Розділ: Політика
Civil Engineers: US Infrastructure Rates a C-minus
U.S. infrastructure rates a C-minus grade, the American Society of Civil Engineers said Wednesday, with years of inaction by the federal government leaving the country with deteriorating roads and bridges while airports, water supplies and public transit systems need upgrades. The civil engineers said the United States needs to spend $5.9 trillion over the next decade, about $2.6 trillion more than would normally be spent to bring its infrastructure up to a safe level. The group said its infrastructure grade – barely passing in the U.S. academic system – reflected “significant deficiencies,” although a slight improvement from the D-plus grade in 2017, in part because of state and local government and private sector efforts to target repairs for water main leaks. FILE – A worker welds on the Ninth Street bridge in Pittsburgh, May 6, 2020. The American Society of Civil Engineers rated U.S. infrastructure a C-minus grade on Wednesday.The engineers, however, said of the 17 categories making up the overall grade, 11 were in the D range that indicated a “significant deterioration” with a “strong risk of failure,” such as for public transit, storm water infrastructure, airports, roads and highways. It rated bridges, energy, drinking water and solid waste disposal at the C level, and just two areas – ports and rail service – in the B range. Infrastructure spending is often debated in Washington, but seldom acted on, with successive administrations and lawmakers unable to agree on what infrastructure should be improved and how it should be paid for – out of normal government budgets or with higher taxes of some sort, such as gasoline taxes to build and repair roads. During former President Donald Trump’s four years in the White House, his administration held many “infrastructure week” programs but there was never agreement with Congress on what projects to fund. Now, President Joe Biden says he plans to tackle the issue following what he hopes is Congress’s passage of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. It has already cleared the House of Representatives and could be passed in the Senate by mid-March. But again, there is wide initial debate on what infrastructure projects should be funded and questions on how to pay for them. FILE – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks at Union Station in Washington, Feb. 5, 2021.Biden’s transportation chief, Pete Buttigieg, told the Associated Press that the civil engineers’ report card, “is a warning and a call to action. A generation of disinvestment is catching up to us, and we must choose whether to allow our global competitors to pull ahead permanently, or to invest in the safety, equity, resilience and economic strength that superior infrastructure can bring to Americans.” He said that while communities throughout the U.S. fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Biden administration also is “committed to being a partner to help them save money, reduce congestion and improve mobility, safety and accessibility.” The infrastructure issues came to the fore in February in the southwestern state of Texas, with its struggle to cope with power outages and water shortages during a prolonged winter storm. Frigid temperatures froze pipes that burst and flooded homes, while millions of residents lost heat and running water.
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By Polityk | 03/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
China is World’s ‘Greatest Geopolitical Test’, Blinken Says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared Wednesday that the relationship between the United States and China is the world’s “biggest geopolitical test” of the century. In remarks released before he delivers his first major foreign policy speech, Blinken says the new Biden administration will “manage” ties with China “from a position of strength.”“That requires engaging in diplomacy and in international organizations, because where we have pulled back, China has filled in,” the statement said hours before Blinken delivers an address at the State Department in Washington. The top U.S. diplomat said Washington would continue to compete, collaborate and be “adversarial,” if necessary, with China, “the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to seriously challenge the stable and open international system – all the rules, values, and relationships that make the world work the way we want it to.”Blinken’s speech lays out President Joe Biden’s strategy to “renew America’s strengths” on the global stage with a pledge to “lead with diplomacy.”Throughout his presidency, Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, launched a relentless trade war with Beijing, strongly suggested the coronavirus was leaked from the Chinese city of Wuhan laboratory, and challenged China’s military control of the disputed South China Sea.The Biden administration’s other major foreign policy objectives include working to contain the global coronavirus pandemic, building a more inclusive global economy and addressing the growing global threat against democracy, according to Blinken’s remarks.Repairing relations with allies, addressing climate change and powering a “green energy revolution” also are on the list of priorities, as is maintaining a lead in technology.Blinken also said last month the Biden administration would seek to bolster and extend the nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
FBI Director to US Lawmakers: Capitol Riot Was Domestic Terrorism
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters trying to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory was domestic terrorism. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Wray admitted the bureau did have raw intelligence warning of violence that day.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Tanden Withdraws Budget Nomination Amid Opposition
President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, has withdrawn her nomination after she faced opposition from key Democratic and Republican senators for her controversial tweets. Her withdrawal marks the first high-profile defeat of one of Biden’s nominees. Eleven of the 23 Cabinet nominees requiring Senate approval have been confirmed, most with strong bipartisan support. “Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is no path forward to gain confirmation, and I do not want continued consideration of my nomination to be a distraction from your other priorities,” Tanden wrote in a letter to Biden. The president, in a statement, said he has “utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel” and pledged to find her another role in his administration. FILE – Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 24, 2021.Tanden’s viability was in doubt after Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and a number of moderate Republicans came out against her last month, all citing her tweets attacking members of both parties prior to her nomination. Manchin, a key moderate swing vote in the Senate, said last month in a statement announcing his opposition that “her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.” FILE – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 15, 2020.Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, meanwhile, cited Biden’s own standard of conduct in opposing Tanden, declaring in a statement that “her past actions have demonstrated exactly the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend.” Tanden needed just 51 votes in an evenly divided Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as a tiebreaker. But without Manchin’s support, the White House was left scrambling to find a Republican to support her. FILE – Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill, June 23, 2020.One potential Republican vote, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters earlier Tuesday on Capitol Hill she still had not yet made up her mind on Tanden’s nomination. The White House stuck with her even after several centrist Republicans made their opposition known, insisting her experience growing up on welfare and background working on progressive policies as the president and CEO of the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress made her the right candidate for the moment. White House chief of staff Ron Klain initially insisted the administration was “fighting our guts out” for her. 100s of tweets deletedFILE – Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 25, 2021.Tanden faced pointed questions over her past comments about members from both parties during her confirmation hearing. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent and prominent progressive lawmaker, accused her of issuing “vicious attacks” against progressives, and had not said whether he would support her nomination. Tanden apologized during that hearing to “people on either the left or right who are hurt by what I’ve said.” Just prior to the hearing, she deleted hundreds of tweets, many of which were critical of Republicans. Collins cited those deleted tweets in her statement, saying that the move “raises concerns about her commitment to transparency.” She said Congress “has to be able to trust the OMB director to make countless decisions in an impartial manner, carrying out the letter of the law and congressional intent.” As recently as Monday, the White House indicated it was sticking by Tanden’s nomination, with press secretary Jen Psaki noting Tanden’s “decades of experience” in defending their pick. “We will continue, of course, to fight for the confirmation of every nominee that the president puts forward,” Psaki insisted. But she added, “We’ll see if we have 50 votes.” Possible replacementsThe head of the OMB is tasked with putting together the administration’s budget, as well as overseeing a wide range of logistical and regulatory issues across the federal government. Tanden’s withdrawal leaves the Biden administration without a clear replacement. The apparent front-runner on Capitol Hill to replace Tanden was Shalanda Young, a former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee, who has been actively pushed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Other names mentioned include Ann O’Leary, a former chief of staff for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Gene Sperling, who served as a top economic adviser to both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Budget Nominee Tanden Withdraws Nomination Amid Opposition
President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, has withdrawn her nomination after she faced opposition from key Democratic and Republican senators for her controversial tweets. Her withdrawal marks the first high-profile defeat of one of Biden’s nominees. Eleven of the 23 Cabinet nominees requiring Senate approval have been confirmed, most with strong bipartisan support. “Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is no path forward to gain confirmation, and I do not want continued consideration of my nomination to be a distraction from your other priorities,” Tanden wrote in a letter to Biden. The president, in a statement, said he has “utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel” and pledged to find her another role in his administration. FILE – Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 24, 2021.Tanden’s viability was in doubt after Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and a number of moderate Republicans came out against her last month, all citing her tweets attacking members of both parties prior to her nomination. Manchin, a key moderate swing vote in the Senate, said last month in a statement announcing his opposition that “her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.” FILE – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 15, 2020.Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, meanwhile, cited Biden’s own standard of conduct in opposing Tanden, declaring in a statement that “her past actions have demonstrated exactly the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend.” Tanden needed just 51 votes in an evenly divided Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as a tiebreaker. But without Manchin’s support, the White House was left scrambling to find a Republican to support her. FILE – Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, listens during a hearing on Capitol Hill, June 23, 2020.One potential Republican vote, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters earlier Tuesday on Capitol Hill she still had not yet made up her mind on Tanden’s nomination. The White House stuck with her even after several centrist Republicans made their opposition known, insisting her experience growing up on welfare and background working on progressive policies as the president and CEO of the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress made her the right candidate for the moment. White House chief of staff Ron Klain initially insisted the administration was “fighting our guts out” for her. 100s of tweets deletedFILE – Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 25, 2021.Tanden faced pointed questions over her past comments about members from both parties during her confirmation hearing. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent and prominent progressive lawmaker, accused her of issuing “vicious attacks” against progressives, and had not said whether he would support her nomination. Tanden apologized during that hearing to “people on either the left or right who are hurt by what I’ve said.” Just prior to the hearing, she deleted hundreds of tweets, many of which were critical of Republicans. Collins cited those deleted tweets in her statement, saying that the move “raises concerns about her commitment to transparency.” She said Congress “has to be able to trust the OMB director to make countless decisions in an impartial manner, carrying out the letter of the law and congressional intent.” As recently as Monday, the White House indicated it was sticking by Tanden’s nomination, with press secretary Jen Psaki noting Tanden’s “decades of experience” in defending their pick. “We will continue, of course, to fight for the confirmation of every nominee that the president puts forward,” Psaki insisted. But she added, “We’ll see if we have 50 votes.” Possible replacementsThe head of the OMB is tasked with putting together the administration’s budget, as well as overseeing a wide range of logistical and regulatory issues across the federal government. Tanden’s withdrawal leaves the Biden administration without a clear replacement. The apparent front-runner on Capitol Hill to replace Tanden was Shalanda Young, a former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee, who has been actively pushed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Other names mentioned include Ann O’Leary, a former chief of staff for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Gene Sperling, who served as a top economic adviser to both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Confirms Raimondo to Head Commerce Department
The U.S. Senate voted 84-15 Tuesday to confirm Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to head the U.S. Commerce Department, the agency that repeatedly sparred with China during the prior administration.Raimondo, a Democrat tapped by President Joe Biden, will oversee the Commerce Department and its bureaus, which have about 46,000 employees.The department includes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Census, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service and the Foreign Commercial Service. It also helps negotiate trade agreements and enforces laws on trade and national security.At her confirmation hearing, Raimondo vowed to protect U.S. telecommunications networks from Chinese companies. But she refused to commit to keeping telecommunications company Huawei Technologies on a U.S. economic blacklist.The Commerce Department under former President Donald Trump took aim at China on numerous fronts, adding dozens of Chinese companies to a trade blacklist, including Huawei, the country’s top chipmaker SMIC, Hikvision and drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology.In written responses to lawmakers, Raimondo said she had “no reason to believe” that the listed Chinese companies should not be on a trade blacklist.“We should have no illusions about China’s objectives, which I believe are to undercut America’s longstanding technological advantage and to displace America as the global leader in cutting-edge research and development and the industries of the future,” she said.Raimondo inherits the Trump administration’s unsuccessful effort to bar U.S. app stores run by Apple and Alphabet Inc.’s Google from offering Chinese-owned TikTok or WeChat for download. The Justice Department last month put appeals of rulings blocking those efforts on hold pending a Biden administration review of the efforts.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
FBI Director: No Evidence Left-Wing Activists Attacked US Capitol
FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday defended the bureau against criticism that it missed warning signs about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and failed to adequately sound the alarm about the possibility of violence by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.At the same time, Wray, in his first congressional appearance since the riot, disputed assertions promoted by some on the right that far-left activists masquerading as Trump supporters were involved in the deadly attack.FILE – Supporters of President Donald Trump gather outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.The attack left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer, and more than 100 other officers injured. A nationwide manhunt in the aftermath of the insurrection has led to the arrest of more than 270 rioters, including 33 members of anti-government militias and other far-right groups.Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wray said the FBI took multiple steps to ensure a “raw” intelligence report warning about the possibility of a violent attack on the Capitol — the seat of the U.S. Congress — reached key law enforcement agencies the day before. The January 5 report, prepared by the FBI’s Norfolk, Virginia, field office, cited online extremist chatter about the possibility of violence and “war.”The FBI typically verifies such raw information before sharing it with law enforcement agencies. But in this case, Wray said, the threat was concerning and “specific enough” that the FBI decided to share it with the Capitol Police, the Washington Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as soon as possible.“We did pass that on to the people in the best position to take action on the threat. Not one, not two, but three different ways,” Wray said.Yet the report was not flagged for top officials responsible for securing the Capitol, hose officials testified last week, raising questions about a breakdown in intelligence- sharing.The officials — the former chief of Capitol Police, and the former sergeants-at- arms for the House and the Senate — told lawmakers that while they had prepared for a large and potentially violent protest outside the Capitol on January 6, they had not been warned about the possibility of a violent takeover.FILE – Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., responds to questions from reporters on May 6, 2019.Asked by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal why the FBI failed to “sound the alarm in some more visible and ringing way,” Wray, calling the attack an act of domestic terrorism, said the FBI had repeatedly warned about the threat in recent months.“The FBI over the course of 2020 put out a number of intelligence products specifically warning about domestic violent extremism. Including specifically warning about it in connection with the election. Including specifically warning about that threat in relation to the election and continuing past the election itself and up through the inauguration,” Wray said.In December, for example, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warned that “terrorist-inspired individuals and homegrown violent extremists may be encouraged or inspired to target public events or places.”In the lead-up to January 6, Wray said the FBI had been tracking a “large amount of information” about people intending to travel to Washington and the potential for violence. A major challenge for the FBI is separating extremist online rhetoric that is “aspirational” from “intentional,” he said.Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks at the start of a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Feb. 23, 2021.Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the FBI report appeared to be “beyond aspirational.”“It seems like some of these reports that we now know exist out there were specific in terms of these plans that were going on,” she said.She asked Wray if he felt sending an email to other law enforcement agencies was a sufficiently aggressive response to an alarming report that even Wray was not shown at the time.Wray said the January 6 attack was not “an isolated event” but rather one that was rooted in the growing threat of domestic violent extremism confronting the country in recent years.“The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” he said. “At the FBI, we’ve been sounding the alarm on it for a number of years now.”The FBI is currently investigating about 2,000 domestic terrorism cases, most of them involving white supremacists — up from 1,400 at the end of last year, and from 1,000 in 2017, according to Wray.In the nearly two months since the January 6 attack, the FBI has arrested more than 270 people on federal charges related to the Capitol breach, with additional people arrested almost daily. Local authorities have arrested an additional 30 or so people.Capitol Police estimate that about 800 Trump supporters stormed the building during the riot.Wray said “aspects” of the Capitol breach were planned and coordinated in advance, with some of the rioters traveling to Washington with “plans and intentions” to carry out an attack.“Some of the coordination appears to have been coordinated travel, coordinated meeting up, coordinated in terms of what kind of gear they may be bringing with them,” Wray said.FILE – Capitol police officers in riot gear push back demonstrators who try to break a door of the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.Of the 257 people charged with federal offenses to date, 33 allegedly belonged to anti-government militia groups and other far-right groups, according to a new report released by The George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.Wray was asked repeatedly whether the FBI had any evidence that the attack was organized by “fake Trump protesters,” left-wing anti-fascists and anarchists.”We have not, to date, seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribing to ‘antifa’ in connection with the 6th,” Wray said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not looking and will continue to look. But at the moment, we have not seen that.”The baseless claim that the attack on the Capitol was a “false flag” operation carried out by antifa activists started soon after the riot ended. Right-wing talk show hosts, as well as some Republican members of Congress, have continued to promote the theory, despite previous denials by the FBI.During last week’s Senate hearing on the Capitol breach, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson repeated the claim, saying “fake Trump protesters” were among the people that “probably planned this.”
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
FBI Chief Says Riot at US Capitol Was ‘Domestic Terrorism’
The director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation told a Senate panel Tuesday that the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building aimed at preventing the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory over Donald Trump was domestic terrorism.
“That siege was criminal behavior, plain and simple. It’s behavior that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism. It’s got no place in our democracy and tolerating it would make a mockery of our nation’s rule of law,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Wray said the insurrection was “not an isolated event” and that the nation’s top law enforcement agency “elevated racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism to our highest threat priority on the same level as ISIS (Islamic State) and home-grown violent extremists” in 2019.
He added the FBI does not focus on ideology when investigating domestic terrorism. FILE – Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.Wray’s testimony comes amid concern that the FBI was not adequately prepared for the riot, despite warnings days before the attack. Lawmakers are pressing Wray on how the FBI is dealing with the national security threat from white nationalists and domestic violent extremists and whether the agency is adequately equipped to address the problem.
President Donald Trump urged thousands of supporters who had come to Washington on Jan. 6 for a “Save America March” to walk from the Ellipse just south of the White House to the U.S. Capitol building as lawmakers were in the process of formally certifying Biden’s Nov. 3 presidential victory.
“You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we can’t let that happen,” Trump said. Trump added: “We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Hundreds of Trump supporters walked to the Capitol building and broke their way inside resulting in violence that killed five people.
Wray has remained largely out of the public eye since the violent mob stormed the Capitol. His testimony before Congress Tuesday marks the first time he has made a public appearance since the attack.
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By Polityk | 03/03/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
FBI Director to Testify Before Congress for First Time About Capitol Riot
FBI Director Chris Wray is set to testify for the first time since the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, with lawmakers likely to press him on whether the bureau adequately communicated with other law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence that day.
Questions about the FBI’s preparations for the riot, and investigations into it, are expected to dominate Wray’s appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He’s also likely to be pressed on how the FBI is confronting the national security threat from white nationalists and domestic violent extremists and whether the bureau has adequate resources to address the problem.
The violence at the Capitol made clear that a law enforcement agency that revolutionized itself after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to deal with international terrorism is now scrambling to address homegrown violence from white Americans. President Joe Biden’s administration has tasked his national intelligence director to work with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to assess the threat.
Wray has kept a notably low profile since a violent mob of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol two months ago. Though he has briefed lawmakers privately and shared information with local law enforcement hearings, Tuesday’s oversight hearing will mark Wray’s first public appearance before Congress since before November’s presidential election.
The FBI is facing questions over how it handled intelligence in the days ahead of the riot and whether warnings it had of potential violence reached the correct officials.
Last week, for instance, the acting chief of the Capitol Police said a Jan. 5 report from the FBI made its way to investigators within the police force and to the department’s intelligence unit but was never sent up the chain of command. The report warned about concerning online posts foreshadowing a “war” in Washington the following day. The FBI has said the report, which it says was based on uncorroborated information, was shared through its joint terrorism task force.
Wray may also face questions about the FBI’s investigation into the massive Russian hack of corporations and U.S. government agencies, which happened when elite hackers injected malicious code into a software update.
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By Polityk | 03/02/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Senate Confirms Cardona as Biden’s Education Secretary
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Biden’s effort to reopen the nation’s schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.Cardona, 45, a former public school teacher who went on to become Connecticut’s education chief, was approved on a 64-33 vote.He takes charge of the Education Department amid mounting tension between Americans who believe students can safely return to the classroom now, and others who say the risks are still too great.Although his position carries limited authority to force schools to reopen, Cardona will be asked to play a central role in achieving Biden’s goal of having a majority of elementary schools open five days a week within his first 100 days. He will be tasked with guiding schools through the reopening process and sharing best practices on how to teach during a pandemic.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month released a road map for getting students back into classrooms safely. The agency said masks, social distancing and other strategies should be used, but vaccination of teachers was not a prerequisite for reopening.Cardona, who gained attention for his efforts to reopen schools in Connecticut, has vowed to make reopening schools his top priority. At his Senate confirmation hearing last month, he said there are “great examples throughout our country of schools that have been able to reopen safely.”The debate has become a political firestorm for Biden, who is caught between competing interests as he aims to get students into the classroom without provoking the powerful teachers unions that helped put him in the White House. He says his goal of returning students to the classroom is possible if Congress approves his relief plan, which includes $130 billion for the nation’s schools.Republicans have rebuked Biden for failing to reopen schools faster, while teachers unions opposed the administration’s decision to continue with federally required standardized tests during the pandemic.The tricky terrain is nothing new for Cardona, however, who faced similar tension navigating the pandemic in Connecticut, and who has won early praise even from Biden’s critics.Republicans in Congress have applauded Cardona’s efforts to reopen schools in Connecticut, and some see him as a potential ally in their support for charter schools. Teachers, meanwhile, see him as a partner who brings years of experience in education and knows the demands of the teaching.The nomination continues a meteoric rise for Cardona, who was appointed to lead Connecticut’s education department in 2019 after spending 20 years working in Meriden, Connecticut, public schools — the same district he attended as a child.He began his career as a fourth-grade teacher before becoming the state’s youngest principal at age 28. In 2012, he was named Connecticut’s principal of the year, and in 2015 he became an assistant superintendent of the district. When he was appointed state education commissioner, he became the first Latino to hold the post.Cardona grew up in a public housing project in Meriden, raised by parents who came to Connecticut from Puerto Rico as children. Through his career, he has focused on closing education gaps and supporting bilingual education. It’s a personal issue for Cardona, who says he spoke only Spanish when he entered kindergarten and struggled to learn English.Cardona was the first in his family to graduate from college, and his three degrees include a doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut. He and his wife, Marissa, have two children in high school.His deep roots in public schooling fit the criteria Biden was looking for in an education secretary. During his campaign, Biden vowed to pick a secretary with experience in public education. It was meant to draw a contrast with then-secretary Betsy DeVos, a Michigan billionaire who spent decades advocating for school choice policies.In an increasingly fractionalized world of education, Cardona has vowed to be a unifier. At his confirmation hearing, he promised to engage with “the vast, diverse community of people who have a stake in education.” He added that, “we gain strength from joining together.”As he works to help schools reopen, he will also be tasked with helping them address the damage the pandemic has done to student learning. He has echoed Biden’s call for further education funding, saying schools will need to expand summer academic programs and hire more counselors to help students with mental health issues.He’s also likely to face an early test as he weighs how much flexibility to grant states as they administer standardized tests. Last week, the Education Department ordered states to continue with annual testing but said assessments could be offered online or delayed until fall. The agency also held out the possibility that states could be granted “additional assessment flexibility” in certain cases.Some states are already pushing for that extra flexibility, including Michigan, which is asking to replace state tests with local “benchmark” assessments that were administered this year. It will be up to Cardona to decide how much leniency to provide.Republicans have also set the stage for a fight over transgender athletes. At last month’s hearing, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., raised objections with policies that allow transgender girls to participate in girls’ athletics. It’s the subject of a legal battle in Connecticut, where some cisgender athletes are challenging a state policy that lets transgender students participate as their identified gender.Pressed by Paul to take a stance on the issue, Cardona said he would support the right of “all students, including students who are transgender.”
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By Polityk | 03/02/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Senate Committee Advances Biden’s AG Nominee
President Joe Biden’s choice for attorney general, Merrick Garland, moved one step closer to confirmation Monday when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance his nomination to the full Senate.Garland received bipartisan support from the committee with a final vote of 15-7.The vote comes one week after Garland was questioned by the committee.During his appearance before the committee, Garland said one of his top priorities would be investigating the January 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol.He also said enforcing civil rights would be prioritized.In his testimony, Garland stressed the importance of preserving the independence of the attorney general, saying he will “be the lawyer not for any individual but for the people of the United States.”He also sought to assure Republican lawmakers that he has no intention of curbing investigations started by attorneys general appointed by former President Donald Trump.Garland said he had not discussed the current federal investigation of Hunter Biden, the president’s son, with the new U.S. leader. The investigation involves the younger Biden’s overseas financial transactions and tax considerations. Both Bidens have said there was no wrongdoing.
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By Polityk | 03/02/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Reaffirms Control of Republican Party, Hints at 2024 Run
Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden’s policies and reaffirmed leadership of the Republican Party at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida on Sunday, his first major speech after leaving office. He hinted but did not confirm whether he will run again in 2024. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
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By Polityk | 03/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Assails Biden, Hints at 2024 Run for White House
Less than six weeks after leaving office, former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday unleashed a torrent of attacks on his successor, contending President Joe Biden has had the “most disastrous first month in modern history” in the White House and strongly hinting he may try to reclaim the presidency in the 2024 election.“In one short month, we’ve gone from America first to America last,” Trump told a cheering crowd of hundreds of conservative supporters crammed into a hotel ballroom in Orlando, Florida.“I may even decide to run again,” Trump told the gathering at the Conservative Political Action Conference but ruled out forming a third party. He vowed to campaign for “strong, tough Republican leaders” to try to retake control of the House of Representatives and Senate in the 2022 congressional elections halfway through Biden’s four-year term and then the White House two years later.Trump Rejoins US Political Fray at Conservative ConclaveOut of office, Trump set to claim his dominance of Republican Party“I wonder who that will be,” Trump said of the party’s 2024 presidential nominee in his first major address since leaving office. “Who, who, who will that be?” In a 90-minute speech, he left no doubt that it could be him, citing a poll taken at the highly partisan conference showing a 97% approval rating for his four years in the White House even as national polls of voters show Biden with a wide approval rating and Trump’s stock diminished since his White House tenure ended.Trump’s loss to Biden was fresh on his mind as he continued to voice months of unfounded allegations that he was cheated out of reelection.He voiced particular disdain for the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court, three of whose justices he appointed. He said the country’s highest court “didn’t have the guts or the courage” to hold a hearing on his election fraud claims. Trump and his supporters lost about 60 court challenges of the November vote.His supporters at the conference shouted, “You won! You won!” even though Biden won the national popular vote by 7 million votes and the Electoral College vote that decides U.S. presidential elections by a 306-232 margin.Trump did not directly mention the storming of the U.S. Capitol by hundreds of his supporters on January 6, mayhem that led to five deaths and his impeachment on a charge that he incited the insurrection by urging his supporters to go to the Capitol to confront lawmakers as they were certifying Biden’s victory.Republicans Hold Annual Conference With Trump Still at Center Stage Prominent annual gathering for conservatives will feature speech by former president on SundayTrump was acquitted in a Senate trial in early February, with the chamber voting 57-43 to convict him, short of the two-thirds vote necessary for a conviction.In his speech Sunday, Trump named all 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach him a week before he left office January 20 and all seven U.S. senators who voted to convict him in the five-day Senate trial.“Get rid of them all,” Trump demanded.He said lawmakers who have attacked him are “a handful of Washington political hacks.” He credited Democrats as being “smart” and “vicious,” but said they “have bad policies.”Trump assailed Biden’s dozens of executive orders, new directives that have overturned Trump’s tough immigration policies to thwart migrants at the U.S.-Mexican border and called for the U.S. to rejoin the World Health Organization and the international Paris climate change agreement.Trump’s supporters booed at the mention of Biden rejoining the Paris accord.He demanded that Biden reopen schools across the country, accusing him of fealty to teachers’ unions, some of which oppose classroom instruction amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Trump attacked Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, saying a chunk of it would go to “bail out badly run Democrat cities.”With millions of Americans now being vaccinated, Trump said, “Never let them forget this was our plan.”The Biden White House dismissed Trump’s speech.”While the GOP casts about for a path forward, President Biden is going to remain laser-focused on crushing the virus, re-opening schools, and getting Americans back to work,” White House spokesman Michael Gwin said after the speech.Despite the cheers at the conservative gathering, Trump’s political role in Republican circles in the coming months remains uncertain. A base of Trump voters remains loyal for sure, but some Washington lawmakers are skeptical of his staying power and some appear to be planning their own 2024 presidential campaigns. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and others are eyeing a run for the presidency. Haley has specifically said it is time for the party to move past the Trump era.Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be twice impeached and twice acquitted and the first president in 90 years to lose political control of the White House and both chambers of Congress in a single term in office.Conservatives at the three-day conference repeatedly cheered mention of his name, with many of them posing for pictures with a large golden caricature of his face that was sculpted in Mexico and was wheeled around the convention hall.Asked whether Trump still controls the Republican Party, Senator Rick Scott of Florida told the “Fox News Sunday” show, “It’s the voters’ party.” But he said he believes Trump is “going to be helpful” in the immediate future.“We’re on the right side of the issues,” Scott said of Republicans. “The Democrats are on the wrong side.”But one Republican lawmaker who voted to convict Trump on the impeachment charge, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, told CNN that if Republicans reclaim the White House in four years, “it will be because we speak to the issues, not by putting one person (Trump) on a pedestal. CPAC is not the entirety of the Republican Party.”“You’ve got to speak to voters who didn’t vote for us last time,” Cassidy said. “If we idolize one person, we will lose.”“I don’t think he’ll be our nominee,” Cassidy said. “We need a person who lifts all boats.”
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By Polityk | 03/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Rejoins US Political Fray at Conservative Conclave
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set Sunday to stake his claim as the dominant Republican in the country, trying to win back party control of Congress next year and possibly run again for the presidency in 2024.Trump is speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, a gathering in Orlando, Florida, of hundreds of the most ardent Republicans. While he has made some public comments since leaving Washington January 20, when his victorious Democratic reelection opponent, Joe Biden, took power, Trump’s speech is his first significant post-presidency address.”I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” Trump plans to say, according to excerpts released by aides.”We are gathered this afternoon to talk about the future — the future of our movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country,” he says.Republicans Hold Annual Conference With Trump Still at Center Stage Prominent annual gathering for conservatives will feature speech by former president on SundayBut Trump also is likely to mount his claim to dominance of the party, to leave his options open to run again in three years for another four-year term in the White House, at least to stall any momentum for other possible 2024 Republican candidates, including U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and others eyeing the presidency.Early national polls show voters giving wide approval to Biden’s first month-plus as president, including from some Republicans. But Trump, even if widely rejected by Democrats and a majority of independents, remains particularly popular among many Republican voters.Trump’s future as the dominant Republican figure in the U.S. remains an open question, however. He is the only president in U.S. history to be twice impeached and acquitted and the first president in 90 years to lose political control of the White House and both chambers of Congress in a single term in office.Conservatives at the three-day conference have cheered mention of his name, with many of them posing for pictures with a large golden caricature of his face that was sculpted in Mexico and now is being wheeled around the convention hall.The Senate earlier in February voted 57-43, with seven Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in the chamber, to convict Trump of inciting a mob of hundreds of his supporters that rampaged into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 as lawmakers were certifying that he had lost his November re-election to Biden. The Senate vote count fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for a conviction. The mayhem left five dead, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer. More than 200 rioters have been arrested as the investigation continues. The CPAC conference is one of the most prominent annual gatherings for conservatives and comes at a time of growing debate within the Republican Party over whether to distance themselves from the former president or continue to tie their future with his. Trump has signaled he wants to try to defeat or diminish the political standing of the 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted to impeach him in January, a week ahead of him leaving office, and the seven who voted to convict him at his Senate trial.Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, voted to acquit Trump at the impeachment trial, but then assailed Trump’s role in fomenting the storming of the Capitol, in which rioters smashed windows, ransacked congressional offices and scuffled with police. McConnell said Trump was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events” that led to the Capitol siege.Trump, in response, described McConnell as “a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack,” and said if Republican senators are going to stay with him, “they will not win again.”Even so, McConnell said last week he would support Trump for the presidency if Republican voters nominate him again in 2024.Asked whether Trump still controls the Republican Party, Senator Rick Scott of Florida told the “Fox News Sunday” show, “It’s the voters’ party.” But he said he believes Trump is “going to be helpful” in the immediate future.“We’re on the right side of the issues,” Scott said of Republicans. “The Democrats are on the wrong side.”One Republican lawmaker who voted to convict Trump on the impeachment charge, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, told CNN that if Republicans reclaim the White House in four years, “it will be because we speak to the issues, not by putting one person (Trump) on a pedestal. CPAC is not the entirety of the Republican Party.”“You’ve got to speak to voters who didn’t vote for us last time,” Cassidy said. “If we idolize one person, we will lose.”“I don’t think he’ll be our nominee,” Cassidy said. “We need a person who lifts all boats.”
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By Polityk | 03/01/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Durham Remains Special Counsel Overseeing Trump-Russia Probe
U.S. Attorney John Durham said Friday that he will resign from his position as the top federal prosecutor in Connecticut but is remaining as a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into the origins of the Russia probe that shadowed Donald Trump’s presidency.Durham will resign from his post as U.S. attorney for Connecticut on Monday. But Durham, who was appointed in October by then-Attorney General William Barr as a special counsel to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, will remain in that capacity.Like Durham, nearly every other U.S. attorney who served in the Trump administration was asked earlier this month to submit their resignations as the Biden administration moves to transition to its own nominees.The FBI in July 2016 began investigating whether the Trump campaign was coordinating with Russia to sway the outcome of the presidential election. That probe was inherited nearly a year later by special counsel Robert Mueller, who ultimately did not find enough evidence to charge Trump or any of his associates with conspiring with Russia.The early months of the investigation, when agents obtained secret surveillance warrants targeting a former Trump campaign aide, have long been scrutinized by Trump and other critics of the probe who say the FBI made significant errors. A Justice Department inspector general report backed up that criticism but did not find evidence that mistakes in the surveillance applications and other problems with the probe were driven by partisan bias.Durham’s investigation, which the Justice Department has described as a criminal probe, had begun very broadly, but Barr said in December that it had “narrowed considerably” and that it was “really is focused on the activities of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation within the FBI.”Durham’s investigation has so far resulted in one prosecution so far. A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation last month for altering an email the Justice Department relied on in its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.The U.S. attorneys transition process, which happens routinely between administrations, applies to a few dozen U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, and many of the federal prosecutors who were nominated by Trump have left their positions.A senior Justice Department official told the AP earlier this month that David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, overseeing the federal tax probe involving Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, will remain in place.The 93 U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and are responsible for overseeing offices of federal prosecutors and charged with prosecuting federal crimes in their jurisdictions.
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By Polityk | 02/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Republicans Hold Annual Conference With Trump Still at Center Stage
Republicans are holding their annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for the first time since former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, with Trump still at the center of the spotlight.Trump is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech Sunday to the conference in Orlando, Florida, making his first major public appearance since leaving office on January 20.A Trump aide told multiple media outlets the topic of Trump’s talk would be “the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement,” along with President Joe Biden’s “disastrous” immigration policies.The conference is one of the most prominent annual gatherings for conservatives and comes at a time of growing debate within the Republican Party over whether to distance themselves from the former president or whether to continue to tie their future with his.FILE – Former U.S. President Donald Trump.Fissures in the partyRifts in the Republican Party grew wider this month following the impeachment trial of Trump in which he was acquitted by a minority of the Senate in a 57-43 vote.Although Trump’s defense was able to prevent two-thirds of the chamber from finding him guilty of inciting the mob that overran the Capitol on January 6, seven Republicans joined all the Democratic senators in voting to convict the former president.Trump has lashed out at those Republican senators along with 10 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted to approve the articles of impeachment.His ire has recently been focused on Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the nation’s most senior elected Republican. McConnell voted to acquit Trump on a procedural point shared by many in the Republican Party that there was no constitutional ground to convict someone who was no longer in office. Despite his vote to acquit, McConnell said Trump was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events” that led to the Capitol siege.In a statement, Trump responded that “Mitch is a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again.”Despite the rift, McConnell indicated Thursday that he would not let the dispute interfere with Republican efforts to win the White House in 2024, including if Trump were to run again. When asked during an interview with Fox News if he would support Trump if he won the party’s nomination in 2024, McConnell replied, “Absolutely.”While some Republican lawmakers have expressed displeasure with Trump, the former president retains the strong backing of many state and local parties who have issued a string of censures to Republicans who did not support Trump in his impeachment trial.Conservative political consultant Roger Stone, center, arrives outside the convention center at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 27, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.Trump’s futureTrump has hinted that his days in politics are not over but has yet to say what role he wants to have moving forward.“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun,” Trump said in a statement following the impeachment vote.“In the months ahead, I have much to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people,” he added.Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong ally of Trump in recent years, argued recently that Trump was “the most vibrant member of the Republican Party.”“All I can say is that the most potent force in the Republican Party is President Trump. We need Trump,” he told “Fox News Sunday” this month.Some other Republicans have argued the party should move away from Trump, including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who was one of the lawmakers to vote against Trump at the impeachment trial.“The Republican Party is more than just one person. The Republican Party is about ideas,” he said this month on ABC’s “This Week.”While Cassidy argued for a new direction for the party at large, his own standing within the party could suffer for going against Trump. Earlier this month, he joined the growing list of Republicans to be censured by their state parties for their votes to convict Trump at the impeachment trial.Representative Liz Cheney, who was one of the 10 Republicans to vote for the article of impeachment and who was censured by her state party for doing so, was criticized again this week when asked if the former president should speak at the conservative conference.She said it was “up to CPAC,” before adding, “I’ve been clear in my views about President Trump and the extent to which, following January 6, I don’t believe he should be playing a role in the party.”Conservative shirts, hats, ties and other items are displayed for sale at the merchandise show at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 27, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.Conference speakersTrump has a long history with CPAC, founded in 1973, and the speech he gave to the group in 2011 is credited with helping to kick-start his political career.The roster of speakers at this year’s conference, which began Thursday, features a number of former Trump administration officials who have been closely aligned with him, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.Not on the list is Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence. Media reports said Pence was invited to address the conference but declined.Pence and Trump ended their four-year political partnership on tense terms after Pence certified the results of the 2020 presidential election for Biden despite objections from Trump.Also not speaking at this year’s conference is McConnell nor any of the Republican lawmakers who voted for Trump’s impeachment.The chairman of CPAC, Matt Schlapp, is a close ally of Trump, and he has ensured that the conference is a chorus of voices who support the former president. He also has organized conference panels on election integrity to look into Trump’s claims, without evidence, that illegal voting cost Trump the 2020 presidential election.CPAC is usually held near Washington but was moved this year to Orlando because local COVID restrictions there allow indoor events, as long as attendees are socially distanced and wear masks.The conference gives Trump an opportunity to broadcast his message to the Republican Party, a task that has become more difficult to do since his medium of choice, Twitter, suspended his account following the Capitol siege.Trump has kept a relatively low profile since he left the White House on January 20.Despite debate among some in the Republican Party over how much influence Trump should have, the former president’s approval among rank-and-file Republicans remains strong. Gallup reported this month that Trump’s approval among self-described Republicans stood at 94%.
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By Polityk | 02/28/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Calls on Senate to Pass $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill After House Approval
U.S. President Joe Biden called on the Senate Saturday to approve his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package the House of Representatives approved earlier in the day.
The spending package, which aims to provide relief to businesses, governments and millions of Americans whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, goes to the Senate for a vote after the lower chamber’s approval.
“The people of this country have suffered far too much for far too long,” Biden said in brief remarks from the Roosevelt Room in the White House before flying to his home state of Delaware for the weekend.
“We need to relieve that suffering,” Biden added. “The American Rescue Plan does just that. It relieves the suffering and it’s time to act.”
As expected, the 219-212 House vote was largely along party lines in the Democratic-controlled chamber, giving Biden his first major legislative victory since entering office on January 20.
Most Republicans oppose the cost of the measure that would cover the costs of vaccines and other medical supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 508,000 lives in the United States and pushed millions out of work.
The package would also provide an additional $1,400 direct payments to individuals and emergency financial aid to households, small businesses, and local and state governments.
Emergency unemployment benefits and tax breaks to lower wage earners and families with children would be funded in the relief bill, and business sectors hurt by the pandemic’s economic fallout, such as the restaurant and airline industries, would also receive financial relief.
A federal minimum hourly wage increase from $7.25 to $15 proposed by Democrats failed to make it in the final Senate version of the bill. The parliamentarian in the Senate, the chamber’s adviser on the interpretation of its rules and procedures, said Thursday the proposal had to be dropped from the bill, as required by chamber rules.
The decision by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough forces Democrats to seek other pathways for the minimum wage proposal to pass in the face of stiff Republican opposition.
Democratic leaders reportedly are trying to reassure progressive lawmakers that they will revive efforts to increase the minimum wage.
The relief bill now goes to the evenly divided 100-member Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US House Passes $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that aims to provide relief to businesses, governments and millions of Americans whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus crisis.Lawmakers voted early Saturday along party lines in the Democratic-controlled House, passing the measure by a vote of 219–212. The passage puts Biden on a path to his first major legislative victory since entering office Jan. 20.The COVID-19 relief package now moves to the evenly divided 100-member Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote.Democrats, who narrowly control the chamber, argued the measure was needed to revive the economy and to fight the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 510,000 lives in the United States. Republicans who largely backed previous COVID-19 spending say another $1.9 trillion is simply too expensive.The measure covers the costs of vaccines and other medical supplies and provides $1,400 direct payments to most Americans. It also provides emergency financial relief to local and state governments as well as business sectors hurt by the pandemic’s economic fallout, such as the restaurant and airline industries.The bill extends emergency unemployment benefits through August, increases tax breaks to lower wage earners and families with children, and gives financial aid to small businesses.A federal minimum hourly wage increase from $7.25 to $15 proposed by Democrats is in the final version of the bill, however that provision is not likely to win approval in the Senate. The parliamentarian in the Senate — the chamber’s adviser on the interpretation of its rules and procedures, which also votes on the package — said Thursday the proposal must be dropped from the bill, as required by chamber rules.The decision by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough forces Democrats to seek other pathways for the minimum wage proposal to pass in the face of stiff Republican opposition.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that Democrats would not give up on the federal minimum wage increase.“If it doesn’t prevail because of Senate rules, we will persist … we will not stop until we very soon pass the $15 minimum wage,” she said at a news conference.Democrats are pushing the measure through the Senate under special rules that bypass the filibuster, meaning they will not need any Republican votes if they stay united.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Warns Iran: ‘Be Careful’
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday warned Iran to tread carefully in Iraq following a U.S. airstrike that destroyed parts of a compound used by Iranian-backed militias as they travel between Syria and Iraq.“You can’t act with impunity,” Biden told reporters in Houston, when asked what message he was trying to send Tehran by ordering the airstrike, carried out late Thursday, that hit a compound in Boukamal, on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq.“Be careful,” he added.The president’s comments — coming nearly 24 hours after two U.S. F-15 Eagles dropped seven precision-guided bombs, destroying nine facilities and severely damaging two others — were his first about the strike, which has become the subject of a political debate in the U.S.Administration officials spent much of the day defending the strike, arguing it was necessary to protect American forces in the region following a series of rocket attacks, including two in the past two weeks in Irbil and Baghdad.US ‘Outraged’ After Rocket Salvo Slams Baghdad Monday’s attack comes one week after a contractor was killed in a rocket attack in Irbil While the Katyusha rocket attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone caused only limited damage, the attack outside Irbil International Airport, in northern Iraq, killed a contractor for the U.S.-led coalition and injured nine others.Some members of Biden’s own political party, however, voiced concern Friday that the president may have gone too far by ordering a retaliatory strike.“The American people deserve to hear the administration’s rationale for these strikes and its legal justification for acting without coming to Congress,” Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a member of both the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, said in a statement Friday.“Offensive military action without congressional approval is not constitutional absent extraordinary circumstances,” he added.Officials at the White House and the Pentagon quickly pushed back, arguing Biden was well within his rights, citing the attacks in Irbil and Baghdad while hinting more militia attacks were likely.”When threats are posed, he has the right to take an action at the time and in the manner of his choosing,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters accompanying the president on a trip to Houston.“The president is sending an unambiguous message that he’s going to act to protect Americans,” she said, adding, “There was a thorough legal process and review in advance.”The Pentagon on Friday said it had notified congressional leadership before the strike was launched and that a full, classified briefing was slated for the coming days.“This really was a defensive strike meant to help protect, in the future, American forces and coalition partners,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday.“We’re confident that these were legitimate targets,” he said. “We know that this compound was used by these groups to help resource and help facilitate their ability to conduct these kinds of attacks inside Iraq.”In a statement late Thursday, the Pentagon said the strike targeted a compound at a checkpoint on the Syrian side of the Iraq-Syria border used by Kataeb Hezbollah (KH) and Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).Initial U.S. assessments indicated there were also some casualties, though Kirby declined to share any specifics.“These targets were chosen carefully, very deliberately, and struck in exactly the same manner,” Kirby said.According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the U.S. airstrike targeted a weapons shipment destined for the Iranian-backed militias. Citing sources on the ground in Syria, it said 17 militia members were killed.Kataeb Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its fighters and condemned the U.S. action, insisting it was not involved in the recent attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.“We stress the legitimate right of our Iraqi people to respond to this cowardly criminal operation,” it said in a statement translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.The group also urged Iraqis to “expel the American occupation forces and prosecute the traitors who conspire with them.”Iraqi officials, meanwhile, denied providing the U.S. with any assistance that led to targeting the Boukamal site, insisting cooperation with Washington was limited to the fight against the Islamic State terror group.بيان من المكتب الاعلامي لوزير الدفاعتعبر وزارة الدفاع العراقية عن استغرابها لما ورد في تصريحات وزير الدفاع الامريكي والمتعلقة بحصول تبادل للمعلومات الاستخباراتية مع العراق سبق استهداف بعض المواقع في الاراضي السورية. pic.twitter.com/Ve35X1RtwW— وزارة الدفاع العراقية (@modmiliq) February 26, 2021Kirby said while Baghdad did not provide any intelligence that helped in targeting the Iran-backed militia facilities, Iraqi intelligence “was able to help us better determine who was responsible” for the rocket attacks on U.S. and coalition troops.For its part, Iran condemned the U.S. airstrike, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh labeling it an “illegal aggression.”Syria’s Foreign Ministry likewise chastised Washington, saying, “It [the Biden administration] is supposed to stick to international legitimacy, not to the law of the jungle as [did] the previous administration.”Whether the U.S. strike will send a message and do much to deter the Iranian-backed militias, however, remains to be seen.“It sent the signal that Biden won’t be a pushover on [Iranian] proxy activities, though the Iranians may not even register that,” said Phillip Smyth, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who studies Shiite militias in the region.“It’s a softer, but still a rather nuanced hit,” Smyth added of the U.S. decision to strike a target in Syria, saying the response from the militias so far had been somewhat muted.“I get the impression it will cool down for a little bit and then possibly heat up,” he said.VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara and Reuters contributed to this report.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Bans 76 Saudis Over Khashoggi Murder
US intelligence agencies released a report to Congress on Friday concluding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation in 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey, ‘to capture or kill’ Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and US resident. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports on reaction to the long-awaited report.
Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
FBI Monitoring Domestic Extremists Who Might Threaten Biden’s Speech to Congress
The FBI is keeping close watch on violent domestic extremists who might pose a threat to the U.S. Capitol when President Joe Biden delivers a speech before a joint session of Congress next month, a senior FBI official said Friday.
“We have been worried that domestic violent extremists would react not only to the results of an election that they might not see as favorable, but the transition of a government that they may question,” the senior official told reporters on a press call.
“And so I think for the near future as we continue to go through that process — and I would view the first address [to] the nation part of that process — that we are watching very closely for any reaction from individuals that would show either an intent to commit an attack or somebody that has already committed one,” the official said. The official asked not to be named.
The comments came a day after the acting head of the U.S. Capitol Police warned that militia groups involved in the January 6 attack on the complex by supporters of former President Donald Trump want to “blow up” the building during Biden’s speech.
“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6 have stated their desire that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible, with a direct nexus to the State of the Union,” Yogananda Pittman, the acting police chief, told lawmakers.In response, Pittman said, the Capitol Police force has kept in place security barriers and other enhanced measures implemented after the January 6 attack, steps that she said will likely be removed as the threat dissipates.President Joe Biden delivers a speech on foreign policy, at the State Department, Feb. 4, 2021, in Washington.
A date for Biden’s speech has not been announced yet. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Biden will deliver his speech after Congress passes the president’s $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package. Psaki referred a question about the threat to the Secret Service.The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment,Threats of right-wing violence ahead of Biden’s inauguration on January 20 led to the unprecedented deployment of more than 25,000 National Guard to Washington. While the ceremony passed without incident, security around the Capitol remains tight with fences that are more than 2 meters high still in place.
The attack on the Capitol left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer, and at least 140 other officers injured. It has also triggered a wide-ranging FBI investigation of an estimated 800 Trump supporters who stormed the building and others responsible for the attack.What the FBI knew about the threat of violence to the Capitol and how it conveyed that information to law enforcement agencies have become the subject of controversy in recent week.In the late hours of January 5, the FBI shared with law enforcement agencies a “raw intelligence” report that cited online chatter about impending violence aimed at Congress. “Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in,” the report quoted from an online thread.But Pittman said that even if it had reached them, it would not have changed their “security posture” as it was consistent with Capitol Police’s own threat assessment. Further, Pittman noted, the report advised law enforcement agencies not to “take action based on this reporting.”Meanwhile, the FBI’s massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the Capitol attack has resulted in more than 300 charges and more than 280 arrests, according to acting deputy attorney general John Carlin.
“The investigation into those responsible is moving at a speed and scale that’s unprecedented and rightly so,” Carlin told reporters during the press call. “Those responsible must be held to account, and they will be.”Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump clash with police at the west entrance of the Capitol during a “Stop the Steal” protest outside of the Capitol building in Washington D.C., Jan. 6, 2021.Of those arrested to date, more than two dozen are alleged members of the Oath Keepers, a loosely organized collection of militiamen and other anti-government activists, and the Proud Boys, a pro-Trump right wing organization. But the vast majority have no known ties to any domestic extremist groups.The attack has renewed attention to the growing threat of domestic terrorism in the United States. In recent years, violent domestic extremists have caused more deaths in the U.S. than terrorists with ties to international groups, the FBI official said, noting that 2019 was the deadliest year for violent domestic extremism since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.Last year the FBI arrested about 180 individuals involved in connection with acts of domestic terrorism, the official said.“We are increasingly arresting more domestic terrorists each year, and … we’ve arrested more this year than previous years,” the official said.The FBI investigates five types of domestic terrorism, two of which it has prioritized in the last two years — anti-government violent extremism and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Between 2015 and 2019, the most lethal threat posed by domestic terrorists came from racially motivated violent extremists such as white supremacists, the official said.While 2020 marked the first year in nearly a decade without a fatal attack by white supremacists, three of the four lethal attacks reported during the year were committed by anti-government individuals, the official said.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Allies Show Fealty to Former President With Golden Statue
U.S. conservatives praised Donald Trump at an annual gathering Friday, even unveiling a golden statue of the former president, showing he remains a Republican political force despite violent scenes in Washington last month.Prominent congressional conservatives — including Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley and Representatives Steve Scalise and Matt Gaetz — were among the Trump loyalists speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, which Trump will address on Sunday.Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.”Let me tell you something: Donald Trump ain’t going anywhere,” Senator Ted Cruz said.Trump’s tumultuous final weeks in office saw his supporters launch a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 to try to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election, a win that Trump falsely claimed was tainted by widespread fraud.Golden statueIf there was any doubt that CPAC this year was devoted to Trump, the statue of the former president, dressed in a blue jacket, red tie, and red, white and blue boxing shorts, was on display at the conference site.The statue drew instant derision online.”Idol worship isn’t conservative. #RestoreOurGop,” Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the January 6 attack, said on Twitter.Gaetz declared himself part of the “pro-Trump, America First” wing of the conservative movement. “We’re not really a wing, we’re the whole body,” he said.He also appeared to forecast a future role for Trump, who is pondering another run for president in 2024: “Trump may not have drained the swamp all the way – yet.”Trump is expected to speak Sunday about the future of the party and lay out policy differences within a group riven by differences in the wake of his four years in office.”The divide right now is between the ‘Beltway elites’ and the conservative grassroots around the country,” said a Trump adviser who helped prepare the speech.Trump will also offer rhetoric critical of Biden.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Fla.Trump supporters at the conference on Friday repeated some of his false claims, arguing that they justified new restrictions on voting.In addition to the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, seven Senate Republicans voted to convict him of inciting insurrection, although the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict.Some advisers say they want Trump not to use his speech to relitigate the election at length but instead offer a road map to Republicans’ regaining control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2022 congressional elections.2024 candidacy?The prospect of Trump, 74, running for president again in 2024 complicates life for other Republican presidential hopefuls, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Vice President Mike Pence.Pence, who was in the Capitol with his family when rioters stormed in chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!” was not expected to attend this year’s CPAC.CPAC is an event organized by the American Conservative Union, whose chairman, Matt Schlapp, is close to Trump. It is a prime venue for speakers who want to gauge interest in whether they should run for president based on the enthusiasm they generate.Many Republicans think Trump will flirt with another run to freeze the 2024 field but believe he will ultimately opt out of running. Trump himself has mused privately to advisers that he would like to run.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Visits Texas to Survey Storm Damage
U.S. President Joe Biden visits the state of Texas on Friday to survey the extensive damage caused by a severe winter storm that triggered power outages and the loss of drinking water to millions of homes during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden and his wife, Jill, will visit a food bank in Houston, the largest city in Texas. They will also tour an emergency operations center before the president delivers remarks at a Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 vaccination facility housed in a local stadium. At least 40 people in Texas were killed in a severe winter storm that swept across southern U.S. states in mid-February. Texas was hardest hit by the unusually cold temperatures that triggered widespread power outages and caused frozen water pipes to burst, flooding homes and leaving many without heat and running water. FILE – People wait in line to fill propane tanks in Houston, Texas, Feb. 17, 2021. Millions in the state had no power after a historic snowfall and freezing temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity the power grid could not provide.Temperatures in the region are returning to normal, but more than 1 million Texas residents are still under orders to boil water before drinking it. Biden has issued disaster declarations in 108 of the state’s 254 counties and signaled he may increase the number. Texas Governor Greg Abbott asked Biden last week to issue disaster declarations in all counties. Biden, a Democrat, will be accompanied by the Republican governor, who initially did not recognize his November presidential victory over Donald Trump, as he meets with local leaders and volunteers to discuss the storm and relief and recovery efforts. The declarations authorize FEMA to provide funding for temporary housing, home repairs, and low interest loans for uninsured property losses. The action also frees up funding to help distressed individuals and businesses owners. During the visit, Biden’s first to a disaster site since taking office nearly six weeks ago, he also plans to encourage people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to help contain the pandemic that has killed more than 508,000 people in the United States. The disaster, coupled with the coronavirus crisis, poses a test to Biden’s promise to unify the country by working for all segments of American society. The White House said Biden will bring empathy and assurances of federal financial help to Texas but will refrain from lecturing about the perils of the state’s lack of regulation of its power grid.
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By Polityk | 02/27/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Native American Nominee’s Grilling Raises Questions on Bias
When Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso snapped at Deb Haaland during her confirmation hearing, many in Indian Country were incensed. The exchange, coupled with descriptions of the Interior secretary nominee as “radical” — by other white, male Republicans — left some feeling Haaland is being treated differently because she is a Native American woman. “If it was any other person, they would not be subjected to being held accountable for their ethnicity,” said Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah in Massachusetts. FILE – Senator John Barrasso, R-WY, listens to Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., during a confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill, Feb. 23, 2021.At Wednesday’s hearing, Barrasso wanted assurance that Haaland would follow the law when it comes to imperiled species. Before the congresswoman finished her response, Barrasso shouted, “I’m talking about the law!” Barrasso, former chairman of Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said his uncharacteristic reaction was a sign of frustration over Haaland dodging questions. Among Haaland supporters across the nation who tuned in virtually, it was infuriating. “It was horrible. It was disrespectful,” said Rebecca Ortega of Santa Clara Pueblo in Haaland’s home state of New Mexico. “I just feel like if it would have been a white man or a white woman, he would never have yelled like that.” The Interior Department has broad oversight of energy development, along with tribal affairs, and some Republican senators have labeled Haaland “radical” over her calls to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and address climate change. They said that could hurt rural America and major oil and gas-producing states. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy after two days of hearings called Haaland a “neo-socialist, left-of-Lenin whack job.” Andrews-Maltais saw “radical” as a code for “you’re an Indian.” FILE – Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., speaks during a hearing on the nomination of Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, on Capitol Hill, Feb. 24, 2021.But Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana said it’s not about race. Daines frequently uses the term to describe Democrats and their policies, including President Joe Biden and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, whom Daines defeated in November. “As much as I would love to see a Native American be on the president’s Cabinet, I have concerns about her record. … To say otherwise is outrageous and offensive,” he told The Associated Press. Civil rights activists say Haaland’s treatment fits a pattern of minority nominees encountering more political resistance than white counterparts. FILE – Neera Tanden, nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget, appears before a Senate Committee on Capitol Hill, Feb. 10, 2021.The confirmation of Neera Tanden, who would be the first Indian American to head the Office of Management and Budget, was thrown into doubt when it lost support from Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.He cited her controversial tweets attacking members of both parties. FILE – Associate Attorney General nominee Vanita Gupta speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Jan. 7, 2021.Critics also have targeted Vanita Gupta, an Indian American and Biden’s pick to be associate attorney general, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Health and Human Services secretary.Conservatives launched campaigns calling Gupta “dangerous” and questioning Becerra’s qualifications. FILE – Xavier Becerra testifies during a hearing on his nomination to be secretary of Health and Human Services, on Capitol Hill, Feb. 24, 2021.Democrats pushed back against Haaland’s treatment and questioned whether attempts to block her nomination are motivated by something other than her record. Former U.S. Sens. and cousins Tom Udall of New Mexico and Mark Udall of Colorado said Haaland “should be afforded the same respect and deference” as other nominees. The hearing itself, in which Haaland was grilled on oil and gas development, national parks and tribes, represented a cultural clash in how the Democrats and many Indigenous people view the world — everything is intertwined and must exist in balance, preserving the environment for generations to come. That was seen in Haaland’s response when asked about her motivation to be Interior secretary. She recalled a story about Navajo Code Talkers in World War II who prioritized coming up with a word in their native language for “Mother Earth.” “It’s difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land, and I feel that every Indigenous person in this country understands that,” she said. That broader historical context is missing from Republican talking points against Haaland that instead simplify the debate to a battle between industry and environmentalists, said Dina Gilio-Whitaker, a lecturer in American Indian studies at California State University, San Marcos. “There’s obviously a really huge conversation about how the land came to be the United States to begin with,” she said. “That’s the elephant in the living room nobody wants to talk about.” Andrew Werk Jr., president of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes on Montana’s Fort Belknap Reservation, said Republicans’ brusque treatment of Haaland was unfair to her and to Americans. But he doesn’t see any racial bias in Daines’ actions for dismissing Haaland as a “radical,” only hardened partisanship. “For all the reasons Senator Daines opposes her, those are all the reasons we support her in Fort Belknap,” Werk said. “Our land is our identity, and as tribes we want to be good stewards and protect that.” FILE – U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM), top right, is honored by Ho-Chunk tribal drummers at a reception hosted by the Congressional Native American Caucus in Washington, Jan. 3, 2019.Despite Republican opposition, Haaland has enough Democratic support to become the first Native American to lead the Interior Department. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on the nomination next week before the full Senate chimes in. Haaland, 60, weaved childhood memories, experiences on public land and tribes’ rights into her answers during the hearing. She talked about carrying buckets of water for her grandmother down a dusty road at Laguna Pueblo, where she’s from, careful not to spill a drop because she recognized its importance. She talked about harvesting an oryx, a type of antelope, that fed her family for a year, about her support for protecting grizzly bears indefinitely and her ancestors’ sacrifices. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe, which gets much of its revenue from a coal mine on its southeastern Montana reservation, said Republicans have “legitimate concerns about natural resources.” But he urged them to consider the historic nature of Haaland’s nomination. “A Native woman up for confirmation — her issues are Indian Country issues,” White Clay said. Haaland pledged to carry out Biden’s agenda, sidestepping specifics on what she would do if confirmed. While the vagueness rattled Republicans, her backers said it showed she’s a consensus-builder. “She did not lose her cool,” said Kalyn Free, who is Choctaw and supports Haaland. “To me, that’s not an indicator of her performance. … That’s because she had to put up with this crap for 60 years. This was not a new experience for her.”
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By Polityk | 02/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US House to Vote on $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives votes Friday on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-relief package that aims to provide relief to businesses, governments and millions of Americans whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus crisis.
Lawmakers are expected to vote largely along party lines in the Democratic-controlled House. Passage would give Biden his first major legislative victory since entering office on January 20.
Debate over the package will likely be vigorous. Most Republicans oppose the cost of the measure that would cover the costs of vaccines and other medical supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 508,000 lives in the United States and pushed millions out of work.
The package would also provide an additional $1,400 direct payments to individuals and emergency financial aid to households, small businesses, and local and state governments.
Emergency unemployment benefits and tax breaks to lower wage earners and families with children would be funded in the relief bill, and business sectors hurt by the pandemic’s economic fallout, such as the restaurant and airline industries, would also receive financial relief.
A federal minimum hourly wage increase from $7.25 to $15 proposed by Democrats is unlikely to be in the final version of the bill. The parliamentarian in the Senate — the chamber’s advisor on the interpretation of its rules and procedures, which also votes on the package — said Thursday the proposal must be dropped from the bill, as required by chamber rules.
The decision by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough forces Democrats to seek other pathways for the minimum wage proposal to pass in the face of stiff Republican opposition.
Democrats have a 221-211 advantage in the House, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi hopes nearly all Democrats will vote to approve the relief bill, paving the way for a vote in the evenly divided 100-member Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has the tie-breaking vote.
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By Polityk | 02/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Referee Says Democrats Can’t Include $15 Wage in COVID-19 Bill
The Democratic-controlled Senate cannot include President Joe Biden’s proposed $15 per hour minimum wage in a $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill the party aims to pass without Republican votes, the body’s parliamentarian ruled, a Bloomberg reporter said Thursday on Twitter.Bloomberg White House reporter Jennifer Epstein tweeted that the Senate parliamentarian had “ruled minimum-wage boost out of order.”Biden and many of his fellow Democrats want to more than double the minimum wage by 2025 to $15 per hour. They included the rise in his coronavirus relief bill to help tackle the heavy human and economic toll of the pandemic, which has killed more than 500,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work.Democrats are trying to advance the COVID-19 bill under a special budget reconciliation process that would allow them to pass it in the Senate using a simple majority, so they will not need Republican support.But there are rules that limit what can be included using that process, and it is the job of Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to determine what is allowed.A negative ruling, however, would not mean the idea of raising the minimum wage is dead. Proponents could seek to pass a separate bill without using the reconciliation process, but they presumably would need Republican support.
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By Polityk | 02/26/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
