DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Sinema privately trashed Senate Democrats to GOP lobbyists, saying they eat too much Jell-O and waste time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema privately trashed her Democratic colleagues to GOP lobbyists. Sinema said she stopped attending party lunches because "old dudes are eating Jell-O" and it's a waste of time. Earlier this year, Sinema formally left the Democratic Party. Earlier this year, Sinema formally left the Democratic Party and became an independent, though she still caucuses with Democrats. An unnamed Senate Democrat once told Martin earlier this year that Sinema is "the biggest egomaniac in the Senate."

☆ Rep. Jamaal Bowman says the push to ban TikTok is 'xenophobic' and 'part of another Red Scare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But Rep. Jamaal Bowman — among the most prolific TikTokers in Congress — is pushing back. And amid growing bipartisan calls in Washington for a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing app, he's decided to speak up. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers increasingly speak of TikTok as a potential vector for malign influence from the Chinese Communist Party. "Me being against a ban of TikTok is not about thinking TikTok is the greatest thing ever, and that there aren't regulations and reforms needed." The Biden administration, meanwhile, is threatening to ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn't sell its stake in the company.

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

When Yellen responded that Biden "stands ready to work" with lawmakers, Cassidy shot back, "That's a lie because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social (Security) ... we have not heard anything on our requests." For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. I tend to be conservative and say this worked once, let's try that again," Republican Representative Tom Cole told Reuters. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ These 13 Democratic senators joined with Republicans to roll back banking regulations in 2018. Progressives say that contributed to Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Progressives are blaming the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on a 2018 rollback of banking regulations. The bill was championed by Republicans — but it couldn't have passed without Democratic support. These 13 current members of the Senate Democratic caucus helped Republicans pass the law. Silicon Valley Bank reported $212 billion in assets in the final months of 2022, placing it just under the higher threshold. Here are the 13 members of the Senate Democratic caucus that supported the bill:

☆ Ruben Gallego slams Kyrsten Sinema for raking in Silicon Valley Bank contributions ahead of 2018 deregulation vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Ruben Gallego says Kyrsten Sinema is responsible for the Silicon Valley Bank implosion. Gallego talked about campaign contributions Sinema got from the failed lender on Tuesday in Tempe. "Sinema is in the pocket of Wall Street," he said, citing her 2018 vote to slash banking rules. Gallego also went after Sinema a day earlier, alleging that, "When bank lobbyists asked me to weaken bank regulations, I said no. When they asked Senator Sinema, she asked how much—and voted yes," DC outlet The Hill reported.

☆ Kari Lake Is Considering Senate Run, Making Some Republicans Nervous
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PHOENIX— Kari Lake is still contesting the result of the Arizona governor race she lost. But she is now turning her attention to the state’s 2024 Senate contest, setting the stage for a political bounceback while worrying some Republicans who feel she is too extreme to win a general election. Ms. Lake, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has said she is focused on her election lawsuits, but aides say she is considering entering the race for Senate. Her entrance would add further unpredictability to what could be a three-way contest for the seat currently held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema . Republicans see the seat as a prime pickup opportunity as they try to win back the Senate.

☆ The battle over abortion access could return to the ballot box in four states in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Millions of Americans lost legal access to abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The GOP used state ballot initiatives banning same-sex marriage to juice turnout, including in the critical state of Ohio. "The majority of Arizonans support safe, legal abortion, and we need to roll back many of the restrictions that are in place now." Two abortion rights groups are teaming up to put the question before voters in 2024. The ballot box might also be abortion rights advocates' best hope as the unicameral legislature appears to be on the verge of breaking a filibuster to pass a 6-week abortion ban.

☆ George Santos claimed Kyrsten Sinema told him to 'hang in there' after Mitt Romney confronted him. Her office says that's a lie.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Madison Hall | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

George Santos said Kyrsten Sinema told him to "hang in there buddy" following a tense conversation with Sen. Mitt Romney. Sinema's office, however, said she told Santos no such thing. The embattled congressman from New York claimed on Thursday that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema told him to "hang in there buddy" after he was confronted by Sen. Mitt Romney at the 2023 State of the Union. "Kyrsten didn't say a word to Rep. Santos - and didn't even know about the exchange with Senator Romney until they got to their seats." "I'm reaping the consequences of those bad judgment calls," Santos later told a prospective staffer in leaked audio obtained by Talking Points Memo.

Cooperman says he voted for Biden in 2020, but he accused Democrats of deliberately misleading people about how the billionaire tax proposal would work. The billionaire tax proposal is "completely dead on arrival," said Charles Myers, a 2020 bundler for Biden's presidential campaign and the chairman of Signum Global, an investment advisory firm. Myers said the purpose of Biden's billionaire tax announcement, however, was never to jumpstart a negotiation in Congress. But for some in the party, Biden's billionaire tax contains a fatal flaw. With plans for a billionaire tax stalled in Washington, wealth tax advocates and activists are turning to the states.

☆ A style expert said Kyrsten Sinema's yellow dress at the State of the Union 'reflects her independent spirit,' but that it 'missed the mark'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A style expert said Kyrsten Sinema's yellow State of the Union dress "missed the mark." She said the dress could have been "jarring" to members of Congress who are used to "sameness." "Her dress missed the mark and appeared ill-fitting," Lauren Rothberg, an image consultant, author of "Style Bible," and founder of fashion firm Styleauteur, said. Rothberg told Insider she thinks Sinema's dress made the Senator — who recently stepped away from the Democratic party and now identifies as an Independent — feel "unstoppable," adding that she was "definitely seen last night." Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images"The bright, saturated yellow reflects her independent spirit — and party," Rothberg said, adding that she admires Sinema for making a "bold statement."

“We see those as really strong opportunities to flip from Democrat to Republican,” McIntosh said. In West Virginia, McIntosh name checked two Republicans, Attorney General Patrick Morrissey and Rep. Alex Mooney, as possible candidates. Mooney has already announced his bid and Morrissey could run again after he fell short against Manchin as the party's 2018 nominee. Of Rosendale, another unsuccessful 2018 nominee who could run again (against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester), McIntosh said, “we know his record. She’s not really, as far as I can tell, an economic conservative.”The conservative group has already announced its endorsement of Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.

☆ Biden's stock buyback tax isn't working. In State of the Union, he's asking Congress for more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

In September 2021, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) proposed that stock buybacks should be taxed at 2%. Lazonick, who thought any minor buyback tax would be ineffective, says he has been proven correct. If a higher buyback tax is enacted, he is betting it will not have the outcomes that Democrats envision. While it's hard to see a higher tax getting passed in the current Congress, it does make sense for Biden to state his desire for 4%. Changing a buyback tax, though, might first prove harder.

☆ Sen. Kyrsten Sinema pulls in cash from Wall Street, real estate titans as she mulls reelection bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Real estate and private equity leaders, who have long helped to fill Sinema's campaign coffers, contributed to a healthy cash haul for the senator in the final months of last year. At the lunch, Sinema discussed the incoming Congress and how the tight margins in both chambers could create gridlock, according to attendees. Sinema's campaign had already seen more than $2 million from the securities and investment industry since the 2018 election cycle. The Sinema campaign saw dozens of contributions totaling over $145,000 from people who work at Apollo Global Management, another giant private equity firm, since October. Suzanne Clark, CEO of the massive pro-business lobbying group U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also donated $1,000 to Sinema's campaign on Dec. 31, the new FEC filing shows.

☆ Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, who's trying to unseat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, says 'nobody' in the state 'has really spoken to' her she joined the upper chamber
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"She doesn't speak to Arizonans anymore. This is why she is where she is," he said, arguing that she would have been unable to win a Democratic Party primary. Since the announcement, Sinema has so far continued to caucus with Senate Democrats, but her switch still puts the party in a bind. Such a contest would pit Gallego and Sinema against a Republican candidate — creating an unpredictable three-way race. Potential GOP entrants into the 2024 Senate election include Kari Lake, the party's gubernatorial nominee last fall, along with 2022 Senate nominee Blake Masters and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson.

☆ Mitch McConnell gloats about the 'big dilemma' facing Democrats over Kyrsten Sinema's independent Senate bid in Arizona
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democrats will soon have to decide whether to back a Democrat or Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona. But he took the opportunity to praise the first-term senator while boasting about the situation facing the Democratic Party as she prepares to run for re-election in 2024. "I think it is a big dilemma for the Senate Democratic majority to decide whether to support her or to support somebody running on the Democratic ticket," he added, visibly smirking. For now, Sinema's vote is crucial for maintaining the party's 51-seat majority in the Senate. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — another independent who caucuses with Democrats — has previously made noise about potentially backing a primary challenger to Sinema.

☆ Arizona Senate hopeful Ruben Gallego posts record-breaking fundraising haul in bid for Kyrsten Sinema's seat, breaking state record
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Kevin Breuninger Christina Wilkie | Kevin Breuninger | Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Ruben Gallego's Senate campaign said Tuesday it raised more than $1 million in one day after the Democrat launched his bid for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's coveted seat in the 2024 election cycle. "There's a lot of really important work left on the table to get done for Arizona," Sinema said in that Friday interview. That Senate math shifted after Democrats outperformed expectations in the November midterms, extending their hold to an outright Senate majority, 51-49. When Sinema left the Democratic Party last month, she called the change "a reflection of who I've always been." "I think it is a big dilemma for the Senate Democratic majority to decide whether to support her or to support somebody running on the Democratic ticket," McConnell said.

☆ Ruben Gallego Jumps Into Arizona Senate Race, May Face Kyrsten Sinema
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ruben Gallego, 43, has been representing Arizona in Congress since 2014. PHOENIX—Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego announced he is running for Senate Monday, a move that could pit him against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema , a Democrat-turned-independent who hasn’t announced if she will run again in 2024. In a video announcing his decision, Mr. Gallego tells veterans at a local American Legion Post he is running for Senate.

Sinema, who switched from Democrat to independent in December, had been a maverick within the Democratic Party, voting against several of President Joe Biden's priorities over the past two years. That angered many Democrats, some of whom had encouraged primary challengers even before Sinema left the party. The race represents a delicate balancing act for both parties, and the stakes are high. Arizona is among the most competitive states in the country, and Democrats and Republicans will be wary of splitting votes between their nominee and Sinema. Democrats hold a one-seat advantage in the Senate, when Sinema and two other left-leaning independents are counted among their ranks.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego announced Monday he will run for the Arizona U.S. Senate seat currently held by centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December to become an independent. In his statement Monday, Gallego said: “The problem isn’t that Senator Sinema abandoned the Democratic Party — it’s that she’s abandoned Arizona. Karrin Taylor Robson, who narrowly lost to Lake in the 2022 primary after spending $20 million of her family’s money, is seriously considering a Senate run, a source close to her said. And Mark Lamb, the Pinal County sheriff, is also considering a Senate run in 2024, said an Arizona Republican source. A Gallego adviser said he's prepared for a two-way race if Sinema steps aside or a three-way race if she chooses to run.

☆ Rep. Ruben Gallego launches bid for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's Arizona seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, speaks during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona on Monday launched a 2024 campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who recently left the Democratic Party and faces an uncertain political future. "I will be challenging Kyrsten Sinema for the United States Senate, and I need all of your support," the 43-year-old Gallego said in a video posted Monday morning. In an interview with the Associated Press, Gallego said Sinema "clearly has forgotten where she came from." Arizona was one of the battleground states that helped Biden secure his 2020 presidential win over former President Donald Trump.

☆ Ruben Gallego launches Senate bid, saying Kyrsten Sinema has 'abandoned Arizona' as he tees up rare three-way race
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego officially launched his Senate campaign in Arizona on Monday. He said Kyrsten Sinema "abandoned Arizona" and branded her as an advocate for the rich and powerful. His launch tees up a likely 3-way race between him, the newly-independent Sinema, and a Republican. Gallego is well-positioned to win the Democratic primary after fellow Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton opted not to run for Senate. If Sinema runs as an independent, Arizona is likely to see a three-way race in the general election — a relatively rare occurrence.

☆ Debt Ceiling Looms Over Capitol as Congress Returns to Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A partisan fight over the debt limit is likely to get most of the attention on Capitol Hill. WASHINGTON—A deeply divided Congress will return to work this week, pushing ahead with partisan priorities in the Senate and House while also gearing up for a fight over how lawmakers will address raising the debt ceiling before a potential default later this year. The Senate, narrowly controlled by Democrats as it opens its new session, is expected to focus primarily on confirming President Biden’s executive and judicial nominees in the coming weeks. Immigration is emerging as one area of possible compromise after a group led by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I., Ariz.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) co-hosted a bipartisan delegation of senators to the Texas and Arizona borders during the January recess.

☆ Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego expected to announce a bid for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Haley Talbot | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is expected to announce Monday that he's running for Senate in Arizona in 2024, according to a source familiar with his planned rollout. Gallego, a progressive Democrat, is running for the seat held by Sinema, who decided in December to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent. If she does, and Gallego wins the Democratic nomination, they'd face each other in the general election. In December, after Sinema announced she was changing her party affiliation, Gallego signaled to NBC News he was likely to launch a Senate bid. Gallego went on to say he believes if Sinema runs, “it will almost ensure the fact that the Senate seat will stay in Democratic hands” because of the GOP’s struggles to hold its coalition together.

☆ Lawmakers call on 8 states to pass wealth taxes to help pay for childcare, affordable housing, and ending homelessness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawmakers and advocates are pushing to pass wealth taxes in eight states, after a federal plan failed to pass. The taxes would target both realized and unrealized capital gains, assets like stocks and bonds. "Funding our future means using the revenue generated from the Washington state wealth tax to expand access to affordable homes for working Washingtonians," Frame said. In California, a wealth tax on the unrealized capital gains of the top 0.1% would yield nearly $22 billion, according to California assembly member Alex Lee. Targeting capital gains and unrealized gains are not a new idea, but haven't been able to pick up the federal traction they need to be implemented across the country.

Search resuls for: "Kyrsten Sinema"

25 mentions found