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☆ Mike Gallagher to leave Congress in April, giving GOP an even narrower majority
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin will resign from Congress early, handing another blow to Speaker Mike Johnson and his razor thin Republican majority. Once Buck and Gallagher leave, Johnson will be down to a 217-to-213 majority, meaning Republicans will only be able to lose one vote with full attendance and still be able to pass legislation. Gallagher is chairman of the high-profile Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Gallagher noted the hunt for a new chair once he departs in his announcement. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise downplayed the tightening majority. “It is tough with a five-seat majority, it is tough with a two-seat, one will be the same,” Scalise told CNN.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Mike Johnson, Gallagher, –, Ken Buck, Buck, Johnson, “ I’ve, ” Gallagher, Steve Scalise, ” Scalise, “, ”, Majorie Taylor Greene Organizations: Republican, NBC News, Chinese Communist Party, CNN, House GOP, House Republicans, GOP Locations: Wisconsin, Colorado, Georgia

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, waits to speak during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 29, 2024. It was not immediately clear how the House would act on her motion, which requires just a majority vote to remove the speaker. Greene told reporters that the motion to vacate was more of a warning shot and that she had not discussed it with President Donald Trump. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks to the media on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol after filing her motion to vacate Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday, March 22, 2024. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) leaves a closed-door House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Drew Angerer, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Greene, Donald Trump ., Bill Clark, Raj Shah, Trump's, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Matt Gaetz, McCarthy, Gaetz, We'd, we've, Hakeem Jeffries Organizations: Republican, Capitol, AFP, Getty, NBC News, Donald Trump . Rep, U.S, CQ, Inc, NBC News House, Democrat, U.S . Rep Locations: Louisiana, Washington , DC, Washington ,

☆ Lawmakers release text of $1.2 trillion spending bill as shutdown deadline nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers early Thursday morning released the text of a $1.2 trillion government funding bill negotiated by the White House and leaders of both parties to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend. Those federal agencies are scheduled to shut down on Saturday if the funding package is not passed by Friday night. President Joe Biden has said he'll sign the bill, but it's unclear whether Congress has enough time to pass it before the deadline. It is the last remaining funding package that Congress has to pass this fiscal year, which ends after September. After the House passes the bill, the Senate will require unanimous consent to vote quickly.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Mitch McConnell, — Frank Thorp Organizations: WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, White, Homeland Security, Defense, State, Labor, Health, Human Services, DHS, Internal Revenue Service, Republicans, House Republicans, House, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Washington, Washington , DC, D, Ky

☆ Treasury chief Yellen defends Biden budget against Republican senators' fears of tax increases
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Provisions of the TCJA — a landmark tax law proposed by the Trump administration and passed by Congress in 2017 — that are set to expire in 2025 include the child tax credit. An additional "other dependent credit" offers a tax credit of $500 to people with less than $400,000 in income who have qualified dependents who are ineligible for the child tax credit. Biden's budget will restore the expanded child tax credit, the White House has said. "Would you agree that if the TCJA child tax credit provisions are not extended, this would also result in a tax hike for Americans making under $400,000?" The budget would impose a minimum 25% tax rate on the unrealized income of the very wealthiest households and raise the IRA's corporate alternative minimum tax for billion-dollar companies from 15% to 21%, while increasing the larger corporate tax rate to 28%.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Joe Biden's, Biden, Sen, Steve Daines, Yellen, Daines, Trump, Mike Crapo, pare Organizations: Treasury, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, Congress, White, Child Tax, Rescue, National Conference of State Legislatures, . Census, House Republicans, Lawmakers, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Washington , U.S, Idaho

☆ House Speaker Johnson says he will invite Israel leader Netanyahu to address Congress, slams Schumer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday said he will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress. We'll certainly extend that invitation" to Netanyahu, Johnson said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "I will always welcome the opportunity for the Prime Minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way," he said. One week earlier, Schumer denounced Netanyahu and called for Israel to hold an election to oust him. Schumer accused the prime minister of "allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel."

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, We'll, Netanyahu, Schumer Organizations: House Republican Conference, New York Democrat Locations: Joe Biden's State, Gaza, Israel's, Israel, United States

☆ Top U.S. congressional Republican and Democrat say a deal has been reached on spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed the agreement in a pair of statements on Tuesday morning. The actual legislative text of the agreement, which must be finalized before lawmakers can vote on it, is still being completed. The package was expected to cover about three-quarters of discretionary government spending, due to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Biden and House Republicans earlier this month laid out proposed budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins in October, that offered sharply contrasting priorities. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been fighting since early last year on funding levels amid a push by hardline House Republicans to cut more spending than had been agreed to in a bipartisan deal enacted into law last June.

Persons: Charles Schumer, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Chuck Schumer, Biden, Johnson Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Democrat, Congress, Department of Homeland Security, Democratic, U.S ., House Republicans, Russia, Republicans Locations: U.S, Mexico, Ukraine

☆ Lauren Boebert brags about securing $20 million in funding that she voted against: 'Can't wait for the ribbon cuttings'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Lauren Boebert voted against a bill containing $20 million for the district she's abandoning. "Can't wait for the ribbon cuttings and to see these priorities come to fruition," she said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementEarlier this month, Rep. Lauren Boebert voted against a must-pass government funding bill that contained more than $20 million for the Colorado district she's now abandoning. AdvertisementBoebert was among 40 House Republicans who voted on March 6 against the so-called "minibus" — which funds vast swaths of the federal government — despite having secured federal funding for their districts.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, —, Boebert, Sleepy Joe, Nancy Pelosi —, It's, it's, she's, Ken Buck's, who's Organizations: Service, Republicans, Green, Deal, Green New, GOP, Rep Locations: Colorado, Wolf

☆ Lev Parnas invited by House Oversight Democrats as witness for Biden impeachment hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

House Democrats on the Oversight Committee have selected an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani, who played a role in former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, to be their witness at the panel’s hearing on Wednesday, a source with Oversight Committee Democrats told CNN. House Republicans had embraced the dirt Parnas was peddling but he has since called it out as nonsense. Hunter Biden declined the invitation from Republicans to appear at this hearing. Last year, Parnas sent House Oversight Chair James Comer a letter discrediting the many theories peddled by Republicans and called on Comer to end his investigation into the Biden family. “There is simply no merit to investigating this matter any further.”Prior to selecting Parnas, Democrats had been considering Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to be their witness.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s, Lev Parnas, Giuliani, Trump, Joe Biden, Hunter, Parnas, “ Lev Parnas, ”, Jamie Raskin, “, Tony Bobulinski, Biden, Jason Galanis, Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, Joe Biden corruptly, Republican pushback, James Comer, Comer, ” Parnas, Michael Cohen, “ Cohen Organizations: CNN, Republicans, GOP, Maryland, Republican, Biden, FBI Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Congressional Leaders Strike Deal on Final Spending Bill Ahead of Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Catie Edmondson | More About Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the White House had been at loggerheads over funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security. For days, they had been litigating disagreements that threatened to imperil the spending package that also funds the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies. They are facing a midnight deadline on Friday to pass the measure and avert a lapse in funding. A breakthrough on Monday night, in which Democrats and Republicans were able to agree to homeland security funding levels for the rest of the fiscal year, allowed negotiators to finalize their deal. “House and Senate committees have begun drafting bill text to be prepared for release and consideration by the full House and Senate as soon as possible.”

Persons: Mike Johnson Organizations: House Republicans, Senate Democrats, White, Department of Homeland Security, Pentagon, State Department, Republicans, Senate

Congress has until Friday at midnight to pass six major spending bills to avert a partial government shutdown. Six spending bills that cover roughly three-quarters of all federal discretionary spending are at stake:– Defense: Includes funding for nearly all military-related activities. – State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: Includes funding for U.S. diplomatic activities, cultural exchanges, development and humanitarian assistance. As of Monday morning, appropriators had yet to release any of the six funding bills they’ll need to pass. The stalemate comes in the wake of Republicans killing the bipartisan Senate border deal last month.

Persons: appropriators, they’re Organizations: –, – Financial Services, General Government, Department of, Treasury, of Columbia, – Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration Services, Labor, Health, Human Services, Education, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Social Security, National Labor Relations Board, Senate, U.S . Capitol Police, of Congress, Foreign, House Republican, White House, Department of Homeland Security Locations: U.S, – State

☆ Mike Johnson can't get Republicans in control
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

House Republicans still can't get out of their own way. Speaker Mike Johnson is leading one of the narrowest majorities in history. Related storiesAs CNN reported, there are at least four races where current GOP lawmakers support primary challengers. Because at the end of the day, we're not judged by how many Republicans we have in Congress. As for the more traditional Republicans, they are targeting Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, a Freedom Caucus member.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, I've, Tony Gonzales, Matt Gatez, Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy, Gonzales, Mike Bost, we're, We're, Brandon Herrera, Bob Good, McCarthy, Mike Rogers, John McGuire, Johnson doesn't, Harriet Hageman, Liz Cheney, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Henry Cuellar, Cuellar Organizations: Service, House Republicans, CNN, GOP, Florida Republican, Republicans, Texas Republican, Caucus, Democrat, House Armed, Navy, Texas Democrat Locations: Tony Gonzales of Texas, Florida, Illinois, Virginia, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Texas

☆ Border funding battle snags budget talks in Congress with shutdown days away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Congress is back at the budget negotiation table this week and border security disputes again are threatening to torpedo talks as a weekend government shutdown inches closer. Congress successfully struck a deal on the first six appropriations bills in February, but the remaining half relate to thornier agencies like labor, homeland security, education and more. "This second batch, they're tougher because they're more partisan," said Bobby Kogan, a former budget advisor under President Joe Biden. The border is a top voting issue in the 2024 election and amid the heat of the border controversy, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in February after several failed attempts. In early February, Republicans killed a foreign aid package that would have provided $20 billion in funding for the U.S. southern border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mitch McConnell, Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden administration's pushback, Bobby Kogan, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: White, White House, Department of Homeland Security, GOP, Politico, DHS, CNBC, Democratic, NBC News, Congress, Republicans, Homeland, Senate Locations: WASHINGTON, DC, Washington , DC, U.S

☆ Border policy a key sticking point in Congress with shutdown deadline just days away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Clare Foran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Lawmakers are scrambling to avert a partial shutdown ahead of a federal government funding deadline at the end of the week. The Department of Homeland Security has proven to be a particularly thorny issue in the funding fight amid partisan disagreements over border policy. Since then, lawmakers have faced a series of fiscal cliffs as a result of funding deadlines created by short-term extensions. In the Senate, lawmakers will need to reach a time agreement to pass the legislation before Friday’s shutdown deadline. The objection of any one senator could slow the process down and threaten to take lawmakers right up to, or past, the deadline.

Persons: Mike Johnson, –, Joe Biden, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health, Human Services, Education, State, Department of Homeland Security, Senate, Republican, Democratic, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Housing, Urban, and Drug Administration, Republicans Locations: Transportation

☆ They voted for the bill that could ban TikTok. They also actively use the app.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Shania Shelton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Jackson is not the only House representative who has both taken advantage of the popular app and voted for the bill that could ban it. Some of these representatives actively use the app to boost their campaigns, while others use it for office communications. Some members who voted in favor of the bill believe the US should be able to regulate the technology. The question of a banA few of the representatives who voted in favor of the bill have emphasized that it is not meant to be a ban of TikTok. Just being as transparent and accountable as we possibly can.”The Democratic congressman said if TikTok is banned, he will continue to use the social media platforms that aren’t banned, but said, “I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen here.”“It’s really a sell TikTok, not ban TikTok bill.

Persons: Jeff Jackson, “, Marisa, Biden, Alabama Sen, Katie Britt, Jackson, unfollow, Colin Allred, Adam Schiff of California, Elissa Slotkin, ” Jackson, TikTok, “ I’ve, ”, Republican Dan Bishop, snoop, Bill Pascrell, Schiff, ” Schiff, Joe Biden, ” Allred, Sen, Ted Cruz, Slotkin, “ I’m, ” Slotkin, Debbie Stabenow, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Annie Wu Henry, John Fetterman’s, ” Henry, Sean Casten, Greg Landsman, Wiley Nickel, Pascrell, Melanie Stansbury, Landsman, Henry Organizations: CNN — Democratic, Union, North Carolina Democrat, Democratic, Republican, ”, Communist, California Senate, Senate, Constituent, CNN Locations: North, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Beijing, New Jersey, United States, California, TikTok, ”, Illinois, Ohio, New Mexico

☆ Trump could face a rare defeat in the chaotic Ohio GOP Senate primary by someone he calls the 'next Mitt Romney'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

There's a contentious Senate primary in Ohio between a traditional Republican and a Trump loyalist. AdvertisementIn recent days, former President Donald Trump has found himself locked in a proxy showdown with establishment GOP figures in Ohio. Ohio State Sen. Matt Dolan at an event in Salem, Ohio on March 15, 2024. "President Trump wants Bernie," said Noem, adding that "should be enough reason" for rally attendees to convince their friends to vote for Moreno. "You're gonna want President Trump in Ohio a lot," Noem later said.

Persons: Trump's, — Bernie Moreno —, Moreno, —, Donald Trump, Bernie Moreno, who's, Sen, Matt Dolan, Mike DeWine, Rob Portman, Dolan —, That's, Dolan, Mitt Romney, Trump, DeWine, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown, Frank LaRose, Kristi Noem, Bernie …, Bill Clark, he's, Steve Daines, Kari Lake, Brown, MAGA, Moreno —, JD Vance —, Vance, Scott Olson, Bernie, Noem, that's, Kimberly Curtis Organizations: Republican, Trump, Service, US Senate, Gov, Ukraine —, Democratic, PAC, GOP, Associated Press, Business, Ohio, Getty, Republicans, National Republican Senatorial, Republican Party, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Indians, Senate Locations: Ohio, Dayton, Ukraine, Utah, South Dakota, Salem , Ohio, Montana, Montana and Michigan, Arizona, Dayton , OH, Troy , Ohio

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger's junta said Saturday the U.S. military presence in the country is no longer justified, making the announcement on state television after holding high-level talks with U.S. diplomatic and military officials this week. He said Niger was suspending military cooperation with Washington and added that U.S. flights over the country’s territory in recent weeks were illegal. The U.S. has also invested years and hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger's military. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe Niger junta spokesman said the U.S. tone was condescending and threatened Niger's sovereignty. The U.S. military had some 650 personnel working in Niger in December, according to a White House report to Congress.

Persons: — Niger's, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Niger's, Mohammed Bazoum, Molly Phee, Michael Langley, Phee, Jessica Donati Organizations: U.S, Washington, European Union, military's, Command, Niger, Associated Press Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, U.S, Africa's Sahel, Agadez, Niamey, Washington, Africa, France, Dakar, Senegal

☆ Retiring GOP Rep. Ken Buck scorches the House of Representatives on his way out the door: 'This place just keeps going downhill'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Retiring Rep. Ken Buck didn't hold back when discussing the House while on Capitol Hill this week. "This place just keeps going downhill, and I don't need to spend my time here," he said, per WaPo. Buck, a conservative who was first elected to the House in 2014, is stepping down later this month. Related stories"This place just keeps going downhill, and I don't need to spend my time here," he told reporters, according to The Washington Post. "I have a passion for that and I'm going to leave, and I'm going to find the right organization to join, and I'm going to start working on that issue."

Persons: Ken Buck didn't, Buck, —, Biden, Kevin McCarthy's, Ken Buck, Alejandro Mayorkas, Buck wasn't, he's, Mike Johnson of, he'd, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, they're, We've Organizations: Service, Republicans, California Rep, Colorado Rep, Homeland, The Washington, CNN, Trump, House Locations: California, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Colorado

☆ Why does Biden keep mentioning January 6? Because Trump won’t stop talking about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

It’s Biden’s campaign aides who have been surprised how much that’s true. A running mate litmus testBiden aides say January 6 and the footage from it will be a central feature of their advertising campaigns, the convention and beyond. Trump, for his part, keeps talking about it and his aides aren’t really trying to stop him. About 56 percent of independent voters continue to believe Trump was largely responsible for it, virtually unchanged during that stretch. But Biden aides say that’s a big part of why the images and memories of January 6 itself are so important.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, It’s, ”, Mike Donilon, “, We’re, ’, Kamala Harris, CNN —, reverberating, Biden, Jan, litmus, aren’t, Mike Pence, Elise Stefanik, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Ben Carson, Doug Burgum, Pence, Scott, Burgum, ’ Biden, didn’t, it’s, ” Donilon, there’s, Mike Johnson, Barry Loudermilk, That’s, Loudermilk, Matt Gaetz, Tim Burchett, Jeff Van Drew, insurrectionists, they’ll, Harris, Matt Barreto –, –, Barreto, ” Barreto, ” Biden, Kari Lake’s, denialism, Chris DeLuzio, —, ” DeLuzio, ” Will Rollins, Ken Calvert —, ” Rollins, Annie Grayer, Ariel Edwards, Levy Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Democratic, Biden, Trump, South, North Dakota Gov, Republicans, Trump voters, Washington Post, University of Maryland, White, Congressional Republicans, GOP, Republican, House Republican Conference, ”, Trump Republicans, Democratic National Committee, —, Democrat, Southern Californians, GOP Rep Locations: Wilmington, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, America, Charlottesville, Valley Forge, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, Arizona, Pennsylvania

☆ House GOP Biden inquiry stalls as impeachment becomes less likely
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Hunter Biden arrives at the Thomas P. O'Neil Jr. House Office Building for a closed door deposition on February 28, in Washington, DC. Abbe Lowell makes a statement to the press following a closed-door deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and House Judiciary Committee in the O'Neill House Office Building on February 28, in Washington, DC. “He was well-prepared for the kind of questions,” Issa recounted of Hunter Biden. GOP focus shifts away from impeachment probeInvestigating the Biden family and going after President Biden was a top priority for House Republicans when they reclaimed the majority and got control of committees. GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana said the three Republican chairmen leading the impeachment inquiry have the same message: “They say we’re not in a position to go forward on impeachment.”

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Hunter Biden, James Comer, Jim Jordan, Comer, Donald Trump, Thomas P, O'Neil Jr, Countess, Merrick, Justice won’t, ” Comer, Mike Johnson, “, Jordan, Johnson, “ I’m, ” Johnson, Ralph Norman of, Troy Nehls, impeaching Biden, We’ve, Let’s, ”, ” Nehls, Alejandro Mayorkas, I’m, Trump, weaponized, ” Jordan, Vernon, Ed Siskel, ” Siskel, Hunter, Mary, ” Hunter, Abbe Lowell, Samuel Corum, Hunter Biden’s, Darrell Issa, ” Issa, Robert Hur, Garret Graves, Chip Roy, Texas, Lisa McClain, Richard Hudson of, it’s, Nick LaLota, ” Norman, Ryan Zinke Organizations: House Republicans, Department of Justice, CNN, Fox News, Merrick Garland’s Department, Justice, Louisiana Republican, ” Staff, GOP, Caucus, Democratic, Homeland, Senate, Trump, White, Getty, Committee, Republican, of, Hunter Biden, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Judiciary, House, House Republican, “ Locations: Washington ,, Merrick Garland’s, Louisiana, House, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Miami, Vernon Hill, Florida, O'Neill, Washington , DC, California, Lisa McClain of Michigan, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, New York, Montana

☆ White House Calls on Republicans to End Biden Impeachment Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The White House insisted on Friday that House Republicans end their effort to impeach President Biden, declaring that “enough is enough” after their monthslong inquiry failed to turn up promised evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors. “It is obviously time to move on, Mr. Speaker,” Edward N. Siskel, the White House counsel, wrote in a four-page letter to Speaker Mike Johnson. “This impeachment is over. A number of Republicans have cast doubt on the venture, and even some champions of impeachment have now concluded that they could not muster a majority if they sent articles to the floor charging Mr. Biden. The White House hopes to capitalize on Republicans’ disarray, in effect calling their bluff and daring them to put up or shut up, although the hard-liners in the G.O.P.

Persons: Biden, ” Edward N, Siskel, Mike Johnson, “, Hunter Biden Organizations: Republicans, Republican

☆ Mainstream G.O.P. Group to Target Bob Good as It Shifts Mission and Members
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Republican Main Street Partnership, a group that supports center-leaning House Republicans, plans to direct half a million dollars into a bid to defeat Representative Bob Good, a hard-right lawmaker from Virginia, making an unusual push to oust a sitting Republican member of Congress. The move is notable not just because the group, through its campaign giving arm, is inserting itself into the kind of intramural fight against an incumbent that it typically avoids. Its Capitol Hill headquarters serve as something of a counterweight to the Conservative Partnership Institute, which operates nearby as the nerve center of the right. But as the Republican Party has veered toward the extreme right, purging itself of what was once a sizable and influential bloc of centrists, the Main Street Partnership has also shed the “moderate” label and changed the nature of its mission. The group has recently expanded its membership to include far more conservatives, and has begun focusing less on centrism and bipartisanship and more on ridding Congress of G.O.P.

Persons: Bob Good, — John J, McGuire, Donald J, Trump, ” Organizations: Republican Main Street, House Republicans, Republican, Navy SEALs, Main, Capitol, Conservative Partnership Institute, Republican Party, centrists Locations: Virginia, G.O.P

☆ A Watershed Moment for the Politics of Israel, Courtesy of Chuck Schumer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over 44 painstakingly scripted minutes on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, the majority leader, Chuck Schumer, spoke of his Jewish identity, his love for the State of Israel, his horror at the wanton slaughter of Israelis on Oct. 7 and his views on the apportionment of blame for the carnage in Gaza, saying that it first and foremost lay with the terrorists of Hamas. Then Mr. Schumer, a New York Democrat and the highest-ranking elected Jew in American history, said Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was an impediment to peace, and called for new elections in the world’s only Jewish state. The opposition was not nearly so painstaking. Within minutes, the House Republican leadership demanded an apology. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, using Mr. Netanyahu’s nickname, declared: “Make no mistake — the Democratic Party doesn’t have an anti-Bibi problem.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mitch McConnell of, Netanyahu’s, ” Organizations: State, New, New York Democrat, Republican, Democratic Party, Republican Jewish Coalition Locations: Israel, Gaza, New York, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Congress

☆ A federal climate jobs program could hire 20,000 workers this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden this month made climate jobs a major focus of his reelection bid. The administration plans to launch the American Climate Corps this summer with about 20,000 workers, but the funding is pieced together from various federal agencies. These prospective voters are also the target hires for the American Climate Corps, which will focus on reducing greenhouse-gas pollution in local communities and making them more resilient to extreme weather. Stevie O'Hanlon, a spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, which mobilizes young voters focused on the climate, said the launch of the American Climate Corps was a big win. But the chances of Congress approving more funding for the workforce program are slim, given that House Republicans last year tried to block any federal spending for the American Climate Corps.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Trevor Dolan, Dolan, Stevie O'Hanlon, O'Hanlon, Donald Trump hasn't, We've Organizations: Service, Climate Corps, American, Corps, Business, Biden, American Climate Corps, Evergreen, EV, Sunrise Movement, Republicans Locations: Appalachia

☆ As Biden Impeachment Flails, House Republicans Explore Criminal Referrals
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Facing the prospect that they may never be able to impeach President Biden, House Republicans are exploring a pivot to a different strategy: issuing criminal referrals against him and those close to him. Despite their subpoenas and depositions, House Republicans have been unable to produce any solid evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Biden and lack the votes in their own party to charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional standard for impeachment. lawmakers have begun strategizing about making criminal referrals against Mr. Biden, members of his family and his associates, essentially sending letters to the Justice Department urging prosecutors to investigate specific crimes they believe may have been committed. The move would be largely symbolic, but it would allow Republicans in Congress to save face while ending their so far struggling impeachment inquiry. of aligning with former President Donald J. Trump’s vow to prosecute Mr. Biden if he wins the election.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Donald J, Trump’s Organizations: House Republicans, Republicans, Justice Department

The measure requires ride-hailing companies to pay drivers at least $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute for the time spent transporting a rider — or $5 per ride, whichever is greater — excluding tips. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesCritics of the bill say costs will likely spike for everyone, including people with low incomes and people with disabilities who rely on ride-hailing services. Supporters say the services have relied on drivers who are often people of color and immigrants for cheap labor. “Today’s vote showed Uber, Lyft, and the Mayor that the Minneapolis City Council will not allow the East African community, or any community, to be exploited for cheap labor,” Osman added. Seattle and New York City have passed similar policies in recent years that increase wages for ride-hailing drivers, and Uber and Lyft still operate in those cities.

Persons: — Lyft, Uber, Lyft, ” Lyft, ” Uber, Jacob Frey’s, ” Jamal Osman, “, ” Osman, Tim Walz, ” Walz Organizations: Republicans, City Council, Minneapolis City, Democratic, Uber, Associated Press Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Minneapolis, Seattle, New York City

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