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☆ On the House Floor, Republicans Gag Mentions of Trump’s Conviction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The floor of the United States House of Representatives is supposed to be a dignified place, where lawmakers refer to each other as “gentleman” or “gentle lady,” speak only to the presiding officer, and never engage in personally disparaging remarks against rivals, an offense known as “engaging in personalities.”But what happens when the leader of one party is a convicted criminal whom a jury has found guilty of things that would normally be considered unmentionable on the House floor? The history-making felony conviction of former President Donald J. Trump has raised some historic questions for the House’s rules of decorum, which have existed for centuries but can be bent to the will of whichever party controls the majority-driven chamber. The Republicans who now hold the majority have used those rules to impose what is essentially a gag order against talking about Mr. Trump’s hush-money payments to a porn actress or about the fact that he is a felon at all, notwithstanding that those assertions are no longer merely allegations but the basis of a jury’s guilty verdict. Doing so, they have declared, is a violation of House rules.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s Organizations: United States House, Republicans

☆ Congressional leaders invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address joint meeting of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The top four congressional leaders have formally invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress. The invitation comes after much speculation as additional military aid to Israel remains in question and Democrats are facing pressure from their left wing as the party remains divided over Israel’s handling of the war against Hamas. President Joe Biden on Friday laid out a three-phase proposal Israel has submitted to wind down the grinding crisis in Gaza. Less than an hour after Biden detailed the Israeli proposal, Netanyahu’s office insisted Israel would not end the war until Hamas is defeated and “all of its goals are achieved.”CNN previously reported that during a closed-door conference meeting in March, House Republicans raised the idea of inviting Netanyahu. CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Haley Talbot, Melanie Zanona, Clare Foran, Kevin Liptak, Nikki Carvajal and Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Mike Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, ”, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Israel, Biden, Netanyahu, Johnson, CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Haley Talbot, Melanie Zanona, Clare Foran, Kevin Liptak, Nikki Carvajal, Samantha Waldenberg Organizations: CNN, Israeli, United States House, United States Senate, Republicans, Senate, Hamas, ” CNN, House Republicans, Israel Locations: of Israel, Israel, Gaza

☆ House passes Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid, potential TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., conducts a news conference in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the foreign aid package rule on Friday, April 19, 2024. The bills earmark over $60 billion for Ukraine aid, more than $26 billion for Israel and over $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security. The House's approval is a critical next step for foreign aid, which has been in limbo since President Biden first proposed it in October. Despite that looming political backlash, Speaker Johnson was persuaded to revisit the foreign aid package after Iran's attempted strike on Israel last weekend. In response, Johnson put the foreign aid package at the top of the House's agenda.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, China's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Iran's, Johnson's, Steve Scalise Organizations: U.S, Capitol, United States House, Representatives, Democrats, Republicans, Rep, NBC News Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ By passing Ukraine aid, the accidental speaker became an unlikely Churchill
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showed political courage that is rare in Washington and notable legislative skill for an inexperienced leader in forcing a long-delayed $60 billion aid bill for Ukraine through the House of Representatives on Saturday. And 112 Republicans — a majority of the conference — voted against the Ukraine bill. And any Republican speaker propped up by Democrats might hemorrhage support among GOP lawmakers and be forced to resign. “As we deliberate on this vote, you have to ask yourself this question: Am I Chamberlain or Churchill?” he said. The accidental speaker makes an unlikely Churchill, but on Saturday he proved to be a far more daring and substantial figure than many of his Republican and Democratic critics previously believed.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Reagan, Joe Biden’s, “, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, ” CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen, Putin, —, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Johnson —, Kevin McCarthy’s, Marc Molinaro, CNN’s Manu Raju, Trump, Zelensky, Trump’s, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike Quigley, It’s, ” Quigley, Chuck Schumer, Jeffries, Mike McCaul, ‘, it’s, McCaul, Chamberlain, Churchill Organizations: CNN, West, GOP, America, MAGA, United States House, Representatives, Ukraine, Republican Party, Trump, Republicans, Georgia, Mar, Democratic, Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Illinois Democrat, Foreign, Texas Republican, Republican Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Russian, Louisiana, United States, Russia, Europe, Iran, China, Israel, Taiwan, Mexico, Georgia, New York, Kyiv, Texas, Nazi Germany

☆ HongShan split from Sequoia last year as US-China relations worsened. Now, it's eyeing up Europe.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Last June, storied investor Sequoia Capital announced it was to split itself into three separate entities. Sequoia Capital would look after the US and Europe; Peak XV Partners would manage its investments in India; and HongShan Capital would be based in China. The emergence of HongShan as an active investor in Europe would result in the firm "competing with former family," one source said. The expansion could be aimed at attracting businesses that target the Chinese market or companies set up by Chinese entrepreneurs away from home, the FT said, citing sources who had spoken with Shen. HongShan Capital's most recent fund includes LPs such as CalPERS, the University of Texas Investment Management Company, and the University of Washington endowment.

Persons: HongShan, Neil Shen, Shen Organizations: Sequoia Capital, YouTube, Sequoia, Partners, HongShan, Business, United, Strategic, University of Texas Investment Management Company, University of Washington Locations: China, Europe, India, London, Singapore, Asia

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., arrives to the U.S. Capitol for a procedural vote on a motion to vacate against Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Federal prosecutors hit Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., with 23 additional charges Tuesday, including allegations of identity theft and that he charged a supporter's credit card in excess of their contribution and then transferred the money to his personal bank account. He's also alleged to have been involved in a credit card scheme where the campaign would charge contributors' credit cards repeatedly and above FEC individual contribution limits. On another occasion, he allegedly "charged $12,000 to the Contributor's credit card, ultimately transferring the vast majority of that money into his personal bank account." Marks pleaded guilty last week to some of the same conduct involving false FEC filings that Santos was charged with Tuesday.

Persons: George Santos, Kevin McCarthy, Prosecutors, Santos, Nancy Marks, Marks, He's, texted Santos Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Federal, Commission, United, Eastern, of, Republican Party, Santos, Prosecutors, United States House, Representatives, NBC News Locations: United States, of New York

The House narrowly voted to oust Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, dooming the House speaker to a fate that seemed almost guaranteed since he took the gavel in January, with a group of rebels in his conference nipping at his heels. “The office of speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant,” the clerk announced as the vote concluded. A temporary speaker – Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina – is expected to take over based upon a list of succession that McCarthy submitted in January, according to House rules . But in 2015, McCarthy’s speaker bid abruptly ended amid pushback from right-wing lawmakers who have long seen him as insufficiently conservative. I’m the 55th speaker of the House.”Without McCarthy at the helm, the House is expected to soon vote to elect another speaker.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Patrick McHenry of, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina –, McHenry, ”, McCarthy’s speakership, Washington ”, “, Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Tom Burchett, Eli Crane, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Nancy Mace, Matt Rosendale, Gaetz, motioned, it’s, ” Gaetz, ” McCarthy, ” McCarthy’s, McCarthy’s, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: United States House, Democrats, Washington, Bakersfield, Republicans – Rep, GOP, Republican, California Republican, Florida Republican, Democratic, House Republican Locations: Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, California, –

☆ Rep. George Santos says he'd rather forfeit his $500,000 bond and go to jail than out the people who guaranteed the money: court docs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jennifer Cunningham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. George Santos has asked a judge to keep the names of the people who guaranteed his half-million-dollar bond a secret. And if the judge mandates that his guarantors be identified, Santos said he'd forfeit his bond and remain jailed until his trial, according to court documents obtained by Insider. "A few hours later on Friday, June 2, 2023, I received a call wherein a male voice just shouted what sounded like, 'Who paid Santo's bond?' Last month, Judge Shields held a clandestine hearing with the bond guarantors, court filings show, and their names have not been revealed to the public. The judge has not yet ruled on whether or not to make the suretors' names public.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, he'd, —, Anne Shields, Joseph Murray, Murray, Judge Shields, Prosecutors Organizations: Service, United States House Locations: Santos

Kinmen, Taiwan CNN —As the sun sets over Taiwan’s Kinmen islands, the neon lights of mainland China dazzle in the distance just 2.5 miles away. That lingering potential for invasion might make it seem like an unlikely place to construct a bridge to mainland China. Anti-invasion spikes along the coast of Taiwan's Kinmen islands. During a recent trip to Kinmen, Taiwan Vice President and DPP presidential candidate William Lai said he recognized the sacrifices of the islanders during decades of conflict. “The Taiwanese government looks at the Chinese military threat as something that cannot be accepted and we condemn it,” he added.

Persons: John Mees, Ko Wen, ”, Xi Jinping, Ho Chih, Sam Yeh, Kinmen, Yang Chien, ” Yang, “, Yang, Yang Pei, Huang Li, cheng, Tsai Ing, William Lai, Wu Chia, chiang, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Joseph Wu, ” Wu, Maestro Wu Tseng, Maestro Wu Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Communist, People’s Liberation Army, CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s Presidential, Mainland Affairs Council, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Mainland Affairs, Russo, Getty, Communist China's, Tourism Association, Communist Party, Xi, United States, Taiwan’s, Taiwan Locations: Kinmen, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei, Taiwan’s, Xiamen –, Xiamen, Chinese, Ukrainian, Russia, Taiwan's, AFP, Jinsha, “, Fujian, California, Beijing’s

☆ Reaction: Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have reached a tentative deal to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, ending a months-long stalemate. DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE TED LIU"Tonight, I have been informed that there is an agreement in principle between the White House and House Republicans. This was a House Republican manufactured crisis. REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE BOB GOOD "I am hearing the 'deal' is for a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit. "If we didn't reach a deal … the average American person would clearly see a hit ... we had to reach some kind of conclusion here."

Hong Kong CNN —A Taiwan political activist has been formally arrested on suspicion of “secession” in China, more than eight months after he was detained amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said they had repeatedly reached out to mainland authorities about Yang’s detention but had not received a direct response. In 2019, he became the vice chairman of the Taiwan National Party, a fringe political party advocating Taiwan independence. Handcuffed and escortedCCTV said Yang had long advocated the idea of “Taiwan independence” and founded the Taiwan National Party to push for Taiwan to become an independent, sovereign country and a member state of the United Nations. However, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council reminded Taiwan citizens to evaluate the risks before traveling to mainland China, citing the “repeated occurrence of similar cases recently,” without elaborating on the incidents.

☆ House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the debt ceilingKevin McCarthy, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and Joyce Chang, JPMorgan Chase chair of global research, join 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss curbing federal spending, debt ceiling negotiations, and Biden's fiscal policy.

☆ House Democrats are skeptical about Biden's call for working with GOP: 'Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to be the lead spokesperson these days'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Biden says Republicans can help build a "significant majority" for Dem priorities in a GOP House. "It looks like it's Marjorie Taylor Greene and extreme MAGA Republicans," Rep. Pramila Jayapal said. They question whether they can work with House Republicans on anything beyond "must-pass" legislation when they say "extreme" GOP members seem to be leading the caucus. And you know, Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to be the lead spokesperson these days." "You're gonna have a lot of Republicans running our way," he told House Democrats on Wednesday night.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are sounding the alarm about how a nonfunctional House hurts national security. "If a national security crisis arises, the President of the United States is right down the street," he said. "I'm informed by House Security that, technically, I don't have a clearance," Gallagher, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, told reporters. "I'm a member of the [House Intelligence Committee], I'm on the Armed Services Committee, and I can't meet in the SCIF to conduct essential business." "President Xi says, 'Our system of governance works because democracy don't,'" Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, told reporters.

☆ It's been two years since rioters stormed the Capitol. Here's 5 things we've learned about the insurrection in the past year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In a speech given near the White House on January 6, Trump said he'd join protestors and march with them to the Capitol, though his march never occurred. "White House staff knew it, and so did every other Republican and Democratic leader in Washington." "After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation — a witness you have not yet seen in these hearings. That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call and, instead, alerted their lawyer to the call," Cheney said. Hutchinson also said that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows asked for a pardon, along with Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani.

☆ There are currently zero members of the US House of Representatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US House currently has no duly-sworn members, and won't until a Speaker is chosen. It's the first time in a century that the House has been vacant for more than a day. Hours later, the chamber re-convened for the 118th Congress, ready to elect a new Speaker of the House and organize itself. The House is scheduled to reconvene at noon at Wednesday, with the first order of business being the election of a Speaker. asked former Republican Rep. Billy Long of Missouri, noting the role that members play in assisting their constituents with federal agencies.

☆ Hope Hicks said 'we all look like domestic terrorists now' after January 6 and that another White House aide was a 'genius' for getting out early
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hope Hicks said the Capitol riot made her and other aides "unemployable" and "untouchable." Hicks also said Alyssa Farah Griffin was a "genius" for leaving the administration early. During the Capitol riot, Farah Griffin tweeted at Trump, pleading with him to condemn the attack. Farah Griffin went on to become a politics contributor for CNN, and in August 2022 became a co-host of The View. Hicks left the White House on January 12, 2021, though CNN reported the departure was planned before the riot.

☆ Cassidy Hutchinson says she initially lied to the January 6 committee about Trump allegedly grabbing the steering wheel of his SUV and lunging at a Secret Service agent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hutchinson said she initially told the committee she had not heard of Trump lunging at a Secret Service member. But soon after her deposition, she said she told her attorney, "I lied, I lied, I lied." I just lied," Hutchinson said she told Passantino. "I lied, I lied, I lied." In a later deposition, Hutchinson told the committee she continued to be wracked with guilt after not being entirely truthful to the committee in her first deposition.

☆ Pence says he was 'surprised' that Republicans didn't win more seats in the midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Pence said he was "surprised" that Republicans didn't win more seats in the 2022 midterms. While on the CBS program "Face the Nation," Pence said citizens want the GOP to focus on the future. During an interview on the CBS program "Face the Nation," Pence told host Margaret Brennan that while he wanted to see larger Republican margins in Congress, a "win is a win." "A win is a win, but I would have liked to see more Republicans elected to Congress. I would have liked to have seen a Republican majority in the Senate."

☆ Trump files suit against January 6 committee to block their subpoena for his testimony
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump's legal team filed suit Friday against the Jan. 6 committee to block him from testifying. The former president's lawyers argue Congress does not have the authority to subpoena a president. "But the Subpoena issued by the Committee to 'President Donald J. Trump' does not arise from an impeachment inquiry," the filing reads. "For the reasons explained below, the Committee lacks authority to issue the Subpoena and, in any event, President Trump is not required to comply." Trump's legal team and representatives for his post-presidential office did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Paul Pelosi attacker DePape was prepared to kidnap and injure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, federal complaint charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi arrive on the red carpet for the Time 100 Gala at the Lincoln Center in New York on April 23, 2019. The California man accused of viciously attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer was prepared to kidnap and break the kneecaps of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when he invaded the couple's San Francisco home, federal prosecutors revealed in a new criminal complaint Monday. DePape already was facing state charges of attempted murder and other felonies in the early Friday morning attack on Paul Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is second in the line of presidential succession, was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the break-in. DePape arrived at her San Francisco home toting zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer, authorities said.

☆ Members of Congress express support for Paul Pelosi following violent attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi arrive on the red carpet for the Time 100 Gala at the Lincoln Center in New York on April 23, 2019. Members of Congress continued to express support Sunday for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, after he was violently attacked by an intruder with a hammer on Friday. The House Speaker, a California Democrat, was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident, authorities said. David DePape, 42, was identified by police as the suspect who wielded a hammer during the attack on Paul Pelosi. He allegedly was searching for the House speaker, shouting, "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?"

☆ Rep. Matt Gaetz sought a preemptive pardon from Trump over an investigation into whether he sex-trafficked a 17-year-old, WaPo reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Washington Post reported Gaetz sought a preemptive presidential pardon in a sex trafficking investigation. Sources told WaPo that Johnny McEntee, a White House official, testified he received the request from Gaetz. A spokesperson for Gaetz told Insider the congressman never directly asked Trump for a pardon. McEntee also testified Gaetz said he asked White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for a pardon. "As for himself, President Trump addressed this malicious rumor more than a year ago stating, 'Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon.'

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