House Dems Fear Retaliation as They Ready Investigation of Elaine Chao

[babylonsister]

YOU COME AT THE QUEEN, YOU BEST NOT MISS
House Dems Fear Retaliation as They Ready Investigation of Elaine Chao
A probe into the transportation secretary now seems inevitable. But some lawmakers are scared about what that means for infrastructure projects in their districts.
Erin Banco
National Security Reporter
Sam Brodey
Congressional Reporter
Updated 06.14.19 3:13AM ET / Published 06.13.19 10:15AM ET


House Democrats are poised to launch an investigation into the Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao over allegations that she used her position to advance the interests of her family and her husband’s political career.

But even as some members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee say such a probe is inevitable, other Democratic lawmakers have expressed doubts about whether the current evidence is sufficient to warrant it, according to three lawmakers with direct knowledge of the conversations that have taken place over the last several days. And some lawmakers who spoke to The Daily Beast expressed unease—at this time—at calling out the secretary for fear that doing so would affect their ability to advance infrastructure projects in their home districts.

Such hesitation reflects both the unique status Chao enjoys within the Trump administration—where she has heavy sway over federal funds that politicians of all stripes covet—and the wider conundrum that Democrats lawmakers face in going after the president’s team. With aggressive oversight efforts already launched into several other Trump Cabinet officials, senior Democratic aides say a sense of fatigue has set in among members, one that’s been exacerbated by the difficulty the party has had in making progress on already-launched investigative efforts.

snip//

Rep. Peter DeFazio, the chairman of the House transportation committee, noted that his committee has a full oversight plate—dominated at the moment by probes into the Boeing 737-Max passenger plane. But the Oregon Democrat also told The Daily Beast on Wednesday that his panel is having conversations about an inquiry into Chao.

“We were generally going to review how they do grants because they’ve been slow-walking transit grants around the country,” he said. “I think now we will expand the scope to look at other grants that are at secretarial discretion, and what documentation they may have for such grants.”

Conversations about opening such an investigation have been ongoing on Capitol Hill over the last four days. And on Wednesday night, Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY), who sits on DeFazio’s committee, said members would investigate Chao.

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/elaine-chao-investigation-house-dems-seems-poised-to-launch-one-even-as-they-fear-retribution

[Wounded Bear]

1. What "infrastructure projects" are they afraid of losing?

Seems like the Secretary has her thumb on the scale as it is, and calling her out on it would provide leverage for her to be more fair in her decisions.

Let's make sure she knows that somebody is watching.

[babylonsister]

5. Here's one example (from this article):

Not everyone is content to let Chao skate by without additional scrutiny. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), a freshman who has been vocally pressing the administration to fund the Gateway Project, a massive initiative that would make badly needed repairs to the bridges and tunnels that link New York City and northern New Jersey, was highly critical of what he said was preferential treatment for McConnell’s projects by the DOT.

“I just found it strange that no senior official at the Department of Transportation has been appointed to help me get transportation grants of special significance to New Jersey,” Malinowski told The Daily Beast. “It must be an oversight.”

Malinowski declined to call on DeFazio to open up a probe into Chao, but said it would be worth the committee’s time to learn more about “any special treatment or favoritism being shown to any state because of politics or nepotism.”

“We need to understand it,” he said, “and it’s got to stop.”

[Wounded Bear]

9. I have to admit that locally we've actually had some projects OK'd...

by the administration over the last couple of years. Was a little surprised, since we're a pretty blue state (WA).

But "we got ours" is no reason to support bad conduct elsewhere. There looks to be some serious malfeasance going on there.

[JustAnotherGen]

33. That's my Congressman

I will be the town hall on June 30 - and that's my question. Infrastructure Rail and Road including buses from rural areas.

[Snake Plissken]

2. They need to stop coddling these criminals and provide the oversight Americans voted for

The excuses to keep from going after these criminals are getting beyond ridiculous.

[ehrnst]

30. Who is 'coddling these criminals?' (nt)

[awesomerwb1]

3. "A sense of fatigue"

Is understandable. Now when a little "fatigue" is setting in, imagine knocking on doors for 8 hours a day to get you re-elected. Working the phones for hours a day to get you re-elected. Contributing money that you had saved for a vacation to get you re-elected. Making calls to other Reps or Senators to get proper representation.

Still a little "fatigued"? Deal with it - like we're all trying to do unless you can't stand the heat - and do your job.

[spanone]

4. WHAT?????

[Me.]

6. Why Is It When It Comes To The Daily Beast ...And Politico

Dems are always described as afraid, scared and other such negative descriptions? WE have constant negative connotations about the Dem from both. And Michelle Goldberg, another DB writer is rather vicious when discussing the Dems on MSNBC. How about they use words like cautious, judicious, prudent, or pragmatic when describing a situation like this. After all, the Dems are choosing to open this investigation.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. This is pretty much how we talk about them here too.

In some cases, it might be true. Other cases, not. Some publications surely want to play it up.

[Nevermypresident]

32. With all due respect, it's not just The Daily Beast and Politico. It's trending all over Social

Media, Twitter, Cable News, other print media, etc.

GMAB, "fatigue"?!?

[Me.]

42. That's True However....

Those two, along with the Hill, have been really pushing it lately. And as I said, Ms. Goldberg of DB fame has been having nearly an everyday rant about impeachment lately.

[ehrnst]

38. I know, right?

Any excuse for a feeding frenzy, apparently.

[MFGsunny]

7. Her time in the barrel is coming, even though long overdue. Chao is most vulnerable re ::

her KY fast-tracking (sleezy) while being dormant (sleezy) elsewhere.

[MontanaMama]

8. This is war.

There will retaliation and that shouldn’t be a reason to not provide oversight Congress is required to do. I want to see them put their heads down, auger in and follow the law wherever it leads. The pukes are counting on our fear to let them continue their crimes.

[2naSalit]

10. +1

[dalton99a]

11. Why live in fear?

This is fucking stupid

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. *What* retribution?

McConnell refusing to vote on bills in the Senate?

[dalton99a]

14. Bingo

[KPN]

20. No, squashing transportation projects in States where Reps come out in favor or engage in

investigations of Chao. Transportation projects are big money and have huge impacts on local/State economies.

But Dems need to do what is right regardless of circumstances or potential retribution. Doing otherwise is just allowing hostage taking to work. It's caving to extortion. When we do that, we are no different than a banana republic or today's post-Soviet Russia.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

27. I agree

Dems need to press forward and if they pull something, remind people who's doing it. Haven't read the article but does it *really* look like they'll cave on it?

[Lonestarblue]

25. Agree.

McConnell has obstructed anything positive for the past 10 years. He is fast tracking incompetent right-wing judges and refusing to bring any bills to a vote. What else can he do to Democrats?

[Faux pas]

15. Arrrgggg!

That's all I've got.

[rainin]

16. Dems are going to have to start saying "we serve at the pleasure of the president"

[FiveGoodMen]

17. Those first three words are the main problem!

[superpatriotman]

39. +1

We have nothing to fear but fear itself...

[Vinca]

18. WTF is wrong with these people? As long as Mitch is in charge, nothing they pass in the House

is going anywhere in the Senate anyway. They're starting to look like a bunch of wimps. History books will not be kind.

[StarfishSaver]

21. Not true when it comes to infrastructure projects

Those usually get approved at the department level once Congress passes the authorizations.

And this isn't on the Democratic House members. Just wait. The minute those projects start to dry up, it's the constituents - including a lot of Democrats - who will be screaming the loudest. That doesn't mean they shouldn't move forward, but they're aware of the potential impact on their constituents and are rightly being careful in how they proceed.

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. "Democrats" and "Fear" should not be uttered in the same breath.

If our current elected Dems are cowering before these criminals, we need new, courageous Dems.

[Firestorm49]

23. Damn straight, NRaleighLiberal.

[dalton99a]

26. +1

[Nevermypresident]

36. +1

[Firestorm49]

22. For rear of retribution, for fear we may not win in 2020, for fear of............fill in the blanks.

We're not playing with kids. It's showdown time and Republicans must be laughing their asses off at how sheepish we are, and they don't give a crap.

I sure will rue the day when I hear; "We should have done more."

[FiveGoodMen]

40. From 'Yes, Prime Minister' (1986)

Bernard Woolley:
What if the Prime Minister insists we help them?

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Then we follow the four-stage strategy.

Bernard Woolley:
What's that?

Sir Richard Wharton:
Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.

Sir Richard Wharton:
In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.

Sir Richard Wharton:
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.

Sir Humphrey Appleby:
Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.

[Nevermypresident]

45. +1000

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. Thing is, there has to be a decision. One or the other.

Either all regular work stops and all hands on deck to first rid the ship of the pirates that have invaded, or ignore it and pretend its not happening and instead try and sit down and have discussions on repairing the sails, or the state of the mess with the pirates.

Then one day you have a mutiny, and democracy is gone for good. At least we got those sails fixed, which we'd never have gotten done if sailors and pirates didn't come together for those precious few minutes.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. Turtle Boy is preventing any legislation from being considered by the Senate anyhow,

so how could it get any worse?

[rampartc]

29. if you don't want to ask tough questions

go home and chase ambulances,

[GoCubsGo]

34. Oh, ffs.

The republicans have no intention of passing any sort of infrastructure bill. They had how many fucking years in control of both houses of Congress with nothing passed? GMAFB. There will be nothing for which there will be any retaliation. Grow a fucking spine, already.

[Hortensis]

48. People are afraid, GoCubs, so they make tough noise

and punch verbal walls. Not everyone has the spine for the long haul. But they're your fellow DUers, so maybe go gentle on them?

[JustAnotherGen]

37. I believe

The House has the power of the purse and can inflict pain on Cocaine Chao's office operations.

[sheshe2]

44. "Cocaine Chao's "

Good to see you, JAG!

[shanti]

41. To those fearful Dems

It's your job, dammit! Do it or you will be replaced!

[CaptainTruth]

43. I'm so damn tired of all the stories about Dems being "afraid." It's BS.

This is just more of the "Dems in disarray" BS we saw after the election.

Dems proceed in an intelligent, thoughtful, methodical fashion, conscious of all the factors involved, trying to ensure the best possible outcome for the American people, & the media says they're "afraid" because they don't just go charging in & shit all over the china shop.

Did I mention I'm tired of it?

[Nevermypresident]

47. When Pelosi said "he's just not worth it", a logical response would be what do you

fear?!? What is not worth it?!?

Like it or not, tired or not tired, a lot of pp. are getting frustrated, disillusioned,etc. Every day you see someone giving us the latest #'s on which House Democrat is for or against. We hear about meetings, conference calls where Pelosi is telling Pro-impeachment Dems to hold the line.

The fact is we have mixed messaging from different Dems, no unified front, it's published that Nadler has asked Pelosi TWICE to say yes to Articles of Impeachment only to be shut down, no creative initiatives to educate the 21% of anti-impeachment Dems or the Independant Voters.

I wrote Pelosi twice after the Mueller Report originally came out and said why don't you see if DNC can hit up big donors to hit the airwaves with ads such as:

Reading each and every example of conman obstructing justice as outlined in Part 2 of Mueller report.

A solumn, serious ad bulleting every single time trump has witness tamperd, pardon dangled, advised his cohorts to defy House subpoenas, etc. Ending with the fact that if any of us regular folk broke norms, standards, values, the law, etc. etc. etc....we'd be behind bars or run out of town. That he thinks he and his cronies are above the law.

There are more creative pp. than myself that can do better than my examples. Many voters want concise, hard-hitting, factual soundbites...they are not going to read the Mueller report.

It's all poll driven, tea leaf reading, and putting their finger to the wind. If Pelosi really wanted Impeachment, they would be using whatever mechanism to sway those undecided to her side. Because doing the right thing is not enough apparently.

Instead, I hear crap like "he needs an intervention", "he's just not worth it", blah blah blah. Those comments read to me almost like a joke. This is dead serious business.

[ProudLib72]

46. How about being more angry than afraid? Could we try that?