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CivicGrief

(373 posts)
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 02:47 PM Yesterday

Russell Vought is a big problem!

He is trying to dictate where federal money can be spent and tying it to loyalty to dump (and corporate interests, of course). Extortion carried out with the people's money.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/vought-grant-funding

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

kimbutgar

(27,684 posts)
2. I fantasize about a UFO coming to earth and vaporing him and those others on their private planes
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 03:23 PM
Yesterday

And also take down Air Force 1!

ShazzieB

(23,027 posts)
11. No need to take down Air Force 1.
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:40 PM
23 hrs ago

All they need to do is vaporize Trump, and meybe some others, depending on who's on board.

The flight crew are just military people doing their assigned jobs. Let them fly the plane home safely sans Trump. When it becomes apparent he's not there, the shock waves will ripple around the world!

dlk

(13,407 posts)
3. He's overstepping his legal authority by a mile
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 04:19 PM
Yesterday

Psychopathy on daily display in this administration.

rubbersole

(11,325 posts)
4. Russell Vought and Leonard Leo will have the most watched trials at the upcoming Tribunals.
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 04:20 PM
Yesterday

The treasonous billionaires will give them a big run for their money...

DemocracyForever

(273 posts)
7. Vought behavior is unconstitutional!
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:02 PM
Yesterday

Article 1 of the U.S. constitution gives Congress the authority to decide where and how much taxpayer money is spent.

Cheezoholic

(4,066 posts)
8. Who enforces that? This is where the problem is at. When the enforcers are complicit there is no accoutability
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:09 PM
Yesterday

It's all semantics at that point IMO.

DemocracyForever

(273 posts)
9. This is why George Washington hated political parties
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:20 PM
Yesterday

I pray that the Congressional GOP's refusal to enforce article 1 and stop Trump's shredding of the constitution will be their undoing.

Cheezoholic

(4,066 posts)
12. And in the end in our Constitutional Republic the "Enforcers" are the voters. Thats the battle to keep money
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:41 PM
23 hrs ago

out of politics was fought so hard for the latter half of the 20th century. You remove the OPPURTUNITIES for a quick buck if you get elected, you remove the OPPURTUNITIES for corruption and to further weaken the system making the US Treasury more vulnerable to being jacked. Without those controls on Money and corruption the system doesn't give the ENFORCERS time to kick out the crooks. The crooks now have 2-4 years to hijack every aspect of the system and make it harder to claw back. Between Tax Cuts for the uber wealthy and this SCOTUS making corporations and money "people" under the Constitution, well, this is what we get. We need Citizens United, repealed, bank reforms put back in place and all of the tax cuts of the 21st century reversed. We need complete reform in the political machine, outlawing PAC's and making donations limited and 100% transparent. That's just a start. One can only fathom how many laws and regulations have been twisted and turned into the favor of corrupt individuals who only have self interest at their core. And they do it now because nothing, 0, nada will happen to them. If you can elected to the house in a district with 50k people in it go to DC, jump0 on the corruption train for 2 years and walk away with 10 million bucks before voters can exert the only enforcement tool they have, to kick you out, theres a problem. It's infuriating people don't see this shit. It's important.

DemocracyForever

(273 posts)
13. Reining in corrupt GOP controlled SCOTUS is the1st step
Mon Jun 15, 2026, 12:04 PM
5 hrs ago

It was the corrupt GOP controlled SCOTUS with their anti-democracy, unconstitutional Bush vs Gore ruling in 2000 that started this nightmare. It's long overdue for Congress to enforce Article 3 section 2 that gives Congress the authority to regulate the SCOTUS and what cases they can handle. Congress should establish a non-partisan commission to handle all election disputes. election redistricting and election funding issues. This is the first step to fixing this nightmare.

CousinIT

(12,855 posts)
10. CALL YOUR CONGRESSCRITTERS and submit a public comment (you can do it anonymously)
Sun Jun 14, 2026, 05:31 PM
Yesterday
Submit your public comment here:

https://www.regulations.gov/document/OMB-2026-0034-0001

SUGGESTION - if you need somewhere to start:

I urge you to carefully consider the impact of this proposed regulation.

US federal research funding makes scientific and medical breakthroughs possible and improves the lives of all Americans. This rule will hinder innovation and stifle growth, pushing us ever further behind other countries in scientific advancements. It's another attack on scientific integrity and scientific independence that will come at the public's expense.

Research funding should be awarded based on merit (not political loyalty); that funding shouldn't be contingent on the whims of a President and his "priorities" at the expense of innovation and the public good; and that funding shouldn’t be withheld from individual researchers, organizations, and institutions because their work is associated with one of the administration’s "prohibited topics."
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