What Republican Party Represents

GOP Beliefs
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is struggling to figure out what the Republican Party represents. He relayed his concerns at a recent committee meeting:
"They claim to be the 'Party of Fiscal Responsibility.' Yet, they saddle our children and grandchildren with $1.5 trillion dollars in additional debt, simply to pay for tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, corporations and big donors. --- Are you for fiscal responsibility, or are you against it?

You claim to be the 'Party of Law and Order.' Yet, regularly attack Department of Justice officials and FBI agents who are simply doing their job to keep the country safe. --- Are you for Law and Order, or are you against it?

You claim to be the 'Party of Foreign Policy Hawks.' Yet, many are providing aid and comfort to Russian spies who interfaced with our Election according to 17 different intelligence agencies, for the purpose of helping to artificially elect 45. --- Are you for Foreign Policy Hawks, or are you not?

You claim to be the 'Party of the  Rule of Law.' And yet, many regularly attack special prosecuter Bob Mueller, who prior to his appointment was highly regarded on both sides of the aisle as a talented, pristine law enforcement professional who has sacrificed much for our country. --- Are you for the Rule of Law, or are you not?

You claim to be the 'Party of Family Values.' And yet, the highest ranking Republican official in the land endorsed and supported, and campaigned for an accused pediphile (sic) and child molester for a United States Senate seat. --- Are you for Family Values, or are you against it?"

Infrastructure Challenges
200 - Estimated number of years it would take to fully replace the nation's drinking-water pipes at the current rate.

D+ - Grade given to the country's energy infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers; the grid would cost nearly $5 trillion to replace.

188M - Trips taken every day across structurally deficient bridges in the U.S.; repairing them would cost more than $120 billion.

$200B - Total federal infrastructure spending over the next 10 years that Trump is expected to announce; Democrats have proposed $1 trillion in new investment. (Source: The Nation, January 29/February 5, 2018.)

ADDENDUMS:
*The U.S. Air Force plans  to conduct two test launches of its Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in February, while the Olympic Truce is meant to be in force. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has asked to postpone the tests until after the Truce ends.

*South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha has called on the North Korean crisis to be solved by diplomacy, not military, means.

*The outgoing head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Frank Klotz, says the agency is at capacity in people, materials and time to do its work.He says that the agency will need more than the initial estimate of $350 billion over the next 30 years.

*A new edition of the "Nuclear Notebook" in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists concludes that North Korea has enough fissile material to build 30 to 60 nuclear weapons, and may already have 10 to 20.