Foreign junkets on hold until politicians work out their differences

dcsports said:

The central issue is the shutdown. Pelosi has made no effort to negotiate this.

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It's not me that finds the house bill unacceptable - it's Republicans and the President. It was a show bill -- she knew it was a non-starter. You are right though, only one side (Pelosi) is refusing to participate in the process.

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Napoleon said:

I’m pointing out the fact that Congresspeople do not conduct official business on behalf of the United States abroad. They are not authorized to negotiate on behalf of the United States, they are not authorized to make official commitments on behalf of the United States, and they are not authorized to serve in any delegation in that capacity unless authorized by the Executive. Besides, we have Ambassadors for that and Nancy isn’t one of them.

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dcsports said:

She's not on state business. She actually can't represent the country unless the President authorizes her to do so. You could say 'government business', but even there, you get into the area of what's necessary.

Again, it's a red herring. No one said Pelosi couldn't use government aircraft for travel within the US, as she's entitled to by her position. (Technically, she could probably even take it outside the US at her discretion). That's different than taking a delegation overseas. Now, if Melania decides to fly to France with 40 of her closest friends for a vacation, you could rightly argue hypocrisy.

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party free said:

Why would you say something so laughably untrue? Pelosi's house passed a bill. Dems, over the last year, have attempted to be part of the process and have indeed offered multiple compromises to give Trump some of the money he wanted. It was never enough.

Trump wants some wall money, then he needs to reopen the government and then start negotiating on the wall. The livelihoods of those not being paid for the work they're doing is not related to the wall.



Pelosi and her house participated. Mitch refuses to get off the bench. He's taken his ball and went home. By refusing to even consider the House's bill to reopen the government, the senate, and by proxy Trump, are not participating.

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party free said:

Melania took a gov't plane for a funsies trip. Pelosi was going to take one to do some work. Trump let his queen have her vacay, and refuses to let Pelosi do so as a gotcha.

That's hypocrisy, whether or not you choose to acknowledge it.

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party free said:

She's required to travel to mar a lago to live? Oh, please explain. Is she having major surgery there or something and must go?

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party free said:

Yet one L. Grahamnesty is off on a trip in an official capacity right now. Weird.

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dcsports said:

She passed a budget that wasn't acceptable - and she knew it. Obviously, spending wasn't a concern for her - she increased that. She made no attempt to negotiate the central issue.

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Napoleon said:

The Speaker isn’t authorized to represent the United States in meetings with foreign officials so there was no official business. As for Melania, the Secret Service would never allow the first family to fly commercial.

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Sampson Simpson said:

Unacceptable to whom? Trump? Then you are admitting its Trumps fault. He can't get his wall funding any other way, couldn't get it with 2 years of house and senate republican control. You have to be trolling

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Sampson Simpson said:

You are either lying to be a hack or woefully misinformed. This is official government delegation that has been in the planning for months to visit NATO allies and troops in Afghanistan, the troops Trump has never visited

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PeteEU said:

The Dems spending in San Juan helps the local economy... Mrs Trumps trip only puts more money into Trumps pockets.

Sent from my Honor 8X using Tapatalk

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Napoleon said:

Congressmen and Senators can rocket around the world with great fanfare as dignitaries, but they are not conducting official business on behalf of the United States.

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party free said:

You can call it whatever you want, but when Grahamnesty is allowed to go do what business he wants on a government plane, Melania is allowed to vacation on a government plan, and Pelosi isn't, that's hypocrisy.

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dcsports said:

This has been covered. She didn't participate, beyond some showmanship.

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She's the one that needs to come to the table, and hasn't. Republicans / Trump have shown a willingness to compromise -- they even gave in on hundreds of billions on the last budget in an exchange for a promise to 'work on it'.

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dcsports said:

Sigh.

Pelosi was going on a PR trip, that required significant resources and logistical effort.

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Showing the flag for the troops isn't bad in itself, but its unnecessary now, when there is a budget crisis.. And NOW, she has a job to do in Washington.

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Napoleon said:

Graham flew commercially. Pelosi can do the same.

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“In the middle of the night, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provided an updated threat assessment detailing that the President announcing this sensitive travel had significantly increased the danger to the delegation and to the troops, security, and other officials supporting the trip,” continued Hammill. “This morning, we learned that the Administration had leaked the commercial travel plans as well.”

“In light of the grave threats caused by the President’s action, the delegation has decided to postpone the trip so as not to further endanger our troops and security personnel, or the other travelers on the flights,” said Hammill. “Whether here or abroad, the Speaker always thanks our troops, diplomats and intelligence community for their heroism and service. The Speaker commends her colleagues on the delegation, who personally and officially have dedicated their lives to protect and defend the American people.”

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party free said:

She planned to, but due to the potential danger of trying to fly commercially INTO A WAR ZONE, this became impossible once Trump opened his yapper.



https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/11819/

Grahamnesty wasn't flying into a warzone.

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party free said:

This has been covered. She and the house she presides over have passed two bills. That's participation. Refusing to allow those bills to come up in the senate vote a vote is not participation.



This has been covered. Trump has been offered MULTIPLE compromises over the last year+ regarding border security, and he and McConnell have rejected every single one. That's just taking the ball and going home.

Trump and McConnell are not participating. And it's how McConnell has been running the senate for years now-just don't bring up things to a votes that Rs would vote down and look bad in the process...or that might actually pass because of Rs crossing over.

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party free said:

And all those resources and effort had already been put forth, as they were about to depart just moments before Trump canceled.



So Trump is allowed to go for a secret Christmas photo op during the shut down, but Pelosi isn't allowed to go to Afghanistan to do her job. Got it.

She has tried to do her job. Her house has attempted to open the government. McConnell and Trump are keeping it closed.

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marke said:

Trump shut down Pelosi's planned all expense paid overseas junket to Brussels and Afghanistan due to the shutdown. The government shutdown just keeps on yielding cost saving results. These savings are not hurting America.

Junkets cost money. Big money. Taxpayer money. Politicians sometimes seem to not feel the pain taxpayers experience when forced to fork over that money. The Guardian ran an article on Obama's travel in 2011, entitled

Barack Obama's European baggage: the full kit and caboodle https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/23/barack-obamas-european-baggage-kit

Any foreign tour by a US president brings with it hundreds of people and tonnes of equipment. ...

Packing for a foreign trip is tricky enough at the best of times. So pity those planning Barack Obama's week-long European jaunt, a visit involving an entourage of anything up to 1,500 people and numerous tonnes of vehicles and equipment.

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dcsports said:

She passed a budget that wasn't acceptable - and she knew it. Obviously, spending wasn't a concern for her - she increased that. She made no attempt to negotiate the central issue.

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Deuce said:

Wasn't acceptable? The senate voted 100-0 on a bill without wall funding.

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Airyaman said:

I'm sure that is what Trump had in mind when he signed the letter he didn't bother to read.

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dcsports said:

This is a red herring, and a clear indication that the left doesn't have a defense on this. Of course, the first Lady is entitled to transportation due to security concerns - as is Nancy Pelosi. Mar-a-lago is an established, known, and easily secured location. There's a difference between transporting a key individual within the US, and a full delegation of people overseas. Not to mention, Pelosi has some work to do.

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