Розділ: Політика
US Democrats Unveil Sweeping Social Safety Net Plan
U.S. Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled a sweeping $3.5 trillion social safety net proposal that would sharply expand the role of the national government in the lives of millions of Americans. The plan formally embraces many of President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign promises to give impoverished people a better shot at joining middle-class American life. At the same time, it would expand government services across an array of existing and new programs. It would provide universal free prekindergarten schooling for 3- and 4-year-old children and two years of free community college classes for high school graduates. For older Americans, the plan would boost federal spending for added health care benefits, with first-time funding for dental, vision and hearing aid care. The Democrats’ plan, already being uniformly pilloried by Republican lawmakers as too costly and a vast overreach toward a socialist wish list of government largesse, also would invest new sums to fight climate change, change federal immigration laws and attempt to lower prescription drug prices. Some Democratic lawmakers have also voiced reservations about the massive cost of the proposal. The Senate Democrats say they would pay for the package with higher taxes on corporations and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, which Republicans also oppose because the changes would undo some of the tax cuts they enacted in 2017 under former President Donald Trump. The new spending proposal is in addition to the estimated $1 trillion infrastructure package for road and bridge repair, broadband internet construction, and rail and transit expansion that is nearing approval in the Senate, possibly on Tuesday. The Senate is likely to approve the infrastructure measure with unanimous Democratic support and about one-third of the 50-member Republican bloc of lawmakers before sending it to the House of Representatives, where some Democrats say the package is too small, and passage is uncertain. Some House Democratic progressives say they won’t vote for the infrastructure package, another Biden priority, until they can approve the social safety net legislation. FILE – In this image from Senate TV, Vice President Kamala Harris sits in the chair on the Senate floor to cast her first tie-breaking vote at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 5, 2021.Senate Democrats, with no Republican support, hope to push through the broad outlines of the new social safety net spending plan in the coming days on a simple majority vote in the politically divided Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote for the Democrats. But any eventual legislation, with specific spending proposals, could take Congress months for consideration and enactment. In introducing the $3.5 trillion package, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told Democratic colleagues in a letter, “At its core, this legislation is about restoring the middle class in the 21st Century and giving more Americans the opportunity to get there.” “By making education, health care, childcare, and housing more affordable, we can give tens of millions of families a leg up,” Schumer said. The social safety net legislation was largely drafted by one of the Senate’s most liberal lawmakers, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. In a statement, Sanders said, “For too many decades, Congress has ignored the needs of the working class, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor.” “Now is the time for bold action,” he said. “Now is the time to restore faith in ordinary Americans that their government can work for them, and not just wealthy campaign contributors.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky walks towards the Senate chamber in Washington, Aug. 9, 2021.But the Senate Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, is scoffing at the Democratic proposal. He said last week that discussion of it “will thrust the Senate into an ultrapartisan showdown over the staggering, reckless taxing and spending spree” that Democrats want. He said Schumer is making Democrats vote on “nothing less than Chairman Sanders’ dream shopping list. Every American family will know exactly where their senator stands.” Nathan Brand, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, said, “As Democrats unveil their reckless tax-and-spend spree today, Americans are reminded just how out of touch Biden, Schumer and (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi are from the struggles everyday Americans are facing.” “From skyrocketing prices to an out-of-control border crisis to rising crime across the country, voters will hold Democrats accountable for abandoning working families in order to desperately push their radical left-wing agenda,” Brand said.
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By Polityk | 08/10/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Pushing Toward Final Vote on Infrastructure Bill
The U.S. Senate was working toward another procedural vote late Sunday on a $1 trillion infrastructure package, pushing toward a final vote on the measure expected Tuesday.
There appears to be solid support for the spending deal that would help repair the country’s deteriorating roads and bridges, expand broadband internet service, modernize rail and public transit systems and replace dangerous lead-pipe drinking water infrastructure.
In a 67-27 vote Saturday, senators limited extended debate on the legislation, but a few Republican senators insisted on 30 hours of required public discussion.
“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way. In either case, the Senate will stay in session until we finish our work,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech before the vote. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrives with his security detail as senators convene for a rare weekend session to continue work on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 8, 2021.The legislation calls for the largest investment in decades toward U.S. physical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports and waterways. Separately, Democrats are initiating a $3.5 trillion spending deal for social safety net programs that has drawn no Republican support.
The infrastructure package is one of President Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities, in part to show voters that the White House and Congress can agree on bipartisan efforts to benefit the country at a time when politically divided Washington lawmakers are stalemated on numerous other issues.
Before the Saturday vote to advance the infrastructure bill, Biden tweeted, “We can’t just build back to the way things were before COVID-19, we have to build back better. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and my Build Back Better plan will grow our economy and create an average of 2 million good-paying jobs every year over the next decade.”
Even though he, too, proposed infrastructure spending that failed to materialize, former President Donald Trump has attacked Republicans who support Biden’s package, saying they should wait until they control Congress again.
But a long-time Trump ally, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top-ranking Republican, indicated his support for the bill. Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell walks to the chamber late Saturday afternoon, Aug. 7, 2021, after the Senate voted to advance the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 7, 2021.”Republicans and Democrats have radically different visions these days, but both those visions include physical infrastructure that works for all of our citizens,” McConnell told the Senate. “The investments this bill will make are not just necessary, in many cases, they are overdue. Our country has real needs in this area.”
If the Senate approves the measure, the House of Representatives would then consider it. Passage appears less certain in the House, where some progressive Democratic lawmakers are complaining that the spending package is too small.
The package includes $550 million in new spending, along with $450 billion in previously approved funds.
The deal includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, $66 billion for rail, and $55 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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By Polityk | 08/09/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Ex-Justice Official Said to Have Been Pressured by Trump on Election
Former President Donald Trump mounted an intense pressure campaign on the U.S. Justice Department to overturn his election defeat in his final weeks in office, the department’s head during that time testified to lawmakers, a senior Senate Democrat said on Sunday.Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen provided “invaluable” testimony during seven hours of a closed-door hearing on Saturday, in which he implicated Trump in an attempt to subvert the election result, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin told CNN’s “State of the Union.”According to Durbin, Rosen testified that Trump directly pressured him to falsely assert that continuing election fraud investigations cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s victory.”It was real. Very real. And it was very specific,” Durbin said of Trump’s pressure on Rosen. “The former president is not subtle when he wants something.”Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised Rosen, a conservative lawyer, for his voluntary cooperation with the committee’s ongoing investigation into Trump’s actions after the election.”I have to say history is going to be very kind to Mr. Rosen when this is all over. When he was initially appointed, I didn’t think that was the case. I was wrong,” Durbin said, adding: “It’s a good thing for America we had someone like Rosen in that position.”Rosen’s testimony came a week after a House of Representatives committee released Justice Department documents showing Trump had urged top officials last year to falsely claim his election defeat was corrupt.”Just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” Trump told Rosen, referring to Republicans, in a December 27 phone call, according to handwritten notes taken by a Rosen aide.The notes showed Rosen told Trump the department could not and would not “change the outcome of the election.”Durbin said in the CNN interview that his committee also wants testimony from former Attorney General Bill Barr, who Rosen replaced during the final weeks of Trump’s presidency.Barr stepped down in December, shortly after the Electoral College confirmed Trump’s loss to Biden.Barr had angered Trump by not supporting his false claims that the November 3 election result had been tainted by widespread fraud. Multiple courts, state election officials and members of Trump’s administration rejected those claims as unfounded.Durbin said he also wants to hear from former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, who reportedly plotted with Trump to try to oust Rosen so he could take over the Justice Department.”I would like to bring in Jeffrey Clark, for example,” Durbin said. “He was the heir apparent in Trump’s mind if Rosen was not going to do his bidding. And Rosen stood fast and didn’t.”When asked if Trump engaged in an attempted coup, Durbin said: “It was leading up to that process.”Durbin declined to say whether Trump should face criminal charges for his efforts to subvert the election, saying it was too early in the investigation to answer that question.Last week, Douglas Collins, said the former president would not attempt to keep former Justice Department officials from testifying before either the House or the Senate committees, according to the New York Times.
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By Polityk | 08/09/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Advances Infrastructure Bill Toward Final Vote
The U.S. Senate advanced a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package in a procedural vote Saturday, an indication the measure will eventually be approved in a final vote.A late-night session Thursday had ended with no compromises on the measure.“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way. In either case, the Senate will stay in session until we finish our work,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech before Saturday’s vote. “It’s up to my Republican colleagues how long it takes.”In a 67-27 vote showing solid bipartisan backing, senators invoked cloture, or limited debate on the legislation; such a move requires 60 votes from the 100-member Senate, meaning at least 10 Republicans were needed to join the 50 Democratic senators to cut off debate.Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chair of the Senate Finance Committee, stops for a reporter as the Senate votes to advance the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 7, 2021.Roads, bridges, waterwaysThe bill, one of President Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities, would provide for the largest investment in decades in U.S. physical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports and waterways.It would also advance broadband internet service throughout the country, expand rail and transit services, and replace lead-piped drinking water systems.The cloture vote allowed for a final vote later Saturday or Sunday.Before the vote, Biden tweeted:We can’t just build back to the way things were before COVID-19, we have to build back better. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and my Build Back Better plan will grow our economy, and create an average of 2 million good-paying jobs every year over the next decade.— President Biden (@POTUS) FILE – House Transportation Committee Chair Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., center, joins Democratic leaders to discuss their legislative agenda, including infrastructure, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, July 30, 2021.If the Senate approves the measure, the House of Representatives would then consider it. Passage appears less certain in the House, where some progressive Democratic lawmakers are complaining that the spending package is too small.Biden has been vocal in his support for the infrastructure bill, aiming not only to describe the improvements that would be made across the U.S. but also to convince voters that major legislation can still be approved in politically fractious Washington.The measure includes $550 million in new spending and $450 billion in previously approved funds. There’s $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, $66 billion for rail, and $55 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations.Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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By Polityk | 08/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Votes on Infrastructure Bill
The U.S. Senate is holding a procedural vote Saturday on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, after a late-night session Thursday ended with no compromises.“We’ve worked long, hard and collaboratively to finish this important bipartisan bill,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said just before midnight Thursday, according to The Associated Press.”We very much want to finish,” he said in announcing a cloture vote set for Saturday at noon EDT.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters about the bipartisan infrastructure bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 28, 2021.A vote to invoke cloture would end debate on the massive bill and allow for a final vote by the Senate later Saturday or Sunday. Three-fifths of the chamber’s senators — 60 of the 100 — would need to vote to invoke cloture to advance the bill.The package, one of President Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities, would provide tens of billions of dollars to repair the country’s deteriorating roads and bridges, advance broadband internet service throughout the country, expand rail and transit services and replace lead-piped drinking water systems.Schumer, however, admonished Republicans for their actions on Thursday.”We have been trying to vote on amendments all day but have encountered numerous objections from the other side,” he said, referring to Republicans.FILE – A man holds a token featuring the symbol of a cryptocurrency at his shop in Sandy, Utah.Among the amendments discussed were a provision to tax cryptocurrency and a demand for billions of dollars in new Defense Department improvements, according to a Reuters report.For the bill to make it to the Senate floor for a final vote, at least 10 Republicans must join the 50 Democratic senators to invoke cloture, ending debate.The infrastructure bill would then be submitted to a final vote by simple majority in the Senate, likely Saturday or Sunday.If the Senate approves the measure, the House of Representatives would then consider it. Passage appears less certain in the House, where some progressive Democratic lawmakers are complaining that the spending package is too small.U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, August 3, 2021.Biden has been vocal in his support for the infrastructure bill, aiming not only to describe the improvements that would be made across the U.S. but also to convince voters that major legislation can still be approved in politically fractious Washington.It includes $550 million in new spending, along with $450 billion in previously approved funds.The package includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, $66 billion for rail, and $55 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations.Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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By Polityk | 08/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate to Hold Key Vote on Infrastructure Bill
The U.S. Senate plans to hold a procedural vote Saturday on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, after a late-night session Thursday ended with no compromises.“We’ve worked long, hard and collaboratively to finish this important bipartisan bill,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said just before midnight Thursday, according to The Associated Press.”We very much want to finish,” he said in announcing a cloture vote set for Saturday at noon EDT.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to reporters about the bipartisan infrastructure bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 28, 2021.A vote to invoke cloture would end debate on the massive bill and allow for a final vote by the Senate later Saturday or Sunday. Three-fifths of the chamber’s senators — 60 of the 100 — would need to vote to invoke cloture to advance the bill.The package, one of President Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities, would provide tens of billions of dollars to repair the country’s deteriorating roads and bridges, advance broadband internet service throughout the country, expand rail and transit services and replace lead-piped drinking water systems.Schumer, however, admonished Republicans for their actions on Thursday.”We have been trying to vote on amendments all day but have encountered numerous objections from the other side,” he said, referring to Republicans.FILE – A man holds a token featuring the symbol of a cryptocurrency at his shop in Sandy, Utah.Among the amendments discussed were a provision to tax cryptocurrency and a demand for billions of dollars in new Defense Department improvements, according to a Reuters report.For the bill to make it to the Senate floor for a final vote, at least 10 Republicans must join the 50 Democratic senators to invoke cloture, ending debate.The infrastructure bill would then be submitted to a final vote by simple majority in the Senate, likely Saturday or Sunday.If the Senate approves the measure, the House of Representatives would then consider it. Passage appears less certain in the House, where some progressive Democratic lawmakers are complaining that the spending package is too small.U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, August 3, 2021.Biden has been vocal in his support for the infrastructure bill, aiming not only to describe the improvements that would be made across the U.S. but also to convince voters that major legislation can still be approved in politically fractious Washington.It includes $550 million in new spending, along with $450 billion in previously approved funds.The package includes $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, $66 billion for rail, and $55 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet and electric vehicle charging stations.Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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By Polityk | 08/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate to Try to Finish $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Saturday
The U.S. Senate, unable to finalize a $1 trillion infrastructure bill Thursday, will try again Saturday when it are scheduled to hold a vote on limiting debate and moving toward passage of the hard-fought legislation.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struggled throughout the day to reach closure on a bipartisan bill that would trigger new construction projects throughout the United States to expand or refurbish roads, highways, bridges, airports and other public works, many of them in substandard condition.Following hours of closed-door negotiations, senators failed to reach an agreement on remaining amendments to the bill, beyond the dozens already debated this week.”We have been trying to vote on amendments all day but have encountered numerous objections from the other side,” Schumer said, referring to Republicans.Action on the legislation, which is at the top of Democratic President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, was held up by a flurry of demands from various senators, including a controversial move by some Republicans demanding billions of dollars in new Defense Department improvements, according to lawmakers.A separate disagreement over a cryptocurrency provision in the infrastructure bill also was simmering.
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By Polityk | 08/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Wants America to Speed the Shift to Electric Cars
Within nine years, half of all new vehicles sold in the United States should be zero-emission cars and trucks, according to an President Joe Biden signs an executive order on increasing production of electric vehicles after speaking on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Aug. 5, 2021.Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced moves to eliminate what Biden called the “short-sighted rollbacks” of near-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards set by the Trump administration. “They also let the federal tax credit expire, penalizing auto workers, who were at the time selling the most electric vehicles in the world and the United States,” added Biden. Leading automotive manufacturers are making voluntary commitments in line with the administration’s goals. Ford, General Motors and Stellantis said in a joint statement Thursday they hope “to achieve sales of 40-50% of annual U.S. volumes of electric vehicles (battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030 in order to move the nation closer to a zero-emissions future consistent with Paris climate goals.” In a separate joint statement, automakers BMW, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo are calling for a ”strong nationwide greenhouse gas emissions standard, continued investments in charging infrastructure, and broad consumer incentives for all electric vehicle purchases.” Notably absent from the automakers’ joint statements, which were also released by the White House, is Japan’s Toyota, the top-selling carmaker in the United States. “You can count on Toyota to do our part,” Ted Ogawa, the automaker’s North American chief executive, President Joe Biden walks with United Auto Workers Local 600 president Bernie Ricky before he speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Aug. 5, 2021.Biden’s actions and the automotive industry’s response are being praised by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which calls transportation the biggest source of climate pollution in the United States. “The Big Three and other automakers have invested billions of dollars in developing zero-emitting vehicles — a testament to the enormous economic, job and consumer benefits that these vehicles will deliver,” EDF President Fred Krupp said in a statement sent to VOA. “Now, we must all work together to build on that announcement and eliminate pollution from all new passenger cars by 2035, and all new freight trucks and buses by 2040. It’s a goal that’s ambitious but achievable. America can win this race, and our prize will be good jobs, savings at the gas pump for American families, cleaner air and a safer climate.” The American Petroleum Institute (API) said it and its member companies “support transportation initiatives that both reduce emissions and ensure affordable vehicle choices for Americans.” “The best way to accelerate U.S. climate progress is through an economy-wide carbon price policy rather than costly market mandates,” Ron Chittim, the group’s vice president of downstream policy, said in a statement to VOA. The petroleum industry has pledged to improve the environmental performance of its fuels, contending vehicles powered by modern combustion engines or batteries can produce comparable greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing to retirement. API, which is the national trade association for the oil and natural gas industry, is also calling for the EPA to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions on a life cycle analysis approach to ensure consistent accounting and a level playing field across various fuel and vehicle technologies. There are also concerns being expressed that Biden’s goals cannot be met without relying on lithium and several specific rare earth minerals (neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium), which are used for permanent magnets in the drive chains for electric vehicles. Those elements “are mostly available only from China, which has acknowledged its poor track record for environmental protection in its mining and production of these minerals,” according to Pini Althaus, chief executive officer of USA Rare Earth. “The U.S. must have some level of domestic production or we simply will not be able to reach this goal,” Althaus told VOA in a statement. The strategic minerals mining company wants the United States to emulate Australia, Japan and South Korea and provide assistance to local producers of these materials.
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By Polityk | 08/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Signs Bill Awarding Medals to US Capitol Riot Responders
President Joe Biden on Thursday offered “profound gratitude” to law enforcement officers who responded to the January 6 Capitol insurrection as he signed legislation to award them Congressional Gold Medals for their service. The president thanked the officers for saving the lives of members of Congress during those “tragic hours” of the attack seven months ago. The medal is the highest honor Congress can bestow. Joined by members of Congress, law enforcement officers and the families of police who died following the attack, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held the formal signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. Many officers were brutally beaten and injured that day as the violent mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters pushed past them to break into the Capitol and interrupt the certification of Biden’s victory. Many of the insurrectionists repeated Trump’s false claims about widespread election fraud as they hunted for lawmakers and tried to beat down the doors of the House chamber with lawmakers inside. Some of the officers, including four who testified at a House hearing last week, have spoken openly about the lasting mental and physical scars. “My fellow Americans, let’s remember what this was all about,” Biden said of the siege. “It was a violent attempt to overturn the will of the American people, to seek power at all costs, to replace the ballot with brute force. To destroy, not to build. Without democracy, nothing is possible. With it, everything is.” President Joe Biden listens to Vice President Kamala Harris speak in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, Aug. 5, 2021.The Senate passed the legislation unanimously earlier this week. The new law will place the medals in four locations — Capitol Police headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Capitol and the Smithsonian Institution. Biden said the medals will be at the Smithsonian “so all visitors can understand what happened that day.” The Senate passed the legislation by voice vote, with no Republican objections. The House passed the bill in June, with 21 Republicans who have downplayed the insurrection in Trump’s defense voting against it. Trump, along with many Republicans still loyal to him, has tried to rebrand the rioting as a peaceful protest, even as law enforcement officers who responded that day have detailed the violence and made clear the toll it has taken on them. The four officers who testified in the emotional hearing last week detailed near-death experiences as the rioters beat and crushed them on their way into the building. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges described foaming at the mouth, bleeding and screaming as the rioters tried to gouge out his eye and crush him between two heavy doors. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn said a large group of people shouted the N-word at him as he was trying to keep them from breaching the House chamber. Both were at the White House ceremony, along with several other officers. The officers testified at the first hearing of a new House committee investigating the insurrection. Most House Republicans have staunchly opposed the Democrat-led panel, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed after Senate Republicans blocked the formation of a bipartisan commission. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has called the committee a “sham” and criticized Pelosi for rejecting two of the members he tried to appoint to the panel.Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California hugs Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Aug. 5, 2021.Instead, McCarthy and other Republican leaders still loyal to Trump withdrew all their appointments and have tried to pin blame for the insurrection of Trump’s supporters on Pelosi, falsely claiming she was responsible for delays in military assistance that day. Biden said at Thursday’s ceremony that “we cannot allow history to be rewritten” and the officers’ heroism cannot be forgotten. “We have to understand what happened,” Biden said. “The honest and unvarnished truth. We have to face it.” At least nine people who were at the Capitol that day died during and after the rioting, including a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber and three other Trump supporters who suffered medical emergencies. Two police officers died by suicide in the days that immediately followed, and a third officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed and died after engaging with the protesters. A medical examiner determined he died of natural causes. Last week, the Metropolitan Police announced that two more of their officers who had responded to the insurrection had died by suicide. Officer Kyle DeFreytag was found dead on July 10 and Officer Gunther Hashida was found dead in his home Thursday. The circumstances that lead to their deaths are unknown. “We are grieving as a department,” the police said in a statement. In a ceremony to send the bill to the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that January 6 was “a moment, a day of extraordinary tragedy for our country” and praised the Capitol Police for their bravery and patriotism. “I’m so sad that it took a tragedy of this nature for the recognition to be given to them,” Pelosi said. The Congressional Gold Medal has been handed out by the legislative branch since 1776. Previous recipients include George Washington, Sir Winston Churchill, Bob Hope and Robert Frost. In recent years, Congress has awarded the medals to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who became a leading advocate for people struggling with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and biker Greg LeMond.
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By Polityk | 08/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Carey, Backed by Trump, Wins Primary for House Seat in Ohio
A pair of special congressional primaries Tuesday in Ohio could serve as litmus tests for the moods of the Republican and Democratic parties heading into next year’s midterm elections. After the stinging defeat of one of his endorsed congressional candidates in Texas last week, former President Donald Trump’s sway as a kingmaker among Republicans was tested in central Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, where his candidate won. He had endorsed coal lobbyist Mike Carey from among a formidable field of 11 GOP primary contenders for the seat vacated by Republican Steve Stivers in May. Stivers had backed one of three sitting lawmakers in the race — state Rep. Jeff LaRe — for the job. In the Cleveland area, progressives and Democratic centrists are in fierce competition for the 11th Congressional District seat formerly held by Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat appointed as President Joe Biden’s housing chief in March. Former state Sen. Nina Turner, a leading national voice for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, is the best known among 13 Democrats running in the primary and the choice of Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others. Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, a centrist backed by Hillary Clinton, influential House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, the Congressional Black Caucus, several leading unions and over 100 local leaders, enjoyed a surge in national support in July. The race comes at a pivotal moment for the progressive movement. Centrists have been ascendant in the early months of the Joe Biden era, while the party’s left flank has faced a series of defeats — in New York City’s mayoral race, a Virginia gubernatorial primary and a Louisiana House race. Meanwhile, a contingent of moderates are worried that a leftward drift could cost the party seats in the midterms next year. Biden hasn’t heeded the left’s calls for more aggressive action on certain issues, including voting rights and immigration. That’s left progressive leaders searching for new strategies that can bolster its influence. Turner will add another voice to those efforts, joining Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, and a class of younger, relatively new lawmakers who have made it their mission to push the Democratic leadership to the left. But Turner’s history of biting criticism of fellow Democrats no doubt irked her party’s establishment — she once likened supporting Biden to being forced to eat excrement — and has given Brown something to campaign against on the campaign trail. For Republicans, the Columbus-area race emerged as a test of Trump’s influence, particularly after the former president backed the loser in a Texas primary last week. As president, Trump boasted of his sway over politicians’ political fortunes, with a strong record of backing winners. Since he left office, candidates have scrambled to get his endorsement, even lining up at times for reality-show style interviews. All of the candidates in the GOP primary billed themselves as conservatives and many boasted more legislative-branch experience than Carey. State Sen. Stephanie Kunze has spent almost nine years in the Ohio House and Senate, championing legislation to tackle opiate addiction, infant mortality and sexual violence. She had won the endorsement of the GOP in the district’s largest county, Franklin, and of the Value In Electing Women PAC. Sen. Bob Peterson has been a state lawmaker since 2012. A farmer and former president of the Ohio Farm Bureau, he was backed by the powerful political arm of Ohio Right to Life and former Senate President Larry Obhof. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Allison Russo, a health policy consultant, defeated Greg Betts, a former Army officer and decorated combat veteran, for the nomination. Back in the 11th District, Laverne Gore, a business owner, consultant, trainer and community activist, defeated Felicia Ross, a self-described “Jane of all trades,” in the Republican primary. Winners of the August primaries will face off in the Nov. 2 general election.
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By Polityk | 08/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
CDC Issues New Eviction Ban for Most of US Through Early October
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a new moratorium on evictions that would last until October 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism that it was allowing vulnerable renters to lose their homes during a pandemic. The new moratorium could help keep millions in their homes as the coronavirus’ delta variant has spread and states have been slow to release federal rental aid. It would temporarily halt evictions in counties with “substantial and high levels” of virus transmissions and would cover areas where 90% of the U.S. population lives. The announcement was something of a reversal for the Biden administration after saying that a Supreme Court ruling prevented a moratorium. But the choice to impose a new measure in the face of legal uncertainty was also a win for the progressive lawmakers who pushed the White House to do more to prevent about 3.6 million Americans from losing their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House, Aug. 3, 2021.President Joe Biden stopped short Tuesday afternoon of announcing the new ban on evictions during a press conference at the White House, ceding the responsibility to the CDC. “My hope is it’s going to be a new moratorium,” Biden told reporters. The new policy came amid a scramble by the Biden team to reassure Democrats and the country that it could find a way to limit the damage from potential evictions through the use of federal aid. But pressure mounted as key lawmakers said it was not enough. Top Democratic leaders joined Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who has been camped outside the U.S. Capitol. The freshman congresswoman once lived in her car as a young mother and was leading a passionate protest urging the White House to prevent widespread evictions. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaks with reporters as she camps outside the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, Aug. 2, 2021.”For 5 days, we’ve been out here, demanding that our government acts to save lives,” she tweeted. “Today, our movement moved mountains.” Administration officials had previously said a Supreme Court ruling stopped them from setting up a new moratorium without congressional backing, saying states and cities must be more aggressive in releasing nearly $47 billion in relief for renters on the verge of eviction. The president said he sought input from legal scholars about whether there were options and said the advice was mixed, though some suggested, “It’s worth the effort.” Biden also said he didn’t want to tell the CDC, which has taken the public health lead in responding to the pandemic, what to do. “I asked the CDC to go back and consider other options that may be available,” he said. The CDC identified a legal authority for the new, different moratorium for areas with high and substantial increases in COVID-19 infections. Biden also insisted there is federal money available — about $47 billion previously approved during the COVID-19 crisis — that needs to get out the door to help renters and landlords. “The money is there,” Biden said. The White House has said state and local governments have been slow to push out that federal money and is pressing them to do so swiftly. FILE – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks in Venice, Italy, July 11, 2021.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen briefed House Democrats on Tuesday about the work underway to ensure the federal housing aid makes it to renters and landlords. She provided data so that lawmakers could see how their districts and states are performing with distributing the relief, according to a person on the call. The Treasury secretary tried to encourage Democrats to work together, even as lawmakers said Biden should act on his own to extend the eviction moratorium, according to someone on the private call who insisted on anonymity to discuss its contents. The CDC put the initial eviction ban in place as part of the COVID-19 response when many workers lost income. The ban was intended to hold back the spread of the virus among people put out on the streets and into shelters. Democratic lawmakers said they were caught by surprise by Biden’s decision to end the moratorium, creating frustration and anger and exposing a rare rift with the administration. The CDC indicated in late June that it probably wouldn’t extend the eviction ban beyond the end of July. Rep. Maxine Waters, the powerful chair of the Financial Services Committee, has been talking privately for days with Yellen and urged the Treasury secretary to use her influence to prod states to push the money out the door. But Waters also called on the CDC to act on its own. After the CDC’s announcement Tuesday, Waters released a statement thanking Biden “for listening and for encouraging the CDC to act! This extension of the moratorium is the lifeline that millions of families have been waiting for.”
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By Polityk | 08/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
President Biden Calls on New York Governor Cuomo to Resign
U.S. President Joe Biden said New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign after a report released Tuesday by the state’s attorney general found that Cuomo had sexually harassed numerous women in violation of federal and state laws, allegations that he vehemently denied. “I think he should resign,” Biden told reporters Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in Washington. Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, said Cuomo allegedly targeted 11 current and former employees of the state government.New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a press conference, in New York, Aug. 3, 2021.The probe uncovered a “climate of fear” created by Cuomo’s behavior, which included unwanted kisses, groping, hugging and making unacceptable remarks, James said. She said the investigation also found that the Democratic governor had retaliated against at least one former employee for complaining about his actions. At a news conference in Albany, Cuomo denied any wrongdoing, declaring, “I never touched anyone inappropriately.” “That is just not who I am, and that’s not who I have ever been,” he added. In March, Biden said Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, should resign if the investigation confirmed allegations of harassment. “I don’t know that anyone could’ve watched this morning and not found the allegations to be abhorrent. I know I did,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, August 3, 2021.The nearly five-month investigation was performed by two outside attorneys whom the state attorney general had hired. They spoke to 179 people, including complainants, current and former members of the governor’s office, state troopers, and other state workers. James said the probe was launched because of the “heroic women who came forward.” Shortly after the report’s release, several of Cuomo’s accusers demanded that he resign immediately, including Charlotte Bennett, who tweeted, “Resign, @NYGovCuomo.” The report is expected to be taken into account in an ongoing investigation by the state Legislature into whether there are reasons for Cuomo to be impeached. New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who authorized the investigation, was one of a growing chorus of state lawmakers calling for Cuomo’s resignation on Tuesday. He said in a statement that the report’s findings point to “someone who is not fit for office.” New York’s U.S. senators, Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have been calling for him to step down since last winter. Gillibrand reiterated her demand Tuesday at a news conference in Washington. The Legislature is also investigating the assistance Cuomo received from top aides to write a book about the coronavirus pandemic, preferential treatment his relatives received during COVID-19 testing last year, and his administration’s decision not to publicly disclose some data relating to nursing home fatalities for several months. Some information in this report is from The Associated Press and Reuters.
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By Polityk | 08/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Republican Report: Coronavirus Leaked From Chinese Lab; Scientists Still Probing Origins
A report by U.S. Republican lawmakers says a “preponderance of evidence” proves the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic leaked from a Chinese research facility — a conclusion that U.S. intelligence agencies have not reached. The report, released Monday, also cited “ample evidence” that Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) scientists — aided by U.S. experts and Chinese and U.S. government funds — were working to modify coronaviruses to infect humans, and such manipulation could be hidden. FILE – Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, speaks with members of the media outside of the White House, Oct. 16, 2019.Representative Mike McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the report by the panel’s Republican staff. It urged a bipartisan investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has killed 4.4 million people worldwide. China denies a genetically modified coronavirus leaked from the facility in Wuhan where the first COVID-19 cases were detected in 2019, a leading but unproven theory among some experts. Beijing also denies allegations of a cover-up. Other experts suspect the pandemic was caused by an animal virus likely transmitted to humans at a seafood market near the WIV. “We now believe it’s time to completely dismiss the wet market as the source,” said the report. “We also believe the preponderance of the evidence proves the virus did leak from the WIV and that it did so sometime before September 12, 2019.” The report cited what it called new and underreported information about safety protocols at the lab, including a July 2019 request for a $1.5 million overhaul of a hazardous waste treatment system for the facility, which was less than two years old. In April, the top U.S. intelligence agency said it concurred with the scientific consensus that the virus was not human-caused or genetically modified. U.S. President Joe Biden in May ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to accelerate their hunt for the origins of the virus and report back in 90 days. A source familiar with current intelligence assessments said the U.S. intelligence community has not reached any conclusion whether the virus came from animals or the WIV.
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By Polityk | 08/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Senator Graham, Fully Vaccinated, Tests Positive for COVID-19
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first senator to disclose a breakthrough infection after being vaccinated. In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the South Carolina Republican said that he “started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night” and went to the doctor Monday morning. After being notified of his positive test, Graham said he would quarantine for 10 days. “I feel like I have a sinus infection, and at present time, I have mild symptoms,” the 66-year-old Graham said. “I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination, I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse.” Graham, who was vaccinated in December, has long been a proponent of vaccination, saying during a visit this spring to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston that “the sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the quicker we can get back to normal.” Graham’s infection comes on the heels of updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance urging even fully vaccinated people to return to wearing masks indoors in areas of high coronavirus transmission, citing the surge of the highly contagious delta variant. Recent analysis has shown that breakthrough cases of COVID-19, with mild or no symptoms, still remain rare. Both congressional chambers have been adopting stricter face covering regulations amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the country. The House has returned to a mask requirement, while the Senate has recommended medical-grade face coverings. Graham, who was wearing a mask, did not answer questions from reporters on Capitol Hill earlier Monday, before the statement being issued. Because of Senate votes, Graham was not in attendance at Friday night’s Silver Elephant dinner, the South Carolina Republican Party’s signature annual fundraiser and an event attended by hundreds, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a headlining speaker.
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By Polityk | 08/02/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
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.
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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.
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By Polityk | 08/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
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.
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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.
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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.
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By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
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.
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By Polityk | 07/31/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
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.
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
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.
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
GOP’s Jake Ellzey Wins US House Seat Over Trump-backed Rival
Republican Jake Ellzey of Texas won a U.S. House seat on Tuesday night over rival backed by Donald Trump, dealing the former president a defeat in a test of his endorsement power since leaving office. Ellzey’s come-from-behind victory over Republican Susan Wright, the widow of the late Rep. Ron Wright, in a special congressional election runoff near Dallas is likely to be celebrated by Trump antagonists who have warned against his continued hold on the GOP. Ellzey was carrying more than 53% of the vote in Texas’ 6th Congressional District with results from almost all precincts reported. Ellzey is a Republican state legislator who finished a distant second to Wright in May, and who only narrowly made the runoff over a Democrat. The seat opened up following the death of Ron Wright, who in February became the first member of Congress to die after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Far from running on an anti-Trump platform, Ellzey did not try distancing himself from the twice-impeached former president. He instead sought to overcome the lack of Trump’s backing by raising more money and showing off other endorsements, including the support of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Trump had endorsed Susan Wright early in the special election, recorded a robocall for her late in the runoff and headlined a telephone rally with voters on the eve of Tuesday’s election. Make America Great Action, a political action committee chaired by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, also made a $100,000 ad buy over the weekend. But the outcome may show the limits of his influence with voters. Republicans have continued making loyalty to Trump paramount since his defeat in November, even as Trump continues to falsely and baselessly assert that the election was stolen. The North Texas district won by Ellzey — who narrowly lost the GOP nomination for the seat in 2018 — has long been Republican territory. But Trump’s support in the district had also plummeted: after winning it by double-digits in 2016, he carried it by just 3 percentage points last year, reflecting the trend of Texas’ booming suburbs shifting to purple and, in some places, outright blue. Ron Wright, who was 67 and had lung cancer, was just weeks into his second term when he died. Susan Wright had also been diagnosed with COVID-19 and at one point was hospitalized with her husband.
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Accuses Russia of Already Interfering in 2022 Election
Russia is already interfering in next year’s midterm U.S. elections, President Joe Biden said Tuesday in a speech at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Referencing the day’s classified briefing prepared by the intelligence community for him, Biden said: “Look at what Russia’s doing already about the 2022 election and misinformation.” Such actions by Moscow are a “pure violation of our sovereignty,” the president said, without elaborating, in remarks to about 120 representatives of the U.S. intelligence community who gathered in northern Virginia at the ODNI headquarters. Biden’s public reference to something contained in that day’s top secret Presidential Daily Brief is certain to raise some eyebrows. “He’s the president. He can declassify anything he wants to whenever he wants to,” said Emily Harding, deputy director and senior fellow with the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And I’m not sure it’s going to be a shock to anybody that Russia is looking at disinformation for the 2022 election. I think it is a really good reminder, though, that Russia continues to do this and that nothing has dissuaded them yet,” she said. The president also had an ominous prediction about the escalating cyberattacks targeting the United States that his administration has blamed on state-backed hackers in China and those operating with impunity in Russia. Biden said he believes it is growing more likely the United States could “end up in a real shooting war with a major power,” as the consequence of a cyber breach. Such cyber capabilities of U.S. adversaries are “increasing exponentially,” according to the president. FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during an annual nationwide televised phone-in show in Moscow, Russia, June 30, 2021.Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed much on Biden’s mind during his remarks to the intelligence community. Putin has “nuclear weapons, oil wells and nothing else,” Biden said, adding that the Russian leader knows he is in real trouble economically, “which makes him even more dangerous.” Biden also praised the U.S. intelligence community for its superiority over its counterpart in Moscow. Putin “knows that you’re better than his team. And it bothers the hell out of him,” Biden said. “I can see the wheels in Moscow turning to respond to that one,” Harding told VOA. Biden referred to both Russia and China as “possibly mortal competitors down the road.” FILE – Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech in Beijing, July 6, 2021, in this photo released by Xinhua News Agency.In his remarks, the U.S. president said that Chinese President Xi Jinping “is deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world” by the mid-2040s. Biden made several cryptic references to hypersonic weapons of adversaries. But he stopped himself once in midsentence after saying, “I don’t know, we probably have some people who aren’t totally cleared” in the room. In fact, a group of White House reporters was present, and a television camera was recording the speech on behalf of the media. The president also appealed to his intelligence team, which is composed of elements from 17 different agencies, “to give it to me straight. I’m not looking for pablum … and when you’re not sure, say you’re not sure.” Biden said he “can’t make the decisions I need to make if I’m not getting the best unvarnished, unbiased judgments you can give. I’m not looking to hear nice things. I’m looking to hear what you think to be the truth.” Those words are “a big deal. That’s the thing that he probably most needed to say” to this particular audience, according to Harding. Biden stressed that the intelligence agencies should not be swayed by which political party holds power in Congress or the White House. He said it is “so vital that you are and should be totally free of any political pressure or partisan influence.” Biden vowed that while he is president he will not try to “affect or alter your judgments about what you think the situation we face is. I’ll never politicize the work you do. You have my word on that. It’s too important for our country.” The appearance by the 46th U.S. president was intended, in part, to demonstrate a different relationship with the intelligence community than experienced by his predecessor, Donald Trump. “I think you can all make the inherent contrast,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the previous day. Trump’s attitude toward the intelligence community publicly soured after he sided with Putin’s denial of the U.S. government’s conclusion that the Kremlin had meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Trump, a Republican, narrowly defeated Democratic Party challenger Hillary Clinton in that election.
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
‘This Was a Coup’: Police Officers Describe Capitol Riot to US Lawmakers
Warning: This TV package includes a soundbite from Tuesday’s congressional hearing that contains profane and racist language.U.S. lawmakers heard emotional testimony from four members of law enforcement Tuesday as a special panel met for the first time to investigate the events of the January 6 attempt by Trump supporters to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports the panel will probe former President Donald Trump’s role in the riot.Produced by: Katherine Gypson
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Four US Police Officers Grippingly Describe January 6 Attack on US Capitol
Four U.S. police officers told a congressional investigating committee in tearful, gripping detail on Tuesday how an angry mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump rampaged into the U.S. Capitol last January 6 in a futile attempt to block certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in last November’s presidential election.The officers – two on the U.S. Capitol Police force and two with the Washington city police department — said they feared for their lives as about 800 rioters stormed past outmanned law enforcement authorities, taunted them with racial and political epithets, fought hand-to-hand with police, sprayed chemical irritants at them and grabbed for their shields and sidearms.Their testimony came on the first day of public hearings on the deadly mayhem more than six months ago, the worst attack in more than two centuries on the U.S. Capitol, often seen as the symbol of U.S. democracy. Seven Democratic members of the House of Representatives and two Republican lawmakers on a select committee listened raptly to the testimony– along with a national television audience. During the three and a half hour hearing, U.S. Capitol Police officer Aquilino Gonell testified, “The rioters called me a ‘traitor,’ a ‘disgrace,’ and shouted that I (an Army veteran and police officer) should be ‘executed.’”“What we were subjected to that day was like something from a medieval battlefield,” Gonell said. “We fought hand-to-hand and inch-by-inch to prevent an invasion of the Capitol by a violent mob intent on subverting our democratic process.”FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington.Gonell said at one point he was crushed by the onslaught of rioters.“I thought, “This is how I’m going to die,’” he said.Washington police officer Michael Fanone told lawmakers, “I was grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country. I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm.”“I was electrocuted again and again and again with a taser,” he recalled. “I’m sure I was screaming but I don’t think I could hear even my own voice.”In the months since the chaos at the Capitol, numerous Republicans, in attempting to exonerate Trump’s admonition to his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn the vote showing he had lost to Biden, have minimized the violence at the Capitol. One lawmaker said the 800 who entered the Capitol were much like tourists, while some Republicans voted against honoring police for protecting the Capitol. Republican leaders have maintained that the riot is being adequately investigated by law enforcement agencies and other congressional committees, arguing that the latest investigation is simply a political exercise designed to cast the Republican Party in a poor light ahead of mid-term elections next year.Pounding his hand on the witness table, Fanone exclaimed, “The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful.”Washington police officer Daniel Hodges, who was crushed between a door to the House floor and a door frame, said one rioter shouted at him, “You will die on your knees!”FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo a police officer has eyes flushed with water after a confrontation with rioters at the Capitol in Washington.He said police were unable to hold the line against the surge of protesters. He said one rioter “put his thumb in my eye and tried to gouge it out.”As he was pinned in the doorway, Hodges said, “I screamed for help” and “thankfully, more and more police” came to his rescue.U.S. Capitol policeman Harry Dunn, who is Black, said the rioters unleashed vile racial epithets at him after an exchange in which he acknowledged having voted for Biden.“I’m still hurting from what happened that day,” Dunn said. He asked for a moment of silence to remember fellow officer Brian Sicknick, who helped defend the Capitol on January 6, but died of natural causes a day later.One rioter was shot dead by a Capitol policeman during the mayhem, three rioters died of medical emergencies and two other police officers committed suicide in the ensuing days. More than 500 of the rioters have been charged with an array of criminal offenses.FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo rioters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington.Dunn said the memories of January 6 are “still not over for me, physically and emotionally,” and that he is undergoing psychological therapy.But he had a last thought for the protesters: “You all tried to thwart democracy that day and you failed.”Senate Republicans blocked creation of a bipartisan investigative commission to consider why and how the deadly chaos of January 6 unfolded.Political Divide Widens as January 6 Hearings Begin Republican leadership withdraws participation in probe on U.S. Capitol attackInstead, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who heads the Democratic-controlled chamber, appointed the nine members of the House select committee, including two vocal Republican Trump critics, Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, over the objection of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.McCarthy had named five Republicans to the panel, but Pelosi, as was her prerogative, rejected two staunch Trump supporters –, Congressmen Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana — as biased against the investigation. McCarthy then withdrew his other three appointments. As he opened the hearing, the chairman of the panel, Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said, “Some people are trying to deny what happened. To whitewash it. … Let’s be clear. The rioters who tried to rob us of our democracy were propelled here by a lie,” that Trump was defrauded out of a second four-year term in the White House.Trump, to this day, makes unfounded claims that he, not Biden, was the legitimate winner.McCarthy on Monday derided Cheney’s and Kinzinger’s participation on the Democratic-led investigative panel, calling them “Pelosi Republicans.” But Cheney, the daughter of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, rebuffed the claim that the investigation was pointless.“If those responsible are not held accountable,” she said at the outset of the hearing, “and if Congress does not act responsibly, this will remain a cancer on our constitutional republic.”In the weeks ahead, the investigative panel could subpoena numerous witnesses, possibly including Trump, to testify about what they knew ahead of the confrontation and as it was unfolding.
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By Polityk | 07/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
