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☆ Advocates Urge Congress to Pass Permanent Residency Status for Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesConvincing Republican senatorsThe House version of the Afghan Adjustment Act has 143 co-sponsors, including 10 Republicans. Demonstrators gather to support Afghan evacuees outside the Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022. At the moment, one prospect to advance the Afghan Adjustment Act is by attaching it to that larger spending bill, advocates say. But negotiations on the omnibus are ongoing, and whether the Afghan Adjustment Act will be included is up in the air. Yet without a deal by then, passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act appears doomed, advocates say, keeping Afghan evacuees in perpetual legal limbo.

WASHINGTON — Democrats are grappling with how to handle a potential re-election bid by newly minted independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2024, fearing that a three-way battle could split their voters and throw the race to Republicans in Arizona. Asked how the DSCC should handle a possible Sinema 2024 run, Sinema's Arizona colleague, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, “I haven’t given that any thought." Schumer said he has granted Sinema’s request to preserve her committee assignments through the Democratic Party, meaning the 51-49 partisan organization of the chamber won’t change. She wouldn’t say if Democrats should back her but said her working relationship with Sinema won’t change. Prior to her party switch, Sinema had stronger relationships with Republican senators than just about any Democrat.

☆ Kevin McCarthy's impossible GOP math
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is far from assured of winning sufficient support in his party to become House speaker next month. The tiny GOP House majority that takes over in January, after a disappointing midterm performance, would mean a fragile governing mandate for any party at any point in American history. McCarthy’s impossible mathFrom a broader political perspective, it might be in McCarthy’s interest to stand up to the most extreme members of his conference. The path to the GOP majority went through comparatively moderate seats in places like New York that will be most at risk in the 2024 election. But it also reflected Greene’s growing personal power, after she broke with some radical GOP members and lined up to support McCarthy’s speakership.

☆ Biden signs bill protecting same-sex and interracial marriage months after Supreme Court raised doubts about marriage and contraception decisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law on Tuesday. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and requires states to recognize marriages performed in other states. The bill emerged after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade threw precedents into doubt. The new law, designed to protect same-sex and interracial marriage, formally repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage at the federal level as being solely between a man and a woman. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a previously outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, notably never spoke out against the bill.

And now, this law requires an interracial marriage and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state in the nation.”Video Ad Feedback Don Lemon and fiancé react to Biden signing same-sex marriage into law 02:24 - Source: CNNThe new law officially voids the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. It mandates that states honor the validity of out-of-state marriage licenses, including same-sex and interracial unions. The bill signing Tuesday amounted to the culmination of his transformation on the issue. It’s about – it’s about marriage – same-sex marriage. Among the guests invited to the bill signing at the White House Tuesday were prominent members of the LGBTQ community and activists.

☆ Biden signs bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It specifies that states must recognize same-sex marriages across state lines and that same-sex couples have the same federal benefits as any married couple. The Respect for Marriage Act does not codify same-sex marriage, though. She noted the Respect for Marriage Act will be one of the last bills she will sign as she ends her second stretch as speaker. Biden's views, like those of many Americans, shifted to support same-sex marriage over his lifetime. But in 2012 then-Vice President Biden announced his support for same-sex marriage on NBC's Meet the Press, backing the measure even before Obama did.

☆ Republicans seek to sabotage year-end spending bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

An omnibus spending bill that would avert the closure of the federal government would be one of the last acts of unified Democratic political control of Washington. Democrats, meanwhile, understand that the government spending bill likely represents their last chance to enact Biden’s ambitious domestic plans until the next presidential election. If lawmakers cannot agree on a deal, they will face the possibility of either passing a short-term spending bill to carry the debate into the new Congress or a longer-term continuing resolution that would extend current spending levels. But in a sign of the consuming nature of the spending showdown, Republicans emerged from the meeting complaining that the two secretaries spent time lobbying for an omnibus spending bill over a continuing resolution. He said that Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had asked Blinken and Austin to explain why the new spending bill was so necessary.

☆ Child tax credit: Democratic lawmakers make last-ditch effort to enhance benefit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Buoyed by the steep drop in child poverty last year, a group of Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates are pushing hard to restore at least part of the enhanced child tax credit that stabilized many families’ finances in 2021. GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, a longtime advocate of the child tax credit, crafted an enhanced version earlier this year, along with fellow Republican Sens. The 2021 enhancementThe American Rescue Plan made three significant changes to the child tax credit for 2021. A reduction in child povertyThe expansion lifted 2.1 million children out of poverty in 2021, according to the Census Bureau. It helped drive child poverty to 5.2%, a drop of 46%, according to the bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure.

☆ Kellyanne Conway slams GOP senators who didn't stump for Herschel Walker ahead of the Senate runoff: 'Why weren't you in Georgia?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kellyanne Conway last week criticized GOP senators who didn't stump for Republican Herschel Walker. "Where were the other senators to say, 'I want Herschel Walker, not Raphael Warnock in the Senate with me?'" In last month's general election, Warnock edged out Walker 49.4%-48.5% statewide, which triggered a runoff as neither candidate hit the requisite 50% of the vote to declare victory. Warnock on Tuesday won the runoff over Walker 51.4%-48.6%. I don't like it because it's not Election Day, it's election season, election trimester.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene blames Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell for losing Georgia runoffs and says it's 'extremely insulting' she wasn't used more by Walker campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed GOP senators for Herschel Walker's runoff election loss. She also complained about how she wasn't invited to more of Walker's campaign events. During the interview, Greene complained to Bannon that she was only asked to speak at Walker's campaign events "a couple of times." "I was never asked by the Herschel Walker campaign to come to speak at any of his campaign events. They only asked me to come to maybe two or three in my own district," Greene said, adding, "which I find extremely insulting."

☆ Kyrsten Sinema's Democratic defection without a difference
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Specter’s switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party briefly gave Democrats a filibuster-proof majority and allowed them to pass the Affordable Care Act. Joe Lieberman, the moderate Democrat and former longtime senator, lost a Democratic primary in Connecticut in 2006, largely over his support for the Iraq war. A defection without a differenceArizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema appears to be different as she becomes the 22nd senator to change party affiliation while in office. A Senate independence trioSinema will be the first independent senator who isn’t from New England in more than a generation. The most complete political evolution may be that of Lincoln Chafee, the Rhode Island politician who was a Republican senator, independent governor and failed Democratic and Libertarian presidential candidate.

☆ U.S. Congress passes landmark bill protecting same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is narrowly written to act as a limited backstop for the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The measure would repeal a 1996 U.S. law called the Defense of Marriage Act, which among other things denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. The Supreme Court in 1967 declared prohibitions on interracial marriage unconstitutional. But the legislation would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. About 568,000 married same-sex couples live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

☆ First on CNN: Defense bill takes aim at Russia’s pot of gold
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —A must-pass defense bill now being negotiated in Congress includes new sanctions designed to trip up Russia’s war machine by targeting Moscow’s mountain of gold. If passed, the defense bill would directly sanction any American entities that knowingly transact with or transport gold from Russia’s central bank holdings. As of mid-2021, Russia’s central bank held $127 billion worth of gold, according to the Central Bank of Russia. The gold is stored at vaults within the territory of the Russian Federation, the Russian central bank has said. In June, President Joe Biden announced the United States and the rest of the G7 would impose a ban on imports of Russian gold.

☆ Gay marriage bill wins enough votes for U.S. House passage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The House vote was ongoing, with a majority already voting in favor. It is narrowly written to act as a limited backstop for the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The Supreme Court in 1967 declared prohibitions on interracial marriage unconstitutional. But the legislation would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. Republican supporters hailed its affirmation of protections for religious groups who disagree with gay marriage.

☆ US House passes a bill to protect same-sex marriage for the second time, this time with less Republican support
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The House passed a bill to protect same-sex marriage for the second time after senators amended it. Less Republicans voted for it this time than in July, despite amendments made by GOP senators. 39 House Republicans voted for the bill, less than the 47 who voted for the original version of the bill in July. Dozens of House Republicans, representing a broad and diverse swath of the conference, supported the bill when it first passed the chamber in July. Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, was also among the dozens of House Republicans who voted for the bill in July.

☆ House Republican who attended his gay son's wedding voted against the same-sex marriage protection bill for a 2nd time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Glenn Thompson voted against a same-sex marriage protection bill for the second time on Thursday. He first voted against it in July, days before attending and speaking at his gay son's wedding. "Everybody is entitled to an opinion," Thompson told Insider ahead of casting his vote. Thompson spoke at his son's wedding, according to audio leaked to BuzzFeed News. Despite Republican senators amending the bill to add religious liberty protections, many conservative House members said they were unsatisfied with the result.

☆ Mitch McConnell could've tried to block a bill to protect same-sex marriage. He stayed silent about it instead.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mitch McConnell never publicly offered his position on a bill to protect same-sex marriage. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina on amendments to the bill, told Insider. "You know, the leader has to look at his conference," Tillis told Insider, referencing his own time as the Speaker of the North Carolina House. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a conservative opponent of the bill, told Insider that "of course" he wished McConnell had taken a vocal position on the bill. As Sinema stood up to embrace the Iowa Republican, McConnell rose from his seat and voted no.

Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Tuesday that the long-awaited legislation ought to clear the House in coming days. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate last week, was designed as a backstop to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. He attributed the shift partly to the fact that such marriages had ceased to be unusual in the United States since the Supreme Court legalized them. "The sky didn't fall because same-sex marriage began happening," said Raushenbush, who is in a same-sex marriage himself. The amendment's support from various religious groups that are theologically opposed to same-sex marriage reflects the fact that attitudes have changed, said Tim Schultz, the president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, which advocates for religious liberty.

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Passage of a bill protecting federal recognition of same-sex marriages that has the support of both LGBT advocates and religious groups, has been delayed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate last week, was designed as a backstop to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The bill, which was spearheaded by a group of Democratic and Republican senators, gained the backing of several national religious groups. "The sky didn't fall because same-sex marriage began happening," said Raushenbush, who is in a same-sex marriage himself. Other religious groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, strongly opposed the legislation even after the religious freedom protections were added.

The Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the U.S. Senate last week, was designed as a backstop to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The bill, which was spearheaded by a group of Democratic and Republican senators, gained the backing of several national religious groups. He attributed the shift partly to the fact that such marriages had ceased to be unusual in the United States since the Supreme Court legalized them. "The sky didn't fall because same-sex marriage began happening," said Raushenbush, who is in a same-sex marriage himself. Other religious groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, strongly opposed the legislation even after the religious freedom protections were added.

☆ GOP backlash over Trump's call for 'termination' of the US Constitution grows despite his attempts to walk back comment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump claimed on Monday that he had not called for the Constitution to be cancelled. It came amid a backlash from Republican senators over the comment. Trump said that election fraud allowed for the "termination of all rules" including "those found in the Constitution." "The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to 'terminate' the Constitution. His claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him have been widely refuted.

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally to support Republican candidates ahead of midterm elections, in Dayton, Ohio, U.S. November 7, 2022. "Every President and every member of Congress swears to 'defend' the Constitution of the United States," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said on Monday. "Asking Members of Congress to reaffirm their oath of office and uphold the Constitution should not be a heavy lift. Some Republicans condemned the remarks made by Trump on Saturday on his Truth Social online platform but many remained silent or did not condemn him by name. Both Cornyn and Thune, however, stopped short of saying Trump's remarks should disqualify him as a presidential candidate when they were asked that by reporters.

☆ Congress could soon end the military's vaccine mandate under pressure from Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julie-Tsirkin-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Congress could soon end the military's Covid-19 vaccine mandate. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday the administration is aware that Congress is considering repealing the mandate, noting that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opposes such a move. Austin instituted the vaccine mandate, which applies to all service members on active duty or in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard, in August 2021. Republicans have been highly critical of the mandate and the repeal legislation has long been in the works by Republicans on both the House and Senate Armed Services Committee. The bill is unrelated to a separate pressure campaign by some Republican senators, who last week said they would drag out passage of the NDAA unless the vaccine mandate was repealed.

☆ Senator reveals detailed steps to secure his homes as threats against US lawmakers surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Serving in Congress may require living in a fortress as threats of violence against members surge. A letter from Sen. Mike Crapo's lawyers reveals the US Capitol Police recommended multiple security upgrades for his homes. Threats are causing members to consider additional security for themselves and their families, the lawyers wrote. Crapo's lawyers wrote to the FEC because they want to know how to best pay for all of these updates on two homes. Crapo's lawyers wrote, however, that the threat environment since then "has actually worsened."

☆ Elon Musk promotes release of internal Twitter documents rehashing platform’s block of Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The controversy involving Twitter and Hunter Biden dates to October 2020, weeks before the presidential election between Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump. Taibbi wrote that he has seen no evidence that there was government involvement in Twitter’s move to block the New York Post story. Shortly after the New York Post published the article, Twitter pointed to concerns about hacked materials as the reason for blocking the story. Zuckerberg cited warnings from the FBI about election-related threats, though none about Hunter Biden in particular. Hunter Biden has said that federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating his taxes.

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