Fogbow

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 7:27 pm https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... r-to-biden

Neera Tanden, who withdrew from consideration to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) amid bipartisan criticism, is joining the White House as a senior adviser to President Biden.

Biden had said upon Tanden's OMB withdrawal in March that he would find a job for her in the White House that did not require Senate confirmation. CNN first reported Friday that she would be focused on potential ramifications should the Supreme Court strike down the Affordable Care Act, as well as a review of the U.S. Digital Service.

"Neera’s intellect, tenacity, and political savvy will be an asset to the Biden administration as she assumes a new role as Senior Advisor to the President," John Podesta, founder and director of the Center for American Progress, said in a statement. "While we will be sorry to lose her considerable policy expertise and leadership at the Center for American Progress — an organization which we founded together in 2003 — I am exceptionally thrilled to see her step into a new position serving this White House and the American people."

Tanden, who would have been the first woman of color to lead OMB, faced scrutiny over mean tweets she had written about Republicans and progressive Democrats alike being a woman of color in her previous role heading the think tank.

'Do you believe in god?' GOP senator applies religious test to Biden nominee

U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) on Wednesday decided to impose a possibly unconstitutional religious test for a Biden Dept. of Justice nominee, asking attorney Hampton Dellinger, "Do you believe in God?"

It was a stunning moment, one that the 69-year old Senator from Louisiana, who earned his law degree at the University of Virginia and studied law at Oxford did not even appear to understand, despite the U.S. Constitution explicitly stating: "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

Hampton Dellinger, as The National law Journal reported, was appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, before Republicans who bristled at his nomination to head the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy.

Sen. Kennedy took particular offense at one of Dellinger's tweets, which correctly notes that if there were no Republican men in elected office, there would be no bans on abortion.

A conspiracy theorist who Trump put on a US body overseeing Holocaust monuments is still there more than a year after calls for Biden to fire him

Elie Mystal wrote: I'm sorry, why is Biden submitting his cabinet appointments for Senate confirmation? Didn't Trump prove that you could just name everybody "acting" indefinitely and nobody would stop you?

Or is this ANOTHER thing that Republicans can do but Democrats can't for... reasons?

Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 01, 2022 2:48 pm Interesting discussion.

I haven’t read all the comments. I can’t decide if agree with him or not.

Viscerally I do, logically, I don’t.

Phoenix520 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 01, 2022 2:53 pm Yes.
But I also see the POV of the others, especially POC. What good does it do to play by the rules when the other side isn’t, and is actually trying to destroy you as their only goal?

Kriselda Gray wrote: ↑Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:33 pm Could he appoint the person he's nominated as the "acting" whatever until they become the confirmed whatever?

RVInit wrote: ↑Sat Apr 02, 2022 12:40 pm

Kriselda Gray wrote: ↑Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:33 pm Could he appoint the person he's nominated as the "acting" whatever until they become the confirmed whatever?

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Sat Apr 02, 2022 1:00 pm

RVInit wrote: ↑Sat Apr 02, 2022 12:40 pm

Kriselda Gray wrote: ↑Fri Apr 01, 2022 8:33 pm Could he appoint the person he's nominated as the "acting" whatever until they become the confirmed whatever?

There's some nuances in here via the Federal Vacancies Reform Act after Clinton, uh, kinda abused the process (but not tortured it like tfg) that makes this not quite how it works.

No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen @NoLieWithBTC wrote: NEW: Republicans just unanimously blocked Lisa Cook, who would be the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve, from getting confirmed. They were able to do so because 2 Democratic senators and VP Harris have COVID. Democrats will have to re-vote at a later date.

The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

Sam Brinton @sbrinton wrote: It’s official. As of June 19th, I now serve my nation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy in the Department of Energy.

Due to the concern of negative and threatening responses like we saw in my previous announcement, including more than a hundred death threats and more vitriol than I could have imagined, I held off announcing my official start until I could be safe and secure in my new role.

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 11:33 pm

Sam Brinton @sbrinton wrote: It’s official. As of June 19th, I now serve my nation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy in the Department of Energy.

Due to the concern of negative and threatening responses like we saw in my previous announcement, including more than a hundred death threats and more vitriol than I could have imagined, I held off announcing my official start until I could be safe and secure in my new role.

President Joe Biden has appointed Kimberly Cheatle to be the next director of the Secret Service.

Biden on Wednesday called Cheatle “a distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills,” saying in a statement that she “was easily the best choice to lead the agency at a critical moment for the Secret Service.” In this new role, she will become the second woman to lead the Secret Service, after former President Barack Obama appointed Julia Pierson as the first in 2013.

Cheatle will be taking over at an agency facing a number of issues. On July 13, Congress was notified by Homeland Security’s inspector general that the Secret Service had lost texts related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol while erasing employees’ phones as part of a new protocol. The House select committee investigating the attack then subpoenaed the agency for its records, concerned that federal records laws could have been violated if the messages weren’t preserved.

pipistrelle wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:41 pm There's been talk that the agents assigned to tfg are loyal to him (which I take means they're more than just doing the job). I've been wondering what they'll be assigned to once he assumes room temperature.

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Thu Jun 30, 2022 1:32 am

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 11:33 pm

Sam Brinton @sbrinton wrote: It’s official. As of June 19th, I now serve my nation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy in the Department of Energy.

Due to the concern of negative and threatening responses like we saw in my previous announcement, including more than a hundred death threats and more vitriol than I could have imagined, I held off announcing my official start until I could be safe and secure in my new role.

Well, that was interesting. Sometimes when I see something / someone interesting I like to read what they say on the subject at Wikipedia - Sam Brinton. Anyway, Sam identifies as gender fluid and prefers they/them, and Wikipedia respects that in their write-up. I find it jarring, just because I'm not used to it. However, only by using preferred pronouns will we get used to them, so I glad Wikipedia has adopted that practice.

Department of Energy official fired after allegedly stealing airport luggage twice

The Department of Energy confirmed that Sam Brinton, an official responsible for nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, has been terminated from the agency after allegedly stealing airport baggage twice, CNN reports. Brinton, a longtime LGBTQ rights activist, made history as the first openly non-binary senior government official.

"Sam Brinton is no longer a DOE employee. By law, the Department of Energy cannot comment further on personnel matters," a spokesperson told reporters.

Brinton worked in the Office of Nuclear Energy as the deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition until they were charged with the two thefts. In December, they were charged with grand larceny in Nevada after being accused of stealing luggage from Harry Reid International Airport in July, per CNN. They were previously charged in September with a similar crime in Minnesota after they allegedly stole another passenger's Vera Bradley suitcase off the carousel at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. According to the criminal complaint, Briton initially denied taking the bag when contacted by Minnesota police but later called back to apologize for not being "completely honest," per NBC news.

Before the news that Brinton had been fired, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and 15 other House Republicans sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging her to demand Brinton's resignation. The letter alleges ​​that Brinton"was placed on leave without providing crucial context clarifying that Brinton's recent employment status was the result of a felony charge."

On Twitter, Clyde suggested that Brinton's hiring was a part of Biden's agenda to prioritize "wokeness." "I hope this fiasco makes the Biden Administration think twice before prioritizing wokeness above competence again," Clyde tweeted in response to the news.