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This Week: Political Currents and Chatter

A preview of noteworthy developments this week and what the media will be discussing.

Liberty Nation brings you a preview of the week’s political stories from two perspectives: The most significant developments in U.S. national politics and which stories will be most talked about – unanticipated developments notwithstanding.

The crisis on the southern border – the one long dismissed by Democrats as manufactured – will continue to dominate the news in the coming week. Outside of Venezuela, the illegal immigration problem has morphed into the biggest humanitarian tragedy the Americas have seen in living memory. The lack of will in Congress to deal with this issue is nothing short of stunning. House Democrats appear determined to maximize the suffering of Central Americans who make the perilous trek to the U.S. border, apparently confident they can successfully blame President Donald Trump for the situation.

It should not be forgotten, of course, that all those now stranded in Mexico or languishing in Customs and Border Patrol detention centers – other than the children – are suffering the consequences of their own choices. To an extent, though, they are also the victims of leftists in America who have lured these hapless hordes to the border with implied promises of sanctuary, amnesty, and access to free services.

The legal battle over the inclusion of a “citizenship question” in the 2020 census looms large this week as the Trump administration attempts to figure out how to get it included. The Supreme Court acknowledged it was legal to have such a question in the census but ruled that the Commerce Department’s reason not pass muster.

The Department of Justice is mulling possible solutions. The president has indicated his willingness to include the citizenship question by executive order, but this would seem doomed to failure. The other suggestion – an addendum to the census to be printed up after the Supreme Court’s concerns are addressed – also seems like a long-shot but it may be the only remaining avenue, especially now that the deadline for printing the census has already been missed.

The Traditional Spending Battle

Fights over appropriations bills have become an annual feature of Washington politics, and it is that time of the year again. Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to keep the candles burning on Capitol Hill and the question now is whether an omnibus can make its way through the House and Senate or if a series of “minibus” bills – each including three or four appropriations bills – will be passed.

The big one is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA). The House Committee on Rules will discuss the bill – H.R. 2500 – on Tuesday, July 9, extending into Wednesday.

Lurching Toward 2020

The backdrop to these stories, of course, will be the ongoing Democratic presidential primary contest. Frontrunner Joe Biden’s campaign has run into some choppy waters while Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) appear to be building some momentum – in keeping with this author’s long-standing prediction that Democrats will nominate a woman to take on Trump in 2020.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is still a contender while erstwhile 2016 socialist hero Bernie Sanders is struggling now that his entire platform has been appropriated by several of his primary opponents.

House of Representatives

On Wednesday, July 10, the House of Representatives will be busy with hearings. The Committee on Oversight and Reform will tackle “The Trump Administration’s Attack on the ACA [Affordable Care Act, A.K.A. Obamacare].” The Appropriations Committee will take on “United States Efforts to Counter Russian Disinformation and Malign Influence.” No word yet on whether the committee will call Hillary Clinton to testify.

On July 12, House hearings will include “Hearing: Lessons from the Mueller Report Part III: Constitutional Processes for Addressing Presidential Misconduct.” This, of course, is part of the ongoing attempt by Democrats both to keep the Russia collusion conspiracy theory alive and to further test the impeachment waters.

Senate

An executive session July 8 in the Senate will resume consideration of Trump’s nomination of Daniel Bress to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The president continues to attempt to reshape the Ninth Circuit, which is widely considered the most activist, left-leaning circuit court in the country and has continuously thwarted the president’s attempts to get almost anything done.

Meanwhile – and in keeping with the opposition party’s refusal to play ball with the executive branch on legislation – hopes appear to be fading that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), designed to replace NAFTA, will be taken up by the House in the current session.

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