President Donald Trump offered a backhanded congratulations to former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who was narrowly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday. “Congratulations to Thomas Perez, who has just been named Chairman of the DNC.
Category: US Senate
Lawmakers push bill to address dropped rural cellphone calls
U.S. senators from South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana are pushing a bill that would address the problem of dropped rural cellphone calls. Carrie Johnson of SDN Communications tells the Argus Leader that about 80 percent of South Dakota’s land area is impacted by the issue.
The Trump team may have gone even further to knock down news…
White House officials allegedly sought to recruit congressional lawmakers and the US intelligence community to help throw cold water on stories about communications between Russia and people in President Donald Trump’s inner circle. According to a Washington Post report published Friday evening, some of those lawmakers were asked by the White House to talk to reporters and refute stories from The New York Times and CNN that alleged frequent communication between Trump allies and the Kremlin before the election.
‘It transformed me’: Donna Brazile reflects on ‘constant…
Outgoing Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, in some of her first public comments since the presidential election, opened up Friday about how Russian hacking of the DNC last year colored not only the outcome of the election but also her personal experience in politics. In an interview with Business Insider at the DNC winter meeting on Friday, the chair reflected on the effects of the release of hacked emails from the committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman that were published by WikiLeaks last year.
Democratic senator on GOP colleague Lindsey Graham in Trump…
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse thinks his Republican colleague, Lindsey Graham, has been “politically brave” in his approach toward President Donald Trump. But as he explained in calling Graham a “great guy,” Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, said that attribute is nothing new for the South Carolina senator.
Hillary Clinton to speak in father’s Pennsylvania hometown
In this Nov. 9, 2016, file photo, former President Bill Clinton applauds as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York. Hillary Clinton has been selected to speak at a St. Patrick’s Day event in her late father’s Pennsylvania hometown.
Republicans Are Trying to Let Internet Providers Sell Your Data
The Affordable Care Act is far from the only Obama-era policy Republicans want to take down now that they control the government. A set of internet privacy rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission last year has also become a target.
Kansas governor to wield veto pen on tax bill
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, speaks of the tax bill he was sent last week at the Kansas Chamber annual dinner in Topeka, Kan., Tuesday night, Feb. 21, 2017. Brownback said Tuesday that he will veto a bipartisan bill that would roll back personal income tax cuts he’s championed to help balance the state budget.
Senators Want Sessions to Review AT&T, Time Warner Deal
The planned $85 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner could be facing further scrutiny as top senators on the Judiciary Committee are urging the DOJ to look into the deal further, due to antitrust concerns. Subcommittee chair Sen. Mike Lee and Amy Klobuchar sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions highlighting parts of the deal they find concerning, The Hill reports.
AT&T says its merger with Time Warner is exactly what customers want
With AT&T planning to avoid a Federal Communications Commission review of its merger with Time Warner, Senate Democrats led by Al Franken recently asked the company to prove that the acquisition will benefit Americans. AT&T gave its response on Friday with a letter that describes the merger’s promised benefits-including targeted advertising.
McCain: Dictators get started by ‘suppressing the free press’
Senator John McCain defended the free press on Saturday following President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media. I hate the press, I hate you especially,” McCain told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Saturday .
Milo Yiannopoulos Tapped as Keynote Speaker at Conservative Political Action Conference
The controversial figure, known as a harsh critic of Hollywood liberalism, will get more stage time at the conservative event than any other speaker, inlcuding VP Mike Pence and Sen. Ted Cruz. Milo Yiannopoulos is about to go mainstream Republican, sort of, grabbing himself a keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference next month.
John McCain just spent 9 minutes picking apart Trump’s…
Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona just spent nine minutes picking apart President Donald Trump’s worldview without mentioning his name once at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday. “In recent years, this question would invite accusations of hyperbole and alarmism; not this year,” McCain said of the event’s provocative title.
How The Department Of Labor Organized Against Andrew Puzder
A Senate committee will begin hearings this week on the confirmation of Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, fast-food magnate Andrew Puzder. And like most Trump cabinet nominations, Puzder is controversial.
Marathon CEO Placed Steep Price Hikes on Drugs Before Emflaza
The CEO of the latest drugmaker to face criticism over a product’s high price has a history of steep hikes on other drugs and at past companies. Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Aronin, under fire for setting an $89,000 price on the company’s drug for a rare, deadly muscle disease, was questioned in a letter more than two years ago by Washington lawmakers about mark-ups on two heart drugs.
Senate confirms Mnuchin as treasury secretary
Steven Mnuchin, Treasury secretary nominee for President Donald Trump, speaks during a Senate hearing in Washington on Jan. 19. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg The Senate confirmed Steven T. Mnuchin as Treasury secretary Monday evening, putting an end to a contentious and protracted debate while adding another former banker to President Trump’s roster of advisers. Mnuchin ran a bank, OneWest, that foreclosed on tens of thousands of Americans following the financial crisis, and Democrats argued that he would not represent the financial interests of ordinary Americans in office.
The dubious cases against one med-tech tax and for a subsidy
The enduring adage that we detest taxes but obligingly accept public benefits those taxes support is playing out in Minnesota by one of the state’s largest and most prosperous interest groups. That’s hardly surprising, but eyebrows may wrinkle in this case, in which highly questionable “facts” are pushed to knock down a federal tax and, in St. Paul, to prop up a subsidy that some call a freebie handout to folks who often don’t need it.
Gary Cohn Has Emerged as an Economic-Policy Powerhouse in Trump Administration
At Donald Trump’s first meeting with Gary Cohn in late November, he appeared so impressed with the then-president of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. that he joked about offering him the post of Treasury secretary, said a person who recalled the moment. Sitting nearby was the odds-on favorite for the job, Steven Mnuchin, who got the nod.
Net neutrality fix faces hard sell
Two key Senate Republicans say they are open to a bipartisan legislative compromise on net neutrality, but their effort faces skepticism from both parties. John Thune Net neutrality fix faces hard sell FCC faces doubleheader of Hill hearings GOP senators demand more answers on Yahoo hacks MORE Roger Wicker Net neutrality fix faces hard sell Lawmakers push FCC chief to boost rural broadband FCC chairman unveils plan to increase transparency MORE , the chairman of a Commerce subcommittee on the internet, have said they are willing to work on a measure that keeps the core of the controversial internet rules but also allows Congress to limit the Federal Communications Commission’s powers.
Trump may be abandoning conservatives on one of their most symbolic issues
A thick fog surrounds container ships at the Port of Oakland in California on Oct. 23, 2013. On Thursday, President Trump said he would help restore an agency that subsidizes U.S. exporters.
Jeff Sessions Confirmed as U.S. Attorney General
The Senate confirmed Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General on Wednesday, bringing to a close what became one of the most contentious debates over President Trump’s cabinet picks so far. The Senate voted to confirm Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General on Wednesday, bringing to a close what became one of the most contentious debates over President Trump’s cabinet picks so far.
Dr. Alveda King: Sen. Warren Used the King Name to Stir Up Emotions
Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., reacts to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife in the Senate. The Senate voted along party lines in favor of a rule that essentially silenced Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night after she quoted from a letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, Coretta Scott King, during her criticism of Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick for Attorney General.
Energy Transfer to Get Dakota Access Pipeline Approval From U.S.
The controversial Dakota Access pipeline is set to gain the final go-ahead for completion after President Donald Trump asked for a speedy approval. The U.S. Army said it will grant Energy Transfer Partners LP the easement it needs to finish the line that will ship almost half a million barrels of crude a day from North Dakota’s shale fields to refineries across the Midwest and on to the Gulf Coast.
Republicans vote to silence Elizabeth Warren for reading…
Republicans voted to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on Tuesday night, during a Senate floor debate over Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination as President Donald Trump’s attorney general. Warren, who is among the Democratic senators opposing Sessions’ appointment, attempted to read from a 1986 letter written by Coretta Scott King, the wife of civil-rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stopped Warren, alleging her recitation of the letter violated Senate rule 19, which forbids conduct “unbecoming” of a senator.
Overnight Tech: Dems vow to fight for net neutrality | FCC chief…
DEMS DRAW THE LINE ON NET NEUTRALITY: Democrats on Tuesday vowed to stand firm against any efforts by Republicans to roll back the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules. “The big broadband barons and their Republican allies want to turn back the clock and make big cable and big cellphone companies the gatekeepers for internet access,” Sen. Ed Markey said at a press conference in the Capitol.
Dems come out swinging on net neutrality
Democrats on Tuesday vowed to stand firm against any efforts by Republicans to roll back the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules. “The big broadband barons and their Republican allies want to turn back the clock and make big cable and big cellphone companies the gatekeepers for internet access,” Sen. Ed Markey Dems come out swinging on net neutrality Senators introduce resolution in support of Australia after Trump call Dem senator: Trump ‘trying to rig’ Supreme Court MORE Supporters of the internet rules, which require broadband providers to treat all traffic the same, are worried net neutrality could be on the chopping block under a GOP-controlled Congress and FCC.
Democratic senators push to save net neutrality rules under Trump
Democratic senators have promised to fight any move by President Donald Trump’s administration to gut the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules. Any moves by Trump or the Republican-controlled FCC to roll back the 2015 regulations will meet stiff resistance from Democratic lawmakers and digital rights groups, the five senators said during a press conference Tuesday.
The CEO of an $18 billion software company says Harry Reid…
Carl Bass, CEO of software company Autodesk with a market cap of $18 billion describes himself as “batsh*t about President Trump” and he’s felt that way “for a year,” throughout the campaign, he told Pando Daily’s Sarah Lacy. Like many other folks in the U.S. who are not fans of the new president, Bass has got a long list of concerns.
Coty Says It Will Add First Woman Board Member by July
Fragrance and cosmetics company Coty will soon be adding a woman to its board of directors, reducing the number of S&P 500 companies without women in the boardroom to four. Fragrance and cosmetics company Coty said it will add a woman to its board of directors by July, reducing the number of S&P 500 companies without women in the boardroom to four.
As a conservative Twitter user sleeps, his account is hard at work
Daniel John Sobieski, a retiree in Chicago, is able to tweet more than 1,000 times a day using “schedulers” that work through stacks of his own pre-written posts in repetitive loops. Daniel John Sobieski, 68, climbed the stairs in his modest brick home and settled into a worn leather chair for another busy day of tweeting.
Resolution to Scrap Oil and Gas Anti-Bribery Rule Is Moving Swiftly Through Congress
A resolution to scrap an anti-bribery rule that affects oil, gas and mining companies is quickly making its way through Congress. A resolution to scrap an anti-bribery rule that affects oil, gas and mining companies is quickly making its way through Congress.
Trumpa s early moves spark alarm, resistance within the government
At the U.S. State Department, the dissent began building soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order late on Friday to limit immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. Opposition mounted through the weekend as a draft memo criticizing Trump’s policy was written up in Washington and circulated by email to U.S. diplomatic posts around the world, according to multiple officials involved in the effort.
Trumpa s early moves spark alarm, resistance within the government
At the U.S. State Department, the dissent began building soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order late on Friday to limit immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. Opposition mounted through the weekend as a draft memo criticizing Trump’s policy was written up in Washington and circulated by email to U.S. diplomatic posts around the world, according to multiple officials involved in the effort.
Labor nominee Puzder is facing complications separating himself from his fast-food chain
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate fast food executive Andy Puzder as Secretary of Labor, a sign that he may be less labor-friendly than President Obama. Justin Mitchell reports.
Dakota Access Oil Pipeline Seen Gaining U.S. Approval Soon
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to issue Energy Transfer Partners LP the last permit it needs to finish the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline, two North Dakota lawmakers said. Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer directed the Army Corps to move forward with the easement necessary to build the final leg of the $3.8 billion crude line under North Dakota’s Lake Oahe, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday, citing a conversation he had with Speer.
Labor nominee Puzder’s confirmation hearing delayed a fourth time
Amid mounting opposition from Democrats and labor groups, the confirmation hearing for labor secretary nominee and fast-food chief executive Andrew Puzder has been delayed a fourth time. A new hearing date will not be set until the Senate receives key paperwork laying out Puzder’s financial disclosures and detailing his plan for avoiding future conflicts of interest, according to an aide for Sen. Lamar Alexander , the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Fired: Trump Dumps Top Lawyer Who Defied Immigration Order
President Donald Trump fired top federal government lawyer Sally Yates on Monday after she took the extraordinarily rare step of defying the White House and refused to defend new travel restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority nations. It was another dramatic twist in the unusually raucous roll-out of Trump’s directive that put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country, an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and a 90-day bar on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Sally Yates
President Donald Trump Monday fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who defied Trump by refusing to defend his immigration executive order. President Donald Trump on Monday night fired acting attorney general Sally Yates, who had hours before ordered the Justice Department not to enforce Trump’s executive order imposing bans on immigration from certain largely Muslim countries.
Top Justice Official Won’t Defend Trump Immigration Order
Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates said Monday that she wouldn’t allow the Justice Department to defend President Donald Trump’s order banning immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, questioning its legality. The highly unusual declaration by Yates, an Obama administration holdover, was the latest twist in a controversy that has sparked protests at airports across the country and seen many congressional Republicans break from the White House.
Deutsche Bank Ends N.Y. Mirror-Trade Probe for $425 Million
Deutsche Bank AG has taken the first step to resolve allegations that it helped wealthy Russians launder billions of dollars, reaching a deal with New York’s Department of Financial Services that requires it to pay a $425 million penalty, the regulator said. The New York settlement, approved by the bank on Monday, resolves allegations that Deutsche Bank employees used a “mirror-trading scheme” to help wealthy Russians move $10 billion out of that country from 2011 through 2014.