53 Democrats Vote that Iran is not a terrorist nation
The congressional “Anti-American Caucus” became more evident when 53 radical left-wing Democrats voted against a House Resolution that declared Iran to be a terrorist nation This was another effort by a significant potion of the Democratic Party to reverse polarities and make America the villain and Iran the victim. Since President Trump launched the attack on Iran, leading Democrats have been serving as propagandist for Tehran – aiding and abetting the most corrupt and dangerous regime in the world – a regime that has called for “Death to America” since 1979.
This unpatriotic cabal has parroted Tehran’s propaganda – calling the war illegal and saying Iran was not an imminent threat — that negotiations were proceeding well and accused America of “negotiating in bad faith” and “duping” the Iranians. They call it a “war of choice” –-Trump’s choice.
They discourage public support with constant criticism of every kind, real and unreal – from price increases and fatalities to fearmongering about World War III and domestic terrorism. They encourage Iranian resistance with dubious reports of American ammunition shortages and public opposition. They operate on the edge of treason. These are many of the same legislators who tried – and thankfully failed – to pass a pro-Iranian resolution to take away Trump’s ability to conduct military operations.
And now they make their sentiments clear by voting against a Resolution that simply reaffirms the obvious – something that every civilized nation on earth knows – that Iran “remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and provides substantial financial and military support to groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”
The Resolution went on to say that Iran “poses a direct and persistent threat to the United States and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American citizens.” It cited the deaths of more than 600 U.S. service personnel in Iraq at the hands of terrorist groups financed by Iran.
The Resolution ended: “That the House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States… that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.” Who in their right mind could disagree with that?
Despite the efforts of 53 Democrats, the Resolution — introduced by Florida Congressman Brian Mast — passed in a 272 to 53 bipartisan vote. Every “no” vote came from a Democrat, with two voting “present” – essentially a “no” vote.
Fortunately, not all Democrats are as fooliosh or disloyal as the Iran 53. It should come as no surprise that “the squad” was firmly in the Iranian camp. Among those voting “no” were Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, lhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib.
Here is the complete list of the 53 apostates in alphabetical order – in case you want to express your outrage.
- Donald S. Beyer Jr. — Virginia
- Suzanne Bonamici — Oregon
- André Carson — Indiana
- Greg Casar — Texas
- Joaquin Castro — Texas
- Yvette D. Clarke — New York
- Steve Cohen — Tennessee
- Danny K. Davis — Illinois
- Maxine Dexter — Oregon
- Lloyd Doggett — Texas
- Dwight Evans — Pennsylvania
- Lizzie Fletcher — Texas
- Valerie Foushee — North Carolina
- Maxwell Alejandro Frost — Florida
- Robert Garcia — California
- Jesús “Chuy” García — Illinois
- Al Green — Texas
- Raúl M. Grijalva — Arizona (deceased)
- Val Hoyle — Oregon
- Jared Huffman — California
- Sara Jacobs — California
- Pramila Jayapal — Washington
- Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. — Georgia
- Robin Kelly — Illinois
- Ro Khanna — California
- Raja Krishnamoorthi — Illinois
- Summer Lee — Pennsylvania
- Sarah McBride — Delaware
- Morgan McGarvey — Kentucky
- James P. McGovern — Massachusetts
- LaMonica McIver — New Jersey
- Christian D. Menefee — Texas
- Robert Jacobsen “Rob” Menendez Jr. — New Jersey
- Gwen Moore — Wisconsin
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — New York
- Ilhan Omar — Minnesota
- Chellie Pingree — Maine
- Mark Pocan — Wisconsin
- Ayanna Pressley — Massachusetts
- Delia Ramirez — Illinois
- Emily Randall — Washington
- Luz Rivas — California
- Linda T. Sánchez — California
- Janice D. “Jan” Schakowsky — Illinois
- Lateefah Simon — California
- Mark Takano — California
- Rashida Tlaib — Michigan
- Lori Trahan — Massachusetts
- Lauren Underwood — Illinois
- Nydia M. Velázquez — New York
- Maxine Waters — California
- Bonnie Watson Coleman — New Jersey
- Nikema Williams — Georgia
It is important to understand that the Resolution had nothing to do with the conflict itself. It was not a vote for or against the war. It was only to label Iran what it is. For example, Democrat Congressman Adam Smith voted in favor of the Resolution, “I agree with the principal assertion of this resolution that Iran is a bad actor.” But added, “I support this Resolution. I do not support the president’s war of choice with Iran.” The infamous 53, on the other hand, were voting against merely labeling Iran what it is. They were essentially saying that Iran is not a terrorist nation. Really?
So, there ‘tis.
Democrats are fucking idiots. And I mean all of them
This is political Kabuki Theater that Republicans, unable to promote actual legislation, love to perform almost more than a senseless investigation into Hillary’s implications for sex trafficking with Epstein whose files are still not released in their entirety and fix the ones that have illegal redactions. It’s reality TV Congress time playing for the cameras.
Congress should try some actual work to manage the budget, bring down the deficit and debt, and pass legislation to benefit citizens. Not Kabuki Theater productions for an audience of one and impact of none.
It’s a red flag that Democrats should have avoided en masse by just voting Present.
It’s non-binding so meaningless non-legislation for show.
State Department has listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. It’s a designation that has been consistently renewed by every presidential administration since at least the Clinton era. This bill or whatever is a redundant attempt to stroke Trump’s vanity.
The Trump administration designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), in 2019 marking the first time the US labeled a nation’s military as such. Canada and EU followed suit.
Note to Congress: fucking get to work on the budget and helping citizens instead of grandstanding for your Felon King. Everyone knows Iran is a bad actor. We actually have laws in place calling them out as bad actors with actual legislative teeth in them. Not this bullshit for effect and the cameras. Is this the only way you can have effect for the midterms? Is this the benefit you offer America, to waste our time while wasting even more of our dime?
Dunger our felon king” is draining the swamp. It’s your dick head Congress wannabes who are the problem
Ben, interesting point, too bad you diminish yourself with your childish name calling. Are you really that weak, that unconfident of your word’s effect? I am pretty sure you are just regurgitating the sheeple’s line and have not a clue what you meant. But I was interested in how large, how expensive, and how polluted Trump’s swamp is, so, unlike you, I actually looked.
I mean do you even know what “drain the swamp” means. Original meaning and Trump’s re-marketing meaning? I bet not, but you won’t tell.
The state of the swamp is that it’s fine, not just surviving, but thriving under Trump’s special care and feeding. I looked at three elements: size, expense, and influence potential. Trump fails on two out of three even abandoning his original promises and success for less lobbying and less expense.
I will do three parts, this one focuses on influence. Then headcount, then expense.
First, quit being a swampcist. Swamps are good, they are kind of like the Earth’s lungs, cleaning it, replenishing it, and creating great soils and carbon deposits. I have lived close all my life and can say, gee, they are fun too and a great tax break if you live in one as I do. Or claim…
Second, you blame Democrats in Congress when it’s your Congress, both Houses are yours and therefore if it’s not being done, it’s you not doing it. You claim we won’t work with you when you own both Houses and it’s clear based on any metric, your side does not work at all. Heck, No-Johnson John’s House took more time off than any House in history. Less legislation too. Fact is half the country voted against you and you refuse to accept that, to listen at all, to attempt bipartisan anything, it’s just your way or the highway as Trump’s latest ploy: “I won’t sign anything unless I get the SAVE Act” sounds like a child in the sandbox. How would you reply to that ultimatum if it’s coming from the Left?
In the case of conservatives, Trump especially, draining the swamp can mean a few things. The original meaning: Drain the swamp which has been used by politicians since the 1980s refers to reducing the influence of special interests and lobbyists. Trump in his second term expanded that to include reducing the size of government and I added expense as “size” can be headcount or dollars spent.
Donald Trump’s “drain the swamp” promise aimed to reduce the influence of lobbyists, special interests, and career politicians in Washington D.C. Key proposals included implementing a five-year lobbying ban for former officials, a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign governments, and strengthening “revolving door” rules to stop officials from immediately working for industries they regulated. He attempted to pull the wool but ultimately failed on meeting his promise.
When Trump entered office in 2017, he signed and EO forcing a five-year ban on executive branch officials and senior congressional staff lobbying upon leaving government service, a lifetime ban on senior government officials representing foreign governments and a requirement for a two-year waiting period before appointees can work for private entities that benefited from their policy decisions, and a two-year ban on lobbying former colleagues.
Pretty cool beans and a bold move for progress. On Trump’s last day in his first term, he revoked his own EO so everyone in his government could get lobbyist jobs, foreign or domestic. What a wool puling worm. During both Trump terms, lobbying budgets have grown.
Pretty sure that’s an abject failure of the nth degree. But don’t feel bad, Bill Clinton did a similar thing, Don’s in good company as a consummate insider politician serving the minority instead of the people. Just another politician just like the last politician. If he’s talking, he’s lying.
Halfway through Trump’s first term, 1 out of 14 Trump political appointments were lobbyists, for a total of 281 lobbyists appointed. That’s four times Obama’s hires SIX years into his terms. *https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-a-staggering-281-lobbyists-whove-worked-in-the-trump-administration*
Today, Susie Wiles is Trump’s right-hand man, Chief of Staff, and a former senior lobbyist at Mercury Public Affairs. Her clients included a huge tobacco company Swisher International, which lobbied the Executive Office of the President on tobacco regulations. She had 40 clients including a Nigerian politician and a media company owned by a Venezuelan billionaire later indicted on money laundering. She was a registered lobbyist only days before her current government job.
Pam Bondi was a former lobbyist for Ballard Partners and worked as a foreign lobbyist.
Sean Duffy our Transportation Secretary is a former lobbyist, faced scrutiny over his industry ties during confirmation, and Republicans joyfully voted him in.
There are many more lobbyist key appointments as Trump has drawn heavily from lobbyists, consultants, and advisors from Ballard Partners and BGR Group, where many former Trump officials worked between terms and now have come home to roost. The influence swamp thrives under Trump, by Trump, and for Trump. On the aspect of lobbyists, Trump has enlarged the swamp, not drained it. I am sorry since his initial EO was good that he back peddled to the point of calling this one, and you, BUSTED for lying and blowing your promise out of the water.
Not actual lobbyists, but certainly influence peddlers, Trump has also introduced the concept of billionaire businessmen into his government. There are 12 to 13 billionaires in key positions in his administration, making it one of the wealthiest in U.S. history. These folks all have ties back to their old jobs at the top of America’s corporations. How many contracts did Musk pull for his short stint in Trump’s regime? Uh, 100 contract, 17 federal agencies, $38B. Pretty swampy, eh?
Do you really see Trump lowering influence in government? Seems there are more lobbyists than ever and many of Trump’s decisions have influence written all over them. He even called the oil companies before Congress before he went to war in VZ. That’s influence.
TDS idiots tend to be long-winded super poopers.
That’s true. But Dunger was born stupid and has lost ground every day
When you are too weak in the mind to argue the facts, to make a point, just slam the man —- it’s all you are capable to do.
Either toe the line and debate with honor and decorum, or stfu as losers.
super poopers — oh, how mature.
born stupid —- oh, the burn.
Come on, take me on in debate. Find a fact, buy a clue. Sheeples all.
The entire demonRAT party, and all of their infiltrated RINOs, must be removed from those highest offices. They took an oath, they are demanded to defend and protect our country and our citizens. We The People pay their salaries on top of that oath. They have proven, and it is absolutely obvious that:
1) they patently refuse to honor their oath of office
2) they are incompetent and do not have the IQ, or the loyalty, or the love for us and our country that is required to serve that office
3) their loyalty belongs to foreign national illegal aliens… instead of our country and our citizens
4) they hate America and they hate our citizens
5) they are all frauds, and use, organize, and pay their mobs to riot, divide us, and to steal our tax dollars,
6) they are using our nations highest offices as their mafia headquarters crime central
7) they are all mentally ill, can’t comprehend right from wrong, and they are a constant embarrassment
8) they are out of control spenders on everything foreign and themselves, and they care absolutely nothing, and do absolutely nothing for our citizens or our country
8) they are all greedy communist and muslims who work only to take “from” our citizens and our government to take it down for absolute power and absolute control over us, over our land, over our children, and over our paychecks that are direct deposited into their IRS piggy bank…
Communism / islam 101
So start debating. What’s to debate? You’re a leftist, red state and I aren’t We believe that you are wrong. We know that we are right. And poor Dunger is spinning and spinning. So go ahead. Kick it off. What is Trump doing that you don’t like? And what did retard joe do that you like? No You have no idea. Just slinging dung. Trump is bringing down the Cuban communist regime. And he’s trying to destroy communism in our own country Prove me wrong.
Amen, Uncle Tom!
Uncle Dung: it’s easy to say that I am wrong. It seems impossible for you to prove.
Part 2: drain the swamp, reducing the size of government, headcount. A win for Trump.
In Trump’s second term, he has redefined “drain the swamp” away from its original, historical, intent of influence and power to size of government, not measured in dollars, but in headcount. Makes sense given how many lobbyists and billionaire businesspeople he has hired and how much money he is spending and borrowing. Out of three “drain the swamp” metrics, this is the sole win. And not 100% sure a win is a win given there’s quantity, quality, and things hidden “under the hood.”
Trump has done well reducing the government by 300,000 or about 12% is the going guess. IF you know me, you know that when it comes to Federal Budget, I am for using a scalpel, not an ax. We hire these Congressional schmucks to manage budgets and resources. Any idiot can use an ax and take out 12% or any number out across the board. To fix it right, the best way, you would find the excess, unproductive, and unprofitable areas and take them out with a scalpel. That takes time and skill — the top fucking skill we hired these schmucks for. Therefore, again, if you know me, you know I am at the point where I say: “screw the scalpel, give me an ax and let’s take 10% off the top.” And that’s what Trump did and I say: good for him. It causes chaos, issues, unintended outcomes, so now you have to begin to fix the damage. FYI: I feel the same on budget: reduce by 10% across the board and call that a good start. And then fix the damage. These Congressional geniuses are not capable of wielding the scalpel.
Using an ax is indiscriminate, there will be damage, and I am not sure you are draining any swamp via headcount. You probably think when we fire government, it’s the Democrats being fired. Mostly true, but not really. It’s about 50% dems, 40% repubs. Sorry but both parties work for the government. Trump took the easiest method with the ax, no brains, just pick a number. Heck, he didn’t have a number, he just killed anything that moved and would not sue. To implement, he fired all probational workers and in the government, that’s folks with two years or less and a flip of his pen to get them all gone. That’s the simple, expedient way to wield the ax. A hiring freeze so no new hires, no retiree replacements. While probations made up a huge portion of the cuts, many just left for new jobs, retirement, or the pay-out packages. With about 3M non military, retirees alone is a huge number if you don’t backfill. On the downside, you also tend to lose your type-a players first because it’s easy for them to find better work and they grab the payout for icing on the cake. But no matter why, swamp draining using headcount on numbers, is not based on political ideologies held by employees. If you thought you were lowering democratic control in government, that was never the process for this one. Plus you lost all the new blood and many of your type-a superstars from both parties.
Thus the need for the “fix” the damages done and backfill some type a’s. Example: Kash Patel fires the guys who did the document investigation into Trump I guess as political hacks, go figure. Really a focused target, a scalpel, but chances are he offed as many Republicans as Democrats, he does not know. And he just lost his best men, and all their international contacts, for US-based investigations into Iranian terrorism here. Good timing Kash. Decades of experience and network building down the shitter with the flash of a pen. Ooooops. Now he needs to fix something that even with the best men, only time and lots of it, will repair the damage his “swamp draining” did. And Kash loses sleep now knowing the political outcome of the first Iranian terrorist attack in America which will highlight his brilliance at swamp draining.
Again, glad Trump did this as I don’t think our Congress or Administration could do it the right way: by scalpel. BUT, but, if he does not monitor for outages, he will not fix the damage done that happens when you wildly swing the ax and it may haunt him. I hope for the best and that Trump can get his head out of his ass and do the same for the budget and his reckless spending and borrowing, next section.
And yes, I call this a win for Trump. I may not like the process, but support across the board cuts given Congress has proven useless in this regard for half a century.
One final point, if we look under the hood of the reductions in force, we see actually additions in force in interesting areas. First, Trump has doubled the size of ICE hiring tens of thousands of masked men with guns. DOGE cost $1.3M and it’s cuts cost $10B in vacation payouts alone. They only had 100 extra heads, but four of those guys cost $1.3M for five months in expenses. That’s about a .5M salary. Most of these guys cleared a minimum of $250K. The Space Force is cleared to add 30,000 heads. And the rest of the military will add another 30,000; however, this does not include whatever happens due to the Iran excursion. Note this is the first expansion of the military in over a decade. I guess Trump feels less safe at the helm thinking a few more guns might be nice.
Trump has reduced government headcount by 12%, bravo. It has issues, but I applaud the actions. But if you look at the intent of the hiring, underneath and hidden by the hood of downsizing, one could say Trump’s strategy is to reduce government size while increasing the militarization of his administration domestic, international, and now — even to the stars. Almost 100,000 new heads in a year and they all hold guns. Remember, “if you build it, they will come.” That’s a pretty big army.
Larry, Such ignorance on your part. Reading this drivel makes me wonder how you are able to get out of bed in the morning-your mind is gone…. The purpose of this Congressional theatre was obviously to give some cover to this war (which most citizens oppose), that was dreamed up by two very corrupt politicians in an effort to save their political skins. Yes, Iran is (and has been) a state sponsor of terrorism, however that does not give the US the right to attack them without an imminent threat, and kill hundreds of their citizens, as well as some of our own costing billions of dollars that the regime says we cannot spare on programs such as health insurance for out citizens, or aid for deserving people in foreign countries. You (and the other Trumpians out there) forget that the danger that Iran might soon possess a nuclear weapon was brought on by the fool in the OO who initially pulled us out of the nuclear deal, the same fool that said the Iranian program was decimated by his June bombing fiasco, the same fool that said the war will be over when he feels like it. Instead you attempt to point fingers at the democrats that are tired of Mike Johnson playing games in the House, trying to protect trump…. You are truly a disgusting person….
Mike f as in fag Trump should be protected. People like you who look for excuses to harrass and destroy him. But you idiots are the real problem. As well as Dunger
Thank you Alice, good to know where you stand.
Part three of draining the swamp: the financials.
I looked at influence and government size for draining the swamp and, IMO, and on the numbers, Trump is batting 500. He fails at draining the swamp for influence peddlers, but has reduced the size of government by 12%. Unfortunately, the third aspect, on the money, Trump blows tubes making him one to two for swamp draining metrics. He has a history of owning the largest deficit in American history and he’s seemingly hell bent to leather beat his own terrible record. I will keep it simple: spending and production. Revenue and cost so to speak. On the spending:
FY 2026 (YTD): $3.10 trillion (Oct 2025 – Feb 2026).
FY 2025: $7.01 trillion.
FY 2024: $6.8 trillion.
FY 2023: $6.1 trillion (approximate).
FY 2022: $6.27 trillion.
FY 2021: 6.82 trillion
FY 2020: $6.55 trillion (COVID-19 response peak).
Trump spent more in 2025 that any of Biden’s four years. While 2026 YTD looks promising, given the drug wars, the VZ excursion, the Iran excursion, the deportation wars, he’s going to blow 2026 big time as he spends $1B a day in Iran with that escalating wildly if boots hit the ground.
This is totally the wrong way to go and every indication it’s getting much worse given the Iran war, Ukraine war, Gaza rebuild, War on drugs, Deportation Wars, World Trade Wars and more.
On the GDP, I will use GDP growth since growth is what fuels the economy. Trump loses big time on this for five years.
FY 2025: 2.1%
FY 2024: 2.8%
FY 2023: 2.9%
FY 2022: 2.5%
FY 2021: 6.1%
FY 2020: -2.2%
FY 2019: 2.6%
FY 2018: 3.0% — Trump’s only win
FY 2017: 2.5%
Need I say more. Biden was better, so far. Probably Obama too. Trump was not great for his first term either.
On the debt I use GDP/debt ratio since debt alone is less significant, how your GPD covers your debt is more significant. Sort of like saying what’s more important, the size of your mortgage, or your ability to repay it based on your income flow. While no one knows the tipping point for this metric, the result being foreign investors pulling their cash and causing our catastrophic crash, 100% is considered the witching point. We pierced this first under Obama. Why no crash? We are still the best deal in town for the safest ROI in the world. That’s a fact that can change in heartbeat and if it does, the result will dwarf the Great Recession blowing away the Great Depression in intensity. We are playing with an End of Days scenario here, a financial nuclear blast.
FY 2025: 120.7%
FY 2024: 120.4%
FY 2023: 117.7%
FY 2022: 118.4%
FY 2021: 120.9%
FY 2020: 122.3%
FY 2019: 104.4%
FY 2018: 103.8%
FY 2017: 102.5%
FY 2016: 104.0%
I think of this in Lord of the Rings terms: it’s the one stat that rules them all. It’s got it all, revenues, production, spending, and debt. IMO, Trump is handed a tough deal in 2016, is in bad shape in 2017 and he does make better in 2017, but then his reckless spending takes him down the next two years and he hands Biden a real turd with a record-setting bad money giveaways in 2020. Biden does well for three years when he falters and totally fails in his fourth-year pandering in his bid to be re-elected. So far, 2025, Trump took Biden’s worse year and made it worser, and far worse if you exclude his massive increase to taxes via his tariffs. Given his current spending trends, he’s flushing this stat down the toilet starting in 2026.
Bottom line — Trump draining the swamp results in less headcount, not less swamp. He completely rejects the original intent of taking influencers, lobbying, foreign and domestic, out of government, literally trashing his own EO that actually accomplished that. Many in his cabinet and important administration positions are lobbyists. His last administration is released to join lobbyists to influence Trump 2.0. On top of that, he has added a layer of billionaire cabinet and administration for their influence to power. We are spending MORE, we are borrowing MORE, and we are not growing our production as a nation. Trump has not met his promise to drain the swamp yet, he has only reduced headcount while growing headcount further militarizing the nation, and tells Ben and others he’s the best, and Ben believes. It’s just not true Ben. He did not drain the swamp, he fired both Democrats and Republicans with his ax. Thanks Ben: I did not know that.
Frank Danger … I have to give you credit putting a lot of effort into loooong screeds that have virtually no audience. Not sure why you have not figured that out. You are posting on a 3-day old commentary. That is like getting an op ed piece in a three day old newspaper. The moment has gone. As usual, you are off the topic. You just use access to the platform to vent your obsessive anti-Trump, anti-Republican, anti-conservative, anti-PunchingBagPost, anti-Larry, and in some cases anti-American views. You lack of objectivity puts your credibility in the toilet. And you constant insults and snide remarks puts your intellectual knowledge and integrity in question. And you self assessment of your own writings is truly laughable. I can only assume that you have some delusional fantastical belief that your writings have impact or meaning. To me, you come across as an old fool in a pathetic search of relevancy..
Funny. For a guy who can’t define a screed, that’s a great one with nothing but a personal attack.
I was on topic to the comment Ben made. He said it, I said it, you missed it. What’s funny is I think you have agreed with much of that in your screeds, I guess it’s only wrong now since I said it. Or maybe you think we aren’t spending enough, haven’t borrowed enough, and need even more lobbyists working in the administration.
And I seem to be spot on given the depth of your personal attack and complete lack of debate of merit on the facts.
You also miss the point of why I am here. Why I write. Since I have told you a number of times, I will pass. Trump is not the reason.
For a guy who wants to ignore me, you seem to have me under your skin. Pretty funny.