(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)Over the weekend, dozens of Democratic lawmakers were spotted partying in Puerto Rico, even as the partial government shutdown continued. Now, approval for President Donald Trump’s border wall has taken a sharp turn, and those same Democrats are NOT going to be happy.
The partial government shutdown is now in its fourth week, with “essential” federal employees trying to pay their bills without receiving paychecks. Meanwhile, members of Congress and still sitting pretty, getting paid on time, even as the Democrats do little to nothing to work towards a compromise which would reopen the government.
Some members aren’t just sitting around twiddling their fingers, though. They are enjoying lavish vacations with wealthy lobbyists.
Spotted: Sen. Bob Menendez on the beach at a resort in Puerto Rico on Day 22 of the partial government shutdown. Reports say dozens of Dems are in PR for the CHC BOLD PAC winter retreat — including meetings on Maria cleanup, and a party with PR’s “Hamilton” cast. pic.twitter.com/6FaBYKPo4L
— David McAlpine (@DavidMcAlpine) January 12, 2019
Despite a partial government shutdown with no end in sight, about 30 Democratic members of Congress traveled to Puerto Rico this weekend — with their families and lobbyists in tow — for a winter retreat where they also planned to see a special performance of the hit Broadway show “Hamilton.”
It must be nice!
Some 30 Democratic lawmakers left the government shutdown behind Friday on a chartered flight to Puerto Rico for a winter retreat with 109 lobbyists and corporate executives during which they planned to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton” and attend three parties including one with the show’s cast.
Those attending the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC winter retreat in San Juan planned to meet with key officials to discuss the cleanup after Hurricane Maria at a roundtable Saturday. But the weekend is packed with free time for the members and their families on the trip.
“We are excited for you to join us for CHC BOLD PAC’s 2019 Winter Retreat in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Each year, this retreat serves as a way for our CHC BOLD PAC Members and friends in the D.C. community to come together to escape the cold and discuss our shared priorities for a stronger and more prosperous country,” said a memo on the trip.
Some 109 lobbyists and corporate executives are named in the memo, a rate of 3.6 lobbyists for every member. They include those from several big K Street firms, R.J. Reynolds, Facebook, Comcast, Amazon, PhRMA, Microsoft, Intel, Verizon, and unions such as the National Education Association. [Source: Washington Examiner]
This untimely retreat hasn’t come without its consequences, though. According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday, support for President Donald Trump’s border wall has reached a record high.
Apparently, the American people want their representative to come back to Washington and fork over the $5.7 billion Trump needs to finish the impenetrable barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.
A new poll is showing that a larger percentage of Americans are in support of the border wall compared to other polls in the past.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday revealed what some Americans think about border security and the government shutdown. They polled 788 adults in January, and the majority of those polled were Democrats and independents.
According to the poll, 42 percent of respondents support the border wall. In a 2017 poll, only 37 percent said they supported the wall. While the majority still opposes the idea of a wall, the higher polling shows a slow change in opinion to support the wall. [Source: IJR]
The most important factor here is that it was mostly Democrats and Independents who were surveyed, and still, nearly half of them wanted the wall. It’s time for lawmakers to come back to Washington and make a deal. It’s what the people want — people from both sides of the aisle.
