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Mr. Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who has personally voted against sending military aid to Kyiv, released a $14 billion aid bill for Israel on Monday. But Mr. Johnson spurned that request, in an acknowledgment of how toxic funding for Ukraine has become among Republicans. agents,” Mr. Johnson said. “Instead of advancing a serious proposal to defend Israel, defend Ukraine and provide humanitarian aid, this House G.O.P. My guess is you can get Ukraine aid passed, probably as a stand-alone bill here.

Persons: Mike Johnson’s, Biden, Johnson, Biden’s, Fox News’s, ” Mr, Chuck Schumer, Mr, Kevin McCarthy, Thomas Massie of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, “, ’, Ms, Greene, —, Steven Ellis, MacGuineas, Mitch McConnell of, ”, Schumer, McConnell, Oksana Markarova, I’ve, Johnson’s, Susan Collins of, “ I’m, Josh Hawley, Let’s, Hawley, McConnell “, let’s, Patty Murray, Antony J, Blinken, ” Zach Montague Organizations: Senate, Louisiana Republican, Internal Revenue Service, Israel, Fox, Democratic, Republicans, United, Taxpayers, Federal Budget, Biden, Republican, University of Louisville, Ukraine, Mr Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Louisiana, Kyiv, Taiwan, United States, New York, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, America, Kentucky, Ukrainian, Susan Collins of Maine, Gaza, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Washington, Russia, Iran

In one of the first major policy actions under new House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans unveiled a standalone supplemental spending bill only for Israel, despite Democratic President Joe Biden's request for a $106 billion package that would include aid for Israel, Ukraine and border security. Johnson, who voted against aid for Ukraine before he was elected House speaker last week, had said he wanted aid to Israel and Ukraine to be handled separately. Democrats accused Republicans of stalling Congress' ability to help Israel by introducing a partisan bill. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement accusing Republicans of "politicizing national security" and calling their bill a non-starter. The House Rules Committee is expected to consider the Republican Israel bill on Wednesday.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden's, Johnson, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden, Rosa DeLauro, Patricia Zengerle, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Monday, Internal Revenue Service, House Republicans, Democratic, Ukraine, Fox News, Israel, Senate, Republicans, Republican Israel, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Ukraine

☆ House GOP’s $14.3 billion Israel aid sets up collision course with Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Haley Talbot | Kristin Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The House has released text of its planned Israel funding bill, appropriating $14.3 billion dollars to aid the country, setting up one of the first leadership tests for newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson. In the Senate, both leaders have pressed to have any funding for Israel combined with Ukraine and border security funding. Johnson has pushed to detach the aid to Israel from the Ukraine aid. And right now, the Senate has a chance to produce supplemental assistance that will help us do exactly that,” McConnell said. Not some of them, but all of them … you can send Israel over by itself, that’d be fine,” he said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Republicans – Thomas Massie of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia –, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, “, ” Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Oksana Markarova, ” McConnell, “ Israel, ”, Sen, Rick Scott, Missouri Sen, Josh Hawley, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, CNN’s Manu Raju, Sam Fossum, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: Louisiana Republican, GOP, Republicans, Senate, Israel, Fox News, Democrats, House Democratic, Ukraine, ”, Florida Republican, Republican, “ Locations: Israel, Louisiana, Georgia, Ukraine, Gaza, America, Ukrainian, Louisville , Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

☆ How 2020 election denialism greases the path to power in the Republican Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Johnson, who played a leading role in the effort to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, benefited in his ascent to the speakership last week from the approval of pro-Trump lawmakers. His tortured explanations of his constitutionality correct decision – that he lacked power to overturn Biden’s 2020 election win in Congress – failed to convince grassroots Republicans bought into the ex-president’s false claims that he won the election. An alternative lesson that the ex-president’s rivals might draw is that forceful condemnations of Trump’s 2020 election denialism are likely to be fatal to their campaigns. There was evidence last week that Johnson’s maneuvering after the 2020 election helped secure his rise to the speakership. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, for example, said that Emmer’s vote to certify the 2020 election “played a big role” in her vote against him.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Mike Pence, Donald Trump, Johnson, Joe Biden’s, Pence, Biden’s, –, Liz Cheney, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, Trump’s, Trump, ”, ’, Vladimir Putin, thrall, Ronald Reagan, trekked, —, Chris Christie, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Tom Emmer, Marjorie Taylor Greene, “, ” Greene, Republicans “ Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, White House, Republicans, Wyoming, Utah, Trump Organization, GOP, New, New Jersey Gov, Florida Gov, South Carolina Gov, Fox News, Capitol, Louisiana Republican, House Republicans, Electoral, Georgia, Democrats, Democratic Congressional, MAGA Locations: New York, autocrats, Iowa, United States, “, New Jersey, “ State, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota

☆ Mike Johnson is the first Republican House speaker from the South since Newt Gingrich, putting the region back in the driver's seat of GOP politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rep. Mike Johnson's ascent to the House speakership last week took most in the GOP by surprise. He's now the first House speaker from the South since Newt Gingrich held the gavel in the 1990s. "This happened sort of suddenly," the Louisiana Republican said last Wednesday after succeeding Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as speaker and as the new leader of the House GOP conference. Rep. Mike Johnson takes the oath of office to become the next House speaker on October 25, 2023. Challenges to Republican-drawn congressional districts across the South could give Democrats a significant opening to flip the House in 2024.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, He's, Newt Gingrich, —, couldn't, Kevin McCarthy of, Johnson, Bill Clinton, Sen, Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, Alex Brandon Cue McConnell, Steve Scalise, Gingrich —, Drew Angerer, Gingrich, Donald Trump, Kim Chandler, McCarthy Organizations: GOP, Service, Louisiana Republican, Southern Republican, Republican, White House, House Republicans, AP, Democratic, Kentucky Locations: Washington, Louisiana, Kevin McCarthy of California, Georgia, Kentucky, Southern, Ukraine, New York, Chicago, Denver, Johnson's, Kim Chandler In Alabama, Black, Alabama's, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina , Tennessee

☆ Conservatives Won the Fight for House Speaker. Did They Also Put the GOP Majority at Risk?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Aaron Zitner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

House Republicans have elected the most conservative speaker of the last century, by some measures, the first to identify so forcefully as both a budget hawk and champion of right-leaning social values. Now the question is whether a party this far to the right, with a speaker to match, can keep control of its House majority in a competitive election year. As soon as GOP lawmakers voted unanimously on Wednesday to give Rep. Mike Johnson the speaker’s gavel, Republicans in political swing districts, who need independent and Democratic votes for re-election, began defining the little-known Louisiana lawmaker as someone broadly acceptable to Americans—an old-style Republican devoted to familiar conservative causes, such as fiscal restraint and national security.

Persons: Mike Johnson Organizations: Republicans, Democratic Locations: Louisiana

WASHINGTON (AP) — New House Speaker Mike Johnson inherits many of the same problems that bedeviled Republican leaders with far more experience. But can he unite House Republicans where others failed? Trump, who is running for a second White House term, enthusiastically backed Johnson and said he will be “a fantastic speaker." The House Republican Conference is deeply divided on those issues. The intractability of many House Republicans forced McCarthy to turn to Democrats for help in keeping the government running.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Johnson, “, ” Johnson, McCarthy, John Boehner, Christian, Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Johnson's, Trump, Biden, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Alejandro Mayorkas, Chip Roy, Roy, Veronica Escobar, George Santos, Santos, Jordan, ”, Don Bacon, Rep, Thomas Massie, stabby Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, House, Louisiana Republican, GOP, Caucus, Republicans, Committee, Democrat, Trump, lotto, Ukraine, Democratic, White, Fox, Homeland, Republican Conference, Texas Republican, Texas Democrat, New York Republicans, Nebraska Republican, Jordan, Kentucky Republican Locations: Louisiana, Ohio, California, Israel, Ukraine, Mexico, Texas, Kentucky

☆ Mike Johnson, the new House speaker, is well within the mainstream of today’s GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Republicans’ long public nightmare came to an end this past week when Louisiana’s Mike Johnson became the 56th speaker of the House. Their votes were outside the mainstream among all House members but not within the House Republican Conference. In other words, 37% of House Republicans are more conservative than the new speaker. That puts Johnson right in the middle third of today’s House Republican Conference. Unlike Johnson, Jordan really is out of the mainstream not just within Congress overall but the House Republican Conference, as well.

Persons: Louisiana’s Mike Johnson, Johnson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Biden’s, Trump, Roe, Wade, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Hal Rogers, He’s Organizations: CNN, Republicans ’, Google, Republican Party, ABC News, Washington Post, Republicans, House Republicans, House Republican Conference, Biden, Republican, Gallup, GOP, today’s House Republican Conference, yesteryear, Kentucky Rep, CBS Locations: Southern, The Ohio

☆ The House G.O.P Has Its Leader. But Can He Be a Rainmaker?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Shane Goldmacher | More About Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the days since he took the gavel, Mr. Johnson called Dan Conston, the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main House Republican super PAC, and is expected to play a significant role in that group’s fund-raising going forward. Mr. Johnson has large financial shoes to fill. Mr. McCarthy’s transfers to the party’s House campaign committee amount to more than 25 percent of the $70.1 million raised this year. Then there are the hundreds of millions of dollars that Mr. McCarthy has helped raise in recent years for the House G.O.P.’s main super PAC, which has been closely aligned with him. “I helped build the majority, and I’m not going to walk away from it,” Mr. McCarthy said.

Persons: Johnson, Dan Conston, — Mr, McCarthy, “, I’m, ” Mr Organizations: Congressional, Fund, House Republican, PAC, —, Punchbowl News, National Republican

☆ Republicans are desperate for attention — and it's decimating their ability to govern
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

In the end, the only man who could unify House Republicans behind him was a relatively little-known and mild-mannered evangelical Christian from Louisiana. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs the speaker saga wore on, it provoked questions among some House Republicans: How could it be that they had failed to elect a speaker for so long? While Gaetz maintains otherwise, his angry GOP colleagues have plenty of evidence to make their case that it was an attention ploy. Rep. Matt Gaetz surrounded by reporters and cameras after the House voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership. The attention economy doesn't preclude an ability to govern — an effective politician might seek to harness their celebrity towards worthy ends.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy, Garrett Graves, Sen, Thom Tillis, Madison Cawthorn, Tillis, Drew Angerer, Greg Murphy of, Nancy Mace, McCarthy, Mace, I'm, Win McNamee, Josh Hawley, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump's, Nicole Wallace, Obama, JD Vance, Ohio, Vance, Ted Cruz, Jose Luis Magana, denialism, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brett Kavanaugh, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders, it's, Rep, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Kelly Armstrong, Adam Schiff, Chip Somodevilla, Bob Good, Virginia, Gaetz, —, Ken Buck, Colorado, Hawley deadpanned, Mike Lawler, I've, Cruz, Buck, Joe Biden, Liz Cheney Organizations: Republicans, GOP, North Carolina Republican, Getty, Twitter, South Carolina, Republican, Rep, Fox News, Republican Party, Conservative Political, Conference, AP, Cannon, South, Democratic, Supreme, Biden, MSNBC, Democrats, Capitol, New York Post, Colorado Locations: Louisiana, Florida, Greg Murphy of North Carolina, Missouri, Hollywood, California, South Carolina, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Ukraine, New York, Ted Cruz of Texas

☆ Joe Biden: Democrats dismiss worries about president’s reelection bid as Dean Phillips launches primary challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —President Joe Biden is just as low in the White House’s internal polls as in any of the public ones. But while Biden advisers are dismissive of Rep. Dean Phillips’ primary challenge launched this week, they are also annoyed about it. Still, they remain confident that Biden is Democrats’ best option in 2024. Boyle told CNN this week that between the war in Israel and Gaza and the chaos of House Republicans electing their new speaker, he had not had “one conversation with anyone” about Phillips. Asked if he was worried about Phillips being a factor even back home in their state’s primary, Walz laughed.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Donilon —, —, Donilon, Biden, Dean Phillips, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Phillips, Walz, “, ‘, ’, Ron, Brendan Boyle, ”, ” Boyle, daydreaming, Harris, Emanuel Cleaver, ” “ Joe Biden, ” Ben Wikler, ’ Phillips, Gretchen Whitmer, Louis, “ We’ve, ” Biden, Trump –, Trump, ” Harris, St . Louis, Boyle, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein’s, Gavin Newsom, California politicos, Nancy Pelosi, Jamie Raskin, Raskin, Biden’s Organizations: CNN, ’, GOP, Democratic, Center, American, Florida Gov, president’s, MAGA Republicans, Democrat, Granite, Democrats ’, Biden, Democratic National Committee, Trump, “, New Hampshire Democrats, Republicans, Los Angeles Times, California Gov, Senate, Maryland, House Democratic Locations: Washington, Florida, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, St, Louis, Wisconsin, Concord , New Hampshire, Michigan, Israel, St ., Gaza, Minnesota, California

☆ Speaker Mike Johnson explained why his 'adopted' Black son is not involved in his public life
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The new right-wing House Speaker Mike Johnson has an adult "adopted" Black son. He explained why his son has chosen to keep a low profile and stay out of his public life. AdvertisementAdvertisementNewly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the public absence of his "adopted" Black son. However, questions were raised when Michael was conspicuously absent from Johnson's public life, including not appearing in his family portrait on his website. He asked not to be involved in their new public life.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Sandra Bullock, —, Michael, Corinne Day, Kelly, Michael —, Jack, George Floyd Organizations: Service, Newsweek, New York Times, Louisiana Republican, Republicans, Alliance Defending, Southern Poverty Law Locations: Louisiana

☆ Ukraine, Israel funding request should be split: House speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He met Biden on Thursday and said he told White House staff "our consensus among House Republicans is we need to bifurcate those issues." Johnson said of Ukraine funding: "We want to know what the object is there, what is the end game in Ukraine. Biden is betting that including money for Israel and immigration will help convince House Republicans wary of sending additional money to Ukraine to support the measure. "Israel is a separate matter – we are going to bring forward a standalone Israel funding measure (of) over $14 billion,” Johnson said in the interview. He said House Republicans will look for other areas to cut in the budget in order to finance the funding for Israel.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Elizabeth Frantz, Joe Biden's, Johnson, Biden, ” Johnson, Eric Beech, Chris Sanders, Jamie Freed, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Fox News, White House, Republicans, Israel, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Israel

But Johnson told Fox News in an interview late on Thursday that House Republicans want "certain conditions" attached to any stopgap bill. "We need a path forward," said Representative Steve Womack, a senior Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee. Meanwhile, the House and Senate must deal -- in one fashion or another -- with the 12 regular spending bills funding government activities for the fiscal year. For months, many Republicans had opposed such a measure, arguing it simply enshrines spending priorities written last year by Democrats, who controlled the House, Senate and White House. SENATE PROGRESSThe Senate, following long delays imposed by a few Republicans, moved ahead with three of its 12 bipartisan funding bills.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Johnson's, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Womack, Womack, Joe Biden, Thomas Massie, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, dealmaking, Andy Biggs, Richard Cowan, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Richard Chang, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, Fox News, Republicans, Republican, Democratic, Biden, White, Defense Department, federal Social Security, Top, Christian, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Israel, Ukraine, Mexico, Washington

☆ A new hope for Ukraine aid in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Sahil Kapur | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — There's a renewed hope for approving additional aid to Ukraine after House Republicans resolved their speaker paralysis, and as some hard-right lawmakers critical of new funding hint at a viable path to vote on it. One month ago, then-Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., voted with 93 Republicans to cut off Ukraine aid. Now, as speaker, Johnson said he's asked White House staff "bifurcate" aid to Israel and Ukraine. But notably, some of those Republicans now say they could accept holding separate votes on Ukraine money, which they oppose, and aid to Israel, which they favor. Good also suggested pairing Ukraine aid with border security money and policy changes to the asylum system.

Persons: Mike Johnson, WASHINGTON —, Johnson, he's, Vladimir Putin, We're, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, it's Organizations: Republican Conference, House Republicans, Republicans, White House, Fox News, Capitol, NBC, Biden, Republican, GOP, Republican House Locations: Longworth, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, China, Taiwan

☆ New US House speaker says Ukraine, Israel funding request should be split
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

And Republican Rep. George Santos' extensive legal troubles will make it harder for the GOP to keep that Long Island-based district in the Republican column. Some already sounded resigned to serving in the minority during the past week's ups and downs in finding a new speaker, while others voiced hopes the passage of time will make the past three weeks a distant memory. This is Republicans fighting with Republicans, bullying Republicans, even threatening each other. That left House Republicans with the choice of funding the government or shutting it down over their opposition to the healthcare law, and they chose the latter. Further turmoil will only feed into the Democratic argument that House Republicans are incapable of governing.

Persons: —, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, George Santos, it's, I’m, ”, Max Miller, Miller, McCarthy, Nicole Malliotakis, Suzan DelBene, ” DelBene, harkened, Barack, Doug Heye, Eric Cantor, Herbert Hoover’s, Biden, Donald Trump, Don Bacon, Marc Molinaro, “, David Schweikert, ’ ”, Dusty Johnson, Stephen Groves Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Black, Republican, GOP, Republican Party, “, ”, House Democrats, Democratic, Affordable, Democrats, Capitol, Biden, Costco, White Locations: Alabama, Ohio, New York, Arizona

☆ Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to new fraud, identity theft charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) returns to a House Republican caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building on October 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Republican Rep. George Santos of New York on Friday pleaded not guilty to new criminal wire fraud and identity theft charges that were added to his ongoing federal theft and money laundering case. The superseding indictment followed the guilty plea of Santos' former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks. She pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to conspiring with a congressional candidate to commit wire fraud, among other charges. In mid-May, Santos pleaded not guilty to the charges in his original indictment, the most serious of which carry 20-year maximum prison sentences.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, Mike Johnson of, CNBC's, Nancy Marks, Marks, Samuel Miele, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: Rep, Republican, New, Republicans, GOP Locations: Longworth, Washington , DC, George Santos of New York, U.S, Long Island, New York's, New York, Mike Johnson of Louisiana

☆ Influencer model infects US political fundraising
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In turn, leaders like former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Republican Speaker Paul Ryan collected tens of millions of dollars to divert to politically valuable campaigns elsewhere in the party. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz has raised nearly $2 million this year, helped by fundraising emails sent in the lead-up to his successful effort to remove Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. Vocal conservatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have raised $2.7 million and $2.4 million, respectively, for their 2024 House campaigns. McCarthy raised 2.9% of House Republicans’ cash in the 2022 elections. Republican Representative Garret Graves criticized Representative Matt Gaetz on Oct. 3 for using his vote to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as a fundraising opportunity.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Nathan Howard, –, Nancy Pelosi, Paul Ryan, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, McCarthy, John Boehner, Taylor, Garret Graves, Matt Gaetz, Graves gestured, Gaetz, ” Gaetz, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Republican, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Representatives, Democratic, Florida Republican, Republicans, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Florida, U.S

☆ Opinion | Mike Johnson Is a Right-Wing Fever Dream Come to Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He is staunchly against the bodily autonomy of women and transgender people and supports a nationwide ban on abortion and gender-affirming care for trans youth. In a 2003 essay, Johnson defended laws that criminalized homosexual activity between consenting adults. If Johnson is known for anything, however, it is for his tireless advocacy on behalf of Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Johnson wrote one of the briefs purporting to give a legal justification for throwing out the voting results in several swing states. The new speaker is, in short, an election-denying extremist who believes that his allies have the right to nullify election results so that they can impose their vision of government and society on an unwilling public.

Persons: Johnson, Hodges, Donald Trump’s, Jim Jordan Organizations: House Republican, Republicans Locations: ”, Venezuela, United States

Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. Religious conservatives cheered Johnson's election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office. “Someone asked me today in the media, ‘People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue?’” Johnson said Thursday in a Fox News interview. One might call him a happy warrior.”Progressive faith leaders expressed alarm at Johnson‘s election, and his remarks on Wednesday evoking the Bible as saying authorities are chosen by God. He still voted with most House Republicans to overturn Biden's victories in two states.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson's, “, ’ ” Johnson, Donald Trump’s, Paul Raushenbush, Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Brent Leatherwood, Leatherwood, what's, — Johnson, Kristen Waggoner, Albert Mohler, Johnson’s speakership, ”, ” Mohler, Fea, ” Raushenbush, Nathan Empsall, Empsall, Joe Biden's, Amanda Tyler, Johnson “, ” Tyler, David Crary, Holly Meyer Organizations: Fox, Interfaith Alliance, Southern Baptist, Southern, Liberty University, Southern Baptist Convention, Liberty Commission, Southern Baptists, Defending, ADF, Shreveport Times, U.S, Supreme, Freedom Guard, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Messiah University, Christian, Fea, Faithful, Republicans, Capitol, Baptist, Religious Liberty, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Southern, Virginia, Louisiana, Shreveport, Kentucky, Louisville , Kentucky, Pennsylvania, United States, Israel, America, Faithful America

☆ US attorney who initially vetted Biden bribery tip explains why it deserved further scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

His testimony sheds new light on how his office vetted the tip, and he disputed past Democratic claims that he “closed” the matter without recommending any further scrutiny. However, it doesn’t bolster the GOP narrative that Joe Biden or his son Hunter Biden were offered or accepted a bribe. The informant described his interactions with Mykola Zlochevsky, a Ukrainian oligarch and owner of the energy company Burisma, where Hunter Biden had served on the board. The saga of a once-trusted FBI informant bringing explosive but unverified claims about a presidential candidate is reminiscent of the Christopher Steele debacle in 2016. This time, the political roles are reversed: Republicans are championing the unproven bribery claims, as Democrats try to discredit the material.

Persons: Hunter, Scott Brady, Brady, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Rudy Giuliani, The uncorroborated Biden, ”, Mykola Zlochevsky, Zlochevsky, “, ” Brady, Biden, David Weiss, Weiss ’, Lev Parnas, Petro Poroshenko, Hunter Biden’s, Jamie Raskin, Brady “, ” Raskin, “ Raskin, “ That’s, Weiss, Raskin, “ Mr, Brady’s, James Comer, Comer, Christopher Steele, Steele’s, Trump, he’s Organizations: CNN, Hunter Biden, House Republicans, Biden, Justice Department, Democratic, Trump, FBI, CHS, Giuliani, Ukrainian, White, Democrats, Maryland, Western, Western District of Pennsylvania, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Delaware, Pittsburgh, Western District, America, Russia

☆ Republicans return to Biden impeachment inquiry following 3-week speaker race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Another unknown factor is how House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan – who spent much of the last three weeks running for speaker – will return to the scene. A source familiar with Johnson’s thinking told CNN, “He believes it’s a fact-finding mission. GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents a Virginia district Biden won in 2020, told CNN, “We have so much work we need to get done including these appropriations bills. I don’t think so,” GOP Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents a competitive district in California, told CNN of the inquiry. House Republicans have not held an impeachment inquiry hearing since their first one on September 28, where expert witnesses brought in by Republicans acknowledged they did not yet have the evidence to prove the accusations leveled against the president.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, James Biden, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, ”, Jason Smith, Jim Jordan –, –, Jordan, Russell Dye, James Comer, Fox News ’ Sean Hannity, ” Johnson, “, it’s, Comer, Smith, Jeff Van Drew, Jen Kiggans, Biden, Mike Garcia, Ralph Norman, Jim Jordan, Austin Scott of, ” Van Drew, Matt Gaetz, Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, McCarthy, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, ” Buck, Chip Roy, “ we’re, Martin Estrada, David Weiss, holdouts, Ben Cline, Virginia, ” Gaetz Organizations: CNN, Republican, Republicans, GOP, Kentucky Republican, Judiciary, Fox News, New, New Jersey Republican, ” CNN, White, Democratic, California, Department of Justice Locations: Missouri, Kentucky, Jordan, New Jersey, Virginia, California, South Carolina, Austin Scott of Georgia, Florida, Ken Buck of, ”, Texas

Rushing to meet an urgent spending deadline and facing a revolt from House Republicans, congressional leaders left money for Ukraine out of a short-term bill to keep federal funding flowing. But the ouster days later of Representative Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, from the speaker’s post and the installation of Mr. Johnson, a right-wing Republican with a history of voting against Ukraine assistance, has shifted the dynamics. Now leaders are facing yet another shutdown deadline on Nov. 17, and congressional Democrats, White House officials and some leading Republicans are scrambling to salvage Ukraine aid. In the days since his election, Mr. Johnson has signaled that he will not seek to block aid to Ukraine altogether, but he has also made it clear that he wants to consider it separately from any assistance for Israel, and put tight restrictions on it. “Our consensus among House Republicans is that we need to bifurcate those issues,” Mr. Johnson said of Ukraine and Israel assistance in an interview on Thursday with Sean Hannity of Fox News.

Persons: Mike Johnson’s, Biden’s, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, Johnson’s, Mr, Sean Hannity, “ We’re, ” Mr Organizations: Louisiana Republican, Kyiv, Hamas, House Republicans, Republican, Ukraine, White, Mr, Republicans, Israel, Fox News Locations: Ukraine, California, Kyiv, Israel

☆ Who is Mike Johnson, the new Republican US House Speaker?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Mike Johnson has been elected by his fellow Republicans to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives, after three weeks of turmoil and three failed candidates. Prior to Congress, Johnson was a lawyer who mainly worked on religious freedom issues, successfully defending Louisiana's same sex marriage ban in 2004. U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the latest House Republican nominee for House Speaker, reacts to former Speaker nominee and current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) voting for Johnson during another round of voting to pick a new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreHe opposes same sex marriage and introduced a bill in 2022 that would have banned schools from promoting or discussing gender identity. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCEJohnson served as chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee and was elected vice-chair of the conference, but otherwise has no leadership experience - a potential hindrance as he enters into negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House. RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMPJohnson is an avowed supporter of Trump, as evidenced by his support for Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, CONSERVATIVE Johnson, Donald Trump's, Steve Scalise, TRUMP Johnson, Trump, Mike Johnson's, Moira Warburton, Alistair Bell Organizations: Republican, Louisiana Baptist Message, Louisiana statehouse, Congress, CONSERVATIVE, Trump, U.S . Rep, U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, Russia, Ukraine, Democratic, White, Thomson Locations: Shreveport, Louisiana's, Louisiana, Washington , U.S, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Washington

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