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☆ Republican energy bill passes U.S. House, heads to Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsRepublican energy bill passes U.S. House, heads to SenatePostedThe U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday (March 30) passed a Republican energy reform bill intended to bolster U.S. oil and gas production while scaling back climate initiatives, the first major legislation of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's majority.

Overall, the budget would increase federal spending in the twelve months starting in October to $6.8 trillion from the $6.2 trillion expected to be spent in the current fiscal year. Biden's budget proposal faces stiff opposition from Republican lawmakers emboldened by winning control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. Biden, asked for areas of possible compromise with Republicans, told reporters at the White House: "We'll see what their budget is." Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget advocacy group, said the budget did not go nearly far enough to rein in dangerous debt levels. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-partisan Washington think tank, said Biden deserved credit for for putting forward $3 trillion in deficit reduction.

☆ House conservatives issue new list of demands that could upend debt ceiling talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — A powerful bloc of U.S. House conservatives on Friday issued new demands that they said must be met before they would agree to vote to raise the debt ceiling. The demands go well beyond what other House Republicans have said they want, and threaten to upend talks later this year on a vote to raise the debt ceiling, currently set at $31.4 trillion. But he has left open the possibility of winning support in the House for a debt ceiling hike through negotiations on next year's federal budget. The 182-page document is widely viewed as the White House's opening salvo in the debate with House Republicans. House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Jody Arrington, R-Texas, said Friday at the Ways and Means hearing that his committee's budget process had been delayed by the administration's timing.

☆ Biden challenges Republicans with budget that raises taxes, sets up 2024 run
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden's proposal, which resurrects many items stripped from last year's budget plan, faces even stiffer opposition in Congress this year, after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, contrasted Biden's vision with that of Republicans, saying the budget would reduce the U.S. deficit while lowering costs for families. It also proposes raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, the official said, and "tackles wasteful special interest giveaways." Biden's budget plan proposes funding higher outlays and closing the deficit by imposing a 25% minimum tax on billionaires and doubling the capital gains tax from 20%, the White House official said. Biden has also said the budget will propose quadrupling a 1% stock buyback tax, while going after corporations and rich individuals who skip paying taxes.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is calling for a new House hearing on stock trade ban legislation: 'We must continue the momentum'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spanberger, a vocal proponent of a congressional stock trading ban, is asking for a hearing on it. But lawmakers never voted on stock trade ban legislation after a vote was abruptly pulled in September. Her letter also references a report that dozens of lawmakers beat the stock market in 2022 despite an overall downturn, as well as the launch of two exchange-traded funds that mimic top lawmakers' stock trades. Roy now sits on the influential House Committee on Rules, which determines which legislation reaches the floor of the House. Earlier this month, Spanberger and seven other House Democrats who've sponsored stock trade ban legislation sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy urging him to "act on your promise" to ban the practice.

☆ GOP Rep. Andy Ogles claimed to fight international sex crimes and be an economic expert. Like George Santos, his real resume tells another story.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Katherine Long | Bryan Metzger | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) claims he's a real estate magnate, policy expert, and sex crime investigator. Ogles' business experience seems to be limited to owning two restaurants, a short-lived travel agency, and becoming licensed as an insurance agent. Ogles' supposed experience rescuing sex trafficking victims helped propel him into national headlines in his first week in Congress. During one debate during his campaign, Ogles described himself as "a former member of law enforcement" who worked "in international sex crimes, specifically child trafficking." Fighting international sex crimes and traffickingWhen discussing his support for a more militarized border with Mexico, Ogles has repeatedly referenced his involvement in combating human trafficking and working to fight international sex crimes.

☆ How Social Security and Medicare became the latest battleground in Biden's showdown with the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Social Security and Medicare have taken the spotlight in the battle to raise the debt limit. Then came the big question of what exactly Republicans want to cut, and Social Security and Medicare entered the frame. "So, folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now. White House, Biden double down on GOP attacksThe receipts kept coming once Republicans claimed they never proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare. It noted, though, that Social Security and Medicare "are earned benefit programs that must be saved and strengthened."

☆ 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.

☆ AOC says she's not convinced Kevin McCarthy will actually keeps his hands off cuts to Medicare and Social Security: 'The math does not add up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kevin McCarthy has promised that cuts to Medicare and Social Security won't be part of a debt limit deal. And while some Republicans previously expressed a desire to cut Medicare and Social Security, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy made clear last month that cuts to those programs are "off the table." "Second, we must commit to finding common ground on a responsible debt limit increase. Some Republicans are not quite ready to take Medicare and Social Security out of the conversation. "Think about that: they're targeting the Medicare and Social Security benefits that middle class families pay in to earn their whole lives, then turning around and giving tax handouts to big corporations."

A far-right faction of House Republicans is pushing against continued US aid to Ukraine. Those concerns ratcheted up amid House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's tumultuous journey to secure the gavel last month. Kyiv, for its part, has kept a close eye on Congress' dynamics since the GOP won a narrow House majority in the November midterms. "This GOP House majority will demand more oversight, transparency, and accountability to ensure assistance to Ukraine is used as intended," McCaul said in a statement. "Most Europeans don't think that suddenly the US is going to cut support to Ukraine," Araud said, adding that nobody anticipates Washington will "dump Ukraine."

☆ 2 House Republicans caught saying Ilhan Omar removal was the 'stupidest vote in world' before begging reporters to not tell GOP leadership what they said
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Warren Rojas | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Republicans removed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from one of her committees on Thursday. The party-line vote struck at least a pair of GOP members as a dumb move. The dejected duo called it the "stupidest vote" and panned leadership for making Omar a "martyr." The not-so-private condemnation of Speaker Kevin McCarthy's campaign to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs panel happened after Republicans clinched the retaliatory strike on a party-line vote of 218-211. After Buck decreed it the "stupidest" political move, Simpson said the expulsion would probably make the Minnesota Democrat into a "martyr."

☆ House GOP accidentally gives Democrats supermajority on new 'weaponization' subcommittee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

House Republicans accidentally gave Democrats a supermajority on a new panel they created. Under the resolution passed by voice vote on Tuesday, Democrats would get 9 seats on a 12 member panel. But the plan is to actually have 21 seats on the committee, and the error will almost certainly get fixed. That would give Democrats a 9-3 supermajority. The committee emerged out of Kevin McCarthy's bid to become speaker, and was among the concessions he made to GOP hardliners.

That is a shift from previous budget negotiations, when Republicans suggested raising the retirement age and partially privatizing Medicare. Social Security accounted for 17% of federal spending in the 2021 fiscal year, while Medicare accounted for 13%, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That would leave another 11% of the federal budget off limits. That would force budget cuts if federal borrowing exceeded a set share of the economy, but he has not said what that limit should be. NO DEBT CEILING INCREASE AT ALLSome hardliners, such as Tim Burchett and Andy Biggs, have said they will vote against raising the debt ceiling, no matter what provisions are attached.

☆ House Democrats have already found something to love about Kevin McCarthy's Republican-led House
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The House just used an open process for amending legislation for the first time in 7 years. But in interviews with Insider this week, Democrats also expressed skepticism that the use of open rules would be more than a one-time thing; the open rules that the chamber utilized last week were provided for as part of the House GOP's rules package. "We'll see how long this lasts," said Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a long-time ally of Pelosi. Spanberger herself had fun with open amendments, submitting one that would exclude drilling from areas offshore because the GOP majority was "looking to destroy Virginia's beautiful coastline." said Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who said he generally favors an open process.

☆ Matt Gaetz revels in his slackerdom while other House speaker vote rebels assume flashier roles: 'I'm making back benching great again'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Warren Rojas | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Matt Gaetz was one of 20 House Republicans who challenged Kevin McCarthy's speaker bid. Gaetz told Insider that he's happier cruising along than climbing the political ladder. Earlier this week McCarthy named the 12 House Republicans spearheading a new "weaponization of federal government" subcommittee that was one of Gaetz's top priorities during the speaker vote negotiations. Jordan and other House Republicans are already stepping all over each other to chip away at President Joe Biden's reelection prospects ahead of the 2024 election. As one GOP strategist told Insider earlier this month about Gaetz: "I don't think this guy's looking to be a policymaker."

☆ C-SPAN gave us ‘America’s Hottest TV Drama’ as McCarthy struggled to become House speaker. Lawmakers aren’t so sure that’s a good thing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But she's also wary of the cost that could come with giving C-SPAN cameras free reign to film lawmakers on the House floor, particularly given the lightning-rod role she's come to occupy within American politics. GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz talks to Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar in the House Chamber on January 5, 2023. Rep. Nancy Pelosi reading a New Yorker article about Kevin McCarthy on the House floor on January 4, 2023. "The original argument was, if you insert cameras, the behavior of the members changed," said Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California. But Lofgren said she was supportive of permanently allowing C-SPAN cameras into the chamber, arguing in essence that the cat's already out of the bag.

☆ Divided U.S. House members spar over national security committee seats
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reflecting the bitter divide in the newly seated House, where Republicans hold a slim majority, McCarthy on Tuesday formally rejected Representatives Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell as members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. McCarthy, who as speaker can act unilaterally appoint the members of a select committee like the intelligence panel, insists he is acting in the best security interests of the country. McCarthy and other Republican leaders also said they do not want Representative Ilhan Omar to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. At least two have said they opposed her removal; Republicans have only a five-seat majority in the House. Gosar also had posted a video on social media showing him appearing to kill another House member, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

☆ General Dynamics forecasts weak 2023 as supply, labor challenges persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Nathan Gomes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A General Dynamics NASSCO ship yard entrance is shown in San Diego, California, U.S., June 17, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoJan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. defense contractor General Dynamics Corp (GD.N) on Wednesday forecast lower-than-expected 2023 results, as the industry struggles with labor and supply shortages, though strong demand for weapons helped it beat quarterly estimates. An "abnormally high retirement" of workers has impacted General Dynamics' electric boat unit, which assembles nuclear-powered submarines, company executives said on an investor call. General Dynamics said it was working with the U.S. Navy to mitigate the effect of worker shortages, which plagued the defense industry in 2022. "We're seeing demand signals resulting from the war in Ukraine, but we've only just begun to see that manifest in our backlog," General Dynamics Chief Executive Phebe Novakovic said.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Victoria Spartz, an Indiana Republican, said Tuesday she'll oppose Speaker Kevin McCarthy's efforts to keep a handful of Democrats off key House committees. But he may need the support of a majority of the House to block Omar from Foreign Affairs. Given McCarthy's slim Republican majority, every vote is important. The speaker's plans are widely seen as retaliation against Democrats for kicking Republican Reps. Paul Gosar, of Arizona, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, off their committees in the last Congress over incendiary or violent rhetoric. “Speaker Pelosi took unprecedented actions last Congress to remove Reps. Greene and Gosar from their committees without proper due process.

☆ Defense firms set to post higher sales, McCarthy's election clouds outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Nathan Gomes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

** Raytheon is expected to post quarterly revenue of $18.15 billion and a profit of 92 cents a share. ** General Dynamics is estimated to report quarterly revenue of $10.69 billion and a profit of $3.55 per share. ** Northrop is expected to report quarterly revenue of $9.66 billion and a profit of $6.58 per share. Median 12-month price target is $495. Median 12-month price target is $566.

☆ Matt Gaetz tried playing kingmaker during the House speaker vote after spending 2 years as a political pariah. Republicans say the grandstanding is unlikely to stop.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz was a key player in the House speaker vote fight. "I don't think this guy's looking to be a policymaker," the GOP strategist told Insider. Doug Heye, a former House leadership aide turned GOP strategist, said the jury's still very much out on Gaetz's motivations and his endgame. Or, it could be as easy as believing that guy who donned a gas mask to ridicule a House vote on COVID-19 relief is committed to troublemaking. Not a workaholicA former House GOP leadership aide said Gaetz's reputation precedes him on Capitol HIll.

☆ Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he 'thanked God' that he wasn't on the House floor during Kevin McCarthy's contentious speaker vote process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Adam Kinzinger said he "thanked God" he didn't have to endure the marathon of votes to elect a House speaker. "I knew what it would be like to be on the floor and I just thanked God that I was not there," he told Charlie Sykes. Kinzinger, who left Congress earlier this month, was highly critical of McCarthy during his last term in office. "I knew what it would be like to be on the floor and I just thanked God that I was not there," he continued to say. "This couldn't happen to a nicer guy," Kinzinger said of McCarthy's struggles in rallying the far-right wing of the party shortly after the midterm elections.

☆ GOP Freedom Caucus is reaping its reward for holding House speaker election ransom, with even holdout Boebert given plum committee role
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Freedom Caucus members initially held out on voting for Kevin McCarthy for House speaker. Many have now received key appointments, including Lauren Boebert on the Oversight Committee. Boebert and several other Freedom Caucus Republicans have been given seats on the House Oversight Committee, the main oversight body in the House of Representatives. Reps. Byron Donalds, Paul Gosar, and Scott Perry, other members of the Freedom Caucus, were also put on the committee, Axios reported. Members of the Freedom Caucus, which include vocal Trump supporters and 2020 election deniers, repeatedly refused to support McCarthy in his bid for House speaker.

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