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Minimum wage won’t be in stimulus — unless Kamala Harris overrules the Senate parliamentarian
February 25, 2021
On Thursday, the Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the minimum wage increase cannot be included in the Democratic COVID-19 stimulus package.
Democrats are passing the legislation as part of a budget reconciliation package, meaning that there are strict rules about what can and cannot be included in the bill in order to avoid a 60-vote threshold.
<p>Vice President Kamala Harris could overrule the decision, but the administration has signaled they will not do so.</p><p>With the minimum wage not admissible in the package, it will need to be passed as part of separate legislation that will be subject to the filibuster.</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Jim Jordan ignores pandemic in rant against Biden’s stimulus bill: ‘Time to get back to normal’
February 25, 2021
On Newsmax Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) attacked the Democratic stimulus plan making its way toward passage, and demanded that everything "go back to work, go back to school, go back to normal, and stop spending money" — disregarding the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much ongoing.
He also claimed that "91 percent" of the bill "isn't even for COVID" — overlooking that a major purpose of the bill is to reverse economic damage caused by the virus, not just the virus itself.
<p>"The fundamental thing is, it's time to get back to normal," he said.</p><p>So far, Republicans have not expressed any support for the stimulus bill, which Democrats are hoping to pass through <a href="https://budget.house.gov/publications/fact-sheet/budget-reconciliation-basics" target="_blank">budget reconciliation</a> to get around filibusters. The Senate parliamentarian is currently <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/2021/02/24/senate-parliamentarian-hears-arguments-on-coronavirus-relief-bill/" target="_blank">weighing</a> whether the provisions Democrats are proposing are valid under budget rules.</p><p>
Watch below:
</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1365083115216138241" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1365083115216138241&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650804637%23publish&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 523px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet"></iframe></div> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Rand Paul ripped for 'completely disgusting' transphobic attack on HHS nominee Rachel Levine
February 25, 2021
Democratic lawmakers and human rights advocates on Thursday rebuked Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican attempted to derail the historic Senate confirmation hearing of assistant health and human services secretary nominee Rachel Levine, in part by conflating gender-affirming healthcare with "genital mutilation."
"You absolutely cannot compare transgender medicine and hormone pills to genital mutilation. This is a disgusting line of questioning."
—Vanessa Lamers,
Public Health Foundation
<p>
If confirmed, Levine—a pediatrician and former Pennsylvania state health secretary—would be the first out trans person to serve in a position approved by the Senate. Paul, who is also a physician, used his time to attack Levine and disseminate transphobic misinformation.
</p><p>
Noting that "genital mutilation"—a completely incongruous topic—has been "almost universally condemned," Paul suggested that "the social pressure to conform, to do what others do... as well as the need to be accepted socially and fear of being rejected by the community" was a factor driving trans people to seek gender-affirming surgery.
</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1364972626221875204" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1364972626221875204&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650804133%23&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 551px; height: 569px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet">
</iframe>
</div><p>
Paul then accused Levine of advocating "surgical destruction of a minor's genitalia" before asking if she believes "minors are capable of making such a life-changing decision as changing one's sex."
</p><p>
Levine—who has
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1647&v=M4zk4KLkYII&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=Franklin%26MarshallCollege" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stated</a> that surgical treatment is not recommended for anyone younger than 18 years of age, with "some exceptions"—politely thanked Paul for his interest in the subject and noted that "transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed."
</p><p>
Paul, however, refused to let it go, telling the tale of a
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/06/keira-bell-lawyer-warns-on-internet-coverage-of-transgender-issues" target="_blank">British woman</a> who "read something about transsexuals" online before undergoing sex reassignment surgery she later regretted. Paul also aspersed the use of puberty-blocking hormones, a reversible therapy <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2020/01/21/peds.2019-1725?sso=1&sso_redirect_count=3&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3A%20No%20local%20token&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token" target="_blank">shown to reduce</a> suicidal urges in transgender adolescents.
</p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1365003048158957570" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1365003048158957570&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650804133%23&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 551px; height: 291px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet">
</iframe>
</div><p>
As
<em>Vox</em> <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/2/25/22301138/rand-paul-transphobic-confirmation-hearing-dr-rachel-levine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">noted</a>, the affirming model—which includes social and medical transition—"has been recommended by nearly every major American medical association, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the Endocrine Society, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and many others."
</p><p>
Health, Education, and Labor Committee Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) eventually cut Paul off.
</p><p>
"I appreciated your thoughtful and medically informed response to Sen. Paul's questions earlier in the hearing," she told Levine. "It is really critical to me that our nominees be treated with respect and that our questions focus on their qualifications and the work ahead of us rather than on ideological and harmful misrepresentations like those we heard from Sen. Paul earlier."
</p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1364996676071481354" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1364996676071481354&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650804133%23&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 551px; height: 339px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet">
</iframe>
</div><p>
Human rights advocates were outraged by Paul's remarks and questioning. Ruben Gonzalez, executive director of the LGBTQ Victory Institute, accused the senator of choosing "devotion to anti-LGBTQ extremist groups over substance and the health of our nation."
</p><p>
"His remarks echo the talking points of the same organizations who said gay men deserved AIDS and that LGBTQ people should be criminalized," Gonzalez <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/540531-rand-paul-criticized-for-questioning-of-transgender-health-nominee?rl=1" target="_blank">told</a> <em>The Hill</em>. "He explicitly attacked vulnerable trans youth for his own perceived political gain and it was a disgrace. Dr. Levine is an extremely qualified nominee whose experience can help America effectively tackle this pandemic, but he took this opportunity to give voice to hate groups instead."
</p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1364968222185906179" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1364968222185906179&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650804133%23&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 551px; height: 219px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet"></iframe></div><p>Paul's attack came a day after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)—who has a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/26/report-reveals-racist-conspiracy-theorist-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-showed-support" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history of blantant bigotry</a>—made <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/24/we-cant-act-isnt-happening-marjorie-taylor-greene-and-house-gop-caucus-rebuked" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-trans remarks</a> while arguing against the Equality Act, a landmark bill passed by the Democratic majority in the House on Thursday that bans sexual orientation- and gender identity-based discrimination.</p><p>Greene also misgendered the trans daughter of Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.), and when Newman hung a transgender flag outside her office, Greene<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/25/unimaginably-cruel-bigot-marjorie-taylor-greene-hangs-anti-trans-sign-across-office" target="_blank"> posted a sign</a> across the hall with the <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/" target="_blank">medically</a> and <a href="https://listverse.com/2015/10/21/10-examples-of-nonbinary-genders-throughout-history/" target="_blank">historically</a> false<a href="https://listverse.com/2015/10/21/10-examples-of-nonbinary-genders-throughout-history/" target="_blank"> </a>assertion that "there are two genders: male and female."</p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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