Weekly warner wrap up: Presidential Trump?

Presidential Trump?

President Trump’s speech to a joint session Congress on Tuesday generally received a passing grade from many pundits and analysts because, for perhaps the first time in six weeks, the optics and tone appeared … more presidential.

Senator Warner thought the speech raised many more questions than it answered:

“I am deeply concerned that the Trump agenda will make our nation’s underlying $20 trillion debt even worse. Americans did not hear specifics on his plans to replace the Affordable Care Act, protect Social Security and Medicare, and reform our tax code. His plans for more cuts in discretionary spending will not even begin to pay for his proposed increases in defense spending, and neither will cuts to foreign aid or wildly unrealistic promises of economic growth.”

Chesapeake Bay Blues

In his speech, President Trump voiced support for “promoting clean air and clean water,” so it was surprising to learn the next day that the Trump Administration is planning incredibly deep cuts in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency — reducing staff by 20 percent, cutting grants to states by 30 percent and eliminating 38 separate programs. Included in those cuts, according to The Washington Post, is a 93% reduction in federal support for Chesapeake Bay restoration.

The Bay is cleaner than it has been in years, thanks to a longstanding, bipartisan, multi-state commitment to partner with EPA on efforts to reduce pollution runoff in the Bay watershed.

“It would be wrong and incredibly shortsighted,” Senator Warner told The Daily Press, “to backtrack on all the progress that’s been made so far.”

You can expect to see strong bipartisan Congressional pushback on this White House plan to decimate Bay protection funding.

Still the only bipartisan probe into Russian hacking

Watch Sen. Warner discuss the Russia investigation on MSNBC

After it was reported last Friday night that the White House enlisted the GOP chairmen of the congressional intelligence committees to help them push-back on reports of steady contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign, Senator Warner fought to protect the credibility of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation. Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says the committee’s bipartisan probe has been underway for several weeks now, members and their staffs are actively reviewing intel documents, witnesses will be interviewed in coming days hearings can be expected in a matter of weeks.

“I will not accept any process that is undermined by political interference,” Senator Warner said in a statement. “I am consulting with members of the Intelligence Committee to determine an appropriate course of action so we can ensure that the American people get the thorough, impartial investigation that they deserve, free from White House interference.”

On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any authority over the Justice Department investigations because of prior contacts with Russian officials he did not disclose and mischaracterized under oath in his confirmation hearings.

Urging action on rash of recent hate crimes

Senator Warner joined more than two dozen of his colleagues on Thursday urging the Trump administration to crack down on attacks against minorities — including mosques recently set on fire and bomb threats made against Jewish centers — by prioritizing money for the Justice Department’s civil rights programs and enforcing federal hate crimes laws.

Two bill introductions

Senator Warner introduced two pieces of legislation this week. One bill updates regulatory rules to make it easier for non-public companies to provide stock options and other equity to their employees. The bipartisan measure recognizes that greater employee ownership boosts employee loyalty, reduces turnover, and improves productivity.

A second bill is the result of the Senator’s interest and leadership on issues around tech security. The bipartisan proposal would establish federal grants to help states and localities boost cybersecurity protections. Despite the velocity of the threat, 80% of states currently lack funding to develop sufficient cybersecurity.

Week ahead

DVR Alert: Senator Warner will be a guest on this Sunday’s CBS Face the Nation with John Dickerson, which airs at 10:30 AM.

Next week, House Republicans have promised to release their long-awaited proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act.

And the Senate will vote on a series of additional Congressional Review Act efforts to unravel regulations enacted in the final weeks of the Obama Administration. What is pernicious about CRAs is that they only require a majority vote, and CRAs also bar agencies from any new rulemaking related to the specific issue for the next three years. Thus far, the Republican majority has used CRAs to roll-back regulations on coal waste runoff into local rivers and streams, and to undermine regulations that prevented the mentally ill from purchasing guns.