurfaced with another eyebrow-raising take. This time the South
African’s claiming that Jeffrey Epstein is still alive.
The 79-year-old made the comments during a primetime interview on Russian state television.
Asked,
for some reason, about Epstein, Errol dismissed the official account of
his death outright, leaning into long-running conspiracy theories about
what exactly happened to the paedophile financier.
Convicted
sex offender Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell on
August 10, 2019. He was, at the time, awaiting trial on sex trafficking
charges in a case that drew global attention and endless – ongoing –
scrutiny.
Turning to ICE, Minnesota continues to lead the way for the nation with how to respond to and handle ICE.
Dan Mangan (CNBC) reports:
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agent has been charged with two counts of assault related to a road
rage incident by state prosecutors in Minnesota, who have issued a
nationwide warrant for his arrest.
The ICE
agent, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., is accused of pointing his duty gun
at the heads of two people in another car on Feb. 5 as he tried to pass
them while illegally driving in his unmarked SUV on the shoulder of a
highway in Minneapolis, prosecutors said Thursday at a press conference.
The incident came on the heels of the killings in January of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti,
by federal agents in Minneapolis, amid the Trump administration's
controversial Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement actions in
the Twin Cities.
Those killings remain under investigation by local prosecutors.
Morgan
"is the first federal agent charged in connection with what happened
here in Operation Metro Surge," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty
said in announcing the charges of second-degree assault against the
agent.
State
prosecutors allege that Morgan pulled up to a vehicle while driving an
unmarked SUV and “pointed his duty weapon directly at both victims while
continuing to drive illegally on the shoulder” of a highway on Feb. 4,
prompting the driver to call 911.
[Hennepin County Attorney Mary]
Moriarty said the Hennepin County Attorney's Office believes that
"illegally driving on a shoulder, pulling up to a car and pointing a gun
at the heads of two community members who are not doing anything at the
time is well beyond the scope of [a federal agent's] authority."
She
also accused Morgan of trying to evade traffic when the victim “briefly
moved their vehicle into the shoulder to slow him down.” Morgan then
allegedly pulled his vehicle adjacent to the victim's before opening the
window and pointing his weapon at the driver and passenger.
Morgan
allegedly told investigators that he and his partner were en route to
the Whipple Federal Building following their shift and "admitted that he
drew his firearm after the victim’s vehicle had already rejoined the
normal flow of traffic, corroborating details from interviews with the
victim” and video evidence from the scene, Moriarty said, slamming the
behavior as "extremely dangerous."
“Driving
while pointing a weapon out of your moving vehicle at the victims, who
were in another moving vehicle, could have led to yet another disastrous
incident in a community that has already suffered too many,” she
declared.
Meenu
Batra, a longtime immigration court interpreter in South Texas, was
detained by federal agents last month in what her legal team claims was a
calculated action meant to intimidate her.
Batra,
53, has lived in Cameron County, Texas — the state’s southernmost
county, along the U.S.-Mexico border — since 2002, and has worked as a
court interpreter for more than 20 years. She is the state’s only
licensed interpreter for Hindi, Punjabi, or Urdu, according to the Texas
Observer, the first outlet to report on Batra’s detention.
Batra,
who immigrated to the U.S. from India 35 years ago, had been planning
to visit her adult children in Austin, Texas, after a work trip to
Milwaukee in mid-March. But she never made it to either; at around 5
p.m. on March 17, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents
detained her at a South Texas airport.
Let's note this from Senator Patty Murray's office.
White House Budget Director Refuses to Tell Public About Iran War Costs: “We don’t have that figure right now.”
ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full exchange with Russ Vought***
Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Budget Committee hearing with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought on President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request—U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the
Senate Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, slammed Trump’s proposal to slash domestic investments to
help pay for a defense spending increase of roughly half a trillion
dollars. She pressed Director Vought on the astronomical request for war
funding and on what President Trump’s war of choice in Iran has already
cost American taxpayers.
In opening comments, Senator Murray said:
“A budget is really an expression of our morals and our
values, and frankly, looking at Trump’s latest budget, I don’t see it as
a very moral budget. We’re cutting tens of billions of dollars from
housing, and health care, and education so we can spend half a trillion
dollars more to fund Trump’s foreign wars.
“We should be sending more funding to our schools right here
in America, not, in my opinion, buying more missiles that Trump could
fire on schools in Iran. We should be building bridges here in America,
not destroying them in Iran. And we should be bringing down energy
costs, not blowing money on wars that send gas prices for our
constituents through the roof.
“So, Director Vought, it will not shock you to hear that I
believe that this budget is morally bankrupt. And also, by any objective
measure, deeply irresponsible, because it will rob our families and
burden our grandkids with mountains of new debt—and for what? For what? So Trump has more bombs he can threaten to ‘end civilizations’ with?
“And also, this budget robs states like mine. It zeros out
funding for Howard Hanson dam, once again shortchanges the Hanford
cleanup. And now, just to be clear, I rejected those cuts in our last
funding bills. I will do it again, as many times as it takes.
“But there is, in my opinion, only one place for this budget—and that is in the trash bin.”
[DEFENSE REQUEST]
Senator Murray called out the absurdity of Vought and Trump’s
proposal to gut domestic investments to help pay for a half trillion
dollar increase in war funding, and she pressed Vought on reporting that
he privately opposed the increase and warned about its deficit impacts.
Vought sidestepped the question, and despite his constant claims that
he cares deeply about “fiscal responsibility,” Vought said he “fully
support[s]” President Trump’s deficit-exploding budget request.
___________________________
MURRAY: But having said that, I do have some
questions for you. You and President Trump are asking for $450 billion
in new defense spending. To be clear, that is the largest increase since
World War II—and that does not include money you reportedly still plan
to request for the war in Iran. What is the total dollar amount
requested for defense spending in FY27—including annual appropriations
and reconciliation funds?
VOUGHT: $1.5 trillion, Senator, a combination
between the appropriations and the mandatory. We are trying to increase
the amount that you would fund through the appropriations, but we don’t
want the full increase to have to be born in the appropriations process.
MURRAY: So $1.5 trillion.What is the total dollar amount requested for non-defense spending in FY27?
VOUGHT: $660 billion.
MURRAY: And what is the overall cut to non-defense programs you are proposing?
VOUGHT: 10 percent, $70 billion.
MURRAY: $70 billion—we look at that as about $81
billion, frankly. So let me just say this, Director Vought, you count
yourself a spending hawk—and here you are, arguing for a gob smacking
$1.5 trillion defense budget. I read that you disagreed with the
president on his $1.5 trillion request—warning him that it would explode
the deficit. Did you warn the president or administration officials
that spending this much on defense would explode the deficit?
VOUGHT: Senator, I fully support this budget. We go
through a long policy process. It’s needed for the Department of War.
It’s one time, it’s made—it’s designed to have paradigm shifting
investments, like I mentioned in my opening comments, to be able to fund
now what this president is willing to do, multi-year agreements, and
it’s necessary to keep us safe. I mean, I’ve never been more confident
that an administration is doing whatever it can to be efficient at the
Department of War, but there are bills that need to be paid with regard
to drones and munitions and planes.
MURRAY: Well, you can do your political statement
later. I will just say for the record that people at home need to
understand this president is proposing that we cut over $73 billion in
our domestic funding for things like education and health care, that are
critical for our economy, for our families, for the future of our
country, to help pay for a truly jaw-dropping half a trillion dollars in
increase in defense spending. So I just think that we have to all
recognize what is going on here and be smart about how we put together a
budget as we go forward.
[IRAN WAR COSTS]
Pressed by Senator Murray, Director Vought again refused to provide
any information—even a rough estimate—about how many taxpayer dollars
have already been spent on President Trump’s reckless war in Iran.
___________________________
MURRAY: So let me just ask you, we’re here to talk
about next year’s budget obviously, but as we talk about it, this
administration is spending billions on the war in Iran as we speak. I
heard Senator Merkley ask you a question. I just want to confirm this:
you have no idea, none, much has been spent on the war so far?
VOUGHT: We don’t have that figure right now, I think
in part, cause it’s fluctuating on a day in, day out basis, but it’s
one of the reasons we want to—are studiously reviewing—
MURRAY: You can’t even give us a range?
VOUGHT: No, I’m not going to give you a range cause I don’t want to be inaccurate.
MURRAY: You’re just not going to tell us, because
you don’t want us to know how much is being spent. We have a
responsibility here, Senator Merkley mentioned that. We have to know how
much is spent so we can put our budgets together, so we can make our
annual appropriations. And I just find it outrageous that as director,
you’re not willing to tell us what those costs are. It’s your job to
know.
[BIPARTISAN APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS]
Director Vought also refused to disavow earlier comments he’s made calling for a less bipartisan appropriations process.
___________________________
MURRAY: Let me also ask you, you said that ‘the appropriations process has to be less bipartisan.’ Do you stand by that statement?
VOUGHT: Well, that was coming at a time during the
rescissions process in which the use of a statutory process was derided
by one side as a shot against the bipartisan appropriations process. And
it’s not. You pass appropriations bills right now, and they have to get
60 votes to—you all are famously making that point to the country right
now, but you also have a congressionally enacted statute that allows us
to use rescissions with the majority vote.
MURRAY: Let me just tell you this. As a member of
the Appropriations [Committee]—long standing—we work out very difficult
differences between each other, and if we can’t trust at the end of the
day that a deal is a deal, when we reach those bipartisan agreements,
that is going to make it truly impossible for Congress to do its job.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
VOUGHT: Can I respond to that?
CHAIRMAN: Certainly. Chairman’s time, go ahead.
VOUGHT: We had a deal with regard to a bipartisanly negotiated DHS bill that would have funded DHS, and that was walked away from.
MURRAY: Let me make it very clear, I was at the
table working on negotiating that. We worked really hard to come to an
agreement. Obviously, we are not there yet. The Senate has now passed
twice a bill to make progress on that, the House has not taken it up. I
will take a backseat to no one on working hard to get the funding done
that we need to get done. Thank you.
###
And lastly let's note this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:
The following sites updated:
