America last: Rep. Porter has receipts showing Trump chose a quick buck over American lives

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/8/1935508/-America-last-Rep-Porter-has-receipts-showing-Trump-chose-a-quick-buck-over-American-lives

America last: Rep. Porter has receipts showing Trump chose a quick buck over American lives
Walter Einenkel
Daily Kos Staff
Wednesday April 08, 2020 · 12:04 PM EDT


Rep. Katie Porter has been all business since being elected to office. Today, Rep. Porter released a report showing that in spite of growing concerns and warnings about the potential oncoming pandemic threat of the COVID-19 virus from top officials and experts, Donald Trump not only did nothing about it, he allowed ramped up exportation of much-needed medical supplies. The report, titled “EVERYONE BUT US,” charges Donald Trump with misapplying and mismanaging our nation’s medical supplies in the months leading up to our current crisis.

Rep. Porter, like many Democratic officials, has long pleaded with Trump to use the powers afforded him under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to ramp up production and supply chains for much-needed medical supplies. These essential medical supplies were needed weeks ago at the front lines of the battle to save lives. Trump has instead been stingy in his application of the DPA, trying to gaslight away the death count under his watch.

But while Trump’s incompetence and criminal negligence has been well covered, Porter’s team has analyzed “previously unreported government trade data” that paints an even darker picture of how complicit in our country’s misery Donald Trump is. According to the report, the United States was not simply ill-prepared for the coming pandemic—they were actively making big money depleting our medical resources, making us even less prepared: “The value of U.S. ventilator exports jumped 22.7% percent from January to February.”

And it wasn’t only ventilators. Porter says her team “found that in February 2020, the value of U.S. mask exports to China was 1,094% higher than the 2019 monthly average.” Think about that every time you read a pick-me-up story of some designer creating PPE masks for ER staff, or some grade-school kid donating their mask. And to be clear, during this same time the U.S. imported fewer PPE and cleaning supplies, as well as fewer ventilators.

It is clear that one of the fundamental tragic flaws of conservatism in America is how shortsighted its greed for money and power is. By not being more serious in January and February, and even in March, the Trump administration and the Republican power apparatus in general has worsened the economic problems we now face, and will continue to face in the not so distant future. What this report shows is that this short-sightedness is pathological in nature, like a fish with a seven-second memory, wondering why it keeps getting hooked in the mouth every time a worm miraculously appears from the sky.

[shockey80]

1. Great post, thank you.

[Iliyah]

2. This need to be covered by corporate media . . .

social media and pro-American talk radio, et al.

[lagomorph777]

25. Trump is still grabbing orders intended for state health systems.

I assume he's fencing those on the black market to the highest bidder.

[DENVERPOPS]

30. He isn't

but his worthless spawn are working night and day making sure every corrupt thing they do is extremely profitable to Trump Inc.

WASF

[lagomorph777]

37. He is.

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2465760

[SergeStorms]

63. Remember Jared......

"THOSE ARE OURS"! The sniveling little shit actually thinks they are his and the Trump family's.

[tblue37]

3. K&R for visibility. nt

[Maraya1969]

4. If anyone can copy those graphs that show US exports of ventilators and masks in Jan

and Feb 2020 and post them here that would be great!

Those graphs should be shown far and wide.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. link to the report ...

I don't know how to get the graphs to show up here, but the dailykos article has the link to Porter's report:

https://porter.house.gov/uploadedfiles/everyone_but_us.pdf

[hkp11]

33. here are the graphs from Katie Porter's pdf from link above (thank you Hermit-the-Prog!)

Great job by Katie Porter!!!





Katie's analysis:

[Maraya1969]

64. Thank you! Going to post on FB!

[smirkymonkey]

66. I am so enraged by these greedy, grifting bastards and their complete absence of concern

for anybody and anything but money and power I feel like I could explode!

There has got to be a way to stop them. I can't believe that they can get away with this with no repercussions.

[spanone]

5. IMPEACH THE MF'ER AGAIN

[Nululu]

42. YES

[BarbD]

6. If this isn't treason, high crimes and misdemoners, What is?

Disgusting, greedy @#$%!

[PA Democrat]

7. This disgraceful behavior needs maximum exposure.

[2naSalit]

8. She's going to

run them down with facts. I would not want to be in her sights. I hope she gives -45 a heart attack with her investigations.

[ffr]

9. Blatantly criminal, what tRump has done to this country for his own personal gain.

Lives DO NOT matter to him.

[CrispyQ]

10. I'm convinced he's using the power of the federal govt to hoard medical supplies

for him & those who are loyal to him. The red state poor people who voted for him are not going to get those supplies. People who are loyal to the Con are going to get them.

[sop]

28. The masks were to protect workers in Chinese sweatshops operated by American companies.

[in2herbs]

60. You mean companies like Ivanka's??? Of course! If we can't prosecute him to the fullest

extent we better go after his spawn.

[calimary]

65. Yes. His daughter-wife shouldn't be allowed to wriggle out of this, either.

Nor his hapless, feckless son-in-law, or his miserable endangered-animal butcher/killer son Junior.

That whole disgraceful family can go straight onto the junk pile.

[malaise]

12. I want details on the planning of that trip to India

and the list of persons who accompanied the Con and his spawn.
The most suspicious part of this entire mess is that late February trip to India and developments associated with the drug he's pushing.

[pazzyanne]

17. I became suspicious the moment he could pronounce Hydroxychloroquine correctly.

[malaise]

21. Good spot - ROFL

[blm]

31. ✔️

[TwilightZone]

54. Excellent point.

[llashram]

13. these people

are using their dangerous predatory practices to the full and reasoned capacity that these human predatory animals can. Their nature is driven by greed and willful malfeasance and not about survival as nature's predatory animals are. This country with its majority fair and equality driven populace cannot survive a political Party such as shown above full of racist, dangerous and willfully idiot people. We must do our best to drive these clowns out of D. C. in November IF the election is allowed, by these clowns to, go forward.

[PaulRevere08]

14. Running thru the options is so mind-boggling scary that he is

running this nation.

1) He saw a chance to make a quick buck off other's misery.
2) He wants to drive up the prices of PPE and ventilators in the US by depleting inventory
3) He wants to kill as many Blue state voters by creating a shortage and then giving supplies to red states
4) He wants to create as much confusion and chaos as possible to steal the election
5) He just wants to kill us

[intheflow]

72. I think he's also angling for some African American genocide

since so many people of color live in cities and vote D. I'm sure it's the double-dip of liberal and POC that makes him want to kill those of us in liberal areas.

[c-rational]

15. Thank you Katie Porter. K&R.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Porter should be the next chair of the Oversight committee

Seniority be damned.

She is a true hero, and should have a bright future ahead in serving the country.

[pazzyanne]

18. +1 nt

[bucolic_frolic]

19. Trump underestimates the power of California pols to his peril

[marieo1]

20. A fighter

I've listened to her before - she is one brilliant lady and a good intelligent fighter. Go Katie Porter and thanks!!

[dogknob]

22. She's my Congresswoman!!!

Don't mess with Batwoman!

[rufus dog]

32. Hi Neighbor

Glad to call her our Rep.

She is in the top 10

Need to make sure she crushes Rath in November.

[johnthewoodworker]

23. It's good she does the work and brings this to light, but it doesn't matter.

President cat grabber, and republicans, will not suffer any significant consequences from this. The coup is over.

[ZZenith]

58. Bullshit.

Their heads are going to end up on pikes.

[turbinetree]

24. And as a side note what did the Paul Ryan team do for two years while this psychopath was running

around..................nada, zilch, zero, nothing...............while in eighteen months we did something, we elected people that would defend the Constitution and the Representative government of the people and IMPEACHED a CON....................Thank you Rep. Katie Porter..............

[SWBTATTReg]

52. Everyone of these damn republicans retired instead of coming to terms w/ the worthless POS ...

in office. Everyone of them, retired, got their golden parachutes, paid medical care for life, etc. Pathetic scumbags who left the Country high and dry, and didn't stay around to help the Country in its time of need.

Money is the only ticket/item that these scumbags know. I hope that these 30 pieces of silver burns a damn hole in everyone of them. They will have to answer for their failures. Everyone damn one of them. Ask them the big question first, 'where were you when rump was the so called president, and what were you doing?'.

We already know that they're selling stock based on insider trading. We already know that they're pushing federal government business to their businesses (or their buddy's businesses), we already know that they are retired by the dozens to take high priced lobbyist jobs in Washington DC (where is the lobbyist ban that so touted by all of them before?). We already know that they're selling medical equipment so desperately needed in this country overseas, for a buck. What else? I'm sure that there are numerous other examples of where money is the main driver, and not the average US citizen.

[turbinetree]

62. I am with you ..............................I really do hate libertarians.....they always

scream about big government and they don't mind taking from the "government" they don't even bat a eye about the largeness they get from you and me and millions of others.................scumbags is to deceit of word.................

[Frustratedlady]

26. Katie Porter is amazing. I'd love to see her interrogate Trump. Too much to hope for, but I know

he wouldn't be able to handle her. She is one powerful woman.

While these charges aren't surprising (we knew something was amiss, thus Jared came onboard), I would like to remind everyone to keep an eye out for the $2T+ presently being distributed. If there is a crack in the armor, we can be sure Trump and family have already applied for loans or, preferably, grants. First hint is firing the IG and threatening to kick out 7 more. Now, he's asking for more money to be available...$250B? Why do you suppose that is? Hmmmm?

Keep your focus where his interest is concentrated. Just sayin'.

[Missiris]

61. Katie Porter is the best!

I don't live in California, so in the future I hope she runs for national office so I can vote for her!! People like Katie are a hope for the future.

[ancianita]

27. YES! She's actually got to have the documentation to prove the pattern of racketeering.

So that seven inspector generals cannot be used to create accounting obfuscations.

[Hekate]

29. I hope she is re-elected by her district in a landslide

[rufus dog]

34. She is the first Dem to win the district

Landslide is out of the question.

The dude she is running against is a real asshole, so I have heard from a neighbor who saw him in action in Mission Viejo.

[rurallib]

59. What an Attorney General she would make -

makes my heart flutter

[Hotler]

35. kicking....

[Martin Eden]

36. "Pathological in nature"

Not just Trump, but American "conservatism" through and through.

[Wounded Bear]

38. K & R...for visibility...nt

[NoRoadUntravelled]

39. Everyone needs to be aware of this.

Thanks for posting it.

[liberalla]

40. This is so important. Thank you Rep. Porter

I am so sick of this damaged man, causing so much damage in our world...

[Miigwech]

41. Hold the receipts, bill collectors will be coming

[SunSeeker]

43. K & R for exposure.

[RVN VET71]

44. When Trump gets together with his Corporate buddies

they read accounts of people like Porter and growl and slobber for revenge. At the same time, they all admit that it was very profitable to sell ventilators to other countries at inflated prices because profits!

I can guarantee that none of these cold blooded weasels will have any difficulty at all, of course, in getting ventilators for their own use -- should it come to that -- and any medical people involved with their care will have PPE's galore from the secret corporate stash.

A guy I know -- used to be a friend, but he's gone so far deep into the mire of conspiracy theories, I just gave it up -- insists that the plague was started by George Soros (yes, that's how deep into the mire he's sunk) who enabled its spread throughout the world so that 95% of the world's people would die . That's crazy, of course. But he's also saying, out of the other side of his mouth, that the plague's dangers are being hyped by the liberal media to make Trump look bad. Ok, OK, I agree, he's batshit crazy. It's a shame because he used to be a nice guy, funny, smart, and a loyal friend. But his double vision -- of a pandemic intended to kill billions of people which, somehow, is a threat to us all but not really a threat -- is the view of half of the goddamned population of America.

1+1= 3 and 1+1=5 or whatever you say it is, whenever you say it, dear leader!

Jefferson had a vision, as did most of the Founders, of a nation of educated, well read, rational citizens. America has failed that vision miserably. Almost half of its people are willfully stupid and eager to give up the freedoms that the Founders established for them. The rest of us see the evil befalling us but fear they are powerless to stop it, to beat it back. Maybe November will tell the tale?

Such are the times we live in.

[snacker]

45. She's the best!

[TruckFump]

46. MF 45 is a murderous piece of shit.

His conduct IMO is criminal. Another impeachment is not enough. He deserves to be charged with treason and convicted.

[brer cat]

47. K&R

[usaf-vet]

48. No surprise here from nearly day one Trumps has always demonstrated that he tend to his needs FIRST.

Anytime I read or hear about a new outrage from the Trump camp. My FIRST thought is where is his kickback coming from and how much.

He has been bleeding the US treasury. Since day one.

[llmart]

67. +1

Let's not forget Ivanka's dipping into the inauguration till.

This entire criminal family needs to be held accountable. Make them pay all the money back and put their asses in the slammer.

[Blue Owl]

49. With tRump, a grubbed penny is more important than a human life

n/t

[Vinca]

50. And yet another reason why he should be removed from office.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

51. He has probably found a way

to skim some of that money and put it in his own pocket...…….

[crickets]

53. The self serving harm he has leveled against this country is calculated and deliberate. nt

[Midnightwalk]

55. Kick Katie Porter is great nt

[saidsimplesimon]

56. Great post from Walter Einenkel, thank you for sharing.

What this report shows is that this short-sightedness is pathological in nature, like a fish with a seven-second memory, wondering why it keeps getting hooked in the mouth every time a worm miraculously appears from the sky.

If I only knew how to post the cartoon puckered sphincter face with a worm balloon for dialogue.

[Historic NY]

57. Can't wait for the white board

[samplegirl]

68. K&R

Billboard ads!!!

[SunSeeker]

70. K & R

[Maxheader]

71. I mean what's it fuckin take?

the wingers..they weren't contradicting stumpy now were they?...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

73. Kick