Joe Biden in State of Union promises to ‘finish the job’
President Joe Biden exhorted Republicans over and over Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address meant to reassure a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions. The backdrop for the annual address was markedly different from the previous two years, with a Republican speaker sitting expressionless behind Biden and GOP lawmakers in the audience preparing to scrutinize both his administration and his policies. But Biden sought to portray a nation dramatically different in positive ways from the one he took charge of two years ago: from a reeling economy to one prosperous with new jobs, from a crippled, pandemic-weary nation to one that has now opened up and a democracy that has survived its biggest test since the Civil War. “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up. A story that is unique among all nations,” Biden said. “We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again.” He added: “We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination.” Biden sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship of the country has delivered results both at home and abroad, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid. But the challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine, growing tensions with China, and more. And signs of the past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, was unavoidable, with a large fence encircling the complex as lawmakers and those in attendance faced tighter-than-usual security measures. From the start, the partisan divisions were clear. Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — jumped to applause as Biden began his speech. New Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, though he had greeted the president warmly when he entered the chamber, stayed in his seat. Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.” “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing. And he says, “There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.” “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.” “We’ve been sent here to finish the job!” The president took to the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term. He sought to confront those sentiments head-on. “You wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away, I get it,” Biden said. “That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back; pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who gained a national profile as Trump’s press secretary, was to deliver the Republican response to Biden’s speech. She was to focus much of her remarks on social issues, including race in business and education and alleged big-tech censorship of conservatives. “While you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” she was to say, according to excerpts released by her office. “Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.” With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties invited guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those seated with first lady Jill Biden. Other Biden guests included the rock star/humanitarian Bono and the 26-year-old who disarmed a gunman in last month’s Monterey Park, California, shooting. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus invited family members of those involved in police incidents as they sought to press for action on police reform in the wake of Nichols’ death. The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide. Biden was shifting his sights after spending his first two years pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package, legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing, and climate measures. With Republicans now in control of the House, he is turning his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements. Biden, not known for his oratory, appeared relaxed and confident as he delivered his address. He casually adlibbed remarks, fed off the responses from Democratic lawmakers who frequently stood up with thunderous ovations and playfully engaged with his Republican critics. Addressing Republicans who voted against the big bipartisan infrastructure law, Biden said he’d still ensure their pet projects
Joe Biden set to give his State of the Union address tonight
President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight, where he will lay out his agenda for the upcoming year. President Biden’s speech will begin at 8:00 p.m. CST and will be streamed online and on multiple major networks on TV and radio. Biden and his top aides spent the weekend in Camp David preparing the address to Congress and the nation. The State of the Union address comes following a stellar January jobs report on Friday, growing tensions with China following the shooting down of a Chinese balloon in American air space, and amidst a war between Russia and Ukraine where the Ukrainians are being supported by the U.S. and our western allies. While the Democrats picked up seats in the Senate during last November’s midterms, the Republicans now control the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republican Kevin McCarthy has replaced Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House. President Biden is faced with a standoff with McCarthy and the Republicans over raising the debt ceiling. Republicans have said they would like to decrease federal spending to limit inflation as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. He has said that he is not willing to negotiate with House Republicans on spending to get the needed debt ceiling increase. The Treasury Department in January implemented “extraordinary measures” to prevent the U.S. from a government default on the debt. The U.S. has until June before the government can’t pay its bills. The U.S. national debt is in excess of $31.5 trillion and growing. President Biden is expected to press Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Civil Rights community is pushing the administration hard on policing reform. Biden may also urge Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban. Congresswoman Terri Sewell will be accompanied by survivors of the recent tornado touchdown in Selma. “The Curry’s of Selma will be my special guest at the State of the Union representing the survivors of the Jan 12th tornadoes that ripped through Selma and Dallas Co.,” said Rep. Sewell on social media. “Their beautiful home destroyed! But they were unharmed! God is Good!” Biden has not yet announced his decision on whether or not he will run for a second term as president in the 2024 election. Biden is not expected to make that announcement in his address, but political observers will watch the speech closely, looking for any clues to his intentions. A Republican response will follow President Biden’s address. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will present the GOP response to the Biden address. “I am grateful for this opportunity to address the nation and contrast the GOP’s optimistic vision for the future against the failures of President Biden and the Democrats,” Gov. Sanders said. “We are ready to begin a new chapter in the story of America – to be written by a new generation of leaders ready to defend our freedom against the radical left and expand access to quality education, jobs, and opportunity for all.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House GOP votes to oust Democrat Ilhan Omar from major committee
The Republican-led House voted after raucous debate Thursday to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel comments, in a dramatic response to Democrats last session booting far-right GOP lawmakers over incendiary remarks. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to solidify Republicans to take action against the Somali-born Muslim in the new Congress, although some GOP lawmakers had expressed reservations. Removal of lawmakers from House committees was essentially unprecedented until the Democratic ousters two years ago of hard-right Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona. The 218-211 vote, along party lines, came after a heated, voices-raised debate in which Democrats accused the GOP of going after Omar based on her race. Omar, who has apologized for 2019 remarks widely seen as antisemitic, defended herself on the House floor, asking if anyone was surprised she was being targeted. Democratic colleagues hugged her during the vote. “My voice will get louder and stronger, and my leadership will be celebrated around the world, as it has been,” Omar said in a closing speech. House Republicans focused on six statements she has made that “under the totality of the circumstances, disqualify her from serving on the Committee of Foreign Affairs,” said Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, the incoming chairman of the House Ethics Committee. “All members, both Republicans and Democrats alike who seek to serve on Foreign Affairs, should be held to the highest standard of conduct due to the international sensitivity and national security concerns under the jurisdiction of this committee,” Guest said. Republicans have clashed with Omar since she arrived in Congress, and former President Donald Trump frequently taunted her at his rallies in ways that appealed to his supporters. The resolution proposed by Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former official in the Trump administration, declared, “Omar’s comments have brought dishonor to the House of Representatives.” Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Omar has at times “made mistakes” and used antisemitic tropes that were condemned by House Democrats four years ago. But that’s not what Thursday’s vote was about, he said. “It’s about political revenge,” Jeffries said. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., went further, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, attack as she called the GOP’s action part of one of the “disgusting legacies after 9/11, the targeting and racism against Muslim-Americans throughout the United States of America. And this is an extension of that legacy.” She added, “This is about targeting women of color.” McCarthy denied the Republican decision to oust Omar was a tit-for-tat after the Greene and Gosar removals under Democrats, though he had warned in late 2021 that such a response might be expected if Republicans won back the House majority. “This is nothing like the last Congress,” he said Thursday. He noted that Omar can remain on other panels, just not Foreign Affairs, after her anti-Israel comments. Omar is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She is also the first to wear a hijab in the House chamber after floor rules were changed to allow members to wear head coverings for religious reasons. She quickly generated controversy after joining Congress in 2019 with a pair of tweets that suggested lawmakers who supported Israel were motivated by money. In the first, she criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC. “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby,” she wrote, invoking slang about $100 bills. Asked on Twitter who she thought was paying members of Congress to support Israel, Omar responded, “AIPAC!” Omar’s remarks sparked a public rebuke from then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats who made clear that she had overstepped. She soon apologized. “We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me about my identity,” Omar tweeted. “This is why I unequivocally apologize.” Also, in a May 2021 tweet, she made reference to Israel as “an apartheid state” over its treatment of Palestinians. Democrats rallied Thursday in a fiery defense of Omar and the experiences she brings to Congress. “This clearly isn’t about what Ilhan Omar said as much as who she is — being a smart, outspoken Black woman of the Muslim faith is apparently the issue,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis. Black, Latino, and progressive lawmakers, in particular, spoke of her unique voice in the House and criticized Republicans for what they called a racist attack. “Racist gaslighting,” said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. A “revenge resolution,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the chair of the progressive caucus. “It’s so painful to watch,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who joined Congress with Omar as the first two female Muslims elected to the House. “To Congresswoman Omar, I am so sorry that our country is failing you today through this chamber,” Tlaib said through tears. “You belong on that committee.” In the weeks leading up to the vote, the chairman of the committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, argued for excluding Omar from the panel during a recent closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans. “It’s just that her worldview of Israel is so diametrically opposed to the committee’s,” McCaul told reporters in describing his stance. “I don’t mind having differences of opinion, but this goes beyond that.” At the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the ouster, “It’s a political stunt.” McCarthy has already blocked Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both California Democrats, from rejoining the House Intelligence Committee once the GOP took control of the chamber in January. While appointments to the intelligence panel are the prerogative of the speaker, the action on Omar required a House vote. Several Republicans skeptical of removing Omar wanted “due process” for lawmakers who face removal. McCarthy said he told them he would work with Democrats on creating a due process system, but acknowledged it’s still a work in progress. One Republican, Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, voted present. In the last Congress, several Republicans had joined Democrats in removing Greene and Gosar from
Ronna McDaniel re-elected to fourth term as Chair of RNC
On Friday, the Republican National Committee (RNC) met and voted to give incumbent Ronna Romney McDaniel an unprecedented fourth term as Chair of the RNC. McDaniel fought off fierce challenges from California Lawyer Harmeet Dhillon and My Pillow founder and President Mike Lindell. It was a landslide victory for McDaniel, who won 111 of the votes, Dhillon won 51 votes, and Lindell just 4. “With us united, the Democrats are going to hear us in 2024,” McDaniel said after thanking Dhillon and Lindell for the races that they ran. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had openly backed Dhillon, saying on Thursday, “I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC.” “We’ve had three sub-standard election cycles in a row—’18, ’20, and ’22—and I would say of all three of those, ’22 was probably the worst given the political environment of a very unpopular President [Joe] Biden,” DeSantis said. “Huge majorities of the people think the country is going in the wrong direction.” The Alabama Republican Steering Committee had made national headlines by voting “no confidence” in McDaniel earlier this month. “The Alabama Republican Party’s Steering Committee cannot support or endorse Ronna McDaniel for RNC Chair and declare our vote of no-confidence in her leadership,” the Steering Committee said in a statement. “We encourage all RNC members across the country to support new leadership at the RNC Winter Meeting.” Alabama had three votes: ALGOP Chairman John Wahl, National Committeeman Paul Reynolds, and National Committeewoman Barbara Drummond. It is not known how the Alabama delegates voted as this was a secret ballot. Most Republican heavyweights, including former President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, and former Vice President Mike Pence, had steered clear of the RNC battle. More than 150 Republican donors endorsed McDaniel in the RNC leadership race. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott endorsed McDaniel. Sen. Scott said, “[McDaniel] has played a major role in helping turn Florida red and fighting for conservative values across the country. Thank you, Ronna, for all you’ve done to help elect strong Republicans in the Sunshine state!” McDaniel defended her record as RNC chair and said that it is not her fault that the GOP has not performed better in elections during her tenure. “I’m not the coach. I don’t pick the players. The voters do. I don’t call the plays. The candidates pick their own plays,” she told Semafor in an interview published earlier this month. “I mean, we defied history in 2018, picking up three Senate seats in a midterm year. We picked up 15 seats in 2020 in the House, which was unprecedented, and then this year, winning back the House,” she also noted at the time. Dhillon made national headlines when she accused some Alabama Republicans of waging a whisper campaign about her non-Christian religious beliefs (she is an immigrant from India and a member of the Sikh faith). This election will make McDaniel the longest-serving Chair in the history of the Republican Party. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Reps. Mike Rogers and Michael McCaul urge more weapons for Ukraine
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul released a joint statement Thursday urging the administration and our allies to transfer critical weapon systems, including tanks, to Ukraine in their war with Russia. “The current handwringing and hesitation by the Biden administration and some of our European allies in providing critical weapon systems to Ukraine stinks of the weak policies of 2021, such as not sanctioning Nord Stream 2 or providing U.S.-origin Stingers before the full-scale invasion,” Chairmen Rogers and McCaul wrote. “While those policies failed to deter this conflict, the current indecision and self-deterrence will prolong it – costing Ukrainian lives. Now is the time for the Biden and Scholz governments to follow the lead of our U.K. and Eastern European allies – Leopard 2 tanks, ATACMS, and other long-range precision munitions should be approved without delay.” Western leaders remain divided on how much aid should go to Ukraine. On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with defense leaders from 50 countries at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “What we’re really focused on is making sure that Ukraine has the capability that it needs to be successful right now,” Austin said after the defense leaders failed to reach an agreement on sending tanks and long-range missile systems to Ukraine. The U.S. announced a new $2.5 billion package of weapons and equipment Thursday for Ukraine, including Stryker armored vehicles, for the first time. The U.S. stopped short of supplying Ukraine with M1 Abrams main battle tanks. The U.S. has supplied Ukraine with tracked Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and powerful HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the U.S. and other nations for the weapons but insisted that Ukraine needs western tanks. “I can thank you hundreds of times,” Zelensky told the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, “but hundreds of thankyous are not hundreds of tanks.” Ukraine has upgraded the armor and technology of its leftover USSR tanks from the 1970s and 1980s. Many leaders insist that Ukraine needs modern Western tanks with more firepower. After a five-hour meeting on the Ukraine situation, there was no agreement on sending tanks to aid the Ukrainians. The U.S. has not provided Abrams tanks, and Germany has refused to supply Leopard 2 main battle tanks, despite pressure from allies who say that the tanks are needed on the frontlines. U.S. officials insist that the Ukrainians would be better served with Leopards because they are easier to operate and are powered by less expensive diesel fuel versus the jet fuel that the fuel-guzzling Abrams engines require. Germany, to this point, has refused to give Ukraine Leopards and has refused to permit other countries who have received the Leopards to transfer them to Ukraine. Poland has pledged to provide Ukraine with 14 Leopards but can’t without German permission under the defense agreement between the two nations. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak was optimistic that there was progress on this issue in Friday’s meeting. Russia is believed to be planning a major new offensive deeper into Ukraine either late this winter or early in the spring. Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. A major effort to take or encircle the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, ended in disaster for the Russians. Russia made deep inroads into eastern Ukraine, but a Ukrainian counteroffensive in August reclaimed much of the territory that Russia had taken. Russia still holds a large amount of Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. “We have no doubt that the current masters of Russia will throw everything they have left and everyone they can muster to try to turn the tide of the war and at least postpone their defeat,” President Zelensky said recently. In December, Ukrainian Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, told The Economist that Russia is amassing some 200,000 troops for “another go at Kyiv.” Western military analysts consider that unlikely, given the spectacular disaster that the last Kyiv campaign was for Moscow. They instead believe that a more limited assault in eastern Ukraine to take Ukrainian positions around Donetsk and the rest of the Donbas region is a more likely scenario. There is still a threat that Belarus could invade Ukraine, forcing Ukraine to fight a two-front war in both the north and the east. Russian President Vladimir Putin did travel to Minsk in December to meet with Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko. “Russians are setting up for a decisive effort in Luhansk,” Russia researcher George Barros told The Hill. But that it “could mean a Russian offensive or it could also mean a Russian defensive effort designed to defeat a Ukrainian counteroffensive.” Ukraine still holds some territory in Donetsk, including the city of Bakhmut. Russia has just taken the town of Soledar, which might indicate a Russian effort to encircle the Ukrainian defenders at Bakhmut. Luhansk and Donetsk are two of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed. Many defense analysts question if Russia is even capable of reversing its losses, including the cities of Kharkiv in the east and Kherson in the south to Ukrainian counteroffensives in August and last fall. Russian tanks have proven vulnerable to American-built Lancer missiles, and the Russian Air Force has taken heavy losses to western surface-to-air missiles. Ukraine has even sunk the powerful Russian cruiser Moskva. There is also speculation that Ukraine could be preparing its own major counteroffensive to retake more of the Donbas. Rogers was chosen to be the Chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee last week after Kevin McCarthy won the Speaker of the House position for the 118th Congress. Rogers is serving in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Joe Guzzardi: Clock ticking on Alejandro Mayorkas; House files impeachment articles
The 118th Congress had barely convened before the Senate’s amnesty addicts traveled to the border and began pontificating about the bipartisan immigration action they were about to embark upon. Whenever Congress touts bipartisanship as it relates to immigration, the sub rosa message is that amnesty legislation, which Americans have consistently rejected, is percolating. Neither amnesty’s failed history – countless futile efforts since the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act – nor the Republican-controlled House of Representatives stopped determined Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Mark Kelly, (D-Ariz.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). Tillis tipped off the group’s hand when he said, “It’s not just about border security; it’s not just about a path to citizenship or some certainty for a population.” One of those populations would be the “Dreamers,” with a 20-year-long failed legislative record. Sinema took advantage of the border trip to promote her failed amnesty, her leftovers from the December Lame Duck session, a three-week period when radical immigration legislation usually finds a home. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) tweeted that “our immigration system is badly broken…” drivel that’s been repeated so often it’s lost whatever meaning it once may have had. The immigration system is “badly broken,” to quote Coons, because immigration laws have been ignored for decades. Critics laughingly call the out-of-touch, border-visiting senators the “Sell-Out Safari.” Coons’ tweet is classic duplicity. Coons, Sinema, Kelly, and Murphy have consistently voted against measures to enforce border security and against fortifying the interior by providing more agents and by giving more authority to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans Tillis and Cornyn are also immigration expansionists. Tillis worked with Sinema on her unsuccessful Lame Duck amnesty. Cornyn sponsored, with Sinema and Tillis as cosponsors, the “Bipartisan Border Solutions” bill that would have built more processing centers to expedite migrants’ release and to create a “fairer and more efficient” way to decide asylum cases. The bill, which never got off the ground, would have rolled out the red carpet to more prospective migrants at a time when the border is under siege. The good news is that the border safari, an updated version of the 2013 Gang of Eight that promoted but couldn’t deliver an amnesty, was a cheap photo op that intended to reflect concern about the border crisis when, in fact, the senators’ voting records prove that the invasion doesn’t trouble them in the least. More good news is that Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the new Speaker of the House, represents enforcement proponents’ best chance to move their agenda forward since 2007 when Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) first held the job. Republicans John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) followed Pelosi from 2011 to 2019 when Pelosi returned as Speaker. Although Boehner and Ryan are Republicans, their commitment to higher immigration levels was not much different than Pelosi’s. Boehner and Ryan received 0 percent scores on immigration, meaning that they favor looser immigration enforcement and more employment-based visas for foreign-born workers. Also in McCarthy’s favor is the public support for tightening the border. Polls taken in September 2022 showed that a majority of Americans, including 76 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of Independents, thought President Joe Biden should be doing more to ensure border security. Moreover, a plurality of Americans opposes using tax dollars to transport migrants, a common practice in the Biden catch-and-release era. McCarthy must become more proactive and make good on his November call for the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to resign or face impeachment. “He cannot and must not remain in that position,” McCarthy said. “If Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action, and every failure to determine whether we can begin an impeachment inquiry.” McCarthy has the backing of the Chairmen of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, Jim Jordan and James Comer. On January 9, Pat Fallon (R-Texas) filed articles of impeachment that charged Mayorkas with, among other offenses, “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Mayorkas insists he won’t resign and that he’s prepared for whatever investigations may come his way. Assuming the House presses on, and that the DHS secretary remains committed to keeping his post, Capitol Hill fireworks are assured, the fallout from which could lead to Mayorkas’ departure. Joe Guzzardi is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist who writes about immigration and related social issues. Joe joined Progressives for Immigration Reform in 2018 as an analyst after a ten-year career directing media relations for Californians for Population Stabilization, where he also was a Senior Writing Fellow. A native Californian, Joe now lives in Pennsylvania. Contact him at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org.
Merrick Garland appoints special counsel to investigate Joe Biden docs
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to investigate the presence of classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an unsecured office in Washington dating from his time as vice president. Robert Hur, a one-time U.S. attorney appointed by former President Donald Trump, will lead the investigation and plans to begin his work soon. His appointment marks the second time in a few months that Garland has appointed a special counsel, an extraordinary fact that reflects the Justice Department’s efforts to independently conduct high-profile probes in an exceedingly heated political environment. Two of those investigations, including one involving Trump, relate to the handling of classified information, though there are notable differences between those cases. Garland’s decision caps a tumultuous week at the White House, where Biden and his team opened the year hoping to celebrate stronger economic news ahead of launching an expected reelection campaign. But the administration faced new challenges Monday when it acknowledged that sensitive documents were found at the office of Biden’s former institute in Washington. The situation intensified by Thursday morning when Biden’s attorney acknowledged that an additional classified document was found at a room in his Wilmington home — later revealed by Biden to be his personal library — along with other documents found in his garage. The attorney general revealed that Biden’s lawyers informed the Justice Department of the latest discovery at the president’s home on Thursday morning after FBI agents first retrieved documents from the garage in December. Biden told reporters at the White House that he was “cooperating fully and completely” with the Justice Department’s investigation into how classified information and government records were stored. “We have cooperated closely with the Justice Department throughout its review, and we will continue that cooperation with the special counsel,” said Richard Sauber, himself a special counsel to the president. “We are confident that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced, and the president and his lawyers acted promptly upon discovery of this mistake.” Garland said the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter required Hur’s appointment, adding that the special counsel is authorized to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law. Federal law requires strict handling procedures for classified information, and official records from Biden’s time as vice president are considered government property under the Presidential Records Act. “This appointment underscores for the public the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law,” Garland said. Hur, in a statement, said: “I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service.” While Garland said the Justice Department received timely notifications from Biden’s personal attorneys after each set of classified documents identified, the White House provided delayed and incomplete notification to the American public about the discoveries. Biden’s personal attorneys found the first set of classified and official documents on November 2 in a locked closet as they cleared out his office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, where he worked after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until he launched his presidential campaign in 2019. The attorneys notified the National Archives, which retrieved the documents the next day and referred the matter to the Justice Department. Sauber said Biden’s attorneys then underwent a search of other locations where documents could have been transferred after Biden left the vice presidency, including his homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Garland said that on December 20, the Justice Department was informed that classified documents and official records were located in Biden’s Wilmington garage, near his Corvette, and that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents took custody of them shortly thereafter. A search on Wednesday evening turned up the final classified document in Biden’s personal library at his home, and the Justice Department was notified Thursday, Garland revealed. The White House only confirmed the discovery of the Penn Biden Center documents in response to news inquiries Monday and remained silent on the subsequent search of Biden’s homes and the discovery of the garage tranche until Thursday morning, shortly before Garland announced Hur’s appointment. Biden, when he first addressed the matter Tuesday while in Mexico City, also didn’t let on about the subsequent document discoveries. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that despite the public omissions, Biden’s administration was handling the matter correctly. “There was transparency in doing what you’re supposed to do,” she said, declining to answer repeated questions about when Biden was briefed on the discovery of the documents and whether he would submit to an interview with investigators. Pressed on whether Biden could guarantee that additional mishandled classified documents would not turn up, Jean-Pierre said, “You should assume that it’s been completed, yes.” The appointment of yet another special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents is a remarkable turn of events, legally and politically, for a Justice Department that has spent months looking into the retention by Donald Trump of more than 300 documents with classification markings found at the former president’s Florida estate. Though the situations are factually and legally different, the discovery of classified documents at two separate locations tied to Biden — as well as the appointment of a new special counsel — would almost certainly complicate any prosecution that the department might bring against Trump. New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said of the latest news, “I think Congress has to investigate this.” “Here’s an individual that sat on ‘60 Minutes’ that was so concerned about President Trump’s documents … and now we find that this is a vice president keeping it for years out in the open in different locations.” Contradicting several fellow Republicans, he said, “We don’t think there needs to be a special prosecutor.” The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has requested that intelligence
Robert Aderholt votes in favor of Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation requiring that abortion doctors provide emergency care to infants that are born alive during an abortion. Congressman Robert Aderholt voted in favor of the bill and applauded its passage. “I was proud to speak on the House floor today in support of H.R. 26, which would require that babies born during an abortion be given the same medical care and treatment that any other baby born at that stage of development would be given,” Aderholt said in a statement on Facebook. “This bill has passed in the House before and previously received bipartisan support.” The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nationwide federation of right-to-life organizations, supports the legislation – the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. “National Right to Life believes that it is time for Congress to act decisively to put the entire abortion industry on notice that when they treat a born-alive human person as medical waste or as a non-entity who may be subjected to lethal violence with impunity, they will do so at legal peril,” the group said in a statement. “H.R. 26 would enact an explicit requirement that a baby born alive during an abortion must be afforded “the same degree” of care that would apply “to any other child born alive at the same gestational age,” including transportation to a hospital.” The bill requires that babies born alive during abortions are treated in the same manner as those who are spontaneously born prematurely. The bill also applies the existing penalties of the federal murder statute to anyone who performs “an overt act that kills a child born alive.” It also provides a civil cause of action to women who are harmed by violations of the act. The House of Representatives also adopted Rep. Mike Johnson’s concurrent resolution that would condemn attacks on pro-life organizations. H.R. 26 was sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner. “I have championed this issue for decades, and I have been blessed and honored to lead this legislation since 2019,” Wagner said. “Thanks to our efforts, after dozens of unanimous consent requests, two discharge petitions, and countless hours of advocacy work, the House has finally taken action to ensure that every single baby born in the United States receives lifesaving medical care at their most vulnerable moment. We must remember today that children are not the only victims of born-alive abortions. Women, fathers, and whole families all suffer deeply from the loss of their child. Our communities are weaker because these bright young ones did not grow up to share their wisdom, laughter, and ingenuity with us.” “Every single newborn, regardless the circumstances of their birth, deserves to share the miracle of life and have lifesaving medical care,” Wagner continued. “We must act with compassion to protect these little ones and give women a strong support system as they navigate the miracles and challenges of motherhood. This bill will save real lives, and it will give survivors a precious chance to build a future. Our world is blessed now that we all know the Republican majority is here to fight on behalf of the precious, innocent lives of those who cannot fight for themselves.” Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said that the House Republicans had promised to pass this legislation if they were given control of the House of Representatives. “House Republicans have been committed to advancing legislation that protects the lives of the unborn and their mothers,” McCarthy said in a statement. “In the very first week, we kept that commitment because strong families are the essence of American life. And in the face of a growing movement to devalue the miracle of life, we must also protect every American fighting for life – including those at pro-life pregnancy centers and churches from violence and threats. We will continue to prioritize the defense of life and all individuals from violence and intimidation.” The U.S. House of Representatives voted 220 to 210 in favor of passing H.R. 26. In addition to Aderholt, Congressmen Dale Strong, Barry Moore, Jerry Carl, Mike Rogers, and Gary Palmer voted in favor. Congresswoman Terri Sewell voted against it. Only one Democrat in the House voted in favor. No Republicans voted against the legislation. “We commend the House of Representatives for passing legislation to protect innocent children from infanticide and urge the Senate to follow suit,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities. “Babies who are born alive during the process of an abortion deserve compassionate care and medical attention – just the same as any other newborn baby.” The legislation now goes to the Senate for its consideration. Aderholt is the dean of the Alabama Congressional delegation. He is serving in his fourteenth term representing Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gary Palmer votes to defund the 87,000 new IRS Agents
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act. Congressman Gary Palmer voted in favor of the legislation, that repeals the funding for the 87,000 additional IRS agents passed by Democrats in the Inflation Reduction Act in the last Congress – without any Republican votes in the House. Not funding the IRS agents was promised by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans. “House Republicans made a commitment to repeal President [Joe] Biden’s army of 87,000 IRS agents as soon as we took the majority, and today we made a huge step towards making that a reality,” Rep. Palmer said in a statement. “The biggest problem with our tax collections is the complexity of the tax code. More auditors will not help that. In fact, John Koskinen, the Obama-appointed Commissioner of the IRS, as well as John Dalrymple, the Deputy Commissioner, in two separate Oversight hearings, advised against enforcement by a major increase in audits as planned by the Biden administration. They called increased audits an ‘unduly burdensome’ process that would put a major strain on individuals and businesses, thus causing more harm than good. To put it another way, the IRS can’t ‘audit its way out’ of the tax gap, as Obama IRS Commissioner Koskinen said during his hearing.” “Instead of funding agents for the purpose of harassing hard-working Americans who are having to deal with President Biden’s disastrous economic policies, Congress should get to work on simplifying the tax code,” Palmer said. “This would not only benefit taxpayers, but it would also increase economic growth and create jobs.” “House Republicans just voted unanimously to repeal the Democrats’ army of 87,000 IRS agents,” Speaker McCarthy said on Facebook. “This was our very first act of the new Congress, because government should work for you, not against you. Promises made. Promises kept.” The 117th Congress had raised IRS funding by $80 billion. This bill would cut $71 billion of that. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated Monday that the bill would cost the federal government $186 billion in additional tax revenue that the IRS would collect from increased audits. The net effect CBO estimates would be a $114 billion increase in deficits over the next decade. Democrats criticized the bill. The White House said that the legislation up was a “reckless” bill that would benefit “tax cheats.” “With their first economic legislation of the new Congress, House Republicans are making clear that their top economic priority is to allow the rich and multi-billion dollar corporations to skip out on their taxes while making life harder for ordinary, middle-class families that pay the taxes they owe,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. “That’s their agenda; not lowering costs or cutting taxes for hard-working Americans – as President Biden has consistently advocated.” The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, where Democrats still have a majority. The White House said that President Biden will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Robert L. McCollum considers challenging Rep. Mike Rogers
On Monday, Robert McCollum announced that he is considering running in the Alabama Republican primary for Congress. McCollum told Alabama Today that he is forming an exploratory committee to look at challenging long-time incumbent Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03). McCollum said that he had been considering a run anyway but was motivated to move up his timeline for the 2024 race after the Friday night incident where Rogers had to be restrained by Rep. Richard Hudson on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Friday night from coming after Rep. Matt Gaetz. Rogers was angered by Gaetz’s refusal to change his vote from present to in favor of Rep. Kevin McCarthy for Speaker of the House. “After the disaster on the house floor, it became clear to me that the people of the 3rd congressional district deserve better than that. That was the most childish thing I had ever seen,” McCollum said. “What have we become? What happened to respect for our colleagues? What happened to spirited debates and not playground brawls?” Rogers has apologized for losing his temper with Gaetz. “.@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue. I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding,” Rogers wrote on Twitter Sunday. Gaetz has accepted the apology and said he and Rogers have a strong working relationship. McCollum claimed that he found the incident “embarrassing” for the state and the district but had already been considering challenging Rogers because he was dissatisfied with how Rogers was representing the district. “The people of the 3rd district deserve someone that is going to represent them and not the Washington establishment!” McCollum said. “Someone that will work tirelessly with his colleagues to get the best for the American people!” Rogers, who is the Ranking Member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee in the 117th Congress, is expected to Chair the committee in the 118th Congress. McCollum said that under the circumstances, Rogers should not be chairing any committee. “Congressman Rogers should step down from any committee or chairmanship,” McCollum said. “That kind of behavior should not be rewarded nor tolerated.” Rogers was accused of being intoxicated at the time of the incident by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee). “Congressional leaders should not be allowed to drink on the house floor!” McCollum said. “Our leaders should have more respect for our capital and the meaning of it!” Rogers released a statement following McCarthy’s election as Speaker of the House on the 15th ballot. “I am excited to see Kevin McCarthy elected Speaker of the House,” Rogers said. “Now it is time for the House to do the work the American people sent us here to do.” McCollum appealed to voters for their support. “I’m not going to sit here and promise that I will be 100% perfect – no one but God is! But what I can promise you is honest representation, conservative representation, sober representation, and strong conservative representation of Alabama’s 3rd congressional district!” McCollum said in a statement. “That is why today I’m announcing I will be forming an exploratory committee for Alabama’s 3rd congressional district currently held by Mike Rogers; we deserve better!” Robert Lane McCollum is a native of Tallapoosa County. He is a graduate of Horseshoe Bend High School. He has been a small business owner. McCollum was defeated by Public Service Commissioner Chip Beeker in the 2022 Republican primary runoff. Rogers has represented the Third Congressional District since 2003. He previously represented Calhoun County in the Alabama House of Representatives and on the County Commission. The 2024 Alabama Republican Primary is tentatively scheduled for March 5, 2024. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Barry Moore congratulates Kevin McCarthy
Early on Saturday morning, Congressman Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th Speaker of the House in one of the most contentious Speaker fights in American history – narrowly winning on the 15th ballot. Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02), who had steadfastly supported McCarthy throughout the four days and one long night of voting, issued a statement after Kevin McCarthy was elected by the House of Representatives as its Speaker. Moore said that the intensive months-long negotiations between Republican leadership and the House Freedom Caucus yielded significant reform to the rules governing the operation of the U.S. House of Representatives. “Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy for his election to Speaker of the House,” said Moore. “With this vote complete, House Republicans will get to work using the power of the purse and our Constitutional oversight authority to hold the Biden administration accountable and fight its radical agenda.” “For me and my conservative colleagues, this vote was less about individual personalities than taking advantage of an historic opportunity to negotiate much-needed rules changes to ensure every congressman, regardless of political ideology, can provide more input to the legislative process and therefore more effectively represent the people of their district,” Moore continued. “With the rules changes we negotiated, individual legislators will possess the ability and responsibility to offer and vote on amendments and to write bills in committees. With more direct input into the workings of the House where they serve, elected legislators will be more accountable to the voters, and I am hopeful the House will function more effectively and as our Constitutional framers intended.” After the vote, Moore was sworn into the 118th Congress with his colleagues. “It is truly an honor to begin my second term, and as long as I am in office, I pledge to serve the Alabamians I represent, not a Speaker, not a political party or leadership structure, and not a special interest,” Moore said. “I look forward to continuing my work for Alabama and our nation in this Congress.” On Monday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed new rules for the body for the 118th Congress 220 to 213. All House Democrats voted against the new rules. Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only Republican to vote in opposition to the new rules, which included many concessions to the Republican holdouts that held up McCarthy’s election for days last week. Moore represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. He is a veteran and small businessman from Enterprise. Moore served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House Republicans to target border crisis, IRS funding, more with new majority
Now that U.S. House Republicans have a leader in Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., they are turning their eyes toward an agenda with investigations and a few key legislative goals. McCarthy gave a window into those plans during his acceptance speech over the weekend, taking aim at the border crisis, IRS funding, and education. The new Republicans’ rules package included a promise to vote on those issues as well as abortion and others as part of the deal that got McCarthy the needed Speaker votes over the weekend. “This is what we’ve been fighting for,” U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., one of McCarthy’s most vocal opponents, wrote on Twitter, referring to the rules package. While the Republican holdouts will see some rules changes because of their resistance, they are still a small minority in the House and will likely be unable to steer the legislative ship. One of the items that does seem most promising for broader support is the push to undo President Joe Biden’s aggressive expansion of the IRS, a move that sparked controversy as Biden promised to partially pay for his rash of recent spending by auditing more Americans. “According to CBO, Democrats’ supercharged IRS will cause audit rates to ‘rise for all taxpayers, ’ and a conservative analysis shows that returning audit rates to 2010 levels would mean 1.2 million more audits with over 700,000 of those falling on taxpayers making $75,000 or less,” the Republican press office for House Ways and Means said in a statement. Other tax items that could see legislative action are a bill to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, a vote to repeal the inflation tax on capital gains as well as the 1099-K IRS paperwork provision. With a divided Senate and a Democratic president, though, Republicans will have trouble pushing through any conservative legislation. What they can do and have made clear they will focus on are using their investigatory powers to unearth more information on a string of controversies in recent years. After taking the majority in November, House Republicans on the Judiciary and Oversight Committees were quick to announce their plans to investigate Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Lawmakers at a news conference argued that Hunter Biden in particular used his father’s influence to negotiate business deals overseas that may have used federal resources and even compromised the Biden family. “Evidence obtained by Committee Republicans reveals Joe Biden lied to the American people about his involvement in his family’s business schemes,” said House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky. “The Biden family business model is built on Joe Biden’s political career and connections with Joe Biden as the ‘chairman of the board.’ Biden family members sold access for profit around the world to the detriment of American interests. If deals compromise President Biden with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision making, this is a threat to national security.” House Republicans have also put Big Tech in their sight, as a string of news reports have shown that the White House, federal law enforcement, and tech companies have apparently worked together for years to censor Americans on a range of issues, most notably COVID-19. House Oversight Republicans recently sent a letter to Facebook and Twitter on that very issue, demanding more information. “Committee Republicans continue to investigate whether U.S. government officials have participated in suppression and censorship of lawful speech in violation of the U.S. Constitution,” the letter said. “Reports continue to surface that social media companies acted on the behest of government agencies and officials when removing, restricting, or disclaiming content. The American people and their elected representatives must know the extent to which their government has engaged in prohibited censorship to expose and prevent this unlawful conduct.” Despite these ambitions, this legislative term is effectively shorter than most. Soon, it will be a presidential election year. Both parties will become focused on campaigning and fundraising, which means legislating will largely take a back seat. Committee investigations, though, could be used to push for media attention. “Aside from the House’s policy agenda, conservatives will have new opportunities to carry out the much-needed oversight investigations into the administration’s incompetence at the southern border, the origins of COVID-19, Hunter Biden’s laptop and shady business dealings, and the Big Tech censorship of these stories,” said Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson. “These investigations need to both expose the truth and follow through with accountability measures.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
