Andy McCabe slams ‘disgraceful’ Senate GOP for trying to distract from FBI hearing with more election lies

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On CNN Tuesday, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe tore into Senate Republicans for their continued effort to push conspiracy theories surrounding the Capitol riot in January at the hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“How do you reconcile Republican members of Congress that swore an oath to the Constitution continuing to traffic in conspiracy theories and lies about the insurrection and the very serious and persistent threat from extremist groups, rightwing extremist groups Director Wray himself laid out today?” asked anchor Anderson Cooper. “Is there precedent for this?”

“Not that I’m aware of. It’s disgraceful,” said McCabe. “You accurately pointed out with the senators, they abandoned those lies long enough to ask questions about things like data collection and the threat from China, because they couldn’t reasonably put forth that nonsense in front of the FBI director who just laid waste to the lie by saying that no, in fact, the election was righteously conducted and that there was no Antifa in the protest. When it’s not convenient for them, they distract by looking at something else, but send them back to CPAC and I’m sure you’ll hear it again.” Continue reading.

U.S. House panel reissues subpoena for Trump’s tax records

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A U.S. House of Representatives panel has reissued a subpoena seeking Donald Trump’s tax and financial records, saying in a memo made public on Tuesday it needs the documents to address “conflicts of interest” by future presidents.

In a court filing on Tuesday, House lawyers told a judge that the House Oversight Committee reissued a subpoena to Trump’s accounting firm, Mazars USA LLP, on Feb. 25.

The committee issued a similar subpoena in 2019, but that subpoena expired in January when new U.S. lawmakers took office. Continue reading.

Why are no Republicans condemning Rep. Paul Gosar for cozying up to white nationalists?

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Opinion: Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar spoke at a white nationalist conference and the condemnation from the Republican Party is … non-existent.

Arizona’s most shocking story today isn’t the fact that an Arizona congressman spoke at a white nationalist conference on Friday night.

It isn’t that he then posed for pictures with the event organizer, a guy who lamented the loss of the country’s “white demographic core” and proclaimed the events leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the nation’s Capitol as “awesome.”

It’s the silence pouring forth from the Arizona Republican Party that is absolutely stunning. Continue reading.

Wray: FBI deemed Jan. 6 attack domestic terrorism

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FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that officials have classified the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by former President Trump‘s supporters as domestic terrorism.

“That attack, that siege, was criminal behavior, plain and simple, and it’s behavior that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism,” Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wray said the FBI has received more than 270,000 tips from Americans that have helped the bureau identify the numerous people who allegedly participated in the attack. Continue reading.

Jan. 6 Revolt Compels Some Democrats to Reassess Bipartisan Ties

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  • 139 House Republicans opposed Biden’s Electoral College votes
  • AOC leans toward opposing bills sponsored by those lawmakers

One of the most routine and noncontroversial of all congressional votes — renaming a post office — became a point of partisan contention last week when a House Democrat briefly halted a usually unanimous move because the Republican sponsor voted against certifying the presidential election.

It was the latest display of the tension that’s lingered in the Capitol since Jan. 6, when an insurrection by Donald Trump supporters was followed by 139 House Republicans supporting Trump’s call to overturn the Electoral College result.

But while some in the party have vowed to stop working with those Republicans on legislation, moderate Democrats are reconciling their disgust, frustration, and disappointment with the need to work in a bipartisan manner — not only to get legislation passed, but also as part of a commitment they made to constituents in their swing districts. Continue reading.

Phillips Leads on Government Reform as H.R.1 Passes House, Authoring Five Provisions in the Landmark Package

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Rep. Phillips’s contributions to the For the People Act would combat disinformation, strengthen campaign finance enforcement, secure our elections, and restore faith in government

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House voted to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a historic voting rights, campaign finance, and ethics reform bill that included five provisions authored by Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03).

“In the face of reprehensible attempts to suppress voters and insidious foreign interference campaigns, the health of our Democracy is as urgent today as it was when I first ran for office in 2018,” said Rep. Phillips. “H.R. 1 is a critical step in the right direction, and I am proud to have contributed to this landmark legislation that ends politics as usual and returns power to the people—a key priority for Democrats and Republicans alike. This is a great day for America, and while much work remains to be done, I remain optimistic about the strength of our institutions and the trajectory of our democracy.”

H.R. 1 was the first bill Rep. Phillips co-sponsored after he was elected to Congress in 2018. Phillips’s contributions to the historic reform package include:

Continue reading “Phillips Leads on Government Reform as H.R.1 Passes House, Authoring Five Provisions in the Landmark Package”

Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) COVID-19 Vaccine Update

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Hi Neighbors,

Two weeks ago, I sent you an email with information about Minnesota’s vaccine rollout. Thanks to your helpful feedback and response to that email, my team and I have added additional information and some updates since my last email. This information was compiled on March 3rd, 2021 and will change as more vaccines become available, so please check here for the latest information about COVID-19 vaccinations from the Minnesota Department of Health.

As you may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for a new, single-shot COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, February 27th, 2021. This is now the third vaccine to receive authorization in the US. You can read about the FDA’s process for review and authorization here. While I expect that this will further accelerate the timeline for vaccine distribution, as President Biden noted earlier this week, please read on to find more information about the current state of vaccine distribution in Minnesota:

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VACCINES FOR VETERANS

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is currently offering and administering COVID-19 vaccines to veterans already receiving care from the VA, based on CDC and VA risk criteria. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, the VA health care system will contact you. Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at VA can visit VA’s Eligibility web page to learn more

Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) COVID-19 Vaccine Update”

Threats to Capitol prompt House to cancel Thursday votes

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House Democrats will accelerate passage of a sweeping police reform bill, bringing the legislation to the floor Wednesday night — and canceling votes Thursday — amid revelations of new threats to the Capitol.

Democrats had initially intended a Thursday vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. They altered the schedule Wednesday, prompted by fears from lawmakers that their physical safety was at risk from conservative militia groups threatening violence at the Capitol on Thursday, according to four Democratic sources familiar with the change.

“[There’s] growing concern about threats to the Capitol and Democratic lawmakers in particular tomorrow,” one Democratic lawmaker texted. Continue reading.

Rep. Jim Jordan’s false claim that Pelosi denied a request for National Guard troops

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“Capitol Police requested National Guard help prior to January 6th. That request was denied by Speaker Pelosi and her Sergeant at Arms.”

— Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), in a tweet, Feb. 15, 2021

Though the Capitol Hill insurrection was inspired by former president Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election and mounted by his followers, some Republicans have tried to pin the blame elsewhere. One prominent target is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as this tweet indicates.

We were convinced by House Republican staff to hold off on fact-checking this tweet before last week’s testimony by key figures in the Capitol Hill security during the Jan. 6 events. But if anything, that testimony further undermined Jordan’s widely circulated tweet.

(Jordan also tweeted it “took over an hour” to get approval on Jan. 6 for National Guard support from “Pelosi’s team” after a request was made. We will hold off on fact-checking that, because there continues to be a gap between phone records and individual recollections of the calls. But the New York Times reported that video indicates Pelosi approved the request on the spot once the request was passed to her.) Continue reading.

Phillips Bill to Fight Disinformation and Protect Voting Rights Included in HR1 Government Reform Package

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The Voter NOTICE Act would neuter pernicious disinformation campaigns and bring much-needed truth and transparency to our elections.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) announced that his bill, the Voter NOTICE Act, was included in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a landmark anti-corruption, voter protection, and campaign finance reform package co-sponsored by every House Democrat.

Phillips’s Voter Notification of Timely Information about Changes in Elections (NOTICE) Act would require election officials to reach out to every registered voter to notify them of any change to state election rules, including changes to early and mail-in voting, that are made in response to public emergencies. Officials would also be required to produce public awareness campaigns on television and social media to ensure that all new voting procedures are clearly communicated to the public.

Continue reading “Phillips Bill to Fight Disinformation and Protect Voting Rights Included in HR1 Government Reform Package”