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Republicans in Congress line up behind Trump after he says FBI searched Mar-a-Lago
By: Jacob Fischler - August 9, 2022
Republicans in Congress fumed Tuesday in reaction to former President Donald Trump’s Monday evening statement that the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida. Democrats had little to say Tuesday about the apparent search, though some defended the execution of justice regardless of a person’s political power. The massive […]
U.S. Senate passes major health, tax and climate bill in boost for Democrats
By: Ariana Figueroa and Jacob Fischler - August 8, 2022
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate, along party lines, passed a sweeping energy, health care, climate and tax package Sunday afternoon, following an overnight marathon of votes that resulted in just a handful of notable changes to the legislation. The 755-page bill was passed after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie in the evenly […]
U.S. Senate in turnaround backs aid for veterans exposed to burn pits
By: Jennifer Shutt and Jacob Fischler - August 2, 2022
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed bipartisan legislation that would provide health care and benefits to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances while deployed overseas, after many Republicans switched their votes and decided to once again back the legislation. The shift came after days of protest and vigils outside the U.S. Capitol, […]
Climate spending in new reconciliation deal a ‘turning point’ for the U.S., supporters say
By: Jacob Fischler - August 1, 2022
Environmental advocates largely praised the climate provisions in Senate Democrats’ massive taxes, health care and energy bill released Wednesday night, saying even with provisions to help the fossil fuel industry, the measure represents a historic step toward addressing the climate crisis. The 725-page bill — made public mere hours after U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III […]
Manchin and U.S. Senate Democrats strike a deal on major health, climate, tax package
By: Jacob Fischler and Jennifer Shutt - July 28, 2022
WASHINGTON — West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck an agreement Wednesday for a Democrats-only reconciliation package that would allow negotiations on some Medicare prescription drugs, end corporate tax loopholes and address climate change as well as invest in energy projects. President Joe Biden in a statement on […]
Strong economy, declining gas prices have escaped notice, White House says
By: Jacob Fischler - July 27, 2022
After making a fight against inflation its “top priority,” the Biden administration says aspects of the economy are robust, even if headlines haven’t reflected that. Senior administration officials promoted Biden’s economic record on a call with local reporters Wednesday on positive economic indicators — mainly low unemployment and falling gas prices — ahead of a […]
Trump ‘chose not to act’ as U.S. Capitol underwent attack, Jan. 6 panel says
By: Jacob Fischler - July 22, 2022
Donald Trump ignored White House staff, family members and outside advisers who urged the president to call off the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to testimony before the U.S. House panel investigating the insurrection at its eighth and final hearing of the summer Thursday night. Instead, Trump sat in the […]
Biden lays out new funds for localities on climate, but no national emergency yet
By: Jacob Fischler - July 21, 2022
With U.S. Senate negotiations over climate funding stalled, President Joe Biden on Wednesday directed additional spending to help states and cities manage climate disasters — resisting calls from many congressional Democrats to take more aggressive executive action like a declaration of a national climate emergency. Biden also announced steps executive agencies are taking to expand […]
Jan. 6 panel to detail Trump’s 187 minutes of delay as insurrection grew
By: Jacob Fischler - July 21, 2022
The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan.6 attack and Donald Trump’s role in it will focus in a Thursday evening hearing on the former president’s refusal for more than three hours to call off the rioters storming the U.S. Capitol, committee aides said Wednesday. The hearing will be the eighth in the panel’s series to […]
Climate change legislation still could pass Congress this year, Manchin insists
By: Jacob Fischler - July 18, 2022
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III on Friday held open the prospect of Congress passing significant climate legislation yet this year, denying reports he’s tanked the effort by walking away from talks with leadership. The reports have brought a flood of criticism for Manchin from fellow members of Congress, who say the very survival of the […]
Interior’s offshore drilling plan blasted by both sides on U.S. Senate committee
By: Jacob Fischler - July 13, 2022
A growing debate over the federal government’s plans to either allow more oil and gas production to curb inflation or limit drilling to achieve climate goals spilled into a U.S. Senate spending panel’s hearing Wednesday. With Interior Secretary Deb Haaland testifying, members of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee argued about the department’s recent five-year proposal […]
Trump tweet invited ‘wild’ mob to block transfer of power on Jan. 6, House panel says
By: Jacob Fischler - July 13, 2022
The U.S. House panel investigating Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results described Tuesday how the president explicitly called on his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, for a “wild” protest — resulting in an insurrection. Trump exerted extraordinary influence over the mob, who marched to the Capitol on […]