Category: US House of Representatives

Who is Julian Assange?

President-elect Donald Trump picked a fight with the US intelligence community in recent days, elevating the statements of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Russian President Vladimir Putin over his own nation’s top spies. “Somebody needs to march into his office and explain who Julian Assange is,” former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican and CNN contributor, offered Wednesday, in the wake of the controversy.

No. 2 Senate Republican: Obamacare won’t be replaced all at once

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas said Thursday Republicans won’t offer a comprehensive bill to replace Obamacare, saying instead that the GOP will try to enact individual health care measures. So instead, top Republicans are looking at a mix of smaller bills that could attract bipartisan support in Congress and executive actions that could be pursued by President-elect Donald Trump and Rep. Tom Price if he’s confirmed as Health and Humans Services secretary.

Sources: Trump will ask Congress, not Mexico, to pay for border wall

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has signaled to congressional Republican leaders that the President-elect’s preference is to fund the border wall through the appropriations process as soon as April, according to House Republican officials. The move would break a key campaign promise when Trump repeatedly said he would force Mexico to pay for the construction of the wall along the border.

Namechecked by Obama, gay ex-Navy officer joins race to revive Democrats

Washington; The gay, 34-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana – namechecked recently by President Obama – has entered the contest for chairman of the Democratic party, presenting himself as an alternative to the two leading candidates. Warning that beleaguered Democrats can ill afford a replay of their contentious presidential primary in the race to lead the Democratic National Committee, Pete Buttigieg said “this is not a time to relitigate an old battle”.

Trump picks former U.S. Senator Coats as director of national intelligence

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked former U.S. Senator Dan Coats as his director of national intelligence, two senior transition officials said, as he puts his stamp on a U.S. intelligence community that he frequently criticizes. The official announcement was expected this week as Trump makes decisions on some of the remaining major positions he must fill as he prepares to take over the White House on Jan. 20. Coats, 73, is a traditional conservative from Indiana who just finished a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

House GOP passes bill to undo a midnighta Obama administration regulations

House Republicans passed a bill aimed at reversing “midnight” or last-minute regulations created in the waning months of a presidential administration on Wednesday. The Midnight Rules Relief Act, which passed the House mostly along party lines 238-184, would allow Congress to repeal rules finalized in the last 60 legislative days of President Obama’s administration.

As 115th Congress Begins, NJ’s Newest Rep. Seeks the Center

House Speaker Paul Ryan administers the House oath of office to Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., during a mock swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill on Jan. 3, 2017 After taking the oath of office Tuesday, Democrat Josh Gottheimer became the newest member of the New Jersey congressional delegation. In one of the few bright spots for Democrats in the November election, Gottheimer unseated 7-term Republican Scott Garrett in New Jersey’s 5th congressional district.

Intel chiefs: Trump is wrong, Russia behind 2016 hacks

Old school Republicans in the Senate aren’t sitting idly by as their party’s new leader Donald Trump bashes the intelligence community and questions findings that Russia hacked American entities and operatives in order to influence the 2016 election. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., used his power as Senate Armed Services Committee chairman on Thursday to launch a probe of Russia’s role in the hacking.

Dems want probe of Trump Cabinet pick over stock sales

Top Senate Democrats said Thursday that the House ethics office should investigate whether stock sales by a congressman who is now one of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks broke any laws. The Democrats cited a Wall Street Journal report last month that Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., had traded over $300,000 worth of shares in health care companies over the past four years while pushing legislation that might affect those stocks’ values.

Trump builds out White House policy team

NEW YORKa S-a SThe Trump-Pence Presidential transition team on Thursday announced the build out of the White House policy team. NEW YORKa S-a SThe Trump-Pence Presidential transition team on Thursday announced the build out of the White House policy team.

Planned Parenthood would lose funding as part of Obamacare repeal, Ryan says

House Speaker Paul Ryan leaves a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 5. Republicans plan to strip Planned Parenthood of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding as part of their rapid push to repeal President Obama’s health-care reforms, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday. Ryan said a defunding measure would appear in a special fast-track bill that is expected to pass Congress as soon as next month: “Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill,” he said at a news conference, in response to a question about plans to defund the organization.

Ted Cruz: I dona t see a GOP primary …

Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that as it stands now, he doesn’t see anyone who is likely to mount a GOP primary challenge against him in his 2018 bid for re-election but that he’s taking nothing for granted. “At this point, I don’t see anyone that is likely to run, but I am going to assume that the threat is serious and prepare accordingly,” Mr. Cruz told radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Cotton Debunks The ‘Trump Is Great For Russia’ Narrative

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton questioned the widespread talking point that President-elect Donald Trump is the preferred candidate for Russia in a Senate hearing Thursday, pointing to a number of Trump’s proposals that are arguably not in Russia’s interests. “There’s a widespread assumption since the election that Vladimir Putin favored Donald Trump in this election,” Cotton said to intelligence officials testifying about Russia’s meddling during the 2016 U.S. election cycle.

Trump opponents find an ally: Republican incompetence

For 10 years, Republicans have waited for their chance to govern, and finally the voters handed them the car keys: unified GOP control of Congress and the White House. But the moment the starter’s flag dropped Tuesday, the opening day of the 115th Congress, the eager majority seized the wheel of power, hit the gas – and immediately lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail.

The University of California looks to raise tuition

University of California students protest proposed tuition hikes outside a regents meeting in San Francisco. The University of California unveiled a proposal Wednesday for the first tuition increase in six years, saying booming enrollment growth and reduced state support have left campuses scrambling to pay for more faculty, course offerings, classrooms and financial aid.

GOP House panel: Halt federal money for Planned Parenthood

A Republican-run House panel created to investigate Planned Parenthood and the world of fetal tissue research has urged Congress to halt federal payments to the women’s health organization. Democrats said the GOP probe had unearthed no wrongdoing and wasted taxpayers’ money in an abusive investigation reminiscent of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

Congress members receiving thousands of requests to attend Trump’s inauguration

EVAN VUCCI / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a ‘USA Thank You’ tour event on Dec. 1 in Cincinnati. Congressman Lou Barletta of Hazleton was flooded with 9,000 requests so far to see Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, like Congressman Lou Barletta of Hazleton, get to hand out 198 tickets for the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

Congress members receiving thousands of requests to attend Trump’s inauguration

EVAN VUCCI / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a ‘USA Thank You’ tour event on Dec. 1 in Cincinnati. Congressman Lou Barletta of Hazleton was flooded with 9,000 requests so far to see Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, like Congressman Lou Barletta of Hazleton, get to hand out 198 tickets for the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

Obama urges fellow Democrats to fight for Obamacare

President Barack Obama has urged fellow Democrats to fight for his healthcare bill, as the incoming Trump team vowed to make a repeal of the law a priority. In a two-hour private meeting Mr Obama sought to rally members of his party, as Republicans took their first steps to dismantle his signature bill.

Obama urges fellow Democrats to fight for Obamacare

President Barack Obama has urged fellow Democrats to fight for his healthcare bill, as the incoming Trump team vowed to make a repeal of the law a priority. In a two-hour private meeting Mr Obama sought to rally members of his party, as Republicans took their first steps to dismantle his signature bill.

California hires ex-Attorney General Holder to fight Trump

Democratic leaders in the California Legislature said Wednesday they have hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to advise them on a legal strategy as they gird for a fight against President-elect Donald Trump. The precise role of the high-profile lawyer remained unclear, but his politically connected firm will be paid $25,000 a month plus expenses from the Legislature’s budget to help lawmakers develop strategies “regarding potential actions of the federal government that may be of concern to the state of California,” according to the contract with Holder.

California hires ex-Attorney General Holder to fight Trump

Democratic leaders in the California Legislature said Wednesday they have hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to advise them on a legal strategy as they gird for a fight against President-elect Donald Trump. The precise role of the high-profile lawyer remained unclear, but his politically connected firm will be paid $25,000 a month plus expenses from the Legislature’s budget to help lawmakers develop strategies “regarding potential actions of the federal government that may be of concern to the state of California,” according to the contract with Holder.

Dana Milbank: GOP might need learner’s permit – Thu, 05 Jan 2017 PST

For 10 years, Republicans have waited for their chance to govern, and finally the voters handed them the car keys: unified GOP control of Congress and the White House. But the moment the starter’s flag dropped Tuesday, the opening day of the 115th Congress, the eager majority seized the wheel of power, hit the gas – and immediately lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail.

Dana Milbank: GOP might need learner’s permit – Thu, 05 Jan 2017 PST

For 10 years, Republicans have waited for their chance to govern, and finally the voters handed them the car keys: unified GOP control of Congress and the White House. But the moment the starter’s flag dropped Tuesday, the opening day of the 115th Congress, the eager majority seized the wheel of power, hit the gas – and immediately lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail.

Sen. Sherrod Brown To Fight Obamacare Repeal, Push For…

A new Republican president-elect and an allied GOP-led Congress is eager to take the nation from a predictable health market during the last two years of the Obama administration to a new era of uncertainty. This inauspicious forecast comes from Open Minds , which touts itself as having “monitored everything happening in the sectors of the health and human service field serving complex consumers” since 1987.

Editorial: Kill the death tax

The 115th U.S. Congress has hit the ground running , but there is a piece of legislation that should be a slam dunk. U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, a Clarendon Republican and the Texas Panhandle’s longtime lawmaker, made his first bill of the session the Death Tax Repeal Act.

Repeal ‘Obamacare’, but don’t hurt consumers, says Mike Pence

The Senate voted 51-48 to begin debating a budget that will prevent Democrats from using a filibuster to block future Republican legislation to scuttle the landmark health care law Donald Trump’s “first order of business” as president will be to repeal and replace “Obamacare,” but Republicans must avoid hurting consumers as they do it, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said at the Capitol on Thursday. President Barack Obama visited Congress, too, 16 days before leaving the White House, championing his landmark overhaul before Democratic lawmakers and urging them to remind voters of how the statute has helped them.