From ‘A Book, an Idea and a Goat,’ Andru Volinsky’s weekly newsletter on Substack is primarily devoted to writing about the national movement for fair school funding and other means of effecting social change. Here’s the link: https://substack.com/@andruvolinsky?utm_source=profile-page
By ANDRU VOLINSKY
My country ‘tis of thee.
It’s not so much that Senator Chuck Schumer joined Republicans to adopt a continuing funding resolution (CR) on March 14th. Nor is it that he was joined by nine Democratic Senators to ward off a filibuster, including both Senators Shaheen and Hassan. It is that Democrats in Washington don’t have a plan to combat Trump’s and Musk’s evisceration of our government. The government that protects our land, air, food, water, health, educations, retirement savings, financial systems, international reputation, and national safety is clearly at risk.
The Senate vote caving to Trump’s CR left Democratic colleagues in the House swinging in the breeze. Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries organized his members to take a principled stand opposing a continuing resolution that sets up further breaks for the wealthiest taxpayers at the expense of working people and creates additional opportunities for Trump and Musk to slash and burn our government. All but one Democrat followed Jeffries’ lead. Right or wrong, he had a plan to resist the slaughter.
In this first clear confrontation between Senate Dems and the Trump Whitehouse, Schumer, Shaheen and Hassan set the ground rules. If Trump pushes, they will cave. What will be lost in the battle to overcome this losing stance in the future? Will elected Dems ever be able to avoid being bulldozed?
Sweet land of liberty.
In an awful parody of Pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem First They Came, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS), led by Kristi Noem, dragged green card holder Mahmoud Khalil out of his home in New York in front of his pregnant wife who is a US citizen. They “revoked” his green card on the fly and hid him in a private prison in Louisiana to make it harder for him to communicate with his lawyers in New York and to avoid 2d Circuit court precedent. After a failed search at her dorm, DHS later also found and arrested Leqaa Korda who had overstayed her student visa. Both were students who protested Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza; treatment that resulted in international warrants for the arrest of Israeli leaders to answer for potential war crimes.
Shaheen, Hassan, Pappas, and Goodlander have not issued a syllable of complaint against Trump’s heavy-handed use of DHS to quell political protest, a right protected by the First Amendment—which applies to green card holders.
On March 15th, DHS agents grabbed another green card holder, Fabian Schmidt, a resident of NH. Schmidt was returning to the states from an international trip and, according to his mother, was stripped and interrogated in a holding area at Logan International Airport before being whisked to a detention facility in Rhode Island.
Green card holders, like Khalil and Schmidt, are permanently allowed to live in the US and are entitled to the same rights as citizens. This includes the right to assemble and protest and the right to the due process of law. After five years, green card holders are entitled to apply for citizenship. The waiting period is reduced to three years for green card holders married to US citizens. Being a permanent resident of the US is a status that can only be revoked by a judge. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio cannot revoke a green card holder’s resident status. All they can do is begin proceedings before a judge. Green card holders are entitled to due process of law.
Senators Shaheen and Hassan voted to confirm Kristi Noem to lead DHS and follow Trump’s orders. Most people remember Noem as the governor of South Dakota who executed her dog.
Not all have remained silent in response to DHS’ thuggery. The National Scholars for Justice have called for the release of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Korda. The Scholars statement is here. I have signed the National Scholars statement for Justice. In part, the Scholars’ statement says:
“. . . These violent crackdowns on campus protests are not just about Palestine; they are part of a broader strategy to punish anyone who dares to challenge injustice. This is an existential threat to academic freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of dissent, and the right to protest, writ large. Make no mistake, the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Korda is not just an assault on two individuals, it is an attempt to scare our students and our colleagues into submission. . . .”
Of thee I sing.
The federal government would not have closed had the continuing resolution failed. According to the center-right Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it is the discretionary, non-essential services that cease during a shutdown. “In prior shutdowns, border protection, in-hospital medical care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance have been among the services” that continued. “Mandatory spending that is not subject to annual appropriations – such as for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – also continue[d].” And “[c]ertain programs that are funded through advanced appropriations, such as those within the Veterans Health Administration, have been minimally affected during recent shutdowns.”
So, why allow the Trump Republicans to control the media messaging characterizing a shutdown as the suspension of all government functions?
Who will show leadership at this critical time? What’s the plan?
The NH Democratic Party Squanders its Chance for (New) Leadership
Ray Buckley, the party chair who oversaw a decade of devastating NH Democratic Party election losses, remains the chair. Senators Shaheen and Hassan and Representatives Pappas and Goodlander all backed the status quo. Mat Stover, a retired corporate executive and Rockingham County chair, did slightly better than Emmet Soldati did a few years ago in challenging the chair even though Emmet and Mat are very different kinds of leaders with very different backgrounds. The Party’s insistence on open ballots means Party Chair Buckley knows which scores to settle. I don’t expect to rejoin the Party’s holiday card list anytime soon.
The Last Bake Sale Book
Pre-sales of my book about the tragedy of school funding are going well. Donations to the book fund are also coming in. We now have scheduled book talks in five independent books stores and in three community settings: Henniker, Loudon and Claremont. Check here to buy a book, donate or find out where I am speaking. Let me know if I can come speak in your community. Thanks for your help.
The Last Bake Sale is more than a book. It’s part of a mission to challenge income inequality and to ensure that all of our children have a fighting chance at success in their lives.
Change can happen.