President-elect Donald Trump appears to be building a prosperity-gospel Cabinet for himself. From the Washington Post:
***
Politico.com reports that Republicans in Washington, after a quick vote to repeal Obamacare, may push the actual end of the program to a date beyond the 2018 mid-term elections:
Congressional Republicans are setting up their own, self-imposed deadline to make good on their vow to replace the Affordable Care Act. With buy-in from Donald Trump's transition team, GOP leaders on both sides of the Capitol are coalescing around a plan to vote to repeal the law in early 2017 — but delay the effective date for that repeal for as long as three years.
***
Former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont, has an op-ed column in today's Washington Post, arguing that those 1,000 Carrier jobs that President-elect Donald Trump claims to have saved could come at a steep price if the practice catches on:
He was insisting on very steep tariffs for companies like Carrier that left the United States and wanted to sell their foreign-made products back in the United States. Instead of a damn tax, the company will be rewarded with a damn tax cut. Wow! How's that for standing up to corporate greed? How's that for punishing corporations that shut down in the United States and move abroad?
***
At a House committee meeting this week, state Rep. Betty Price, R-Roswell, addressed the coming race to replace her husband, Tom Price, in Congress. Price is President-elect Donald Trump's pick for sercretary of Health and Human Services.
"Hold onto your seats. It's going to be a bumpy ride," Betty Price said.
The Roswell state legislator is still considered a contender for the seat, although we hear it's unlikely as family friend Karen Handel, the former secretary of state, has inched closer to her own announcement. You can find the video of Price's comments on Todd Rehm's Georgia Pundit site.
By the way, we're hearing that Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul is renewing his interest in the 6th District seat, too.
***
On that same topic, Charlie Harper has a short explainer on why sitting lawmakers and other elected officials eyeing U.S. Rep. Tom Price's seat will have to resign to run. From his GeorgiaPol.com column:
"The office of any state, county, or municipal elected official shall be declared vacant upon such elected official qualifying, in a general primary or general election, or special primary or special election, for another state, county, or municipal elective office or qualifying for the House of Representatives or the Senate of the United States if the term of the office for which such official is qualifying for begins more than 30 days prior to the expiration of such official's present term of office."
So, let's apply these fairly specific words to the expected special election for Congressman Tom Price. The seat is in the House of Representatives, and that's clearly mentioned as an office for which one must resign to run for. Those affected would be any County Commissioner, City Council Member, State Rep, or State Senator, etc. Pretty much any elected current office holder rumored to be looking at the race.
Which means that the field is likely to be a good bit smaller than the current list of potentials indicates.
About the Author
