Congress sends stopgap spending bill to Biden’s desk, averting shutdown for now
Jennifer Shutt, Alabama Reflector WASHINGTON — U.S. senators voted 87-11 to approve legislation Wednesday that would fund the government into next year, clearing the measure for President Joe Biden’s signature. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution or CR, would fund part of the government until mid-January and the rest of the programs within the annual appropriations process through early February. But many hurdles likely remain before a final deal is reached on full-year spending. Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, said just before the bill passed that she’s already turned her attention to “what happens next.” “Because avoiding a shutdown is so very far from mission accomplished,” Murray said. “We have a lot of work to do after the dust settles and before the next shutdown deadline comes up. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back.” That conference process between the House and Senate, Murray said, will require “listening to the other side, making some tough decisions, leaving out partisan nonstarters, and writing a bill that can actually pass into law.” “That is going to make a difference for people we represent at home,” Murray said. The House voted 336-95 to approve the stopgap legislation on Tuesday, and Biden is expected to sign it before current funding expires Friday at midnight. House members abruptly canceled further votes and left D.C. for their Thanksgiving recess on Wednesday morning, after far-right members objected to advancing a different spending bill. More time needed The stopgap spending bill is intended to give the Republican House, Democratic Senate, and White House more time to reach agreement on the dozen full-year spending bills. Congress was supposed to finish its work by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 but is relying on the stopgap spending bill to continue current funding levels until a deal is negotiated. Reaching agreement is a well-established practice for the four leaders of the Appropriations Committees — Senate Chair Murray; Senate ranking member Susan Collins, a Maine Republican; House Chair Kay Granger, a Texas Republican; and House ranking member Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat. The four lawmakers have years of experience working out bipartisan deals on spending bills as well as other legislation, but they all often caution against politics or outside influences meddling in those negotiations. “Appropriators left to their own devices” can reach agreement, they often say. But they rarely are left to do their work. New faces in the talks Sign-off on the final dozen full-year bills also falls to the four congressional leaders. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, have plenty of experience negotiating spending bills and other consequential legislation with each other. Joining them at the table this year will be newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York. Both are new to forging agreement on the annual appropriations bills, which last year totaled about $1.7 trillion. Congress will have until Jan. 19 to come to find compromise on the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD spending bills. They’ll have until Feb. 2 to reach a deal on the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations appropriations bills. The Senate drafted its dozen spending bills to the total spending levels in the debt limit law that Congress approved this summer. But House Republicans wrote their bills more than $100 billion below those levels and added in dozens of hot-button policy proposals that stand no chance of becoming law. Collins said Wednesday that she met with Johnson last week to talk about total funding levels and the supplemental spending package that Congress could pass in the coming weeks to fund Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and U.S. border security. Ultimately, she said, congressional leaders will be the ones who decide whether to stick to the spending levels in the debt limit law or go in a different direction. “To me, it should be guided by the numbers in the (Fiscal Responsibility Act), plus the side agreement that was worked out between Speaker McCarthy and President Biden,” Collins said, referring to the debt limit deal from earlier this year and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. In the meantime, she suggested, the Senate could take up a four-bill spending package that includes the Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Defense, and Labor-HHS-Education spending bills. “That might be a good four-bill package that we could bring,” Collins said. A senior appropriator, speaking on background, said Wednesday that a proposal was circulating that would have the Senate turn to that exact four-bill spending package once it gets back from the Thanksgiving recess. The Senate has approved a three-bill package with a broadly bipartisan vote and the House has approved seven bills without Democrats’ support. House exit The House was set to vote on two additional spending bills this week, but Republican leaders announced late Wednesday morning the chamber was done until after the Thanksgiving break. The canceled votes came after the House was unable to adopt the rule that would have set up debate on the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill, amid anger on the stopgap spending bill from far-right members of the party. Senate Republican Whip John Thune, of South Dakota, said Wednesday it will be difficult to work out agreements between the two chambers on the dozen appropriations bills before the new deadlines. “One of the biggest challenges, obviously, is there’s a difference in numbers between the House and the Senate,” Thune said, noting the two chambers will have to deal with that when they begin the conference process. “And I think we have to give that a chance,” Thune said. “You’ve got a new speaker over there. It seems like people want to cooperate a bit, so let’s see if they can move bills.” Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a
Mike Johnson elected speaker of the House after three weeks of infighting
By Casey Harper | The Center Square The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as speaker of the House, ending more than three weeks without a speaker and a string of chaotic meetings and votes on Capitol Hill. Johnson received multiple standing ovations from his colleagues Wednesday before securing the speakership. The final vote was 220-209, with Democrats supporting Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the people’s House,” Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said in a speech from the House floor ahead of the vote, calling Johnson “a man of deep faith,” and “a deeply respected Constitutional lawyer.” “Mike is strong, tough, and fair, and above all, Mike is kind,” Stefanik added. Stefanik announced on Sunday nine candidates that were making a bid to be speaker, but that number was slowly whittled down as lawmakers dropped out. “Today is the day we get this done,” Stefanik said in her Wednesday speech. U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., gave a speech from the floor to nominate Jeffries for speaker and attack Republicans. Jeffries blasted Republicans for “all of the infighting, all of the disarray just to end up where we were three weeks ago.” Johnson pitched Republicans on an aggressive legislative agenda over the next few weeks. Under his leadership, the House will face a looming partial government shutdown deadline in the middle of November as well as ongoing calls to fund Ukraine and Israel in their respective wars. “We must govern well and expand our majority next year,” Johnson said in a letter to his fellow Republicans over the weekend, asking for support in the speakership race. President Joe Biden called on Congress last week for more than $100 billion to that end, as well as funding for Taiwan, the immigration issue, and other priorities. That proposal was met with immediate pushback from Republicans in the House and Senate. Some funding for Israel, though, is likely to pass. More funding for Ukraine has become a divisive issue for Republicans, and it remains unclear how many more billions lawmakers will be willing to send to Ukraine. Notably, U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, was running for speaker but later dropped out and told reporters he was supporting Johnson. The chaotic three-week battle for a speaker began when U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed a motion to vacate former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. At that point, Majority Leader Steve Scalise won the nomination but quickly backed out after being unable to secure the needed votes. After that, House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, won the nomination but lost it days later after three failed votes on the House floor, with 25 Republicans ultimately voting against him. Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was next to secure the nomination but almost immediately withdrew after failing to gain support. Notably, former President Donald Trump campaigned against Emmer. Before the vote Wednesday, Johnson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a picture of the American flag in the House Chamber, which has inscribed above it, “In God We Trust.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Tom Emmer drops bid to be Speaker: House Republicans back to square one
On Tuesday, the House Republican Conference met to decide who would be their next nominee to be the Speaker of the House. They chose House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota). Emmer had the endorsement of ousted Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-California). It was the safe choice. Emmer had waited his turn behind McCarthy and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), and he was respected on Capitol Hill. It was also a doomed choice. Emmer won a narrow victory and excited no one in the conservative base that appears to want unprecedented influence on how the GOP actually governs and who it elects to the Speakership. Former President Donald Trump (R) criticized the selection, as did a number of conservative influences. Within a few hours of being elected as the nominee, Emmer admitted his cause was hopeless and withdrew from the race. Emmer was criticized by conservatives for voting for the Respect for Marriage Act, voting to certify the 2020 election results, and for being the number three person on the leadership team that some conservatives felt had not represented them. Alabama Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) withdrew from the Speaker’s race the morning before the Conference even voted. “If withdrawing my name can help expedite that process even a little, then I will gladly step aside,” Palmer said in a statement. “The candidate forum and individual conversations have given me great hope for the future of the 118th Congress.” In the vote of the Conference, Emmer narrowly beat Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma) for the nomination. Hearn is back in the running for the spot to be the fourth nominee, as well as Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). Scalise had been the Conference’s first choice, but he could not get the support of the ultra-right Freedom Caucus members, so he withdrew without a floor vote. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was the next nominee. Jordan had the support of Trump, but it was not enough. Despite bringing his case to the floor three separate times, Jordan could not win over GOP moderates who were angry at conservatives for having failed to support Scalise. Conservatives have now rejected Emmer as being too much of a moderate. The Republicans control the chamber by a 221 to 212 margin. Democrats continue to vote for their candidate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York). The House Republican Conference is expected to meet on Wednesday to seek a new nominee. Election as Speaker requires a minimum of 217, so only a small faction of 5 or more Republicans is sufficient to sabotage any Republican nominee for the post. Long gone are the days when Republican Congressmen would carry out the will of the majority of their Conference and show no public divisions. This Caucus appears to be bitterly divided and is unashamed to make those divisions all too public. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republicans announce nine new speaker candidates
By Casey Harper | The Center Square Nine new Republican lawmakers have thrown their hat in the ring to become the next speaker of the U.S. House. Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik released the list of candidates, who had until noon Sunday to announce their candidacy. The list, which Stefanik posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, is as follows: The new list of candidates comes after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the role when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed a motion to vacate. Then, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was the party’s choice to become speaker, but he withdrew when he was unable to get the support he needed. House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was next in line and worked for several days to get the needed 217 votes to become speaker. However, at least 20 Republicans voted against him across his three floor-vote attempts, and on Friday, his nomination was revoked. Some of the candidates have more support than others. Donalds’ announcement drew more attention than some others. Emmer has been a rumored pick for speaker as well. However, conservative Republicans have expressed frustration with moderate Republicans for rejecting Jordan, who had significant support with the Republican base but was seen as a hardline conservative who questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election. “The most popular Republican in Congress was just knifed in an anonymous vote in a secret closed-door meeting in the basement of the Capitol,” Gaetz wrote on X Friday. “This is the Swamp at work.” Meanwhile, some more moderate Republicans have expressed frustration with Gaetz and do not want to reward his ousting of McCarthy with an aggressive conservative pick. As The Center Square previously reported, Jordan sparked pushback from his own party on Thursday after reports surfaced that he said behind closed doors he would back the speaker pro Tempore, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., for a limited temporary speakership role so the government could be funded and other key legislative goals hit. The federal government faces a partial shutdown in November, and there is increasing pressure to send more funds for the Ukraine and Israel wars. President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass a spending package of $105 billion for those wars as well as some border funding and money for Taiwan, which national security experts say China could invade at any time. Jordan later addressed reporters, announcing he would drop that plan and instead hold another vote. That plan still has potential to take effect. While many Republicans have expressed opposition to the idea, Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has seemed open to the idea when talking with reporters. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Jim Jordan nabs key nominations for speaker heading into Tuesday vote
By Casey Harper | The Center Square U.S. House Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio has picked up several key endorsements heading into a scheduled Tuesday vote for the next speaker of the House. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., became the center of controversy over the weekend after news broke that he was reportedly considering working with Democrats to elect Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries given the Republican party’s inability to pick a speaker so far. By Monday morning, Rogers publicly endorsed Jordan. “[Jordan] and I have had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,” Rogers wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We agreed on the need for Congress to pass a strong NDAA, appropriations to fund our government’s vital functions, and other important legislation like the Farm Bill. “Since I was first elected to the House, I have always been a team player and supported what the majority of the Republican Conference agrees to,” he added. Jordan, who sent out a letter to fellow Republicans Monday calling to bring the party together, responded on X, thanking Rogers for the endorsement. “Thank you, Chairman Rogers,” Jordan wrote. “Your leadership is just what our Conference needs right now. We must all keep coming together and get back to work.” That move significantly dampens what some Democrats had hoped for, namely the chance to lead the House even without a majority of members. They have blasted Jordan in particular for his questioning of the 2020 election results in the immediate aftermath of that election leading into the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. “Jim Jordan’s lack of legislative history and predisposition to burn everything down (i.e. 2013 shutdown, 2018-19 government shutdown, Boehner speakership) makes for a dangerous leader,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, wrote on X. “The only path forward is a bipartisan governing coalition.” Another lawmaker, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., just last week told reporters that she would “absolutely not” vote for Jordan as Speaker. Wagner, at the time, backed Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who later withdrew after failing to win enough support. On Monday, though, she also released a public endorsement backing Jordan. “Let me be clear, I am not, and will not, work with Democrats as our Republican Conference comes together to elect a conservative Speaker of the House,” Wagner said in a statement Monday, also saying that “we must elect a conservative as the next Speaker” before going on to give Jordan a full endorsement. “Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation,” Wagner said. The closer Jordan gets to the needed 217 votes to become speaker, the harder it will be for holdout Republicans to justify why they are not electing a speaker, especially with another government shutdown coming in mid-November as well as calls for funding for the Ukraine and Israel conflicts. Jordan is reportedly having ongoing meetings with lawmakers who are locking up key endorsements, bringing him closer to the speakership. “Keeping America safe is my top priority in Congress,” Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote on X Monday. “After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor. Let’s get to work.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Steve Scalise faces significant opposition in speakership bid
By Casey Harper | The Center Square U.S. House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was the leading contender to be the Speaker of the House Thursday morning, but mounting opposition is threatening his chance. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is a key contender as well, but at least for now, neither seems able to nab the 217 needed votes to become speaker of the House. Meanwhile, Democrats have nominated Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to be speaker. While Republicans will likely be unwilling to support that choice, they may have to work with Democrats to find a lawmaker palatable enough to both sides. Until the House selects a speaker, no legislation can go forward. After Scalise’s nomination, there were hopes of an immediate vote but is still working to rally the 217 votes needed to become House Speaker. Republicans met again Thursday, but a vote has yet to take place. The pushback comes after Scalise received the support of a majority of his fellow House Republicans for the speaker of the House nomination during a closed-door conference meeting Wednesday. That vote was conducted by secret ballot, with Scalise narrowly besting Jordan on a vote of 113-99, according to multiple media reports. Some Republicans have taken issue with having the votes behind closed doors. “Let’s do this on the House floor instead of behind closed doors. Stop dragging it out,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “If Kevin McCarthy had to go 15 rounds then the next Speaker should be able to do the same or more if they have to.” Jordan, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, still has the support of some Republicans despite Scalise’s majority win. “I will be voting for Jim Jordan to be Speaker of the House on the floor when the vote is called. In conference, Jordan received 99 votes and Scalise received 113,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Fla., wrote on X. “We had a chance to unify the party behind closed doors, but the Swamp and K Street lobbyists prevented that. The American people deserve a real change in leadership, not a continuation of the status quo.” And some Republicans are optimistic that Jordan could re-enter the race if Scalise fails to get momentum. “Just for clarification: I was one of the earliest endorsers for Jim Jordan for Speaker,” Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, wrote on X. “I whipped hard for his support around the Republican conference and I enthusiastically voted for Jim for speaker yesterday. Jim is a great conservative and I was proud to be one of his strongest supporters. Last night when we voted, Steve Scalise received the majority of votes. Jim Jordan withdrew his name from consideration and pledged to vote for Steve Scalise, as did I. It is now up to Scalise to get 217 votes on the floor of the House. “If Steve Scalise can’t win the Speakership, I will be aggressively urging Jim to put his name back in the race,” he added. Scalise is the current Majority Leader, so a significant leadership role in the party will immediately become vacant if he becomes speaker. U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who only narrowly won the speakership earlier this year after more than a dozen public votes, said he will not run again after being ousted by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, and a handful of other Republicans. Later, though, McCarthy softened his tone, saying he would let the conference decide. Another key issue for lawmakers to handle is whether one lawmaker will still be able to file a motion to vacate the speaker, an unusual allowance given by McCarthy to secure the needed votes after the series of speakership votes earlier this year. Gaetz used that very allowance to file the motion that led to the ousting of McCarthy that kicked off this battle for the speakership. Now, lawmakers face a looming partial government shutdown in mid-November as well as pressure to supply funds and munitions to both Ukraine and Israel, which has declared war on the terrorist group, Hamas. Scalise announced in August that he had been diagnosed with blood cancer. The current Speaker Pro Tempore is Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who will determine the times of any speaker votes until a lawmaker secures the speakership. Gaetz echoed Greene’s call for public votes. “Let’s do the messy work of governing and leadership selection in front of the people,” he wrote on X. “Just like I voted against McCarthy time after time…in public…making my argument, others should have to reveal their thinking and be appropriately judged by their voters. We elected [and] removed McCarthy with total transparency. Let’s replace him in the same manner.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Steve Scalise will be the GOP nominee for Speaker of the House
On Wednesday, House Republicans voted to nominate House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) as the next Speaker of the House. The GOP met in a closed-door session where the GOP House members voted for Scalise 113 to 99 over House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Scalise’s candidacy now goes to the House floor for a vote of the full House. The previous Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California), was ousted last week when eight disgruntled Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) voted with House Democrats to oust McCarthy. Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL05) said in a statement following Wednesday’s GOP Caucus vote, “Now more than ever, as our conference selects a new leader, Republicans must prove to the American public we can deliver on the conservative wins they expect from us.” Border security has become a much bigger issue after Saturday’s violence in Israel showed that terrorism is still a clear and present real danger in this world. “It is crucial we choose a speaker who will prioritize border security and spending cuts as non-negotiables for the Republican Conference,” Strong said. Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) said ahead of the vote that he would vote for former President Donald Trump on the first ballot and then Jordan on each subsequent ballot. Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) was also supporting Jordan. “@Jim Jordan is the strong conservative voice we need for the future. I’ll be supporting him for Speaker,” Palmer said on the social media platform X. Scalise has secured the nomination, but the difficult part will be getting all of those Republicans to vote for him on the floor of the House because even if only Gaetz and his eight rebel legislators break away, given the razor-thin majority that Republicans hold, it would be impossible for him to receive the votes that he needs to actually be installed as the Speaker of the House. The Democrats will nominate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) for the post. “I’ve got a long history of bringing people together, uniting Republicans, focusing on the issues that we’ve got to do to address the issues we came here to do to get our country back on track,” Scalise told Fox Business in an interview on Tuesday. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Donald Trump indictment draws fresh wave of pushback, concern
Former President Donald Trump faces new charges related to his role in protesting the 2020 presidential election results, sparking a wave of pushback and continued criticism of the U.S. Department of Justice. Trump released a lengthy statement online Tuesday night blasting the 45-page indictment, his third. “This is nothing more than the latest corrupt chapter in the continued pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election, in which President Trump is the undisputed frontrunner, and leading by substantial margins,” Trump said. The latest poll from The New York Times/Siena College released Tuesday shows Trump and President Joe Biden in a dead heat if they were to face each other in the 2024 presidential election, with both candidates having 43% support. Four new charges were included in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia indictment, which says Trump attempted “to make his knowingly false claims appear legitimate, create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election.” Trump also has been indicted on charges related to payments to Stormy Daniels and his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. The new indictment drew support from Trump’s critics and sparked fresh backlash from Trump and fellow Republicans who say the charges are politically motivated and argue that Biden has so far eluded charges of his own. “Yesterday was yet another dark day in America as Joe Biden continues to weaponize his corrupt Department of Justice against his leading political opponent Donald J. Trump,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said on social media. For Democrats and Trump’s critics, the indictment is long overdue. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., released a joint statement responding to the indictment, saying it “illustrates in shocking detail that the violence of that day [Jan. 6, 2021] was the culmination of a months-long criminal plot.” “This indictment is the most serious and most consequential thus far and will stand as a stark reminder to generations of Americans that no one, including a president of the United States, is above the law,” the lawmakers said. “The legal process must continue to move forward without any outside interference.” In Trump’s response to the indictment late Monday, he raised a question his supporters have shared: why did the indictment take so long? “But why did they wait two and a half years to bring these fake charges, right in the middle of President Trump’s winning campaign for 2024?” Trump said. “Why was it announced the day after the big Crooked Joe Biden scandal broke out from the Halls of Congress? The answer is, election interference!” And the indictments have only seemed to help Trump’s campaign, or at the very least not sink it. His polling numbers rose after the FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate last year. “These un-American witch hunts will fail and President Trump will be re-elected to the White House so he can save our country from the abuse, incompetence, and corruption that is running through the veins of our country at levels never seen before,” Trump posted. Now, he holds a sizable lead over the Republican primary field. According to the same poll, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trails Trump with 17% support while former Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley all have 3% support. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy both have 2% support. Pence, Trump’s vice president from 2017 to 2021, also took aim at his former boss after Tuesday’s indictment. “Today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States,” Pence said in a statement. “I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment.” But Trump’s supporters have remained by his side despite the legal woes. “We’ve become completely accustomed to seeing President Trump indicted for ‘crimes’ while Joe Biden skirts the law every single day,” U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said on social media. “No politically-motivated indictment is going to change my mind.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
House Republicans amend the NDAA addressing Tommy Tuberville’s concerns
On Thursday, Congressional Republicans added several partisan amendments to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, including one overturning the DoD policy on abortions. The amended NDAA passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday. President Joe Biden said it is “irresponsible” for U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville to block the confirmation of military officers in protest of a Defense Department policy that pays for travel for service members and their dependents to go out of state to get an abortion in state’s that have banned or restricted elective abortions. “He’s jeopardizing U.S. security by what he’s doing,” Biden said of Sen. Tommy Tuberville. “It’s just totally irresponsible, in my view.” Biden had demanded that Republicans address the Tuberville issue. “I expect the Republican Party to stand up — stand up and do something about it,” Biden continued. “The idea that we don’t have a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the idea that we have all these promotions that are in abeyance right now and we don’t know what’s going to happen, the idea they were injecting into fundamental foreign policy decisions what in fact is a domestic social debate on social issues, is bizarre. I don’t ever recall it happening, ever. And it’s just totally irresponsible, in my view.” “I’m confident that the mainstream Republican Party no longer, does not support what he’s doing, but they got to stand up and be counted,” Biden said. “That’s how it ends.” House Republicans responded Thursday by amending the NDAA on the House floor. The House passed an amendment by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) prohibiting the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services 221 – 213. Only two Republicans voted against including Jackson’s abortion amendment. The House also passed several other GOP priorities. The House passed an amendment by Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) that prohibits TRICARE from covering and the Department of Defense from furnishing sex reassignment surgeries and gender hormone treatments for transgender individuals 222 – 211. The House passed an amendment by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) prohibiting the provision of gender transition procedures, including surgery or medication, through the Exceptional Family Member Program 222 to 210. The House passed an amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used to establish a position within the Department of Defense for anything similar to Chief Diversity Officers or Senior Advisors for Diversity and Inclusion 217 – 212. The House passed an amendment by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) prohibiting the Department of Defense Education Activity schools from purchasing and having pornographic and radical gender ideology books in their libraries. The House passed an amendment by Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) that requires a study and report on health conditions arising in members of the Armed Forces after the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine by a voice vote. Rep. Boebert proposed an amendment prohibiting Defense Department schools from having “pornographic and radical gender ideology books in their libraries.” That passed 222-209. Rep. Norman’s amendment to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Department of Defense was narrowly adopted 214-213 on the second vote. An amendment from Rep. Eli Crane (R-Arizona) prohibiting the Pentagon from requiring training in certain “race-based concepts” was adopted 214-210. Not all amendments passed. A series of five proposals to limit U.S. involvement in Ukraine failed. An amendment from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to prohibit using federal funds for training on diversity, equity, and inclusion was rejected Thursday in a 210-221 vote. The House rejected an amendment from Reps. Davidson and Chip Roy (R-Texas) that “expresses a sense of Congress that the U.S. should not continue subsidizing NATO member countries who choose not to invest in their own defense by meeting” established financial contribution targets. The vote was 212-218, with two Democrats voting to support the measure and eight Republicans voting against it. An amendment to prohibit the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine was rejected 147-276-2. 98 Republicans and 49 Democrats voted in favor, and 121 Republicans and 155 Democrats voted against. The House rejected an amendment prohibiting using federal funds to rename military bases. The Republican changes to the NDAA meant that it lost Democratic support in the final vote. Democrats denounced the amendment as a cruel, harmful amendment to roll back a DoD policy helping service women travel to get the reproductive health care they need, putting the health and lives of over 230,000 women in uniform at risk. Democrats also denounced amendments that strip medically-necessary care for LGBTQ+ service members. Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) voted against the NDAA due to the Republican changes on the floor. “For the past 62 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together to craft bipartisan defense authorization bills that would support our troops and strengthen our national security,” said Rep. Sewell. “But this year, rather than continuing that essential tradition, Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy has caved to the most extreme members of his party and allowed the radical right wing to poison the defense bill with culture war provisions that would undermine our military readiness and harm our service members.” “I did not take this vote lightly,” continued Sewell. “I have proudly voted in favor of the annual defense bill every year since coming to Congress. But I cannot and will not support a bill that would rip basic health care away from our service members and make bigotry and discrimination a centerpiece of our defense policy. Republicans need to stop playing politics with our national security.” The NDAA authorizes funding levels for the Department of Defense (DoD) and allows the Armed Forces to pay, train, and equip U.S. service members, support America’s allies worldwide, and carry out essential national security operations. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts), and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-California) released a joint statement after the chamber approved a number of conservative amendments to the NDAA. “Extreme MAGA Republicans have chosen to hijack the historically bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to continue attacking reproductive freedom and jamming their right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people,” the Democratic trio wrote in a joint statement. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Terri Sewell hopeful two of Alabama’s seven congressional districts will become majority-minority
Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) participated in a symposium on the Milligan v. Allen decision at Miles College on Tuesday. There Sewell said she would not be satisfied with less than “50 percent plus one or more” African American in two of Alabama’s congressional districts. The Legislature redistricted the state in 2021, but the federal courts have since ruled that the Legislature’s redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and have ordered the Legislature to draw two majority-minority districts or at least two districts that were largely minority. Sewell said that the recent Supreme Court decision affirming the three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision was a surprise given previous court decisions by this current court. “We all expected the Supreme Court to once again gut the Voting Rights Act,” Sewell said. “I am so excited about the historic nature of our victory,” Sewell said. “It was a historic victory for not just Black Americans, but it was a victory for democracy.” Sewell continued, “It is going to force the Alabama Legislature to draw a new congressional districting map by July 21. It (the ruling) does not say that we have to have two majority minorities districts.” On Twitter, Sewell wrote, “The fight for voting rights is the fight of a lifetime. We’ve made progress, but if we are not vigilant about advancing it, we will lose it. Thank you @MilesCollege for hosting this critical and timely discussion! I was honored to join these distinguished guests!” Retired federal Judge U.W. Clemons said that he felt that the map adopted would be one that kept counties together as much as possible. “I think the three-judge panel will give great deference to the map that respects the integrity of the counties,” Clemons said. “I am looking for 50% (Black voters) plus more in each of the districts,” Sewell said. “I am convinced that not only will this decision affect Alabama, it will affect the nation,” Clemons said. “The Supreme Court abided by the precedent set in Thornburgh versus Gingrich.” Clemons explained that “three conditions” exist for creating a majority-minority district under the Thornburgh v. Gingrich precedent. “It has to have a large enough population of minority voters,” Clemons explained. “It has to be able to draw a cohesive district, and there has to be a history of the majority voting in a racially polarizing way. We meet all of those conditions here in Alabama.” “Brown versus the Topeka Board of Education was first argued before the Supreme Court in 1952,” Clemons said. Clemons explained that the ruling determined that separate but equal education was inherently unequal. “That ruling was the first evidence during my life for that there was a God,” Clemons said, adding that this ruling also was likely due to God. Clemons is retired from the federal bench, but he is not retired. “This ruling has the potential to reshape this nation,” Clemons said. Clemons said concerns about the public popularity of the current court may have motivated Chief Justice John Roberts to write this opinion in Milligan versus Allen. “This court has the lowest credibility of any Supreme Court that has ever sat,” Clemons said. “The Chief Justice felt that he had to try to maintain at least some credibility with the public. It is a signal that he, as a chief justice, is representing the nation.” “The Milligan case will have profound impact across this nation,” Sewell said. State Senator Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) said. “It truly is profound what has happened with the Milligan case.” Coleman continued, “Of course, there will be some people who will try to do something that is not what the court said. A Senator I will not name here told me on the phone: We are just going to give you two districts that are 47% African American.” Coleman said that the maps that the Legislature draws will still have to be shown to Milligan and the other plaintiffs in the case, and they can either accept them or ask that the three-judge panel appoint a special master to draw the districts. “If they draw two districts that are 47% African American, a special master will have to come in,” Coleman said. “We want to be able to draw those districts ourselves.” “We already have a safe African American congressional district,” Coleman said. Coleman said that both districts need to be “50 percent plus one or more Black voting age population.” “We have a real opportunity to pick our candidate of choice,” Coleman said. “I have absolutely no faith that the Alabama Legislature is going to do the right thing. It never has,” Clemons said. “The courts are going to do it.” “Neither Democrats or Republicans want the special master to come in,” Coleman said. “Congressional District Two is the one where my former colleague Barry Moore is.” “The Legislature is going to do what it usually does,” Clemons said, “In 1872, we had one Black member of Congress. In 1874, we had one member of Congress.” Alabama would not have another Black member of Congress until Earl Hilliard in 1992. Hilliard’s Seventh Congressional District was 65% African American. Today the Seventh Congressional District is represented by Sewell. “It was 61% African American before redistricting,” Sewell explained. “It dropped to 55% in this redistricting. “It would not be fair for it to fall to below 50%.” Clemons said that it is important that Blacks are united politically. “If the Black Community had four political parties and all four were equal in strength, we would not be politically cohesive,” Clemons said. “For better or worse, most Black communities are Democrats. Frankly, our being Democrats means that we are politically cohesive.” Sewell said that, “Change comes when ordinary people fight to do better, and they work on the ground.” Sewell predicted that if the Democrats pick up a new majority-minority seat in Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, “the first African-American man Hakeem Jeffries will become the Speaker of the House.” The Governor has called a special session for redistricting to start on July 17.
Joe Biden declares ‘America will not default,’ says he’s confident of budget deal with GOP lawmakers
An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying talks with congressional Republicans have been productive. He left for a G-7 summit in Japan but planned to return by the weekend in hopes of approving a solid agreement. Biden’s upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer out the final contours of a budget spending deal to unlock a path for raising the debt limit as soon as June 1. That is when the Treasury Department says the U.S. could begin defaulting on its obligations and trigger financial chaos. “I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget, and America will not default,” Biden said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Later Wednesday evening, negotiations resumed behind closed doors at the Capitol. Democrat Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have traded blame for a debt-ceiling impasse for weeks. But Biden said of the latest White House session with congressional leaders that “everyone came to the meeting, I think, in good faith.” McCarthy was upbeat, too, though contending Biden had given ground. The president said the budget talks were still separate from the debt limit issue, but the speaker said Biden had “finally backed off” his refusal to negotiate. “Keep working — we’ll work again tonight,” McCarthy told reporters later. “We’re going to work until we can get it done.” Biden said that every leader at Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting — Vice President Kamala Harris, McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — agreed the U.S. must not default on its obligations. “It would be catastrophic for the American economy and the American people if we didn’t pay our bills,” Biden said. “I’m confident everyone in the room agreed … that we’re going to come together because there’s no alternative. We have to do the right thing for the country. We have to move on.” He said he would be in “constant contact” with White House officials while at the summit in Hiroshima. He is canceling stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea that were to follow so he can return to Washington on Sunday. Biden and McCarthy tasked a handful of representatives to work swiftly to try and close out a final deal. They include Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president; legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young for the administration, and Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., a close McCarthy ally, for the Republicans. McCarthy, who has said he would personally be involved, said he planned to stop by the talks later Wednesday. He said he would be in Washington for the weekend while negotiations are underway. Agreement by the negotiators would still leave any deal needing approval by Democratic Senate and Republican House. Democrats are upset about the possibility of new work requirements for some recipients of government aid. And Republicans want much tougher budget restraints than the Democrats support. The positive comments by Biden and McCarthy suggest they believe they can gain the backing of their parties’ lawmakers. McCarthy was flanked Wednesday on the Capitol steps by some of the most conservative Republicans from the House and Senate in a feisty show of support. The national debt currently stands at $31.4 trillion. An increase in the debt limit would not authorize new federal spending; it would only allow for borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved. The contours of an agreement have begun to take shape, but the details of spending cuts and policy changes will make or break whether the divided Congress can strike a bipartisan deal with the White House. In exchange for lifting the debt limit to keep paying the bills, newly majority House Republicans are trying to extract steep budget caps of no more than 1% growth a year over the next decade, alongside bolstered work requirements. Negotiators are preparing to claw back some $30 billion of unspent COVID-19 aid, now that the government has lifted the pandemic emergency. And they are working on a potential agreement for permit changes that would speed the development of energy projects that both Republicans and Democrats want, though the details remain daunting. But Democrats are not at all willing to accept the 10-year cap on spending that Republicans approved in their own House bill, and the Democrats are instead pushing for a shorter window of budget cuts. Biden is facing fierce blowback from progressive Democrats after he opened the door to tougher work requirements. But he insisted Wednesday any new work requirements would be of “no consequence” and that he’s not willing to impact health programs, presumably referring to Medicaid. Asked about that, the Republicans behind McCarthy — who support more work requirements on Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance programs — broke out in laughter at the Capitol. The Republicans scoffed aloud as helicopters with the presumably departing Biden flew overhead. McCarthy, who depended on Donald Trump’s backing to become the new speaker, still has work to do to keep his narrow House majority in line for any final deal, particularly among the hardline Freedom Caucus conservatives who almost blocked his election earlier this year for the gavel. Former President Trump has encouraged Republicans to “do a default” if they don’t get everything they want from Biden. “Bipartisanship is needed,” Schumer said Wednesday. “It’s the only way to go.” As backup on Wednesday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a process that would force a vote on raising the debt limit. It’s a cumbersome legislative discharge procedure, but Jeffries urged House Democrats to sign on to the measure in hopes of gathering the 218 majority backers, including Republicans needed to put it in motion. “Emerging from the White House meeting, I am hopeful that a real pathway exists to find an acceptable, bipartisan resolution that prevents a default,” Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues. “However,
Joe Biden scraps planned visit to Australia, Papua New Guinea to focus on debt limit talks
President Joe Biden said Tuesday he’s curtailing his upcoming trip to the Indo-Pacific, scrapping what was to be a historic stop in Papua New Guinea as well as a visit to Australia for a gathering with fellow leaders of the so-called Quad partnership so he can focus on debt limit talks in Washington. The scuttling of two of the three legs of the overseas trip is a foreign policy setback for an administration that has made putting a greater focus on the Pacific region central to its global outreach. Biden said he still plans to depart on Wednesday for Hiroshima, Japan, for a Group of Seven summit with leaders from some of the world’s major economies. He will return to the U.S. on Sunday. “I’m postponing the Australia portion of the trip and my stop in Papua New Guinea in order to be back for the final negotiations with congressional leaders,” Biden said at the start of a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House. He added, “The nature of the presidency is addressing many of the critical matters all at once. So I’m confident we’re going to continue to make progress toward avoiding the default and fulfilling America’s responsibility as a leader on the world stage.” Biden said he spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier on Tuesday to inform him he was postponing a visit to Australia and invited him to Washington for an official state visit at a yet-to-be determined date. White House staff broke the news to Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. White House officials did not offer an immediate response to questions about when Biden might reschedule visits to the two countries. “Revitalizing and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the President,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity. We look forward to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea, and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year.” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has invited Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Pacific Island leaders to come to Hiroshima during the G-7. Albanese, in an Australian Broadcasting Corp. interview, said that the Quad leaders are now hoping to hold a meeting in Hiroshima. “We’ll also hopefully be able to find a time when the four of us can sit down,” Albanese said. “We will have to organize the logistics of the Quad meeting now in Sydney, and we’ll be discussing with our partners in the U.S., but also Japan and India over the next day or so.” Biden had been scheduled to travel on to Papua New Guinea to meet with Pacific Island leaders and then to Australia for a meeting of the leaders of the Quad partnership, made up of the U.S., Australia, India, and Japan. The Papua New Guinea stop would have been the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the island country of more than 9 million people. The Quad partnership first formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. Since coming into office, Biden has tried to reinvigorate the Quad as part of his broader effort to put greater U.S. focus on the Pacific and counter increasing economic and military assertiveness by China in the region. Biden announced his decision soon after he wrapped up a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, D-N.Y., for talks on the debt limit standoff. Earlier Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed administration officials’ frustration that the debt talks are having an impact on the president’s dealings on the international stage. “We wouldn’t have to have this conversation. I wouldn’t have to answer these questions if Congress just did the right thing,” Kirby said. Some Republican lawmakers questioned Biden’s decision to travel overseas considering the consequences of the debt limit talks. “I think he should not leave, and he should focus on the debt limit here at home,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. With the brief stop in Papua New Guinea to meet with Pacific Island leaders, Biden had hoped to demonstrate that the United States is committed to remaining engaged for the long term in the Pacific Islands. The area has received diminished attention from the U.S. in the aftermath of the Cold War, and China has increasingly filled the vacuum — through increased aid, development, and security cooperation. Biden has said that he’s committed to changing that dynamic. Last September, Biden hosted leaders from more than a dozen Pacific Island countries at the White House, announcing a new strategy to help to assist the region on climate change and maritime security. His administration also recently opened embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and has plans to open one in Kiribati. As vice president, Biden saw up close how domestic politics can complicate foreign policy during the 2013 government shutdown. President Barack Obama was forced to bail on attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the East Asia Summit in Brunei as well as a visit to Malaysia and the Philippines in the midst of a government shutdown as he negotiated with GOP leaders. President Bill Clinton opted to skip his scheduled participation in the APEC summit in Japan in the midst of the 1995 government shutdown. He opted to send Vice President Al Gore in his place. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
