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.
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
Barry Moore cosponsors resolution calling for end of Ukraine aid
Congressman Barry Moore was one of ten cosponsors of a controversial Ukraine Fatigue resolution introduced by Congressman Matt Gaetz calling for an end to military and financial aid to Ukraine and calling for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace deal ending the war. “The only person earning an easier buck than Ukrainian war profiteers is Hunter Biden’s art dealer,” said Rep. Moore on Twitter. Congress should support @RepMattGaetz’s resolution and end taxpayer-funded blank checks to Ukraine.” Moore was the only member of the Alabama delegation to join the resolution calling for an end to military aid for Ukraine – which is fighting off a massive invasion by Russia. The other nine cosponsors are Rep. Andy Biggs, Rep. Lauren Boebert, Rep. Paul Gosar, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Mary Miller, Rep. Ralph Norman, and Rep. Matt Rosendale. “President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022, suggesting that arming Ukraine with military equipment will escalate the conflict to ‘World War III,’” Rep. Gaetz said. “America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war. We must suspend all foreign aid for the War in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately.” Moore has had a history of being skeptical of military aid for Ukraine. On January 20, Moore joined a letter led by Rep. Dan Bishop and Senator J.D. Vance to President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young demanding a “full crosscutting report” to Congress that includes “U.S. government-wide expenditures for Ukraine and ‘countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine’ since Feb. 24, 2022.” “With an ever-growing federal budget and national debt, Alabamians deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent – or misspent – on a war between Ukraine and Russia,” said Moore. “I am proud to join Rep. Dan Bishop and Senator J.D. Vance to demand answers and transparency from the Biden administration on these huge outlays of American taxpayer dollars.” In the 117th Congress, Moore signed a resolution led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green requesting an audit of all American taxpayer dollars sent to Ukraine. “I was in Ukraine before Afghanistan fell, and at that point in time, the parliament was extremely concerned about [American] energy policy and how we were allowing Putin to basically move the [Nord Stream 2] Pipeline and start production,” Moore said in November. “Even then, parliament saw the issue, but when I got here and started talking to other members, the same group of people here gave Trump such a hard time about a few billion dollars at the U.S. southern border.” “As fentanyl and drugs and illegals poured across our southern border, a few billion dollars, four billion, was just a little too much money,” Moore continued. “And now we are looking at $40 billion one week, $14 billion the next week with little to no oversight. Ukraine is a young democracy, and we are sending American taxpayer money over there with no oversight. It creates problems, it creates corruption, it’s not good for the American taxpayer or the American people.” Gaetz and Moore’s position is not shared by even many Republicans. Congressman Mike Rogers, who chairs the powerful House Armed Services Committee, has been a vocal proponent of military aid for Ukraine. “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,” Chairman Rogers said. The United States is providing Ukraine with over $100 billion in aid – including M1 Abrams main battle tanks, Lancer anti-tank missiles, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker combat vehicles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, multiple rocket launch systems (MRLS), 155 mm Paladin self-propelled artillery systems, and other weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is now asking the United States and allies to provide Ukraine with modern jet fighters, including F16s. Zelensky has been meeting with European leaders this week and appears to be close to a deal with EU members on fighter jets. There is wide speculation that in the coming weeks that Russia will launch a massive new offensive in the war. Moore is in his second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Several U.S. Senate and House races remain too close to call as vote counts trickle in
Two days after Election Day, several races are still too close to call, leaving the fate of the U.S. House and Senate hanging in the balance. FiveThirtyEight currently has 210 Republican House seats compared to 200 for Democrats, leaving both short of the 218 needed to control that chamber. The House is still leaning toward Republicans, though, with expected House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., declaring Republican control. Nancy Pelosi has not publicly weighed in, even as many wait to see if she will retire from leadership. In fact, some races are separated by only a handful of votes. Outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., is leading her opponent by fewer than 400 votes at time of publication. Arizona, California, Nevada, and other states also have close House races. Control of the Senate is still undecided and may come down to a Dec. 6 Georgia runoff between Republican Herschel Walker and Democrat Raphael Warnock. Arizona’s Senate race is not called, though Democrat Mark Kelly leads Republican Blake Masters roughly 51.4% to 46.4%. The Arizona Secretary of State’s website indicates 100% of precincts reporting, but Maricopa County is still reportedly working through hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots turned in on Tuesday. In Nevada’s uncalled Senate race, Republican Adam Laxalt leads Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto 49.4% to 47.6%, with 83% reporting. Gubernatorial races are tight as well. The closely watched governor’s race in Arizona has Republican Kari Lake behind Democrat Katie Hobbs by about 13,000 votes as counts continue Thursday. Overall, election night disappointed many Republicans who hoped for the “red wave.” “So after all the analysis, it is clear the most likely case is both houses of Congress will go Red and the mega states of TX and FL go redder,” Matt Schlapp, chair of the Conservative Political Action Committee, wrote on Twitter. “We lost too many close races, but all in all, I go back to VA very pleased.” Former President Donald Trump has taken criticism after many of the candidates he backed did not fare well, but he pushed back against those critiques in a string of posts on Truth Social Wednesday and Thursday. “Incredible how dishonest the Fake News Media is,” he wrote. “The Failing New York Times has gone crazy. So many of the people I Endorsed went on to victory on Tuesday Night, nobody was even close, and they literally make up a story refusing to write the facts, and only quoting enemies and losers. Almost all of the people I endorsed WON, yet if you read the story from two Trump hating writers (who only do as they are told!), you would not even recognize the truth.” Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, President Joe Biden said he always expected Democrats to do “fine” and wants to work with Republicans going forward. “While we don’t know all of the results yet – at least, I don’t know them all yet – here’s what we do know,” he said. “While the press and the pundits are predicting a giant red wave, it didn’t happen. And I know you were somewhat miffed by my – my [sic] optimism, but I felt good during the whole process. I thought we were going to do fine. “The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well,” he added. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Barry Moore to join colleagues at D.C. hearing on ‘Bidenflation’
Congressman Andy Biggs will hold an off-site hearing on Tuesday to discuss what he terms “Bidenflation” and “Biden’s energy crisis.” Alabama Congressman Barry Moore will attend the hearing. The hearing will be at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., from 3:00-5:00 pm EDT, and will feature nearly 20 prominent House Republican lawmakers. Four expert witnesses will provide testimony. According to the Heritage Foundation website, the group’s mission is to “formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” According to the press release, this hearing will “examine the Biden Administration’s policies that have led to a disastrous economic and energy state for the country.” The hearing also aims to determine how Republicans in Congress can “hold Joe Biden more accountable for his reckless leadership.” Other congressional members attending the hearing are Reps. Chip Roy, Claudia Tenney, Dan Bishop, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Doug Lamalfa, Ralph Norman, Byron Donalds, Ben Cline, Yvette Herrell, Andrew Clyde, Bob Good, and Andy Harris. Witnesses include former Governor of Texas and former Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Heritage Foundation Distinguished Fellow Stephen Moore, President of Western Energy Alliance Kathleen Sgamma, and Alex Epstein, President of the Center for Industrial Progress.
Barry Moore supports legislation to designate fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction
On Monday, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced the Fentanyl is a WMD Act to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). This act comes in response to the rise in fentanyl deaths, which Boebert believes is caused by the ‘Biden Border Crisis.’ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths involving opioids increased from an estimated 70,029 in 2020 to 80,816 in 2021. Deaths from fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, rose to 71,238 in 2021 from 57,834 in 2020. In a speech yesterday, Rep. Barry Moore announced his support for Boebert’s legislation, agreeing that the border crisis was exacerbating the issue. “Last year alone, fentanyl killed more Americans than any weapon of mass destruction in our nation’s history,” noted Moore. “Fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans aged 18-45 – not guns, not COVID-19, not even car accidents, but fentanyl. CDC numbers show more total drug overdose deaths last year in the U.S. than those killed by the atomic bomb blasts that ended World War II,” Moore said. “The direct cause of so many American deaths from fentanyl is the Biden administration’s surrender at our southern border,” Moore said. “In 2021 alone, more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at our border. So, just imagine how much fentanyl got across the border and into our communities.” By listing fentanyl as a WMD, the legislation would direct the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office to allocate resources to address the fentanyl epidemic. Rep. Boebert stated, “Back home in Colorado, almost everyone I talk to knows someone who has died from fentanyl. Fentanyl is America’s silent killer and is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. The saddest thing about the fentanyl crisis is that it is preventable. National security experts know that the vast majority of deadly fentanyl plaguing our communities comes across the southern border. Just last year, Border Patrol encountered enough fentanyl at the border to kill every American seven times over. There is no way around it—the Biden Border Crisis is killing Americans. It is time to call fentanyl what it is: a weapon of mass destruction that is destroying our nation.” According to 1819 News, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) claimed that designating fentanyl as a WMD was unnecessary to address the issue. Additionally, they stated that the Homeland Security Act of 2002 “lacks a provision for classifying fentanyl as a WMD.” The report stated, “A statutory designation of fentanyl as a WMD does not appear necessary for additional executive branch action to address fentanyl as an illicit drug or chemical weapon, Congress may consider developing legislation to improve upon perceived shortcomings in the U.S. government’s approach to addressing fentanyl.”
Barry Moore joins lawsuit to end mask mandate for air travel
Representative Barry Moore has joined sixteen of his colleagues in a lawsuit against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The lawsuit, Massie et al v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seeks to end the CDC’s mask mandate for individuals traveling on commercial airlines. Reports indicate the Biden Administration is extending the CDC’s mask mandate until April 18. Massie et al. v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The named defendants are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle P. Walensky in her official capacity as Director of the CDC, and Sherri A. Berger in her official capacity as Chief of Staff of the CDC. The lawsuit contains two primary claims: First, none of the statutes or regulations cited by the CDC for the authority to mandate that individuals wear masks on commercial airlines, conveyances, and at transportation hubs, permit the CDC to implement or enforce this mandate. Second, even if Congress had granted the CDC the authority to promulgate the mask mandate, the granting of this authority would violate a principle known as the “non-delegation doctrine.” Moore and his co-plaintiffs are asking a federal court to declare that “the mask mandate is beyond the CDC’s statutory authority or is unconstitutional.” The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction that prohibits the CDC, or anyone acting on the CDC’s behalf, from enforcing the mask mandate. Rep. Thomas Massie argued that the CDC doesn’t have the authority to force people to wear masks on airplanes because Congress never passed a law requiring it. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to force people traveling on commercial airlines to wear masks,” stated Massie. “Congress never passed a law requiring masks on commercial flights. This lawsuit targets the faceless bureaucrats who are behind the CDC’s unscientific regulation so that this illegal mask mandate can be brought to a permanent end.” Moore argued that the mandate should end immediately because it infringes on constitutional freedoms. “Government bureaucrats desperate for relevancy are waging a war against everyday American citizens and their constitutional freedoms,” stated Rep. Moore. “The unscientific mask mandate for commercial air travel should be ended immediately, and I am proud to join my friend Rep. Massie in this lawsuit to end this charade permanently.” Additional plaintiffs for the lawsuit include Reps. Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Andrew Clyde, Warren Davidson, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brian Mast, Alex Mooney, Ralph Norman, Bill Posey, Matt Rosendale, and Chip Roy.
State of the Union: Joe Biden vows to halt Russia, hit inflation
Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his first State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus. Biden declared that he and all members of Congress, whatever their political differences, are joined “with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.” He asked lawmakers crowding the House chamber to stand and salute the Ukrainians as he began his speech. They stood and cheered. It was a notable show of unity after a long year of bitter acrimony between Biden’s Democratic coalition and the Republican opposition. Biden’s 62-minute speech, which was split between attention to war abroad and worries at home — reflected the same balancing act he now faces in his presidency. He must marshal allied resolve against Russia’s aggression while tending to inflation, COVID-19 fatigue, and sagging approval ratings heading into the midterm elections. Aiming to build on momentum from the speech, Biden will head to Wisconsin on Wednesday in an effort to show Americans that his domestic agenda is working. His vice president and Cabinet members will fan out around the country to amplify the message. Biden heads again to an old bridge set to be repaired — increasingly a symbol for his administration, tangible evidence of the nation that he’s working to update. This time, it’s a wrought-iron bridge that connects Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, across the St. Louis Bay. The bridge will be replaced using funds from the massive infrastructure plan signed into law last year, a signature piece of bipartisan legislation and proof — Biden says — that the GOP and Democrats can still work together. In Tuesday’s speech, Biden highlighted the bravery of Ukrainian defenders and a newly reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked to rearm the Ukrainian military and cripple Russia’s economy through sanctions. He acknowledged costs to the American economy, as well, but warned ominously that without consequences, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression wouldn’t be contained to Ukraine. “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” Biden said. “They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.” As Biden spoke, Russian forces were escalating their attacks in Ukraine, having bombarded the central square of the country’s second-biggest city and Kyiv’s main TV tower, killing at least five people. The Babi Yar Holocaust memorial was also damaged. Biden announced that the U.S. is following Canada and the European Union in banning Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. He also said the Justice Department was launching a task force to go after Russian oligarchs, whom he called “corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime.” “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” he said, pledging that the U.S. and European allies were after their yachts, luxury apartments, and private jets. Biden pivoted in his speech from the troubles abroad to those at home. Even before the Russian invasion sent energy costs skyrocketing, prices for American families had been rising, and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hurt families and the country’s economy. Biden outlined plans to address inflation by reinvesting in American manufacturing capacity, speeding supply chains, and reducing the burden of childcare and eldercare on workers. “Too many families are struggling to keep up with the bills,” Biden said. “Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel. I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control.” In one sign of national progress on the pandemic, Biden entered the House chamber without a mask, as coronavirus cases decline and new federal guidance tries to nudge the public back to pre-pandemic activities. But there was evidence of ongoing tension as well: The Capitol was newly fenced due to security concerns after last year’s insurrection. Set against disquiet at home and danger abroad, the White House had conceived Tuesday night’s speech as an opportunity to highlight the improving coronavirus outlook, rebrand Biden’s domestic policy priorities, and show a path to lower costs for families grappling with soaring inflation. But events took a turn toward world affairs with last week’s Russian invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saber-rattling by Putin. As is customary, one Cabinet secretary, in this case, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, was kept in a secure location during the address, ready to take over the government in the event of a catastrophe. The State of the Union is typically an address targeted to a national audience, but this year’s had the world watching. In an interview with CNN and Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Biden to deliver a strong and “useful” message about Russia’s invasion. In a show of unity, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova joined first lady Jill Biden in the House gallery for the speech. In a rare discordant moment, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado yelled out that Biden was to blame for the 13 service members who were killed during last August’s chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. “You put them in. Thirteen of them,” Boebert yelled as Biden mentioned his late son Beau, a veteran who died from brain cancer and served near toxic military burn pits, used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan. Biden is pursuing legislation to help veterans suffering exposure and other injuries. While the crisis in Eastern Europe may have helped to cool partisan tensions in Washington, it didn’t erase the political and cultural discord that is casting doubt on Biden’s ability to deliver. A February AP-NORC poll found that more people disapproved than approved of how Biden is handling his job, 55% to 44%. That’s down from a 60% favorable rating last July. Biden used his remarks to highlight the progress from a year ago — with the majority of the U.S. population now vaccinated and millions more people at work — but also acknowledged that the job is
Reps. Barry Moore and Mo Brooks demand DOD halt involuntary discharges for vaccine refusal immediately
Reps. Barry Moore and Mo Brooks joined 40 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) to demand that they halt efforts to involuntarily discharge members of the military who have refused COVID-19 vaccination. The letter requests that they stop until an in-depth review of natural immunity is complete, and the Department has issued uniform procedures for vaccine exemptions. According to Moore’s press release, Section 720 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 requires the DOD to establish uniform procedures for issuing exemptions and fully consider natural immunity. This includes eligibility timelines for consideration of exemptions for service members nearing separation and retirement in the development of uniform procedures relating to administrative exemptions. According to an NPR report, as of January 26, 96% of active troops had been completely vaccinated, while 3,350 soldiers had refused to get the vaccine. Nearly 5,900 have received temporary exemptions. “The DOD must immediately halt efforts to discharge our active-duty military members who refuse to get the vaccine just because overreaching politicians want to continue intervening in the private lives of the American people,” said Moore. “We must ensure that the DOD completes an in-depth review of natural immunity. I will continue to fight against the tyrannical vaccine mandate on our service members.” The letter states, “We are gravely concerned that the military services are proceeding with involuntary discharges when it is unclear to us whether uniform procedures have been issued by the Department of Defense. If the Department of Defense has not issued uniform procedures or reviewed the inclusion of natural immunity and the military services are moving forward with involuntary discharges, then we believe the Department is ignoring and violating Section 720. Congress included this language to protect our service members, and we expect the Department of Defense to abide by the law.” Additional members of Congress to sign the letter include Vicky Hartzler, Doug Lamborn, Elise Stefanik, Brian Mast, David McKinley, Darrell Issa, Kevin Hern, Rodney Davis, Bill Huizenga, Yvette Herrell, Michael Waltz, Bill Posey, Michael Guest, David Valadao, Thomas Tiffany, Pete Stauber, Mike Kelly, Andy Biggs, Neal Dunn, Gus Bilirakis, Dan Crenshaw, Randy Weber, Sr., Louie Gohmert, Lauren Boebert, Glenn Grothman, Alex Mooney, Joe Wilson, Scott DesJarlais, Jack Bergman, David Schweikert, Jeff Duncan, Ralph Norman, Bruce Westerman, Jim Banks, Rick Crawford, Jodey Arrington, Christopher H. Smith, Victoria Spartz, Ted Budd, and Gregory Steube.
Barry Moore joins lawmakers demanding hearing over treatment of January 6 defendants
Rep. Barry Moore, along with 20 colleagues, sent a letter to Chairman Jerry Nadler and Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney asking that House Judiciary and House Oversight & Reform Committees hold hearings on the treatment of January 6 defendants being held at the D.C. Department of Corrections. The letter states that the defendants are being held in solitary confinement and are not being given needed medical treatment. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth asked the Department of Justice to conduct a civil rights investigation into the conduct of the D.C. jail regarding a patient who needed treatment for non-Hodgkins. Lamberth stated, “It’s clear to me the civil rights of the defendant were violated by the D.C. Department of Corrections.” “Regardless of the charges an incarcerated person faces, correctional authorities should respect and uphold their civil rights and protect their health and safety. In this country, they have the presumption of innocence. They have not faced trial. And even convicted criminals should get adequate medical care and proper food. They are human beings. The reports coming out of the D.C. Department of Corrections are deeply concerning, and Congress should use our oversight authority to investigate,” said Rep. Moore. Moore stated on Twitter, “Regardless of the charges and incarcerated person faces, correctional authorities should respect and uphold their civil rights & protect their health & safety. In this country they have the presumption of innocence.” “There is clear mistreatment of the individuals being held in the D.C. jail for charges related to January 6th,” stated Biggs. “There is NO excuse for keeping them in these abhorrent conditions and continuing to impose solitary confinement – a punishment that even some on the Left have condemned. It’s time for Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Maloney to set aside any political motivations, do their job, and hold hearings so that we can get to the bottom of this.” Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mary Miller expressed disapproval for Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin’s actions. Rep. Greene stated, “The atrocious and inhumane conditions for PRE-TRIAL detainees at the D.C. Gulag are a clear example of the two-tiered justice system in America. BLM / Antifa domestic terrorists are allowed to walk free after burning down our cities with violent riots, but suspected J6 defendants are subjected to worse treatment than convicted terrorists in Gitmo. This situation must be investigated, and the officials responsible must be terminated from their positions, starting with avowed Trump-hater Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin.” “Deputy Warden Landerkin is using her position to torture her political opponents in a system where justice is supposed to be blind,” stated Miller. “There is clear mistreatment of the individuals being held in the D.C. jail for charges related to January 6th,” stated Andy Biggs. “There is NO excuse for keeping them in these abhorrent conditions and continuing to impose solitary confinement – a punishment that even some on the Left have condemned. It’s time for Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Maloney to set aside any political motivations, do their job, and hold hearings so that we can get to the bottom of this.” The letter was also signed by Scott Perry, Jeff Duncan, Lauren Boebert, Andy Biggs, Debbie Lesko, Andy Harris, Randy Weber, Bill Posey, Russ Fulcher, Matthew Rosendale, Sr., Louie Gohmert, Andrew Clyde, Mary Miller, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jody Hice, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Michael Cloud, Ralph Norman, and Clay Higgins.
Death threats, tweets jolt GOP infrastructure supporters
The last time Congress approved a major renewal of federal highway and other transportation programs, the votes were 359-65 in the House and 83-16 in the Senate. It was backed by nearly every Democrat and robust majorities of Republicans. This year’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill easily cleared the Senate 69-13 with GOP support but crawled through the House last week by 228-206 with just 13 Republican votes. Those defectors were savaged afterward by former President Donald Trump, hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called them “traitors” while tweeting their names and office telephone numbers, and one of the 13 says he received a death threat. The votes, six years apart, and the harsh blowback against Republican mavericks illustrate a GOP in which conservative voices have grown louder and more militant, fanned by Trump’s bellicose four years in office. Growing numbers of progressives have made Democrats more liberal, too, with both shifts fueling a sharpening of partisanship in Washington. “This madness has to stop,” said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., an 18-term moderate, who said his offices received dozens of threatening calls following his yes vote. That included one obscenity-laced rant that aides provided in which the caller repeatedly called Upton a “traitor” and expressed hope that the lawmaker, his family, and aides would die. Upton closed his two Michigan offices for a day and reopened them after increasing their security. This year’s bill, triple the size of the 2015 measure, is a keystone of President Joe Biden’s push to create jobs and build out the nation’s roads, water systems, broadband coverage, and other projects. A compromise between Senate Democrats and Republicans, it will send money into every state and is the kind of bill that politicians have loved promoting back home for decades. Biden plans to sign it Monday. Democrats say GOP opposition to the bill is indefensible on policy and political grounds. “It’s a sad statement of how the other party has lost its way,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who’s leading the House Democratic political arm into a 2022 campaign in which Republicans have solid chances of capturing congressional control. ”If you want our country to fail so you can say things are bad and win power for yourself, you act like the House Republicans are.” But for many Republicans, infrastructure projects — once an issue the two parties would reflexively work together on for mutual and national benefit — now offer a complex political calculation. “When it comes to policy these days, we’re basically divided into two tribes. And you stick with your tribe, and you don’t try to help the other tribe,” said Glen Bolger, a GOP pollster, and strategist. As president, Trump repeatedly promised his own massive infrastructure plan but never produced one, making the phrase “infrastructure week” a Washington synonym for “pipe dream.” But he opposes the current package, and his ability to rally his conservative supporters against those who cross him was a factor as GOP lawmakers decided how to vote. Even so, hard-right cries for retaliation against the 13 pro-infrastructure Republicans, largely moderates from the Northeast and Midwest, have prompted their own pushback. “This notion that we’re going to have people that are on the fringe, in terms of the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world and others, imposing some kind of a purity test on substance is lunacy,” said Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. Cheney has been at war with Trump and the party’s far-right ever since backing his impeachment early this year. Cheney opposed the bill, saying it contained clean energy and other provisions that would hurt Wyoming. She said the 13 Republicans who backed it are “among some of our very best members” who did it “because it was the right thing for their districts.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., an unabashed partisan warrior, was among 19 Senate Republicans who voted for the bill in August. McConnell, who doesn’t have to worry about being re-elected until 2026, said this week he was “delighted” the measure was heading to Biden. A day earlier, McConnell had already drawn Trump’s wrath. Trump issued a statement denigrating GOP senators who’d backed the bill for “thinking that helping the Democrats is such a wonderful thing to do.” Those Republicans “should be ashamed of themselves, in particular Mitch McConnell,” Trump wrote. That was just the tip of the iceberg for the attacks. In an interview, the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus said GOP lawmakers should consider removing from their posts the 10 of the 13 defectors who are the senior Republicans on committees and subcommittees. “I respect their right to vote, their districts, and their conscience. But that doesn’t mean that they should get the privilege of leading” House Republicans, said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. At a private Florida dinner Monday to bolster House GOP campaign prospects, Trump said he loves House Republicans but not the 13 who voted for the bill, according to an attendee who described Trump’s remarks on condition of anonymity. Earlier, House GOP leaders tweeted, and then deleted, that “Americans won’t forget” a vote for the “socialist” infrastructure bill. “Time to name names and hold these fake republicans accountable,” tweeted Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. Before last week’s vote, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said it would be “very difficult” for Republicans to promote backing the infrastructure bill during their campaigns because it is so closely linked to Democrats’ accompanying $1.85 trillion social and climate measure, which the GOP has solidly opposed. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who switched parties in 2019, said he supported the infrastructure bill because his state would receive over $20 billion “we desperately need.” Van Drew, who said he had heard “some cranky things” from some people, scoffed at the notion that the bill would “catapult the president” politically. “If Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to be mean to me, that’s fine,” he said of the colleague who labeled him and 12 others traitors. “I love America very much. I would never ever do anything to hurt this country.” Republished
