Tag: Freshman

They have pressed for an ambitious and costly climate change proposal that would eliminate the use of fossil fuels in 12 years and provide a job to anyone who wants one. Ms. Pelosi has curtailed many of the insurgent progressives’ demands. Their savvy, almost Trumpian use of social media may not pass a national health plan or a 70 percent income tax bracket, but it has helped muscle the policy conversation into the national discourse, and has nudged the party to the left. Representative Jackie Speier of California, one of the more senior women in the House, praised the new women for “invigorating the Congress” and “having the guts to say these rules don’t make any sense.” Nodding toward their tools of communication, she added, “I think what we’ve learned from President Trump is that people like authenticity.” The comparison to Mr. Trump may rankle, but their policy proposals bring to mind the Tea Party class of 2011, whose hard-right positions moved the Republican Party by making traditionally conservative proposals seem more moderate. “If I have any say to what happens legislatively, it’s that we get something done.” Several of the freshman proposals are not particularly new. For years, liberals have demanded greater attention to climate change. 2 House Republican. But Ms. Ocasio-Cortez won’t be leading the climate change panel. In an interview, Ms. Castor had only praise for the freshmen’s efforts on climate change, calling them “transformative.” “Part of the message is, ‘No way, we do not have time for climate deniers, and we’re going to press on,’” she said. This is our moment, and we need this youthful energy.” But Ms. Castor has history to worry about.

But he gets poor marks for his handling of health care, the national debt and foreign relations. Overall, 35 percent who would give him an “F” — slightly more than the 34 percent of voters who would give Trump an “A” or “B” grade for his first year. The remaining voters give him a “C” (14 percent) or a barely-passing “D” (11 percent), and 5 percent have no opinion. Men are more positive toward Trump’s performance thus far: 38 percent give him an “A” or “B,” while 42 percent give him a “D” or “F.” Among female voters, fewer than a third, 31 percent, give Trump an “A” or “B,” while half, 50 percent, think he should get a “D” or “F.” Perceptions of Trump’s performance also break sharply along partisan lines. Just 27 percent would give Trump high marks — an “A” or “B” — while roughly twice as many, 45 percent, would give him a “D” or “F.” Trump’s overall marks were higher the last time the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll asked voters to fill out his report card — as he approached the 100-day mark in April of last year. At that point in his presidency, 39 percent of voters gave him an “A” or “B,” while only 37 percent gave him a “D” or “F.” But while his overall grades have declined markedly between day-100 and day-365, Republican voters are happier with his performance now, the poll shows. "Despite a tumultuous first year in office, our polling shows an uptick in Republican voters who think Trump is doing an excellent job as President,” said Morning Consult co-founder and Chief Research Officer Kyle Dropp. “In mid-April, 33 percent of Republicans said they would grade Trump’s presidency an ‘A,’ compared to 43 percent of Republicans who said they would give him the same grade today.” Trump’s best subject, per his report card, are the economy, jobs and fighting terrorism. Roughly half of voters (49 percent) give him a “D” or “F,” while only a quarter (24 percent) give Trump an “A” or “B.” In what might be a warning sign, Trump earns low marks on some core Republican issues. Only 33 percent give him an “A” or “B” thus far on international trade, compared to 40 percent who give him a “D” or “F.” Few voters think Trump has changed the culture of the nation’s capital: Only 22 percent give him an “A” or “B” on “draining the swamp,” while nearly twice as many (42 percent) think he deserves a “D” or an “F.” Trump is only a quarter of the way into his term as president, and voters are divided along partisan lines about his remaining time in office.

If there is one thing freshman state Sen. Justin Wayne remembers from this year's legislative session, it was the importance of voting. Wayne, who represents the 13th district in Omaha, introduced a bill in January that would have taken away a two-year wait to vote for released prisoners with felony convictions. In spite of that, Wayne said Saturday in a keynote speech at the NAACP Lincoln Branch's 36th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet that Nebraskans must continue to encourage voting rights. "We have a president who I believe is going to lead us down a very destructive path," the Democrat said. "We chose not to go to the polls. We chose not to make sure our friends went to the polls. We have to make sure next election that doesn't happen." Saturday's banquet, held at The Graduate hotel, recognized local leaders "who are helping our community to become a more just and welcoming community for all," said NAACP chapter president Jeannette Jones Vazansky. "The NAACP and other organizations in this community were here long before the current administration and will be here long after that administration," Beutler said.