Washington – It was another round of Cruz vs. Feinstein.
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Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz and five-term Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein engaged in a heated exchange on the Senate floor on Wednesday over “sanctuary cities” that shield residents from federal immigration authorities and over human rights in China.
The debate ended with the Texas freshman senator all but calling Feinstein a Communist.
“It saddens me that in the face of unspeakable brutality and evil, that the Democratic senator chooses to align herself with the Communist party dictators rather than a Nobel peace laureate,” Cruz said.
At issue is legislation that Cruz has been trying to pass that would name the street in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington “Liu Xiaobo Plaza.” Liu Xiaobo is a Chinese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner imprisoned on charges of inciting state subversion. Cruz, like most of his Republican rivals, has been critical of China’s role in the world.
Cruz tried to pass the bill by voice vote Wednesday. Feinstein objected, saying that such a move could be detrimental to U.S. efforts to negotiate with the country.
“Unlike the senator from Texas, I’ve had a long experience with the Chinese, going back more than 30 years,” Feinstein said. “And I know what can convince them to move toward a goal.”
The two also tussled over so-called sanctuary cities. Last month, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would crack down on cities that have adopted policies of disregarding federal immigration requests, or “detainers,” which advocates say can unfairly target innocent immigrants.
Republicans have pushed the legislation since the July 1 shooting of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco. The man charged in the killing had a long criminal record and was in the country illegally. He had been released by San Francisco authorities despite a request from federal immigration authorities to keep him detained.
Cruz tried to pass that bill, too, by voice vote. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid objected, prompting Cruz to say that Reid was choosing “to stand with violent criminal illegal aliens instead of the American citizens.”
Feinstein again took issue with Cruz, noting that he had mentioned the defeat of San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi in Tuesday’s elections. Mirkarimi’s office had released Steinle’s killer.
Feinstein said the sheriff’s defeat was “multifaceted” and was not for just one reason.
“Respectfully, senator, I do not believe you know much about San Francisco,” said Feinstein, a city native who served as mayor.
The 44-year-old Cruz and 82-year-old Feinstein have a history of facing off. Twice earlier this year, Feinstein blocked Cruz from passing the street-naming bill. In 2013, the two exchanged harsh words over gun control legislation during a committee vote on an assault weapons ban sponsored by Feinstein.
“I’m not a sixth grader,” Feinstein snapped when Cruz challenged her with a legal comparison between the proposed assault weapons ban and the First Amendment only hypothetically applying to certain books.
“It’s fine you want to lecture me on the Constitution,” Feinstein told Cruz. “I appreciate it. Just know I’ve been here for a long time.”
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Patriotic ceremonies at halftime of sporting events may not just be about honoring the troops.
Arizona’s two Republican senators said Wednesday that the Defense Department spent more than $10 million in marketing and advertising contracts with professional sports teams between 2012 and 2015.
A new report by Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, titled “Tackling Paid Patriotism,” calls for an end to the taxpayer-funded practice of sponsoring such military celebrations at games, an effort that is often used for recruiting efforts and community outreach. The report found 72 contracts in which the Pentagon paid for patriotic tributes at professional sports games.
Earlier this year, the senators added a provision to a defense bill barring the Defense Department from entering into paid contracts for honoring members of the Armed Forces at sporting events. Soon after, the Pentagon said it would stop funding and approving contracts in which teams pay to honor members of the Armed Forces.
The report praised that move, but the senators said they wanted to highlight the practice so it is stops once and for all.
Some of the examples mentioned by the report include the Army National Guard paying the Minnesota Vikings football team to sponsor its military appreciation night; the Air Force paying the Cincinnati Bengals football team $4,960 for 60 club level tickets; and the Air Force paying the LA Galaxy soccer team for “recognition of five high ranking officers of the Air Force” in a 2012 game and four sideline season tickets.
The senators noted that much of this money was paid out as the military asked Congress for additional dollars. The report said the ceremonies should be genuine displays of national pride, not taxpayer-funded marketing gimmicks.
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So Senator Feinstein’s yichus is that she has been in the Senate for several terms. I guess that suggests that getting into elected office, and even re-elected indicates that one is moral, just, brilliant, and patriotic. Now that we watched Obama get elected twice, no one can seriously convince anyone that the electorate or the ability to get into office proves anything.
Now we should reconsider whether Feinstein’s positions are based on politics or dementia.
Why does Cruz need Feinstein for any bill passing? The Republicans have a majority in the Senate? They ( the GOP) can’t all unite behind a street name change bill?