RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE
Vol. 4 – No. 3 May 2020
RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY NEWS
Rhea County Republican Party Executive Committee
Bitsy Gryder – Chairman Gary Drinkard – Vice Chairman
Judy Bancroft – Secretary Larry Pendergrass – Treasurer
Linda Pendergrass – Vice Treasurer
The Rhea County Republican Party Monthly Meeting
The May 2020 meeting has been cancelled. An ExCom meeting will be scheduled by phone to discuss, among other topics, the status of the Annual Reagan Day Dinner. At this time, the June meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 4th, at 7:00PM, at the Rhea County Sheriff’s Training Center, 711 Eagle Drive, Evensville, TN.
Public Service Announcement
According to sources at the Rhea County Executive’s office, free testing for COVID-19 (Wuhan virus) is available free of charge at numerous locations throughout the county including: Monday through Friday, from 9AM until noon, at the Rhea County Health Department, 344 Eagle Ln, in Evensville. Testing will be made available this Saturday, from 9AM until noon, at Dr. Svendsen’s office, on Rhea County Highway, near the intersection with Walnut Grove Road. You will need to bring with you your government-issued photo ID. You do not have to have display symptoms in order to be tested.
EDITORIAL
On April 8th, Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for the Democrat Party nomination. Also suspended were the socialists’ dreams of transmogrifying the United States into a socialist country. Conservatives, and the few remaining rational Democrats, celebrated . . . albeit, quietly. There were rumors that some of Bernie’s supporters were seen screaming at the sky. Unfortunately none of them told us they were going to leave the United States forever.
A few of the more unhinged liberal “reporters” lamented how Bernie Sanders had “lost” his bid to transform the United States into a democratic socialist utopia. The objective observer knows better. In reality, Bernie Sanders has once again played a pivotal role in moving the Democrat Party leftward . . . far leftward. And that’s the way the Socialist Movement works.
Those who have studied the unvarnished history of the United States (as well as global politics) know the Socialist Movement has been moving the United States leftward for more than a century. Once again we see why understanding the Overton Window is a prerequisite for understanding the strategies of those who want more than life to transform the United States into a socialist country. We see Saul Alinsky’s dreams coming true. For those who would like to refresh their memories, I would suggest you take a few minutes to examine the information in the following links: https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/what-americans-must-know-about-socialism
https://www.mackinac.org/7504 and
https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow
On hearing of Bernie’s campaign suspension, the majority of freedom-loving Americans allowed themselves to breathe a sigh of relief. The news presented an opportunity to focus our attention on the Wuhan virus, and time for some to wonder when their government checks will be deposited into our checking account or arrive in their mailbox.
When the Wuhan virus subsides and America becomes acclimated to its “new normal” we will again focus our attention on the November elections.
As the stars are lining up at the moment, it’s probably one of the safest bets on predicting the outcome of a presidential election to come along since Mondale lost 49 states to Ronald Reagan. https://www.270towin.com/1984_Election/. Unless the Democrats are able to channel Lyndon Johnson to help them steal the election https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2018/11/09/investigative_classics_landslide_lyndon_by_robert_caro.html, it is conceivable that President Trump might carry all fifty states (losing only the District of Columbia, which sold its collective soul when they elected the infamous sexual predator, grafter, and cocaine addict Marion Barry.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/barry.htm
Currently, the outward reaction from the Democrat National Committee (DNC) has been a galvanized façade of support, with full-throated chants of “Run Joe Run!”
Inwardly, they’re worried – very worried! Those rumors about Joe Biden’s possible dementia just will not go away. To make matters worse, the recent suit from Tara Reade, who claims Joe Biden sexually assaulted her back in 1993, is beginning to cause a “disturbance in the force.” When left-wing sources publish it you know there’s more to it than rumor! https://www.npr.org/2020/04/19/837966525/on-the-record-a-former-biden-staffers-sexual-assault-allegation and https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/tara-reade-joe-biden-democrats/
Unless mumbling, fumbling Joe pulls off a miracle in his first debate with President Trump (which he will not!), the DNC will outwardly change its tune. What the world will see is Joe Biden being taken to task for his violations of the emoluments clause in Ukraine and China, they will hear his own contradictions about himself in his claims about his political accomplishments, and (assuming Joe can articulate the economic plan that “Team Biden” has hatched out) the viewers will hear him deliver an economic policy that will be even worse than that of his predecessor’s socialistic progressivism.
Even his promises of “free” stuff won’t be enough to secure the support of the left.
Before the third debate is in the can, the DNC will have a talk with Joe Biden. They will pressure him into suspending his campaign, most likely making some statement about some heretofore never-mentioned revelation on his health. (Do not be surprised if Biden’s withdrawal statement does not somehow blame Donald Trump!)
But who might Joe Biden’s replacement be?
Already we are seeing the hashtag #PresidentCuomo to appear on Twitter. And from there lies the dream that perhaps Cuomo might somehow become the Democratic standard-bearer.
Some of the Hollywood elites are glomming onto Cuomo’s coattails: “I see Cuomo as the Democratic nominee this year,” entertainer Bill Maher said recently. “If we could switch Biden out for him, that’s the winner.”
For the past month we have watched Andrew Cuomo’s “Daily Wuhan Virus Update Show.” He has been straining with all his might to make himself look “presidential.” Indeed, America is getting a hefty dose of his monotone blathering, telling us how New York – being the center of the universe and all – must be the focal point of all attention and the recipient of all the world’s resources until the Wuhan virus is mitigated. While it is admirable that Andrew Cuomo should care so much for his home state, we are left to wonder how he might react if the epicenter of the Wuhan virus had been in, say, Texas.
But, Andrew Cuomo has all the qualifications that are attractive to the DNC – he’s about as liberal as they come, he thinks higher taxes and more regulation are the keys to prosperity.
Although Cuomo may not be a blatant socialist, his suggestion (demand) that all U.S. Taxpayers should chip in $150 billion to restore New York’s economy shows us otherwise. Andrew Cuomo’s chances of becoming president will quickly fade when voters come to understand how his policies have wrecked New York’s economy; they will know that he is not the one to oversee the building of a Utopia. https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2018/05/25/new-york-ranks-no-1-in-losing-residents-to-other.html and https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/09/05/new-yorkers-are-leaving-the-city-in-droves-heres-why-theyre-moving-and-where-theyre-going/
Some in, or connected with, the DNC have speculated (wildly!) that Michelle 0bama might be anointed as their nominee. There are simply too many reasons to list why that won’t happen!
A few other Democrats have speculated that Michael Bloomberg could walk away with the nomination in a contested convention. But, Bloomberg is about as exciting as cold oatmeal, and he does have a smaller version of Cuomo’s “high-taxes and endless regulations” millstone hanging around his neck. The one advantage Bloomberg has over Joe Biden is that he does speak fluent English.
But, the Reality Check stares the DNC squarely in its sad, beleaguered face. Joe Biden has already secured 10,118,114 popular votes (the majority of which were cast by living, breathing U.S. citizen voters, and 1,215 of the 1,991 delegates required to secure the nomination.
Barring any unforeseen events, Joe Biden will survive the gauntlet at the Democrat Party convention and he will walk away with the nomination. But, who would be his running mate?
Not that his promises mean anything (and knowing it will ultimately be the “unseen hand(s) in the DNC who make the final choice), Joe Biden has promised to select a woman for his running mate. His obvious purpose is to regain some of the female votes, and this would be especially important if the Tara Reade scandal gains traction, but who would that woman be? If I had to guess, the most likely contenders are Stacy Abrams (GA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Catherine Cortez-Mastro (NV), Kamala Harris (CA), and Amy Klobuchar (MN). Kiesha Bottoms (Mayor of Atlanta, GA) has been mentioned but she will only be nominated if the DNC wants to pull a 100% guaranteed kamikaze stunt, or if herds of unicorns are observed cavorting on the Washington Mall.
Finally, the Democrats must think of it this way: The voters are keenly aware that Joe Biden is 78 years old and he is, at best, a one-term candidate. It is likely his age that made one Biden supporter suggest that the Bee Gee’s tune “Stayin’ Alive” should be his campaign song. If he happened to croak before his term is out, how much confidence might the Democrat voters place in his VP?
None of the Democrats will admit it, but they’re already tuning up for another session of screaming at the sky.
So, in November, unless the Democrats find a way to steal the election, Donald Trump will be reelected in a landslide.
As President Trump is sworn in for his second term we probably won’t hear much from Bernie Sanders and his fellow travelers, but every American who reveres our Constitutional Republic and loves their freedom must be stirred from their complacency. We must have engraved in our memories what might have happened. All one has to do to understand the gravity of this warning is to study our own history and observe what has transpired in other places around the globe.
Remember, termites never quit and neither do socialists!
WHO COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THIS ONE COMING?
Once again we have an example of how misplaced compassion, coupled with a total detachment from anything resembling logic, has backfired on the Democrats.
To protect felons, Democrats have decided to empty out the prisons. Almost immediately, we saw an uptick in crimes ranging from robbery to murder.
One of numerous examples was in New York. In an act of capitulation to The Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders Group, and other such groups, Governor Andrew Cuomo decided to empty Rikers Island.
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio (formerly known as Warren Wilhelm), was quoted as saying “I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done.”
The New York Post reported Sunday that at least 50 of the newly released Rikers Island prisoners were rearrested for new crimes in recent weeks — and in some cases were released again!
The victims of these most preventable crimes are probably wondering when Governor Cuomo, and those liberal groups who coerced him into emptying the prisons, are going to show them some of that “compassion.”
CHINA AND THE WUHAN VIRUS
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), recently revealed his soul when he tweeted: “The reason we are in the crisis we are today is not because of anything China did.” https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/15/sen-chris-murphy-china-and-the-world-health-organization-did-nothing-wrong/. I might be compelled to dismiss Senator Murphy’s remarks as a display of his ignorance but, given his record – the 17th most liberal Senator who has recorded the 17th most “Present” votes – his agenda is clear; his mission is to say anything and do anything that manifests his hatred for President Donald Trump, even if it means embracing the Chinese Communist Party. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/christopher_murphy/412194/report-card/2019. We must assume a majority of voters in Connecticut feel the same way.
Maybe this tweet was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back and it set me on a mission to examine China’s actions to determine whether China might have acted differently.
The most informative document I examined is a timeline of events that was compiled by the Hudson Institute, one of the most respected research groups in the United States. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline. The timeline is regularly updated, and you may wish to periodically check the above link. Be sure to check out the embedded links in the timeline! Since the Hudson Institute is a 501(c) (3) organization, you might wish to consider sending a donation to support their work.
Nov. 17: A 55-year-old resident from Hubei province contracts COVID-19, according to data seen by the South China Morning Post, possibly the first coronavirus case.
Dec. 1: The first coronavirus case now recognized by Chinese authorities is recorded in a Wuhan hospital. The patient was initially suspected to have been infected by an animal (likely a bat) in the Huanan Seafood Market, a narrative now in dispute as researchers propound alternative origins, including that lax security procedures in the Wuhan Institute of Virology led to its escape.
Dec. 8: The first suspected human-to-human transmission is recorded by Wuhan doctors. A patient is observed to have the virus but denies ever visiting the seafood market.
Dec. 25: Wuhan doctors suspect disease transmission from patients to medical staff, further evidence of human-to-human transmission and the first instance of a threat to healthcare workers. Wuhan hospitals have experienced a steady rise in infections since the first cases.
Dec. 27: A Guangzhou-based genomics company sequences most of the virus, showing an “alarming similarity to…SARS.” Samples of the virus are distributed to at least six other genomics companies for testing.
Dec. 31: Taiwanese public health officials warn the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus is spreading between humans. The WHO never publicizes the warning.
Dec. 31: The same day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission declares that it has no evidence of human-to-human transmission and informs the WHO of the outbreak.
Dec. 31: Chinese social media censors introduce a list of coronavirus-related terms, including “Wuhan unknown pneumonia” and “unknown SARS,” to block from online discussions.
Jan. 1: The Wuhan Public Security Bureau summons eight people to its headquarters, including Dr. Li Wenliang, who initially warned the public about the virus, accusing them of spreading “hoaxes.” Dr. Li signs a statement confessing to his “misdemeanor.” The fate of the other seven is unknown.
Jan. 1: An official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission orders a genomics company to cease “testing samples from Wuhan and to destroy all existing sa
Jan. 3: China’s National Health Commission (NHC) orders institutions “not to publish any information related to the unknown disease” and orders labs to “transfer any samples they had to designated testing institutions, or to destroy them.” The order did not specify any testing institutions.
Jan. 3: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield receives reports on the novel coronavirus from Chinese colleagues. The chief of staff to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar informs the National Security Council.
Jan. 5: Six days after its China County office was “informed of cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology” in Wuhan, the WHO “advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China based on the information available on this event.”
Jan. 6: The CDC offers to send a team to assist Chinese authorities; it never receives permission to enter the country.
Jan. 6: Wuhan hosts annual, eleven-day meetings with local and Hubei provincial officials. Local officials reportedly “stymied” investigators from Beijing for fear of angering their superiors.
Jan. 7: President Xi Jinping reportedly orders public officials to control the outbreak during a private meeting of top CCP leadership. The existence of the meeting was not reported by state media until February, in the face of heavy criticism from Chinese citizens.
Jan. 9: Chinese authorities announce publicly that a novel coronavirus was behind the recent viral pneumonia outbreak.
Jan. 9: Xinhua News Agency first reports on the outbreak.
Jan. 9: The WHO praises the Chinese government: “Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement and demonstrates China’s increased capacity to manage new outbreaks.” It also stresses that “the virus does not spread readily between people” and reiterates its advice against travel or trade restrictions on China.
Jan. 11: China reports its first known death due to the virus.
Jan. 12: Chinese authorities share the virus’s genome with the rest of the world.
Jan. 13: The first case outside China is reported Thailand.
Jan. 14: Nearly six weeks after Wuhan doctors raise the possibility of human-to-human transmission, the WHO issues a statement stressing that Chinese authorities recorded no cases of human-to-human transmission. [WHO purposely LIED to the world! – Editor]
Jan. 14: Hubei Provincial officials hold a teleconference with Ma Xiaowei, the head of China’s National Health Commission, who details the threat posed by the new virus. A memo from the teleconference raises the possibility of human-to-human transmission.
Jan. 15: Japan records its first case of coronavirus.
Jan. 15: China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiates internally its highest-level emergency response, which includes directions to hospitals to take protective precautions and to begin tracking cases. The directions are marked “not to be publicly disclosed.”
Jan. 18: Wuhan authorities allow nearly 40,000 to gather for the Lunar New Year celebration.
Jan. 20: Chinese state media first reports that President Xi ordered officials to stop the virus; President Xi also makes a public statement, failing to mention human-to-human transmission.
Jan. 20: Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a leading authority on respiratory health who came to attention for his role fighting SARS, confirms that the disease spreads from person-to-person. The head of China’s NHC investigatory team also confirms cases of human-to-human transmission in Guangdong province, indicating spread between provinces.
Jan. 21: The CDC confirms the first American case, a Washington resident who had returned from China six days earlier.
Jan. 22: WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praises China for its “cooperation” and praises Xi Jinping for his “leadership and intervention” which had been “invaluable” to responding to the outbreak. A WHO Emergency Committee concludes that the virus does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Jan. 23: Chinese authorities announce first steps for their lockdown of the city of Wuhan. Travel from Wuhan to other countries continues uninhibited until group restrictions are put in place on Jan. 27.
Jan. 23: President Xi announces that he will hand over responsibility for the coronavirus outbreak to the Chinese Communist Party’s no. 2, Premier Li Keqiang.
Jan. 24: France records Europe’s first and second cases.
Jan. 25: Australia and Canada record their first coronavirus cases.
Jan. 26: The Chinese government announces it will extend the Lunar New Year Holiday until February 2.
Jan. 27: The Chinese government suspends group travel to foreign countries (individuals would still travel abroad unencumbered), three days after massive outbound traffic begins for the Lunar New Year. Over those days, travelers journeyed to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and South America.
Jan. 30: The WHO declares the coronavirus a global health emergency, while expressing confidence in “China’s capacity to control the outbreak.” The organization recommends against border closures, visa restrictions, and quarantining of healthy visitors from affected regions.
Jan. 30: Several provinces and cities extend the Lunar New Year holiday until at least February 13 to halt commerce and travel.
Jan. 31: CCP authorities order residents in Atush, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, to confine themselves in their homes for three weeks. Residents say they were given no prior warning and Uighur watchdog groups report widespread starvation in the area. Authorities never close Uighur detention camps.
Jan. 31: Iran presumptively cancels all flights to and from China. Privately owned Mahan Airlines (which has links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) continues service between Tehran and China, including Wuhan, for at least another week.
Feb. 1: Responding to the prior day’s announcement that the United States would suspend entry of foreign nationals who had visited China, Chinese officials criticize the move as “neither based in fact nor helpful” and “certainly not a gesture of goodwill.”
Feb. 2: The first coronavirus death outside China is reported: a 44-year-old man in the Philippines.
Feb. 2: The city of Wuhan completes construction on the makeshift Huoshenshan hospital in ten days, eliciting breathless praise from state media, which describe the accomplishment as “shocking.”
Feb. 5: The Chinese embassy in Canberra criticizes Australia’s travel ban on entries from mainland China.
Feb. 7: Dr. Li Wenliang, considered by the Chinese public to be the foremost champion of spreading information about coronavirus, succumbs to the virus at the age of 33. His death leads to an outpouring of national anger over information suppression.
Feb. 7: Shortly after Dr. Li’s death, the hashtag “#wewantfreedomofspeech” trends on Chinese social media platform, Weibo. The same day, along with other related topics, it is deleted by censors.
Feb. 7: Xi Jinping and President Trump speak; Trump pledges assistance to China and congratulates them on their progress.
Feb. 14: France reports the first coronavirus death in Europe: an 80-year-old Chinese tourist.
Feb. 19: China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters in response to an op-ed headline.
Feb. 21: Iran reports its first coronavirus cases from an unknown source.
Feb. 23: Italy first reports a major surge in coronavirus cases; Codogno, near Milan, becomes the first Italian town to lock itself down.
Feb. 24: In response to criticism of CCP treatment of Uighur communities during the outbreak, Wang Xining, China’s number two diplomat in Australia, calls Uighur detention camps “training centers,” where people get “training for future jobs” and where residency is “mostly voluntary.”
Feb. 26: 30,000 Uighur workers, described by some as “dispensable labor” are sent back to factories. International watchdogs describe the move as “dangerous,” turning Uighurs into “commodities of the state” who would assume the risk of infection while stimulating the Chinese economy.
Feb. 26: The Chinese government announces plans to publish a book, Great War, that details Xi Jinping’s “strategic vision and outstanding leadership” in combatting the virus in China, alongside a demonstration of the “advantages” of the “socialist system with Chinese characteristics” in handling such a crisis.
Feb. 26: A São Paolo man, recently returned from a trip to Italy, becomes the first coronavirus case in Latin America, according to Brazilian health officials.
Feb. 28: Nigeria confirms the first coronavirus case in Sub-Saharan Africa, a businessman traveling from Milan to Lagos.
Feb. 28: Nigeria confirms the first coronavirus case in Sub-Saharan Africa, a businessman traveling from Milan to Lagos.
Feb. 29: China Daily, a state media organ, launches a coronavirus timeline but displays no information regarding events before Jan. 25.
Feb. 29: The United States reports its first coronavirus death, a patient near Seattle.
Mar. 3: Xinhua contends that the “world should thank China” for its early response to the virus and touts that, unlike the American government and Chinese citizens, it never imposed a travel ban on United States citizens.
Mar. 8: China announces an $8 million donation to the WHO.
Mar. 11: The WHO declares the outbreak a pandemic.
Mar. 12: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian insinuates in a tweet that COVID-19 originated in America and was spread to China by the United States military.
Mar. 14: Friends of Chinese businessman Ren Zhiqiang report that he has disappeared. Ren had authored an essay blasting the CCP for its slow response to the outbreak, blaming its speech restrictions for exacerbating the crisis and calling President Xi a “power-hungry clown.”
Mar. 15: In a public address Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić blasts the European Union for failing to provide the country with aid and announces a personal appeal to President Xi for Chinese assistance, saying “the only country that can help us is China.” Serbia’s application for EU membership is still under consideration, and the CCP has long seen the nation as a way of making inroads in Europe.
Mar. 17: Xinhua News announces that President Xi, as relayed in a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, will send medical experts and supplies to Italy as part of his initiative to create a “Health Silk Road.” The supplies were, in fact, sold to the Italian government.
Mar. 17: Xinhua News criticizes the American government for irresponsibility and incompetence while praising the “arduous effort” of the Chinese government which “provided the world with precious time” needed to organize its response.
Mar. 18: China revokes press credentials from Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post reporters.
Mar. 21: A train bound for Spain departs from Yiwu, China, loaded with 110,000 medical masks and 776 protective suits. The train from Yiwu to Madrid takes seventeen days (a flight takes less than one), and Chinese factories produced 110 million facemasks in February alone.
Mar. 21: Chinese state media outlets circulate reports that “an unexplained strain of pneumonia” may have originated in Italy late in 2019.
Mar. 23: The Hubei Provincial government lifts restrictions on Hubei Province, with the exception of Wuhan.
Mar. 25: Huawei donates two million masks to Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Greece—countries that are still considering 5G providers. The move is highly publicized by Huawei company officials.
Mar. 26: Spanish microbiologists report that tests sent to Spain by the CCP detected positive COVID-19 cases only 30% of the time.
Mar. 26: Researchers from University Hospital Ostrava in the Czech Republic report that 80% of the coronavirus antibody test kits received from the Chinese government were defective, likely because antibody tests cannot detect the illness in its early stages.
Mar. 29: The Dutch Health Ministry recalls over 600,000 faulty medical masks received from the Chinese government.
Mar. 31: The Chinese Health Commission admits it has been omitting asymptomatic cases of coronavirus to date and will begin including asymptomatic carriers in its daily counts.
Apr. 1: U.S. intelligence services report that the Chinese government “intentionally” under-represented its outbreak totals and that reported numbers are “fake.”
Apr. 3: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army stages naval combat exercises in the South China Sea in response to U.S. “territorial violations” and because “COVID-19 has significantly lowered the U.S. Navy’s warship capability in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Apr. 14: The Washington Post reports that, in 2018, U.S. Embassy officials sent official warnings to Washington after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology. One cable concerned the Institute’s research on bat coronaviruses and warned that their potential transmission “represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.”
Apr. 15: Sources report that the growing consensus among U.S. officials is that the virus originated in a unit studying bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is central to China’s effort to become the global leader in identifying and combating viral outbreaks.
Apr. 20: A spokesman for the Wuhan Institute of Virology denies any link to the pandemic, declaring that there is “absolutely no way” the virus originated in the lab.
Daniel Hoffman, a former Station Chief with the CIA described the Wuhan virus as “China’s Chernobyl.” I found this to be a good description all around. Clearly though, Senator Murphy should be provided with a copy of Hudson’s timeline (and possibly someone to explain it to him), but wait; there’s more!
On April 19th, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro disclosed that China has “cornered” the personal protective equipment market amid the coronavirus pandemic and is now “profiteering.”
Navarro reacted Sunday to a Fox News report that the coronavirus began in a Wuhan, China, laboratory to show the country’s capabilities to combat viruses is on par with the United States, a theory American spy agencies are looking into.
“First of all, the virus was spawned in China. Second of all, they hid the virus behind the shield of the World Health Organization. The third thing they did was basically hoard personal protective equipment, and now, they’re profiteering from it,” Navarro said on Sunday Morning Futures.
He then accused the country of using a six-week period to conceal the virus and influence the WHO, for which Trump recently halted funding over concerns about its “China-centric” response to the pandemic.
“During that period of time, that six-week interval when they were hiding this virus from the world, China went from a net exporter of personal protective equipment, they are the largest producer of that in the world, to a large net importer,” Navarro said. “They basically went around and vacuumed up virtually all of the PPE around the world … and what that did was leave people in New York, Milan, and everywhere in-between defenseless when it came time to have that PPE.”
He added, “Now, what’s happening today, which is equally alarming, is China is sitting on that hoard of PPE where it cornered the market and is profiteering. I have cases that are coming across my desk where 50-cent masks made in China are being sold to hospitals here in America for as much as $8.”
A report earlier this month claimed China blocked U.S. manufacturers from exporting medical supplies as the coronavirus spread across the globe, including face masks and shields, gloves, and other personal protective equipment.
Then, there is China’s spying operations on America and Americans.
A few months ago we learned Huawei, China’s communications technology giant, had incorporated capabilities to hack the security systems and computers of those who used its 5G systems. More recently, we learned the drones China had supplied to various law enforcement agencies and military also had the capability to hack the computer systems of those entities that utilized them. It has become a standard operating procedure of the Chinese government to embed a “hook” in every piece of bait they throw our way! (Oh, and by the way, those Chinese-made drones can detect whether people have a fever, and can observe them to determine whether they are manifesting any symptoms of their virus.)
Can it be made any clearer that China has no empathy for anyone who may be suffering because of their lack of disclosure? Can it be made any clearer that China is not our ally and, therefore, cannot be trusted?
Sadly, I think the answer to both questions is a resounding NO!
So, how did China gain such a chokehold on the United States? One of the more prominent enablers is Senator Diane Feinstein, who helped engineer the Clinton-era trade agreements with China, as well as the tax increases and regulatory burdens that drove the pharmaceutical industry mostly offshore – and mostly to China! Could this be one of the reasons why Diane Feinstein is the fifth wealthiest member of Congress? https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/10/25/richest-members-of-congress-by-net-worth/40290533/. It’s important to connect the dots in this matter. Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, is president of Blum Capital. When Feinstein was elected to the Senate (1992), Blum’s interests in China amounted to less than a half-million dollars. Since then, things have radically changed.
In 1994, Blum Capital entered into an agreement with other investors to create Newbridge Capital, an enterprise to help establish (and profit from) emerging markets – especially those in Asia. http://www.blumcapital.com/team-1. By 2018, China’s exports to the United States, from which Senator Feinstein’s husband rakes in a profit, had grown to $175 billion, leaving us with a $144.9 billion trade deficit.
After introducing or co-sponsoring a few new cleverly written regulations and taxes, Diane Feinstein helped move the majority of the pharmaceutical industry to China. How much of our prescription and OTC drugs are manufactured in China? The New York Times reports, overall, 72% of all drugs used in the United States are manufactured in China. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/business/economy/coronavirus-china-trump-drugs.html. Of this number, 95% of all antibiotics we use are manufactured in China. https://saraacarter.com/coronavirus-china-has-us-by-the-throat-majority-of-u-s-drugs-manufactured-off-shore/.
Speaking of profits, China is also doing very well in the illegal fentanyl trade, so well in fact that China – in association with their operatives in both the Mexican and Colombian Drug Cartels – they now operate a fleet of submarines to deliver shipments to their in-country traffickers. https://www.businessinsider.com/cartel-narco-submarines-2016-9. Recently, we read that one shipment of Chinese-made fentanyl intercepted in a DEA-USCG operation was reportedly of a sufficient quantity to give every man, woman, and child a lethal dose! https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_george_serletis_fentanyl_from_china_pdf.pdf.
Finally, as of April 22, 2020, the Citizens of the United States have been inflicted with 845,667 cases of China’s Wuhan virus, 47,475 of our fellow Americans have died. https://worldometers.info. To mitigate the impact of China’s Wuhan virus, the taxpayers have, thus far, been forced to pay more than $6.4 Trillion on protecting the American worker and their loved ones.
THIS IS, WITHOUT DOUBT, CHINA’S FAULT!
And that brings me to the . . .
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Actually, this time, it’s three questions. Given that China has, in innumerable ways, revealed itself beyond any reasonable doubt to be an enemy of the United States:
- Do you think the United States should increase tariffs on Chinese goods until the American people have been compensated us for the harm China has caused?
- Will you write a letter, send an email, or make a phone call TODAY to express your views on this proposal?
- In the interim, will you show your solidarity with your fellow Citizens by boycotting all products imported from China, and urge all your friends to do the same?
[Please email to pyrope84045@mypacks.net to share your response with your fellow conservatives. A score on each of the questions will be published in the next edition of The Rhea County Republican. THANKS! – Editor]
ON THE HOME FRONT
On 15 April, Governor Bill Lee extended his “Safer at Home” program with a new expiration date of April 30th via Executive Orders 22, 23, and 27, which requires Tennesseans to stay at home unless engaging in essential activities or functions. His authority for issuing these orders is found in 58-2-107, and is in response to the Wuhan virus pandemic.
In a statement to the press, Governor Lee noted: “Over the last few weeks, we have seen decreases in movement around the state as Tennesseans socially distance and stay at home. However, in recent days we have seen data indicating that movement may be increasing and we must get these numbers trending back down. I have updated my previous executive order to clearly require that Tennesseans stay at home unless they are carrying out essential activities.”
One of the methods the State will use to monitor non-essential travel is to track our cellphones. The State will be analyzing data from Unacast to understand cell phone mobility and determine movement trends among people. Unacast indicates the movement of Tennesseans is trending toward pre-COVID-19 levels.
Governor Lee went on to say: “The month of April stands to be an extremely tough time for our state as we face the potential for a surge in COVID-19 cases. “Every Tennessean must take this seriously, remain at home and ensure we save lives.”
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Capitalism is a system in which vendors sell food for dogs. Socialism is a system in which vendors sell dogs for food. [Compliments of the Atlas Society. – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Outsourcing to China has cost the U.S. 3.2 million jobs since 2001. It has also made us more dependent on a country that truly does not have our best interests in mind. Are you concerned enough to let your elected reps know your thoughts?
RANDOM THOUGHTS
RANDOM THOUGHTS – Just When You Thought You’d Heard It All
Do you think it’s time to get the US out of the UN?
COMMENTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
Elected Representatives from all States and all levels of government are encouraged to share their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and announcements by emailing them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net . Your constituents want to hear from you! – Editor
Congress has been all but shut down for normal sessions during the Wuhan virus pandemic, and with that, our representatives have been all but silent when it comes to mailing items to their constituents. I did, however, run across this item and thought you’d enjoy reading it. While it may well be considered beneath the dignity of President Trump to acknowledge Chuck Schumer’s existence, given the drubbing he gave Mr. Schumer, I’m glad he did it.
Senator Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senator Schumer:
Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites, which are wrong in every way.
- As you are aware, Vice President Pence is in charge of the Task Force. By almost all accounts, he has done a spectacular job.
- The Defense Production Act (DPA) has been consistently used by my team and me for the purchase of billions of dollars’ worth of equipment, medical supplies, ventilators, and other related items. It has been powerful leverage, so powerful that companies generally do whatever we are asking, without even a formal notice. They know something is coming, and that’s all they need to know.
- A “senior military officer” is in charge of purchasing, distributing, etc. His name is Rear Admiral John Polowczyk. He is working 24 hours a day, and is highly respected by everyone. If you remember, my team gave you this information, but for public relations purposes, you choose to ignore it.
- We have given New York many things, including hospitals, medical centers, medical supplies, record numbers of ventilators, and more. You should have had New York much better prepared than you did, and as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx said yesterday, New York was very late in its fight against the virus. As you are aware, the Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments. Unfortunately, your state needed far more of a back-up than most others.
If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers), and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the “invisible enemy.” No wonder AOC and others are thinking about running against you in the primary. If they did, they would likely win.
Fortunately, we have been working with your state and city governments, Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill DeBlasio, to get the job done. You have been missing in action, except when it comes to the “press.” While you have stated that you don’t like Andrew Cuomo, you ought to start working alongside him for the good of all New Yorkers.
I’ve known you for many years, but I never knew how bad a Senator you are for the state of New York, until I became President.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. Or, in the alternative, call Rear Admiral Polowczyk.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump
COMMENTS FROM READERS
Readers are encouraged to submit their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and announcements from their city, county, state, and country. Please share your ideas, thoughts, opinions, and announcements by emailing them to: pyrope84045@mypacks.net . Your fellow Conservatives want to hear from you! – Editor
Pam Whitson from Chicagoland brings to our attention news that Tennessee’s Democrat Party has ousted one of their own – State Representative John De Berry, who serves the 90th District (Memphis). Why? Apparently, Representative De Berry doesn’t always kowtow to the Democrat leadership; he votes in the best interest of his constituents!
The Memphis-based Commercial Appeal quoted Representative De Berry: “The Tennessee Democratic Party has decided that a 26-year Representative that spent 12 years as a Committee Chairman, conducted himself with integrity, served the party well, sponsored meaningful legislation, and built bridges across the aisle to get bills passed is no longer a Democrat. And so, I’m not.”
Mary Mancini, Democrat Party Chair offered the following rationale for ousting John De Berry: “After a long meeting in which we heard challenges and evidence, we did what we thought was best to protect the Tennessee Democratic Party, and the values we stand for.”
Perhaps The Tennessee Republican Party will invite John De Berry to join them; it appears they could do a lot worse!
Clark Sheridan of Eureka, NV reported
“Our Governor [Steve Sisolak, Democrat], had a kneejerk reaction to President Trump’s optimism that the malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, might be an effective treatment for the coronavirus. Since President Trump was hopeful about the drug, he (and all the other anti-Trump Democrats) was against it.
“Governor Sisolak took his anti-Trump feelings a bit further though, and outright banned its use as a treatment for COVID-19. His excuse was that he felt people would be stockpiling it, but that doesn’t wash since it’s a drug we can only get with a prescription.
“As it turns out, the only one hoarding hydroxychloroquine is Sisolak, he’s denying it to folks who regularly use it for ailments like Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and preventing anyone with COVID 19 from obtaining it while he’s stockpiling it for prisoners!
“I just hope everyone in Nevada will remember this when voting time comes around!”
Rocky Silverman of Seattle, WA writes:
“Speaking of infections, the first infection is the majority of the press. They spew hysteria, hatred and lies in that order. They are about killing our country and establishing some kind of socialist dystopia. They live in a dream of what ifs and wonderland. If it had a song it would be Imagine, by the Beatles. They compare everything to some ideal of equality and social welfare. The second infection is the Democrat party. It is unrecognizable from what it was even for President Johnson who was left of center. They show disdain for America, its flag, its constitution. They hate not being in power. They hate the President since he stands against them and they hate us who elected him. The Wuhan Covid-19 infection will go away. A vaccine will be available. The failings of the press and Democrats will persist, however; if someone finds a cure for them that would be something.”
Arkady Polishchuk, author of Dancing on Thin Ice and As I Was Burying Comrade Stalin currently resides in St. Petersburg, Russia. He recently shared an account of a conversation he had with a well-known American liberal, in which Arkady came to the defense of President Trump.
“[He] became angry with me less than half a year ago. Trump is a bitter pill for many. Numerous liberal writers, journalists, scholars, and celebrities of all stripes are unable to swallow this pill. They believed they were influencing an average American and forming his/her opinion for the good of the entire country. All of a sudden, they learned that this ‘average American’ refused to be an average. They found out that she/he disagreed with them in many ways and supports the changes Trump made in internal and foreign politics. An ordinary American showed that he was an independent thinker with values abandoned by many intellectuals. He/she does not necessarily like Trump’s personality, his manners, and his inability to develop a thick skin, which is a requirement for any public figure. To a large degree, people see it as his reaction to the unending campaign of distortions and half-truth in the media. For many Americans, many papers and TV stations became a shallow lateral course of a large river, not anymore the mainstream. The media cannot tolerate that. I belong to the category of eccentrics, which believes that when a person is guided by lies and uncontrolled emotions, in the end, his mind and talent leave him. I have seen many talents in Russia ruined by fear and a desire to adapt to the official mainstream line. This led to [writing] lies profitable for a career.”
Joni Schmidt Hargrove shared why she is supporting Dr. Manny Sethi, who is running to replace Lamar Alexander, in the U.S. Senate.
The following are Dr. Manny’s platform positions. This is why I am supporting his candidacy and I hope you will, too. Dr. Manny Sethi is:
- A man of faith who is guided by his Christian values.
- Pro-life and a supporter of the Heartbeat Bill
- An advocate for strict border control
- A strong supporter of our 2nd Amendment rights
- Against “Red Flag” laws
- Pro-10th Amendment & against the centralization of government
Dr. Manny is the only candidate in the race who has read and understands the entire 0bamacare Act and, as a physician has firsthand knowledge of its weaknesses. Working with President Trump, he will repeal and replace it.
He shared his thoughts in a public forum. “The fundamentals of a health care system must be based on a free market solution that allows competition across state lines. We must focus on access, quality, and transparency.”
Dr. Manny has also pledged to be the best friend a veteran has ever had. “We can never neglect the brave men and women who have served our country. Our veterans are heroes, and we must do more to take care of these incredible people who have given so much for us. Our VA hospitals must improve and I will commit to making that happen, but we have to allow our veterans the option to choose the doctor they want to go to.
“For too long we have neglected the mental health needs of our veterans. We must work to make sure that there is access to quality mental health care for every veteran who has served our country.”
Finally, Dr. Manny is committed to addressing the opioid crisis that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans: “I’ve seen the opioid epidemic firsthand; it is the public health crisis of our generation. I’ve been part of roundtables all across our state, and it’s clear that we need to put more power into local officials, because they know what is best for the people in their community.
“I also believe we need to punish pill-pushers who are pushing fentanyl. These drug dealers are directly responsible for this crisis and must be punished.
“We need the federal government to give more decision making authority to local communities. Our local mayors and sheriffs know more in their little fingers than D.C. bureaucrats do in their whole bodies. There is no one size fits all solution here and we need to empower the leaders who know their communities the best.”
I hope you’ll visit these links to learn more about Dr. Manny and that you’ll give your prayerful consideration toward supporting him in the upcoming primary. https://www.drmannyforsenate.com/ and https://vanderbilthustler.com/26760/featured/qa-with-dr-manny-sethi-vumc-surgeon-running-for-u-s-senate/. Thank you.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
The Legislative Report provides some of the more remarkable bills that have been introduced in Congress. Its purpose is to provide the reader with information about pending legislation that may prompt the reader to contact their representatives to express their views. The reader is encouraged to keep informed about all legislation so they may be aware of bills that effect our lives. Decide today that you will make your voice heard. If you remain silent, your representatives will never know your thoughts! – Editor
S J Res 66 A Joint Resolution Providing for the Appointment of Dennis O’Leary as a Citizen Regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution (Boozman, R-AR, 1 page).
This Resolution was passed on voice vote (perhaps as recompense for the $30,000,000 earmark to the Smithsonian Institution cleverly hidden in the CARES Act), and will be forwarded to the President for signature.
+ HR 5717 Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020 (Johnson, D-GA).
This bill makes various changes to the federal framework governing the sale, transfer, and possession of firearms and ammunition. Among other things, the bill does the following:
- generally requires individuals to obtain a license to purchase, acquire, or possess a firearm or ammunition;
- raises the minimum age—from 18 years to 21 years—to purchase firearms and ammunition;
- establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties;
- requires law enforcement agencies to be notified following a firearms-related background check that results in a denial;
- creates a statutory process for a family or household member to petition a court for an extreme risk protection order to remove firearms from an individual who poses a risk of committing violence;
- restricts the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices;
- restricts the manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers);
- makes trafficking in firearms a stand-alone criminal offense;
- requires federally licensed gun dealers to submit and annually certify compliance with a security plan to detect and deter firearm theft;
- removes limitations on the civil liability of gun manufacturers;
- allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue safety standards for firearms and firearm components;
- establishes a community violence intervention grant program, and;
- promotes research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention.
+ H.R. 266 Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act (Betty McCollum, D-MN, 11 pages). The bill passed by a vote of 388/5. Five Members of the House of Representatives voted “NO” (four Republicans and one Democrat), one voted “Present,” and 35 did not cast a vote.
Sarah Hansen, a staff writer for Forbes Magazine, provided an excellent analysis of the latest bill to help keep small businesses and American workers afloat while America recovers from the impact of China’s Lunar New Year’s gift – the Wuhan virus.
TOPLINE –
After days of tense debate, Senate lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill that increases America’s debt by a half-trillion dollars. This bill replenishes funds for emergency small business lending programs and shore up national coronavirus testing as a stopgap ahead of another round of major relief legislation. Here’s what’s in the interim bill, and what lawmakers left out.
KEY FACTS –
- The bill includes an additional $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $60 billion of that money reserved for smaller businesses without existing banking relationships.
- Another $60 billion ($50 billion in loans and $10 billion in grants) is also set aside for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan fund, which is administered directly by the Small Business Administration rather than banks. Farms and other agricultural programs are now eligible for those funds.
- The bill will also provide another $75 billion for cash-strapped hospitals and healthcare providers to help them cover the massive costs associated with responding to the virus.
- The bill allocates $25 billion for coronavirus testing—a major sticking point for both Democrats and Republicans during late-night negotiations on Monday. $11 billion of that money is earmarked for states and local governments to expand their testing capacity.
Under the terms of the legislation, the federal government is required to develop a “strategic plan related to providing assistance to states for testing and increasing testing capacity.” State and local governments must also submit their testing plans for review.
Notably absent from the agreement is more funding for state and local governments, which had been a key priority for Democrats.
Democrats had also pushed for expanded funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—Republicans blocked that provision in the final bill, The Hill reports.
Key background –
Lawmakers have been scrambling to pass supplemental economic rescue legislation after the Paycheck Protection Program, one of the cornerstones of the $2 trillion CARES Act, exhausted its $350 billion in funding last Thursday after less than two weeks. Negotiations lasted for nearly a week after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested another $250 billion for the PPP. Republican lawmakers, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, wanted to quickly approve the additional $250 billion for the program and save other provisions for future relief legislation while Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pushed for additional provisions like expanding funding to hospitals, nutrition programs, and state and local governments. Talks stalled on Monday over how to structure a national testing plan, as Democrats pushed for the federal government to take the lead while Republicans wanted to leave that authority to the states.
+ What to watch for –
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are expecting to begin negotiating on another round of stimulus legislation—that would be the fourth major economic rescue bill.
LAGNIAPPE
Jesse Rifkin, a writer for GovTrack Insider penned an excellent article contrasting and comparing the ways Congress responded to the Spanish Flu pandemic and the Wuhan virus. If you would like to support GovTrack’s important work, please check out this link https://govtrack.us. Thanks! – Editor]
What Did Congress Do During the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic?
Historian John Barry called 1918 the worst year in history. It “saw not only the butchery of World War I but a worldwide influenza pandemic,” he wrote in The Atlantic. “Credible estimates of the death toll range from nearly 2 percent to well over 5 percent of the entire world population.”
Even though several changes were made, Congress still carried on. For example, the House’s public seating closed from October 7 to November 4.
Just like in 2020, the parties split control between its two chambers. Republicans held a one-vote majority of 215 to 214 in the House, in addition to six independent or third-party representatives. Democrats held a strong 54 to 42 Senate majority.
What did Congress do in 1918? And how does it compare to what Congress is doing during this potentially equivalent moment in 2020?
Increasing Doctors and Quorum Calls –
As World War I raged, many doctors were called overseas, either in their capacity as doctors or as soldiers. This left a critical shortage of physicians domestically when the flu epidemic hit. To help, Illinois Rep. Martin D. Foster (D-IL23) sponsored a bill to boost the Public Health Service, which treated sailors in ports and duty stations across America.
At least half of House members are supposed to be present in order for a vote to take place, a longstanding practice called a “quorum.” Yet when this bill came up for a House vote fewer than 50 of the 435 members were in attendance. What to do?
Under House rules, the vote could still take place even with the depleted number of members, so long as no individual member formally requested to “call a quorum.” Under that technicality, any House member could ask for attendance, to officially ensure that the requisite number of members were physically there. In practice, this could allow even a single member who opposed the legislation to prevent it from being voted upon.
One of those opponents was Rep. Joseph Walsh (R-MA16). Walsh was about to call a quorum, which would have prevented the vote from taking place. In the nick of time, a few other members convinced Walsh not to, persuading him that such a brazen measure during a national emergency would be playing with fire. The bill then passed the House by a mere 29 to 19.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because last week, a very similar scenario played out in the House. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY4) announced that he would call a quorum for the House’s $2 trillion stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. A majority of lawmakers were thus forced to come back to Washington, D.C. from all over the country to be physically present for the vote.
Massie earned bipartisan condemnation when he couldn’t be talked out of his plans. However, since there was a majority, his call had no effect. President Trump even demanded that Rep. Massie be thrown out of the Republican Party.
Earlier this week, still another similar scenario played out in the state House of Vermont. The state was going to vote on an emergency health package related to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) epidemic, with most members voting remotely for safety reasons. But state Rep. Cynthia Browning called for a quorum to be physically present, forcing lawmakers to immediately drive into the capital Montpelier from all over the state.
The backlash was so strong that state House Speaker Mitzi Johnson removed Browning from a key position on the Ways and Means Committee.
Women’s Voting Rights –
When the flu epidemic hit, the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote had already passed Congress earlier that year. However, it was still a few months away from ratification by the states.
In the interim period, a congressional proposal would have explicitly limited women’s suffrage to federal elections, while allowing states the option to still restrict suffrage if they chose.
On September 30, the Senate voted that idea down by 65 to 17. Republicans voted unanimously to favor, while Democrats did so by a smaller majority of 28 to 17.
Women’s rights in the Constitution are still very much in the news right now, with a potential 28th Amendment guaranteeing equal rights for women under federal law. It passed both chambers of Congress in the early 1970s, and supporters argue it reached the requisite number of states with Virginia’s ratification in January. Opponents counter that ignores a 1979 deadline listed in the original text. The issue is expected to be resolved in court.
Infected Congress Members –
The flu epidemic hit close to the Capitol Building. Ultimately, three members of the House ultimately died of the Spanish flu: Jacob M. Meeker of Missouri, Edward Robbins of Pennsylvania, and William P. Borland of Missouri.
In 2020, four House members and one senator have tested positive for COVID-19 so far: Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL25), Ben McAdams (D-UT4), Joe Cunningham (D-SC1), and Mike Kelly (R-PA16), plus Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). There have not yet been any deaths from the virus. We’re tracking COVID-19 in Congress at https://www.govtrack.us/covid-19.
Campaigns –
During the autumn of an election year, Congress rarely votes on much legislation, prioritizing their reelection campaigns instead. In 1918 and 2020, congressional campaigns were definitely altered.
With most public gatherings banned in 1918, many Congress members campaigned primarily remotely, such as with letters in the mail or columns in newspapers. Similarly, many elected officials are now holding “virtual town halls”.
Voting in 1918 was done almost entirely in person, which naturally presented a problem. Accordingly, some states or localities lifted their lockdowns or bans on public gatherings specifically for Election Day. Infections and fatalities subsequently increased, likely as a result.
That appears far less likely to occur this time around, should the pandemic still be continuing by November. In 2018, about 40% of voters voted absentee, early, or by mail. There’s discussion about Congress passing a law to make no-excuse mail-in ballots mandatory nationwide, and one of the COVID-19 stimulus packages included funding to increase vote by mail options.
Elections –
Turnout plummeted in 1918. 50% of the voting-eligible population had turned out in the 1914 midterms, but turnout fell to 40% in the 1918 midterm. However, that might have been part of a broader trend unconnected to the epidemic. Turnout was actually lower in the subsequent 1922, 1926, and 1930 midterms than in 1918.
Republicans won huge in 1918. After holding a one-vote House majority previously, they now held a commanding 240 to 192 majority. And after being the minority party in the Senate previously, they now held a slim 49 to 47 majority.
It’s difficult to say whether the flu epidemic actually changed the 1918 election results. The president’s party usually loses congressional seats during the midterms anyway: indeed, that’s happened during the four most recent midterms of 2018, 2014, 2010, and 2006. With a new Republican congressional majority, Democrat Woodrow Wilson found many of his legislative priorities stymied during the final two years of his presidency.
Most prominent was the League of Nations, an international group founded in the immediate aftermath of World War I. Wilson wanted the U.S. to join, but the Republican-majority Senate voted it down a year later by 39 to 55, in November 1919. Republicans were concerned that the League would allow the United States to be drawn into war without congressional approval. The United States would subsequently join the League’s spiritual successor the United Nations in 1945.
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
| President Donald Trump
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington D.C. 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 |
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 40 – Suite 2 Washington D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 244-4944 Fax: (202) 228-3398 |
| U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn
357 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3344 Fax: (202) 228-0566 To contact visit website: |
U.S Representative Dr. Scott DesJarlais
2301 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6831 Fax: (202) 226-5172 |
| Governor Bill Lee
Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-2001 Fax: (615) 532-9711 |
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
https://www.speaker.gov/contact Link above provides all methods of contact.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact
|
| State Representative Ron Travis
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-3 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1450
|
State Senator Ken Yager
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-19 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1449 Fax: (615) 253-0237 |
