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☆ U.S. House Republicans who bucked McCarthy are powered by small-dollar donors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Jason Lange | Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives Republicans who tried to block Kevin McCarthy’s leadership bid last week share more than far-right political views. That’s about twice the share reported by the rest of the Republican House conference. Trump raised massive amounts of cash from small donors, thanks to a supply of controversial statements that drew him constant media attention. Close to 60% of his funding came from small donors. Both Gaetz and Boebert were in the top 15 House Republican campaigns ranked by funds raised.

☆ House GOP establishes committee targeting 'weaponization' of federal government with 'at least as much' funding as the January 6 committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The House GOP voted to create a new subcommittee that they say is modeled after the Church Committee. The new subcommittee is officially known as the "Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government" and will be housed under the House Judiciary Committee. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar had previously publicly expressed some interest in the committee, but ultimately voted against its creation on Tuesday. He added that the committee would have "at least as much as the January 6 committee" in terms of its budget and staffing. Under the language of the resolution establishing the committee, the 13-member panel will be composed of eight Republicans and five Democrats.

☆ House Democrats brace for Speaker McCarthy to block their committee assignments in retaliatory strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Warren Rojas | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has pledged to bar three Democrats from sitting on two committees. Republicans are targeting Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar. Democrats declined to speculate on next steps if McCarthy follows through on his plan. Swalwell has served on the Intelligence committee since 2015, and is also a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee. Staff for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about defending Democratic members' committee assignments.

☆ Elon Musk says Twitter's decision to hire a law firm that he'd previously criticized and boycotted was the result of an employee 'error'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter hired a law firm that CEO Elon Musk publicly criticized last month and said "thrives on corruption." Musk told Reuters on Friday that hiring law firm Perkins Coie was "an error on the part of a member of the Twitter team." He added that the firm "will not be representing Twitter on future cases." Musk told Reuters on Friday that Twitter's hiring of Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie was "an error on the part of a member of the Twitter team." Musk didn't immediately respond when asked if Perkins Coie would continue to represent Twitter in those cases, Reuters said.

☆ AOC says chaos in the GOP House shows that the Squad is pretty reasonable in comparison
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed the ongoing chaos in the Republican Party. She said it showed the group of progressives she's a member of is reasonable in comparison. The GOP has failed to elect a House speaker during three days of voting, paralyzing Congress. "The more days that this goes on the more this truly starts to have a corrosive impact on our country," Ocasio-Cortez said. The group have regularly clashed with Democratic Party leadership on issues including the Green New Deal and expanded Medicare provisions.

☆ Incoming Democratic Congressman says he'll be sworn in on a first-edition Superman comic, underneath the US Constitution
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An incoming Democratic lawmaker says he'll be sworn in on a first-edition Superman comic. Robert Garcia said he'd also use his citizenship certificate and a photo of his late parents, under the Constitution. Garcia is an avid comic books fan, frequently tweeting about his preference for DC over Marvel. Congressman-elect Robert Garcia, of California's 42nd District, tweeted an image of items he plans to be sworn in on. Being sworn in on a comic book would not be Garcia's only significant first.

☆ Recount reconfirms GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert’s victory in Colorado’s 3rd District
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Shania Shelton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A recount reconfirmed that GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert defeated Democrat Adam Frisch in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, the Colorado secretary of state said this week. Boebert received 50.06% of the final vote total, while Frisch received 49.89%, Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a news release Monday. The net change in votes gave Frisch an additional vote, while Boebert lost three votes. Frisch conceded the race last month, but there was an automatic recount done by the Colorado secretary of state’s office. Boebert, a political newcomer in 2020, upset Rep. Scott Tipton in a GOP primary that year.

☆ Lawmakers explain why they went to Qatar for the World Cup despite human rights concerns: 'There are no perfect countries'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup has been controversial, given the country's human rights record. The congresswoman also suggested that the 2026 World Cup may prompt similar conversations about human rights abuses in North America. "We are slated to host the World Cup next with Mexico and Canada," she said, referring to the 2026 World Cup. "The spotlight of the World Cup has caused Qatar to make a lot of important reforms to their employment law." According to Human Rights Watch, LGBTQ people have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment in detention.

☆ The inside story of Trump’s explosive dinner with Ye and Nick Fuentes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

“We saw everybody in the dining room get up and start applauding, and then the president entered,” Fuentes told NBC News. “He greeted us, and he invited Ye into dinner and Ye said that he wanted to bring us with him to the table. “Trump is really impressed with Nick Fuentes,” Ye said in the video. Giorno said she had been caught in the blast radius of the dinner with Ye and Fuentes but was an unwitting participant. About halfway to Mar-a-Lago, Giorno said in an interview, she realized that Ye, Fuentes and the other man weren’t properly attired.

☆ Schiff says McCarthy will 'misrepresent his record' and oust him from his committee position thanks to the 'QAnon caucus'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Adam Schiff accused House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of following the "QAnon caucus." McCarthy, nominated for Speaker, pledged to remove Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee. However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she would vote for McCarthy after he promised to reinstate her committee assignments. McCarthy has also pledged to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Eric Swalwell from their committees and investigate DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on his approach to border security. He will misrepresent Eric Swalwell or Ilhan Omar, whatever he needs to do to get the votes of the QAnon caucus within his conference."

☆ Opinion: It's time for African countries to consider a climate tax on exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Adjoa Adjei-Twum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

I welcome progress here, as African nations are bearing the brunt of climate change. It is now time for African nations to levy a climate export tax on commodities, such as cocoa and rubber, to help pay for climate adaptation. Adaptation is all about building resilience and capacity, and I believe our governments, banks, and businesses must also adapt. Additionally, G20 countries are asking their banks to forecast how risky their loans are due to climate change. It is a wake-up call for African governments, banks, institutions, and companies to unite, step up, and adapt to a new climate reality.

☆ House election results put McCarthy on track for speaker, and Democrats on track for retribution
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( W. James Antle Iii | W. James Antle Iii Is The Washington Examiner'S Politics Editor | Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, likely the chamber’s next speaker, is holding firm to his pledge to strip three liberal Democrats of their committee assignments when the new Congress is seated next year. That’s not sitting well with Democrats, as they are about to enter the House minority for the first time in four years. By breaking tradition and meddling with committee assignments across the aisle, they had to know they were triggering years of partisan tit for tat. Republicans considered punishing her by taking her committee assignments, but Greene apologized for some of her worst statements, and her colleagues relented. Many lawmakers are discovering social media and cable news are a better path to influence than committee assignments.

House Democrats swiftly pushed back at Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in response to his threat to strip them of their committee assignments if he is elected as speaker. After Republicans narrowly won back control of the House in the midterm elections, McCarthy this weekend doubled down on his pledge to remove several prominent House Democrats from their committee assignments if he becomes speaker. McCarthy said he would not allow Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to serve on their committees. “He will adhere to the wishes of the lowest common denominator,” Schiff said when asked about McCarthy’s vow to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee. Removing Democrats from their committee assignments would require a vote of a majority of the House.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the real Speaker behind the scenes even if Kevin McCarthy gets the job: Former GOP congressman
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former GOP congressman Joe Walsh said Rep. Kevin McCarthy will just be Speaker in name. He said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the one in control, even if McCarthy wins the post. "Look, McCarthy will probably be Speaker, but let's be real — Marjorie Taylor Greene these next two years will be Speaker of the House," Walsh told MSNBC's Katie Phang on Sunday. They know who Marjorie Taylor Greene is," he said. In response, Schiff blasted McCarthy as a "weak leader," saying McCarthy would "do whatever Marjorie Taylor Greene wants him to do," voicing a similar sentiment to Walsh.

☆ Adam Schiff slams Kevin McCarthy after he promises to remove 3 prominent Dems from their committees: 'He will do whatever Marjorie Taylor Greene wants him to do'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is seeking to become House Speaker next year. He's promised to remove Rep. Adam Schiff and two other Democrats from their committees if elected. Some Republicans have criticized McCarthy — including Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who said that McCarthy has been "siding with the insurrectionists," and Rep. Liz Cheney, who called McCarthy the "leader of the pro-Putin wing." Under his leadership, he has said he will reinstate her on committee assignments despite her far-right ideologies. Representatives for McCarthy and Schiff did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Top U.S. House Republican McCarthy plans special committee on China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We will put a stop to this and no longer allow the administration to sit back and let China do what they are doing to America." McCarthy also said he would keep his promise to oust a number of Democrats from key House committees, including Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the intelligence committee. He said he would also remove Representative Eric Swalwell from the intelligence committee and Representative Ilhan Omar from the foreign affairs committee. China's Embassy in Washington acknowledged the existence of volunteer-run sites in the United States, but said they were not "police stations." Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Leah Douglas; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lauren Boebert declares victory in unexpectedly tight House race, despite no networks calling it and a recount looming
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lauren Boebert said she won her election despite the vote being in recount territory. No major network has called the race, which Boebert led by 501 votes as of early Friday. Boebert acknowledged the likely recount, but claimed it would not make any difference and therefore she was sure of victory. Despite this Frisch, a conservative Democrat, has provided Boebert with a tough race. In 2020, Boebert was elected to Congress with 51.4% of the vote, ending up 6.2% ahead of her then-opponent.

☆ Biden's Education Department says it's 'examining' extending the student-loan payment pause to remedy the 'significant confusion' among borrowers after federal courts blocked debt relief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department said it is "examining" extending the student-loan payment pause. This comes after two federal courts blocked the department from implementing debt relief. "Most borrowers have been told that all they need to do is submit an application to obtain one-time student loan debt relief. Now, as a result of litigation they are left to wonder when, if at all, if debt relief will be effectuated. Advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have been amplifying their calls to extend the payment pause in recent days.

☆ Chuck Schumer reacts to Democrats retaining control of Senate: 'This election is a victory and vindication'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reacted to Democrats maintaining control of the Senate. On Saturday, Schumer tweeted, "This election is a victory and vindication for Democrats." Democrats will continue to control the Senate following Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto's win in Nevada. Schumer was tweeting in response to results announced in Nevada where incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto beat Republican Adam Laxalt. For a majority, Democrats need 18 seats, while Republicans need eight.

☆ Trump ally Lauren Boebert is locked in an unexpectedly tight race for her House seat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., has found herself in a surprisingly close race for re-election as control of the House remains uncertain. Boebert, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, was narrowly leading Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, 160,451 to 159,315, with 98% of the vote counted Thursday night. Earlier in the day, Boebert was trailing Frisch, a businessman who previously served on the Aspen City Council. Since she arrived on Capitol Hill, Boebert has established herself as one of the most far-right members of Congress. More recently, Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., taunted President Joe Biden in his 2022 State of the Union address.

☆ Why far-right GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert is in an extremely close re-election race in Colorado
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert is in a closer-than-expected race against Democrat Adam Frisch. Her Colorado district backed Trump by less than 10 points in 2020, unlike other hard-right Republicans. Boebert's district is more ideologically heterodox. "But within there, there's ski communities, there's traditional ranching communities, there's mining communities, there's industrial communities." Frisch also benefited from the endorsement and backing of GOP state Sen. Don Coram, who represented a far-southwest Colorado district and unsuccessfully challenged Boebert for the GOP nomination this year.

He said the spouses of some high-profile lawmakers may need security details in the future, in addition to using home security systems. Court documents allege the suspect had been in search of the House speaker and was on a "suicide mission" with additional targets. However, "there are not enough resources available to me to do that," she said on MSNBC following the attack on Paul Pelosi. “Bloodshed is coming," Swalwell tweeted at the time, foreshadowing the Pelosi attack. The Paul Pelosi attack was foreseeable," Schuman said.

☆ Democrats criticize Republicans after attack on Pelosi's husband: ‘Many people have stayed silent’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Some Democrats criticized Republicans following the assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, accusing their colleagues across the aisle of failing to issue sufficient condemnations of violent rhetoric targeting lawmakers. Although a motive for the attack remains under investigation, several Democrats swiftly condemned Republicans after the assault, saying they have not done enough to address the issue of violence and threats against lawmakers. But some Democrats expressed worries about the rise of violent rhetoric that preceded the attack and accused Republicans of failing to take action to combat it. “Yesterday, a man sharing that member’s rhetoric tried to assassinate the Speaker and her spouse,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Saturday. The memo also acknowledged an uptick in threats against lawmakers and the attack on Pelosi’s husband.

☆ Pelosi likely has the largest security detail of any lawmaker in Congress. Here's what we know about her and her husband Paul's protection.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Details about congressional security practices remain closely guarded after the January 6 attack. Keeping information about congressional security practices under wraps is apparently part of the Capitol Police's job, as critical details remain closely guarded. Similar media reports say that full-time congressional security details are limited to the speaker, House and Senate majority and minority leaders, and House and Senate whips. Last month she told The New York Times that she'd spent more than $120,000 on private security over the past year. Financial records filed by the Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund PAC show that the fundraising committee paid nearly $4,000 to private security firm Safehouse Security Solutions this spring.

☆ Democratic Rep. who signed withdrawn letter on Ukraine said nobody told them it was getting released: CNN
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A controversial letter went out without those who signed it knowing, per a Rep. who spoke to CNN. 30 progressive Democrats signed a letter urging diplomacy with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Unnamed aides to other members of Congress told CNN the same thing. In withdrawing the letter, Jayapal said it "was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting." The anonymous member who said that Jayapal's office did not check back with signatories before the letter's release told CNN that the "timing is terrible."

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