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☆ Big tech was a major target at CPAC, but conservatives building alternatives are facing challenges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ben Goggin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., targeted big tech and the legal immunity companies enjoy under Section 230, which is currently being considered by the Supreme Court. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Co., said in her speech Saturday: "I have called for 230 protections to be removed from these big tech companies who are hiding behind section 230, and they are acting like editors rather than publishers." "The key was, could we build something that big tech couldn't tear down and couldn't stop?" But not all Big Tech was a target. LibsofTikTok creator Chaya Raichik criticized how big tech has treated her accounts while also boasting about her follower count on those platforms and promoting her book sold on Amazon.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of 2 House Republicans to vote against mourning the 50,000 people killed in the Turkey-Syria earthquakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday voted against mourning the 50,000 dead in the Turkey-Syria earthquake. Greene and her GOP colleague, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, were the two nays on a House resolution on the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. According to the bill's summary, the House resolution "mourns the loss of life" in Turkey and Syria after the quakes. Greene and Massie were the two nays in the roll call vote held on February 27. More than 50,000 people were killed after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on February 6.

☆ 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.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Lauren Boebert tweet about Jimmy Carter and vaccines created as satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A fabricated screenshot appears to show Republican U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert saying that “vaccines don’t make you live forever,” in reference to a recent announcement about former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s health. While the screenshot was created as satire, it has duped some users into thinking it is real. The purported tweet is dated Feb. 18, 2023, and reads: “Jimmy Carter was vaccinated. The fake screenshot (here) (bit.ly/3xDmeOI) was originally posted by Twitter account @FaithRubPol (www.twitter.com/FaithRubPol). Lauren Boebert did not post a tweet about Jimmy Carter and vaccines.

☆ Republicans want to restore 'dignity' for millions of Americans on food stamps by cutting their benefits even more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Millions of Americans are about to see their allocation of food stamp benefits drop in March. For some Americans, especially older ones on fixed incomes, that means $258 will evaporate for their monthly food budgets. "Structural reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will better position funding for people in need while incentivizing able-bodied people to return to the workforce," they wrote. "These incentives will prevent the condemnation of SNAP beneficiaries to a life of dependency; instead, incentives will restore their dignity." Democratic lawmakers are unlikely to be on board with the Republicans' proposal to cut benefits.

☆ Senior Biden official says the US can't keep doing 'anything and everything' for Ukraine in the war: The Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A senior official told The Washington Post that US aid for Ukraine may not go on indefinitely. The official said Biden's staff has told Ukraine the US "can't do anything and everything forever." Other officials told The Post aid to Ukraine might be harder to pass with a GOP-controlled House. The senior official told The Post the Biden administration has a "very strong view" that continually approving large aid packages for Ukraine will be difficult with a Republican-led House. But the senior official told The Post that Biden's undertaking did not "pertain to the amount of assistance" that the US might give Ukraine in the future.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Lauren Boebert tweet on M&M candy being ‘woke’ circulates online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screenshot purporting to show a tweet published by Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert calling M&M candy “woke” is fabricated. The image appears to show a tweet sent via Boebert’s official Twitter account (@laurenboebert) featuring a picture of a single red M&M candy that reads: “I bought a bag of M&M’s and they don’t have M’s anymore. A Twitter advanced search did not reveal any such tweet published via Boebert’s official account (archive.is/wip/Tyvmh). An archive of Boebert’s deleted tweets compiled by PolitiTweet did not reveal any such post (here). No such tweet was published via Boebert’s account.

☆ Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress are calling for an immediate halt to US support for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Eleven House Republicans have backed a measure calling for an immediate halt of US aid to Ukraine. A recent poll found nearly two-thirds of American support continued aid to Ukraine. A non-binding resolution introduced Thursday would, if passed, express the sense of Congress that the US "must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine." A recent Gallup poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the US should continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, even if that means prolonging the conflict. "We will not fight the third World War in Ukraine," he said.

☆ George Santos signs onto abortion, guns, term limits, and impeachment bills as he attempts to make friends on Capitol Hill
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Freshman Rep. George Santos is still finding his way on Capitol Hill after a rough start. In his first off-the-rails month on Capitol Hill, Santos has signed onto bills dealing with abortion rights, guns, the global social media phenomenon TikTok, congressional term limits, and even articles of impeachment. He signed onto bills promoting term limits and calling for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a top priority for the MAGA wing. "The congressman seeks to work with everyone, and has developed relationships with Republican members, as well as those across the aisle," a Santos spokesperson said. Republican Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida introduced that legislation to block Americans from doing business with Venezuela.

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.

☆ Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested God used her to stand up to to 'demons' including 'a speaker of the House'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Lauren Boebert told a crowd God may use them to stand in front of "demons," or a "speaker of the House." Boebert, though she was coy about what House speaker she referred to, tried to block McCarthy's bid. Boebert has previously invoked religion and politics, saying "the church is supposed to control the government." After negotiations within the party and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy was finally elected speaker last month, kicking off the new Congress. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," told Insider at the time her comments touched on Christian nationalist imagery that's linked to violence.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Lauren Boebert tweet on Big Tech taken seriously
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A screenshot purporting to show a Feb. 5 tweet by Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert about Big Tech is from a parody account, not Boebert’s real Twitter account, but some users appear to believe it was an authentic tweet. The screenshot circulating on social media clearly states “Parody” and “Parody by Back Rub” on the bottom of the post. A search via Boebert’s official Twitter account (@laurenboebert) did not reveal the tweet shared online (archive.ph/LFd5Z). Reuters has reached out to Lauren Boebert’s representatives for comment but had received no response by the time of publication. The screenshot was created by a parody account and was not shared on Lauren Boebert’s official Twitter page.

☆ George Santos' first House race took days to call in 2020. So he came to DC for new member orientation and had a blast before finding out he lost.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In 2020, Santos ran his first campaign and lost — but still went to DC for new member orientation. 'He seemed nice'In cases where a congressional election takes more than a few days to fully determine, both candidates are sometimes invited to take part in new member orientation. Adam Frisch, a Democrat who almost unseated Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert this past year, attended the orientation sessions in November as the vote-counting in Colorado dragged on. In 2018, current Republican Rep. Young Kim of California attended as well, despite ultimately losing her race that year. Santos at 2020 new member orientation, seated near Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas and Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs of California.

☆ A rift has opened between Kevin McCarthy and MTG over her claim Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt was murdered by police
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin McCarthy broke with Marjorie Taylor Greene's position on the death of Ashli Babbitt. After Greene claimed Capitol rioter Babbitt was "murdered" on January 6, McCarthy disagreed. But she went on to make a direct comparison to Babbitt's death, saying: "There's a woman in this room whose daughter was murdered on January 6, Ashli Babbitt. The Department of Justice closed its investigation into Babbitt's death in April 2021, saying there were insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. Greene was later added to two of the most high-profile committee seats: the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Oversight Committee.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Lauren Boebert tweet on insurrection created by satirical account
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A fabricated screenshot purports to show a tweet published by Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert about the Jan. 6 insurrection. Instead, the screenshot was created by a Twitter profile that routinely shares fabricated posts (@FaithRubPol). An identical label can be seen on other fabricated tweets created by the same account. A Twitter advanced search via Boebert’s official Twitter account did not reveal the post (archive.is/wip/htVac), while a Google advanced search did not reveal any media outlets reporting on the tweet (archive.is/wip/Ayyq2). The screenshot was created by a parody account that routinely creates fabricated screenshots.

☆ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cleaning up her image and cozying up with GOP leadership to gain power. It's working.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cozying up with GOP leadership after two years of being an outsider. Two years later, under Republican leadership, she's angling herself into positions of power. It's clear she's learned valuable lessons from two of her GOP colleagues, Rep. Lauren Boebert and former Rep. Madison Cawthorn. In spite of this, Gingrich ultimately gained prominence among the GOP, becoming the Republican whip and later speaker of the House. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia takes a selfie with Kevin McCarthy after his election as speaker of the House.

☆ 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."

☆ Fact Check-Financial disclosures do not show Rep. Lauren Boebert is worth $12 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no public evidence to show that Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has a net worth “of over $12 million” as claimed online. A tweet with over 13,500 retweets reads: “Lauren Boebert has a net worth of over $12 million. In her 2021 financial disclosure report, filed on August 2022 and the latest available, (here), Boebert listed 12 entries of “assets and ‘unearned’ income”. As liabilities for 2021, Boebert reported a home mortgage of “$250,001-$500,000.”Boebert’s financial disclosures for 2020 (here) and 2019 (here) also do not support the claims that her net worth is $12 million. Financial disclosure reports of Rep. Lauren Boebert do not indicate that she is worth $12 million.

WASHINGTON — Conservative hard-liners are consolidating power in the narrow new House majority, presenting early challenges for Republicans in swing districts ahead of the 2024 election as Democrats seek to paint the entire party as beholden to extremists. Twenty House GOP hard-liners have set the tone, extracting a series of concessions from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to change House rules while securing plum committee assignments and winning assurances about advancing their legislative priorities. “If you can’t win independent voters, you can’t win elections.”Democrats are targeting 25 districts to win back the House majority next year, including 18 Republican-held seats that Biden carried in 2020. In the narrow Republican majority, McCarthy has only four votes to spare before he requires Democratic support to pass measures. Lance, the former congressman, argued that renominating former President Donald Trump could cost Republicans the House.

☆ McCarthy said he would 'always take care of' MTG, report says, a clear reward for helping him become speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Kevin McCarthy formed a close friendship with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, the NYT reported. It came during the acrimonious battle over McCarthy's House speaker campaign. Greene's endorsement was important for McCarthy as he struggled to find the 218 votes to be elected speaker. He believes that having good relations with the hard right of the GOP will be essential during his tenure as Speaker, the report said. In return for her loyalty to McCarthy, Greene was rewarded with several influential committee assignments, including Homeland Security Committee and Oversight Committee.

☆ 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.

☆ Republicans said they chose Trump's DC hotel out of convenience. They've spent almost nothing there since he sold it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP officials, politicians and PACS spent millions at Trump International Hotel in DC. Insider corroborated its findings through examining FEC spending records. The Trump International Hotel, housed in DC's famed Old Post Office building, closed its doors in May last year, and reopened as the Waldorf Astoria a couple of weeks later. Workers remove the signage for the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Since the start of Trump's presidency, GOP figures spent around $2.5 million at the hotel while he owned it, FEC records show.

☆ House GOP's 'all-star' oversight panel features 13 election deniers, 10 impeach-Biden-world advocates, and 3 congressional subpoena dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House Republican leaders have stocked the oversight panel with partisan bomb-throwers. Many of the new panelists voted to overturn the 2020 election and defied Jan. 6 investigators. Retired Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who chaired the House Oversight Committee last session, asserted that this new cast of characters were getting into it for the wrong reasons. "The personal vendettas these committees pursue are not a legitimate use of the oversight power. "These are basically the people who own Kevin McCarthy at this point," Bardella told Insider at the Facts First event.

Rep. Dan Bishop of South Carolina , one of 13 holdouts who flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary Committee. , one of 13 holdouts who flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary Committee. , who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, won a seat on the Homeland Security Committee. , who also flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois , who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will remain on the Agriculture Committee.

☆ 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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