Reverse Obstructrics

As the world burns on Trump Day 100, Senate Democrats advance Trump's agenda

Author

Brad Johnson
April 30, 2025

PRESENTED BY SNEGLEFARTS

As the Trump regime hits 100 days, Senate Democrats are working hard to obstruct the lawless coup by voting for his nominees and legislative priorities.1

Yesterday, 16 Senate Democrats unnecessarily voted with Republicans to make the corrupt multimillionaire David Perdue Trump’s ambassador to China, six Democrats voted with Republicans to make the MAGA billionaire Warren Stephens Trump’s ambassador to Great Britain, seven Democrats voted with Republicans to make MAGA billionaire Tom Barrack Trump’s ambassador to Turkey, and 32 Democrats voted with Republicans to make MAGA billionaire Tilman Fertitta Trump’s ambassador to Italy. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who lambasted Trump’s “complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people” in a marathon speech on the Senate floor, backed Perdue and Fertitta.

After Trump illegally fired Democratic Federal Trade Commissioners and shut down NASA climate science, Commerce Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) led several Democrats in the Commerce Committee in joining Republicans to support Republican Olivia Trusty for the FTC (21-7) and billionaire Elon Musk fanboy Jason Isaacman for NASA Administrator (19-9). There was also unanimous support for a NASA climate science privatization bill (S. 1437, the ASCEND Act) and a pro-crypto bill (S. 1492, the Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025).

Generally pro-science Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) back legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, in contravention of the medical consensus that it is dangerous and deadly to permanently misalign clocks from the sun. At today’s markup, the usually anti-science Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was the lead advocate for permanent Standard Time, the healthy choice. The bill, amended to delay implementation of permanent clock misalignment by two years, was supported 16-12, but only ten supporters were present (the rest voted by proxy), so the bill was not reported favorably, as there must be majority present and voting in the affirmative.2

Similarly, at 9:30 am, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee attempted to vote on the nominations of the aptly named fossil-fuel enthusiast Wells Griffith to be Under Secretary of Energy and Dario Gil to be Under Secretary for Science. Although Democrats Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) were present and joined Republicans in supporting Griffith, not enough Republicans were present to advance the nominees.

The Schumerian strategy of rolling over, thwarted only by absenteeism.

Firefighters and smoke

The fossil-fueled Jones Road wildfire in New Jersey. Credit: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Lois Parshley reports that the fossil-fueled Jones Road Wildfire, which started last Tuesday in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, is on track to become the worst in state history. The fire is blazing in New Jersey’s second and fourth congressional districts, represented by Republican climate denier Jeff Van Drew and offshore-wind opponent Chris Smith. A top priority for Van Drew and Smith has been killing offshore wind projects. They are succeeding: global renewable developer RWE has halted its US offshore wind operations “for the time being” because of the “political environment” the Trump administration has created.

On Monday, tornadoes ripped through Fairmont, Fairibault, and Winnebago, Minnesota, represented by climate denier Rep. Brad Finstad. A tornado struck Potosi, Missouri on Tuesday afternoon, causing damage to buildings and vehicles while students and staff took shelter in FEMA shelters, the latest in a string of climate disasters to hit the reddest congressional district in Missouri, represented by climate denier Jason Smith. As part of his illegal campaign to eliminate FEMA, Trump denied Arkansas’s request for a disaster declaration for the March tornadoes, and is likely to reject the Missouri application for those storms as well.

The catastrophic California wildfires slashed insurers’ first-quarter profits in half, including Arch Capital, W.R. Berkley, and Chubb.

Hawaii lawmakers are planning to raise the hotel tax to raise $100 million a year for a climate fund to cope with the rising seas, storms, and wildfires that global warming is bringing to the island state.

The Montana Constitution enshrines the right to “a clean and healthful environment,” and the Montana Supreme Court has ruled that includes children’s right to protections from climate pollution. Nick Mott writes that fossil-fueled Montana Republicans are trying to pass new laws to subvert the state constitution and protect their deadly but lucrative coal and gas industries.

A major wildfire has broken out near Jerusalem in Israel, fed by unusual heat and strong winds. A record-shattering heat wave in Pakistan is threatening to pass 50°C (122°F), which would set a new world record for the month of April. (The current record was set in 2018.) Mongolia and Siberia are sweltering with temperatures in the 80s and 90s, and Bakanas, Kazakhstan hit 100°F.

your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for phone in bed

Random news from across the pond: Tony Blair is still alive, and still a neoliberal climate denier.

The ongoing events at Solidarity City, the encampment by Union Station, include a screening on Wednesday at 8 pm of the documentary Exposing the Unspoken, about the organizing against Southern Company’s pollution and exploitation.

Today's absolutely delightful Norwegian word: sneglefart

The Energy committee is now holding a nomination hearing for Republican oil lobbyist Leslie Beyer to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Lands and Minerals Management; Andrea Travnicek to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science; Ted Garrish to be Assistant Secretary of Energy, Nuclear Energy; and Republican oil policy expert Tristan Abbey to be Administrator of the Energy Information Administration. Beyer served in the Bush 2000 campaign and in the Bush White House before running the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association. Travnicek is the state director of water resources for North Dakota. Abbey, who served in the first Trump administration, led the effort to lift the oil export ban as a Republican Senate staffer.

On the House side, the Energy and Commerce energy subcommittee is holding a hearing on 14 pieces of pro-fossil-fuel legislation, such as the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act, the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act (REFINER) Act, and the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act. Witnesses include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s acting general counsel David Morenoff and director of energy projects Terry Turpin, and the lobbyists from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Interstate Natural Gas Association, and the Electric Power Supply Association.

Meanwhile, the House Science energy subcommittee holds a hearing investigating the Department of Energy loan guarantee program, with Koch network witnesses attacking the program and former Obama DOE official Sam Walsh defending it.

Also at 10 am, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee started a hearing on water infrastructure programs with regional water utility officials, and the House Natural Resources water subcommittee holds a hearing on hydropower development and environmental protections.

At the same time, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee holds its markup of the budget reconciliation under its jurisdiction, which includes the benefit programs for federal employees. Republicans intend to raise costs to employees and cut benefits by about $25 billion, while also encouraging federal employees to be hired as at-will employees. If the committee gets through the markup of the budget, it will also consider several Democratic resolutions to investigate DOGE and the Trump administration’s use of Signal. This is the first hearing with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) as the acting ranking member, stepping in for Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-N.Y.), whose cancer has returned.

here is a still of the Pied Wagtail just s few feet from where I was sitting

Hearings on the Hill:

Climate Action Today:

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1  Here, “obstruct” is a portmanteau for “obeisant spineless truckling corruption.”

2  Republicans Ted Cruz (Texas), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Ted Budd (N.C.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.) Bernie Moreno (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (W. Va.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), and Democrats Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) were present and voted aye, with ayes by proxy from Republican John Curtis (Utah) and Democrats Ed Markey (Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), Hickenlooper (Colo.), John Fetterman (Pa.), and Andy Kim (N.J.).

The nos were Republicans John Thune (S.D.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Jerry Moran (Kans.), Todd Young (Ind.), Tim Sheehy (Mont.) and Democrats Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.).

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