Category Archives: House of Representatives

Trump wins temporary victory in effort to keep White House records secret

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The former president is asking a court to block release of material related to the House investigation into the attack on the Capitol

Donald Trump, the former US president, has been scrambling this week to make a last-ditch legal bid to block the release of sensitive White House records related to the deadly 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol – and scored a victory on Thursday when a federal appeals court allowed a temporary stay on the process.

The National Archives, a federal agency that holds presidential files, was poised to begin givingcongressional investigators hundreds of pages of documents and other material, such as video clips, that Trump wants to keep secret, on Friday.

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Federal appeals court grants Trump request to block release of records linked to Capitol attack – as it happened

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Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Veterans Day, Joe Biden thanked all of those who have served in the US military.

“Our veterans represent the best of America,” Biden said. “You are the very spine of America, not just the backbone. You’re the spine of this country.”

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House 6 January panel to issue new round of subpoenas for Trump allies

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The House select committee investigating the deadly attack on the US Capitol on 6 January is poised to issue subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants involved in attempting to subvert the 2020 election results from a “command center” at the Willard hotel in Washington, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The subpoenas, which could be issued as soon as next week, reflect the select committee’s interest in events at the hotel just across from the White House, where Donald Trump’s most loyal aides plotted to keep him in office.

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Biden hails ‘monumental step forward’ as Democrats pass infrastructure bill

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The president will sign $1tn package into law after House ended months-long standoff by approving bipartisan deal

Joe Biden saluted a “monumental step forward as a nation” on Saturday, after House Democrats finally reached agreement and sent a $1tn infrastructure package to his desk to be signed, a huge boost for an administration which has struggled for victories.

“This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America,” Biden said, “and it’s long overdue.”

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Democratic standoff as progressives object to Pelosi infrastructure vote plan – as it happened

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Joe Biden noted that he would soon be returning to the Oval Office to keep making calls to House members, encouraging them to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation package today.

“I want to say very clearly: if your number one issue is the cost of living, the number one priority should be seeing Congress pass these bills,” Biden said.

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House Democrats aim for new votes on Biden agenda after Virginia loss – live

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Majority leader Steny Hoyer says House may vote on bipartisan infrastructure bill and $1.75tn reconciliation package as soon as today

• Giuliani investigators home in on 2019 plan to advance Ukraine interests

House speaker Nancy Pelosi would not provide any additional details about when the chamber might vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation package.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I wish to,” the Democratic speaker told reporters at her weekly press conference.

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House Democrats push for twin votes despite Manchin doubts over spending bill – live

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Senator Joe Manchin said it would take “quite a while” to pass the reconciliation package, even as the House looks to hold votes on that proposal and the bipartisan infrastructure bill by the end of the week.

“You’re talking about overhauling the entire tax code. That is tremendous. And there needs to be input. We need to know what the effect’s going to be,” the West Virginia senator told CNN on Capitol Hill.

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House Democrats hope to vote this week on infrastructure and reconciliation bills – live

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About 80% of US adults now have at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 70% of American adults are fully vaccinated.

According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 206,333,974 American adults have now gotten at least one vaccine dose, and 179,729,970 of them are fully vaccinated.

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Biden’s agenda remains unrealized as Democrats fail to close deal again

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Pelosi forced to postpone infrastructure vote on Thursday ahead of Biden’s meeting with world leaders in Rome

Joe Biden’s nearly $3tn domestic agenda remains unrealized after an 11th-hour push to rally Democrats around a pared-down package that he framed as historic, failed to close the deal in time for his meeting with world leaders in Rome at the G20 summit.

But after a dramatic Thursday of bold promises and dashed hopes, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, was forced to postpone a vote on a $1tn infrastructure bill for a second time in a month, as progressives demanded more assurances that a compromise $1.75tn social policy plan would also pass.

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Capitol attack panel faces pivotal moment as Trump allies stonewall

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Questions about Trump’s role in 6 January may go unanswered unless House investigators can secure a breakthrough to obtain documents and testimony

The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is confronting a pivotal moment as resistance from top Trump administration aides threatens to undermine their efforts to uncover the extent of the former president’s involvement in the 6 January insurrection.

The select committee remains in the evidence-gathering phase of the investigation that now encompasses at least five different lines of inquiry from whether Donald Trump abused the presidency to reinstall himself in office or coordinated with far-right rally organizers.

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National paid family and medical leave reportedly cut from US reconciliation package – live

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Here’s where the day stands so far:

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Outrage over stalled US voting rights bill continues as activists say ‘we need action’ – live

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Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have arrived at the memorial for Dr Martin Luther King at the Tidal Basin in Washington.

The president and the vice-president will soon deliver remarks to mark the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the memorial. Stay tuned.

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House Capitol attack committee votes to recommend Steve Bannon prosecution

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  • Panel unanimously approves contempt of Congress citation
  • Trump ally defied subpoena relating to 6 January insurrection

The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack voted on Tuesday to recommend the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, after he defied a subpoena relating to their inquiry into the 6 January insurrection.

The select committee approved the contempt of Congress citation unanimously, sending the report to the Democratic-controlled House, which is expected on Thursday to authorize the panel to go to court to punish Bannon for his non-compliance.

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FBI ‘conducting activity’ at home of sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska – live

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Democratic senator Jon Tester has also voiced criticism of progressives’ suggestion to add a carbon tax to the reconciliation package.

“You might have problems with me on a carbon tax,” Tester said, per Politico.

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Steve Bannon: Capitol attack panel to consider criminal contempt referral

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House 6 January select committee to decide on Trump’s former strategist, who has snubbed subpoena requests, on Tuesday

Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack on Thursday announced the panel’s intention to consider a criminal contempt referral against Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena as part of its 6 January inquiry.

The vow to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Bannon – one of Donald Trump’s top advisers – puts the select committee on the path to enforce the subpoena issued to uncover what the former president knew in advance of plans to mount an insurrection.

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House Capitol attack panel issues subpoena to Trump official Jeffrey Clark

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In targeting Clark, House investigators followed up on a Senate report that detailed his efforts to abuse the DoJ to support Trump

The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack on Wednesday issued a subpoena to top Trump justice department official Jeffrey Clark, escalating its inquiry into the former president’s efforts to reinstall himself in office and the 6 January insurrection.

The new subpoena underscores the select committee’s far-reaching mandate in scrutinizing the origins of the Capitol attack, as it pursues an investigation into Donald Trump’s role in pressuring the justice department (DoJ) to do his bidding in the final weeks of his presidency.

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House passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early December

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  • Legislation raises government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tn
  • Hard-fought House vote passes entirely along party lines

The US House of Representatives gave final approval on Tuesday to a Senate-passed bill temporarily raising the government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tn, putting off the risk of default at least until early December.

Democrats, who narrowly control the House, maintained party discipline to pass the hard-fought, $480bn debt limit increase. The vote was along party lines, with every yes from Democrats and every no from Republicans.

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Will Nancy Pelosi retire at the end of this term – and if so, who will take her place?

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Some observers believe passage of the reconciliation bill would be a fitting coda to her decades-long political career

Amid Democrats’ contentious negotiations over the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation package, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, was able to distract Capitol Hill reporters for a few minutes with her use of a certain C-word.

“I just told members of my leadership that the reconciliation bill was a culmination of my service in Congress because it was about the children,” the Democratic speaker said at a press conference late last month.

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House Capitol attack panel ready to urge prosecution of Trump aides, says Schiff

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Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Steve Bannon and Kash Patel all defying subpoenas under instruction from Trump

The House select committee investigating the deadly assault on the US Capitol on 6 January is prepared to urge federal prosecution of former aides to Donald Trump who refuse to comply with subpoenas, a key panel member said.

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, strategist Steve Bannon and Pentagon aide Kash Patel are defying subpoenas for documents and testimony, under instruction from the former president.

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Progressive Democrats draw strength from muscle-flexing in Congress

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The left of the party is celebrating holding firm on insisting on both parts of Biden’s domestic agenda over centrist objections

When House Democrats were forced to delay their planned vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill earlier this month, the reaction from progressives was a bit surprising considering it is a key part of Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.

Rather than lamenting the delay of the vote, progressive groups praised the Democratic lawmakers who had demanded the scheduling change.

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