US Senate 35 , CD3 DFL

A number of Republican lawmakers are saying no to COVID-19 vaccines

Republicans are at odds over the wisdom and efficacy of taking the COVID-19 vaccine, undermining national efforts to defeat the coronavirus and reinforcing the views of GOP base voters already reluctant to participate in the ramped-up inoculation program.

Although the top GOP leaders, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), were quickly vaccinated in December — and encouraged the public to follow suit — a number of high-profile rank-and-file members say they intend to ignore the advice.

Some of those holdouts say they’re concerned the vaccine poses a greater health threat than COVID-19 itself. Others have indicated they don’t want to jump ahead of constituents in line for vaccines of their own. And still others note that, because they contracted COVID-19 over the past year, they have the antibodies to fight the disease in the future, precluding the need to be inoculated. Continue reading.

Judge blasts QAnon Shaman for ‘blatantly’ lying after he gets busted by video from the Capitol riot

During a recent interview with CBS News’60 Minutes, “QAnon shaman” Jacob Chansley claimed that the doors to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were left open for the mob to enter. Now, a federal judge says Chansley “blatantly lied” in the interview after the court released two videos debunking his claim, Law&Crime reports.

“Not only is defendant unable to offer evidence substantiating his claim that he was waved into the Capitol, but evidence submitted by the government proves this claim false. A video submitted by the government captures rioters breaking through the windows of the Capitol building,” Senior Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a 32-page opinion on March 8. “At the same moment that rioters smash the glass and crawl through the windows, the video pans over to show a large group of rioters walking through an adjacent doorway into the Capitol building. Included in that group is defendant, who is easily identifiable by his horned headdress.”

“The government’s video shows that defendant blatantly lied during his interview with 60 Minutes+ when he said that police officers waved him into the building,” Lamberth added. “Further, this video confirms that defendant did not, as defense counsel claims, enter the building” contemporaneously with the exiting by Capitol Police.” […] Nor did he enter, as defense counsel represents, in the ‘third wave’ of the breach. To the contrary, he quite literally spearheaded it.” Continue reading.

Momentum of Capitol riot inquiries stalls amid partisan flare-ups

Momentum is stalling amid congressional efforts to swiftly investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, threatened by logistical delays and deepening partisan disagreement about the scope of an independent inquiry advocated by Democrats.

After initial House and Senate hearings that scrutinized law enforcement and intelligence failures leading up to the insurrection, the pace of such public sessions has slowed to a halt, as lawmakers struggle to determine their next investigative steps. Meanwhile, a fight between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her Republican counterparts over the scope of a Sept. 11-style commission has intensified this week after she announced her plan for how it should be structured.

Now, a looming congressional recess is expected to delay resolution on both fronts until mid-April at the soonest — a pause that threatens to undermine the momentum and spirit of cooperation Democrats and Republicans had exhibited immediately after the riot. Continue reading.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says FBI’s Brett Kavanaugh investigation may have been ‘fake’

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) accused the FBI of launching a “politically constrained and perhaps fake” investigation into accusations of sexual assault and misconduct made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation process.

After former President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July 2018, multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, notably Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that while they were teenagers, Kavanaugh held her down on a bed, put his hand over her mouth, and attempted to take off her clothes. Kavanaugh denied all of the accusations.

Trump authorized the FBI to investigate Ford’s claim, but the bureau never interviewed Kavanaugh, Ford, or other witnesses who offered to testify, and its report was never made public. In a letter sent last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Whitehouse said the Senate Judiciary Committee is reviewing the FBI’s handling of the accusations, and would like the Justice Department to provide support. Continue reading.

McConnell offers scathing ‘scorched earth’ filibuster warning

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) offered a scathing warning to Democrats on Tuesday, amid growing pressure to nix the legislative filibuster.

“Let me say this very clearly for all 99 of my colleagues: Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin, can even begin, to imagine what a completely scorched-earth Senate would look like,” McConnell said.

He added that in a chamber that functions on a day-to-day basis by consent, meaning all senators sign off on an action, “I want our colleagues to imagine a world where every single task, every one of them, requires a physical quorum.” Continue reading.

Ted Cruz allegedly used campaign funds to hype his book: report

Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) allegedly used campaign funds to promote his new book, a violation of federal la, a new report says.

According to The Daily Beast, the concerns stem from Cruz’s usage of campaign funds to run ads on Facebook as a way of promoting his new book, “One Vote Away: How A Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History.” From September to October of 2020, Cruz allegedly ran a total of 17 ads on his official Facebook political candidate page to raise awareness about the new book.

The publication reports that the sponsored Facebook posts, which the social network filed in its political ads library, featured a clip of the Texas senator encouraging his supporters to purchase the book from a number of online booksellers as he included links to book marketplaces like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Continue reading.

‘What the hell?’ MSNBC’s Morning Joe unloads on Ron Johnson for defending Trump’s ‘terrorists’

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough unloaded on “bigot” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who admittedhe was unafraid of white insurrectionists but would have feared Black Lives Matter protesters.

The Wisconsin Republican later feigned surprise over the strongly negative reaction to his comments, but the “Morning Joe” host called out the racism and inaccuracy in Johnson’s claims — and his subsequent denials.

“An ‘innocuous comment,'” Scarborough said, quoting the senator’s denial. “An innocuous comment where he said, I’m going to get in trouble for saying this.’ He knew exactly what he was doing. Let me tell you, Ron, the left doesn’t want you to be silenced, because the more you say bigoted things like the other day, the more you actually help the left and the more you hurt Republicans. So, yes, Ron, they don’t want you to be silenced, and of course, you aren’t silenced, because you actually wrote an op-ed in one of the largest newspapers on the planet, one of the most important newspapers on the planet. We keep hearing this, ‘I will not be silenced,’ as people write op-eds in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and go on national news networks and get more access to the American people than anybody else. It’s just a stupid, stupid argument.” Continue reading.

Ron Johnson keeps digging

The Wisconsin senator tried Monday to explain his comments about being more scared had Black Lives Matter followers stormed the Capitol. But the revisionism didn’t stop there.

Last week, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) yet again caused controversy by saying what he really thought about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Having previously downplayed the severity of it and raised a debunked conspiracy theory that it might not have been perpetrated by supporters of former president Donald Trump, Johnson said he never truly felt threatened. His reason: Because, in his words, “those are people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law.” He said he would have felt more threatened if Black Lives Matter or antifa were behind the riot.

On Monday, Johnson kept digging.

In an appearance on a local Wisconsin radio show, Johnson fought back against allegations of racism for invoking BLM and saying he would have been more scared if that movement had been behind it. Continue reading.

Help is on the Way: The American Rescue Plan Signed Into Law

When President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) this week, it was a bold and historic response to a devastating pandemic that – for more than a year – has upended the lives of people in Minnesota and across the country. The pandemic has taken more than 500,000 lives, strained our public health system, closed schools, and stolen millions of businesses and jobs.

I strongly supported the American Rescue Plan after hearing from thousands of Minnesotans throughout this past year about the devastating toll the virus has had on their lives. This new law will arm the nation with important tools to fight the deadly pandemic and deliver badly-needed resources to help restore the nation’s health and economic well-being. It not only delivers much-needed support for coronavirus testing and vaccines, as well as help for front line health care workers, but also provides assistance for hard-hit families, businesses, farmers, veterans, and Tribal communities. It will help reopen our schools safely, provide direct support and tax relief to struggling families, and give our states and communities needed resources to build resilience and build back better.

With a growing number of people in Minnesota and across the country getting vaccinated every day, I’m optimistic that this package represents a turning point in our year-long fight to crush the virus and to get Americans back on their feet.

Rep. Phillips Invites Minnesota Students to Compete in Congressional Art Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) kicked off the 2021 Congressional Art Competition, calling for submissions from high school students across Minnesota’s Third District. The Congressional Art Competition has been a nationwide tradition since 1982, meant to showcase the creativity and talent of America’s young artists.

Submissions received by April 17^th will be evaluated by a panel of distinguished judges, and the winning submission will be prominently displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. In addition, members of the public will be invited to vote online for the People’s Choice award, the winner of which will be hung in the Congressman’s Washington, DC office.

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