Friday, April 04, 2025

Salad Pasta in the Kitchen

 Callie notes that it is spring and she hopes that we'll note some good salads this spring and summer.  Agree.  She sets us off on the path with Epicurious' recipe for Salad Pasta:


Ingredients

1 (2.2-oz.) can oil-packed anchovy fillets

1 head of garlic, cloves separated, thinly sliced

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb. penne pasta

Kosher salt

3 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 head of radicchio, trimmed, quartered, leaves separated

1 (5-oz.) package baby arugula

1 cup basil leaves, torn if large

Freshly ground black pepper


Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine anchovies, garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until anchovies have disintegrated into oil and garlic is lightly browned, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

    Step 3

    Remove skillet with anchovy mixture from heat and stir in butter and lemon juice until butter is melted. Add pasta and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and stir constantly until a thick glossy sauce forms, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed.

    Step 4

    Place radicchio in a large bowl. Add pasta and sauce and toss to coat, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed. Add arugula and basil but don’t toss; season with salt and black pepper.

    Step 5

    Divide pasta among plates or bowls, very gently tossing so arugula gets coated in sauce but doesn’t wilt too much.


Here are some of the salad recipes we noted in the spring and summer of 2024:\

"Easy Summer Pasta in the Kitchen"



News?  Aaron Parnes (MeidasTouch News) reports:


In response to the recently imposed 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and parts by the Trump administration, Stellantis NV has announced temporary layoffs affecting approximately 900 workers across several U.S. facilities. The affected plants include powertrain and stamping facilities in Michigan and Indiana.

Concurrently, Stellantis is idling production at its assembly plants in Windsor, Canada, and Toluca, Mexico. The Windsor Assembly Plant, responsible for manufacturing the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and Dodge Charger Daytona, will halt operations for two weeks starting April 7.


That convicted felon is destroying our economy.  When not golfing, of course.  Donald Chump doesn't belong in the White House, he belongs in prison.  This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" for Thursday:


Thursday, April 3, 2025.  Donald Chump attempts to destroy the economy even more, SignalGate continues with new alarming details, Chump's gunning for the VA and veterans, whatever happened to president's putting their holdings into a blind trust, and much more.


Starting with news of an action.  This Saturday.  Tyler, Texas community members asked me to note this which I will gladly.  At the intersection of Broadway and Shiloh Road -- where the Barnes & Noble parking lot is, people will be gathering at 3:00 pm to tell the government hands off.  You can visit this webpage for more information:

Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We are fighting back!

They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨

This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.

A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

These actions will be taking place across the country.  We'll start tomorrow's snapshot with this information as well.  Mike loved being in Tyler during the 2024 campaign and he says (well Elaine says) he'll note it at his site tonight.


Good for Tyler.  Good for the country -- again here's the website and there will be actions across the country on Saturday.


The insane Convicted Felon Donald Chump announced tariffs yesterday evening. 

It is his latest attack on the economy and on the American people.


Stephanie Ruhl, on MSNBC, explained the claim Chump was making for tariffs, "We need to impose these tariffs because other companies have been ripping us off for years, taking advantage of the American people."  That's Chump's claim.  Reality is, as Stephanie explained, far different. 





Stephanie Ruhl: The White House says the 10% tariffs are going to apply everywhere.  Well WIRED and AXIOS pointed out that those taxes include the Heard and McDonald Islands.  You can see right here on the massive list that the administration put out on social media.  But here's what you might now realize.  Those islands?  They're in Antarctica.  They don't produce any exports.  Do you know why?  Because there are not any human beings that even live there.  There's no possible way that they could be taking advantage of us on trade.  What we do not know is if the penguins that live there will retaliate.

 
Stephanie and her guest panel addressed the reality of Chump's claims that this will lead to more things being built in the US.  No.  For increased production you need factories and you're looking at three to five years for those to be constructed.  By which time, Chump will be headed out or already out of the White House.  And his tariffs will most likely leave with him.  His erratic behavior on tariffs has not inspired confidence in the business community.  Who's going to work on constructing new factories for temporary tariffs?  He has no credibility on the topic.


Rachel Maddow also covered Chump's loose grasp on reality.





MSNBC's Rachel Maddow treated viewers on Wednesday evening to a world tour of some of the stranger places that President Donald Trump slapped with tariffs.

The tariffs, part of Trump's so-called "Liberation Day," tax foreign goods from 10 to 49 percent from just about every other country — but, Maddow noted, they also apply to a few places that don't seem to have much trade with the U.S., or even many people at all, for that matter.

"May I introduce you to Jan Mayen Island?" said Maddow. "It is a volcano, volcanic island, mostly covered in glaciers, hundreds of miles from anything else in the Arctic Ocean ... it does have an airstrip, but nobody lives there. Population: zero humans — many polar bears."


"Rest assured, we, the American people, are now protected from the predatory economic piracy of that uninhabited island," said Maddow. "Thanks to our genius strongman ruler who has put the American government to work. Donald Trump has just slapped a 10 percent tariff on Jan Mayen Island, just in case anyone ever moves up there and tries to screw us over with their Jan Mayen Island under-priced exports and stuff."



On Monday and Tuesday, the stock market, an indicator of investor confidence or anxiety, actually rose slightly. This was the result of high-level administration leaks to Wall Street players that today’s announcement won’t be as damaging as you might think and will finally clarify U.S. policy. But today the market is down again, probably because of the wildly different stories out there from Trump’s own economic advisers.

White House trade czar Peter Navarro says the new tariffs would raise $600 billion annually, the largest tax increase since World War II. This would presumably offset other Trump tax cuts, but at massive economic costs.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, more of a dove on the issue, has told lawmakers that the tariffs would be capped and could be negotiated downward. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been trying to reassure Wall Street, but others in the administration find the loudmouth Lutnick irritating, blame him for reinforcing Trump’s tariff obsession, and are setting him up to be the scapegoat. Politico has made a big deal of this (“Trump World Turns on Lutnick”), but its story, widely picked up elsewhere, is based on just two anonymous sources with their own axes to grind.


Senator Patty Murray's office issued the following:

***TODAY: Senate to vote on a resolution to reverse Trump’s tariffs on Canada—Trump’s trade war with Canada, which has resulted in severe, 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on nearly all goods, is already seriously hurting WA businesses and agriculture industry***

Washington state is one of the most trade-dependent states in the U.S., with 40 percent of WA jobs tied to international commerce

Senator Murray: “Trump’s refusal to accept basic economic realities or listen to the desperate pleas of American businesses, farmers, and families who can’t afford his costly tariffs is risking serious economic catastrophe and pushing our country toward a Republican recession.”

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on President Trump’s reckless and sweeping new tariffs, which are expected to go into effect later today and will raise costs, and severely harm Washington state businesses, agriculture, and our overall economy. A recent analysis found that Trump’s tariffs could raise costs on the average American household by $5,200 a year—and these price hikes on working families are coming at the very same time that Republicans are forcing through Congress massive new tax cuts for billionaires.

The Senate will also vote today on a resolution from Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that would reverse Trump’s tariffs on Canada by nullifying the emergency declaration issued by President Trump that underpins them. The resolution requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate and would also need to be brought up and passed in the Republican-controlled House in order to go into effect.

“Trump’s ham-fisted, utterly pointless tariffs are a tax that families in Washington state will pay on nearly everything they buy—whether at the grocery store, the car dealership, or your neighborhood coffee shop.

“We have all the data in the world that tells us exactly how these tariffs will hurt American businesses and push up prices—that’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Trump and his cabinet are choosing to ignore the mountains of evidence we have that tariffs do not work and push ahead because they simply don’t care. They don’t care if small businesses have to close their doors, if farmers lose access to markets, or if prices go up—because it won’t affect Trump and his cabinet full of billionaires.

“Trump’s trade war is an especially deep cut to farmers, fishers, and producers in Washington state—I’ve talked to so many who are absolutely furious that Trump is putting their livelihoods at risk because he cannot seem to grasp the basic fact that they actually rely on international markets to sell their goods. Trump doesn’t have a clue—and businesses in Washington state are already paying the price for his ignorance.

“Today I will vote for Senator Kaine’s resolution to reverse Trump’s disastrous tariffs on Washington state’s largest trading partner, Canada—Trump’s trade war has already forced businesses in Washington state who rely on imported materials and business from Canada to lay off employees and close their doors, and is upending supply chains across the Pacific Northwest.

“Trump’s refusal to accept basic economic realities or listen to the desperate pleas of American businesses, farmers, and families who can’t afford his costly tariffs is risking serious economic catastrophe and pushing our country toward a Republican recession.”

Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce and approximately $60 billion in annual exports. Washington is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—as one example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.

###


The man has lost his mind.  Heaven help this country.  It's no longer just a mad man in control of the country, it's now a mad man who has lost his sanity..


Prior to his announcement of the tariffs late yesterday, the world had already rendered its verdict on Donald Chump.  Evan Williams (TAG 24 NEWS) reports:


 Ex-Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has used a speech to criticize and mock President Donald Trump, and issue a warning to leaders.
Turnbull, who served as Australia's PM from 2015 until 2018, issued a warning that the country's next leader needs to "stand up" better against Trump, even if that means facing a flood of social media abuse.

His comments come days after current PM Anthony Albanese called an election for May 5, 2025.
"They've got to be able to stand up," Turnbull told the National Press Club of Australia on Tuesday.

"If that means they get a brickbat or a Truth Social post saying 'You're weak and ineffectual. You don't know anything about China'... If you're spooked by that you shouldn't be in the job."

As he spoke about a potential Truth Social post, Turnbull imitated Trump and repeated the word "China" in a mocking voice. The impersonation drew laughs from the crowd, who proceeded to applaud.


As Ava and I noted the other day, "MID CENTURY MODERN delivers what is promises, strong laughs, belly laughs.  All Chump ever provides is the punchline to a sick and dirty joke."  Meanwhile TAGTIG reports:


The former Belgian Prime Minister and current European MP Elio Di Rupo has just published an open letter against the American President Donald Trump.

"Dear Donald, you're a dangerous ignoramus. For the United States. And for the rest of the world," writes Elio Di Rupo.

He accuses him of trying to impose his narrow view of the world:

"In Europe, every citizen has their place, regardless of their origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Anti-discrimination policies correct injustices, give everyone a chance, they change lives."

And he continues: "You're putting on a show. Making noise. Creating emptiness. You're defending a world of domination, submission, injustice."


The whole world laughs at Donald Chump.  

And he's not fit for the job.  The security breach (breaches) make this clear.  







Yesterday, Ruth Marcus and  Preet Bharara addressed SignalGate. 





That the breach(es) happened is outrageous enough.  That Chump is unable to hold anyone accountable for it is even more outrageous.   Christopher Sharp (IRISH STAR) notes:



A former staffer under Donald Trump has admitted that he’s “terrified” for national security following the latest round of leaks and scandals by the 47th President’s administration.

Anthony Scaramucci, who acted briefly as the White House Communications Director of Communications in 2017, admitted that he and others were scared about what Trump’s lackadaisical approach to national security meant for the years to come.
He told Katty Kay on their podcast ‘The Rest is Politics US’: “I’m terrified! There are former cabinet officials that I talk to all the time in the Secretary of Defence. Terrified.”

Anthony’s comments came after 'SignalGate' in which national security advisor to the Trump administration Mike Waltz invited journalist Jeffrey Goldberg into a Signal chat group in which he and other senior officials discussed America’s plans to bomb Yemen.


SignalGate is not a one-off.  It is part of the pattern of how this administration operates and how it leaves all of us at rick.  At risk with regards to national security, at risk with regards to our private information including our Social Security numbers.   Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:

Signalgate seems to have been the norm for National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, rather than the exception.

Waltz’s team had set up at least 20 Signal group chats dedicated to discussing international crises, Politico reported Wednesday. His staff “regularly” leaned on the retail app to coordinate work on issues in Ukraine, China, Gaza, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, according to four people that had been added to the chats.
All four sources that spoke with the publication said they witnessed instances of “sensitive information” being discussed, reported Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns.

Waltz’s emerging national security scandals have made him less than popular in the White House. Last month, Waltz made Donald Trump furious by accidentally inviting a journalist to a Cabinet group chat on Signal about bombing Yemen.

In the days after the initial scandal broke, Wired reported that an account sharing the intelligence official’s name had seemingly left his Venmo profile public. In doing so, Waltz disclosed the names of hundreds of his personal and professional associates, including government officials and lobbyists.

Last week, the German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that Waltz was among several senior administration officials that had their personal data, such as account passwords, email addresses, and personal cell phone numbers, listed online.

If that weren’t bad enough, The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Waltz and his team had been relying on Gmail—a platform even less secure than Signal—to discuss “sensitive military positions and powerful weapons systems relating to an ongoing conflict.”

Chump and his administration continue to dismiss this as something minor when it is not.  And this was not their position a few years back.   Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck (CNN) point out:


When Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden faced intense scrutiny for their handling of classified material, top officials now serving in Trump’s Justice Department and FBI demanded criminal probes and severe penalties.

Yet today, those same figures – including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, and DC interim US Attorney Ed Martin – have all declined to publicly criticize senior Trump officials who used Signal to share military attack plans in a chat that inadvertently included a journalist.
The Trump administration has denied any classified information was discussed in the text messages released by The Atlantic about plans to bomb rebels in Yemen, but CNN reported that information shared in the chat was highly classified at the time it was sent.

Bondi, now the country’s highest ranking law enforcement official, vigorously defended the officials who participated in the Signal chat, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and suggested it was unlikely their actions would be investigated criminally. But previously, Bondi argued that both Clinton and her aide Huma Abedin needed to face charges after emails that contained classified information were found on the computer of her ex-husband, former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner.
“This has everything to do with the security of our country,” Bondi said in January 2018 on Fox News. “When you have the top-secret security clearance that Huma Abedin had – you know when you send those emails that you are violating the law, and there is no objective law enforcement officer in this country that would not charge her based on that. Alright? No one.”




The Chump is the champ of corruption.  We see that yet again in the way his administration has attacked the state of Maine. Arthur Delaney (HUFFINGTON POST) reports:

Emails show that the Social Security Administration canceled contracts with the state of Maine as political payback against its Democratic governor.  

A week after Maine Gov. Janet Mills clashed publicly with President Donald Trump at the White House over transgender athletes in girls’ sports, Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of Social Security, asked his staff about what contracts Maine had with the Social Security Administration. 
The agency has vital records contracts with every state, allowing parents to request Social Security numbers for their newborns at the hospital and to verify deaths through an electronic system.

According to emails obtained by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Social Security staff informed Dudek that canceling the contracts “would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft.” 

Dudek told his staff to go for it.

“Please cancel the contracts. While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child,” Dudek wrote, referring to Mills. 

Canceling the vital records contracts would make it more difficult for the federal government to track births and deaths in Maine, hampering efforts to prevent fraud across government agencies, all of which use Social Security records to prevent improper payments.


Here's the press release from Connolly's office on the matter:


Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek calling on him to immediately resign and to come before the Committee for a transcribed interview.  Committee Democrats obtained emails exposing his decision to terminate two contracts between SSA and the state of Maine – knowing that doing so would increase waste, fraud, and abuse – in order to carry out President Trump’s threats against the State after Governor Janet Mills upset him. 

The emails obtained by Committee Democrats show Dudek committed this transgression knowingly and willingly, even calling the Maine Governor a “petulant child” for standing up for her constituents.

“I write with grave concern regarding your decision to punish the people of Maine and undermine the integrity of the Social Security Administration in an effort to further the President’s personal grievances.  On February 27, 2025, you ordered the termination of two contracts between the Social Security Administration and the state of Maine as direct retaliation for statements made by Maine Governor Janet Mills that upset President Donald Trump.  Email documentation indicates that you ordered these contracts terminated even though you knew that doing so would increase improper payments and create opportunities for fraudsters.  The Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration should serve the American people, not create waste, fraud, and abuse on the taxpayer’s dime.  I call on you to resign immediately, and I request that you sit for a transcribed interview with Oversight Committee staff,” wrote the Ranking Member.   

On February 21, 2025, President Trump publicly threatened to retaliate against the people of Maine after Governor Mills refused to bend to his will after he issued a potentially unlawful Executive Order.  He told Governor Mills:  “You’d better do it, because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.”

On February 27, 2025, Acting Commissioner Dudek emailed SSA staff about Maine’s contracts with the SSA.  At 3:30 pm that afternoon, a staff member sent an email warning him, “Terminating the contracts would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft.”  The staffer promised to “provide more information shortly.”  

At 7:09 pm on the same day, Acting Commissioner responded, stating:  “Please cancel the contracts.  While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.”’

Despite reinstating the contracts on March 7, 2025, and claiming that he did not intend to harm the people of Maine, the emails obtained by the Committee show that Acting Commissioner Dudek knew of the negative impacts of cancelling the programs and was willing to hurt the people of Maine and waste taxpayer money to avenge President Trump.  

“The American people deserve answers about your activities and communications in the time between President Trump’s February 21, 2025 public threat to Governor Mills and your February 27, 2025 order to cancel the enumeration at birth and electronic death registration contracts with the state of Maine, and about your knowledge that cancelling these contracts would lead to increased waste, fraud, and abuse.  Please propose convenient dates in April for a transcribed interview with Committee Staff.  You should know that my invitation to sit for a transcribed interview will stand until the interview occurs—even after your resignation,” concluded Ranking Member Connolly.  



Let's move to another topic, Florence Muchai (CRYPTOPOLITAN) reports:


Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) nosedived on Wednesday after a regulatory filing revealed plans for a large stock sale, including the potential sale of US President Donald Trump’s $2.3 billion stake. The update comes against the backdrop of Trump’s upcoming announcement of new trade tariffs, which he has branded as “liberation day” policies.

TMTG, which operates the social media platform Truth Social, saw its stock drop 8% following the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing late Tuesday. 

The document outlined plans to sell more than 142 million shares, including Trump’s 114 million shares, held in a revocable trust controlled by his son, Donald Trump Jr.

Other major shareholders, including US Attorney General Pam Bondi, TMTG Chairman Devin Nunes, and Yorkville, a Cayman Islands-registered company, are also set to offload a combined 134 million shares. In addition, TMTG is issuing 8.4 million new shares to increase the available trading stock.


I'm confused here.  Donald Chump is the president of the United States.  Though he does not treat it as such,  it's a full time job.  You're not supposed to have a side hustle.  I'm remembering both Bushes and every other Oval Office occupant having to put assets in a blind trust to avoid abusing their power of the presidency to profit from the position. 

There are zero checks in balances in place at present, they're all ignored.  And the country is worse for it.


Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger

ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On

***Report HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing how President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless mass firings at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are already harming veterans’ services and health care in Washington state and across the country.

Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs that will undermine critical services our nation’s veterans rely on every day. Senator Murray, a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was among the first to raise the alarm about the layoffs of VA researchers and called on President Trump to immediately reverse the firings. She pressed VA Deputy Secretary nominee Dr. Paul Lawrence on the firings of VA researchers at the hearing on his nomination last week, held a press conference with a VA employee and veteran in Seattle who was abruptly laid off as part of the mass firings with zero justification, and put out a fact sheet on how the indiscriminate mass firings were hurting workers in Washington state, including VA researchers. In January, Murray and others called on President Trump to exempt all VA employees from the hiring freeze issued as part of his Day One Executive Orders.  

The full report is available HERE and below:

National View: The Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately nine million enrolled veterans every year. Washington state alone has around 232,000 veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. Its mission is to provide comprehensive care, support, and benefits to veterans of the United States military and their families. Core VA benefits and services include: health care including medical, mental health, and rehabilitation care; benefits and compensation including disability compensation, pensions, educational assistance, and housing loans; and burial and memorial services, including access to national cemeteries.

Like the rest of the federal government, VA employs high numbers of veterans and military spouses compared to private sector employers. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and the federal government is the largest single employer of veterans in the country.

On February 13, 2024, VA Secretary Collins terminated 1,000 VA employees, including a substantial number of veterans and military spouses, without cause.Then on February 24, Secretary Collins carried out another round of illegal terminations of VA employees. This mass firing brought the total number of fired VA employees to 2,400. Of those fired, a large proportion were themselves veterans and military spouses. On March 4, a leaked internal VA memo showed that Secretary Collins planned to terminate an estimated 83,000 employees – likely including an estimated 20,000 veterans – by the end of September of this year. This plan to reduce the VA workforce to September 2019 levels, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency, its workforce, and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.

These measures will reverse the progress made by the previous Administration, during which VA was able to deliver more care and benefits to more veterans than ever before. It would roll back the progress and massive expansion of care and benefits from the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of VA health care and benefits in decades. These mass firings also threaten to erode recent progress in lowering the veteran unemployment rate, which has been a longstanding, bipartisan priority.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Provides Necessary Services and Has Ripple Effects Across Washington State

Before these mass firings, the VA was already experiencing staff shortages. The recent additional staffing and funding cuts will exacerbate these shortages and negatively impact the care veterans receive.

Former VA employees describe likely irreversible damage to the VA system, including loss of innovation and increased strain on already scarce staff time and resources. 

  • Future Zhou, a disabled Army veteran who worked as an Inventory Manager at the Puget Sound VA Medical Center in Washington state, was abruptly let go due to recent workforce cuts imposed by the Trump Administration. By eliminating inventory management positions, understaffed nurses will now be burdened with additional responsibilities as they work to provide top-notch care with already limited time. Veteran patients will need to wait longer for medication and equipment they need while they are receiving care.
    • “Unfortunately, I was not alone. Five other logistics personnel in our probationary phase were dismissed within hours of me, two mail clerks and three supply techs. The unprofessional manner in which these decisions were executed was incredibly disrespectful. I have since visited my office—because I still receive my care at the Seattle VA—and witnessed firsthand the undue stress and devastation that these indiscriminate firings have caused. Our supply team is now more than seven days behind on placing critical supply requests for medication and equipment in our hospital, and our supply techs have had to cut their night shifts, limiting deliveries to our clinics. I saw nurses going down to the warehouse to collect their own supplies in order to continue to provide quality care to our veterans. I am not confident that the hospital can remain open under these conditions.”
  • Christian Helfrich, who served twenty years with the Puget Sound VA Medical Center as a research investigator, was one of seven research employees laid off because their research terms were not renewed due to the hiring freeze.
    • “In terms of what the effect will be on veterans… it’s not having innovative care developed in the VA, like pulmonary teams using the Electronic Health Record to identify problems for veterans before they happen, preventing things like pneumonia, and it’s not doing things like having people systematically identifying problems with the new Oracle Electronic Health Record… Research is an investment in the future—and if we don’t invest in research today, we are not investing in the future of the VA. And I’ll just add, what’s going on right now isn’t a two-way door where you can tear down the VA and then see what happens, and if you don’t like it, go back to the way it was. This is a one-way door —if we tear it down now, it is going to take years or decades to build back.”
  • Raphael Garcia, a 100% disabled Army veteran and combat engineer, was abruptly fired from his role as a management analyst with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by the current administration.
    • “I swore an oath to serve our country—first in the U.S. Army and then at the VA—only to be suddenly terminated by the very institution that promised to care for those who have served … Removing key personnel, not only delays claim processing, it erodes the institutional knowledge built over years of service, and sacrifices the care and compassion our veterans deserve.”

All three of these VA employees provided essential services to improve the health and lives of veterans. Without these staff and the other dedicated VA employees who were unduly fired, health care access and disability claim decisions will be delayed, services will be eliminated, and overall care for veterans will be negatively impacted.

One veteran, who is a prominent member and advocate in his local veteran service organization, confirmed that these cuts will further stress these systems that veterans rely on.

  • Joshua Schrek is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who now lives in Renton, Washington and serves as a Judge Advocate General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He’s been active in the VFW for over 15 years, previously serving at the post, district, and department levels, including previously being the Department of Washington VFW state Chief of Staff. His comments represent his own views and not those of VFW.
    • “I have received information directly from an employee at the Seattle VA who expressed serious concerns. He shared that his department is responsible for overseeing 46 veteran-facing products and services, including My HealtheVet, Community Care Billing, Enrollment & Eligibility, and the Veterans Crisis Line. Out of 140 authorized positions, only 65 are filled – expected to drop to 59. He also noted that they rely on over 700 contractors, and with contract cancellations happening centrally and without local input, there’s a risk these systems could go offline with no available staff to restore them.”
    • “The situation has the potential to affect not only veterans but also the families who rely on VA support systems. If services like benefits processing, crisis response, and access to medical care are interrupted, it creates stress and instability for those trying to navigate an already complex system. One particularly alarming note shared with me was that if some systems break, they may ‘stay down indefinitely’ due to a lack of technical staff to fix them.”

The Trump Administration is Damaging Veterans’ Access to Care for Years to Come

Trump and Musk are putting the health care and benefits veterans have earned in grave danger. They are firing tens of thousands of people responsible for administering the services and care that over nine million veterans enrolled in VA health care across the country count on—and it’s a breach of the sacred commitment we make to our veterans to take care of them when they return home. These arbitrary mass layoffs, at the very least, are going to mean longer processing times for disability or education claims veterans are desperately waiting on and longer wait times for veterans to see a healthcare provider—to say nothing of the serious threat to patient safety or the threat of VA medical centers closing. For example, the Puget Sound VA already has 40 mental health position vacancies, 14 of which are psychology positions. Firing additional employees will only further decrease access to mental health care. The consequences will reverberate for generations—more veterans sick and unable to get their benefits, more veterans out of a job, and fewer men and women willing to sign up to serve a nation that shows it will not keep their promises to them.

###



 Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Make America A Pigsty Again" went up last night.  The following sites updated:





Posted by at

Thursday, April 03, 2025

Pasta al Limone in the Kitchen

make America a pigsty again

 

That's Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Make America A Pigsty Again" starring the White House pet pig Karoline.  It went up tonight.  Yesterday, Ann posted "No-Boil Baked Ziti Recipe in the Kitchen" and ''Musk tries to buy America and does it on the cheap'' -- the first one went up here as Ann covered for me.  A friend was becoming a grandmother last night.  Her first grandchild and she was worried about a lot of things so I ended up staying with her at the hospital until about two this morning.

Thank you to Ann.  And she noted the race in Wisconsin in her post here last night and she notes it some more in her post tonight "Musk -- born a loser, die a loser."


This is not going to be too much tonight, sorry.  My eyes are so dry.  I need to get some solid sleep tonight.


But yesterday Matteo Lane's Your Pasta Suck A "Coockbook" arrived.  I finally got to look at it about an hour ago. Matteo is a hilarious comedian and he also offers recipes from time to time on YouTube.  I'm a big fan.  


One of the videos he's done is on pasta al limone 



I wanted to make that when the video went up but never got around to it.  So I'm planning to make it tomorrow nights.  The recipe is on pages 127 to 129 of the book.  


I like the book but am too tired to concentrate.  There's a transcript piece, for example, with his friend Nick and others that is funny -- Sarah Brightman's referred to in it.

I plan to do a review of the book on Friday night late or on Saturday.  


Again, long day.  Wish I could write more tonight but my eyes are dry and itching and I can barely keep them open.


This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" for Wednesday:


Wednesday, April 1, 2025.  Another security breach, calls for an independent investigation, administration caught lying about a deportation, and much more.



More than 30 Senate Democrats have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Houthi Signal chat scandal, as the White House insists the case is closed on how a journalist was looped into high-level military discussions.

“In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations,” 31 Senate Democrats wrote in a 6-page Monday letter to Bondi. 

“Given the extraordinary circumstances of this shocking incident and the significant public interests at stake, it is imperative that you immediately appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved violated federal criminal law,”

The lawmakers said appointing a special counsel is “appropriate” in cases where the Department of Justice (DOJ) “may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter.”  


As we noted in yesterday's snapshot, that is only one security breach.  Since yesterday's snapshot, yet another has emerged.  Adam Lynch explains:


The Washington Post broke the story on Tuesday that aides of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have been using commercial email to share information that could pose a risk to the U.S. if revealed to adversaries.

The Post revealed members of President Donald Trump’s National Security Council — particularly White House national security adviser Michael Waltz — conducted government business over personal Gmail accounts, according to documents and interviews with three U.S. officials. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told the paperhe hadn't personally seen evidence of the national security adviser using the Gmail account as described, but he said Waltz's "legacy contacts" have occasionally emailed work-related information to accounts.

“They are so g----n stupid, dangerous and hypocritical,”wrote Democratic National Committee Chief Marketing Officer Shelby Cole on X. Cole referenced the drumbeat of GOP voices calling for the head of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during Trump’s first campaign roughly eight years ago.


They are that stupid.  And the security breaches also include access to personal data of private citizens.  They don't know what they're doing and they protect no one.   The White House is exercising a combination of gross negligence and incompetence.
 

The latest security breach was discussed on MSNBC yesterday. 












The White House has declared the controversy around a Signal chat for a military strike that inadvertently included a journalist to be “closed,” but the episode has left some in President Trump’s orbit distrustful of national security adviser Mike Waltz.

White House officials are eager to move past the controversy, in which Waltz mistakenly added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, to a group of administration officials discussing planned strikes against the Houthis. The White House has offered no specifics on any discipline handed down or protocol changes to avoid future mishaps.




Senator Tammy Duckworth's office issued the following yesterday:

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—along with SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) called out the White House for declaring SignalGate—the most devastating and significant national security breach in years—“case-closed” without holding any senior Administration officials responsible for leaking classified information through an unclassified communications channel, putting the lives of our servicemembers at greater risk. In her remarks, Duckworth called on Republicans to join her in demanding congressional hearings and an independent investigation to look into the Trump officials on the Signal chat—urging her colleagues on the other side of the aisle to remember that they serve the people of this country, not Donald Trump’s ego. Full video of the presser is available on Twitter/X, Facebook and Senator Duckworth’s YouTube.

“It is outrageous that Donald Trump is trying to sweep SignalGate under the rug—declaring this egregious national security breach ‘case closed’ with absolutely no repercussions for anyone involved—after Pete Hegseth and others in the Administration put our troops—and our national security—at even greater risk,” said Senator Duckworth. “If Republicans actually care about our troops like they proclaim, they must do the bare minimum and join me in demanding an independent investigation as well as hearings looking into every official who was on that Signal chat—and Trump must fire Hegseth immediately for leaking classified information. With each second Hegseth remains Secretary of Defense, his incompetence emboldens our adversaries, weakens our national security and makes Americans less safe.”

“The Trump Administration’s reckless Signal chat security breach is appalling and chillingly dangerous to our military men and women,” said Senator Blumenthal. “This shocking and dangerous failure to maintain operational security at the highest levels of leadership demands accountability. While the White House is turning a blind eye to the Trump Cabinet’s carelessness with classified information—claiming it’s “case closed”—many questions remain and the American people deserve answers. Our Republican colleagues need to step up and face up to this breakdown in security that put our pilots at unacceptable higher risk. Until then, I will continue to call for a comprehensive criminal investigation into how this security breach occurred and demand that Secretary Hegseth and Waltz resign.”

“As someone who has planned and executed strikes off an aircraft carrier, I know there is no more sensitive information than the time on target for aircraft conducting a military strike over hostile territory,” said Senator Kelly. “The lack of accountability from those in this chat—and from the White House—isn’t just reprehensible, it’s dangerous. The American people deserve answers, and our servicemembers deserve leadership that protects them, not politics that puts them in harm’s way.” 

“The Signal chat security breach reaffirms what we have known all along—that Trump’s national security officials are fundamentally unfit to serve,” said Senator Hirono. “Sharing attack plans, timing, and targets on devices that may well be compromised by adversaries endangered the lives of our servicemembers. Despite jeopardizing our national security, no one involved in this debacle has offered any assurance that this will not happen again or taken accountability for their actions. That is unacceptable. Democrats will continue working to understand exactly how this grave security breach happened and hold those responsible for this fiasco accountable.”

Since he was first nominated, Duckworth has made it clear that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is unqualified to lead our men and women in uniform. During Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, Duckworth demonstrated some of the areas where he lacks the experience or knowledge that any serious Defense Secretary nominee should have, grilling him on basic questions that he failed to answer. She asked him if he ever led an audit, and he would not confirm. She asked him to describe at least one of the main international security agreements a Secretary of Defense is responsible for leading, and he could not name any. She asked him to name at least one nation that is a part of ASEAN, an organization with several member states that have mutual defense treaties, alliances or enhanced defense cooperation agreements with the US, but none of the three countries he named are part of the organization.

After The Atlantic reported that Hegseth sent classified war plans in a Signal group chat with other Trump Administration officials, putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at greater risk and undermining the effectiveness of the mission, Duckworth released a statement demanding his resignation and calling him a “f*cking liar.”

Last week, Duckworth joined fellow SASC member Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 14 other Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), SASC and SFRC to hold hearings to investigate why members of President Trump’s national security team were recklessly discussing classified military operations on unsecured devices. In the letter, the Senators also criticized the incompetence and carelessness of how these Trump officials mishandled the situation and inadvertently added a journalist to the group chat. Additionally, Duckworth joined Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 12 of her colleagues in demanding answers from President Trump about what disciplinary action will be taken in response to SignalGate and emphasized that the Administration is in direct violation of the Presidential Records Act.

-30-


There needs to be a full investigation and there needs to be accountability.  


Turning to the topic of immigration, Kilmar Armado Abrego-Garcia.  Remember the name.  He is one of many targeted by Donald Chump.  He is one of many who was deported for no real reason.  He was part of the 300 Venezuelans.  Chump lied but he always lies.  He used an 18th century wartime law to justify the deportations  and he did so despite an order from US  District Judge James E. Boasberg blocking the deportation.  Propaganda Pig Karoline Leavitt insisted the court order had "no lawful basis."  Kilmar had a lawful basis to have his deportation considered by a judge before he was thrown out of this country. 


  After JD Vance last year played perhaps the most prominent role of anyone in spreading a baseless claim about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating people’s pets — a claim that drew strong rebukes even from some fellow Republicans — he explained himself thusly.

“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Vance said.

[. . .]


Monday brought some long-anticipated news about the evidence against recently deported migrants. The administration two weeks ago rapidly deported hundreds of them to a prison in El Salvador, many without due process because they were allegedly gang members. It relied on a rarely invoked power that had only been used in wartime. But lawyers and family members for several of the migrants have claimed that their tattoos and other evidence were misconstrued and that they didn’t belong to gangs. That raised the possibility that this lack of due process had landed the wrong people in a notorious foreign prison.

   Well, we’ve now quickly learned that at least one person was indeed sent there in error. The Trump Justice Department on Monday cited an “administrative error” for including on the deportation flights a man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who legally couldn’t be deported to El Salvador.

This proves the administration’s hasty deportation process was indeed prone to the types of errors avoidable through the due process the administration cast aside. It has been just two weeks, and the government has already been forced to admit that a person was wrongfully deported to a foreign prison, while saying he can’t be returned. What are the odds he’s the only one? 




Vice President JD Vance has reacted defiantly to news that a government department deported a man in "error," commenting that it was "gross to get fired up" about the case.
[. . .]
Kilmer Armado Abrego-Garcia, who has a United States citizen wife and a 5-year-old child, was stopped by ICE officers and sent to the prison CECOT in El Salvador, according to legal filings.

Abrego-Garcia, who came to the U.S. at age 16 in 2011 after fleeing gang threats in El Salvador, according to filings, had been detained by ICE in March over his alleged affiliation with the gang MS-13.

This suspected affiliation came from a 2019 incident, according to his attorneys, when an informant made the claim he was linked to gangs. Abrego-Garcia had already filed for asylum, and a judge had withheld his removal to the country, which was a protected status. The judge ruled he could be targeted by gangs if deported.

His lawyers said Abrego-Garcia was not affiliated with gangs and that the government had not produced evidence to prove otherwise.

After Jon Favreau, Barack Obama's former director of speechwriting turned podcast host, called on Vance and other Trump administration figures to comment on X, formerly Twitter, the vice president said that it was "gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported."



The soul-less Miss Sassy fails to grasp that first-in-line on being fired up over Kilmer's deportation is Miss Sassy himself.  As Vice President, he should be outraged by what happened.  Instead, he takes no ownership and he offers no apology.  It goes to the fact that he has no soul.  He has no integrity and he is not fit for public office.  After acknowledging this grave error (which he has still not done), Miss Sassy should have immediately informed the country that the administration was working on securing Kilmer's release from the prison in El Salvador this country put him in and returning him to the United States.

Again, Miss Sassy is not suited to be Vice President.  His refusal to do what now needs to be done goes to his immaturity and his hatred of others.  Matthew Chapman (RAW STORY) observes of Miss Sassy's refusal to take accountability:

Vance also attacked Politico legal reporter Kyle Cheney, who was covering the story, as "unable or unwilling to look at the facts," adding that "in 2019, an Immigration Judge (under the Biden administration) determined that the deported man was, in fact, a member of the MS-13 gang."

Trump, not Biden, was president in 2019.

"Vance is badly wrong here," wrote attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council. "In 2019, a police informant alleged the guy was in MS-13. He spent a year in ICE detention as a result, then won his case. He’s been out for the last five years, married to a U.S. citizen, has two kids, and STILL has no criminal record at all."

"JD Vance needs to work on his reading comprehension because the court document says HE WAS NEVER CONVICTED OF BEING A GANG MEMBER and the Trump administration itself admits he was only deported due to an ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR," wrote political analyst Judd Legum. "This is cruelty and incompetence resulting in moral catastrophe."

"Vance is such a strange breed of liar because it's precisely his appeal to facts and his desire to appear in command of them that trips him up and allows him to be caught," wrote former New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff.



Propaganda Pig Karoline, faced with reality, just continued to lie and squeal as she wallowed in her own slop:


On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the deportation by claiming Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a leader of the notorious MS-13 gang who had engaged in human trafficking. 

“Foreign terrorists do not have legal protections in the United States of America anymore, and it is within the President's executive authority and power to deport these heinous individuals from American communities,” she said.

Just a day earlier, Justice Department lawyers admitted in a court filing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had mistakenly arrested and deported Abrego Garcia, despite being aware that he had been granted a form of protected legal status called “withholding of removal” in 2019 after an immigration judge found he would likely be targeted by gangs for persecution and torture if sent back to El Salvador, the place he’d fled when he came to the U.S. in 2011.


  
We'll wind down with this press release from Senator Patty Murray's office:

ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On

ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate the VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger

*** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Remarks and Questioning HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to consider pending nominations, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, questioned Lieutenant Colonel James Baehr, nominee to be the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Captain Richard Topping, nominee to be Chief Financial Officer at VA. Senator Murray pressed the nominees on the Trump administration’s plans to fire over 80,000 VA employees, and how those cuts will harm veterans’ earned benefits and services. Senator Murray also underscored her concern with how this administration is picking and choosing which laws to follow instead of reviewing compliance with every law Congress passed to ensure care for veterans.

Senator Murray began by emphasizing the sacred oath we make to our veterans, that we will take care of them when they return home, and questioning Mr. Baehr on the impact of mass firing tens of thousands of employees at VA. “I, and many of us, are very concerned about Trump’s plan now to fire over 80,000 VA employees and how that would seriously disrupt veterans being able to access not just their obviously, education benefits, but their disability benefits, their home loan benefits, all that they’ve earned.”

“Do you support those widespread cuts to VA’s workforce?,” Murray asked Mr. Baehr.

Mr. Baehr dodged the question, saying: “I’m not at the VA and have no role in any of those choices or decisions. As an individual who uses VA myself, of course I want to ensure we have the best services and benefits—I also as a veteran want to see the VA improve and I think this entire committee does as well. So, I would review the law, and I would advise the Secretary on following a legal path and pursuing his vision for putting the veteran at the center of all that we do, if confirmed.”

Senator Murray followed up, “Do you think that firing 80,000 people will make it more or less difficult for veterans to get access?”

“I have not looked at the situation myself,” Mr. Baher replied, dodging again. “And I don’t know—I have just read the public reporting on it. I understand there is some exempt positions. The Secretary said that he is focused on care for veterans and making sure veterans don’t lose care or benefits. So, I don’t know where those opportunities for efficiency, or not, exist in this system. My role, if confirmed, would be to ensure that everything we do is lawful and compliant with Title V, Title 38, and other rules and regulations.”

Senator Murray continued, asking Mr. Topping and Mr. Baehr on the ability of DOGE and the Trump administration to pick and choose which laws to follow: “I would just remind all of us that this is a people organization and if we fire 80,000 people, it’s going to be really challenging and difficult—if not impossible—for our veterans to get the care and benefits that they’ve earned… This Committee has worked to pass a lot of really important pieces of legislation that require vital changes at the VA. That includes the Caregivers Program that passed when I was chair of the Committee, as well as the Deborah Sampson Act and of course the PACT Act, which just passed recently. During Secretary Collins’ nomination hearing, he testified that he agreed with providing vital health care and benefits to veterans, and that we have to get it right.”

“However, I just have to say—I have really serious concerns that this administration now is picking and choosing which laws to follow, which means not living up to the promises we have made our veterans and really ignoring the intent of Congress. For example, we know that VA is doing a review to determine whether it is fully compliant with the MISSION Act, but not reviewing compliance with any other piece of legislation. Mr. Topping let me just start with you, is the PACT Act less important that the MISSION Act?”

Mr. Topping responded, “Senator, I think all the legislation passed by this Congress is important.”

“Should VA pick and choose which laws to follow?” Senator Murray pressed.

Mr. Topping replied, “Senator, I think like any organization with limited resources, time, and capabilities, there is always a prioritization, none is more or less important. But I think what the Secretary said he’s doing is—he’s focused on maximizing efficiency, redeploying those resources so they’re front-facing and essential of veterans, and ensuring that the veteran remains at the center of everything that we do. I am not there, I am not exactly sure how the prioritization works, but I understand what the Secretary has articulated his goals to be.”

Senator Murray turned the same question to Mr. Baehr, to which he replied: “I believe that the VA should follow all the laws, and if confirmed I would advise the Secretary on how he can fulfill his role in the best course of action with all the laws and regulations that are passed by Congress.”

“I just have a few seconds left and I just want to ask you, Mr. Baehr, do you think it’s legal for DOGE to have access to veterans’ personal information?” Senator Murray followed up.  

Mr. Baehr responded, “Senator, again, I am not at VA, and I am not familiar with what is going on. I’m just operating with what I have read in the public news. And there are… significant protections for veterans’ information. All three veterans before you, our information is in VA, so we are certainly sympathetic. I don’t want anyone looking at my podiatry records or other…”

“Personal, financial, health, all of that,” Senator Murray interjected. “So, if the Department is given directives by DOGE, or by the White House, that you believe are illegal, will you follow those directives?”

“I will always pursue the Constitution and follow the laws. I don’t believe I will be given illegal directives, but I will always follow the law,” Mr. Baehr replied.

Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been a leading voice in the Seante speaking out forcefully against President Trump and Elon Musk’s mass firing of VA employees and VA researchers across the country and Elon Musk and DOGE’s infiltration of the VA, including accessing veterans’ sensitive personal information. In recent weeks, Senator Murray and her colleagues sent letters to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding that the VA swiftly reverse moves to cut VA researchers, as well as multiple letters pressing Secretary Collins to sever Elon Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and protect veterans, their families, and VA staff from unprecedented access to sensitive information. Senator Murray grilled Trump’s nominee for VA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Paul Lawrence, on the mass firings of VA employees and VA researchers, and voted against Doug Collins’s nomination to be VA Secretary in early February, sounding the alarm over reports of DOGE at the VA and making clear that the Trump administration’s lawlessness was putting our national security and our veterans at risk.

A fact sheet outlining how Trump and Musk are endangering Veterans’ care is HERE.

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The following sites updated:






 

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