Розділ: Повідомлення
Schumer: US Senators Will ‘Get the Job Done’ on Infrastructure
The Senate convened for a rare weekend session on Saturday, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraging the authors of a bipartisan infrastructure plan to finish writing their nearly $1 trillion bill so that senators can begin offering amendments.Several senators had predicted that the text of the bill would be ready for review late Friday or early Saturday, but it was not done when the Senate opened for business late in the morning. Nor was it ready when Schumer came to the floor in the early evening.“I’ve been informed the group is working hard to bring this negotiation to a conclusion, but they need a little more time,” Schumer said. “I’m prepared to give it to them.”Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said earlier in the day he understood that completing the writing of such a large bill is a difficult project, but he warned that he was prepared to keep lawmakers in Washington for as long as it took to complete votes on both the bipartisan infrastructure plan and a budget blueprint that would allow the Senate to begin work later this year on a massive, $3.5 trillion social, health and environmental bill.“The longer it takes to finish, the longer we will be here, but we’re going to get the job done,” he said.The bipartisan plan calls for $550 billion in new spending over five years above projected federal levels. A draft bill circulating Capitol Hill indicated it could have more than 2,500 pages when introduced. It’s being financed from funding sources that might not pass muster with deficit hawks, including repurposing untapped COVID-19 relief aid and relying on projected future economic growth.Among the major investments are $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. There’s also $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations.A bipartisan group of senators helped it clear one more hurdle Friday and braced to see if support could hold during the next few days of debate and efforts to amend it.Schumer wants the voting to be wrapped up before senators break for their August recess. He said that once the legislative text is finalized, he’ll review it and offer it up as a substitute to the shell bill currently before the chamber. Then, senators can begin voting on amendments.“We may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,” Schumer said Friday night.But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, predicted, “It’s going to be a grind.”Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks past the chamber as the Senate advances to formally begin debate on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan at the Capitol in Washington, July 30, 2021.Earlier this week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start the debate, launching what will be a dayslong process to consider the bill. That support largely held Friday during another procedural vote, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., again voting yes to nudge the process along.Whether the number of Republican senators willing to pass a key part of President Joe Biden’s agenda grows or shrinks in the days ahead will determine if the president’s signature issue can make it across the finish line.Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.“I’ve been disappointed that Sen. Schumer has seen fit to try to force us to vote on a bill that does not exist in its entirety, but I hope we can now pump the brakes a little bit and take the time and care to evaluate the benefits and the cost of this legislation,” Cornyn said.Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., released a statement on Friday saying they were close to finalizing the legislative text and hoped to make it public later in the day. But Friday came and went without final paperwork.“When legislative text is finalized that reflects the product of our group, we will make it public together consistent with the bipartisan way we’ve worked for the last four months,” the senators said.Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Saturday that negotiators were finalizing the last few pieces, but he had no predictions when it would be ready for senators to have amendments and debate. He said some lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have panned the bill in some ways, but in the end, it would provide the kind of investment that lawmakers have talked about for years but have been unable to follow through on.“There’s been some of the sense of, well, infrastructure, that shouldn’t be hard to do. If it wasn’t hard to do, why has it taken 30 years to get to this moment?” Warner said.The outcome with the bipartisan effort will set the stage for the next debate over Biden’s much more ambitious $3.5 trillion spending package, a strictly partisan pursuit of far-reaching programs and services including childcare, tax breaks and health care that touch almost every corner of American life. Republicans strongly oppose that bill, which would require a simple majority, and may try to stop both.
…
By Polityk | 08/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Eviction Ban Set to Expire With 6.5M Households Behind on Payments
A pandemic-related U.S. government ban on residential evictions was set to expire at midnight Saturday, putting millions of American renters at risk of being forced from their homes.On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives adjourned without reviewing the tenant protections after a Republican congressman blocked a bid to extend it by unanimous consent until October 18. Democratic leaders said they lacked sufficient support to put the proposal to a formal vote.The U.S. Senate was in session Saturday, but leaders gave no indication they would consider extending the eviction ban. The White House has made clear it will not unilaterally extend the protections, arguing it does not have legal authority to do so.More than 15 million people in 6.5 million U.S. households are behind on rental payments, according to a study by the Aspen Institute and the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, collectively owing more than $20 billion to landlords.Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren on Saturday said that in “every state in this country, families are sitting around their kitchen table right now, trying to figure out how to survive a devastating, disruptive and unnecessary eviction.”Democratic Representative Cori Bush and others spent Friday night outside the U.S. Capitol to call attention to the issue.FILE – Roxanne Schaefer is pictured in her apartment in West Warwick, R.I., July 27, 2021. Schaefer, months behind on rent, was bracing for the end of a federal residential eviction moratorium at midnight Saturday.Bush, who was evicted three times and lived in her car with her two children before her career in politics, spent a sleepless night on the Capitol steps to protest the end of the freeze on evictions.Bush remained outside the Capitol on Saturday afternoon urging Congress, President Joe Biden or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop the moratorium from expiring.”Today, by midnight, if nothing happens, if no other action is taken from the House, or the Senate or the administration, 7 million people will be at risk for evictions,” the congresswoman said. “I’ve been there myself.”FILE – People from a coalition of housing justice groups hold signs protesting evictions during a news conference outside the Statehouse, July 30, 2021, in Boston.Landlord groups opposed the moratorium, and some landlords have struggled to keep up with mortgage, tax and insurance payments on properties without rental income.An eviction moratorium has largely been in place under various measures since late March 2020. The current ban by the CDC went into effect in September 2020 to combat the spread of COVID-19 and prevent homelessness during the pandemic. It has been extended multiple times, most recently through Saturday.The CDC said in June it would not issue further extensions. The agency declined to comment Saturday.Congress had approved $46.5 billion in rental relief, but only $3 billion has been distributed to renters, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Biden, who unsuccessfully urged Congress to act, on Friday asked state and local governments to disburse the money immediately because of the moratorium’s looming expiration.Some states chose to extend eviction moratoriums beyond Saturday. Federal agencies that finance rental housing on Friday urged owners of those properties to take advantage of assistance programs and avoid evicting tenants.
…
By Polityk | 08/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Бойовику «ДНР» заочно повідомили про підозру в катуванні полонених українських військових – ОГП
Підозрюваний, за даними слідства, застосовував тортури до полонених, а також утримував їх у нелюдських умовах
…
By Gromada | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
СБУ стверджує, що «не викрадала» Чауса, а «вжила заходів» для його безпеки
«Слідчі СБУ отримали від Миколи Чауса дані, які свідчать про його викрадення, позбавлення волі та застосування до нього інших протизаконних дій»
…
By Gromada | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Доба на фронті: у штабі повідомляють про чотири порушення режиму тиші бойовиками
Бойовики двічі стріляли біля Водяного (на Приазов’ї), Новоселівки Другої, а також застосували безпілотний літальний апарат на Луганщині
…
By Gromada | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
НАЗК виявило ознаки кримінальних порушень у деклараціях 12 людей, у тому числі народних депутатів
Серед декларантів, у яких НАЗК виявив порушення – три представники «Слуги народу», один від «Європейської солідарності», судді та чиновники
…
By Gromada | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Evictions Looming in US as Congress Fails to Extend Ban
A nationwide eviction moratorium is set to expire Saturday after President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress worked furiously but ultimately failed to align on a long-shot strategy to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge.More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days, as nearly $47 billion in federal housing aid to the states during the pandemic has been slow to make it into the hands of renters and landlords owed payments.Tensions mounted late Friday as it became clear there would be no resolution in sight. Hours before the ban was set to expire, Biden called on local governments to “take all possible steps” to immediately disburse the funds. Evictions could begin as soon as Monday.”There can be no excuse for any state or locality not accelerating funds to landlords and tenants that have been hurt during this pandemic,” Biden said in a statement.”Every state and local government must get these funds out to ensure we prevent every eviction we can,” he said.The stunning outcome, as the White House and Congress each expected the other to act, exposed a rare divide between the president and his allies on Capitol Hill, and one that could have lasting impact as the nation’s renters face widespread evictions.Biden set off the scramble by announcing he would allow the eviction ban to expire, rather than challenge a recent Supreme Court ruling signaling this would be the last deadline. He called on Congress on Thursday to swiftly pass legislation to extend the date.Racing to respond, Democrats strained to rally the votes early Friday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi implored colleagues to pass legislation extending the deadline, calling it a “moral imperative,” to protect renters and also the landlords who are owed compensation.But after hours of behind-the-scenes wrangling throughout the day, Democratic lawmakers had questions and could not muster support to extend the ban even a few months. An attempt to simply approve an extension by consent, without a formal vote, was objected to by House Republicans. The Senate may try again Saturday.Lawmakers were livid at prospect of evictions in the middle of a surging pandemic.Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the Financial Services Committee chair who wrote the emergency bill, said House leaders should have held the vote, even if it failed, to show Americans they were trying to solve the problem.”Is it emergency enough that you’re going to stop families from being put on the street?” Waters testified at a hastily called hearing early Friday morning urging her colleagues to act.But Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, the top Republican on another panel handling the issue, said the Democrats’ bill was rushed.”This is not the way to legislate,” she said.The ban was initially put in place to prevent further spread of COVID-19 by people put out on the streets and into shelters.Congress pushed nearly $47 billion to the states earlier in the COVID-19 crisis to shore up landlords and renters as workplaces shut down and many people were suddenly out of work.But lawmakers said state governments have been slow to distribute the money. On Friday, they said only about $3 billion has been spent.By the end of March, 6.4 million American households were behind on their rent, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As of July 5, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.Some places are likely to see spikes in evictions starting Monday, while other jurisdictions will see an increase in court filings that will lead to evictions over several months.Biden said Thursday that the administration’s hands are tied after the Supreme Court signaled the moratorium would only be extended until the end of the month.
…
By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
IRS Must Give Trump Tax Returns to Congress, Justice Department Says
The Justice Department, in a reversal, says the Treasury Department must provide former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee, apparently ending a long legal showdown over the records. In a memo dated Friday, Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel said the committee chairman “has invoked sufficient reasons for requesting the former president’s tax information” and that under federal law, “Treasury must furnish the information to the committee.” The 39-page memo is signed by Dawn Johnsen, installed by the Biden administration as the acting head of the legal counsel office. FILE – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 1, 2020.During the Trump administration, then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he wouldn’t turn over the tax returns because he concluded they were being sought by Democrats who control the House of Representatives for partisan reasons. The committee sued for the records under a federal law that says the Internal Revenue Service “shall furnish” the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of top lawmakers. The committee said it needed Trump’s taxes for an investigation into whether he complied with tax law. Trump’s Justice Department defended Mnuchin’s refusal and Trump himself intervened to try to prevent the materials from being turned over to Congress. Under a court order from January, Trump would have 72 hours to object after the Biden administration formally changes the government’s position in the lawsuit. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. already has obtained copies of Trump’s personal and business tax records as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Trump tried to prevent his accountants from handing over the documents, taking the issue to the Supreme Court. The justices rejected Trump’s argument that he had broad immunity as president. The issue has its roots in the 2016 presidential campaign, when Trump claimed that he could not release his taxes because of an IRS audit.
…
By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Urged Justice Officials to Declare Election ‘Corrupt,’ Notes Say
President Donald Trump urged senior Justice Department officials to declare the results of the 2020 election “corrupt” in a December phone call, according to handwritten notes from one of the participants in the conversation.”Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” Trump said at one point to then-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, according to notes taken by Richard Donoghue, who was then Rosen’s deputy and who was also on the call.The notes of the December 27 call, released Friday by the House Oversight Committee, underscore the lengths to which Trump went to try to overturn the results of the election and to elicit the support of senior government officials in that effort.Emails released last month show Trump and his allies in the last weeks of his presidency pressured the Justice Department to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud, forwarding them conspiracy theories and even a draft legal brief they hoped would be filed with the Supreme Court.FILE – In this Oct. 15, 2020, file photo, Attorney General William Barr speaks during a roundtable discussion in St. Louis.The pressure is all the more notable because just weeks earlier, Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, revealed that the Justice Department had found no evidence of widespread fraud that could have overturned the results. Unsubstantiated claims of fraud have been repeatedly rejected by judge after judge, including by Trump appointees, and by election officials across the country.”These handwritten notes show that President Trump directly instructed our nation’s top law enforcement agency to take steps to overturn a free and fair election in the final days of his presidency,” committee chairman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, said in a statement.Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chair of the House Oversight Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, March 11, 2020.She said the committee had begun scheduling interviews with witnesses as part of its investigation into Trump’s effort to overturn the results. The Justice Department earlier this week authorized six witnesses, including Rosen and Donoghue, to appear before the panel and provide “unrestricted testimony,” citing the public interest in the “extraordinary events” of those final weeks.The December 27 call took place just days after Barr had resigned, leaving Rosen in charge of the department during the final weeks of the administration that also included the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in which Trump supporters stormed the building as Congress was gathered to certify the election results.During the call, according to the notes, Trump complained that people were angry and blaming the Justice Department for inaction and said, “We have an obligation to tell people that this was an illegal, corrupt election.” He claimed the department had failed to respond to legitimate complaints and reports of election-related crime.The Justice Department officials told Trump that the department had been investigating, including through hundreds of interviews, but that the allegations were not supported by evidence. They said that much of the information the president was getting was false, according to Donoghue’s notes.At one point in the conversation, the notes show, Rosen told Trump that the Justice Department “can’t + won’t snap its fingers + change the outcome of the election, doesn’t work that way.”Trump responded by saying: “Don’t expect you to do that, just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” according to the notes.FILE – Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Clark speaks as he stands next to Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Oct. 21, 2020.Trump mused during the call about replacing Justice Department leadership with Jeffrey Clark, the then-assistant attorney general of the Environment and Natural Resources Division who also served as the acting head of the Civil Division. Donoghue replied that such a move would not change the department’s position.After The New York Times reported that Trump had been contemplating a plan to replace Rosen with Clark, the inspector general announced that it would investigate whether any former or current department officials “engaged in an improper attempt” to overturn the results of the presidential election.
…
By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Авіація ДСНС почала гасити пожежі в Туреччині
Літаки здійснили посадку в аеропорту «Газіпаша Аланія» і планують продовжити роботу 31 липня
…
By Gromada | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Trump Election Pressure Memo Disclosed; Lawmakers to Get His Tax Returns
Former President Donald Trump suffered a pair of setbacks Friday when the Justice Department cleared the way for the release of his tax records and also disclosed a memo showing he urged top officials to falsely claim his election defeat was “corrupt.”Handwritten notes taken by Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue in December and released Friday by the chair of the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee paint a damning picture of Trump as he desperately sought to get the department to take the unprecedented step of intervening to try to upend his 2020 election loss.Hours later, the department cleared the way for the Internal Revenue Service to hand over Trump’s tax records to congressional investigators — a move he has long fought.The fact that the Justice Department allowed the handwritten notes concerning the election to be turned over to congressional investigators marked a dramatic shift from actions taken during the Trump administration, which repeatedly invoked executive privilege to skirt congressional scrutiny.Department ‘won’t snap its fingers’The newly released notes detail a December 27 phone call in which Jeffrey Rosen, who was appointed as acting attorney general a few days later, is quoted as telling Trump: “Understand that the DOJ can’t + won’t snap its fingers + change the outcome of the election.””Don’t expect you to do that,” Trump replied. “Just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” in a reference to Republican lawmakers.Trump’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.FILE – Justice Department attorneys reversed course and said the department had erred in 2019 when it found that the request for former President Donald Trump’s taxes by the House Ways and Means Committee was based on a “disingenuous” objective.The Justice Department ordered the IRS to hand over Trump’s tax returns to a U.S. House of Representatives congressional committee, saying the panel had invoked “sufficient reasons” for requesting it.Reversed courseThe department’s Office of Legal Counsel reversed course and declared the department had erred in 2019 when it found that the request for Trump’s taxes by the House Ways and Means Committee was based on a “disingenuous” objective aimed at exposing them to the public.The Justice Department’s actions will make it easier for congressional investigators to interview key witnesses and collect evidence against Trump.Earlier this week, the Justice Department decided that because of “compelling legislative interests,” it was authorizing six former Trump administration officials to sit for interviews with the House Oversight Committee. These include Rosen and Donoghue, as well as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who resigned amid pressure from Trump.Also among the six was former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, who became the subject of a Justice Department inspector general’s investigation after news reports said he’d plotted with Trump in a failed bid to oust Rosen so he could launch an investigation into alleged voter fraud in Georgia.In the December 27 call with Rosen, Trump threatened to put Clark in charge, according to the handwritten notes, telling Rosen: “People tell me Jeff Clark is great, I should put him in. People want me to replace DOJ leadership.”‘We are doing our job’Throughout the call, Trump repeatedly pushed false claims that the election had been stolen. “You guys may not be following the internet the way I do,” Trump said.Rosen and Donoghue tried to tell Trump his information was incorrect multiple times.”We are doing our job,” the notes say. “Much of the info you’re getting is false.”A little more than a week later, based on Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen, thousands of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.
…
By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Кабмін схвалив оновлені цілі України щодо виконання Паризької кліматичної угоди
Міністр захисту довкілля Роман Абрамовський у своєму коментарі назвав зміну клімату «однією з найбільш гострих світових проблем»
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Поліція склала 12 адмінпротоколів через порушення на акції «Рейвах прайд»
Поліція склала чотири адмінпротоколи за дрібне хуліганство і вісім – за «злісну непокору законному розпорядженню або вимозі поліцейського»
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Міноборони: призначено першу жінку-командувача у ЗСУ
Міністр оборони України Андрій Таран, заявив що Тетяна Остащенко має великий досвід організації медичного забезпечення
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
30 липня – що очікувати в цей день і що було в історії
30 липня – відзначають Всесвітній день боротьби з торгівлею людьми
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
«Схід і Захід – разом». Зі Львова у Сєвєродонецьк стартував забіг до Дня Незалежності
Завершиться пробіг 24 серпня у День Незалежності
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Пожежі в Туреччині: наразі невідомо про постраждалих українців – Кулеба
За словами голови МЗС, дипломати мають завдання моніторити ймовірні загрози безпеці українських громадян у зв’язку з пожежами
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Суд у Британії винесе рішення щодо книги про Путіна в жовтні
Позов подали кілька заможних росіян, які оскаржують зміст книги про становлення Володимира Путіна
…
By Gromada | 07/30/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
У Запоріжжі облрада звільнила головлікаря інфекційної лікарні, де внаслідок пожежі загинула лікарка
Під час голосування за звільнення Шинкаренка в залі була присутня мати загиблої у лютому лікарки-анестезіолога Ольги Гліви
…
By Gromada | 07/29/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
У Криму лишили чинним штраф кримськотатарському активісту за «неповідомлення про злочин»
Адвокат звертав увагу на процесуальні порушення в Судакському міському суді, а також на те, що його довгий час не пускали до Умерова
…
By Gromada | 07/29/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Зеленський переніс дату святкування Дня молоді
Натомість втратив чинність указ від 22 червня 1994 року, відповідно до якого це свято відзначалося в нашій країні щороку в останню неділю червня
…
By Gromada | 07/29/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
29 липня – що очікувати в цей день і що було в історії
29 липня 1865 року народився Андрей Шептицький
…
By Gromada | 07/29/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Держприкордонслужба підтвердила закриття кордону на в’їзд до Білорусі
На початку липня Олександр Лукашенко наказав повністю закрити кордон із Україною
…
By Gromada | 07/29/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
US Justice Department Warns States Over Post-Election Audits
The U.S. Justice Department is warning states that are conducting or considering audits of the 2020 election that they may be using procedures that violate federal protections against voter intimidation and other statutes.
The warning comes as Arizona Republicans continue a controversial review of the 2020 vote count in the state’s largest county while Republican officials in four other battleground states where former President Donald Trump lost to President Joe Biden are pursuing similar efforts.
“Election audits are exceedingly rare,” the Justice Department said in new guidance on post-election audits issued on Wednesday. “But the Department is concerned that some jurisdictions conducting them may be using, or proposing to use, procedures that risk violating the Civil Rights Act.”
Post-election reviews of ballots have long been part of election administration that is handled by election officials. But audits of the 2020 election drawing the Justice Department’s attention are unofficial and are being pushed by Republican allies of Trump who allege that the election was marred by widespread fraud, costing Trump his reelection.
In addition to Arizona, Republicans in four other states that Trump lost – Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – have been pressing ahead with efforts to review the 2020 election results, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
“I think the reason we’re issuing this guidance is to tell jurisdictions generally that we are concerned that if they’re going to conduct these audits, so-called audits of the past election, they have to comply with federal law and warning them that they can’t conduct these audits in a way that is going to intimidate voters,” a Justice Department official said.FILE – Maricopa county ballots cast in the 2020 election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company Cyber Ninjas at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, May 6, 2021.In its guidance document, the department outlined two broad concerns about post-election audits. The first concerns the preservation of election records. Under federal law, election officials are required to keep voting records for 22 months after an election.
“This means that jurisdictions have to be careful not to let those ballots be defaced or mutilated or lost or destroyed as part of an audit,” the Justice Department official said during a press call with reporters. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department’s second concern relates to voter intimidation. Under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, it is illegal to intimidate voters or those intending to vote. Examples of voter intimidation cited in the document include taking down the license plate numbers of individuals attending voter registration meetings.
“If a jurisdiction is going to conduct one of these audits it has to do so in a way that’s not going to intimidate voters and deter them from voting in future elections,” the official said.
The guidance echoes a warning the Justice Department gave to Arizona Republicans about their post-election audit.
In a letter to a top Republican official, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan raised questions about plans by GOP-hired auditors to go door to door “to confirm if valid voters actually lived at the stated address.” The planned canvassing “raises concerns regarding potential intimidation of voters” in violation of federal law, the letter stated.
In response, the Republicans dropped their planned canvassing. While the Justice Department hasn’t issued similar letters to other states, “we’re keeping a close eye on what’s going on around the country,” the official said.
In Pennsylvania, a state Trump lost by more than 80,000 votes, state lawmaker Doug Mastriano this month launched what he called a “forensic investigation” of the 2020 election, requesting information from three counties. Democrats have questioned the legality of the audit.
In Wisconsin, another state Trump lost, Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chair of the Wisconsin State Assembly elections committee, announced on Monday that her committee will request additional information to ensure a “comprehensive, forensic examination” of 2020 votes.
…
By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Кабмін розглядає можливість безкоштовних пасажирських перевезень до адмінкордону з Кримом
Як заявив Денис Шмигаль, Кабмін розглядає низку соціальних проєктів, серед яких – відкриття регулярних і безкоштовних пасажирських перевезень громадян від пунктів КПВВ
…
By Gromada | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
US Senators Reach Deal on Major Points of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
U.S. Senate negotiators to a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill have reached agreement on the major components of the measure, Republican Senator Rob Portman told reporters on Wednesday. That could clear the way for the legislation to begin moving through the Senate following months of talks. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said a procedural vote on a bipartisan bill was possible as soon as Wednesday night. FILE – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attends a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 20, 2021.”Senators continue to make good progress,” Democrat Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor. Republican Senator Susan Collins, however, cautioned that some details were still being finalized. Another Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, told reporters, “I think that there is a strong, solid number of folks on both sides of the aisle that want to get on to an infrastructure package.” She added that senators will be briefed on the measure being negotiated “in these next hours.” The procedural vote would simply limit debate on whether the Senate should begin considering a bipartisan infrastructure investment bill that is thought to be in the range of $1.2 trillion. On July 21, Republicans blocked such a move, complaining that a bill had not yet been written. Democrats are hoping to pass this month or early next month whatever measure is agreed upon in the bipartisan negotiations. That could help clear the way for Democrats to begin pushing another large spending bill totaling around $3.5 trillion that Republicans are vowing to oppose.
…
By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
