A4 THE BULLETIN • MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2021
Who controls the Senate? Fight
leaves Biden’s agenda in limbo
Sides battle over $2 trillion
virus package, impeachment
— even basic legislative rules
BY MIKE DEBONIS AND SEUNG MIN KIM
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — When President Joe
Biden took office last week, he promised
sweeping, bipartisan legislation to solve
the coronavirus pandemic, fix the econ-
omy and overhaul immigration.
But the Senate has ground to a halt,
with Democrats and Republicans unable
to agree on even basic rules for how the
evenly divided body should operate.
Meanwhile, key Republicans have
quickly signaled discomfort with — or
outright dismissal of — the cornerstone
of Biden’s early legislative agenda, a $1.9
trillion pandemic relief plan that includes
measures including $1,400 stimulus
checks, vaccine distribution funding and a
$15 minimum wage.
On top of that, senators are preparing
for a wrenching second impeachment trial
for former president Donald Trump, set
to begin Feb. 9, which could mire all other
Senate business and further obliterate any
hopes of cross-party cooperation.
Taken together, this gridlock could im-
peril Biden’s entire early presidency, mak-
ing it impossible for him to deliver on key
promises as he contends with dueling cri-
ses.
This reality could force Democrats to
Trump, in the thick of a GOP
civil war, teases a ‘MAGA Party’
PALM BEACH, Fla. 4 Former president
Donald Trump threw himself back into
politics this weekend by publicly endors-
ing a devoted and divisive acolyte in Ari-
zona who has embraced his false election
conspiracy theories and entertained the
creation of a new <MAGA Party.=
In a recorded phone call, he offered his
<complete and total endorsement= for an-
other term for Arizona state party chair-
woman Kelli Ward, a lightning rod who has
sparred with the state9s Republican gover-
nor, been condemned by the business com-
munity and overseen a recent flight in party
registrations. She narrowly won reelection.
In recent weeks, Trump has entertained
the idea of creating a third party, called
the Patriot Party, and instructed his aides
to prepare election challenges to lawmak-
ers who crossed him in the final weeks in
office. Trump has reportedly told people
the third-party threat gives him leverage
to prevent Republican senators from vot-
ing to convict him during the Senate im-
peachment trial.
choose within a matter of weeks whether
they will continue to pursue the sort of
bipartisan cooperation that Biden — and
many senators of both parties — have
preached, or whether to pursue procedural
shortcuts or rule changes that would side-
line the GOP but also are likely to divide
their caucus.
“Things move faster and faster now-
adays,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.,
commenting on the rising tensions Friday.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s a honeymoon
period.”
Without an organizing accord, Republi-
cans remain in the majority of most Senate
committees — veteran GOP lawmakers
such as Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa,
Richard Shelby of Alabama and James In-
hofe of Oklahoma continue as chairs of
key panels while veteran Democrats eager
to seize the gavels and advance their long
dormant agendas can only wait and won-
der.
Panel budgets and staff hiring also re-
main frozen pending a deal.
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., for instance,
is in line to be chairman of the Senate Judi-
ciary Committee and thus oversee Biden’s
appointments to the Justice Department
and federal bench, as well as key legislative
items including an immigration overhaul
and police reforms. Asked last week about
the status of the panel’s chairmanship, he
said, “I have no idea.”
Biden’s least controversial Cabinet nom-
inees have moved forward, thanks to the
unanimous consent of Republicans: Avril
Haines was confirmed as director of na-
tional intelligence and Lloyd Austin was
confirmed as defense secretary last week,
while Janet Yellen is set to be confirmed
as treasury secretary Monday. But other,
more controversial nominees could re-
main in limbo.
Inauguration Day
Continued from A1
An on-the-ground view of Wednes-
day’s protest shows the lack of cohesion,
the divergent ideas of what constitutes free
speech in Portland and the turbulence of
the crowd.
Monson identified himself as a member
of Black Unity PDX, described as a civil
rights collective on social media.
He concluded as others shattered win-
dows of the Democratic Party of Oregon
headquarters: “We don’t know what that
was — that was not us.”
A daytime protest emerges
People started gathering about 2 p.m.
outside Revolution Hall — a rare daylight
appearance by the loose band of demon-
strators.
A Twitter post on PNW Youth Liber-
ation Front’s account had circulated with
189 retweets and 440 likes advertising “J20”
and profanity aimed at “the state” and at
Joe Biden himself. It also exhorted explic-
itly: “No streamers! No peace police!” — a
warning that they didn’t want any chal-
lenges or recordings of their actions.
Within minutes, a disorganized scrum
formed and about two dozen people
clashed with Portland bike officers out-
side the hall, angered by the police appear-
ance and their questioning of some in the
crowd.
When a sergeant removed a banner with
poles from one person, the crowd was in-
censed and yelled, “Move out! Move out!”
as they pressed forward toward the police.
The officer returned the banner, not
the poles. Police set off a smoke grenade
to keep the crowd back and allow the bike
cops to ride off.
Within an hour, the crowd had grown
to about 200 as they marched through
city streets. They wandered west and then
north before finally ending behind Benson
High in Northeast Portland.
They first headed up SE 12th Avenue
and turned on NE Davis Street.
With two drummers keeping a beat in
the middle of the group, marchers yelled
chants including “No good cop, no good
president!” “Black Lives Matter!” and “No
cops, no prisons, total abolition!”
They walked until they hit a literal road-
block at Grand Avenue. People stood in
the intersection, about 16 blocks north-
west of Revolution Hall, debating which
way to go next.
“Take the bridge!” someone shouted,
likely referring to the nearby Burnside
Bridge.
One man threw a large-sized rock at the
back of a passing car. The car continued.
Many shouted they felt unsafe staying
still, so those at the head of the march
turned north onto Grand as a police
speaker blared in the background, order-
ing people to obey all traffic laws.
When the police loudspeaker directed
people to remain on the sidewalks, the
crowd ignored the command, chanting,
“Off sidewalks and into the streets!”
“I don’t know where the (expletive) I’m
going, but I don’t give a (expletive),” yelled
marcher Princess Warner, 20.
At the start of the gathering, Warner said
she came out to protest to stress that even
with a new president in office, the nation
must do more to address systemic racism.
“With this Biden administration, I don’t
want people forgetting that Black lives still
matter,” Warner said. “They never stopped
mattering.’’
Her friend, Teal Lindseth, 22, said they
haven’t been on the streets the past months
simply to protest Donald Trump.
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My son had a
yearlong affair with his wife’s
best friend, which started
when the two families took
vacations together. My hus-
band and I have always been
close to our daughter-in-law
and our grandchildren, ages
6 and 10, as well as our son.
The divorces are final now,
and the lovers are married.
Abby, we can’t stand the
new wife. We abhor the de-
ceit, the betrayal and the pain
she and our son have caused.
Now he is demanding that we
accept her. We don’t want to
abandon our daughter-in-law,
and I can’t bear the thought of
her and our grandchildren’s
inheritance going to the new
wife. Also, I am so furious
with my son for this selfish,
egregious act I don’t even like
seeing him. I don’t know what
to do. Any advice?
— Mother of a Cheater
Dear Mother: Depend-
ing upon the child custody
arrangement between your
son and his ex-wife, you may
not have to spend much time
with the happy newlyweds.
Because you love your former
daughter-in-law, see her as
often as you wish and include
her in celebrations. Refrain
from acting out in anger. Be
polite to your son’s new wife.
Say nothing you might later
regret. You do not have to
love — or even like — the
woman.
As to what happens to
your estate in the event of
your and your husband’s
death, this is a discussion
you should have with your
lawyer. You are under no ob-
ligation to reward your son
and the new Mrs., especially
if you prefer to arrange for
your grandchildren and the
daughter-in-law you loved to
have those assets.
Dear Abby: After living
with my husband’s gradual
hearing loss for several years
and his refusal to get hearing
aids, I finally asked him to get
them as a birthday gift to me.
He agreed, and I expected
that he would wear them
once he got them. When
he does, it greatly improves
his hearing. Instances of my
having to repeat myself di-
minish noticeably. But he sel-
dom wears them when he’s at
home with me.
I mentioned to him several
times how important it was
to me, then gave up. I man-
aged to deal with it until the
pandemic forced us to stay
home so much of the time. I
brought it up again recently,
referencing the stay-at-home
order and how much I would
appreciate his wearing them,
but he still wears them only
occasionally.
I feel disrespected because
he isn’t willing to do this
small thing to make both our
lives easier during this period
of confinement. How do you
suggest I explain this to him
so he “hears” me?
— Still Frustrated in California
Dear Still Frustrated: This
may not be a matter of your
husband “tuning you out.”
Have you asked him WHY he
doesn’t wear the hearing aids?
Could it be they are uncom-
fortable and need adjusting?
Is inserting the batteries diffi-
cult because they are so tiny?
Is he bothered by the ampli-
fied background noise? Once
you know why he is resistant,
you can consult the doctor
who prescribed the devices.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian
Portland Police square off with demonstrators at Revolution Hall before backing off during a
protest Wednesday.
or photograph the destruction.
No uniformed police were in sight.
Some in the crowd could be heard mur-
muring that they weren’t OK with the van-
dalism.
“That’s not what I came for,” one person
said.
Dave Killen/The Oregonian
Protesters tagged and smashed windows at
the state Democratic Party’s headquarters
in Portland on Wednesday. “We don’t know
what that was — that was not us,” said Reese
Monson, who was at Wednesday’s march and
identified himself as a member of a group
known as Black Unity PDX.
“We’re doing marches because Black
lives (expletive) matter,” Lindseth said. “In-
justice. It’s time for this to be done.
“My 6-year-old should not have to
go through what I have gone through,”
Lindseth said. “My child should see Black
history stuff. In school we don’t even learn
enough about that. Biden really needs to
change education. Foster care needs to
change. There’s so much wrong with this
world. It needs to change.”
‘That’s not what I came for’
As the crowd reached the entry ramp
to Interstate 84 off NE Grand Avenue, it
halted.
“Where the (expletive) are we going?”
one man yelled.
Some shouted for everyone to turn
around. Another responded, “There’s po-
lice cars behind us!”
“This is the worst (expletive) march I’ve
ever attended!” another person yelled.
Many cut through a car lot and headed
back east on NE Ninth Avenue.
About 3:40 p.m., one woman urged unity.
“It’s not about making a riot happen if
it’s not going to happen,” she yelled.
Moments later, the group marched past
Ninth and Everett Street, where several
people suddenly used metal batons and
crowbars to smash out windows of the
Democratic Party of Oregon headquarters
and tagged the building with profanity tar-
geted at Biden.
At least three people tagged and broke
windows, while several others stood in front,
trying to shield them by holding up black
umbrellas. Others turned over a dumpster
in the street and lit the contents on fire.
Some people demanded media not film
Police close in
The crowd splintered some after the
property damage. Police now trailed the
group.
As some people marched north on NE
Flanders and past the Franz Bakery Outlet, a
man inside peered out a window, just watch-
ing the demonstrators in black walk by.
Soon, Portland bicycle cops arrived,
prompting some in the crowd to warn oth-
ers that police were closing in.
“Bike cops!” some shouted. Many ran to-
ward Benson High School, just a block away,
as others in the group yelled, “Don’t run!”
About 50 people now walked on a path
just south of the high school, past people
playing tennis on nearby courts.
As the marchers passed by Buckman
Field Park south of Benson, a youth soccer
coach yelled out from the track, “There’s a
lot of kids here! There’s a lot of kids here!”
Someone shouted back not to worry.
Police blocked off a parking lot beside
the field behind the high school and or-
dered no one to enter the lot.
People in the crowd taunted the officers
and squeezed little pig toys to make them
squeal as the officers stood in a line, block-
ing the lot and processing some people ar-
rested in the vandalism.
Several parents from the field stood at
the edge of the lot, watching the standoff,
wondering what was going on.
By then, some in the crowd, like Mon-
son, had left.
Some veered off to Irving Park, where
a Defend Democracy Coalition had orga-
nized a rally.
Monson said he was headed to Irving
Park where “the real movement is happen-
ing.”
Police said they arrested eight people,
ranging in age from 18 to 38, on allega-
tions including criminal mischief, disor-
derly conduct and reckless burning. Police
said they removed two metal batons and a
pry bar from people they alleged were in-
volved in the vandalism to the Democratic
Party office. Police also removed four
Molotov cocktails from the backpack of
one man arrested in connection with the
smashing of at least one window after de-
tecting the smell of gasoline coming from
his pack, according to the Multnomah
County District Attorney’s office.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MONDAY, JAN. 25, 2021: Highly sensi-
tive, talented and fascinating, you lead a difficult but interesting and reward-
ing life. This year, you meet challenges head-on, stay stable and encounter
great success. Your fortunes rise again in 2022. If single, relationships are
in upheaval, and when you do commit it9s an achievement. You meet your
soulmate in June. It takes time. If attached, you9re happiest with each other.
SCORPIO lets you in 4 eventually.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõ An unusual person becomes visible in your neighborhood. Good or
bad neighbors aren9t quite as they appear. You9ll have an opportunity to
reevaluate the accuracy of your first impressions and satisfy the need to get
both sides of every story. Tonight: Catching up with work.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõ Today encourages you to examine what material possessions and
wealth really mean. There is an urge to acquire new belongings and to dis-
card those that are outdated and superfluous. Treasure and appreciate what
really matters and let go of the rest. Tonight: Relief.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõõõ Your passion for everything from love to work to social concerns
will be expressed dramatically today. Your capacity for effective action will
astound and amaze. The winter months are about the proper use of this
power. Tonight: You9re driven to explore new planes of expression.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõõ Your perpetually active inner life becomes more colorful and vivid,
while you shun fanfare outwardly. It will surprise you if friends and relatives
born under air signs accuse you of withholding information. Tonight: You9ll
satiate their curiosity and still be discreet.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõõõõ You will be motivated and encouraged by positive, productive
friends today. Involvement with organizations and worthwhile causes or po-
litical issues adds new meaning to your life. Tonight: Your dream time helps
you recognize long-range goals and select the proper group affiliations.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõõ You question authority today and become more vocal and visible
at work. Extra effort and attention to detail make the recognition positive.
Sentiment is replaced by an affinity for all that is contemporary and progres-
sive. Tonight: Mastering new techniques and technologies helps you move
forward.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõõõ Your intellectual horizons widen through exposure to publications
or other learning experiences. An email or call from afar suggests a worth-
while idea. Entries made in your journal will prove therapeutic and valuable
when reviewed in the future. Tonight: Welcome new opportunities.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõ Resist temptation. Seek fulfillment of wholesome desires. The positive
and negative potentials of passions of every kind are evident today. Pursue
expression through the spoken or written word, but be careful when writing
to someone in particular. Tonight: Relax.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõ Letting go of a destructive love that doesn9t bring you joy is often a
prelude to finding true happiness. You must be careful of involvement in love
triangles today or associations with those who have addictive tendencies.
Tonight: Talk it over with a trusted friend.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõ The knees, skin and teeth tend to be vulnerable for Capricorn. Plenty of
calcium in your diet is a must. Sage, which has an association with longevity
and wisdom as well as purification, is the ideal herbal tea. Tonight: Be gentle
and good to yourself.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõõ Friends include you in projects that combine pleasure with serious
work. You have the opportunity to become more active in a worthwhile or-
ganization. Leisure pursuits will be stimulating mentally as well as physically.
Tonight: Feeling well and an awakening of the senses.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõõ Balance sentiment and affection with humor and regard for the in-
dividual growth and goals of loved ones. It9s easy to be a little too protective
and generous today. Add music or a new piece of art to your home. Tonight:
A relaxing herbal soak.
e
e
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