Explosive phone records and intercepted calls show ‘Trump aides and campaign staff were in constant communication with Russian intelligence officers before the election’… and Donald WAS briefed Is there a conspiracy inside Washington to destroy Trump’s inner circle? Top Republican claims Flynn was the appetizer – Kellyanne will be next and Trump is ‘the entree’ ‘This is a colossal scandal’: Clinton campaign officials slam alleged Trump ties to Russia after ‘records show his staff contacted intelligence officers prior to election’ Rantings of the brilliant general who lost the plot: How Mike Flynn went from one of US’s most respected intelligence officers to the country’s ‘angriest general’ Pictured: Female assassin sent by Kim Jong-un to murder his playboy half brother at a Malaysia airport as taxi driver who helped poison hit squad escape is arrested Inside the drug ring run by … (more)
Category: Mike Pence
Religious freedom could top Sessions civil rights priorities
When President Donald Trump spoke to … . FILE – In this Feb. 2, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump and Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., pause during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
The Left Needs to Assess the Implications of the Flynn Scandal
Many so-called progressives are stoked that Trump’s National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned charges surrounding his discussions with a Russian ambassador while Trump was president-elect. Congressional Democrats want to use this to go after Trump.
A Chat with Joshua Frank on Trump, Russia and US Intel: “The Goal of Impeachment”
Andrew Smolski: What do you make of the recent New York Times story that Trump aides have had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence? Is it because of the insults toward US intel agencies? Or are they genuinely that motivated for a war with Russia? Is this just incompetence on the part of Trump and Co.? Joshua Frank: Honestly, I think it has less to do with Russia and more to do with their dislike for Trump. Russia is the excuse, not the cause.
Trump knew Flynn misled WH weeks before ouster: officials
In this Feb. 11, 2014, file photo, then-Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Pick for Medicare post faces questions on Indiana contracts
President Donald Trump ‘s pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid consulted Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana’s governor. It’s a post Seema Verma maintained amid a web of business arrangements – including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties.
Democrats demand independent Russia probe after Flynn quits
Democrats demanded a special investigation Tuesday into possible links between President Donald Trump’s administration and Russia, including when Trump learned that his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had discussed U.S. sanctions with a Russian diplomat. “The American people deserve to know the full extent of Russia’s financial, personal and political grip on President Trump and what that means for our national security,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
The Latest: Trump meets with educators, praises DeVos
FILE- In this Feb. 13, 2017, file photo, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in the east Room of the White House in Washington for a joint news conference with President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin T… Trump congratulated DeVos at a White House “listening session” with people who have taught in public and private school, and others who home-school their kids. DeVos became education secretary after Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote on her nomination in the Senate.
The Long Road to Impeach Trump Just Got Shorter
On Thursday, Congressman Jerrold Nadler filed a “resolution of inquiry” that amounts to the first legislative step toward impeachment. A new poll shows that registered voters are evenly split, at 46-to-46 percent, on whether they “support” or “oppose” impeaching Trump.
AP Sources: Justice warned White House about Flynn contacts
Joseph Dunford, left, and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as he arrives via Air Force One at MacDill Air Forc… . Kellyanne Conway, left, and Stephen Miller, both senior advisers to President Donald Trump, walk to a news conference with President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Feb. 10, 2017, at the White House in Washin… .
Flynn apologizes to Pence over Russia controversy
Joseph Dunford, left, and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as he arrives via Air Force One at MacDill Air Forc… . Kellyanne Conway, left, and Stephen Miller, both senior advisers to President Donald Trump, walk to a news conference with President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Feb. 10, 2017, at the White House in Washin… .
Trump cites voter fraud in NH without providing evidence
President Donald Trump has revived groundless claims of voter fraud, arguing in a lunch meeting with senators that he and former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte would have won in New Hampshire if not for voters bused in from out of state. A GOP official with knowledge of Thursday’s lunch conversation described the president’s comments.
Elections official asks Trump for evidence of voter fraud
A member of the Federal Election Commission on Friday called on President Donald Trump to share any evidence he has to support a statement that voter fraud caused him and former Senator Kelly Ayotte to lose in New Hampshire in the 2016 U.S. election, Reuters reported. “The scheme the President of the United States alleges would constitute thousands of felony criminal offenses under New Hampshire law,” FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said in a statement.
Tom Price: Everything You Need to Know About the New Health Secretary
The Senate confirmed Tom Price as the next secretary of Health and Human Services early Friday in a late-night session. The former Georgia Republican congressman is a strong critic of the Affordable Care Act and will help the Trump administration with its efforts to repeal and replace the healthcare bill.
Protest marks public school visit by new education secretary Betsy DeVos
Protesters, including Ari Schwartz, center, gather outside Jefferson Middle School in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, where Education Secretary Betsy DeVos paid her first visit as education secretary in a bid to mend fences with educators after a bruising confirmation battle. /// —–Original Message—– From: Danilova, Maria Sent: Friday, February 10, 2017 11:15 AM To: waspi@ap.org Subject: Devos Protest DQoNCg0KU2VudCBmcm9tIG15IGlQaG9uZQ== WASHINGTON – Angry activists shouted “stand up, fight back” and one protester was arrested, as Betsy DeVos made her first visit to a public school Friday as education secretary.
Pardoned Chicago man says he felt abandoned by Pence
A Chicago man who spent more than eight years in prison for a wrongful conviction says he’s angry that his name wasn’t cleared by Vice President Mike Pence during his time as Indiana governor. Forty-nine-year Keith Cooper said during a news conference Friday in Chicago that he felt abandoned by Pence but was thankful that new Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb granted him a pardon Thursday.
Under fire, Conway maintains support of the president
But she’s so far maintained the support of her boss, President Donald Trump. Trump backed Conway both publicly and privately Thursday after House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, criticized her for promoting Ivanka Trump’s fashion line during a television appearance and urged the Office of Government Ethics to review the matter.
Appeals court ruling was the biggest warning to Trump yet on how he’s approaching the presidency
The appellate court repudiation of President Trump ‘s travel ban marked the first high-level loss for a new administration that, for all the chaos it has inflicted on Washington and itself, had thus far largely succeeded in accomplishing its goals. Before the judicial panel refused Thursday to reinstate Trump’s order – which prevented entry into the U.S. from seven mostly Muslim countries and all refugees, until a lower-court judge issued a stay – drama in Washington played out as if the nation had only two pillars of power.
Big utilities try to tilt solar energy market in their favor
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s energy utilities want state lawmakers to pass a law that critics say would muscle out smaller companies from the emerging solar energy market.Solar power provides only about 1 percent of the country’s energy, but it is growing rapidly, with U.S. Energy Department figures showing solar industry employment grew 125 percent … (more)
Under fire, Conway maintains support of the president
Kellyanne Conway, the high-profile White House counselor, has come under fire from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, fact checkers and the media.
Education boss gets first assignment – mend fences with foes
On her first day on the job, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos plunged into her initial assignment: mending fences with her opponents following a bruising confirmation battle. Parents across the country looked for clues as to whether she will fulfill their hopes or reinforce their fears.
GOP senior statesmen making push for a carbon tax
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with county sheriffs in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with county sheriffs in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017.
Sen. Sessions on track for confirmation as attorney general
The Senate is working overtime toward confirming President Donald Trump’s close ally, Sen. Jeff Sessions, to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer as attorney general. The Alabama Republican appears headed toward confirmation on Wednesday evening by a nearly party-line vote.
Bribe Bully Beg Borrow Steal
On February 10, 2016, the Indiana-based furnace company Carrier announced that it would close two factories in the U.S.-one in Indianapolis and one in Huntington-and shift production to Mexico. Just three days later, presidential longshot Donald Trump bragged on Twitter: “I am the only one who can fix this.
Betsy DeVos’s Biggest Sin is Supporting School Choice, Not Lack of Experience
The Democrats, along with their cohorts in the media, did a terrific job in making Betsy DeVos’s lack of experience in the public school system the be-all, end-all of whether or not somebody can run the Department of Education. The caterwauling from Democrats, ignorant celebrities, and dunderhead media personalities managed to advance that narrative.
DeVos ekes out confirmation win as Pence casts historic vote
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos smiles during a swearing-in ceremony in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House on Feb. 7, in Washington, D.C. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos smiles during a swearing-in ceremony in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House on Feb. 7, in Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON – Charter school advocate Betsy DeVos won confirmation as U.S. Education secretary Tuesday by the slimmest of margins, pushed to approval by the historic tie-breaking vote of Vice President Mike Pence.
GOP Senior Statesmen Making Push for a Carbon Tax
A group of Republican senior statesmen are pushing for a carbon tax to combat the effects of climate change , and hoping to sell their plan to the White House. Former Secretary of State Jim Baker is leading the effort, which also includes former Secretary of State George Shultz.
Senate set to confirm DeVos as education secretary
In this image from Senate Television, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks on the floor of the U.S. Senate in Washington, Feb. 6, 2017, about the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Education Secretary. The Senate will be in session around the clock this week as Republicans aim to confirm more of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks over Democratic opposition.
DeVos hangs in balance before tight Senate vote
President Donald Trump’s selection for education secretary, billionaire mega-donor Betsy DeVos, appears to be his most embattled Cabinet pick, but Senate Republicans have largely held tight in their support. Senate GOP leaders are confident they can squeak DeVos through the Senate with the support of 50 Republican senators Tuesday afternoon, plus a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence Set to Break Senate Tie on DeVos Vote to Head Education
Vice President Mike Pence could make history Tuesday by breaking an expected tie in the Senate to confirm Betsy DeVos as U.S. education secretary, barring a last-minute defection by a single additional Republican to kill the nomination outright. The nail-biter is the unexpected first test of Democrats’ ability to thwart President Donald Trump’s agenda, gathering momentum after two Senate Republicans said they wouldn’t support DeVos, a longtime GOP donor.
Elect, don’t appoint, state schools chief
Partisan bickering and the resulting gridlock can be deeply frustrating for constituents. Nothing gets done because one side won’t recognize that the other has a good solution, or doesn’t want the other side to get any credit.
Democratic senator: We may flip another GOP vote on DeVos
A Democratic senator from Michigan said Monday public pressure may have swayed enough of her Republican colleagues to bring down the nomination of Betsy DeVos for education secretary. “We may, in fact, have an additional Republican colleague voting ‘no,’ which would stop her tomorrow,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow told CNN’s Erin Burnett “OutFront” Monday.
Senate in round-the-clock session to confirm Trump Cabinet
Democrats announced plans Monday to hold the Senate floor around the clock to protest Republicans’ push to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. Democrats’ effort got under way as the Senate headed toward a showdown vote Tuesday on Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, a wealthy GOP donor who has advocated for alternatives to public education.
Gas pump advertising campaign targets Indiana fuel tax hike
A trade association will soon adorn gas pumps across Indiana with ads opposing a Republican plan to use higher fuel taxes to pay for infrastructure repairs, a tricky sell in a conservative state much more accustomed to cutting taxes than raising them. The ads at gas pumps, filling stations and convenience stores will include the contact information for state lawmakers, a hardball tactic urging motorists to voice their opposition to the plan that would raise fuel prices by at least a dime a gallon.
Senate set to confirm education secretary by narrow margin
Here’s a look at previous cabinet nominees who were defeated. According to Senate.gov, it has happened to nine people, though two of them were rejected multiple times.
Pence defends Trump’s comparison of Putin to Americans
Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday defended President Trump ‘s comments in which he appeared to draw parallels between the United States and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We now have a president who is reengaging a world from which America has been stepping back over the last eight years,” the former Indiana governor said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Indiana seeks to continue Medicaid expansion program
Gov. Eric Holcomb has requested the renewal of a federal waiver that allows Indiana’s Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 to serve hundreds of thousands of low-income Hoosiers. The request begins an eight-month process with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that is expected to go smoothly under President Donald Trump’s administration.
DeVos moves closer to confirmation as education secretary
Betsy DeVos moved closer toward confirmation as education secretary Friday after clearing a major hurdle in the Senate, even as Democrats and labour unions fervently sought another Republican vote against her. Tensions flew on the Senate floor during an early-morning session, with a senior Republican saying DeVos will make an “excellent” secretary and a top Democrat calling her “one of the worst nominees.”
ED Nominee DeVos Faces Evenly Split Senate as Two GOP Lawmakers Defect
Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Education , could be the most controversial pick for that post in American history. After her confirmation hearing and narrow approval Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions , two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – said they would vote against DeVos when the vote goes before the full Senate.
VP Pence may have to break tie to get deVos confirmed
Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins each came out Wednesday against Betsy de Vos, President Trump’s pick to head the Education Department The billionaire GOP megadonor has been a major supporter of private school education vouchers and flubbed questions at her confirmation hearing The GOP opponents are not filibustering the nomination, which would allow it to go forward on a simple majority vote Vice President Mike Pence may need to cast the deciding vote in order to confirm the nomination of Betsy deVos, President Trump’s pick to run the Education Department.