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Written by Billy Mitchell Apr 17, 2020 | FEDSCOOP

Several Democrats on Capitol Hill have condemned the White House for not openly participating in an inspector generals investigation of the militarysJoint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI)commercial cloud contract.

TheOffice of the Inspector General issued along and sweeping reporton its nearly yearlonginvestigation into the $10 billion JEDI contract, which the Pentagon awarded to Microsoft last fall. In it, theDepartment of Defensewatchdog found evidence of ethical misconduct and the improper sharing of proprietary information with competing companies, among other things.

The part that didnt sit right with Democrat lawmakers, however, was the White Houses refusal tospeak with the IG regardingthe Trump administrationsalleged inappropriate interference with the contract evaluation and award process a claim that is at the heart of losing bidder Amazon Web Services ongoingprotest of the contract.The White Housedid not allow staff to speak with investigators, claiming presidential communications privilege, and the Pentagons general counsel instructed senior DOD leaders not to discuss any communications they may have had with the White House.

Despite that, the IG determined the evidence we received showed that the DoD personnel who evaluated the contract proposals and awarded Microsoft the JEDI Cloud contract were not pressured regarding their decision on the award of the contract by any DoD leaders more senior to them, who may have communicated with the White House,

This led many lawmakers and other experts to questionhow the IG could determine with crystal-clear certainty that the White House didnt, in fact, taint the contracts award to Microsoft. Even the IG says in its report: We could not definitively determine the full extent or nature of interactions that administration officials had, or may have had, with senior DoD officials regarding the JEDI Cloud procurement, which prevented it from reviewing the matter fully.

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, thetop Democraton theSenate Armed Services Committee, called the report troubling and incomplete.

It offers yet another example of the presidents efforts to inappropriately pressure federal agencies, Reed said. He went as far as to suggest that President Trumps recent removal of acting DOD Inspector General Glen Fine had to do with his tough probing of Pentagon matters, such as this one. Mr. Fines removal now appears connected to his willingness to do his job and ask hard questions.

Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told FedScoop the reports findings that DOD personnel werent pressured is good news. However, the White Houses refusal to participate in the investigation makes it impossible to know if the administration attempted to interfere at a high level,the Washington state Democrat said.

Unfortunately, the reports findings are stained by the White Houses refusal to cooperate in this investigation by once again invoking broad claims of executive privilege, Smith said. This administrations complete disregard for independent oversight is further highlighted by the Presidents recent firing of the Departments acting Inspector General. I commend the Inspector General for completing a thorough inquiry under challenging circumstances and I look forward to the Department moving forward in development of critical cloud computing infrastructure.

Smiths minority counterpart Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, didnt touch on the White Houses involvement in the investigation. The JEDI program is vital to our national security, he told FedScoop in an emailed statement. Now that the IG report is complete, it is imperative DOD move forward.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the matter is corruption is in plain sight, while pointing out Trumps well-documented disdain for Amazon and its owner Jeff Bezos.

When hes not firing Inspector Generals, Trump is obstructing their investigations. Here, hes hiding communications about a DOD contract for Amazon, a company Trump has repeatedly tried to punish because its founder owns the Washington Post, Schiff tweeted.

FedScoop reached out to other top Republicans on the Armed Servicespanels but they declined to comment.

The Pentagon took the report to be a final blow surrounding the JEDI cloud saga.The Inspectors General final report on the JEDI Cloud procurement confirms that the Department of Defense conducted the JEDI Cloud procurement process fairly and in accordance with law, a Pentagon spokesperson told FedScoop in an emailed statement. This report should finally close the door on the media and corporate-driven attacks on the career procurement officials who have been working tirelessly to get the much needed JEDI Cloud computing environment into the hands of our frontline warfighters while continuing to protect American taxpayers.

The same day as the reports release, Microsoft published an official blog post attributed to Jon Palmer, deputy general counsel, in which he fired shots at Amazon for its continued protest of the contract. Amazon did build its pricing for the entire procurement, and it wasnt good enough to win, Palmer writes. And now it wants a re-do. Thats not good for our war-fighters. Thats not good for confidence in public procurement. Thats not good for anybody but Amazon.

Amazon, however, has more questions than answers after the release of the IGs report.

This report doesnt tell us much. It says nothing about the merits of the award, which we know are highly questionable based on the Judges recent statements and the governments request to go back and take corrective action, an AWS spokesperson told FedScoop. And, its clear that this report couldnt assess political interference because several DoD witnesses were instructed by the White House not to answer the IGs questions about communications between the White House and DoD officials. The White Houses refusal to cooperate with the IGs investigation is yet another blatant attempt to avoid a meaningful and transparent review of the JEDI contract award.

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Democrats sound the alarm on White House's 'refusal to cooperate' in JEDI investigation - FedScoop

Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday strongly denounced President TrumpDonald John TrumpMichael Cohen to be released early from prison amid coronavirus pandemic: report Biden assembling White House transition team Top Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation MORE's decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, saying that it ignored the administration's own mistakes in its response to the global pandemic.

While speaking at a briefing on the White House lawn, Trump said that the administration would halt funding for the WHO pending a review of the organization's "role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."

The president claimed that theinternational body, which is part of the United Nations, "failed to adequately obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion" and targeted the group over its opposition tolarge-scale travel restrictions.

Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump turns to lawmakers to advise on reopening Trump taps members of Congress to advise on reopening Can the Trump administration prevent asylum-seeking aliens from entering the US during COVID-19? MORE (Vt.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that the move "makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in."

"The White House knows that it grossly mishandled this crisis from the beginning, ignoring multiple warnings and squandering valuable time, dismissing medical science, comparing COVID-19 to the common cold, and saying 'everything will be fine,'" Leahy, who also serves onthe subcommittee overseeing foreign operations, added. "Not wanting to take responsibility as the deaths continue to mount, he blames others."

Sen. Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzUN head responds to Trump: 'Not the time' to reduce funds for WHO Democrats blast Trump's move to suspend WHO funding Democratic senators want to create panel to determine how to reopen country MORE (D-Hawaii), an outspoken critic of the president, said in a tweet that the announcement felt like a "distraction." Sen.Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyOvernight Health Care: Trump to release guidelines on easing social distancing on Thursday | Trump WHO cuts meet blowback | Officials warn of lack of testing supplies | Global cases surpass 2 million Trump WHO cuts meet with furious blowback China hawks flex muscle amid coronavirus fallout MORE (D-Conn.) called ita "grade school caliber attempt to deflect attention from his China fawning and his ongoing negligence since."

"He wants this to be about other countries so he doesnt have to explain why South Korea and the USA got hit with their first cases at the same time, but South Korea prevented mass deaths,"Schatz added.

Sen. Tina SmithTina Flint SmithWarren, Smith call for B to rescue child care centers amid drop in attendance Democrats blast Trump's move to suspend WHO funding Democrats call for pollution reduction requirements in any aid for airlines, cruises MORE (D-Minn.) and Reps. Karen BassKaren Ruth BassDemocrats blast Trump's move to suspend WHO funding Biden congratulates Trump on implementing Defense Production Act House Democrats press Barr to protect inmates from coronavirus MORE (D-Calif.) and Jess Garca (D-Ill.) echoed those remarks, with Bass callingthe movean "abdication of international responsibility and leadership."

"International cooperation on public health has never been more critical," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffKrystal and Saagar debate former Clinton advisor on Biden's electability Schiff throws support behind Biden Democrats blast Trump's move to suspend WHO funding MORE (D-Calif.) tweeted. "Freezing funding for the WHOwill only make it worse."

The U.S. is the biggest contributor to the WHO's budget in the world. Trump'sfiscal 2021 budget request proposed cutting funding from $122 million to about $58 million.

Amid scrutiny over his administration's own response to the outbreak, Trump earlier this month began targeting the WHO and suggesting that it hid information about the severity of the disease when it first began spreading in China. Republican lawmakers have vocally supported the president's position, with Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamGraham: 'You really can't go back to work until we have more tests' Democratic challenger outraises Graham in South Carolina Senate race China hawks flex muscle amid coronavirus fallout MORE (R-S.C.) last week vowing to end funding for the WHO under its current leadership.

Leahy acknowledged that the WHO made mistakes in its early response, saying that it "could have been stricter with China and called for travel restrictions sooner." But he argued that the group is serving an "essential function" right now and needs U.S. support.

Read more:
Democrats blast Trump's move to suspend WHO funding | TheHill - The Hill

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Originally posted here:
Letter to the editor: Democrats don't automatically win in Westmoreland - TribLIVE

Michigan residents are getting restless as the coronavirus pandemic grows more political in Michigan by the day.

There were grumbles about Gov. Gretchen Whitmers first stay-at-home order in March. But prolonging the order through April 30 has angered Republican legislators and others who are itching to restart the economy.

The governors order only allows essential workers to continue working outside their homes. But Republicans are pleading to let businesses that pose minimal risks of spreading COVID-19 to re-open.

"We expected that the governor was going to exercise some common sense with things that could be performed very safely, said State Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte. Instead, she went the opposite direction and further restricted freedoms.

Tensions spilled out onto the steps of the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday, April 15, as people protested Whitmer and her stay-at-home order throughout the afternoon, in cars and on foot in an event dubbed Operation Gridlock.

It was organized by conservative groups and with grassroots support -- protesters boasted Trump flags and MAGA signs and some Republican lawmakers signaled support, including House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering.

But it drew ire, too, from people who criticized the protesters for gathering in a large group and not observing recommendations for masks or social distancing.

And one person it didnt sway was Whitmer.

While some Republicans are asking Whitmer to weigh public health and the economy equally, she said in a press conference this week all of her decisions are driven by the central question, How do we save lives?

Think about the 1,602 Michiganders whove died from COVID-19, Whitmer said on Monday. While some of us are grieving the loss of our freedom, theyre grieving the loss of their loved ones.

Republicans, businesses urge changes

Examples of sectors Republicans want reopened include landscaping companies, greenhouses, golf courses, realtors, construction and more.

Shes a smart lady, she could convene the business groups and the interest groups and look at what occupations, what activities could be done in a safe, social distancing manner," said Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona.

"For example, yard maintenance, marinas, dock installation, landscaping many, many things can be done while taking this virus extremely seriously.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce has also said the state can protect the public health and the economy at the same time be reopening some businesses.

Whitmer and health experts disagree with the timing, saying its too soon and would jeopardize lives.

"This is not the time to take a risk," said Teena Chopra, infectious diseases specialist for the Detroit Medical Center. "We are not at a stage where we can start doing the activities we used to do before, whether it is socializing, playing golf and even grocery shopping."

Another Republican criticism is Whitmers order is stripping Michiganders of the fundamental freedoms theyre entitled to, Barrett said.

Residents know the risks, he said. Its time to let people weigh those risks for themselves, instead of letting Whitmer and the overzealous attorney general keep people under house arrest, Barrett said.

"My own kids weren't allowed to go see their grandparents on Easter because of our governor and our attorney general," Barrett said. "And to me, that's a sad circumstance."

Barrett likens it to vehicle crash deaths. Even though there are thousands annually across the U.S., lawmakers allow residents to weigh the risks for themselves.

"We don't tell people they have to stay home and can't drive a car," Barrett said. "We don't set the speed limit at 25 mph on the freeway."

Is it politically advantageous to attack Whitmer?

Republicans arent criticizing the governor for just economic reasons but also political ones, said TJ Bucholz, president and managing partner of Vanguard Public Affairs.

Whitmers name is becoming a household Democratic name across the nation, as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has said Whitmer is on his list of possible vice president picks.

She also gave the Democratic response to Trumps State of the Union address in February. Trump referred to Whitmer as that woman from Michigan in a recent interview, and told Vice President Mike Pence not to call her as she asked for supplies to battle the coronavirus.

Whitmer believes Republicans are using the stay-at-home order as a pretense to politically attack her, calling out Wednesdays protest for being a political rally. Science and data should drive decisions, she said, not politics.

Im not focusing on politics, Im trying to save lives, here," Whitmer said. The enemy is the virus, not one another. We have to keep that straight.

Many Republican lawmakers and groups have expressed support for Whitmers actions, Bucholz said and all are saying social distancing of some kind needs to be maintained.

But Bucholz has seen a correlation between people who are anti-quarantine and people who are anti-Whitmer. And for Republican legislators in dark red districts, it could be an advantage to criticize the stay-at-home order.

"The people of Michigan have already been hunkered down for three weeks and with no end in sight," Bucholz said. "I think you're seeing those frustrations bubble to the surface. I do think some of this is partisan."

Both Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake and Chatfield have written opinion pieces for publications in recent days attacking the governor. Shirkey called it absurd that Michiganders can buy marijuana but not flowers. Chatfield dubbed the stay-at-home order illogical.

However, Michiganders as a whole are supportive of Whitmer during the pandemic, according to a recent poll from the Center for American Progress, a progressive Washington think-tank. Of the 303 voters polled, 71 percent approved of how Whitmer is handling the crisis. Of the respondents, 44 percent were Democratic and 40 percent were Republican.

Those polled also said they trusted Whitmer more than President Donald Trump to provide accurate information during the pandemic, with 55 percent trusting Whitmer more and 28 percent trusting Trump more.

Another idea from Republicans is to open parts of the state that arent heavily affected by the virus. The 23,000-resident Antrim County shouldnt be treated the same as Wayne County, which has 1.75 million residents, Cole said.

Cole sent multiple letters to Whitmer in recent weeks, saying northwest lower Michigan shouldn't be "painted with the same brush" as southeast Michigan. Cole hasn't received a response, he said.

"It's beyond frustrating and very unprofessional for her to not respond to a top member of leadership in the house," Cole said.

Regionalizing how the state is responding to the virus is a bad idea, Chopra the infectious disease specialist argues. The virus can be passed along through people who have no symptoms, making it hard to tell how prevalent COVID-19 is without more testing, she said.

Areas with lower case totals shouldnt be celebrating that theyre out of the woods, Chopra said. They should be thankful they can take precautions now to thwart disease transmission before it gets out of control.

(Residents) cant afford for anyone to play fast and loose with the rules and make exceptions for certain parts of the state, Whitmer said. Because of course, COVID-19 doesnt observe county lines.

Opening too quickly could endanger lives

The debate about when its safe to reopen the economy is not a new one. Michigan lawmakers faced the same questions and made some of the same arguments as today during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.

When Detroit reopened for business less than three weeks after the shutdown in 1918, it led to a second spike in influenza deaths. Reopening too early this time will also lead to a second wave of cases and deaths, said Joneigh Khaldun, Michigans chief medical executive, at a press conference Monday.

Data shows economic rebounds are slower post-pandemic when social distancing and careful reopenings arent done right, she said.

While COVID-19 cases in Michigan seem to be plateauing, that doesnt mean its time to reopen the state, Chopra said. Knowing were ready doesnt just mean looking at case totals and death numbers, she said.

Michigan needs to test asymptomatic people and experts must better understand infected people will have antibodies that make them immune in the future, she said.

For now, Whitmer has been rigid on her stance that stay-at-home order exceptions wont be made. But allowing some low-risk businesses to reopen could be how Michigan transitions to the next stage once were ready.

"We will get to that point," Whitmer said, of allowing exceptions to the order. "But we are not there yet."

But the political battle is far from over. Its in the hands of the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature to decide in the next couple weeks if Whitmers emergency powers should be extended beyond April 30.

Some Republicans are already indicating they dont want to extend the state of emergency, which would handcuff Whitmers ability to extend the stay-at-home order further.

I dont want to get into a hypothetical situation of where we will be at on April 30, but I continue to converse with the governor on a daily basis, Chatfield said. Im encouraged by the talk, but Id be pleased with action."

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.

Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.

Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here

When and how will it end? Considering the end-game for Michigans coronavirus crisis

Whitmer says shes disappointed in coronavirus stay-at-home protest, but supports free speech rights

Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol

All but one county in Michigans Lower Peninsula have a reported coronavirus case; 153 more deaths

6 reasons Michigan has four times more coronavirus cases than Ohio

Michigans deadliest year: Look back at 1918 flu pandemic

Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine

4 Northern Michigan sheriffs wont strictly enforce Whitmers vague framework of emergency laws

Peek Through Time: Flu epidemic of 1918-19 ravaged Jackson, Michigan and world

Go here to see the original:
Republicans, Democrats at odds about who should return to work and when - MLive.com

Gilens, Page and their critics basically agree on the same set of facts. Their differences emerge from their conflicting interpretations of those facts.

Take the enactment of Obamacare. For Gilens, the final legislation reflects the failure of the Democratic Party to achieve progressive goals:

In 2009, with unified Democratic Party control and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, the Democratic Party failed even to include a public option in Obamacare, much less establish a health insurance program that would cover all uninsured Americans.

The Affordable Care Act, Gilens continued, is one illustration of the power of interest groups in constraining Democratic Party policy.

Critics of Gilens argument contend that enactment of Obamacare marks the first major downwardly redistributive federal legislation in generations, a major progressive achievement after decades of conservative success in distributing income and wealth to those in the top brackets.

The A.C.A. was less sweeping than it could have been because of the constraints imposed by a powerful health care lobby, but it was more sweeping than anything that had come before, Rhodes wrote by email. The fact that significant health care legislation was enacted in spite of substantial resistance was a testament to the strength of progressive mobilization at the time.

In other words, for Gilens, the glass is half empty, for Rhodes, half full.

Grossmann and Isaac write:

The view associated with Bernie Sanders and some scholars, which suggests that both parties have been bought off by rich donors to represent the rich and big business at the expense of the middle class, is inconsistent with the patterns we observe.

The Republican Party, they contend, perhaps unnecessarily,

does seem consistently responsive to business preferences and its positions are more often associated with those of the affluent. On economic policy in particular, Republican leaders much better represent affluent and business preferences.

But the Democratic Party, Grossmann and Isaac argue, is not aligned with business preferences or affluent preferences in any domain and actually represents middle-class views over affluent views on economic policy.

Along similar lines, Rhodes and Schaffner found in their 2017 paper that:

Individuals with Democratic congressional representatives experience a fundamentally different type of representation than do individuals with Republican representatives. Individuals with Democratic representatives encounter a mode of representation best described as populist.

In contrast, they continue,

individuals with Republican representatives experience an oligarchic" mode of representation, in which wealthy individuals receive much more representation than those lower on the economic ladder.

In an email, Rhodes noted that

Democrats are on average more responsive to their less affluent constituents than they are to their more affluent constituents, while for Republicans the reverse is true.

If the standard in judging the Democratic Party is whether it would support a radical upheaval vastly expanding the federal government, Rhodes continued, then

its fair to say that few elected Democrats at the national level are contemplating major departures from prevailing economic and political arrangements. Theres little evidence that most elected Democrats want an economic revolution.

But, Rhodes continued, the reality is more complicated than the Sanders claim that the party is dominated by corporate interests and is unresponsive to the demands of the working and middle classes.

Instead, according to Rhodes,

theres a decent case to be made that many Democratic elected officials are indeed representing their working- and middle-class constituents by taking moderately liberal positions on most economic issues.

Interestingly, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party faces another challenge from an unexpected source.

Go here to see the original:
Bernie Sanders Only Had Eyes for One Wing of the Democratic Party - The New York Times