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☆ Mike Johnson seeks to avoid McCarthy's fate as he navigates shutdown and immigration
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. Under pressure from right-wing members, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces stark challenges in keeping the government funded and responding to a potential Senate deal that would toughen immigration laws while providing funding for Ukraine. But passing the spending deal could make it politically more difficult for Johnson to support an emerging bipartisan Senate immigration deal that the right wing of the GOP is turning against. 2 is his position, but he was careful not to reveal specifics of what the House would accept if a Senate immigration deal came together, the sources said. Johnson's allies believe GOP opponents of the spending deal may vote against it but doubt they'll come for his job.

Persons: Mike Johnson, He's, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Chip Roy, Steve Deace, Schumer, Brian Fitzpatrick, We've, it's, Doug Heye, Heye, Sen, James Lankford of, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, It's, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson's, they'll, Jodey Arrington Organizations: Republican, Ukraine, White, Congress, Republicans, GOP, Fox News, Democrats, United States Congress Locations: Louisiana, Washington , DC, Iowa, Texas, Ukraine, Russia, James Lankford of Oklahoma

Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma has taken on one of Congress’s most thankless and politically risky jobs: leading negotiations to overhaul the country’s immigration laws. Democrats and Republicans agree that a fix is overdue—the last major changes were passed in 1986. Past rounds of talks have gotten nowhere because the issue is so charged and the system so legally complex that any rewrites of the law risk cascading and unintended effects. Now Lankford is one of a trio of senators taking another crack at it, as migrant apprehensions at the Southern U.S. border hit a record 250,000 a month.

Persons: Sen, James Lankford of Organizations: Southern Locations: James Lankford of Oklahoma, Southern U.S

Persons: Sen, James Lankford of Organizations: Southern Locations: James Lankford of Oklahoma, Southern U.S

A classified briefing Tuesday on Ukraine devolved into a shouting match about border security as senators described a tense meeting that did little to break the Senate’s stalemate over whether to include tighter immigration policies in the aid package. The first question instead of asking our panelists, he called on Lankford to give a five-minute talk about the negotiations on border,” Schumer said. “It was just obvious, elephant in the room issue of the administration, in their supplemental request – the second-largest element in the supplemental request is for the border. Schumer said earlier Tuesday that Republicans are free to bring up a border security package as an amendment, and if it can get 11 Democratic votes, it can pass. “They have a golden opportunity if they wanted to do border,” Schumer said.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, GOP Sen, James Lankford of, McConnell, ” Schumer, Arkansas Republican Sen, Tom Cotton, Cotton, “, Joe Biden, …, Chuck Schumer’s, Schumer –, Lindsey Graham of, ”, Lankford, ” Lankford, briefers, Sen, Kevin Cramer, you’ve, Republican Sen, Mitt Romney, ” Romney, ” Sen, Roger Marshall, Vladimir, Putin, Volodymyr, Zelensky, ” Marshall, Schumer, Mark Warner, ” Warner Organizations: Republican, GOP, CNN, Arkansas Republican, Republicans, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Kentucky, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Schumer, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, North Dakota, Israel, Utah, Kansas, Virginia

☆ Republicans prepared to block Ukraine-Israel aid package if border policy changes not included
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lauren Fox | Ted | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Schumer would need nine Republicans to overcome a procedural hurdle, something that many Republicans signaled Monday they wouldn’t help Democrats do. “It may require a failed cloture vote on the supplemental before Sen. Schumer realizes we are serious,” Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told reporters. She added she too would vote against advancing the supplemental package if “we don’t have substantial changes” to border policy. But Thune complained Monday the White House “hasn’t gotten the sufficient level of seriousness yet” about the border crisis. Murphy warned US allies should “be very worried about what Republicans are doing.”“Listen, I have all sorts of domestic priorities I care about.

Persons: Ukraine –, John Thune, “, It’s, ”, Sen, James Lankford of, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, ” Sen, John Cornyn, ” West Virginia GOP Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, “ I’m, ” Lankford, Iowa Sen, Joni Ernst, Chuck Grassley, ” Grassley, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, Thune, hasn’t, we’re, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, ” Murphy, CNN’s Sam Fossum Organizations: Republican, ”, Republicans, Texas Republican, ” West, ” West Virginia GOP, GOP, White, Democratic, Ukraine, Democrats Locations: Ukraine, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Washington, Israel, Texas, ”, ” West Virginia, Iowa, Connecticut

☆ 'I don't care how we pay for it': GOP senator backs no-strings Israel aid bill — but only after border funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But first, Congress and the White House must hash out a deal to beef up U.S. border security. "I don't care how we pay for it," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said of the Israel aid in an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "The rest of the riddle is not going to be solved unless we have meaningful border security," Marshall said. "House Republicans have resolved that any national security supplemental package must begin with our own border. We believe both issues can be agreed upon if Senate Democrats and the White House will negotiate reasonably," Johnson said on X.

Persons: Sen, Roger Marshall, Ron Price, Jimmy Dunne, LIV, Marshall, James Lankford, Shalanda Young, Mike Johnson, Young, —, Johnson Organizations: PGA Tour, Senate Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Golf, Saudi, Republican, Homeland Security, Hamas, Republicans, Israel, Management, Democrats Locations: United States, Hart, Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — As record numbers of migrants surge at the southern U.S. border, many seeking asylum, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has told Congress the country's “broken” immigration system is in need of a top-to-bottom update. It comes as Mayorkas, the face of the administration’s immigration policy, bears down the threat of impeachment proceedings from House Republicans over what they view as failed border policies. “We’re at a point for three years we’ve been saying, ‘When are we going to secure the country? On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson told GOP senators behind closed doors that he needs real border security changes as part of Biden's broader war funding package. During recent hearings, Mayorkas told Congress the administration is working to manage the situation, even as Congress has failed to update the immigration system for decades.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden, “ We’re, ”, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, “, we’ve, Vladimir Putin's, Vanessa Cárdenas, Biden's, Thom Tillis, Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Johnson, Mitch McConnell, ” “, ‘ We’re, ’ ” Schumer, they’ve, Donald Trump, Mayorkas, Sen, Alex Padilla, Dick Durbin of, Elliot Spagat, Seung Min Kim Organizations: WASHINGTON, Homeland, Republicans, House Republicans, Republican, Democrats, Eisenhower, Cato Institute, Congress, Defense Department, GOP, Associated Press, COVID, Capitol, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Press Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Israel, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Congress, North Carolina, Alex Padilla of California, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras

☆ Senate Republicans Demand U.S. Border Clampdown as Condition for Ukraine Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Michelle Hackman | Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illegal border crossings have reached records over the past two years. The one-page proposal, put forward by a group of Republican senators including Sens. James Lankford (R., Okla.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Tom Cotton (R., Ark. ), represents the opening bid in negotiations with Senate Democrats and the White House, which has signaled some openness to immigration-policy changes. Biden’s request included money for border operations, but didn’t include any policy changes.

Persons: Gregory Bull, Biden’s, James Lankford, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton Organizations: Associated Press WASHINGTON, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, White Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Sens

☆ US Senate Republicans unveil border plan as House Ukraine bill looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

2 Senate Republican John Thune told reporters that Johnson's plan has "a lot" of support among Republicans in the Senate, adding: "It'd be strong." The Republican-controlled House passed HR-2 in May, but the bill has gone nowhere in the Democratic-led Senate. Among other things, the Senate Republican proposal would resume construction of a border wall -- former President Donald Trump's signature goal -- in addition to deeming large numbers of migrants ineligible for asylum. Republican border provisions face broad opposition from Democrats in Congress and from President Joe Biden. He told reporters that a bill linking Ukraine aid to border security would come soon.

Persons: San Nicolas de los, Daniel Becerril, Mike Johnson, Republican John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, James Lankford, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Johnson, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Senate Republicans, Republican, Republicans, Democratic, Democrats, Internal Revenue Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas, San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico, Ukraine, Republican, Israel

The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel is reprehensible. Israel is under heavy attack right now by Hamas and taking action to defend itself and its people. Israel has every right to defend itself.”Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat“I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas against our ally Israel. I will continue to closely monitor the situation.”Sen. Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire Democrat“Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel is nothing short of horrifying. Israel has every right to defend itself from this unjust war.”Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat“The terrorist attack on Israel is appalling.

Persons: Hakeem Jeffries, “, Steve Scalise, ” Kevin McCarthy, ” Chuck Schumer, –, Herzog –, ” Mitch McConnell, ” Tom Emmer, ” Katherine Clarke, ” Dick Durbin, ” John Thune, ” Sen, Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Democrat “, Israel, Amy Klobuchar, Mark Warner, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat “, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat “, Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat “, Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat “, Gary Peters, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat “, Catherine Cortez Masto, Brian Schatz, Hawaii Democrat “, Jeff Merkley, Oregon Democrat “, John Barrasso, Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican “, Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Republican “, Steve Daines, Montana Republican “, Mike Lee, Mike Crapo, Chuck Grassley, Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Kyrsten, Mark Kelly, John Boozman, Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican “, Alex Padilla, Laphonza Butler, California Democrat “, today’s, Michael Bennet, Colorado Democrat “, John Hickenlooper, Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat “, Chris Murphy, Tom Carper, Delaware Democrat “, Chris Coons, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Jon Ossoff, Georgia Democrat “, Anat Sultan, Raphael Warnock, “ I’m, Mazie, Tammy Duckworth, Todd Young, Mike Braun, Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican “, Hamas’s, Roger Marshall, Netanyahu, Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican “, Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy, Susan Collins, Maine Republican “, Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat “, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Tina Smith, Minnesota Democrat “, Roger Wicker ,, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican “, Cindy Hyde, Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt, Jon Tester, Montana Democrat “, Deb Fischer, Nebraska Republican “, Pete Ricketts, Jacky Rosen, Nevada Democrat “, Jeanne Shaheen, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat “, Maggie Hassan, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat “, Bob Menendez, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat “, Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Democrat “, Biden, Ben Ray Lujan, Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat “ I'm, Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, North Carolina Republican “, John Hoeven, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican “, Kevin Cramer, Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat “, J.D, ”, Vance, James Lankford, Markwayne Mullin, Israel –, Ron Wyden, Bob Casey, John Fetterman, craven, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican “ I’m, Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican “ Shocked, Marsha Blackburn, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican “ Israel, Bill Haggerty, Tennessee Republican “, John Cornyn, John Cornyn , Texas Republican “, Ted Cruz, Mitt, Vile, Peter Welch, Vermont Democrat “, Tim Kaine, Patty Murray, Washington Democrat “, Maria Cantwell, Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican “ Israel, Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Republican “, Jim Jordan, Jared Moskowitz, Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Slotkin, Don Bacon, perpetrating, Cori Bush, Missouri Democrat “, Kevin Hern, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican “, ” Rep, Ritchie Torres, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat “, Michael McCaul, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican “ I, Ilhan Omar Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Biden, House, Michigan Democrat, Minnesota Democrat, Virginia Democrat “, Senate Intelligence, Massachusetts Democrat, Islamic, Cory Booker , New, Cory Booker , New Jersey Democrat, West Virginia Democrat, Wisconsin Democrat, Gary Peters , Michigan Democrat, Nevada Democrat, Hawaii Democrat, State, Oregon Democrat, John Barrasso , Wyoming Republican, Iowa Republican, West Virginia Republican, Montana Republican, Utah Republican, Idaho Republican, Alabama Republican, Alaska Republican, Alaska Republican “, Arizona Democrat, John Boozman , Arkansas Republican “, Jewish, Arkansas Republican, California Democrat, Colorado Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Delaware Democrat, Israel, Florida Republican, Georgia Democrat, Hawaii Democrat “, Indiana Republican, Indiana Republican “, Kansas Republican, Kentucky Republican, Louisiana Republican, Maine Republican, Maryland Democrat, Roger Wicker , Mississippi Republican, Smith , Mississippi Republican, Josh Hawley , Missouri Republican, Missouri Republican, Montana Democrat, Nebraska Republican, Jeanne Shaheen , New, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire Democrat, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Democrat, Bob Menendez , New, Bob Menendez , New Jersey Democrat, New Mexico Democrat, New, New York Democrat, United, North Carolina Republican, John Hoeven , North Dakota Republican, Kevin Cramer , North Dakota Republican “, Ohio Democrat, Vance , Ohio Republican, James Lankford , Oklahoma Republican, Oklahoma Republican, “ Hamas, Rhode, Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican, South Carolina Republican, South Dakota Republican, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Republican, Tennessee Republican, John Cornyn , Texas Republican, Ted Cruz , Texas Republican, Vermont Democrat, Washington Democrat, Wisconsin Republican, Wyoming Republican, ”, Ohio Republican “, Missouri Democrat, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma Republican, Ritchie Torres , New, Ritchie Torres , New York Democrat, Jewish State, Michael McCaul , Texas Republican Locations: Israel, United States, Tehran, The United States, Iran, Michigan, U.S, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Vermont, Cory Booker ,, Cory Booker , New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Gary Peters , Michigan, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, John Barrasso , Wyoming, America, Iowa, West, Montana, Iranian, Utah, Idaho, Alabama, Alaska, Alaska Republican “ America, @Israel, Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, John Boozman , Arkansas, Jewish State, Arkansas, Saudi Arabia, California, Gaza, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mazie Hirono, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Palestine, Roger Wicker , Mississippi, Smith , Mississippi, Josh Hawley , Missouri, Missouri, Nebraska, Jeanne Shaheen ,, Jeanne Shaheen , New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire, Bob Menendez ,, Bob Menendez , New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North, John Hoeven , North, Kevin Cramer , North, Ohio, Vance , Ohio, James Lankford , Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Lindsey Graham , South, South, States, Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee, Tennessee, John Cornyn , Texas, Ted Cruz , Texas, Mitt Romney, Virginia, “ Hamas, Washington, Wyoming, Ohio Republican “ America, Kevin Hern , Oklahoma, Ritchie Torres ,, Ritchie Torres , New York, Michael McCaul , Texas

☆ Members of Congress are so tired of government shutdowns that some want to pass a bill to get rid of them forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Congress has yet to reach an agreement on avoiding a government shutdown by September 30. Politico reported that legislators in the House and Senate are passing around a letter calling for a vote on legislation to get rid of shutdowns. Under that law, a two-week extension of funding would automatically kick in should Congress not pass appropriations bills in time. Congress would also not be allowed to recess or adjourn for over 23 hours during that shutdown period. "There's Democrats talking to Democrats, Republicans talking to Republicans about the bill.

Persons: James Lankford, Maggie Hassan, SCOTUS, Lankford, Chuck Schumer, Kevin McCarthy, McConnell, It's, Schumer Organizations: Service, Politico, Act, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Independents, CNN, Management Locations: Wall, Silicon, shutdowns, —

☆ More than 100 U.S. political elites have family links to slavery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +46 min

Then the war came, and according to the family history, Union soldiers plundered Sessions’ 27-room house. About 48 years old at the time, he did not stand a chance to succeed without slavery, the family history suggests. ‘A Better Nation’Some historians and genealogists say there is a valuable reason for white leaders – and other white Americans – to explore their links to slavery. Nicka Sewell-Smith, a professional genealogist with the family history website Ancestry.com, said people frequently ask her what to do with such documents. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Meeks said in an interview that he has spent years trying to trace his family history back before 1870.

Persons: Black, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, James Lankford, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Joe Biden, –, Donald Trump –, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Trump’s, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch –, Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, Tim Scott, James Clyburn, Henry McMaster, ”, Henry Louis Gates Jr, Gates, ” “, ” Gates, enslavers, Tony Burroughs, Biden, Obama, McConnell, Burroughs, Joseph Maddox, Maddox, Sela, Rubin, James, Sal, Sam ”, Graham, Graham didn’t, Nancy Mace, Drucilla, Drucilla Mace, John Mace, Hector Godbolt, John Mace’s, Godbolt, “, ” Nancy Mace, Henry Coe, Duckworth, Coe, Margaret, Isaac, Warner, George …, Isaac Franklin –, “ There’s, ” Duckworth, George Floyd, Donald Trump, ” Biden, ‘, ’, Ben Affleck, ” Affleck, Independent Angus King, Mo Brooks, ” Brooks, Sean Kelley, Kelley, White, don’t, wasn’t, Richard Sessions, Pete Sessions, Richard’s, William Sessions, John Cowger, Tom Cotton of, ” Cotton’s, Cowger, Cotton, Archibald Crawford, Juneteenth, Shaheen, Pocahontas, Edmond Dillehay, Peter ”, Milly, Lankford, ” Lankford, Joe Wilson, Stephen H, Wilson, Boineau, General David Addison Weisiger, Wilson –, Addison Graves Wilson –, Weisiger “, ” Wilson, Daniel Weisiger, Daniel Weisiger’s, Samuel, Samuel Weisiger, Daniel, Julia Brownley, Jesse Brownley, Brownley, ” Brownley, Thomas Ferguson, Brooks, Manumission, Marie Jenkins Schwartz, ” “ It’s, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, Harvard’s Gates, Sherman, Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Nicka Sewell, Smith, Ancestry.com, ” Sewell, LaBrenda Garrett, Nelson, Garrett, Rick Larsen, John Wiggins, Larsen, – Gilbura, George, Agg –, ” Larsen, Gilbura, Agg, Gregory Meeks, Meeks, Jim Crow South, – Meeks, – “, ” Meeks, “ I’m, I’m, Tom Bergin, Makini Brice, Nicholas P, Brown, Donna Bryson, Lawrence Delevingne, Brad Heath, Andrea Januta, Gui Qing Koh, Tom Lasseter, Grant Smith, Maurice Tamman, Catherine Tai Design, John Emerson, Jane Ross, Emma Jehle, Jeremy Schultz, Blake Morrison Organizations: Reuters, Republicans, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Harvard University, PBS, United States Congress, Representative, WikiLeaks, Sony, Facebook, White, FedEx, National Museum of, 117th, Independent, University of Essex, Geographic, American Economic, Pete Sessions, Sessions, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jeanne Shaheen U.S, CNN, Biden, Trump, ” Reuters, South, South Carolina General Assembly, Confederate, statehouse, Congressional, Chesterfield County, Mount Vernon College, George Washington University, Mo Brooks Former U.S, “, New York Times, United, Federal Government, Union, Black, Southern, Democrat, House Foreign Affairs, Klux Klan Locations: U.S, America, Confederate States, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Carolina, Congress, Black, Northern, Southern, Illinois, Virginia, Frederick County , Virginia, United States, Minnesota, ”, Mo Brooks of Alabama, American, Texas, Mississippi, Chicot County , Arkansas, Chicot County, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Yell County, Yell County , Arkansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Frankfurt, Germany, Chesterfield County , Virginia, California, Portsmouth , Virginia, Alabama, Haywood County , North Carolina, Antebellum, United States of America, Washington, Nicholas County , Kentucky, Queens , New York, New York, York County, Mende, Sierra Leone, Africa, Bunce

☆ More than 100 U.S. political leaders have ancestors who were slaveholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Lawrence Delevingne | Thomson Reuters | Delevingne Works Primarily On Enterprise Stories Related To Finance. He Joined Reuters In | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

At least 100 members of the last sitting Congress are direct descendants of ancestors who enslaved Black people, representing at least 8% of Democrats in Congress and 28% of Republicans. President Joe Biden and every living former U.S. president except Donald Trump are direct descendants of slaveholders: Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Governors of 11 of the 50 U.S. states in 2022 were descendants of slaveholders, as were two U.S. Supreme Court justices. The Congressional slaveholding ancestors were among the richest in America before the Civil War; three-quarters were among the richest 10%. In researching America’s political elite, Reuters found names of more than 700 people enslaved by ancestors of the leaders.

Persons: Black, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, James Lankford, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama Organizations: Governors, Supreme, Reuters Locations: U.S, America

☆ U.S. Congress to consider two new bills on artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. senators on Thursday introduced two separate bipartisan artificial intelligence bills on Thursday amid growing interest in addressing issues surrounding the technology. Lawmakers are beginning to consider what new rules might be needed because of the rise of AI. "We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence to competitors like China," Bennet said. Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he had scheduled three briefings for senators on artificial intelligence, including the first classified briefing on the topic so lawmakers can be educated on the issue. read moreThe briefings include a general overview on AI, examining how to achieve American leadership on AI and a classified session on defense and intelligence issues and implications.

Persons: Gary Peters, Mike Braun, James Lankford, aren't, Braun, Michael Bennet, Mark Warner, Todd Young, Bennet, Chuck Schumer, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Alistair Bell Organizations: Homeland Security, Republican, Global, Thomson Locations: United States, China

☆ Sen. Tim Scott pushes bill that would require disclosure of apps' country of origin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is pushing for more transparency from social media applications amid privacy concerns about China-based apps like TikTok. App stores would be charged to warn users of the risks of downloading foreign applications and provide a filtering method by country of origin. Four out of 5 of the top most popular apps in March are of Chinese origin, according to The Wall Street Journal. "Requiring app stores to display an app's country of origin is a commonsense solution that can help them do just that." "The Know Your App Act would bring much-needed transparency to app stores, empowering Americans to safeguard their families from exploitation," he added.

☆ Yellen warns of 'economic chaos' unless Congress raises the debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a press conference at the US Treasury Department in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2023. "Our current projection is that in early June, a day will come when we're unable to pay our bills unless Congress raises the debt ceiling, and it's something I strongly urge Congress to do," Yellen told ABC's "This Week." Yellen said the U.S. has already been using "extraordinary measures" to avoid default, and it's not something the Treasury Department can continue to do. Lawmakers have been trying to find a path forward to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, which would enable the U.S. to pay its bills on time. But for Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., the meeting about the debt ceiling should have happened much sooner.

☆ 'High wire act': U.S. Congress gears up for immigration reform as Title 42 ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It has been 37 years since Congress passed significant immigration reform, but a persistently high volume of migrants and an acute labor shortage have galvanized lawmakers. Republican Senator Thom Tillis said the end of Title 42 "sets the table" for Congress to craft new border-control laws as Republicans predict a wave of new arrivals. STARS ALIGNINGThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business association, has launched a campaign urging Congress to act. Republicans argue that is where the border security component comes in. Finally, passage of an immigration bill coupled with beefed-up border security could boost President Joe Biden's re-election campaign and give Republican candidates something to cheer too.

☆ Ethics panel admonishes Graham for soliciting campaign donations during interview in Senate building
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Ryan Nobles | Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Senate Ethics Committee said Thursday that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., violated Senate rules during a Fox News appearance last year when he requested donations for Hershel Walker's Senate campaign in Georgia. It is against Senate rules to seek campaign donations in a federal building. In its letter, the ethics panel issued an "admonishment" but opted not to sanction Graham. The panel also said Graham was a repeat offender, noting that he had asked for donations in an impromptu media interview in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in October 2020. "In response to a reporter's question regarding your reelection campaign fundraising, you directly solicited campaign contributions for your campaign committee," Coons and Lankford wrote.

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. banking system remains sound and Americans can feel confident that their deposits are safe, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday, but she denied that emergency actions after two large bank failures mean that a blanket government guarantee now existed for all deposits. "I can reassure the members of the committee that our banking system is sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them," Yellen said. More than $9.2 trillion of U.S. bank deposits were uninsured at the end of last year, accounting for more than 40% of all deposits, according to U.S. central bank data. Those uninsured deposits are not distributed evenly across the country, FDIC data shows. She also noted the high level of uninsured deposits at Silicon Valley as an aggravating factor.

☆ Republicans are mostly ignoring a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit against the Trump-aligned head of CPAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A GOP staffer accused CPAC head Matt Schlapp of sexually assaulting him, filing a $9.4 million lawsuit. A screenshot of the staffer's texts with Matt Schlapp on the morning after the assault on October 20, 2022. "I had a private life before Matt Schlapp, and I want to have that life post-Matt Schlapp," he said. "Those are simply allegations, and I'm not going to comment on them," said Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. "All matters pertaining to CPAC, I leave to CPAC internally," he said when asked if Matt Schlapp should remain atop the organization.

☆ It's still not clear what the Senate Ethics Committee is doing with a 2-year-old January 6 probe into Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Democrats lodged an ethics complaint against Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz nearly two years ago. No one's heard anything since from the Senate Ethics Committee, which one advocate calls a "black hole." Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island led the complaint against Cruz and Hawley. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, the chairman and vice-chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. Little has emerged in the last two years to suggest that Cruz and Hawley were intimately involved in the assault on the Capitol.

WASHINGTON — The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday afternoon on legislation to codify federal protections for marriages between same-sex and interracial couples. A lengthy procedural vote was held open by Schumer on Monday as Democrats sought to cut a deal with GOP senators who threatened to drag out the process unless they received votes on amendments. Then the bill would proceed to a final vote later Tuesday, requiring 60 senators to pass. Most Republicans are expected to oppose the legislation, but Monday's procedural vote suggests the bill will have enough GOP support to pass. Proponents want to pass it in the lame-duck session before Republicans take control of the House on Jan. 3.

☆ 12 Republican senators so far have broken with their party to support a bill that would protect same-sex marriage. Final passage is expected Tuesday night.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Senate will vote on a bill to protect same-sex marriage on Tuesday night. Twelve Republican senators so far have voted to advance the bill. Senators have tweaked the bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled House in July, to get GOP support. So far, 12 Republicans have cast votes in support of advancing the bill, and more could emerge when the final version comes up. A Gallup poll from June 2021 found that 70% of Americans — including 55% of Republicans — support same-sex marriage.

☆ Republican Sen. James Lankford faces off against Democrat Madison Horn in one of two US Senate elections in Oklahoma
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Explore more race results below. Rep. James Lankford is running against Democrat Madison Horn to represent Oklahoma in the US Senate. Oklahoma's Senate race candidatesLankford, first elected to the Senate in 2014 for the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Coburn, is vying for a second term in the Senate. Prior to being elected to the US Senate, Lankford served four years in the US House representing Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District. Oklahoma, a blood-red state, has gone Republican in every presidential election race since 1968.

☆ Factbox: No consensus in Congress on making daylight saving time permanent
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Clocks in the United States will return to standard time at 2 a.m. EDT on Sunday with no consensus on the matter. The current system of daylight saving is good for business, energy efficiency, and the prevention of vehicle accidents." There's some strong science behind it that is now showing and making people aware of the harm that clock switching has. Congress created Daylight Saving decades ago as a wartime effort, now it is well past time to lock the clock and end this experiment." Permanent, year-round Standard Time is the best match for our biological sleep-wake cycle."

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