Originally published at: Rural Health Fund Awarded To All 50 States, But Trump Admin Can Still ‘Claw Back’ Cash - TPM – Talking Points Memo
Rural health systems had already been struggling for years when, earlier this year, they became a legislative focus for President Donald Trump and some GOP congress members. As the president prepared to make the most sweeping cuts to Medicaid and Medicare in the programs’ histories, a handful of GOP senators initially withheld their support for…
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May I have your attention congress
We just invaded a country and kidnapped their president.. CRICKETS!
Did Trump get authority from Congress to attack Venezuela? What we know about the operation targeting Maduro - AS USA
Did President Trump seek authority from Congress to attack Venezuela?
The short answer is no. There is no indication that Donald Trump sought or received advance authorization from Congress before ordering the strikes.
Last month, Trump publicly stated that he did not believe congressional approval was required to launch attacks against targets in Venezuela, including strikes on land. He said he might brief Congress but would not seek formal legal authorization.
In December, Republicans, joined by a small number of Democrats, voted down two separate War Powers resolutions in the House of Representatives that would have required congressional approval for future military action against Venezuela. As a result, Congress did not impose new statutory limits on the president’s authority.
Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. However, the president serves as commander in chief of the armed forces, a role that presidents of both parties have interpreted as granting broad authority to use military force without a formal declaration of war.
The key modern statute governing this area is the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Under the law, the president may introduce U.S. forces into hostilities only in limited circumstances, including a national emergency created by an attack on the United States, its territories, or its armed forces. The Trump administration appears to be relying on this emergency rationale in the Venezuela case.
The law also requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities or into foreign territory while equipped for combat. As of now, there is no public confirmation that such a notification has been submitted.
Ass kisser #1 Mike Lee
@BasedMikeLee
Just got off the phone with
@SecRubio
He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant
This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack
Thank you,
@SecRubio, for keeping me apprised
Quote
Mike Lee
@BasedMikeLee
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Re: Maduro kidnapping. That’s why I’m here, too. Of course it’s an outrage. If Republicans remain true to form, they will do nothing and there aren’t enough Democrats in Congress.
The rest of the world is too justifiably afraid of the United States to do much, either. The biggest military, the most nukes, and a demented old man with innumerable personality disorders and a revenge streak having total control – because of said Republicans who have been doing nothing to restrain him? Doing nothing about anything, for that matter?
Please let this be the straw that breaks the elephant’s back. And let Democrats start reminding voters that this is what you get when you vote Republican – or third party.
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I would like to hope you are right about this… but then I think about our current Democratic leadership and realize… NAH. TRUMP’s justification will be: This was not a military operation it was a police action to bring in an indicted criminal.
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Have no concern. The SCOTUS will surely address this issue sometime within the next 13-20+ months.
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Nixon was beginning his second term in 1973. The toppling of Allende led to multinational reassertion of control over copper, of which Chile had 25% of the developed resource at the time. The capture of Noriega occurred in 1989 at the start of the one-term president George HW Bush, reasserting control over the canal and financial system. Trump is just finishing the first year of his second term when he goes after the world’s largest proven oil reserves. These topplings just seem to be something multinational resource companies like to do with Republican presidents. I fear that we could see other multinational resource grabs such as the US invading Greenland, but other demonstrations of power such as around the First Island Chain. Moreover, China will not be stationary, especially with regards to Russian territory and water resources, Mongolian copper, or Laotian forests. And the Great War in the Congo still simmers to this day. Looking back, however, were these moves worth it. Chile currently has a far-right government dismantling the country’s democratic progress. Panama ranks 144th on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, which is still better than Venezuela’s 178th place ranking. Let’s see what happens, but it probably won’t be the blossoming of a Norway-like democracy and establishment of a transparent national wealth fund (Venezuela has forex reserves and a fund for development, which combined are probably worth $20-25 billion, but no official numbers are available).
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“…states plan to require Trump’s “Presidential Fitness Test” in schools…”
The year’s only 3 days in but that has to be one of the funniest statements of the year 2026.
What does it entail, how many Big Macs you can eat in under a minute?
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Wag the Dog, 20.26. Thugocracy!
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I would be far less upset (Maduro is not very sympathic) if I didn’t think it likely that Don Jr. will be installed in some viceroy type position for Venezuela.
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After ruling on the Shadow (coward’s) Docket that it can proceed. Then the final ruling will be either “no standing” or “hunky dory.”
It’s getting harder and harder to push the Epstains under the rug. The cornered rat is getting more and more desperate.
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This is truly outrageous, but not at all unexpected. He’s out of his frigging mind, Hegseth is in charge of our military and Stephen Miller is planning concentration camps. Oh, wait, they already built a couple. It is time for this brazen failure to “faithfully execute the laws” to end. He has to go.
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They have eliminated all the military leaders that would have said NO to this illegal order. Only sycophants remain.
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We need a No Kings with an actual purpose, beyond frolicking in self-righteous fellowship on a nice day. Marches demanding that Trump be removed from office. Details TBD.
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Peace, love, kindness and understanding through out our Country and the World by the way of torture and murder.
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I think a Don Jr. would last about as long as cottage cheese under the summer sun were he to take the top post in Venezuela. He has the same smarts and hubris as his father.
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“If you happen to live in a community that we disagree with politically, too bad.”
Republicans have no idea what they’re doing.
They would complain if a Democratic President eliminated aid to red states, while keeping aid to blue states, even though Republicans hate government, want to shrink it, and want to get it out of their lives.
Well, cutting federal aid to red states would accomplish everyone’s goal. Let’s help them out and do it.
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What did he do? Was he trafficking children with Jeffrey and Donald?
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The drug tsar with control over the manufacture, testing and distribution of cocaine.
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$50 billion. Over 50 states. Over 5 years. 5% of the total $1 trillion in cuts over a decade. Working on novel invocations of the term band-aid. Math is hard - Barbie, probably. But surely the people of the US, including residents of Alaska and Maine, who are super blessed in their choice of senator, are feeling smacked upside the head… if they read the news (where this was widely reported Monday /s) on a holiday week and if they looked up from the Jack Smith deposition (also /s).
Because Trump 2.0 is all about improving on the travesty that is the Democrat healthcare system. Someday. Somehow. Happy New Year from Not-the-51st State 
where we have universal healthcare and vast rural areas.
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