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☆ McCarthy says US House Republicans to vote on defense spending bill Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Acquire Licensing RightsSept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Republicans will try again to move forward on fiscal 2024 spending legislation on Thursday, with a procedural vote on a defense appropriations bill. He said House Republicans would also begin advancing other full-scale appropriations bills. The stalemate raised concerns about the ability of Congress to keep federal agencies afloat, when the 2024 fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. On Tuesday, opposition from five Republicans defeated a vote intended to open debate on a $886 billion defense spending bill.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jonathan Ernst, McCarthy, we've, Joe Biden, Biden, David Morgan, Kanishka Singh, Dan Whitcomb, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, . House, Republican, California Republican, Republicans, Democratic, Senate, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, California

CNN —House Democrats have begun internal discussions about how to deal with the prospects of a chaotic situation: The possibility that Speaker Kevin McCarthy could lose his job in an unprecedented vote on the floor. One of the strategies being discussed by Democrats is to vote “present” or vote to kill it all together if a motion to oust McCarthy is brought to the floor. Bacon warned that he would cut a deal with Democrats if they reach an impasse with conservative hardliners. Democrats considering bailing out McCarthy say it wouldn’t necessarily stop there. If McCarthy were challenged, it may only take a handful of Democrats to save him.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, he’d, McCarthy’s speakership, Jeffries, Dan Kildee of, “, Kevin can’t, –, ”, Joe Biden –, you’re, ” It’s, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Don Bacon, Bacon, Biden, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Dean Phillips, you’d, Paul Ryan, John Boehner –, Richard Neal of, ” Rep, Mary Gay Scanlon Organizations: CNN — House Democrats, Publicly, Democratic, ” Democratic, CNN, GOP, Democrats, Freedom Caucus, Republican, Republicans, Capitol, House, Florida, Dean Phillips of, Richard Neal of Massachusetts, ”, Pennsylvania Locations: Dan Kildee of Michigan, Florida, Nebraska, Dean Phillips of Minnesota

CNN —House Republicans are still struggling to reach consensus on a plan to fund the government, with lawmakers going back-and-forth over the issue and leadership forced to delay a planned procedural vote as they work to find agreement within their ranks. House GOP leaders canceled a procedural rule vote on the proposal originally slated for Tuesday morning amid that opposition from hardliners. Amid the impasse in the House GOP conference, there are discussions underway among some Republicans and Democrats about teaming up on a so-called discharge petition to fund the government if the House Republican-brokered plan fails on the floor this week. Five Republicans – most of them from the right flank House Freedom Caucus – voted against the rule, denying House GOP leadership of the 218 votes it needed for passage. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesRep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican, said he thinks they should work through the weekend until they are able to find agreement among House Republicans on how to keep the government open.

Persons: ”, Nancy Mace, Tom Emmer –, Kevin Hern, Hern, Hakeem Jeffries, Republicans –, Caucus –, McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Bob Good, Virginia, Byron Donalds, Chip Somodevilla, Ralph Norman, Chip Roy, ” Roy, “, haven’t, Roy, ” Donalds, Perry, ” Perry, Matt Gaetz, Norman, Andy Ogles, Dan Bishop of, Andy Biggs of, Tim Burchett, Anna Paulina Luna of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Rosendale, Victoria Spartz, Eli Crane of, Cory Mills, Wesley Hunt, Wesley Hunt of Texas, Paul Gosar, Burchett, Bishop, Norman –, Ken Buck, Tom Cole of, Cole, ” Cole, “ That’s Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, GOP, Democratic, South Carolina Republican, Republican, “, CNN, Democrats, Politico, House Republicans, Department of Defense, Republicans, Caucus, Freedom Caucus, House Republican, Capitol, Getty, Texas Republican, Florida GOP Rep, Senate, ’, Defense, Ken Buck of Colorado . Locations: Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington ,, Texas, Tennessee, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Victoria, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Wesley Hunt of, Paul Gosar of Arizona, “, Biggs, Rosendale, Ken Buck of Colorado

☆ Right-Wing House Republicans Derail Pentagon G.O.P. Bill, Rebuking McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Carl Hulse | More About Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Deep Republican divisions erupted onto the House floor on Tuesday as a handful of far-right conservatives blocked a Pentagon spending bill from coming up for debate, dealing an embarrassing setback to Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he struggled to round up votes to prevent a government shutdown in less than two weeks. It left the chamber paralyzed for the moment, with little time before a Sept. 30 deadline to avert a government closure. Even if it could make it through the House, the temporary spending measure stood little chance in the Democratic-led Senate, where its combination of deep spending cuts and stringent border policies were seen as nonstarters. But the House’s inability to move on a stopgap plan further delayed any negotiations on Capitol Hill toward a bipartisan spending compromise. With none of the 12 annual spending bills passed, such a temporary bill will be needed to keep the government funded after next Friday.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: Democratic

“Threats don’t matter, and sometimes people do those things because of personal things and that’s all fine,” McCarthy told reporters. “Whether or not McCarthy faces a motion to vacate is within his own hands. Alex Wong/Getty ImagesMcCarthy-Gaetz showdown takes center stage againThis is not the first time that McCarthy and Gaetz have squared off. As part of his deal to become speaker, McCarthy gave any single member the power to call for a floor vote on removing him. But after McCarthy cut a deal with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling this summer, the trust and communication between Gaetz and McCarthy broke down – and the rhetoric has gotten personal.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, don’t, –, McCarthy, ”, ” McCarthy, “, I’ll, “ I’m, Matt Gaetz, Joe Biden, Gaetz, Eli Crane of, Dan Bishop of, Bob Good, Matt Rosendale, Ralph Norman of, Chip Roy, McCarthy’s speakership, “ We’ve, ” Good, Hakeem Jeffries, Gerry Connolly, Alex Wong, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Jim Jordan, Jordan, ” Jordan, Dusty Johnson, ” Johnson, he’s, Tim Burchett, Tony Soprano, Hunter Biden, Matt, I’m, ” Gaetz, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Norman, Andy Biggs, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Anna Moneymaker, wouldn’t, McCarthy’s, Roy, ” Greene, Greene, didn’t Organizations: CNN, ”, GOP, Caucus, Democrat, Republican Conference, Republican, Virginia Democrat, Florida Republican, U.S, Capitol, Biden, Ohio Republican, Tennessee Republican, McCarthy As, Senate, Freedom Caucus, Main, Democratic Locations: Florida, Eli Crane of Arizona, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Virginia, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Texas, Washington , DC, McCarthy’s, Ohio, South Dakota, Gaetz, Ken Buck of, Arizona, Georgia, ”, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

Yet several hard-right conservatives told CNN they are prepared to take down the rule over the spending bill if their demands aren’t met. Democrats are already trying to pin the blame on any shutdown on the House GOP. Ukraine funding a key flashpoint in HouseHow McCarthy deals with the immediate spending demands remains to be seen, including whether he’ll agree to pair the short-term spending bill with any aid to Ukraine. Simpson said of tying Ukraine aid to the short-term spending bill: “That’s a tougher sell. “Once you get truly into the presidential cycle, everything gets that much more difficult.”Hardliners may upend McCarthy’s strategyHard-line conservatives are already threatening to make McCarthy’s calculus more complicated if he cuts a short-term spending deal with Democrats.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, It’s, ” McCarthy, Department of Homeland Security –, Joe Biden, Ukraine –, aren’t, Mike Simpson of, ” Simpson, Don Bacon, Biden, “, ”, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Kevin Hern of, Hern, Simpson, Vladimir Putin’s, we’re, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, upend, Ralph Norman –, –, hasn’t, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Darrell Issa, ” Issa Organizations: CNN, GOP, White, Department of Homeland Security, White House, Democrats, ”, Senate, Republican, Republican Party, Party, Illinois Democrat, South Carolina Republican, Virginia Locations: Ukraine, Mike Simpson of Idaho, Washington, Nebraska, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Illinois, Florida, California

☆ Trump still dominates, no DeSantis bounce from Republican debate, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the first Republican candidates' debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 23, 2023. But it showed DeSantis remained stuck in distant second place with 13% of support of Republican respondents while Trump, the former president, had 52%, marginally higher than the 47% he received in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in early August. Still, about half of Republican respondents said they were more likely to support DeSantis based on what they had heard about the debate. About four in 10 Republicans said they were more likely to back Ramaswamy or Haley based on the debate. Only 5% of Republicans said they outright backed Ramaswamy while only 4% supported Haley, similar shares to what they had before the debate.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Brian Snyder, Donald Trump, DeSantis, Trump, Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy, Haley, Mike Pence, Joe Biden, Trump's, Jason Lange, Ross Colvin, Howard Goller Organizations: Florida, Republican, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Republicans, Trump, Twitter, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Milwaukee , Wisconsin, U.S, Florida, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Georgia

☆ A Loud Republican Minority Opposes More Ukraine Military Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Robert Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A congressional delegation of five Republicans and two Democrats met with representatives of Ukraine’s Parliament this month in Poland, where the Ukrainians thanked the delegation for American aid and asked for F-16 fighter jets to help in the war against Russia. Three members of the delegation described the meeting as cordial and informative. One left the session in a state of indignation. Ms. Luna is among the boisterous proponents in Congress of former President Donald J. Trump’s “America first” worldview that regards financial commitments overseas with extreme skepticism. Senior Republicans who support the war, and maintain the hawkish traditions of the establishment G.O.P., fear the movement will gain momentum as the conflict grinds on and Mr. Trump’s candidacy consumes the 2024 spotlight.

☆ House Democrats Move Forward With Petition to Force Debt Limit Vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Given the impending June 1 deadline and urgency of the moment, it is important that all legislative options be pursued in the event that no agreement is reached,” Mr. Jeffries wrote. The strategy faces long odds given the complexity of the maneuver and the partisan divide in the debt talks. Democrats also see the petition as a way to demonstrate that their party is doing all it can to prevent an economic debacle. “I don’t think we are in any trouble,” Mr. Cole said in an interview. “I don’t think anybody wants to be one of about a half a dozen that hands victory over to Biden.”

☆ Live Updates: Biden, Congressional Leaders to Meet on Debt Limit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

President Biden and his allies said the White House and congressional teams had productive talks in recent days. The government reached the $31.4 trillion debt limit on Jan. 19, and the Treasury Department has been using accounting maneuvers to keep paying its bills. The president is scheduled to depart for Japan on Wednesday to attend the Group of 7 meeting, heightening the sense of urgency to make progress on the debt limit. While Mr. McCarthy played down progress, Mr. Biden and his allies said the White House and congressional teams had productive talks in recent days. “SNAP already has work requirements,” said Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

☆ Democrats have been plotting since January to deploy an obscure legal strategy that could bypass Kevin McCarthy and force a debt ceiling vote if Republicans send the country to the edge of default
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democrats have prepared to use an obscure legal strategy to force a vote to raise the debt ceiling. Attempting the rarely-successful move, called a discharge petition, requires months of legal prep. All 213 Democratic members, plus five Republicans, need to sign the petition to bypass leadership. 218 petition signatures — meaning every single Democratic member of the House, as well as five Republicans willing to split with party leadership to force a vote on the stalled bill. He added: "Given Treasury Secretary Yellen's announcement yesterday that Congress may only have until June 1st to raise the debt limit to avoid a catastrophic default and Republicans' refusal to support a clean debt limit increase, Democrats are keeping all of our options open."

☆ A Debt Limit Secret Weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Democrats push debt limit plansWith the U.S. now projected to run out of money to pay its bills by June 1, Democrats in Washington are considering unconventional tactics to avert a devastating federal default. In the House, Democrats began taking steps today to deploy a secret weapon they have been holding in reserve: a so-called discharge petition. At the White House, some economic advisers are entertaining what is effectively a constitutional challenge to the debt limit. Under the theory, the 14th Amendment requires the government to continue issuing debt, even after hitting the borrowing limit. The typical way to raise the debt limit — through Congress’s normal legislative process — is still the most likely path.

☆ Factbox: Industry targets of U.S. Republicans' anti-ESG efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here is a look at major efforts and, in some cases, their impact on specific industries. In addition, legislation pending in states, including Texas and Florida, aims to limit the consideration of ESG factors by pension funds, which could cut off fund firms from public contracts. Top fund firms such as BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) and State Street Corp (STT.N) - both NZAM members - have said their ESG efforts only support clients concerns, for instance the view that climate change poses investment risks. Several of the bills have been passed into law in states including Mississippi and West Virginia. Republicans failed to gain control of the U.S. Senate in elections held Nov. 8, however, limiting their investigative powers.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during an event on his nationwide book tour at Adventure Outdoors, the largest gun store in the country, on March 30, 2023 in Smyrna, Georgia. Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about DeSantis' desire for a probe. The agreement was signed on Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to put DeSantis in charge. The Florida governor took aim at Disney after the company publicly balked at Florida's HB 1557 law early last year. HB 1557, dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, limits early education teachings on sexual orientation or gender identity.

☆ US House Republicans face unity test with major energy bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on its first major legislation of the year on Thursday, a partisan energy bill that poses an early test of unity for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's majority. The 175-page measure, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act, represents a top 2022 Republican campaign pledge to lower Americans' energy costs by scaling back Democratic President Joe Biden's climate policies and increasing oil and gas production through deregulation. 1 - House Resolution One, is the most important bill to this Congress," Republican Representative August Pfluger of Texas told reporters. Both Republicans and Democrats are keen to pass legislation that streamlines permitting for energy projects, but the disagreement over the House bill reflects gaping divisions over how to do that. "It does absolutely nothing to lower energy costs for American families.

☆ U.S. Senate confirms Biden's pick to lead Internal Revenue Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted to confirm management consultant Danny Werfel as the new Internal Revenue Service commissioner on Thursday, returning the former Obama administration budget official to the tax agency he briefly led on an acting basis. Five Republicans crossed party lines to support Werfel in the 54-42 vote, more than offsetting Democratic Senator Joe Manchin's vote against President Joe Biden's nominee in a protest against his administration's implementation of clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Werfel, who previously led Boston Consulting Group's public sector practice, is charged with leading a massive transformation of the IRS, with $80 billion in new funding approved last year to boost collections of unpaid taxes, modernize technology and improve taxpayer services. The agency in the coming weeks is due to produce a spending blueprint on how it will deploy the $80 billion in new funding over the next decade. Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lawmakers should subpoena AOC's Met Gala dress designer to assess if the lawmaker violated ethics rules, watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A congressional watchdog said AOC might have violated ethics rules in connection to her 2021 Met Gala attendance. The watchdog recommended the House Ethics Committee further review the allegations. The Office of Congressional Ethics also recommended subpoenas to AOC's dress designers. A lawyer for Ocasio-Cortez said in a letter to the House Ethics Committee released Thursday that the congresswoman "finds these delays unacceptable, and she has taken several steps to ensure nothing of this nature will ever happen again." The House Ethics Committee, which released the OCE report and findings on Thursday, said in a statement that it "will refrain from making further public statements on this matter pending completion of its initial review."

☆ The House Ethics Committee may not go after 'loyal soldier' George Santos, ethics experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The House Ethics Committee could investigate George Santos over his alleged malfeasance. But ethics experts warn that the evenly-divided committee — composed of five Republicans and five Democrats — is unlikely to move swiftly or even take significant action on Santos. That's where the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) — a separate investigative entity run by a non-partisan staff — could step in. And the Department of Justice could simply ask both the Ethics Committee and OCE to stand down, as they've already reportedly done with the Federal Election Commission. The office frequently makes preliminary investigations of complaints against members of Congress, making a referral to the House Ethics Committee if they determine the offense to warrant further inquiry.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., January 28, 2023. In Columbia, Trump spoke to about 200 people in the state's capitol building, with Governor Henry McMaster and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina flanking him. There were several conspicuous absences in South Carolina, including the state party chairman, five Republican U.S. representatives from the state and South Carolina U.S. Reporting by Gram Slattery in Columbia, South Carolina and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin, Daniel Wallis and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., on Tuesday announced his campaign for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who decided against running for re-election in 2024 and will run for Indiana governor instead. Banks, a staunch ally of former President Trump, is the first candidate to enter the Senate race. Mitch Daniels if he jumps into the Senate race. Banks’ Senate campaign is endorsed by Rep. Larry Buschon, R-Ind., Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., state Rep. Michelle Davis and state Sen. Justin Busch. After Pelosi rejected Banks and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, McCarthy ultimately withdrew all five names.

Republicans are on a collision course with the White House, which is demanding that Congress raise the debt limit without conditions. Republicans have waged heated battles over the debt ceiling, most notably in 2011, but they have always been resolved in time. Why does a GOP House complicate debt ceiling negotiations? Republicans have floated everything from budget cuts to socially conservative legislation as part of a debt ceiling increase. The White House had laid down a marker: no negotiations, no policy strings attached to raise the debt ceiling.

“It’s critically important that the Rules Committee reflect the body and reflect the will of the people. “What we’re seeing is the incredibly shrinking speakership,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in an interview Friday. “The reason these people want to be on the Rules Committee is they want to screw things up for McCarthy. The message the leader received from his deal-making centrists: We can live with giving Freedom Caucus members committee slots but committee gavels are a “nonstarter.”“Nobody should get a chairmanship without earning it,” Bacon said. That pisses us off.”Díaz-Balart said he had received assurances that “there are no deals cut about chairmanships” to committees as part of swaying votes to make McCarthy speaker.

[1/3] House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters after McCarthy was nominated by fellow Republicans to be their leader or the Speaker of the House if they take control in the next Congress, following House Republican leadership elections at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. "I won't be voting for Kevin McCarthy tomorrow. In an interview last week with the conservative Daily Caller website, Gaetz said: "I think he's just a shill of the establishment. I think that Kevin McCarthy is little more than a vessel through which lobbyists and special interests operate." The power struggle could undermine House Republicans' hopes of moving forward quickly on investigations into Biden's administration and family.

☆ Seeking Votes, McCarthy Offers to Make it Easier for Lawmakers to Oust Speaker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Eliza Collins | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

At least five Republicans have said publicly they won’t support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as speaker when Republicans take over the House next week. Rep. Kevin McCarthy has offered to make it easier for critics to oust him as speaker, in an effort to secure enough votes for the California Republican to be elected to the post next week, according to two people familiar with the matter. While this is the most significant concession to his detractors to date, it isn’t clear if the House minority leader’s proposal will win over the support he needs.

☆ U.S. Capitol riot panel meets, to ask prosecutors to charge Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A mob of supporters of then-U.S. President Donald Trump climb through a window they broke as they storm the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021. While potentially damaging to Trump's reputation as he starts a bid for the White House in 2024, any recommendations would be non-binding and the Justice Department itself will decide whether to pursue prosecutions. NBC reported on Monday that the committee believed it had sufficient evidence for criminal referrals against Eastman citing unnamed sources. Some prominent Republicans have urged the party to move on from Trump's focus on 2020 as they select a nominee for 2024. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in October found that two in five Republicans believed Trump was at least partly responsible for the attack.

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