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☆ Shutdown near-miss illustrates Washington dysfunction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. narrowly dodged its fourth partial government shutdown in a decade on Sunday, but the past week exposed the depths of political dysfunction in Washington and particularly within the splintered House Republican caucus. "The dysfunction caucus at work," Republican Representative Don Bacon told reporters earlier this month, after hardliners blocked consideration of a defense appropriations bill that finally passed on Thursday. He's a charlatan," Representative Mike Lawler, a centrist Republican from New York, said of Gaetz after the failed Republican stopgap vote. There are a lot of personalities at play here, and multiple strategic objectives," Republican Representative Kat Cammack told reporters. "There's this sort of strange woulda-coulda-shoulda -- appropriations should have just moved faster," said Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw.

Persons: Ken Cedeno, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Sarah Binder, McCarthy, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump's, Moody's, Earl Blumenauer, Don Bacon, Monica De La, Matt Gaetz, He's, Mike Lawler, Gaetz, Kat Cammack, Chuck Schumer, Rosa DeLauro, Dan Crenshaw, David Morgan, Jason Lange, Moria, Carolina Mandl, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Brookings Institution, Democratic, Senate, Aaa, House Republicans, Biden, Republican Party, Reuters, Trump, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, House, United States, Monica De La Cruz of Texas, New York, Moria Warburton

☆ Pressure mounts on McCarthy ahead of shutdown deadline as Democratic Rep. Boyle blames 'infighting'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan lawmakers on Monday weighed in on a possible government shutdown, as pressure builds on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to get something passed with less than a week before the deadline. McCarthy, R-Calif., is in a bind and can't afford to lose more than four Republican votes on a spending bill. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Sunday that he might back ousting the House speaker if such a compromise is reached. "Clearly it's a Kevin McCarthy problem," Heidi Heitkamp, a former Democratic senator from North Dakota, told "Squawk Box" on Monday about moving bills through the House. "People will get paid at the end of this," Mulvaney told "Squawk Box."

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jason Smith, CNBC's, McCarthy, Tim Burchett, Brendan Boyle, recessing, Heidi Heitkamp, We've, Heitkamp, Mick Mulvaney, Donald Trump, Mulvaney, It's Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, Caucus, Democratic, Social Security, White House Locations: Missouri, North Dakota, Washington

☆ Top House Republican McCarthy to test narrow majority in shutdown fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks with reporters as he arrives for the day at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. September 18, 2023. Republicans hold a 221-212 majority in the House that leaves McCarthy with little room to maneuver as he contends with opposition to the spending legislation from a small group of hardline conservatives. "The Republican House is failing the American people again and pursuing a path of gamesmanship and circus," Republican Representative Victoria Spartz said in a statement. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, called the House Republican CR agreement "slapdash and reckless," adding that a bipartisan continuing resolution is "the only answer for avoiding a government shutdown." Unless the House can move forward on spending, Republican leaders said privately that they could be forced to move directly into negotiations with Senate Democrats on appropriations bills, circumventing hardliners.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Fitch, Tommy Tuberville, Biden, Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Jack Smith, Trump, Victoria Spartz, Chuck Schumer, Chip Roy, Roy, Ralph Norman, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton, Scott Malone, Sandra Maler, Will Dunham Organizations: ., U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Republican, Democratic, Senate, AAA, Democrat, Caucus, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Mexico

☆ Republican lawmakers want to stop businesses in a small Florida town from displaying rainbow stickers to show they are a safe place for LGBTQ+ people
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican state lawmakers are attacking a small Florida town's "Safe Place Initiative." The program allows owners to mark their shops safe for LGBTQ+ people by displaying rainbow decals. The lawmakers cited boycotts of Bud Light and Target, which followed the brands' efforts to promote diversity and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. Mount Dora's city council approved the Safe Place Initiative last month. Democratic state lawmaker Anna Eskamani posted the Republican lawmakers' letter on social media, saying it "might be the weirdest letter I've ever read."

Persons: Bud Light, Mount Dora, Anna Eskamani Organizations: Initiative, Service, Disney, Orlando —, Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's, Osceola County Sheriff's, Democratic, Republican, Rights Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Dora, Orlando, Mount Dora's, Mount, Orange County, Osceola County

☆ Republican feud over 'root canal' spending cuts raises US government shutdown risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The result is a major headache for centrist Republicans from swing districts that Biden won in 2020 and others with constituents in the firing line of hardline spending targets. One significant source of frustration is hardline demands for cuts to bills that have already been vetted by the 61-member House Appropriations Committee. SHUTDOWN RISKHouse Freedom Caucus members say a shutdown could be necessary to achieve their objectives. This time, the slim 222-212 House Republican majority could pay a political price. Would the House Freedom Caucus end McCarthy's reign over a CR?

Persons: Scott Perry, Andy Biggs, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Goldman Sachs, Centrists, McCarthy, Biden, Don Bacon, Ben Cline, We're, willy, nilly, David Joyce, William Hoagland, Donald Trump's, Dusty Johnson, Chuck Schumer, McCarthy's, Perry, Kevin, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republicans, U.S . House, Caucus, Monday, White, Republican, Social Security, Freedom Caucus, Committee, Republican Governance Group, Center, Senate, Justice Department, Ukraine, Main Street Caucus, Reuters, Office, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Nebraska, Washington

☆ Republican feud over 'root canal' spending cuts raises US gov't shutdown risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The result is a major headache for centrist Republicans from swing districts that Biden won in 2020 and others with constituents in the firing line of hardline spending targets. "I do not know how they get themselves out of this jam," said William Hoagland, a former Senate Republican budget director now at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank. SHUTDOWN RISKHouse Freedom Caucus members say a shutdown could be necessary to achieve their objectives. This time, the slim 222-212 House Republican majority could pay a political price. Would the House Freedom Caucus end McCarthy's reign over a CR?

Persons: Scott Perry, Andy Biggs, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Biden, Don Bacon, Ben Cline, We're, willy, nilly, David Joyce, William Hoagland, Donald Trump's, Dusty Johnson, Chuck Schumer, McCarthy's, Perry, Kevin, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republicans, U.S . House, Caucus, White, Republican, Social Security, Freedom Caucus, Committee, Republican Governance Group, Center, Senate, Main Street Caucus, Reuters, Office, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Nebraska, Washington

☆ US senators seek to reverse 'Buy America' waiver for EV charging stations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Four Republican U.S. senators on Wednesday sought to reverse a Biden administration decision to waive "Buy America" requirements for government-funded electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Senators Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall, Rick Scott and Kevin Cramer said the Federal Highway Administration waiver of U.S. content requirements for steel, iron and construction materials would result in U.S. taxpayers subsidizing Chinese-made products. It said in February that the short-term waiver would enable "EV charger acquisition and installation to immediately proceed." EV chargers require iron and steel for some of their most crucial parts, including the internal structural frame, heating and cooling fans and the power transformer. U.S. states and companies had warned that global demand for EV chargers is straining the supply chain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to meet made-in-America standards and expedite construction of new chargers.

Persons: Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall, Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, Rubio, Biden, David Shepardson, Leslie Adler, Richard Chang Organizations: Republican U.S, Federal, Administration, EV, Kansas Department of Transportation, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, United States, America

☆ US House rebuffs bid by Republican hardliners to end some sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday turned back a bid by hardline conservatives to end five presidential emergency declarations that allow for sanctions against America's enemies in the Middle East and Africa. Trump, a hero to Republican hardliners, did use a 2019 national emergency declaration to fund construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border over the opposition of congressional Democrats. "Trump was probably the first president to use the National Emergency Act and national emergency declarations for the express purpose of getting around Congress on a question of long term policy," Goitein said. Both Republicans and Democrats said they agreed with the objective of improving the national emergency system. "While I understand my colleagues' desire to reform the national emergency process, empowering terrorists, corrupt officials and war criminals is not the answer.

Persons: Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Eli Crane, Republican George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump's, Biden, Hardliner, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, somebody's, Gosar, Elizabeth Goitein, Trump, Goitein, Mike Lawler, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Lincoln Organizations: Republican, House, Four Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Democrats, Washington, Colorado firebrand, Hardliner Republicans, Freedom Caucus, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Trump, Emergency, Thomson Locations: East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colorado, Iran, U.S, Mexico

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) speaks during a press conference on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with members of the House Freedom Caucus on July 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House narrowly passed an annual defense policy bill on Friday after Republicans added provisions on abortion and transgender surgeries — measures that were a nonstarter for Democrats. The amendments, adopted Thursday, would ban the secretary of defense from paying for or reimbursing service members for abortion-related expenses and transgender surgeries and hormone treatments. House Democratic leaders said Thursday that members of their caucus will vote against passing the bill. The defense legislation will eventually need to be reconciled with a version of the bill under consideration in the Senate.

Persons: Ronny Jackson, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Andy Biggs, Eli Crane of, Thomas Massie of, Henry Cuellar, John Duarte of, Brian Fitzpatrick, Matt Rosendale, Joe Biden's, Hakeem Jeffries, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Scott Perry, We're, Perry, Pete Aguilar, I've, Pat Ryan Organizations: National Defense, Caucus, Democrats, Four, Rep, Texas Democrat, Republicans, Department of Defense, Defense Department, Democratic, House Democratic, Senate, GOP, House Armed Services Committee Locations: Washington ,, Ken Buck of, Eli Crane of Arizona, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Texas, John Duarte of California, Pennsylvania, D

☆ Democrats are more likely to take back the House after a recent New York court decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A recent appeals court decision out of New York may be what pushes Democrats to win the House in 2024. The appeals court ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the state's congressional map. The congressional map used in 2022 led four Republicans to flip previously Democratic-held seats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries echoed DelBene, attacking the judge who appointed the special master to draw up the current congressional map of New York. "The Appellate Division decision confirms that the New York State Constitution requires congressional district lines be drawn by an independent redistricting commission.

Persons: George Santos, —, Suzan DelBene, DelBene, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries Organizations: Independent, Republicans, Service, New York Times, Division, Democratic, Times, Democratic Party, Republican, Republican Party, Democratic Congressional, New, New York Locations: New York, Wall, Silicon, York, Albany, —, North Carolina

☆ Republicans Against Inequality
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Vance, the Ohio Republican, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts progressive, have collaborated on a bill to claw back executive pay at failed banks. The two worked through the details through in-person conversations, weekend phone calls and late-night texts. Rubio this month published a book, “Decades of Decadence,” that criticizes the past 30 years of globalization. Tomorrow afternoon, these four Republican senators — Cotton, Rubio, Vance and Young — will speak at an event on Capitol Hill that’s meant to highlight the emergence of a populist conservative movement in economics. Cass is right about that: Income growth for most families has been sluggish for decades, trailing well behind economic growth.

Persons: J.D, Vance, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Todd Young, Tom Cotton of, Biden, — Cotton, Young —, ”, Oren Cass, Mitt Romney, Cass, ” Cass Organizations: Ohio Republican, Todd Young of Indiana, Capitol, Conservative, American Locations: Massachusetts, Marco Rubio of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Trump has long accused it and the U.S. Justice Department of being out to get him. Trump's closest rival for the nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, decried the "weaponization" of federal bureaucracy after Trump's indictment. Haley said Trump had acted recklessly, although she also said the FBI and Justice Department had "lost all credibility with the American people." None of the Republican president campaigns responded to requests for comment about their criticism of federal law enforcement and calls for an overhaul. A spokesman for the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, declined to comment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Kyle Kondik, University of Virginia Center for Politics . Trump, Trump's, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Clinton, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Biden, Christopher Wray, Timothy Naftali, Naftali, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, Nikki Haley, Haley, Bill Bowen, Bowen, Tim Reid, Nathan Layne, Gram Slattery, Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell Organizations: Republicans, Republican, Trump, U.S . Justice Department of, University of Virginia Center for Politics ., Reuters, White, FBI, Justice Department, Democratic, Department, New, South Carolina, Republican National Committee, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: Russia, Florida, New Jersey, Arkansas, Portsmouth , New Hampshire

☆ Illumina acquisition of Grail wins support from GOP lawmakers, state AGs as FTC tries to block it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Republican lawmakers, state attorneys general and several advocacy groups have voiced their support for Illumina's acquisition of cancer-test developer Grail while the Federal Trade Commission fights to unwind the deal. The groups filed 14 amicus briefs Monday urging the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse an FTC order that would have Illumina undo the $7.1 billion Grail deal over concerns that it stifles competition. Thirty-four Republican lawmakers touted Grail's early screening test, which can detect more than 50 types of cancers through a single blood draw. And activist investor Carl Icahn, who holds a 1.4% stake in Illumina, launched a proxy fight with the company over the Grail deal. Icahn's opposition stemmed from Illumina's decision to close the acquisition without first gaining approval from antitrust regulators.

Persons: Illumina, Carl Icahn, Francis deSouza Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, U.S, FTC, Food and Drug Administration, European Commission Locations: San Diego, Alaska , Arkansas, Georgia , Idaho , Indiana , Iowa , Kentucky, Louisiana , Nebraska, South Carolina , Utah, Virginia, Illumina

☆ McCarthy, US House hardliners reach deal to allow votes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. If we don't have that, there are going to be fights," Representative Ralph Norman told reporters after he and several other members of the House of Representatives met with McCarthy. "We had a very productive meeting tonight," McCarthy told reporters after the meeting. The House is scheduled to begin voting on delayed Republican bills on Tuesday, starting with a floor rule governing debate and votes on passage. But the hardliners are also looking to expand their influence over the House Republican agenda.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, McCarthy, Ralph Norman, Joe Biden, Matt Gaetz, David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis Organizations: ., Capitol, REUTERS, Republican, Freedom Caucus, Congress, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ 'Livid' US House conservatives poised for next battle with McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. The House is scheduled this week to consider Republican messaging bills that were delayed by the standoff. McCarthy can afford to lose no more than four Republican votes on any measure that faces uniform opposition from Democrats. Norman and other conservatives want 12 appropriations bills that Congress will try to pass in coming months to contain deeper spending cuts included in a Republican debt ceiling bill that passed the House in April. But moderate Republicans warned that hardball tactics could backfire on conservatives if party infighting forces Republican leaders to rely on Democratic votes to move critical legislation.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Ralph Norman, McCarthy, We'll, Tom Emmer, Joe Biden, Norman, Don Bacon, David Morgan, Mary Milliken, Paul Simao Organizations: ., Capitol, REUTERS, U.S . House, Freedom Caucus, Reuters, Republicans, Republican, Democrats, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ Tim Scott's campaign kicks off with more cash than his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Bridget Bowman | Bridget Bowman Is A Deputy Editor For Nbc'S Political Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., may not have the highest poll numbers, but he kicks off his presidential campaign flush with another precious campaign resource: money. Scott is likely entering the 2024 race with more cash than his GOP rivals. The senator's federal campaign committee had $21.9 million in its account as of March 31, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election. Former President Donald Trump's campaign had $13.9 million in its account, while biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who has largely self-funded his campaign, had $9.4 million on hand. Those senators had between $2.2 million (Graham) and $4.1 million (Rubio) in their presidential or Senate campaign accounts before launching their runs for the White House.

☆ Democrats harden their message on the debt ceiling while quietly paving the way for a deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"He is not going to negotiate on the debt ceiling, that is not going to change." Schumer's maneuversIn the Senate, where Democrats have the majority, Schumer ripped a bill House Republicans passed last week. The measure would raise the debt ceiling in exchange for massive cuts to discretionary federal spending. There are two ways for Congress to avoid a looming debt default: The first is by voting to raise the statutory debt limit, currently set at $31.4 trillion. When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the Senate floor immediately after Schumer, he did not mention the debt ceiling.

☆ US Democrats hold to 'clean' debt limit hike with no spending cuts attached -Schumer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Democrats' position "remains the same" on the need to pass a "clean" bipartisan increase in the government's debt ceiling, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday. In his speech on the Senate floor, Schumer gave no timetable for a possible Senate vote on a debt limit bill with no spending cuts attached. Both parties should pass a clean, bipartisan bill to avoid default together before we hit the critical June 1 deadline," Schumer said in a speech to the Senate. So far neither Democrats nor Republicans, who demand steep spending cuts as part of any debt limit increase, have moved off of their positions. Late on Monday, Schumer began navigating two bills through the Senate: a clean debt limit extension, which could be followed by a potential bipartisan budget bill.

☆ Republicans Pass Debt-Ceiling Bill Aiming to Spark Talks With Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo illustration: Madeline MarshallWASHINGTON—House Republicans passed a bill proposing to raise the nation’s $31.4 trillion borrowing limit in exchange for deep cuts in government spending, aiming to jump-start talks with President Biden ahead of an approaching deadline for the federal government to avoid default. The vote was 217-215, with all Democrats voting no. Four Republicans opposed the bill, after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) made last-minute changes and promises in order to keep his fractious conference mostly united. The razor-thin margin underscored the complicated politics that are expected to roil the debt-ceiling debate.

☆ House passes GOP debt limit bill, as McCarthy tries to draw Biden into negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — A Republican bill to raise the debt limit and slash government funding passed the House on Wednesday, after 11th hour changes won over a group of holdouts within the GOP caucus. The vote was a victory for embattled House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., capping off a 24-hour sprint that saw party leaders work past 2 a.m. Instead of viewing the provisions in the 320-page bill as future laws, per se, House Republicans view the plan more as a symbolic opening bid in the negotiations McCarthy will hold with President Joe Biden later this year over the debt limit and federal funding. The White House sees things very differently, however. House Republicans must take default off the table and address the debt limit without demands and conditions," the White House said.

☆ Republican lawmakers press Biden to send cluster bombs to Ukraine -letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Four Republican members of Congress urged U.S. President Joe Biden to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, alleging in a Tuesday letter to the White House that the administration fears doing so would be seen as an escalation by Russia. Kyiv had urged members of Congress to press the White House to approve sending the weapons. The letter criticized Biden for "reluctance to provide Ukraine the right type and amount of long-range fires and maneuver capability to create" a breakthrough against Russian forces. It urged Biden to send the Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM) found in several types of U.S. munitions, including 155 millimeter artillery, GMLRS and ATACMS. Cluster munitions, banned by more than 120 countries, normally release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians.

☆ Minnesota Republican votes against free school meals bill because 'I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Republican state senator voted against a bill to provide free school meals to Minnesota students. Steve Drazkowski said it wasn't needed as he was "yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry." "I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry," said Drazkowski. "I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that says they don't have access to enough food to eat." Though Drazkowski voted against the bill, it passed 38-26 in the Senate.

[1/3] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meet on Wednesday to discuss the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling, a first test of how the two leaders will work together, or not, in a divided Washington. House Republicans want to use the debt ceiling as leverage to exact cuts in spending by the federal government, though they have yet to unite around any specific plan. The White House says it will discuss future federal spending cuts with Republicans, but only after the debt ceiling is lifted. The 2011 crisis was resolved with a bipartisan deal that cut spending and raised the debt limit but left Obama administration officials smarting.

☆ Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling talks to set tone for divided Washington rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are set to discuss the nation's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, a meeting that will give a first sign of how the two will work together, or fail to, in a divided Washington. House Republicans want to use the debt ceiling as leverage to exact cuts in spending by the federal government, though they have not united around any specific plan to do so. McCarthy, 58, leads a fractious House Republican caucus with a narrow 222-212 majority that has given a small group of hardline conservatives outsized influence. The 2011 crisis was resolved with a bipartisan deal that cut spending and raised the debt limit but left Obama administration officials smarting.

☆ Veterans of 2011 U.S. debt-ceiling fight see tougher battle ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As in 2011, Republicans aim to pair this year's debt-ceiling hike with sharp spending cuts to narrow annual budget deficits that have ballooned in recent years due to tax cuts and COVID-19 relief. 2 House Republican spent hours with Biden trying to find a solution, said the president's no-negotiations stance may prove unsustainable. Any agreement that emerges from that chamber will need bipartisan support, which could prove difficult for a Republican House majority to accept. Some House Republicans protested when McConnell in December 2021 cut a deal to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default. "That's what things like the debt ceiling are built for - they're forcing mechanisms that create an artificial deadline," he said.

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