30 Democrats in Puerto Rico with 109 lobbyists for weekend despite shutdown
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
S ome 30 Democratic lawmakers left the government shutdown behind Friday on a chartered flight to Puerto Rico for a winter retreat with 109 lobbyists and corporate executives during which they planned to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton” and attend three parties including one with the show’s cast.
Those attending the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC winter retreat in San Juan planned to meet with key officials to discuss the cleanup after Hurricane Maria at a roundtable Saturday.
But the weekend is packed with free time for the members and their families on the trip.
“We are excited for you to join us for CHC BOLD PAC’s 2019 Winter Retreat in San Juan, Puerto Rico! Each year, this retreat serves as a way for our CHC BOLD PAC Members and friends in the D.C. community to come together to escape the cold and discuss our shared priorities for a stronger and more prosperous country,” said a memo on the trip.
Some 109 lobbyists and corporate executives are named in the memo, a rate of 3.6 lobbyists for every member. They include those from several big K Street firms, R.J. Reynolds, Facebook, Comcast, Amazon, PhRMA, Microsoft, Intel, Verizon, and unions such as the National Education Association.
BOLD PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chartered a 737 for members, their families, and chiefs of staff to attend the weekend. The memo said the weather will be a balmy 80 degrees. The dress code is "resort casual."
A spokesman would not identify the members, but Secrets obtained a list that included several congressional leaders. On the list was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., but an official in her office said that she did not make the trip.
Neither did Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., a spokeswoman said Saturday.
“This year’s winter retreat promises to be our most widely attended yet with over 220 guests, including 39 Members of Congress and CHC BOLD PAC supporters expected to attend and participate!” said the planning memo.
The trip represented the largest congressional delegation to Puerto Rico since the September 2017 hurricane, and members were to spend part of their time focused on that issue, according to the schedule.
In addition, their chartered jet carried 250 pounds of donated medical supplies.
But the junket comes at an awkward time, on the day 800,000 federal workers did not receive their first paycheck of the shutdown , with many worried about basic living expenses such as food.
Bold PAC Chairman Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., said in a statement: "House Democrats voted to open the government multiple times; sadly, Senate Republicans and President Trump are continuing to put partisan politics ahead of our country, forcing the government to remain shut down. As our Bold PAC members make their way to Puerto Rico for this important weekend — the largest contingency of House Democrats to visit Puerto Rico where they'll be hearing from Commonwealth and local elected officials about the ongoing recovery efforts — we will be closely monitoring the situation in Washington. If there is any progress by Senate Republicans or the White House to reopen the federal government, then we will act accordingly."
He added: “This gathering was planned months before Trump decided to shut down the federal government for his unnecessary and costly border wall. The purpose of hosting Bold PAC’s retreat in Puerto Rico is to see and hear from the more than 3.5 million American citizens who have been working tirelessly to rebuild their lives on the Island after Hurricane Maria. This remains a national priority, and it is necessary for us to be there and honor our fellow American children, seniors, veterans, men and women."
The members paid for Hamilton tickets on their own. The party with the cast is sponsored by Latino Victory, a Democratic political action committee.
They are scheduled to see the show Sunday and return home at 4:45 p.m. Monday.
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Really? Can you prove that? It certainly looks like him.
last time I looked Bob Menendez had white hair and wears his wrist watch on his left wrist.
I don't trust any unsubstantiated/uncredited photograph provided by Fox News producer David McAlpine which was posted on Twitter for a Twitter hate fest.
Who, or what are you responding too?
Where is the comment he was trying to pickup women?
Just another pointless partisan character assassination
The seeder removed it from his original comment.
Why?
You yourself said both sides do it.........
The same can be said for countless people.
A jury of his peers made a decision that everyone has to live with.
I was a dead ringer for Newt Gingrich, had to shave my head and eyebrows and grow a beard to avoid the harrassment
and embarrassment.
Bob's beyond middle age and looks like thousands of other old white men.
Being a tourist is not a crime.
Sounds like Melgen was a mini Epstein wanna be
and Menendez couldn't accurately say how many times he was on Melgens plane.
Off with their heads ! Bad optics !
Oh wait, federal investigators brought no charges against either man.
Game over.
Respectfully, that's all inadmissible hearsay. Where are the affidavits, depositions, DNA and evidence? Pictures? Films?
from BF's link of 8/24/2015
In perhaps the largest court of pubic opinion, Menendez was re-elected in 2018. "Case closed"
Having a Hispanic conference on how the Administration dealt with the effects of 2 hurricanes on the island's population of 3.5 million Americans is important.
The timing is poor but the event was scheduled months ago.
Trump could have had money for the wall and temporary funding for the government by signing the last GOP House and Senate Bills like he agreed to.
He didn't. So sad.
Well you know, everyone's entitled to their opinions.
So you have that going for you.
EASY: Citizens United.
Ya know...that free speech money the right fought and won on. Now that the Dems are using it the droolers are crying foul.
Live with it. Mitch McConnell sued for it (McConnell v. FEC) and Citizens United v. FEC.
Is that a really old picture because they guy in it has dark hair and the one in your comment has gray hair. At least it isn't his daughter.....or is it?
It's been implied that he dyed it to pick up chicks on the beach ( that comment was deleted )
That could very well be.
The beer bellied guy in the background could very well be Elvis too.
Again, no one has taken credit for the photo, it's just a Twitter meme started by a Fox News Producer, David McAlpine.
The BBG might be Jimmy Hoffa.
A Reuters photo published in Huff Po from Oct. 2018 shows a brown haired Menendez. Hair dye isn't used only by women.
Here's a Newsweek Getty photo from November 2018 ... getting a little grayer!
https://www.newsweek.com/accused-menendez-wins-new-jersey-collins-new-york-hunter-california-1205054
Since the band on his right wrist in the seeded article doesn't even look like a wrist watch because it doesn't have a watch face, it's not a watch. Nice try though.
All things are possible.
Including, that that might not be Menendez.
Nice try though.
Facial recognition software could provide the answer.
Here's proof that it was Bob Menendez in Puerto Rico. Please watch the video.
Period.
I don't think anyone questioned whether or not Bob was in PR.
The seeder's original comment ( since deleted/modified ) was that the picture provided on Fox News producer's David McAlpine's Twitter account was of
Menendez "trying to pick up women".
Nice try. ( and kudos to Nadler & Fox )
Oh my! You mean Democrats are deciding to go spend money in a storm ravaged community of Americans who can really use the support? Do you mean to tell me they brought with them 250 lbs of donated medical supplies? Those bastards! And all after they voted on and passed multiple bills to keep the government open? In fact the Republican majority house and Senate prior to Christmas even voted on and passed a CR that was then summarily rejected by the white house after Trump watched some critical Republican pundits on Fox tell him he shouldn't sign it even though he'd already told McConnell he would. It was so embarrassing for McConnell he tucked his turtle neck inside his shell and disappeared. Oh, and on top of all that the Puerto Rico trip was planned months before Trump decided to sabotage the funding bill with billions of dollars of wall pork. Oh, and the members bought their own Hamilton tickets which was a fund raiser for storm ravaged Puerto Rico. Boy, sure sounds like everyone should be stomping mad at these humanitarians... /s
oh wow...equivalent of one person or 1 and half. Give them a frickin medal....would have been cheaper to FedEx.
So far more than any dip shit Republican whiner has done for them. At least it wasn't 250 lbs of paper towels thrown at their faces. Elected Republicans have failed the American people, especially Puerto Rican Americans, and they all need to be voted out root and branch, they are a national embarrassment. Democrats show up and actually give devastated communities what they need, opportunity, work and hope.
Nobody threw paper towels just to be mean....ranting on about nonsense is only embarrassing yourself.
Does the fake outrage ever end?
The paper towel thing was not so much mean as it was insensitive IMO.
Something wrong with just sending the money? They do have work to do, after all. I guess all the people suffering from the shutdown aren't as important to them as they like to pretend.
Something wrong with showing up personally to show your support?
Really? The government is closed and they have been sending spending bills to the Senate to try and reopen it. Is there more they can do until the government reopens? What are some Republican Congressman doing as an example?
They've already submitted solutions, McConnell refuses to even allow votes on them. Where is McConnell at right now? Besides hiding from his constituents?
Besides hiding from his constituents?
He should be easy to find. Look for the turtle shell that resembles a large turd.
I have my moments
.
I've seen some witty stuff from you also.
WOW. Way to try and spin fucking off at a swanky resort during a shutdown paid for by lobbyists as helping those in need. You can't even make this shit up. I think you have been hanging around Hillary and BO too long.