Category: Republican

Hundreds chant ‘Coward!’ amid Paul Ryan’s Rhode Island visit

Around 200 people chanted “Coward!” and booed as Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan was attending an event in heavily Democratic Rhode Island FILE – In this Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington before President Donald Trump’s speech to the nation. Ryan is scheduled to visit Democratic-leaning Rhode Island.

No Resignation, but Pressure Forces Jeff Sessions to Recuse Himself

Responding to growing pressure both from his colleagues and the public at large, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Thursday that he is recusing himself from federal investigations into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. Though he continued to deny the accusation that he lied under oath as “totally false,” he said he spoke with his staff and they recommended recusal.

Partisanship rift continues in House panel probing Russia

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., right, and the committee’s ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., leave after talking to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 2, 2017, following a briefing with FBI Director Jim Comey about Russian influence on the American presidential election. less House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., right, and the committee’s ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., leave after talking to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, … more House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

Libertarian Party earns political party status in Iowa

Pate says the status began effective Wednesday after state election officials determined the party’s presidential nominee, Gary Johnson , received 59,186 votes – or 3.8 percent of the vote – in the November 2016 general election. The new status gives the Libertarian Party the ability to participate in primary elections in 2018.

Senators want $20 million for JCCs and other faith-based community centers

The “Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act” could help Jewish Community Centers and other houses of worship offset the cost of increased security. This enhanced security – already in place at many JCCs in the wake of scores of bomb threats in recent weeks – will tax nonprofits budgets and divert funds that could be used for the preschools, gyms and programs for the elderly offered to Jews and non-Jews alike.

Graham to meet with FBI Director Comey about Russia investigation

Sen. Lindsey Graham is scheduled to meet Thursday with FBI Director James Comey to discuss recent news related to Russia, though the location of the meeting has not been made public. Graham complained about reading news reports based on leaks about what the FBI is doing regarding Russia and wants to hear from the director about what his bureau is doing.

Read a Transcript of Paul Ryan’s Press Conference on Jeff Sessions

House Speaker Paul Ryan said that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should only recuse himself from investigations into Russia if “he himself” is the subject of the investigation. Speaking at a brief press conference on Capitol Hill, the Wisconsin Republican said he “hadn't read” the transcripts of what Sessions told the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing about whether he met with Russia and could not speak to whether it was accurate.

Calls grow for Sessions to withdraw from Russia probe

A growing number of Republicans joined Democratic leaders Thursday in calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step aside from an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 White House election. Top Democrats demanded that Sessions go further and resign as the nation’s top law enforcement officer after the revelation that he had twice talked with Moscow’s U.S. envoy during the campaign.

6 weeks later, senators question delay on agriculture pick

In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, Agriculture Secretary-designate, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue attends a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump tapped Perdue to be his agriculture secretary six weeks ago, but the administration still hasn’t formally provided the Senate with the paperwork for the nomination.

U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, other GOP leaders discuss ‘Obamacare’ plans with President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump dines with several Republican congressional leaders, including U.S. Majority Whip Steve Scalise on Wednesday, March 1. U.S. Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, was one of several Republican Congressional leaders who met over lunch with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to discuss plans for the repeal and replacement of the federal Affordable Care Act. “We are here to start the process.

Russia: The problem Trump can’t escape

The first weeks of a US presidency are usually filled with optimism — a fresh face with a clean slate settles into the White House and maps out a vision for the next four years. A scandal over communications between key Trump aides and Russian officials ahead of the President’s inauguration has widened yet again — this time to include Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Sessions spoke with Russian envoy in 2016, Justice Dept says

Attorney General Jeff Sessions talked twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, the Justice Department confirmed, a seeming contradiction to sworn statements he gave to Congress. The revelation spurred growing calls in Congress in both parties for him to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election.

House oversight panel chair – Sessions should ‘clarify his testimony’

Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said on Thursday that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions should “clarify his testimony” about his contacts with Russian officials during the Trump presidential campaign. Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, said in a Twitter post, “AG Sessions should clarify his testimony and recuse himself.”

Six weeks later, senators question delay on Agriculture pick

In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, Agriculture Secretary-designate, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue attends a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump tapped Perdue to be his agriculture secretary six weeks ago, but the administration still hasn’t formally provided the Senate with the paperwork for the nomination.

Jeff Sessions denies impropriety over Russian ambassador controversy

A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions denied that he was being untruthful when he said at his confirmation hearing that he had no contact with Russian officials amid revelations Wednesday that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador during Donald Trump’s campaign for president. The contact was first reported by the Washington Post .

The most important word Trump didna t say Tuesday

Trump uttered some 5,000 words and spoke for 60 minutes, but not one of those words was “Russia,” and not one of those minutes was devoted to the so-far-successful effort by our geopolitical adversary to undermine American democracy. The FBI and intelligence community have unanimously charged that Vladimir Putin’s government interfered in the U.S. elections in its successful attempt to get Trump elected.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not reveal talks with Russian ambassador in 2016

Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., spoke twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members of President Donald Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow during Sessions’s confirmation hearing to become attorney general. One of the meetings was a private conversation between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that took place in September in the senator’s office, at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.

Sen. Graham Calls for Special Prosecutor on Trump’s Russian Ties

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday if Attorney General Jeff Sessions talked with a Russian diplomat before taking office last month – without telling Congress during his confirmation hearings – “then, for sure, you need a special prosecutor.” “If there is something there, and it goes up the chain of investigation, and it’s clear to me that Jeff Sessions, who is my dear friend, cannot make this decision about Trump,” the South Carolina Republican said at a town hall meeting hosted by CNN.

We thought Gen X was a bunch of slackers; now they’re the suits

The Great Ideological Wars of 2017 have pitted grey-hairs against snowflakes, the we-liked-it-the-old-way boomers, more than half of whom cast their ballots for Donald Trump, vs. the idealistic millennials, who would prefer it if Grandpa kept his paws off their rights. Their very name conjures images of underemployed slackers, of flannels and Kurt Cobain and Elizabeth Wurtzel, the medicated and nihilistic symbol of the Prozac Nation.

The Latest: WH says Conway promo of Ivanka line inadvertent

The top White House ethics attorney says counsellor Kellyanne Conway “acted inadvertently” and “without nefarious motive” when she promoted Ivanka Trump’s fashion line during a television interview at the White House. Stefan Passantino, deputy counsel to the president on compliance and ethics, wrote in a letter to the Office of Government Ethics that he met with Conway and resolved the matter.

Was Trump tribute to fallen soldier fitting or calculated?

Carryn Owens, widow of widow of Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, is applauded on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, as she was acknowledged by President Donald Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress. less Carryn Owens, widow of widow of Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, is applauded on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, as she was acknowledged by President Donald Trump … more An emotional Carryn Owens, widow of widow of Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, as she was acknowledged by President Donald Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress.

Massachusetts AG urges US House chairman to pull subpoena

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is urging Republican Congressman Lamar Smith to withdraw his committee’s subpoena for documents related to her Exxon Mobil investigation. Healey sent a 10-page letter to Smith Wednesday arguing the House Committee on Science , Space and Technology has no authority over her probe into whether Exxon Mobil misled Massachusetts consumers and investors about the impact of burning fossil fuels on the environment and the impact of climate change on the company’s business.

Feds: Criminal officers stole from the innocent in Baltimore

U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, right, speaks at a news conference in Baltimore, Wednesday, March 1, 2017, to announce that seven Baltimore police officers who worked on a firearms crime task f… . Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Kevin Davis, center, shakes hands with U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein after a news conference in Baltimore, Wednesday, March 1, 2017, to announce that s… .

Deputy: 4 children dead, 3 people injured in Oregon fire

Republican legislative leaders in Indiana are warning that repealing the Affordable Care Act could unravel a program for poor residents that Vice President Mike Pence implemented as governor. Republican legislative leaders in Indiana are warning that repealing the Affordable Care Act could unravel a program for poor residents that Vice President Mike Pence implemented as governor.

Former Montana Rep. Zinke takes helm of Interior Department

In his first address to a joint session of Congress, Trump said largely what GOP leaders were hoping to hear Tuesday night, staying on-message and talking in optimistic tones In his first address to a joint session of Congress, Trump said largely what GOP leaders were hoping to hear Tuesday night, staying on-message and talking in optimistic tones The initial reaction signaled that Trump faces a fight with the GOP on the $1 trillion-plus portion of the federal budget that is passed each year by Congress. The initial reaction signaled that Trump faces a fight with the GOP on the $1 trillion-plus portion of the federal budget that is passed each year by Congress.

White House said to kick off infrastructure planning Thursday

President Donald Trump’s administration will convene a meeting of at least 15 federal agencies Thursday as a first government-wide step toward crafting the president’s $1 trillion infrastructure initiative, a senior White House official said. Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, will lead the meeting, which will focus on identifying new projects that would boost the economy; finding existing projects, such as the Keystone XL pipeline, that could be expedited; targeting policies, outdated rules and laws that could delay projects; and developing funding and financing options, the official said.

GOPa s Obamacare replacement plans provide less financial help, analyses show

As congressional Republicans move to solidify their Obamacare repeal-and-replace legislation, concern is mounting that their strategies will leave millions of Americans with less financial assistance and more expensive coverage. A new analysis on Wednesday from the Kaiser Family Foundation projects that the HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace’s average premium subsidy – which people use to help purchase coverage – would shrink by at least 36 percent in 2020 under GOP proposals being considered.

Geisinger to hire 2,000 new employees

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Together divided

Building “A” at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds was overflowing with concerned constituents Feb. 21 as Representative Tom McClintock faced a large crowd. McClintock generated a similar turnout in Sonora the following night with the Union Democrat reporting Sonora High School’s 569-seat auditorium was filled to capacity with another several hundred left outside.