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REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress aim to pass bills protecting same-sex marriage, clarifying lawmakers' role in certifying presidential elections and raising the nation's debt ceiling when they return from the campaign trail on Monday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen both signaled that addressing the nations' looming debt ceiling would be a priority during the session. Some Republicans have threatened to use the next hike in the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, expected in the first quarter of 2023, as leverage to force concessions from Biden. Pelosi, who would lose her position as speaker if Republicans win a majority in the House, told ABC News on Sunday that the best way to address the debt ceiling was "to do it now." "We'll have to, again, lift the debt ceiling so that the full faith and credit of the United States is respected."

Control of the Senate - and the shape of President Joe Biden's next two years in office - will now hinge on contests in Nevada and Georgia. Democrats needed one more seat for control, since Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tie-breaking vote. Political analysts anticipate a rush of campaign funds into Georgia as Republicans and Democrats gear up for the final battle of the 2022 midterm elections. In the fight for control of the House of Representatives, Republicans were inching closer to becoming the majority and ending four years of rule by Democrats. The Republican House leader, Kevin McCarthy, has already announced his intention to run for speaker if Republicans take over, an outcome he has described as inevitable.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had hoped to celebrate a resounding victory that would propel him into the top job of speaker. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. Pelosi said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." [1/9] Supporters cheer U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at a House Republicans' party held late on the night of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. The Georgia Senate race could end up in a Dec. 6 runoff, possibly with Senate control at stake.

By early Wednesday, Republicans had flipped six Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. Pelosi said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." But television host and heart surgeon Mehmet Oz failed to win his Pennsylvania Senate race. In Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who sought to overturn the state's election results after Trump lost, was defeated by Democrat Josh Shapiro.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans remained favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped six Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. The Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." Voter anger over the Supreme Court's June decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion helped Democrats to curb their losses.

SummarySummary Companies Key House, Senate races still too close to callRepublican-controlled Congress would stymie Biden agendaPHOENIX, Ariz./BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov 8 (Reuters) - Control of Congress was up for grabs after Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections with many of the most competitive races uncalled, leaving it unclear whether Republicans would seize control from President Joe Biden's Democrats. In the House of Representatives, Republicans had been favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped four Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one short of the number they need to take over the chamber. The Georgia Senate race could end up in a Dec. 6 runoff, possibly with Senate control at stake. Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break any ties.

REUTERS/Michael Patacsil/WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has rejected a request for a temporary restraining order against a group accused of alleged voter intimidation, according to a ruling released on Friday. Judge Michael Liburdi, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to the federal court in Arizona, rejected the request against Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings. A lawyer who represented Clean Elections USA and Jennings in a hearing earlier this week did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He also dismissed Voto Latino from the case, stating he did not think the organization proved it would be harmed financially by Clean Election USA's actions. "We continue to believe that Clean Elections USA's intimidation and harassment is unlawful."

REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Two in five U.S. voters say they are worried about threats of violence or voter intimidation at polling stations during the country's midterm elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. But officials in Arizona, a key battleground, have already asked the federal government to probe a case of possible voter intimidation, after people casting ballots were conspicuously filmed and followed. Kathy Boockvar, a former top election official for Pennsylvania, said fears of voter intimidation and violence run counter to American tradition. Among the registered voters polled by Reuters/Ipsos, 43% were concerned about threats of violence or voter intimidation while voting in person. About two-thirds of Republicans and one-third of Democrats think voter fraud is a widespread problem, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Two U.S. voter-rights organizations have asked a federal judge to temporarily stop a grassroots group from monitoring voter drop boxes in Arizona for alleged voter fraud, the week after state officials asked federal prosecutors to probe the group for possible voter intimidation. Clean Elections USA describes itself as a "grassroots organization committed to election integrity." Arizona's secretary of state last week asked the U.S. Department of Justice to probe a case of possible voter intimidation after a group of people linked to Clean Elections followed and filmed a voter dropping off a ballot. Clean Elections USA is running a "coordinated campaign of vigilante voter intimidation" that violates the Voting Rights Act and the Klu Klux Klan Act, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit asks U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi, a Trump appointee, to impose a temporary restraining order blocking Clean Elections' ballot-monitoring activities.

☆ U.S. Senate Democrats cite insufficient election workers ahead of midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. Senate Democrats sounded the alarm over a lack of election workers ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm voting, citing threats and harassment as hurdles to recruiting crucial staff. In an Oct. 6 letter to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 13 Senate Democrats and two independents aligned with Democrats called for the federal agency to step up efforts to support states in recruiting workers needed to run next month's midterm elections. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Recruitment efforts have been further hampered by the increase in threats and harassment targeting election workers," the letter stated. Threats against poll workers have sharply increased since the lead up to the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump began making unfounded claims about massive election fraud. Reuters documented more than 850 threats and hostile messages to election workers and officials nationwide in a series of investigative reports.

The widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election as alleged by Trump and his supporters was never proven. Election officials in three other states -- North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada -- reported similar incidents. In 16 North Carolina counties alone, officials noted unusually aggressive observers during May's primary elections, according to a state election board survey. When told to stop, they said they were following guidance from a Republican Party lawyer, said Henderson County Election Director Karen Hebb. As head of the Election Integrity Network, Mitchell is training election observers and is trying to build grassroots networks of conservatives ahead of the midterms.

Video showed Pelosi and Schumer, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, and Republican Senator John Thune calling the Department of Defense asking for military backup to help clear the Capitol complex. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPelosi and Schumer also called acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen. The footage also showed Pelosi and top House Democrats being told that members of the House were pulling on gas masks. In the video, she said she planned to call Larry Hogan, governor of Maryland, about sending the National Guard from his state. Many of those present - including reporters and congressional staff - were in the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack.

☆ Two key takeaways from Thursday's Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot hearing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump held a hearing on its latest findings on Thursday. Here are two key takeaways. SECRET SERVICE KNEW ABOUT PLANNED ATTACKNew evidence from the Secret Service obtained by the committee shows the agency knew about the high likelihood of an attack on the Capitol days ahead of Jan 6, 2021. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said senior advisers received an intelligence summary that included material indicating that certain people would be traveling to Washington, D.C., making plans to attack the Capitol building. "They think that they will have a large enough group to march into DC armed and will outnumber the police so they can't be stopped," an email from the Secret Service sent on Dec. 26, 2020, read.

☆ U.S. Treasury probing misuse of federal funds for DeSantis's migrant flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury is investigating whether Florida Governor Ron DeSantis improperly used federal funds to pay for flights transporting migrants from Texas to Massachusetts, the department confirmed in a letter to U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday. Democratic Senator Ed Markey and other federal lawmakers from Massachusetts sent a letter to the Treasury shortly after the flights, asking it to examine whether DeSantis used interest from federal COVID-19 loans to pay for the flights. Investigators will rule on whether Florida used interest from the fund for the flights and whether this is permitted, Delmar said, adding they "will get this work underway as quickly as possible." A Texas county sheriff last month opened a criminal investigation into the flights. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Twelve U.S. House races to watch in the midterm election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

CALIFORNIA'S 22ND DISTRICTRepublican Representative David Valadao was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in his second trial. He is now facing a tough challenge from Democratic state representative Rudy Salas in a Central Valley district that has been redrawn substantially since the last election. She will face Amanda Adkins, a former chair of the state Republican Party. McLeod-Skinner faces Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a former mayor of Happy Valley, a Portland suburb. Fung has heavily focused his campaign on inflation, while Magaziner argues that Fung would enable the far right House Republicans' agenda.

☆ Factbox: Eight U.S. Senate races to watch in November's midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman speaks during a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 24, 2022. The chamber is currently split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, who are able to control the agenda thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote. The state is a former Republican stronghold where Democrats have made surprise gains in recent elections - Biden won the state by 0.3% in 2020. Masters' struggles have led Republicans to pull funding and analysts have shifted their predictions for the race in Kelly's favor. National groups have been pouring in money, and the topic of abortion is front and center since the state's Republican legislature banned all abortions after six weeks.

☆ With an eye on the U.S. ballot box, Democrats to push policing bills on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Funds would help smaller police departments attract and retain officers and help local governments develop mental health programs to lower crime rates, including gun murders. Prospects for the legislation were unclear in the Senate, split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, where 60 of the chamber's 100 votes would be needed for passage. Congressional Democrats have yet to find a way to enact legislation making it easier to hold police departments and their officers accountable for the use of excessive force, especially against minorities. This is not a substitute for that in any way," Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal said of the legislation being debated on Thursday. Jayapal said a key change in the bill reduced to 125, from 200, the maximum size of small police departments qualifying for federal funds under the bill.

People wearing masks for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walk past the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2022. The so-called Kigali amendment calls for the phase-down of HFCs, gases used in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) that are significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming. Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development that has worked on phasing out HFCs, said the amendment can provide an example for other more contentious global climate negotiations. The world's leading producers of substitutes for HFCs are in Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States. The world's fastest growing markets for refrigerators and air conditioners are overseas.

☆ Top U.S. Senate Democrat Schumer sets vote for Wednesday on Kigali climate deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterU.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters following the Senate Democrats weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 20, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will vote on Wednesday on approving the Kigali amendment to a major global climate treaty, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday. "Today the Senate will finish the work of ratifying the Kigali amendment," Schumer said in a speech to the Senate. Two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, are needed for approval for passage. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Moira Warburton in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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