Twelve days before the Trump administration will decide whether or not to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the Iran deal, Secretary of Defense James Mattis told Congress it’s in America’s national security interest to keep the agreement. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Mattis replied in the affirmative to a question about whether […]
Tag: senate
Congress Passes New Sanctions On Russia And Undermines Trump’s Authority
The House and Senate have struck a deal that could send to President Trump’s desk this summer a bill that slaps new sanctions on Russia. In addition to the new sanctions on Russia for its interference in the U.S. 2016 election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, the bill also gives Congress the […]
GOP Using Tax Payer Money To Fix Special Election
Montana Republicans are demanding the state spend $750,000 it didn’t budget to avoid what the GOP sees as a potential political catastrophe: high voter turnout in an upcoming special election. The state didn’t plan for spending on federal elections in 2017, and for good reason. Neither senator is running until 2018, and its lone House […]
Pence Breaks Tie To Defund Planned Parenthood
WASHINGTON — Vice President Pence cast a tie-breaking Senate vote Thursday to pass legislation that will allow states to withhold federal funds from Planned Parenthood and other health care providers that perform abortions. The measure, which now goes to President Trump for his signature, dismisses an Obama-era rule banning states from denying federal funds to such […]
Senate Intelligence Says No Proof Of Wiretapping Or Wider Surveillance
Senate Intelligence Committee leaders released a joint statement Thursday saying that they have no reason to believe that President Donald Trump’s wiretapping claims against then-President Barack Obama are true. “Based on the information available to us, we see no indications that Trump Tower was the subject of surveillance by any element of the United States […]
Bernie Sanders Campaigning To Win Back Trump Supporters, Save DNC
At a time when Congress is debating a vast overhaul of the nation’s health care system, a hardened approach to refugees and immigration in general, and links between the current president and interests in Russia, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) finds himself increasingly outside the Beltway, in states and towns won by President Donald Trump. Since […]
Pence Breaks Tie With Vote To Confirm DeVos
Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote Tuesday for President Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary ― the first time a vice president’s tie-breaking vote has been used for a Cabinet confirmation. Betsy DeVos garnered a 50-50 tie from senators, with all 48 Democrats in the chamber and two Republicans voting against her. The vote […]
Repeal Of Obamacare Nightmare For Mental Health Care
Senate Republicans are already working to repeal the Affordable Care Act ― a move that could be devastating for those with mental illness. Eliminating the ACA would strip health insurance from an estimated 20 million Americans, including coverage for services that help some of the one in five Americans with a mental health condition. Most health plans […]
DAPL Supporter Named Chairman Of Indian Affairs
Hoeven — a former North Dakota governor and vocal supporter of both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines — was elected to lead the committee on Tuesday. “I am honored to serve as the chairman … and look forward to working with [newly elected] Vice Chairman [Sen. Tom] Udall [D-NM] and members of […]
GOP Plan To Eliminate All Federal Funding For Planned Parenthood
WASHINGTON ― With so much attention on GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare this month, there’s a detail to their plan that may slip under the radar: Their bill will strip all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, too. “Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said during a Thursday […]
Ethics Office Issues Warning About Quick Cabinet Confirmations
The Office of Government Ethics is raising alarm over the pace of confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, saying Saturday that they have yet to receive required financial disclosures for some picks set to come before Congress next week. In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., […]
Obama To Meet With Democrats Of Congress To Block Repeal Of Obamacare
WASHINGTON ― President Barack Obama will huddle with House and Senate Democrats next week to strategize on how best to protect the Affordable Care Act. Republican lawmakers plan to take up a repeal of Obamacare as soon as Congress returns in January. “Next week, Republicans in Congress will once again turn to repealing a law […]