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Former Vice President Mike Pence said in a new interview that he won't provide testimony to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, drawing criticism from the panel's leaders, who called his decision "disappointing." In his answer, the former vice president criticized the makeup of the committee, which has two Republican lawmakers, Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. But his recent statements about the Select Committee are not accurate,” they added. Pence's former chief of staff, Marc Short, testified before the House committee in January. In recent remarks, the former vice president has taken aim at Trump while promoting his memoir, which was released his week.

The Senate is expected to hold a key vote Wednesday on a bill to codify federal protections for same-sex marriage, days after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to proceed to an updated version of the bill released by a bipartisan group of senators. The group, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., expressed confidence this week that the bill has the 10 GOP votes needed to pass in the upper chamber during the lame-duck session. NBC News has not yet called which party will control the chamber, with the results of several races still outstanding. The legislation would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, enshrine legal same-sex marriage for the purposes of federal law, and add legal protections for married couples of the same sex. Same-sex marriage remains the law of the land under the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.

Congressional Democrats are weighing a push for a fix to the decade-old program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants known as “Dreamers” in the lame-duck session. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., mentioned addressing DACA as a top priority in the lame-duck session during a Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday, a senior Democratic aide told NBC News. “We want to get DACA done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. He expressed confidence that a group of Senate Democrats, including Durbin, are working to gain the Republican votes needed in the upper chamber. Democrats are projected to hold onto the majority in the Senate, but control of the House remains unknown.

Brian Kemp is set to testify Tuesday morning before the special grand jury investigating possible 2020 election inference by former President Donald Trump and his allies, a source familiar with the arrangements told NBC News. The scheduled testimony of Kemp, who won re-election last week, comes after a Georgia judge in August denied his bid to avoid testifying before the grand jury. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that Kemp does not have to testify until after the November election. Weeks after the 2020 presidential election, Trump told Fox News that he was “ashamed” he had endorsed Kemp in 2018. The former president recruited former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., who sowed doubt on the 2020 election results, to challenge Kemp in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary.

☆ Biden, Democrats celebrate retaining control of the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden on Sunday touted the results of the midterm elections, with Democrats projected to maintain control of the U.S. Senate following Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s narrow defeat of Republican Adam Laxalt to win re-election in Nevada. Democrats defeated several candidates backed by former President Donald Trump to hold onto at least 50 seats come 2023. Democrats, meanwhile, joined Biden in celebrating their election wins, with some also pointing to Trump as the reason why they outperformed Republicans. Their candidates were talking about lack of democracy," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at a news conference in New York on Sunday. And they have produced a great result.”On “Meet the Press," Anita Dunn, senior adviser to the president, said: “It’s very clear what President Biden and the Democratic Party are for.

☆ Republicans begin maneuvering for power as control of Congress remains unknown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

While control of the next Congress still remains unknown, Republicans in Washington on Thursday began ramping up plans to take over the House of Representatives. For the Senate, control will come down to three races. House controlIn Washington, House Republicans have already begun maneuvering to determine who from their ranks will become the House speaker should they take control. NBC News has not yet projected a winner for House control. "I am determined to ensure that this majority reaches its full potential," McCarthy said in a letter to House Republicans on Wednesday.

How the midterm election outcome could impact Biden's agenda Nov. 8, 2022 02:02 Read the full story here. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states!

“We implore voters and members of the media to allow election officials to do their work.” The process is painstaking. In New Hanover, students allegedly were harassed while walking to class from a voting site, and an observer allegedly “angrily” confronted an election official, the board reported. “There are 8,800 election jurisdictions and we see issues pop up every election day,” the official said, citing low-level cyberattacks against election websites or accidental website outages as potential examples. Share this -Link copiedSunny weather in most battleground states on Election Day It’s a bright and sunny Election Day in many battleground states! Karamo sued Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey last week to toss absentee ballots unless voters present identification, alleging election law violations regarding the counting of the ballots.

Wisconsin judge won’t order sequestering of absentee ballotsMADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Monday, less than 14 hours before polls opened, refused to order that military absentee ballots be pulled aside and sequestered until it can be verified that they were cast legally, saying that would be a “drastic remedy” that could disenfranchise voters. The Republican chair of the Wisconsin Assembly’s elections committee along with a veterans group and other voters sued on Friday, seeking a court order to sequester the ballots. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Maxwell denied that request for a temporary restraining order in a ruling from the bench following a two-hour hearing Monday afternoon. “That just seems to be a drastic remedy,” he said of sequestering the ballots. Read the full story here.

☆ Rick Scott doesn't rule out run for majority leader if GOP takes Senate
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on Sunday declined to say whether he would run for majority leader if Republicans gain control of the Senate in the midterm elections. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has faced intraparty backlash after declining to support former President Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election. Scott appeared to take aim at McConnell in an op-ed published in the conservative news site Washington Examiner in September. In the final weekend before the midterm elections, senators from both sides of the aisle appeared on Sunday programs to express confidence in their party's prospects of winning control of the chamber. Republicans can “absolutely” get to at least 52 Senate seats, Scott said.

Nevada ACLU requests investigation into alleged partisan hand-countRENO, Nev. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada asked the state’s secretary of state Wednesday to investigate what it called a “coordinated partisan election administration effort” during rural Nye County’s hand-count of mail-in ballots that was shut down last week until after polls close. The ACLU said a hand-count volunteer openly carrying a firearm removed an ACLU observer from a hand-count tally room, which the organization said it recently discovered was Nye County GOP Central Committee Vice Chair Laura Larsen. The ACLU said the situation “poses questions” surrounding Nye County interim clerk Mark Kampf’s delegation of authority to partisan officials to remove observers from hand-count rooms, particularly during a hand-count process that deals with tabulation of ballots. It’s the latest development in a conflict between the rural county’s election administration and the ACLU that has spanned lawsuits, infighting and a Nevada Supreme Court ruling late on Oct. 27 that prompted Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, to shut down the hand-counting until after polls close on Election Day. Read the story.

Zip ties were found at the scene of the attack of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband by an intruder at the couple’s California home, the San Francisco Police Department told NBC News Sunday. Police did not specify how many zip ties were found or the intended purpose for them. As Pelosi released his grip, the suspect yanked it and then struck Pelosi in the head, they said. Pelosi was rushed to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he “underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” the office of Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement Friday. Two sources told NBC News the intruder was searching for Nancy Pelosi, who was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the attack.

☆ 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.

☆ GOP Rep. Scott Perry drops lawsuit for the return of phone data seized by the FBI
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has dropped his lawsuit against the Department of Justice requesting the return of all cell phone data seized by the FBI earlier this year. The filing said Perry’s phone was seized by federal agents who approached him while the GOP congressman was on vacation with his family in New Jersey in August. The agents had a search warrant for the device, and Perry got his phone back the same day after agents created an image of its data. It was unclear why Perry’s phone was seized. Perry’s phone was seized after agents executed a search warrant at Clark’s home and seized the phone of John Eastman, a Trump lawyer who espoused false claims of widespread election fraud in the election, in June.

☆ Florida judge orders DeSantis to turn over records on migrant flights to Martha's Vineyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis must turn over records in connection with migrant flights his administration chartered from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, a Florida judge ruled Tuesday, saying it failed to comply with the state’s public records law after an open government group sued for the information. Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh ordered the administration to provide the records sought by the group, the Florida Center for Government Accountability, within the next 20 days, said Michael Barfield, the organization's director of public access. DeSantis’ office did not return NBC News's request for comment on the judge's ruling, which was reported by the Miami Herald. The Florida Center for Government Accountability filed its lawsuit earlier this month, alleging the delay by the governor’s office to turn over records is unjustified. Last month, DeSantis chartered planes carrying about 50 migrants from San Antonio to Marta’s Vineyard, escalating a tactic first used by Texas Gov.

A South Carolina judge ruled Wednesday that former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating possible interference in the 2020 presidential election. Meadows, who lives in South Carolina, has tried to avoid testifying before the grand jury probe into possible election interference by then-President Donald Trump and his allies. A spokesperson for Willis said Meadows won’t appear before the grand jury until sometime after the midterm elections next month, as the investigation is in a “quiet period” around then. A federal appeals court ruled last week that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also must testify before the Fulton County grand jury. Trump's former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have also testified before the grand jury.

☆ House progressives press Biden to engage in direct talks with Russia on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

A group of progressive House Democrats asked President Joe Biden in a letter Monday to directly engage with Russia in an effort to end the conflict in Ukraine. The push by progressives, which asks the president to take a more aggressive strategy on the Ukraine war, swiftly prompted pushback from fellow Democrats and some Ukrainians. The lawmakers urge the president to pair the military and financial support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a “proactive diplomatic push” that involves direct talks with Russia. It comes as Republicans threaten to cut aid to Ukraine if they retake control of the House in the midterm elections next month. “We’d all like to see this war end today, and quite frankly it could end today if Putin did the right thing and pulled his troops out.”

Former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter died Monday evening after a "sudden cardiac event," his family said. He served as Defense Secretary in the Obama administration from 2015 to 2017. His sudden loss will be felt by all who knew him.”During his time as defense secretary, Carter was behind the campaign to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He held multiple positions within the Department of Defense, including Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics, in addition to serving as Secretary. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden applaud Ashton Carter after Obama announced his nomination to be the next defense secretary on Dec. 5, 2014.

☆ Jan. 6 panel will not rule out taking live testimony from Trump, Cheney says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Sunday did not rule out the possibility of the House Jan. 6 committee taking live televised testimony from former President Donald Trump. Trump has not publicly indicated how he would respond to the subpoena for his testimony and documents, issued by the committee Friday. Asked if the committee is open to live testimony in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press," Cheney, its vice chair, said, "He’s not going to turn this into a circus." The panel, Cheney continued, will not allow the former president to turn his testimony into "his first debate against Joe Biden and the circus and the food fight that that became." Cheney's office later clarified her remarks, making clear that she was not ruling out the possibility of Trump's live testimony.

☆ Cheney signals Jan. 6 panel won't allow Trump to testify live: 'He's not going to turn this into a circus'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The House Jan. 6 committee won't consider allowing former President Donald Trump to testify live on television to comply with its subpoena, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Sunday. Trump has not publicly indicated how he would respond to the subpoena for his testimony and documents, issued by the committee Friday. Asked if the committee is open to live testimony in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press," Cheney, its vice chair, said, "We are not going to allow— He’s not going to turn this into a circus." The panel, Cheney continued, will not allow the former president to turn his testimony into "his first debate against Joe Biden and the circus and the food fight that that became." The subpoena requests Trump to testify either at the Capitol or by videoconference at 10 a.m.

☆ Student debt relief 'moving full speed ahead' despite GOP-led lawsuits, education secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has said that the Biden administration is "moving full speed ahead" on preparations for the implementation of its student debt forgiveness program, a day after a federal appeals court hit pause on the administration's efforts. Cardona said in a video posted Saturday that the administration is “not deterred” by lawsuits attempting to block its relief program. In an op-ed published Saturday in USA Today, Cardona said the Education Department is “moving full speed ahead with preparations for the lawful implementation” of the program. “This program will help borrowers by providing relief following the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic." In response to the appeals court ruling Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized that the appeals court ruling does not prevent borrowers from submitting applications for loan forgiveness.

☆ Texas secretary of state to send inspectors to observe vote counting in Harris County
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Texas Secretary of State's Office has told the state’s most populous county that it will send inspectors there to observe vote counting during the November election. Harris County is home to Houston and leans Democratic. In a statement to NBC News, the Secretary of State's Office said it sends inspectors to many counties during state elections, including Harris County, citing Chapter 34 of the Texas Election Code. NBC News reached out to Tatum, the Harris County election administrator, for comment. The secretary of state’s office announced hours later that it had begun reviews in Dallas and Harris counties, the two largest Democratic counties, and Tarrant and Collin counties, the two largest Republican ones.

☆ Pence says of a Trump run in 2024: 'There might be somebody else I'd prefer more'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday appeared to hold back from supporting Donald Trump if the former president were to run again in 2024 and become the Republican nominee. “Well, there might be somebody else I’d prefer more,” Pence said at a Georgetown University event late Wednesday when asked if he would support Trump if he is the GOP nominee for president. “I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to overturn the election. President Trump is wrong,” Pence said in a speech to the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization, in Orlando, Florida, earlier this year. Pence pushed back, reportedly telling Trump that he did not have the authority to carry out his request.

☆ Trump scheduled to be deposed Wednesday in writer's defamation lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Summer Concepcion | Summer Concepcion Is A Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to answer questions under oath Wednesday in a defamation lawsuit brought by a writer who alleges he raped her in the mid-1990s. Carroll’s lawsuit claims the former president ruined her reputation when he denied the allegation. Kaplan noted with disapproval a series of attempts by Trump to delay the collection of evidence in the defamation lawsuit. “Given his conduct so far in this case, Mr. Trump’s position regarding the burdens of discovery is inexcusable,” he wrote. Trump has repeatedly denied ever meeting Carroll, saying she was “totally lying” when she accused him of sexual assault.

☆ Biden to push for abortion rights bill if Democrats retain control of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mike-Memoli-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Mike Memoli | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden will pledge Tuesday to push for an abortion rights bill if Democrats retain control of Congress in the midterm elections, a Democratic official told NBC News. President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the East Portland Community Center in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 15, 2022. The president, who has largely focused on economic issues at recent public events, is turning his attention to abortion rights three weeks before the midterm elections, which could see Republicans retake control of Congress. Democrats across the country have campaigned heavily on abortion rights, vowing to reverse restrictions pushed by Republicans and expand access to reproductive health services. Any bills to codify abortion rights or to institute bans would be difficult to pass in a closely divided Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome filibusters.

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