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☆ US House Speaker McCarthy threatens to block funding for Chile waiver program
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday threatened to use congressional appropriations to block funding for a U.S. visa waiver program for Chile, blaming rising criminal activity in the United States on the program. McCarthy, a California Republican said the appropriations will not allow Mayorkas "to use money when it comes to Chile for the visa waiver program until this issue is solved." McCarthy said people entering the United States through the program have joined organized crime organizations that he said have carried out raids on homes and businesses in California and elsewhere. "I am concerned that some citizens of Chile are abusing the visa waiver program to commit burglaries throughout the United States, including in my district in Orange County," Correa said in a statement on Thursday. Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, Lou Correa, Antony Blinken, Correa, David Morgan, Ted Hesson, Leslie Adler Organizations: . House, U.S . Homeland, California Republican, Republicans, Democrats, Democrat, House Homeland Security, Thomson Locations: Chile, United States, Santa Ana , California, U.S, California, Orange County

"The numbers we have experienced in the past two days are markedly down over what they were prior to the end of Title 42," Mayorkas said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. He said there were 6,300 border encounters on Friday and 4,200 on Saturday, but cautioned it was still early in the new regime. Mayorkas credited the criminal penalties for migrants who illegally enter the country, which resumed under existing law after Title 42's expiration, for the decrease in crossings. Officials from communities along the border agreed they had not seen the large numbers of migrants that many had feared would further strain U.S. border facilities and towns. Just before Title 42 expired on Thursday, House Republicans approved legislation that would require asylum seekers to apply for U.S. protection outside the country, resume construction of a border wall and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

☆ China scoffs at FBI claim that Wuhan lab leak likely caused COVID pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - The FBI has assessed that a leak from a laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan likely caused the COVID pandemic, director Christopher Wray said on Tuesday, a claim China said had "no credibility whatsoever". "The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Wray told Fox News. His comments follow a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that the U.S. Energy Department had assessed with low confidence the pandemic resulted from an unintended lab leak in China. Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that the pandemic was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided, the Journal reported. The virus was first identified in Wuhan in December 2019 before spreading round the world and killing nearly 7 million people.

☆ A rift has opened between Kevin McCarthy and MTG over her claim Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt was murdered by police
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin McCarthy broke with Marjorie Taylor Greene's position on the death of Ashli Babbitt. After Greene claimed Capitol rioter Babbitt was "murdered" on January 6, McCarthy disagreed. But she went on to make a direct comparison to Babbitt's death, saying: "There's a woman in this room whose daughter was murdered on January 6, Ashli Babbitt. The Department of Justice closed its investigation into Babbitt's death in April 2021, saying there were insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. Greene was later added to two of the most high-profile committee seats: the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Oversight Committee.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene calls on Biden to shoot down Chinese spy balloon, says Trump would have done so already
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene called on the Biden admin to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. In a tweet late Thursday, Greene wrote: "Biden should shoot down the Chinese spy balloon immediately. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 2, 2023On Thursday evening it was reported that the US military was tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon, first spotted over Montana, which it believes with "very high confidence" to be of Chinese origin. In a Truth Social post, Trump appeared to agree with Greene, sharing a post by rightwing activist and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec. The CCP [Chinese Communist party] can send spy balloons over our nuclear silos and we will do nothing.

☆ A former Long Island GOP congressman says the 'lack of trust' in embattled Rep. George Santos is a 'prescription for disaster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Rep. Peter King in a New York Times op-ed questioned the effectiveness of George Santos. How do committee members sit still for this guy in their midst?" "Except perhaps for a few ineffective congressional outliers, I can't imagine a member of either party working or cooperating with Mr. Santos," the former congressman wrote. "And when you don't have that, you're just faking your way through the workday — something Mr. Santos is apparently pretty good at." "As long as Mr. Santos remains in Congress, he is dead man walking and will be unable to get anything done for his constituents.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene will serve on an important House committee that oversees national security. Here's what to expect.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is expected to serve on the House Homeland Security Committee. A spokesman for Greene confirmed to Insider that the House GOP Steering Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend that she serve on the committee. The entire House Republican conference votes to ratify committee recommendations, which they are expected to do. The Homeland Security Committee, set to be chaired by Republican Rep. Mark Greene of Tennessee, deals with national security issues including border security, counterterrorism, election security, and cybersecurity. As Insider reported last week, Mayorkas is a major target by House Republicans.

☆ China and the TikTok threat: How the White House cybersecurity team is thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Biden White House hasn't made any determination yet on a TikTok ban, Kemba Walden, Principal Deputy National Cyber Director, said at the CNBC Technology Executive Council Summit on Tuesday. With national defense the focus, she said the White House is looking at strategic investments to identify how to make domestic systems more resilient and counter information operations. Walden said she is concerned not only as a White House official but as a parent. The Office of the National Cyber Director was established by the Biden administration in 2021, with Chris Inglis being named the first National Cyber Director. Walden said increasing cybersecurity education is just one of the ways the White House is aiming to "get in front of the adversary."

☆ Republicans grill Biden homeland chief in possible preview of next Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Republicans at a congressional hearing on Tuesday chastised U.S. While Tuesday's hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee was titled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," Republicans focused intensely on the southwestern border. [1/6] A general view of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. Higgins said there were rumors that Mayorkas would resign before the start of the new Congress on Jan. 3. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller, Kristina Cooke and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FBI is 'extremely concerned' about China's influence through TikTok on U.S. users
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers Tuesday that he is "extremely concerned" about TikTok's operations in the U.S."We do have national security concerns at least from the FBI's end about TikTok," Wray told members of the House Homeland Security Committee in a hearing about worldwide threats. "They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users. Wray said that law alone was "plenty of reason by itself to be extremely concerned." But reporting from Forbes has cast doubt on the security of U.S. user information at TikTok. WATCH: Lawmakers grill TikTok, YouTube, Snap executives

☆ Top U.S. homeland official faces lawmakers after border chief resigns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will testify before lawmakers on Tuesday, three days after the country's top border official, Chris Magnus, resigned under what he said was pressure from Mayorkas. Magnus, who held the role of U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner since December 2021, resigned in a letter on Saturday to President Joe Biden. A day earlier, Magnus said he had been pressured by Mayorkas to step down or be fired. It was the most significant staffing shakeup in Biden's Democratic administration to follow last week's U.S. midterm election vote and signals that record border crossings remain a concern under Biden, a Democrat. FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid will also testify in the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee hearing, which focuses on security threats.

☆ Pelosi says Republican's 'red wave' turned into a 'little, tiny trickle'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, speaks to the media during the UNFCCC COP27 climate conference on November 11, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. As states across the country continue to count votes in a tight battle for control of the House of Representatives, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats "haven't given up." Republicans had hoped, and many had openly anticipated, a "red wave" would wash Democrats out of their majorities in both branches of the legislature. A California man, David DePape, broke into the couple's San Francisco home, wielded a hammer and was prepared to kidnap and break the kneecaps of Nancy Pelosi, federal prosecutors revealed in a criminal complaint. DePape, 42, was charged with the federal crimes of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assaulting an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official.

☆ House Homeland Security chair Bennie Thompson calls for federal probe of Ron DeSantis over Martha's Vineyard migrants stunt
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Bennie Thompson wants DOJ and DHS to investigate Ron DeSantis' migrant trafficking. Thompson urged both agencies to investigate the Florida governors' activities ASAP. Ron DeSantis might have broken while flying unsuspecting migrants around the country, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson urged the Biden administration on Thursday. The chair of the House Homeland Security Committee called DeSantis' behavior into question in a letter to the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security leaders. Gavin Newsom has also urged Garland to investigate DeSantis.

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