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☆ House GOP adds January 6 investigation to its oversight blitz, vowing to avoid any 'particular political narrative'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Republicans have launched their first January 6-centric investigation of the 118th Congress. Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk is spearheading the latest oversight project. Loudermilk said he's interested in "following the facts, not a particular political narrative." Two years after the devastating attack on Congress, Republicans have been swept back into January 6-related news cycles by converging House priorities. House Administration staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on how many submissions have come in so far.

☆ The top Democrat and Republican on the House Intel committee say the FBI hasn't been forthcoming about what's exactly in the classified docs seized from Biden, Pence, and Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Top House Intel committee members told NBC News the FBI hasn't told them what's in seized documents. The DOJ has seized classified documents from Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Mike Pence. "Administration after administration is apparently sloppy and messy" with such docs, Rep. Turner said. Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the "FBI is not being forthcoming. The FBI also searched one of Biden's old offices last year after aides said they found classified documents there.

☆ US approved 192 licenses for exports to blacklisted Chinese firms early 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 3 (Reuters) - The Biden administration approved 192 licenses worth over $23 billion to ship U.S. goods and technology to Chinese companies on a U.S. trade blacklist in the first quarter of last year, according to a document released by a U.S. congressional committee on Friday. The 192 licenses granted were out of 242 license applications decided between January and March 2022, a chart showed, and 115 of those approved contained controlled technology. Nineteen, or 8 percent of the total number of applications, were denied, and 31 were returned without action. "This critical U.S. technology is going to the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance and military efforts," he said. BIS also noted that licenses for some well-known Chinese companies are reviewed under policies set by the Trump administration that do not carry presumptions of denial.

☆ Trump and DeSantis are the only 'big fish' CPAC attendees expect in the 2024 presidential race. But several say there's nothing wrong with others auditioning for supporting roles.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are top of mind at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference. CPAC participants suspect 2024 will come down to those two, while others vie for the VP slot. 'An interesting race'Rory McSchane, a GOP political strategist from Austin, Texas is in the more the merrier camp. "My sincere hope is that she would be the vice president," Yadeta said of having Haley round out the 2024 ticket. Should Scott wind up taking the plunge, Bencosme said she could see herself supporting him in the GOP primary — and possibly beyond.

☆ The House Ethics Committee is officially investigating George Santos for his campaign activity, financial disclosures, and a sexual misconduct allegation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The House Ethics Committee has officially launched an investigation into scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos. But the evenly-divided committee doesn't have a history of taking strong action against wrongdoing. "The Committee notes that the mere fact of establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred," read a statement from the committee. Additionally, the committee has historically been subject to the whims of party leadership, which has so far stopped short of taking harsh action against Santos. George Santos (@RepSantosNY03) March 2, 2023

☆ Nikki Haley on Republicans' tepid midterms: The party 'looked like chaos'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans came across as chaotic during the midterms, Nikki Haley said. And from an independent standpoint it looked like chaos, and they didn't want to be a part of that." Democrats have also singled out Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia as representative of the party. In preliminary exit polls following the midterms, about equal proportions of voters said both Republicans and Democrats were "too extreme." Despite Republican disappointment over the midterms, the party did secure a narrow majority in the US House.

☆ TikTok is automatically setting a one-hour limit for users under 18 — but it's a setting that's easy to bypass
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok announced a new one-hour screen time limit for teens, among other controls. A bill that would ban TikTok in the US was advanced by the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. TikTok also announced updates to its Family Pairing feature that will allow a parent or guardian to link their account to their teen's TikTok and set parental controls. The US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to advance a bill that would give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok, according to a report from CNBC. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, sponsor of the act to ban TikTok, dubbed the app "digital fentanyl," Insider's Brian Metzger reported last week.

☆ Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney will be a professor at the University of Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Rep. Liz Cheney is about to become a professor at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Once the chairwoman of the House GOP conference, Cheney became a prominent anti-Trump voice. In her new role, Cheney will participate in the center's research, and deliver university-wide lectures, and serve as a guest lecturer in student seminars. 3 House Republican, Cheney faced widespread attacks within the GOP after she blamed Trump over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and voted to impeach him. Upon her election loss, speculation swirled about Cheney's future political ambitions and whether she might run for president in 2024.

Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Biden administration approved more than $23 billion worth of licenses for companies to ship U.S. goods and technology to blacklisted Chinese companies in the first quarter of 2022, a Republican lawmaker said on Tuesday. The data comes amid growing pressure on the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden to further expand a broad crackdown on shipments of sensitive U.S. technology to China from Republican lawmakers, who now control the House of Representatives. The data comes a week after the Biden administration added new Chinese companies to the trade blacklist for aiding Russia’s military and months after announcing a sweeping new policy aimed at dramatically curbing shipments of chips and chipmaking tools to China. Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd was added to a trade blacklist known as the entity list by former Republican President Donald Trump in 2019, amid allegations of sanctions violations, spying capabilities, and intellectual property theft. Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Marguerita Choy and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kevin McCarthy gave Tucker Carlson access to secret January 6 footage. Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have little to say about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kevin McCarthy recently gave Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to security footage from January 6. McConnell repeatedly told reporters that he was simply concerned about Capitol security. "Going back to when Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi was Speaker, my main concern is the security of the Capitol," said McConnell. "Good try," replied McConnell, before again repeating his statement about Capitol security. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

☆ US House Republicans target ESG investments in latest culture war salvo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The measure is the latest salvo in the Republican culture war against the use of issues that promote environmental interests, social equality and corporate responsibility in business and investment decisions. "Retirement plans should be solely focused on delivering maximum returns, not advancing a political agenda," said Republican Representative Andy Barr, who introduced the House resolution. "If Congress doesn't block the Department of Labor's rule greenlighting ESG investing in retirement plans, retirees will suffer diminished returns on the investment of their hard-earned money." The measure is widely expected to pass the House, where Republicans hold a slim 222-212 seat majority. Two Democratic absences could give Republicans the simple majority necessary to pass the measure and send it to Biden's desk.

☆ Matt Gaetz unknowingly cites Chinese Communist newspaper during Ukraine military funding hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz unknowingly cited from a Chinese propaganda outlet during a congressional hearing. Gaetz asked Colin Kahl, the US's undersecretary of defense for policy. Gaetz asked Kahl. "Is this the — I'm sorry, is this the Global Times from China?" Watch the exchange below:Asked for comment, a spokesman for Gaetz told Insider: "Congressman Gaetz wanted to ask if the report was true.

☆ Morning Bid: It's all about inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A slew of strong U.S. economic data has reinforced the view that interest rates will stay higher-for-longer. Over in Europe, preliminary February inflation data is due from Germany, France, Spain and Portugal on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the euro bloc flash number on Thursday. Though headline euro area inflation is easing, there is mounting realisation that it could proving more stubborn than earlier expected. Traders are now pricing in another 75 basis points of moves in the 20-nation euro zone before the end of the summer. This week, European investors will also digest results from the likes of Lufthansa, fund manager Abrdn, London Stock Exchange and Telefonica.

"Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance - but if it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China," Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program. The United States and its NATO allies in recent days have been scrambling to dissuade China from such a move, making public comments on their belief that China is considering providing lethal equipment to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said China has been providing nonlethal assistance to Russia through its companies. The United States has been by far the largest supplier of military assistance to help Ukraine repel better-equipped Russian forces. Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

"Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance - but if it goes down that road it will come at real costs to China," Sullivan told CNN's "State of the Union" program. The United States and its NATO allies in recent days have been scrambling to dissuade China from such a move, making public comments on their belief that China is considering providing lethal equipment to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said China has been providing nonlethal assistance to Russia through its companies. Putin has alluded to a Xi visit but the timing has not been confirmed by Russia or China. Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A Republican congressman's court battle to protect his cellphone records has prevented federal investigators from reviewing over 2,200 documents in their investigation of then-President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 election, according to newly unsealed court documents. An investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives' Jan. 6 committee last year revealed Perry was in frequent contact with Trump White House officials in the weeks before the attack. On Thursday, an attorney for Perry asked an appellate court to reverse Judge Howell's lower court ruling that his communications were not within a "legitimate legislative sphere." A Justice Department attorney urged the judicial panel not to block the congressman's cellphone from investigators. Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former Bush aide says Marjorie Taylor Greene has become so powerful in the GOP that she can't be dismissed as a fringe figure anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene is too powerful a figure to be overlooked, former Bush aide Peter Wehner wrote in an op-ed for the Atlantic. Wehner wrote that Greene is "giving voice" to a "growing sentiment" in the GOP. "The temptation of many people, eager to move past America's political freak show, will be to ignore her comments and dismiss her as an outcast, a fringe figure, deranged but isolated," Wehner wrote. Greene is "giving voice to a widespread and growing sentiment in the Republican Party," Wehner wrote. Marjorie Taylor Greene, GOP power playerRepublican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia boos President Joe Biden during the State of the Union Jim Watson/AFP/Getty ImagesGreene is known for her anti-trans rhetoric, track record of pushing outlandish, anti-Semitic messages, and her well-documented beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories.

☆ A growing group of lawmakers think TikTok is 'digital fentanyl' and want to ban it. Many others remain skeptical.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Some members of Congress have begun pushing to ban TikTok in the US. "I'm a little less enthusiastic about an all-out ban of it," said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. "I'm an incrementalist on a lot of things, and I would be on this as well," said Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on social media and the internet's impact on children. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, another committee member, said she's most concerned about how social media platforms are impacting kids.

☆ U.S. manufacturers see big boost from government subsidies and tax breaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Timothy Aeppel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

While the Biden administration push, described by economists as an industrial policy, has opened opportunities for some companies, significant hurdles remain. Eight out of 12 Republican representatives in Ohio’s congressional delegation voted in favor of federal subsidies for semiconductor production, including the funds that will go to Intel. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion in federal subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the libertarian Cato Institute, said industrial policy tends to crumble into failed projects and cost overruns. "There's all sorts of more market-oriented reforms that could achieve the type of objectives our political class wants, without the unintended consequences of industrial policy," he said.

While the Biden administration push, described by economists as an industrial policy, has opened opportunities for some companies, significant hurdles remain. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion in federal subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Industrial policy still has critics. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the libertarian Cato Institute, said industrial policy tends to crumble into failed projects and cost overruns. "There's all sorts of more market-oriented reforms that could achieve the type of objectives our political class wants, without the unintended consequences of industrial policy," he said.

☆ Live updates: Supreme Court hears Gonzalez v. Google case against Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brian Fung | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The US Supreme Court is seen in Washington, DC, on January 19. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)The Supreme Court is set to hear back-to-back oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on two cases that could significantly reshape online speech and content moderation. First up Tuesday is the Gonzalez v. Google case. The case involving Google zeroes in on whether it can be sued because of its subsidiary YouTube’s algorithmic promotion of terrorist videos on its platform. Beatrice Gonzalez and Jose Hernandez, the mother and stepfather of Nohemi Gonzalez, who was fatally shot and killed in a 2015 rampage by Islamist militants in Paris, are seen outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, on February 16.

☆ Mitch McConnell says 'way too much attention' has been given to Republicans who oppose aiding Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McConnell recently traveled to Europe to underscore Republican support for Ukraine. He told one reporter that members of his party opposed to aiding the country get "way too much attention." Other prominent Republicans have argued that the cost of US support for Ukraine is too high. "Let me start by saying: I am a conservative Republican from America, and I come in peace," said the top Senate Republican, according to his prepared remarks. "Reports about the death of Republican support for strong American leadership in the world have been greatly exaggerated."

☆ Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in Google case with potential to upend the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to hear oral arguments in the first of two cases this week with the potential to reshape how online platforms handle speech and content moderation. The oral arguments on Tuesday are for a case known as Gonzalez v. Google, which zeroes in on whether the tech giant can be sued because of its subsidiary YouTube’s algorithmic promotion of terrorist videos on its platform. The allegation seeks to carve out content recommendations so that they do not receive protections under Section 230, a federal law that has for decades largely protected websites from lawsuits over user-generated content. If successful, it could expose tech platforms to an array of new lawsuits and may reshape how social media companies run their services. On Wednesday, the Court will hear arguments in a second case, Twitter v. Taamneh.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene — who's gaining power in the GOP-led House — suggests splitting up the United States on President's Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene once against suggesting splitting up the US by "red" and "blue" states. Greene called the idea a "national divorce" for people sick of Democrats' "traitorous" policies in a tweet on President's Day. However, Greene has recently made a concentrated effort to walk back some of her most controversial statements, Insider previously reported. She apologized for her statements supporting QAnon — and, at the same time, became a staunch supporter of Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy as he pushed to become Speaker of the House. "Past comments from and endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene on school shootings, political violence, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories do not represent the values or beliefs of the House Republican Conference," he said in February 2021.

☆ Two Supreme Court cases this week could upend the entire internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —The Supreme Court is set to hear back-to-back oral arguments this week in two cases that could significantly reshape online speech and content moderation. The closely watched cases, known as Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh, carry significant stakes for the wider internet. Many Republican officials allege that Section 230 gives social media platforms a license to censor conservative viewpoints. In recent years, however, several Supreme Court justices have shown an active interest in Section 230, and have appeared to invite opportunities to hear cases related to the law. The Court last month delayed a decision on whether to hear those cases, asking instead for the Biden administration to submit its views.

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