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☆ Watch live: Biden warns of GOP plans to curb access to health-care
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Republicans have insisted that Biden cuts spending as part of a deal to raise the debt limit — a proposition Biden won't negotiate. Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House earlier this month to discuss the topic, but no agreements were made. Biden has asked House Republicans to lay out their own budget proposal with the desired spending cuts before nitpicking at his. Because McCarthy has yet to present a budget proposal, it is unclear how many of the ideas cited by Biden are being actively considered by House GOP. McCarthy has said cuts to the popular Social Security and Medicare programs are "off the table" in any debt ceiling talks.

☆ Two Arizona Republicans Show the Divide Over House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy visited the U.S.-Mexico border in the Arizona district of Rep. Juan Ciscomani earlier this month. Juan Ciscomani and Eli Crane both flipped Democrat-held seats in the 2022 midterm elections, helping Republicans eke out a small majority in the House. They live close to each other and their children even attend the same school. But the first-term Arizona lawmakers are now on opposite sides of a still-simmering intraparty fight over the leadership of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.). Mr. Ciscomani has embraced Mr. McCarthy, while Mr. Crane was the only freshman Republican not to vote for him in January’s marathon balloting for speaker and believes conservatives should use their leverage to challenge GOP leaders.

☆ Trump joins Mitch McConnell in bashing Rick Scott's Social Security and Medicare plans, telling him to 'be careful': 'THERE WILL BE NO CUTS!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump bashed Sen. Rick Scott's plans to sunset Social Security and Medicare on Truth Social. "Be careful, Rick, and most importantly, fight for Social Security and Medicare," Trump wrote. Trump has previously expressed his belief that Social Security and Medicare should be preserved. Save Social Security, don't destroy it." "I will not negotiate whether or not we pay our debt," Biden said.

The tumult that broke out last month during the election of Kevin McCarthy for speaker illustrated the potential for profound dysfunction in the new House Republican majority. Here is a closer look at the fractious House Republican caucus. Chart of House Republicans highlights members who denied the 2020 election results, were supported by the House Freedom Fund, or both. Representative Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, who has also denied the 2020 election results, defeated Representative Liz Cheney in the primary. A Venn diagram shows the Republican newcomers in the House who either denied the 2020 election results, were supported by the House Freedom Fund, or both.

Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address at about 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday). It will be broadcast live on major U.S. broadcast television networks and online by the White House and the House of Representatives. The speech could deliver Biden his largest television audience of the year. The White House has also invited Brandon Tsay, who disarmed a gunman responsible for a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Republicans have picked Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, to deliver their response.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans yell 'liar' as Biden accuses them of wanting to cut Medicare and Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green called Biden a "liar" after he accused the GOP of wanting to cut Medicare and Social Security. But McCarthy said cuts to Medicare and Social Security are "off the table." She was far from the only House Republican who was outraged at Biden's suggestion that the GOP would end Medicare or Social Security, massively popular federal programs. "Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset — I'm not saying it's a majority," Biden said before the boos grew louder. Potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security have surrounded negotiations to raise the debt ceiling.

☆ New York constituents flooded the hallway outside George Santos' office in Congress, demanding he be removed from office: 'We're not being seen'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The group was seen flooding the hallway outside Santos' room in the Longworth House Office Building on Tuesday. "We are not comfortable with the lies, and the deceit," said the woman, who was wearing a shirt from the nonprofit organization Courage for America. After Burra went back into Santos' office and shut the door behind him, the people gathered outside started to clamor for a response. A spokesperson for Courage for America told Insider that 45 constituents from New York traveled to DC together to try to meet Santos. On Tuesday, Courage for America tweeted that a letter with close to 1,500 signatures from Santos' constituents was delivered to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

☆ U.S. Rep. Santos facing House ethics probe - McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative George Santos, who has faced calls from fellow New York state Republicans to step down after fabricating much of his resume, is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed to CNN on Tuesday. "Ethics is moving through, and if Ethics finds something, we’ll take action," McCarthy told the cable news outlet when asked about Santos' constituents calling on him to resign. Santos told fellow Republican lawmakers last week he would not serve on committees for now, lawmakers said. Santos has rebuffed calls for his resignation, saying he would vacate his seat only if he loses the next election. Santos is the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat in Congress as a non-incumbent, but has positioned himself as a staunch conservative on many social issues.

☆ Kevin McCarthy Targets Elimination of Budget Deficits in Debt-Ceiling Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Andrew Duehren | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), who spoke about the debt ceiling Monday, has previously said that he wouldn’t agree to spend more in fiscal year 2024 than has been appropriated for the current fiscal year. WASHINGTON—House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Republicans would seek to eliminate the annual budget deficit in talks with Democrats over raising the debt limit, a demand that would likely require deep cuts to federal spending. Since they took control of the House last month, Republicans have been arguing that Congress should cut spending in exchange for GOP support for raising the debt limit, now at about $31.4 trillion. In an address Monday ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Mr. McCarthy (R., Calif.) laid out the size of the cuts Republicans are seeking.

A far-right faction of House Republicans is pushing against continued US aid to Ukraine. Those concerns ratcheted up amid House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's tumultuous journey to secure the gavel last month. Kyiv, for its part, has kept a close eye on Congress' dynamics since the GOP won a narrow House majority in the November midterms. "This GOP House majority will demand more oversight, transparency, and accountability to ensure assistance to Ukraine is used as intended," McCaul said in a statement. "Most Europeans don't think that suddenly the US is going to cut support to Ukraine," Araud said, adding that nobody anticipates Washington will "dump Ukraine."

☆ Elon Musk scheduled meetings with many Republicans but no Democrats on his visit to US Capitol, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk missed Democrats off his meeting agenda when visiting the US Capitol, per Politico. Musk said he met with the Dem House leader but reports say this wasn't a scheduled meeting. Rep. Jan Schakowsky told Politico it was "seriously a mistake" and he should go back to explain why. Following Musk's visit, McCarthy told reporters: "He came to wish me a happy birthday," Bloomberg reported at the time. Democrats told Politico they were unimpressed at Musk arranging meetings only with conservatives.

[1/2] Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan March 27, 2018. "If Taiwan falls into the sphere of influence of CCP, then the beacon of democracy will be destroyed. Speaking through a translator, You said about 50% of global shipping used the Taiwan Strait between the island and China, "so it has very important economic significance for the global trade." "And ... Taiwan has produced the best semiconductor chips and will be very important for global trade as well," he said. "So if Taiwan cannot be safeguarded very carefully, it will be very dangerous to global trade as well as global peace."

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he had a "very good discussion" with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday about the looming debt ceiling and federal spending. The White House readout of the meeting reflected McCarthy's sentiments, stating the two had a "frank and straightforward dialogue" as part of an ongoing conversation. "It is their shared duty not to allow an unprecedented and economically catastrophic default," the White House statement read. The House speaker later said the meeting had gone better than he expected. The White House said the president agrees that addressing the national debt is a priority, but it should be a separate conversation.

☆ Peloton CEO doesn't care that its equipment is losing money, sees path forward in the app
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy told investors Wednesday he doesn't care that the company is losing money on its Bike, Tread and Row equipment. So from my part, I don't particularly care about the hardware margin," McCarthy said during the company's earnings call. In Peloton's fiscal second quarter 2023, ended Dec. 31, the exercise equipment company lost $42.8 million on its connected fitness products, bringing the division's gross margin to negative 11.2%. While subscription revenue was effectively flat quarter over quarter, it exceeded sales from Peloton's connected fitness products for the third quarter in a row. The cost of the app, which doesn't require any Peloton equipment, is $12.99 per month compared with the $44 monthly cost for the company's all-access membership that can be used on its connected fitness equipment.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York will not serve on the two House committees to which he was recently assigned until the investigations into his conduct have concluded, his office said Tuesday. Santos' decision to recuse himself from the two panels marks one of the first tangible repercussions he has faced since admitting he fabricated key details about his biography. And the voters in Santos' district aren't keen on keeping him around, either, according to a new poll released Tuesday morning. The pollster surveyed 653 voters from Santos' district between Jan. 23 and last Thursday.

☆ U.S. Rep. Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) passes by members of the news media after telling a Republican party conference that he will recuse himself from House committee assignments as he returns to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative George Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his resume, told fellow Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he would not serve on committees for now, lawmakers said. House of Representatives' Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the freshman lawmaker asked if he could recuse himself from his committee assignments while he works to clear up an ethics cloud. "The voters have elected him," McCarthy told reporters. Santos, who announced his decision in a closed-door meeting with fellow Republican lawmakers, has rebuffed calls for his resignation, saying he would vacate his seat only if he loses the next election.

☆ 78% of voters in Republican Rep. George Santos' district want him to resign: poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An overwhelming number of Rep. George Santos' own constituents want the Republican to resign. According to a new poll, 78% of voters in Santos' district want him to step down. According to a newly released Newsday/Siena College Poll, 78% of voters in Santos' district who responded to the survey want him to step down. The view was broadly supported by 71% of Republican respondents, 72% of independents, and 89% of Democrats. The poll comes after fellow New York House Republicans and some influential conservatives in the state previously called on Santos to resign.

☆ Showtime to combine with Paramount+, rebrand with new name
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, Paramount+ (Paramount Plus) logo is seen on a smartphone against its website in the background. Paramount Global is further joining its streaming and cable TV business by combining its Showtime TV network and streaming service, Paramount+. The company said Monday it plans to integrate Showtime's streaming service fully into Paramount+, its marquee standalone streaming platform and response to the streaming wars. As part of this integration, the premium cable TV network, known for shows like "Yellowjackets," "Billions," and "Dexter," will be rebranded as Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ starts at $4.99 a month, and Showtime's streaming service is $10.99 a month.

☆ House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to Meet With Biden, Expected to Discuss Debt Ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Dave Michaels | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said Congress should look at paring back expenditures incurred by every federal department. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plan to meet at the White House on Wednesday as Republican lawmakers push to tie spending cuts to an increase in the debt ceiling. Mr. McCarthy, who unveiled the timing of the previously announced meeting in an interview Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” said lawmakers should implement a plan to cut spending and lower the country’s future debt load and not simply raise the existing $31.4 trillion borrowing limit.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk visited Capitol Hill on Thursday and met with House leaders from both parties, saying the discussions focused on the social media platform he purchased in October. McCarthy, who turned 58 on Thursday, earlier told reporters that Musk "came by to wish me a happy birthday." Asked later if the meeting included a discussion about Twitter, a spokesperson for McCarthy referred back to the birthday wishes. Musk's visit comes amid ongoing GOP accusations that most social media platforms are suppressing conservative voices. Since taking over Twitter, Musk has restored hundreds of accounts of right-wing activists and QAnon followers, according to data reviewed by NBC News.

☆ Matt Gaetz revels in his slackerdom while other House speaker vote rebels assume flashier roles: 'I'm making back benching great again'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Warren Rojas | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz was one of 20 House Republicans who challenged Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid. Gaetz told Insider that he's happier cruising along than climbing the political ladder. Earlier this week McCarthy named the 12 House Republicans spearheading a new "weaponization of federal government" subcommittee that was one of Gaetz's top priorities during the speaker vote negotiations. Jordan and other House Republicans are already stepping all over each other to chip away at President Joe Biden's reelection prospects ahead of the 2024 election. As one GOP strategist told Insider earlier this month about Gaetz: "I don't think this guy's looking to be a policymaker."

☆ Explainer: When is the State of the Union 2023? Date of Biden's address and what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Biden will deliver his 2nd State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, at about 9 p.m. Eastern time (0200 GMT Wednesday). An estimated 38.2 million people watched the speech on U.S. television last year, according to the data provider Nielsen. WHAT IS BIDEN EXPECTED TO SAY? Last year, Biden's speech came just days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and focused heavily on explaining Washington's response. Republicans have not yet announced who will be picked to give the traditional opposition party response to Biden's remarks.

☆ George Santos — who claimed he was Jewish — wrote a Facebook comment in 2011 joking about Hitler, 'the Jews' and Black people
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Chris Panella | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

George Santos reportedly wrote Facebook comments over a decade ago joking about Hitler. Santos, who would later claim to be Jewish, has been the subject of a variety of scandals related to his past. Santos' office declined to comment on the Patch report. According to Patch, Santos commented on a friend's photo of an apparent military salute in March 2011: "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! Dum"George Santos' office declined to comment.

☆ House Speaker Kevin McCarthy finally won his battle against letting members vote remotely. It could cost him critical GOP votes when he needs it most.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Madison Hall | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As COVID-19 raged, the House of Representatives voted in 2020 to allow members to vote by proxy. New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has now ended it. With newfound control of the House, one of McCarthy's first moves was to eliminate proxy voting when finalizing the House rules package. Joined by 20 other GOP representatives, the lawsuit claimed the US Constitution only allowed for in-person voting and that proxy voting was unconstitutional. These trips are generally funded by the federal government, and proxy voting allowed members to vote while abroad on important business.

☆ McCarthy kicks 2 top Democrats who spearheaded Trump impeachment efforts off of the intelligence committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rejected two democrats' bids to be on the intelligence committee. McCarthy said that Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell were not fit to serve on the committee. The two democrats served on it from 2015 to 2019 and headed up impeachment efforts against Trump. Previously, McCarthy had argued that because of Swalwell's past association with a Chinese spy, he should not serve on the committee. He claimed that Schiff "lied to the American public" about his knowledge of the whistleblower at the center of the first impeachment proceedings.

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