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☆ With McCarthy out as Speaker, Pelosi no longer in party leadership, and Feinstein's death, California's clout in Congress has taken a major hit. The Golden State is now at a political crossroads.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The upcoming elections will also test the longstanding political sway of the San Francisco Bay Area. Dianne Feinstein is pictured on March 21, 1984, during her tenure as mayor of San Francisco. For generations, the center of political gravity in California has been in the San Francisco Bay Area. AdvertisementAdvertisementVice President Kamala Harris is a former San Francisco District Attorney. And Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, served in the Senate from 1992 until her death last month.

Persons: —, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Dianne Feinstein —, McCarthy, Pelosi, Andrew Harnik, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Poizner, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, Hakeem Jeffries, Gavin Newsom, Sen, Feinstein, Dianne Feinstein, Eric, Kamala Harris, Newsom, Jerry Brown, Barbara Boxer, Ron Dellums, Southern California . Sen, Alex Padilla, Harris, Laphonza Butler, Butler, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff —, Barbara Lee Organizations: San Francisco Bay Area, Service, Capitol, House Democratic Caucus, Senate Intelligence, AP, California Republican, Gov, San Francisco, Oakland, San, Southern California ., Democratic, Southern California . Rep, — Locations: California, San Francisco Bay, Bakersfield, San Francisco, Louisiana, Ohio, New York, Eric Risberg, San, Southern California, Los Angeles, Bay, Orange

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history. On the Senate floor Tuesday, Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second Black female senator until she resigned in 2021 to join President Joe Biden in the White House. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s. In the Senate, Feinstein was the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first female top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” Newsom said.

Persons: Laphonza Butler, California Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Butler, Gavin Newsom, Feinstein, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Democratic Sen, Carol Moseley Braun, Steven Horsford, Newsom, “, ” Newsom, Harris ’, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, ” Butler, Uber, Sen, Alex Padilla, Harris, Barbara Boxer, Moseley Braun, Sen . Feinstein Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, California Gov, Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Congressional, Caucus, Senate, CBC, House Democrats, California, Senate Intelligence, Washington D.C Locations: California, Washington, Carol Moseley Braun of, Butler, “, U.S, San Francisco

☆ Laphonza Butler sworn in as California’s newest senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Jack Forrest | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler made history Tuesday when she was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris as the first out Black lesbian to enter Congress and the only Black woman presently serving in the Senate. Gavin Newsom to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, becomes only the third Black woman to serve as a US senator. Harris, formerly the sole Black woman in the Senate, vacated her seat in 2021 after her election as vice president. Newsom was under intense pressure within California to choose a Black woman to succeed her, but instead appointed Alex Padilla, then California’s secretary of state, who became the first Latino senator from the state. Newsom later pledged to appoint a Black woman to Feinstein’s seat should the senator resign before her term’s end.

Persons: Washington CNN — Democratic Sen, Laphonza Butler, Kamala Harris, Butler, Gavin Newsom, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez’s, Sen, Harris ’, Harris, Newsom, Alex Padilla, Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Lexi Reese, Eric Early Organizations: Washington CNN — Democratic, California Gov, Democratic, House Democrats, Intelligence, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, House Democratic Locations: Jersey, California

☆ Laphonza Butler makes history as first Black openly lesbian U.S. senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Ece Yildirim | In Ecedyildirim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Laphonza Butler was sworn into the Senate Tuesday afternoon, making history as the first openly lesbian Black senator to serve in Congress, and the first openly LGBTQ senator to represent California. She will also be the third Black woman to ever serve in the Senate. Butler was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to fill late California senator Dianne Feinstein's seat for the remainder of the term through 2024. NBC News reported that The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) had urged Newsom to appoint Barbara Lee, a Black woman and California Rep. of 25 years. She held the position from 2021 until this week, when she stepped down to accept the Senate seat.

Persons: Laphonza Butler, Butler, Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein's, Feinstein, Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, Adam B, Schiff, Governor Newsom, Porter, Nancy Pelosi, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Newsom, Steven Horsford, Kamala Harris, Harris, Uber, Butler's, Laphonza Organizations: NBC News, Congressional Black Caucus, CBC, Congressional, Caucus, Black, Democratic, SEIU, University of California, SEIU State Council, CNBC Locations: California, Mississippi, Maryland, Washington

☆ Butler sworn in to replace late California Sen. Feinstein, becoming third Black female senator in U.S. history
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s. She was a giant in California politics, having been the first female mayor of San Francisco and a force in the state's Democratic circles. In the Senate, Feinstein was the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first female top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.," Newsom said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Laphonza Butler, Dianne Feinstein, Neneki Lee, California Sen, Butler, Gavin Newsom, Feinstein, Joe Biden, Democratic Sen, Carol Moseley Braun, Steven Horsford, Newsom, Harris, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, Uber, Sen, Alex Padilla, Barbara Boxer, Moseley Braun, Sen . Feinstein Organizations: Senate, Capitol, Democratic, California Gov, Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Congressional, Caucus, CBC, House Democrats, California, Senate Intelligence, Washington D.C Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, California, Washington, Carol Moseley Braun of, Butler, San Francisco

Naming Laphonza Butler to fill the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat appears to meet California Gov. Or has Newsom just given Butler a massive boost in becoming the Golden State's fourth elected female senator? And while critics have pointed out that her address until the appointment was in Maryland, Butler "is deeply ingrained in the DNA of California politics." Butler, who will be sworn into the Senate this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday morning, hasn't indicated whether she wants to stay in the job. She will become the first openly lesbian Black senator and the second Black female senator from California (Vice President Kamala Harris was the first).

Persons: Laphonza Butler, Sen, Dianne Feinstein's, Gavin Newsom's, Newsom, Butler, Feinstein, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Porter, Lee, Mike Madrid, I'm, Chuck Schumer, hasn't, Ron DeSantis, Kamala Harris, Emily’s, Dianne Feinstein, –, Aimee Allison, Ted Limpert, Limpert, Schiff, Michael Thorning, Thorning Organizations: California Gov, Democratic, Schiff, Republican, Florida Gov, Senate, Congressional Black Caucus, Press, CNN, UC Berkeley, Center, – Locations: California, Maryland, Madrid, Florida, Washington, Golden State

☆ California Gov. Gavin Newsom chooses Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Adam Edelman | Amanda Terkel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY's List, to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the governor's office confirmed to NBC News. Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, died Thursday at the age of 90. Newsom, a Democrat, had provided substantial clues in recent months about how he'd choose Feinstein's replacement, if her seat were to become vacant. He had previously said that he would appoint a Black woman if either of California's Senate seats opened up. Butler, however, will not have any constraints on her future plans and will be free to run for the seat if she chooses.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Laphonza Butler, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Feinstein, Butler, Kamala Harris, Newsom, NBC's, Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Lee, Alex Padilla Organizations: Democratic, NBC News, SEIU, University of California, Regents, Airbnb, Democrat, Press, Congressional, Caucus Locations: California, North America

Once she is sworn in, Butler will be the only Black woman in the Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ California senator. That, alongside her background in the labor and women's rights movements, helps harden Newsom’s ties to important national Democratic constituencies. She is expected to be sworn in Tuesday in Washington by Harris, the last Black woman to serve in the Senate. At the time, Newsom was under pressure to select a Black woman to fill the seat of Harris, who is Black. His choice of Padilla, the state’s first Latino senator, rankled Black leadership in the state who saw the seat as their own.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein, Laphonza Butler, Butler, Newsom, Butler's, “, Kamala Harris's, ”, Jack Pitney, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, haven’t, Bill Essayli, Harris, Lee, Feinstein, snubbing Lee, Sen, Steven Bradford, ” Aimee Allison, “ Laphonza, Arnuflo De, Arnuflo De La Cruz, Jerry Brown, La Cruz, ” De La Cruz, Maria Elena Durazo, ” Durazo, ” Butler, Uber, Alex Padilla, Padilla, rankled, ___ Organizations: ANGELES, California Gov, Senate, Democratic, workaday Democratic, Claremont McKenna College, House Democrats, California Legislative Black Caucus, Gov, Los Angeles Federation of Labor Locations: U.S, California, San Francisco, Washington, Arnuflo De La, Sacramento

☆ California's newly-appointed senator may not live in California at all
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Madison Hall | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sunday evening, he announced that EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler would hold the seat. Gavin Newsom's interim replacement for Sen. Dianne Feinstein doesn't appear to actually live in California, records show. Shortly after this was pointed out online, EMILYs List removed that part from her biography. "She moved to the DC area when she became president of EMILY's List. A Tea Party-backed challenger used residency questions to help sink longtime Republican incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar in a fiercely contested 2012 Indiana GOP primary.

Persons: Sen, Dianne Feinstein's, Gavin Newsom, Laphonza Butler, Butler, —, Gavin Newsom's, Dianne Feinstein doesn't, Feinstein, Newsom, Butler doesn't, Izzy Gardon, Richard Lugar, Adam Schiff, Schiff, Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, Steve Garvey Organizations: FEC, Service, Democratic, Federal, Commission, EMILYs, Politico, Congressional Research Service, Tea, Republican, Indiana GOP, Senate, Reps, Los Angeles Dodgers Locations: California, Maryland, Silver Spring , Maryland, Washington, DC, . California

Gavin Newsom will name Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a spokesman in his office said Sunday. In choosing Butler, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein’s seat should become open. Butler will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate, and the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the chamber. Butler leads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights. Emily's List, the group Butler leads, focuses on electing Democratic women who support abortion rights.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Laphonza Butler, Kamala Harris ’, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Butler, Newsom, Barbara Lee, Emily’s, Feinstein, Lee, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Anthony York, It’s, Kamala Harris, Alex Padilla Organizations: ANGELES, —, Democratic, U.S, Senate, U.S . Senate, SEIU, Associated Press, Democratic U.S, Reps, Airbnb Locations: — California, U.S, California, Maryland, U.S .

☆ Progressives are pressing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to reverse his earlier vow to tap a Senate caretaker and instead appoint Barbara Lee to succeed Dianne Feinstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Progressives want Gavin Newsom to tap Rep. Barbara Lee to succeed Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. But such a move would reverse Newsom's earlier pledge to appoint a caretaker to the seat. "When Newsom appointed Padilla for VP seat he didn't appoint a caretaker," Khanna wrote. "She would be most prepared to step in and carry forth the work Senator Feinstein has worked on for so many decades," she told the newspaper. Lee said earlier in September that she was "troubled" by Newsom's thinking on what was then a hypothetical Senate appointment.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Barbara Lee, Dianne Feinstein, Lee, Feinstein, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, —, Dianne Feinstein's, Newsom, Barbara Lee —, who's, Ro Khanna, Sen, Alex Padilla, Padilla, Kamala Harris, Khanna, Newsom's, Aprill Turner, Turner, Anish Mohanty, didn't Organizations: Service, San Francisco, Golden State, Oakland, Lee's Senate, Senate, America PAC, Heights, Washington Post, Democratic Party Locations: California, San, Golden

☆ Feinstein's death poses two big questions for US Senate Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Filling the 90-year-old lawmaker's seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee touches one of the most critical levers of partisan power in Washington and will require cooperation from Republicans. "There is simply nobody who possessed the poise, gravitas and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein," Newsom said. JUDICIARY VACANCYFeinstein's death leaves a 10-10 deadlock on the Judiciary Committee, which is in charge of reviewing presidential nominations to federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. With the Republican-controlled House blocking most attempts at bipartisan legislation, the Democratic Senate has focused this year on approving Democratic President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. Senate Republicans said on Friday they do not intend to contest a move to replace Feinstein on the committee after her death.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, NEWSOM Newsom, Newsom, Representative Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Joe Biden's, Biden, That's, Donald Trump's, Republican Mitch McConnell, Barack Obama's, Antonin Scalia, Richard Cowan, Patricia Zengerle, Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S . Senate, Capitol, California Democratic, Republicans, Democrats, Democratic Party, Democrat, Republican, Democratic, Liberal U.S, Representative, U.S, Committee, Supreme, Democratic Senate, Thomson Locations: Washington, WASHINGTON, U.S, California

☆ Reaction to Democratic U.S. Senator Feinstein's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (C) talks to reporters as she walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill, in Washington December 9, 2014. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, has died at 90, a source familiar with the news said on Friday, although Feinstein's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JUDY CHU, a California Democrat, on X:"Senator Feinstein was a trailblazer, a proud Californian, and a legislative titan. HILLARY CLINTON, former U.S. senator, secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee, on X:"I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Dianne Feinstein. SENATOR TIM SCOTT, a South Carolina Republican and 2020 presidential candidate, on X:"Saddened to learn of Senator Feinstein’s passing.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein, KATIE PORTER, Feinstein, JUDY CHU, HILLARY CLINTON, CHRIS MURPHY, Dianne, CHUCK GRASSLEY, Sen Feinstein, I’ll, TIM, Feinstein’s, MARCO RUBIO, MARK WARNER, Sen, KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, CLAIRE MCCASKELL, Makini Brice, David Morgan, Jasper Ward, Susan Heavey, Jan Harvey 私 Organizations: CIA, California Democrat, trailblazer, Democratic, U.S, Connecticut Democrat, Iowa Republican, ppl, TIM SCOTT, South Carolina Republican, Florida Republican, Virginia Democrat, New, New York Democrat, Senate, Democratic U.S, MSNBC Locations: Washington, 読む WASHINGTON, California, U.S, Connecticut, Newtown, Iowa, Florida, Virginia, New York, Missouri

☆ Dianne Feinstein is dead. Here's what happens next, and what it means for Democrats.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein's death will temporarily narrow Senate Democrats' razor-thin majority. Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, a trailblazing Black lawmaker who's running to replace Feinstein, has expressed frustration over this limitation. Before Newsome qualified his vow, Lee was widely viewed as a leading candidate to replace Feinstein. Senate Democrats' majority is going to narrow temporarilyDemocrats now hold an effective 50-49 majority, including the three independent senators that caucus with them. AdvertisementAdvertisementFeinstein also leaves seats open on powerful committeesAs one of the most senior Democrats, Feinstein held seats on the powerful Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

Persons: Sen, Dianne Feinstein's, California's Gavin Newsom, Newsom, —, Dianne Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Barbara Lee, who's, Feinstein, Newsome, Lee, Alex Padilla, Harris, It's, he's, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden's, Chuck Grassley, Biden, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Schumer, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Schiff, Trump's, Porter, Elizabeth Warren, Trump, James Bradley, Steve Garvey Organizations: Democrats, Service, Democratic, Judiciary, Intelligence, Senate, House Intelligence, Republican, GOP, Los Angeles Dodgers Locations: California, Iowa

☆ Dianne Feinstein, California’s longest-serving senator, dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowU.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has died at age 90, her office confirmed Friday. Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state," her chief of staff James Sauls said in a statement. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in the Senate subway on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 11, 2022. "There is simply nobody who possessed the poise, gravitas, and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein." American politician Dianne Feinstein, her arms outstretched in celebration, in her office after she was elected mayor of San Francisco, at San Francisco City Hall in San Francisco, California, circa 1978.

Persons: Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Feinstein, James Sauls, Gavin Newsom, Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Kent Nishimura, Newsom, Jennifer, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Joe Biden, Dianne, Jill, Biden, George Moscone, Harvey Milk, Dan White, Francisco's, John O'Hara, Weeks, Barbara Boxer, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Nick Allen Organizations: California, Democrat, Senate, Gov, Washington , D.C, Los Angeles Times, Getty, San, Supervisors, CNN, San Francisco Chronicle, U.S . Senate, Democratic, San Francisco City Hall Locations: California, Washington ,, San Francisco, San Francisco's, American, San Francisco , California

☆ Student-loan borrowers eligible for debt cancellation might be 'forced back into repayment' anyway because of their servicer's poor customer service, 6 Democratic senators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Six Democratic lawmakers requested the Education Department look into student-loan company MOHELA. They said they're concerned with paperwork delays that could force borrowers who qualify for PSLF relief back into repayment. Federal student-loan payments are resuming on October 1. "With the restart of repayments, these issues are likely to worsen for borrowers," the lawmakers said in the letter. "Borrowers who are eligible to have their debt cancelled under the PSLF program should not be forced back into repayment due solely to MOHELA's processing delays, which cause difficult financial situations for so many borrowers.

Persons: MOHELA, New Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Secretary Miguel Cardona, they've, Angus King, Alex Padilla, Ed Markey, Cory Booker, Cardona, Katie Porter, Joe Courtney, Scott Giles, that's, Scott Buchanan, servicers — Organizations: Democratic, Education Department, Federal, Service, Secretary, Public, MOHELA, Department, Student Loan, — Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Jersey, PSLF, Sens

☆ California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he'd appoint a caretaker to the Senate if Dianne Feinstein retires early, arguing it would be 'completely unfair' to tap a candidate so close to the 2024 primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gavin Newsom said that he'd appoint a caretaker to replace Feinstein should she leave office early. Newsom said he didn't want to "tip the balance" of the 2024 Senate primary by tapping a candidate. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate since 1992, is set to retire after the 2024 elections. "I don't want to get involved in the primary," Newsom told host Chuck Todd. The 90-year-old Feinstein, who has served in the Senate since 1992, is set to retire after the 2024 elections.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, he'd, Feinstein, Newsom, Dianne Feinstein, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, Chuck Todd, Katie Hill, I've, Todd, Schiff, —, Porter, Lee Organizations: Service, Press, California Democrat, San Francisco, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ A student-loan company's 'history of mismanagement' is putting millions of borrowers in public service at risk with payments about to resume, 2 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Reps. Katie Porter and Joe Courtney sent a letter to student-loan company MOHELA on Tuesday. They asked how the company is using its resources to manage the Public Service Loan Forgiveness portfolio. Borrowers have reported difficulty getting help from MOHELA during the payment pause. On Tuesday, Reps. Katie Porter and Joe Courtney sent a letter to Scott Giles, the CEO of student-loan company MOHELA, which manages the Public Service Loan Forgiveness portfolio. Nelnet, another student-loan company, announced in March that it was cutting its call center hours and laying off 550 employees likely due to budget constraints.

Persons: Katie Porter, Joe Courtney, MOHELA, haven't, Scott Giles, Joe Biden's, Porter, Courtney, Giles, Nelnet, — Organizations: Public, Service, Democratic, MOHELA, Joe Biden's Education Department, Department, —, Education Department Locations: MOHELA, Wall, Silicon, PSLF

☆ Democrats are increasingly optimistic about the IRS' plan to offer free tax prep software and break TurboTax and H&R Block's stranglehold
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A small part of the Inflation Reduction Act instructed the IRS to look into developing a free tax filing program. According to a Bloomberg Second Measure report, TurboTax is by far the most popular tax filing service with a 73 percent market share in May 2021. "The Free File program, which was created in partnership with tax preparation companies, clearly has not been successful in over two decades." Intuit, which makes TurboTax, and H&R Block both pulled out of the Free File Alliance during the pandemic. "Americans will be powerless when the IRS completely controls the tax filing process from start to finish."

Persons: It's, Joe Biden, Don Beyer, Beyer, Katie Porter, it's, Porter, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Jason Smith Organizations: IRS, Service, Privacy, Democratic, Internal, Bloomberg, Coalition For Free, Rep, Alliance, Intuit, Office, Republican, Biden Administration Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ Lawmakers pressure McCarthy once again on stock trading ban: 'You have not acted on your promise'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last year that he wanted to tackle the issue of stock trading in Congress. In a letter exclusively shared with Insider, several lawmakers are pressing for answers from him. But since becoming House Speaker, he's declined to raise the issue, other than comments he made on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast in January. And though some Freedom Caucus members are supportive of banning stock trading in Congress, they're likely to object to a hastily-scheduled vote on the matter. "Then it would be appropriate to go to Speaker McCarthy and say we've passed both tests."

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi's, he's, Donald Trump Jr, —, Pelosi, Angie Craig, Andy Kim of, Joe Neguse, Katie Porter, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Abigail Spanberger, Craig, they're, Ken Buck, we've, Buck Organizations: Service, Democratic, Republican, Caucus, House Administration Locations: Wall, Silicon, Minnesota, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Colorado, Katie Porter of California, Illinois, Virginia, Ken Buck of Colorado, House

☆ Some House Republicans want to hold up a major tax bill until it includes a big break for wealthy blue state residents
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some House Republicans are pushing yet again to revisit the SALT deduction. That State and Local Tax deduction — known as SALT — has proven to be a bipartisan scourge, with Republicans and Democrats alike from impacted areas rallying to restore the tax break to a more generous level. "I remain adamantly opposed to the SALT cap," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who spoke out and voted against the legislation that created the SALT cap in 2017, told Insider in a statement. "I promised Long Islanders I would fight tooth and nail to restore our SALT deduction. He added: "There is bipartisan support for restoring the SALT deduction which will put direct pressure on Republican leadership to listen to the millions of struggling middle-class families and take action to restore SALT."

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Chris Smith, Smith, Long, New York Republican Nick LaLota, Marc Goldwein, Goldwein, Joe Biden's, Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Josh Gottheimer, Katie Porter, Andrew Garbarino, California's Young Kim, Gottheimer Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Service, Politico, Washington Post, Long Islanders, New York Republican, Federal Budget, Democrats, Center, Democratic, Tax Locations: Wall, Silicon, it's, New York , New Jersey, California, New Jersey, Washington, California , New York, New York, Katie Porter of California, Jersey

☆ Rep. Adam Schiff's Senate campaign is sitting on more money than any presidential campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff's Senate campaign is sitting on more cash than any presidential candidate. The campaign reported having about $29,800,864 in cash on hand at the end of Q2. The haul can in part be attributed to a massive fundraising push by his campaign after the House of Representatives censured him. Schiff's campaign also has millions more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate. The money that Schiff's Senate campaign is sitting on will become increasingly useful in the coming months as he runs a competitive campaign against Rep. Katie Porter and longtime Rep. Barbara Lee to replace outgoing Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Persons: Adam Schiff's, Adam Schiff, it's, That's, Rob Byers, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Trump, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Insider's Bryan Metzger, Schiff, Porter Organizations: Democratic, Adam Schiff's Senate, Service, Democratic National Committee, California, FEC, Republican, Florida Gov, Schiff's Senate, Save America PAC, PAC, Federal, Commission, NBC, Senate, Representatives, Public, Institute of Locations: Wall, Silicon, Schiff's, Institute of California

☆ Tax prep companies shared private taxpayer data with Google and Meta for years, congressional probe finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Some of the tax-prep companies still do not know whether the data they shared continues to be held by the tech platforms, the report said. The Warren aide told CNN it was unclear whether Meta knew it was inappropriately using taxpayer data at the time. The investigation found that all three tax-prep companies had discontinued their use of Meta’s pixel after The Markup’s report last November. “The scope of ‘taxpayer information’ is broad by design,” Rosenthal said, adding that tax-prep companies can be sued for “knowingly” or “recklessly” leaking that information. Depending on the strength of the allegations, the tax-prep companies could quickly be forced into a binding settlement, said a former FTC official who requested anonymity in order to speak more freely.

Persons: “, ”, David Vladeck, Vladeck, Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Meta, Warren, ‘, Sens, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Katie Porter, TIGTA didn’t, Block, TaxSlayer didn’t, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, TurboTax, Steven Rosenthal, ” Rosenthal Organizations: CNN, Meta, Google, Georgetown University, Federal Trade Commission, Democratic, FTC, Internal Revenue Service, Justice Department, Tax Administration, Intuit, IRS, Urban, Brookings Tax Locations: United States, Google’s

☆ Google and Meta got customer data from tax prep firms, and lawmakers want a probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A group of lawmakers led by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren are calling on the Biden administration to investigate how tax prep software companies may have illegally shared customer data with tech platforms Google and Meta . Some statements the tax prep companies provided to the publications at the time seemed to indicate the data sharing was done accidentally. Our system is designed to filter out potentially sensitive data it is able to detect." Among their findings released Wednesday, the lawmakers said that millions of taxpayers' information had been shared with Big Tech firms through the tax prep software and that both the tax prep companies and tech firms were "reckless" in how they handled sensitive information. Although Meta and Google both said they have filters to catch sensitive data that's inadvertently collected, they seemed to be "ineffective," the lawmakers wrote.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Biden, General Merrick Garland, Lina Khan, Daniel Werfel, J, Russell George, TaxAct, Block, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Tammy Duckworth, Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Katie Porter, Warren, Meta Organizations: Capitol, Massachusetts Democratic, Google, Federal Trade, Tax, Facebook, Meta, CNBC, Big Tech, YouTube, Apple Locations: Washington ,, Sens, D

CNN —Longtime California Rep. Grace Napolitano announced Saturday that she is retiring from Congress at the end of her current term. Napolitano has made mental health care a priority over her tenure in Washington and serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus. We have made it acceptable for people to talk about their mental health and get treatment,” she said Saturday. Napolitano is the ninth Democrat and 12th House member so far to announce they won’t run for reelection in 2024. And she’s not the only California Democrat leaving the chamber at the end of the term.

Persons: CNN —, Grace Napolitano, Napolitano, . New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell, Joe Biden, ”, –, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Barbara Lee –, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein Organizations: CNN, CNN — Longtime California Rep, California State Assembly, . New, . New Jersey Democrat, Congressional, Republicans, Congressional Mental Health Caucus, Natural Resources Committee, House Transportation, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, California Democrat, Democratic Locations: San Gabriel Valley, Southeastern Los Angeles County, Texas, Los Angeles, California, Norwalk , California, ., . New Jersey, Washington

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