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☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene's threat to oust Mike Johnson could backfire and allow Congress to pass more Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene is threatening to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership. It could actually backfire on her — and make it more likely that Ukraine aid gets passed. Democrats could easily save Johnson, and many have named a vote on Ukraine aid as their price. So by filing her resolution on Friday in protest of Johnson's handling of government funding, Greene just handed a whole lot of leverage to House Democrats. Or it could mean individual votes on Ukraine and Israel aid, as Johnson has indicated he would like to see.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Johnson, —, Greene, Johnson —, Abigail Spanberger, Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, doesn't, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike McCaul Organizations: Service, Marjorie Taylor Greene of, House Democrats, GOP, Senate, Democratic, Republican, House Republicans, Rep, CNN, House Foreign Affairs Committee, CBS Locations: Ukraine, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Georgia, Johnson, Israel, Virginia, Florida, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Cortez

☆ TikTok aside, Congress has its eye on the U.S. money going into China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The House Select Committee on the CCP, established in January last year, led the legislative act to essentially ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese parent ByteDance doesn't sell the popular social media app. watch nowThe House select committee in February also published a report alleging U.S. venture capital firms invested billions "into PRC companies fueling the CCP's military, surveillance state and Uyghur genocide." Similar research detailing the links between U.S. capital, venture firms in China and Chinese tech startups has started making its rounds in major media outlets since late 2023. The Senate in July overwhelmingly passed a bill that would have required U.S. investors in advanced Chinese technology to notify the Treasury Department. The Biden administration in August issued an executive order aimed at restricting U.S. investments into semiconductor, quantum computing and artificial intelligence companies citing national security concerns.

Persons: Ken Cedeno, that's, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Andrew King, King, Biden, Michael McCaul, Gregory W, Meeks Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Reuters, The U.S, Congress, Chinese Communist Party, CNBC, House Armed, Technologies, Innovation, Intelligence, CCP, Future, Ventures, Treasury Department, Treasury, Foreign, China's Ministry of Commerce, Financial Regulatory Administration Locations: Washington , U.S, Reuters BEIJING, The, China, United States, U.S, Beijing, San Francisco

☆ Everyone is angry at Germany after a series of snubs and screw-ups
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Leaked German military discussions about sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine have caused discord. It's the latest diplomatic spat related to Germany and aid to Ukraine. After the US, Germany is the country sending the most military aid to Ukraine, at least in terms of volume. A mortifying leakPart of this anger was triggered by Russian state broadcaster RT publishing a 38-minute leaked recording of four German officials discussing how Ukraine could deploy German Taurus missiles. Taurus missiles are — very broadly speaking — Germany's equivalent to the Storm Shadow: powerful, long-range weapons with a strong ability to evade air defenses.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, —, Emmanuel Macron, Le, Ben Wallace, Scholz, Germany —, Der Westen, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, It's, Edward Hunter Christie, — Scholz, Antoine Gyori, Macron, Le Monde, Rafael Loss Organizations: Taurus, Service, RT, German Taurus, Associated Press, Storm, France, Politico, MOD, government's Foreign, France's Ministry of Defence, NATO, Russian Security, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Macron, Ukraine Challenger, Ukraine, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, allyship, German, Kerch, Crimea, Korea, Russia, Europe, Macron Germany

☆ Eyeing China, Senior US Lawmaker Vows to Back Funding for Pacific Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau agreed to new 20-year funding programs with the United States last year under which Washington provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swaths of the Pacific that China covets. McCaul said he has advocated for a $900 million package for COFA, but was open to other numbers. The U.S. Senate this week passed a $95 billion foreign aid supplemental spending bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that did not include the COFA funding. McCaul said he would work to ensure the money was included in whatever is voted on in the House, likely in mid-March. We're not just going to rubber-stamp the Senate supplemental," he said.

Persons: Michael McCaul, McCaul, Patricia Zengerle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, U.S . House, Representatives Foreign, U.S, Christian Science Monitor, Federated, United, Washington, Free Association, Senate Locations: Pacific, China, Federated States, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ Baltic, Nordic Lawmakers Complain That US Lacks Urgency on Ukraine Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Jonathan LandayWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Nordic and Baltic lawmakers visiting Washington on Thursday expressed alarm at what they called a lack of urgency and a clear strategy by the United States to help Ukraine defeat Moscow's invasion. "Guys, wake up," Zygimantis Pavilionis, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said in comments directed at Democrats and Republicans. All but Sweden are NATO members. Delegation members said they met administration officials and lawmakers, but mainly sought to speak to Republicans resisting fresh aid. "All of our countries around this table have (given) more than 1% of GDP of military aid to Ukraine.

Persons: Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, Vladimir Putin, Pavilionis, Rihards Kols, Joe Biden, Marko Mihkelson, Kols, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, David Ljunggren Organizations: Nordic, Baltic, U.S, NATO, Lithuanian, Democrats, Republicans, Ukraine, Kyiv, Estonian Locations: Washington, United States, Ukraine, Moscow's, Russian, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, U.S, Latvian, Europe, The U.S, Russia, Moscow

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene would have a major role in DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is set for one of the highest profile roles of her short career. Greene would be one of 11 House impeachment managers if the chamber votes to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House managers are responsible for formally presenting arguments to the Senate during a trial in which senators become akin to jurors. Sen. Lindsey Graham was one of the House managers for then-President Bill Clinton's trial. On Monday, Greene spent part of the day fighting with Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House rules committee.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, —, Biden, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Bill Clinton's, Adam Schiff, Donald Trump's, Kevin McCarthy's, speakership, Hunter Biden, Jim McGovern, McGovern, Mark Green, Mike McCaul of, Andy Biggs of, Clay Higgins Lousiana, Ben Cline of, Michael Guest of, Andrew Garbarino, Pfluger, Harriet Hageman of, Laurel Lee Organizations: Service, Republican, GOP, Homeland, Senate, Republicans, Biden, California Democrat, House Democrats, Democrats, Twitter, House Homeland Security, House Foreign Affairs, Rep Locations: California, Washington, Mike McCaul of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ben Cline of Virginia, New York, Texas, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Laurel Lee of Florida

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to boot Ilhan Omar from her committees over misquoted remarks about Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to censure Ilhan Omar and boot her from her committees. AdvertisementRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is forcing the House to vote next week to rebuke Rep. Ilhan Omar for a widely misquoted speech she recently delivered about Somalia. The Georgia Republican's resolution would censure the Minnesota Democrat and remove her from the remainder of her committees. In November, she forced a vote on a censure resolution against Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan for "inciting an insurrection" by speaking at a pro-Palestinian protest. But Greene's Tlaib censure failed after 23 Republicans voted against it, and Tlaib was later censured via a much more narrowly-tailored resolution days later.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ilhan Omar, Omar, Greene, —, Rashida, Tlaib, Tom Emmer, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Somali, Service, Minnesota Democrat, House Republicans, House Foreign Affairs, Minnesota Republican Locations: Somalia, The Georgia, Michigan, Somali, Minnesota, U.S, United States, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Florida

The Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, a former federal prosecutor, as border security becomes a top issue in the 2024 elections. Trump, on the campaign trail and in private talks, has tried to squelch the Senate’s border security deal. “He has what’s coming to him.”The House impeachment hearings against Mayorkas sprinted ahead in January while the Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into Biden over the business dealings over his son, Hunter Biden, dragged. “House Republicans have produced no evidence that Secretary Mayorkas has committed an impeachable offense,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. If the House does agree to impeach Mayorkas, the charges would next to go the Senate for a trial.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden, Mayorkas, Donald Trump's, Mike Johnson, “, Trump, Joe Biden, ” Mayorkas, Mark Green of, —, Mayorkas “, ”, Michael McCaul, Hunter Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, William Belknap Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republicans, impeaching Homeland, Homeland Security, GOP, Mayorkas, Senate, Republican, Trump, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Democratic, Rep Locations: U.S, Mexico, Las Vegas, South Carolina, Mark Green of Tennessee, Cuba, Texas, New York

☆ Opinion: Swatting by Trump’s followers is putting public officials in danger. It has to stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Adam Kinzinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I will tell you that the last thing you want is to see multiple law enforcement officials with guns drawn pointing at my parents and thinking that something happened,” the former South Carolina governor told NBC. It’s been in the headlines recently because of a spate of incidents involving public officials. When prominent public officials are victims of swatting, one can’t always prove a cause-and-effect relationship between inflammatory rhetoric posted online or delivered during a speech and a caller’s reckless false emergency call to 911. We need tougher laws to protect public servants, and some states are increasing penalties for perpetrators of swatting. Swatting increases the likeliness of inadvertent harm to the public by the very people whose job it is to protect us.

Persons: Adam Kinzinger, Kinzinger, Tina ”, Tina ’, Nikki Haley, Haley, swatting, Andrew Finch, Finch, ”, It’s, GOP Florida Sen, Rick Scott, Scott, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Trump ., Trump, Judge Arthur Engoron, “ TRUMP, Engoron, Jack Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Shenna Bellows, Joe Biden, David, Brennan, I’m, I’d, General Merrick Garland, Katherine Schweit, Nikki Haley’s Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Foreign Affairs, Air National Guard, Adam Kinzinger CNN, Police, Congress, Press, South, NBC, FBI, GOP Florida, swatting, Rep, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Washington Post, New, Trump, Maricopa County Board, Brennan Center for Justice, University of Chicago, Justice Department, The Washington Post, Post Locations: Illinois, Washington, DC, South Carolina, Wichita , Kansas, Anthony Gonzalez of, Ohio, Virginia, toning, New York, Trump, Maine, Arizona, Maricopa, Nevada, The

☆ Biden administration tells Congress it intends to sell Turkey F-16s after Erdogan approved Sweden’s NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The State Department also sent Congress a formal notification of its intent to sell $8.6 billion worth of F-35s to Greece. Blinken, in turn, told the Turkish president multiple times that members of Congress would not approve the sale of jets until Turkey allowed Sweden to join NATO. The Turkish Parliament finally voted in favor of Sweden’s NATO accession Tuesday, and Erdogan signed off on the instruments of ratification Thursday. The US official said this was to assure Congress there was no way for Turkey to back out of the deal. Hungary still must approve Sweden’s NATO bid for the nation to finally become a member.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Robert Menendez –, Turkey –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Menendez, Sen, Ben Cardin Organizations: CNN, NATO, The State Department, Turkish, Foreign, The New, Greek, House Foreign Affairs Committee, State Department Locations: Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Vilnius, Lithuania, London, The New Jersey, Turkish, Hungary

☆ Biden Urges Congress to Quickly Approve F-16 Sale to Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden sent a letter to four senior members of Congress on Wednesday urging them to quickly approve a $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, following the vote one day earlier by Turkey’s Parliament to allow Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to three U.S. officials. The White House sent the letter to the top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which have oversight of arms transfers by the State Department to other nations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a member of NATO, has linked his country’s approval of Sweden’s accession to the security organization to the F-16 sales, which had been pending. Both Sweden and Finland had asked to join NATO after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the vast majority of the alliance’s members soon agreed. Turkey approved Finland’s bid but, along with Hungary, has withheld approval for Sweden.

Persons: Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Organizations: Atlantic Treaty Organization, White House, Democratic, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign Affairs Committee, State Department, NATO Locations: Turkey, Sweden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a letter to his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, inviting him to Budapest to discuss Sweden's accession into the NATO military alliance, Orbán wrote Tuesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The invitation comes as Hungary and Turkey remain the only NATO members not to have ratified Sweden's bid to join the alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lifted his opposition to Sweden's membership last year in response to efforts by Stockholm to tackle supporters of Kurdish militants and other groups in Sweden that Ankara views as security threats. Erdogan has also openly linked Sweden’s NATO membership to Ankara’s efforts to purchase U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, and has called on Canada and other NATO allies to lift arms embargoes on Turkey. Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long neutrality and sought membership in NATO amid heightened security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Ulf Kristersson, Orbán, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan Organizations: NATO, Twitter, Sweden's, Nordic, Fidesz Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, Budapest, Turkey, Ankara, Ukraine, Orbán, Turkish, Stockholm, Sweden, Canada, Finland

☆ Turkey’s parliament approves Sweden’s NATO membership, lifting key a hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden's membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country's entry into the military alliance. The legislators ratified Sweden's accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden's accession. Turkey's main opposition party also supported Sweden's membership in the alliance but a center-right party and the country's pro-Kurdish party declared they would oppose it. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration never formally tied the sale of the F-16s to Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Sweden's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Burak Akcapar, Erdogan, Koray Aydin, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Viktor Orbán Organizations: Swedish, NATO, Official Gazette, Ankara, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Good Party, U.S . Congress, Administration, Turkey, National Security, Nordic Locations: Vilnius, Hungary, Turkey, Ankara, Stockholm, Kurdistan, Sweden, Turkey's, Canada, Washington, NATO, Finland, Ukraine, Budapest

☆ 'Pretty horrific mistakes:' Democrats have few nice things to say about Henry Kissinger following his death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"There are some pretty horrific mistakes that Henry Kissinger made that have taken the United States a very long time to recover from." Other Democrats have issued similar critiques of Kissinger's legacy in the wake of his death. "I am proud to say that Henry Kissinger is not my friend. "Count me in as somebody who will not be listening to Henry Kissinger," Sanders added at that debate. "Today, the world Henry Kissinger leaves behind bears his indelible mark," McConnell said on the Senate floor on Thursday.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton's, Kissinger, I've, Sanders, —, Greg Casar, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Chris Murphy of, Murphy, they've, General Augusto Pinochet, Pinochet, Jim McGovern, @RepMcGovern, Gerry Connolly, Vietnam –, Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, AzyRrHhH6i — Bernie Sanders, George W, Bush, Mitch McConnell, McConnell Organizations: Service, Democratic, Texas, National Security, State, Republican, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Massachusetts, House Foreign Affairs, — Locations: China, Soviet Union, Latin America, Southeast Asia, United States, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Vietnam, Argentina, East Timor, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Virginia, Iran, @GerryConnolly, Vermont, Khmer Rouge, @BernieSanders

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. budget wrangling could further delay funding approval for new agreements with Pacific island nations meant to counter Chinese influence, creating an opportunity for Beijing in the strategically vital region, congressional and other sources say. But congressional sources say this looks impossible as lawmakers argue over spending priorities, raising concerns that a further delay could create an opening for China, which has been wooing financially strapped Pacific economies. "It's feeling pretty dead in the NDAA context," the source said, adding that focus had turned to finding other legislation to secure the COFA funding. "It is really incomprehensible given the amount we're talking about ... why Congress cannot get its act together," Yun said. "What we risk is China getting in where we really don't want them – in places like Palau, RMI, FSM.

Persons: Mike Pompeo, Jonathan Ernst, Biden, Mike Johnson's, Joseph Yun, Yun, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Patricia Zengerle, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Pohnpei International, REUTERS, Rights, Federated, Marshall, RMI, Washington, Free Association, National Defense, Reuters, Republicans, Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, New Republican, Biden, State Department, White House National Security Council, Thomson Locations: Pohnpei, Kolonia, States, Micronesia, Pacific, Beijing, Federated States, Palau, China, Ukraine, U.S, Hawaii, Philippines, Washington

☆ American families speak out about Hamas’ ‘psychological warfare’ as they call for loved ones held hostage to be released
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The family members were in Washington this week attending a roundtable with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and other meetings. “It’s really tough, it’s really tough,” said Orna Neutra, whose son Omer Neutra is being held hostage. “I think the fact that the families have come together, we each feel collectively that we have 240 new family members,” Chen said. On Wednesday, one American hostage was released, though it was not a member of the five families who spoke to CNN Wednesday. The family members spoke warmly of their relatives and the lives they led before being kidnapped October 7.

Persons: they’ve, Jake Tapper, ”, Ruby Chen, Itay Chen, “, Orna Neutra, Omer Neutra, Omer, He’s, Ronen Neutra, there’s, Liz Hirsh Naftali, Abigail Mor Edan, let’s, ” Chen, Biden, Adi Alexander, Edan Alexander, Edan, Yael Alexander, ” Adi Alexander Organizations: CNN, House Foreign Affairs Locations: Washington , DC, Gaza, Washington, Israel, Tenafly ( New Jersey

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Hungary's capital in December, his second trip to Budapest this year at a time when both countries remain the only NATO members not to have ratified Sweden's accession into the trans-Atlantic military alliance. It wasn't clear whether Erdogan and Orbán would discuss Sweden's NATO membership, which has been delayed for more than a year by Hungary and Turkey. Erdogan's government has delayed Sweden's ratification over accusations that Stockholm is too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups Turkey considers to be security threats. Finland became a NATO member in April after Turkey and Hungary were the last two members of the alliance to ratify the Nordic nation’s accession. Orbán's government has alleged that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy, but hasn't given specific conditions for approving Sweden's accession.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Bertalan Havasi, Viktor Orbán, Havasi didn't, Orbán, Hungary's, “, ___ Suzan Fraser Organizations: NATO, Turkish Strategic Cooperation Council, Hungarian, ATV, Associated Press, Fidesz, Sweden’s Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Budapest, Hungarian, Turkey, Stockholm, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, “, Ankara

☆ Passing at home, failing abroad: Grading Mike Johnson's first month as speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In late October, House Republicans settled on a little-known congressman as their next leader. AdvertisementMike Johnson has been the speaker of the House for just under a month now following a testy race to succeed ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's so-called "laddered" approach has been heavily criticized by congressional Democrats, Republicans, and even the White House, who called it an "unserious proposal." AdvertisementSection 702: FailFBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Washington. AdvertisementWith just over a month left until the authorization expires, though, Johnson's been mum on the topic since becoming speaker.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, —, Johnson, here's, Tom Brenner, McCarthy, Biden, Tom Emmer, Elise Stefanik, Steve Scalise, Alex Wong, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Mandel Ngan, Michael McCaul, McCaul, Sandy Huffaker, Congress didn't, Christopher Wray, Evan Vucci, Jim Jordan, Johnson's, Patrick McHenry, Win McNamee, who's, he'd, McCarthy's Organizations: Republicans, Business, Service, The Washington, Getty, House Republican, Capitol, House Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Democratic, White, Congress, Republican, Foreign Affairs Committee, American Farm Bureau Federation, Texas Farm Bureau, Foreign Intelligence, Associated Press, GOP Rep, FBI Locations: Israel, Gaza, Washington , DC, Ukraine, AFP, Mexico, Taiwan, California, Texas, Washington

☆ Azerbaijan snubs Armenia meeting in Washington, accusing US of bias
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region ride in a truck upon their arrival at the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said on Thursday it could not take part in a meeting with Armenia's foreign minister planned for Nov. 20 in Washington because of the "one-sided approach of the United States". Azerbaijan objected in particular to "one-sided and biased" comments on Wednesday by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It complained that O'Brien did not mention that "for more than two months Armenia has not been responding" to Azerbaijani peace proposals. The Azerbaijani statement also said Washington was continuing to offer support to Armenia even though Armenia was "an aggressor and a destabilizing source in the region".

Persons: Irakli, Nikol Pashinyan, State James O’Brien, O'Brien, Washington, Ali Asadov, Kevin Liffey, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: REUTERS, Russia's TASS, U.S, State, House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Washington, United States, Baku, Azerbaijan, U.S, Tbilisi, Yerevan

☆ Erdogan Says He Will Try to Facilitate Sweden's NATO Bid Ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Erdogan says he will try to facilitate Sweden's NATO bid ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Turkish parliament won't speed up Sweden's NATO bid -committee chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the ratification bill for Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament last month, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it would clear the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he wants a "speedy vote" by Turkey's parliament and that the process was "going well". "Sweden's NATO membership is just one of the international agreements on our agenda waiting for ratification," Oktay told a meeting of lawmakers. The Sweden NATO membership bill must be approved by the committee before a vote by the full parliament, at which point Erdogan would sign it into law. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ataturk, Cagla, Jens Stoltenberg, Fuat Oktay, Oktay, Erdogan, Sweden's, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Sweden NATO, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: Anitkabir, Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Stockholm, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Kurdistan

☆ Primary Battles Brew Over Progressive Democrats’ Stances on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | More About Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

And progressive organizations are girding for possible challenges to Representatives Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and others, funded from the deep pockets of AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups. “They spent a historic amount of money to intervene, and try and buy primaries in 2022,” said Usamah Andrabi, spokesman for Justice Democrats, the liberal insurgent group that helped elect many of the progressives now on the primary target list. “I think we will see a doubling and tripling down, because no one in the Democratic leadership is trying to stop them.”Officially, AIPAC is neutral for now. Progressive Democrats like Ms. Lee have other constituents to consider, including progressive Jews who remain by her side. Ms. Lee said Jews were “10 percent of our district, but we also have Muslim, Arab, Palestinian constituents who are afraid for their families and their lives.”

Persons: George Latimer, Jamaal Bowman, Eliot Engel, Cori Bush of, Rashida, “, ”, Usamah Andrabi, Marshall Wittmann, Bowman, Lee, ” Waleed Shahid, Biden, Avigail Oren Organizations: Westchester County, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Justice Democrats, Democratic, AIPAC, Israel, Progressive Locations: New York, Westchester, Cori Bush of Missouri, Michigan, Israel, Gaza, Pittsburgh

2 House Republican Steve Scalise and prominent conservative Jim Jordan. The task of choosing a new Republican nominee for the job of House speaker begins again on Monday at 6:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT), when nine declared candidates, including No. 3 House Republican Tom Emmer, will appear at a closed-door candidate forum. McCarthy has endorsed Emmer, stressing his experience in working to marshal party votes on major legislation since January, when Republicans became the majority party in the House. House Republicans have been embroiled in chaos all year.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Kevin McCarthy, Republican Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, Joe Biden, Michael McCaul, ABC's, Republican Tom Emmer, McCarthy, Emmer, NBC's, Matt Gaetz, Jordan, Donald Trump, Jack Bergman, Byron Donalds, Kevin Hern, Mike Johnson, Dan Meuser, Gary Palmer, Pete Sessions, Trump, Austin Scott, Biden, David Morgan, Kat Jackson, Andy Sullivan, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Capitol Hill, U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republicans, Republican, Foreign, House Republicans, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Ukraine

Last week, Mr. DeSantis doubled down on his opposition to helping some of the nearly one million people contending with shortages of food, clean water and shelter in the region. The Never Back Down ad from this week spliced the clips from Ms. Haley with comments from Mr. DeSantis criticizing her in an NBC interview. Spokespeople for both Mr. DeSantis’s campaign and Never Back Down maintain that their critiques of Ms. Haley are accurate. But Ms. Haley took an aggressive stance against resettling Syrians in her state after the terror attacks in Paris that same year, citing gaps in intelligence that could make the vetting process difficult. Rick McConnell, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran who heard Mr. DeSantis speak, said he understood that Gazans needed food, water and medical supplies.

Persons: Haley, birdseed, DeSantis, Haley —, Trump, —, Ms, Haley’s, “ She’s, ”, ” Ms, DeSantis’s, Rick McConnell, McConnell, Mr, “, Corrine Rothchild, Jerusalem, Tommy Tuberville, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: DeSantis’s, ”, Fox News, NBC, resettling Syrians, Air Force, Foreign, Trump’s United Nations Locations: Florida, Gaza, America, United States, South Carolina, Paris, East, Iran, Israel, China, Alabama, Ukraine, U.S

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