Trump Taps Loyal Ally Pam Bondi As Nation’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer
In her role as Florida attorney general, Bondi sought to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Although that effort was unsuccessful, the Supreme Court did rule that the individual mandate to purchase insurance was unconstitutional. Also, GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is poised to become the chairperson of the not-yet-created subcommittee on government efficiency.
The New York Times:
Trump Picks Pam Bondi For Attorney General After Matt Gaetz Withdraws
President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Thursday that he would nominate Pam Bondi to be attorney general, turning to a longtime loyalist who served as state attorney general in Florida to put his stamp on a Justice Department that he sees as politically hostile to him. Ms. Bondi, who became the Florida attorney general in 2011, became the public face of opposition to same-sex marriage in Florida, defending a statewide ban that voters had passed in 2008. She said she was obligated to defend it because it was in the state Constitution. After a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016, Ms. Bondi adopted a more conciliatory tone toward the L.G.B.T.Q. community. As Florida’s first female attorney general, Ms. Bondi focused on combating drug abuse and child trafficking. But she also embraced partisan legal fights, including trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act. She also opposed the legalization of medical marijuana. (Barrett, Haberman, Lipton and Vogel, 11/21)
AS USA:
Attorney General Nominee Pam Bondi’s Record Attacking The Affordable Care Act
In 2018, in her capacity as Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi signed onto a lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court by over a dozen Republican-led states to overturn the ACA. The group was only partially successful, as protections for those with preexisting conditions and the general framework were allowed to remain, but the court ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional. The mandate had fined taxpayers who failed to purchase insurance, which was designed to encourage healthy young people into the market. (Knorr-Evans, 11/22)
Common Dreams:
Trump's New Attorney General Pick: A Corporate Lobbyist Who Did Wall Street's Bidding
Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, has lobbied for the same firm as Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff pick, according to Senate filings. Bondi also reportedly has ties to the lawyer who represented Trump confidant Elon Musk and Tesla in a federal securities fraud case. Bondi, who helped represent Trump during his first impeachment trial and took part in the effort to reverse the results of the 2020 election, currently serves as chair of the Center for Litigation at the America First Policy Institute, a far-right think tank that's playing a central role in the presidential transition and in crafting Trump's agenda. (Johnson, 11/22)
On government efficiency —
The New York Times:
Marjorie Taylor Greene Will Lead New ‘DOGE’ Panel on Government Efficiency
When she arrived in Congress in 2021, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, was quickly stripped of her two committee assignments by Democrats and shunned by her colleagues on Capitol Hill. Almost three years later, Ms. Greene is poised to hold a gavel for the first time, a sign of the ascendancy of the MAGA wing of the G.O.P. in Congress, where President-elect Donald J. Trump’s most loyal allies will occupy prominent posts next year. (Karni, 11/21)
Military.com:
Musk, Ramaswamy Proposal To Slash Spending Could Include VA Medical Services
A plan by the incoming Trump administration to slash government funding could kneecap Department of Veterans Affairs health care. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal this week, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who President-elect Donald Trump tapped to lead the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency," confirmed that they plan to target "unauthorized" federal spending, a category that includes the VA's medical services. [Scroll down to our Editorials and Opinions section to read the op-ed.] (Kheel, 11/21)
The Hill:
Mark Milley Supports Women In Military Combat If They 'Meet The Standards'
Mark Milley, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, said that women should be actively deployed for military combat if they “meet the standards.” “Women have been in combat, and it doesn’t matter if that 762 hits you in the chest, no one gives a sh– if it’s a woman or guy who pulled the trigger,” he said during the National Security Innovation Forum on Wednesday. “If you meet the standards, our military must be and always should be a standard-based merit-based military, period, full stop. Doesn’t matter if you are white, black, a man, a woman, Catholic, Protestant,” he added. (Fields, 11/21)
Also —
NPR:
Foreign Nationals Propel U.S. Science. If Trump Limits Immigration Again, That Could Change
Foreign-born workers account for about half of the doctoral-level scientists and engineers working in the U.S. Many were initially hired under H-1B visas, which are granted to as many as 85,000 highly skilled specialists each year, allowing them to work in the U.S. for up to six years. But the incoming Trump administration has signaled that it will crack down on H-1B visas, which could make it harder for universities, research institutions, and tech firms in the U.S. to find enough highly educated workers. (Hamilton, 11/21)
