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☆ House Republicans request documents on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Friday called on the Biden administration to release information about the chaotic U.S. departure from Afghanistan. The departure effectively ended a two-decade conflict that began shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Biden ordered the full withdrawal of approximately 3,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan in April 2021. At the time, he asked all American servicemembers to leave the war-weary country by Sept. 11 of that year. The U.S. launched its war in Afghanistan in October 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.

☆ MTG dismisses newly announced presidential candidate Nikki Haley as simply George Bush 'in heels'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene dismissed presidential hopeful Nikki Haley as "Bush in heels." Haley announced her bid for the 2024 presidency on Tuesday, and Trump allies have gone after her. On her personal Twitter account on Wednesday, Greene waved Haley off as "just another George (or Jeb!) The "heels" reference was not pulled out of thin air, with Haley having triumphantly referred to them in the closing moments of her video. Greene's reference to Cheney and the Bush dynasty likely aimed to place Haley squarely in a now-distant, pre-Trump era of the Republican Party.

☆ FEC tells George Santos to name campaign treasurer or face ban on fundraising and spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It added that campaigns are required to appoint a new treasurer within 10 days of the previous treasurer's resignation. That same day, the campaign filed an amended form listing Thomas Datwyler as its new treasurer. In a year-end report filed Jan. 31, the Santos campaign listed as its treasurer a person named Andrew Olson. Currently, the FEC lists Santos as his campaign's own treasurer. The FEC's latest notice adds to the pile of questions surrounding Santos' campaign conduct — including whether he plans to seek reelection.

☆ Nikki Haley digs at Trump’s age and calls for mental competency tests on pols over 75 in campaign kickoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Among her policy promises were term limits and mental competency tests for politicians over 75. Haley, 51, leaned heavily into a narrative focused on a new generation of leaders as she launched her campaign in Charleston, South Carolina. "We're ready," she said, "ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past. Leaning into portraying Trump as a leader of the past, Haley noted that Republicans failed to gain a majority of support from voters during numerous election cycles. The Trump campaign was quick to hit back at Haley on Wednesday, sending an email titled "The Real Nikki Haley" to reporters.

☆ U.S. says all countries should warn China against Taiwan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The United States hopes China will not use any visits by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan as an excuse for military action, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday, adding that all countries should warn Beijing against conflict over the island. "And we hope that the PRC (People's Republic of China) does not use a visit by a member of Congress to Taiwan as a pretext for military action," Sherman said. China stepped up military drills around Taiwan as a result of Pelosi's visit. "The same would be true of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait," Sherman said. "That's going to create a lot of problems for those who are supporting this unholy invasion going forward," she said.

☆ House Republican who pushed 'Marshall Law' to keep Trump in power after January 6 endorses Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Ralph Norman is backing the former South Carolina governor, touting her "new leadership." Norman previously pushed Trump to institute "Marshall Law" just days before Biden's inauguration. A member of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, Norman was a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump throughout his presidency. "Nikki Haley has that vision, and she's going to be an outstanding President," he added. Norman, who called Haley a "good friend" on Twitter, previously served with Haley in the South Carolina legislature and backed her 2010 campaign for South Carolina governor.

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox told "Meet the Press" on Sunday that "I would love a governor" to be the GOP nominee for president. On former Arkansas Republican Gov. Cox did rule out one governor running for president in 2024 — himself. Phil Murphy, who joined Cox on "Meet the Press," said he wanted to see Cox run, the Republican replied "that is definitely not happening."

☆ FAA temporarily closed airspace above Lake Michigan due to 'national defense' amid reports of a hovering 'object'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Kadia Tubman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Aviation Administration declared a "national defense airspace" over part of Lake Michigan. Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale said Sunday that officials advised him that "there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly." The FAA declared a "national defense airspace" over Lake Michigan, the agency said in a notice according to Fox News. The FAA said that it "briefly closed some airspace over Lake Michigan to support Department of Defense activities" in a statement to Insider on Sunday. The US Department of Defense said that the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be working "very closely" to investigate the object shot down over Canada in a statement.

☆ Republican-led legislature in Missouri rejected ban on children carrying guns in public without supervision
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Missouri's legislature voted down a proposed ban on minors carrying firearms in public. The rejected amendment was part of a larger effort by lawmakers to increase public safety in the state. The amendment was initially part of a bipartisan effort to pass legislation to increase public safety in Missouri. Democratic Rep. Donna Baringer for the city of St. Louis was disappointed by the outcome and said law enforcement in her district supported the ban of children openly carrying firearms so that "14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s." In 2017, the state "eliminated the requirement for a concealed carry permit," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

☆ George Santos was accused of issuing $15,125 in bad checks for 'puppies,' but the theft charge was dropped after he said his checkbook was stolen, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. George Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania in 2017, Politico reported. Santos's past charity work with animals has come under increasing scrutiny. Tiffany Bogosian, a New York attorney who attended junior high with Santos, told the outlet she helped him deal with the charge after they had reconnected. Santos made out $15,125 in checks to dog breeders in an Amish area of the state, Politico reported. The animal charity accusations are among the many controversies concerning Santos's past.

☆ Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna claimed she was raised Jewish. Some relatives question that, and say her grandfather fought for the Nazis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna may have misrepresented her religious background. She says she was raised as a Messianic Jew by her father, but relatives dispute that. Luna also claims to be Hispanic, but registered to vote as "White, not of Hispanic origin" in 2015. But according to three relatives who spoke with the Post, her father, George Mayerhofer, was Catholic, and they were unaware of him practicing any form of Judaism. One relative, Jolanta Mayerhofer, told the Post that Heinrich Mayerhofer had no choice in the matter.

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

☆ U.S. House votes 419-0 to condemn 'brazen' Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously backed a resolution condemning the incursion of a Chinese spy balloon into U.S. airspace last week as "a brazen violation of United States sovereignty." The House voted 419-0 for the resolution, five days after the U.S. Air Force shot down the device over the Atlantic Ocean. Biden administration officials also held classified briefings on Thursday for members of the House and Senate. China's foreign ministry has said it was a weather balloon that had blown off course and accused the United States of overreacting. The resolution also denounces the Chinese Communist Party's "efforts to deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns."

☆ 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.

☆ Idaho GOP lawmakers want to classify anyone who helps a minor cross state lines to get an abortion as a human trafficker and punish them with up to 5 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Under the bill, transporting a pregnant minor in or outside Idaho would be considered human trafficking. Idaho outlaws abortions with exceptions for rape, incest, or life-threatening circumstances. Proposed by Republican Rep. Barbara Ehardt of Idaho Falls, House Bill 98 expands the state's existing trafficking laws and would restrict alternative ways a pregnant minor might seek an abortion. Idaho shares borders with states that have no restrictions or allows abortions up to fetal viability, including Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. However, no state so far has passed legislation that would ban abortions conducted outside of one's state residence.

☆ U.S. lawmakers try again to end 'forever war' authorizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A U.S. soldier stands guard during a peace conference in al-Zawra amusement park in Baghdad November 7, 2008. The conference was organized by the U.S. military forces and in cooperation with Iraqi artists union and Baghdad's municipality. "The 1991 and 2002 AUMFs are no longer necessary, serve no operational purpose, and run the risk of potential misuse. Yet the legacy of these horrific forever wars lives on in the form of the now-obsolete 2002 and 1991 AUMFs," Lee said in a statement. Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right to declare war.

☆ 7 House Democrats are moving to boot Republican George Santos from Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California is leading a small group of fellow House Democrats in pushing for the chamber to expel Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress amid a litany of scandals. The long-shot effort underlines the degree to which some of Santos' colleagues have a visceral disdain for his continuing presence in Congress. Nonetheless, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has remained behind the New York Republican. Alluding to ongoing investigations into Santos' actions, Garcia also said that Santos has "committed financial and campaign fraud. A small group of House Republicans, including some of Santos' New York colleagues, have called on him to resign.

☆ Former Twitter execs tell Republicans they erred on Hunter Biden laptop story
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Former Twitter executives told a Republican-led U.S. House committee on Wednesday that they made a mistake by blocking tweets about a laptop said to belong to President Joe Biden's son Hunter but said government officials were not involved. The committee's witnesses, three former Twitter executives, said in subpoenaed testimony that they mistakenly believed the Post article contained hacked material and reversed their decision to limit its circulation on the social media platform within 24 hours. "America witnessed a coordinated campaign by social media companies, mainstream news and the intelligence community to suppress and de-legitimize the existence of Hunter Biden's laptop and its contents," committee Chairman James Comer said at the outset of the proceedings. Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell has denied in a statement any connection between his client and what he called the "so-called laptop," including contents that Republicans "allege to be Mr. Biden's personal data." The Twitter executives also said company policy sought to mitigate content that could lead to political violence, such as what later occurred in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters.

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

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

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene wore a $495 alpaca wool coat to the State of the Union to 'highlight' the Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia wore an ostentatious wool coat at the State of the Union. The far-right congresswoman wore the coat to "highlight" the Chinese spy balloon, her office says. The garment sells for $495 on Overland.com and "supports Peruvian artisans in earning fair wages." According to her office, it was an effort to draw attention to a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States last week. Greene, a self-described "Christian nationalist," also supported Peruvian artisans with her purchase.

Embattled Rep. George Santos grabbed a premier center aisle seat ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address. Seated beside Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Santos soon discovered that not everyone — including some Republicans — was interested in seeing him. Santos sat just in front of Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee and behind Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi. Seats are reserved for senators as a group in the front of the chamber and House members sit behind them. House members can claim preferred spots during the day but they have to camp out there to reserve them for the entirety of the speech.

☆ Democrats win control of Pennsylvania House, end GOP rule in competitive swing state
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Reading, PA - May 10: Pennsylvania State Rep and Democratic Leader Joanna E. McClinton speaks in front of Reading City Hall. Democrats won control of the Pennsylvania House in special elections Tuesday, wresting partial power from Republicans for the first time in a dozen years in the competitive swing state. Three of those Democratic seats quickly became vacant, casting uncertainty over who actually controlled the chamber. Democrats had been expected to win Tuesday's special elections, because they had easily won the same seats last fall. That's because Republican Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver won a special election Jan. 31 to fill a vacant state Senate seat.

☆ Elon Musk mocked Sam Smith's much-discussed Grammys performance, tweeting, 'If that's satan, we have nothing to worry about'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk mocked Sam Smith's performance at the Grammys, in which they dressed as Satan. Smith's appearance has been widely attacked by prominent conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene. In the performance, Smith dressed like a cartoonish version of Satan, donning a top hat adorned with devil horns and a red latex outfit, while surrounded by red-robed worshippers. Smith's performance has attracted much attention from conservative figures including Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump Jr., and Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Taylor Greene then shared a conspiracy theory about an abortion clinic in New Mexico, adding: "American Christians need to get to work."

☆ Romney tells embattled Republican George Santos he 'shouldn't be in Congress'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2022. Senator Mitt Romney told embattled fellow Republican Representative George Santos on Tuesday that should not be in Congress and shouldn't have taken a central seat at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. "He shouldn't be in Congress and they're going to go through the process and hopefully get him out," Romney told reporters after the speech. "But he shouldn't be there and if he had any shame at all he wouldn't be there." Romney said he had told Santos as much.

☆ U.S. House votes to end foreign air traveler COVID vaccine requirement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to end a requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the few remaining pandemic travel restrictions still in place. The White House plans to end the COVID public health emergency on May 11. "As we approach the end of the public health emergency, the administration will review all relevant policies, including this one," the White House said. The CDC says vaccines continue to be the most important public health tool for fighting COVID-19 and recommends all travelers be vaccinated. Currently, adult visitors to the United States who are not citizens or permanent residents must show proof of vaccination before boarding their flight, with some limited exceptions.

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