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CNN —A group of New York Democrats announced support for federal legislation aimed at regulating lithium-ion battery safety standards after a spate of fires caused by the batteries malfunctioning or overheating. Lithium-ion batteries, found in many popular consumer products like e-scooters and smartphones, have been under scrutiny amid increasing reports of explosive fires triggered by the batteries, which use flammable materials. The incident followed a Manhattan apartment building fire in November that injured at least 38 people and was blamed on a lithium-ion battery connected to a micromobility device. The new lithium-ion battery safety bill was announced last month by Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-NY, who said the legislation would save lives and protect property. Torres said the latest fire is another reminder “of the escalating threat lithium-ion batteries poses to the public’s safety,” according to a news release.

☆ The Federal Reserve has done too much too fast and there is a case for slowing down: Ritchie Torres
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe Federal Reserve has done too much too fast and there is a case for slowing down: Ritchie TorresRep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the rightfulness of actions to protect against Silicon Valley Bank contagions, the potential need for future interventions in the banking system, and more.

☆ House Democrats have already found something to love about Kevin McCarthy's Republican-led House
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The House just used an open process for amending legislation for the first time in 7 years. But in interviews with Insider this week, Democrats also expressed skepticism that the use of open rules would be more than a one-time thing; the open rules that the chamber utilized last week were provided for as part of the House GOP's rules package. "We'll see how long this lasts," said Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a long-time ally of Pelosi. Spanberger herself had fun with open amendments, submitting one that would exclude drilling from areas offshore because the GOP majority was "looking to destroy Virginia's beautiful coastline." said Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who said he generally favors an open process.

☆ George Santos, my New York colleague in Congress, is a danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rep. Ritchie Torres | The Democratic Representative For | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Rep. George Santos, of New York's 3rd Congressional District, was widely celebrated by Republicans for flipping a Democratic seat in the latest midterm elections. Under normal circumstances, the depth and breadth of his deception would shame one into resigning from public office. But these are not normal times, and Santos is shameless not only in lying but in lying about his lying. The modern GOP has been hijacked by arsonists bent on burning down everything around them, including the Office of Congressional Ethics. The right’s acceptance of Santos is a function of power politics rather than ethics: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy needs every vote he can get, and he needs George Santos to remain in power.

☆ We asked House lawmakers about scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos. Most Republicans want nothing to do with him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

But Santos is clearly a problem for House Republicans. But three days later, Miller — who actually represents Ohio's 7th district — became the eighth House Republican to publicly call for Santos to resign. said Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, who said that Santos "seems nice" even as he appeared unaware of the extent of his controversies. At a press conference on Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointedly declared that Santos was "an issue that Republicans need to handle." Santos and Ocasio-Cortez briefly spoke on the sidelines of a gaggle of GOP lawmakers on the House floor on Wednesday, January 4.

☆ George Santos accused of flashing white-power symbol during House speaker vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. George Santos has been accused of flashing a white-power symbol on the House floor on Thursday. Santos appeared to flash an OK symbol while casting a vote for Kevin McCarthy as speaker. The then-incoming lawmaker, who was sworn in on Saturday, was pictured making the gesture as he cast a vote for Kevin McCarthy in the tenth round of votes for House speaker. Santos used his right hand to cast his vote for McCarthy while making a sideways "OK" gesture with his left hand, which was positioned across his body. Many took to social media to condemn Santos and speculate on whether he had deliberately flashed the hand gesture.

WASHINGTON — George Santos, the 34-year-old New York Republican who's confessed to lying about part of his background, was sworn into the House early Saturday amid several investigations into his campaign and calls for him to resign. Santos officially took office when the new Congress was convened after Republicans finally elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House speaker. And despite presenting himself as Jewish during his congressional campaigns, Santos told the Post, "I never claimed to be Jewish." Several House Democrats have criticized Santos, but none more than Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, who's taken to trolling Santos on social media. Former Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who recently retired from Congress, said Sunday that Santos should consider resigning.

☆ George Santos arrived in D.C. this week. No one is more riled than N.Y.'s other gay congressman.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Matt-Lavietes-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Matt Lavietes | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“The House Republican chaos has a silver lining,” Torres tweeted Wednesday, referring to Republicans’ difficulty in electing a House speaker. Does Stefanik have George Santos in mind?” Torres tweeted Tuesday. In another tweet last week, Torres posted a screenshot of an invitation Santos sent to supporters, inviting them to celebrate his swearing into Congress. “He’s a pathological liar who cannot be trusted to serve the very public he defrauded,” Torres told MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Monday. “No one has handed me anything on a silver platter,” he previously told NBC News.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a prominent member of the Jan. 6 committee and a former Trump impeachment manager, announced Wednesday that he's been diagnosed with cancer. “After several days of tests, I have been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, which is a serious but curable form of cancer," Raskin, D-Md., said in a statement, adding that he'll undergo "a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis." Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., on Twitter called Raskin "a national treasure—an oasis of legal integrity and intellect at a time when both are desperately needed in democracy’s defense. I am praying for his strong and swift recovery as he undergoes cancer treatment. The diagnosis comes almost two years to the day after the death of Raskin's 25-year-old son, Thomas "Tommy" Bloom Raskin, by suicide.

☆ Congressman-elect George Santos faces increasing calls to resign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Congressman-elect George Santos is facing increasing calls to resign following admissions that he fabricated parts of his resumé, including information about his education and employment history. “I’m not saying I’m not guilty of that.”Congressman-elect George Santos speaks during a press conference in Baldwin, N.Y. on Nov. 9, 2022. NBC News attempted to reach George Santos overnight but has not yet received a response. Public employment records only show one employer for Santos’ mother: Imports by Rose, a company based in Queens that shuttered in 1994. When asked about Santos’ claims regarding his mother, Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, referred NBC News to Kevin Connors, whom Murray said would be handling Santos’ press inquiries.

☆ Whoopi Goldberg faces backlash after repeating false Holocaust comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Why believe what they’re saying?”“It wasn’t originally [about race],” Goldberg continued. While the Auschwitz Memorial's tweet did not mention Goldberg by name, several other Jewish leaders used the tweet to call out the inaccuracy of Goldberg's comments. A Holocaust survivor, Lucy Lipiner, condemned Goldberg's comments in a tweet, writing that she "continues to use the Holocaust as her punching bag." "We told her that her comments harm us and she simply doesn't care," Lipiner wrote, referencing Goldberg's comments on "The View" in January. Those earlier comments led ABC News to suspend Goldberg for two weeks, with president Kim Godwin calling the comments “wrong and hurtful.” Goldberg apologized for those comments within hours.

☆ Democrats criticize Elon Musk for suspending journalists covering Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Amanda Terkel | Amanda Is Senior Politics Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress had harsh words for Elon Musk on Thursday night after Twitter suddenly suspended a number of high-profile journalists who have been covering the company and Musk, its billionaire CEO. In November, shortly after he took over Twitter, Musk tweeted that he would not ban the account. Musk tweeted Thursday night. "Ro Khanna is great," Musk tweeted in response to one of some of the Twitter files. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., tweeted: "Twitter can suspend whoever it wants.

☆ House Democrats reject a rules change that could've empowered junior members amid concerns about aging leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Six years is a pretty long time," Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia told Insider at the Capitol earlier this month. "I'm not for term limits," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Insider during a briefing with reporters at the end of November. "I'm not taking a position on any single rules proposal that is before the House Democratic Caucus," he said. Another prominent young lawmaker — 33-year-old Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — has also been vocal in her criticism of the system. "Whatever the mechanism is, we need to have more opportunities for people to bring their leadership to bear in different places," she told Insider.

☆ In a historic first, LGBTQ Americans will be on the ballot in all 50 states
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

For the first time in the nation's history, Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will have a chance to elect an LGBTQ person to public office. More than 340 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group. The word “grooming” has long been associated with mischaracterizing LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and transgender women, as child sex abusers. "So, if you're voting against some LGBTQ rights, you're not voting against LGBTQ rights in abstract anymore, but you're voting to deny rights to someone who sits next to you every day at work." Within the record-breaking election year for LGBTQ candidates, dozens of them will also have the chance to make history on their own.

☆ There's overwhelming support for an age limit on the president and Congress. Here's why that won't happen anytime soon.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Some have proposed age limits for elected officials amid concerns about America's gerontocracy. The history of the contemporary movement for term limits largely dates back to the early 1990s, when dozens of states enacted term limits not just for their own legislatures but for their federal representatives in Washington. "Put it this way: I'm a little more interested in term limits than age limits," Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland told Insider. "There's a logic to term limits, because the principle of democracy is taking turns," Raskin, 59, said. "If there were to be term limits, the legislature certainly should have more terms than the executive," he offered.

☆ Housing prices have hit a 30-year high, but don't expect Congress to help anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Joseph Zeballos-Roig | Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It seems unlikely that Congress will step in anytime soon to provide housing relief for Americans. But that was only a brief reprieve from a housing market crisis brewing in the US for decades. Soaring housing and rent prices made up a large portion of the increases in the latest inflation report released on Tuesday. "There's all this chaos in the housing market," Williams said. "The combination of higher mortgage rates and the slowdown in economic growth is weighing on the housing market," Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, told Insider.

☆ Some of Congress' youngest members have famously flamed out. Can a candidate be too young to serve?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

More youthful representation would better serve the country, young members of Congress say. But members of Congress, political scientists, and strategists generally don't blame age for these downfalls — leaders both young and old are prone to controversy. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history in 2019 as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, at 29. "I was always accustomed to being the youngest," Schatz told Insider at the Capitol. The nation needs "more principled members of Congress," Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, 35, told Insider, adding: "It doesn't matter their age."

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