Tag: U.S. House

Republicans have been skipping House Intelligence meetings for months

GOP members say the panel’s virtual sessions are insecure. Democrats accuse Republicans of a partisan snit.

Democrats see a boycott motivated by partisan politics. Republicans argue they have legitimate security concerns.

Either way, GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee have skipped all but one of the panel’s proceedings, public and private, since before Congress went into its coronavirus-lockdown in early March. And that impasse shows no signs of ending, even as the panel takes up issues like China, Covid-19 and the annual intelligence policy bill.

Democrats see it as yet another manifestation of the toxic partisan split dividing the panel during Donald Trump’s presidency, in contrast to the still-bipartisan spirit that prevails on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Continue reading.

As Trump’s corruption gets worse, some Democrats want a tougher response

Washington Post logoThe big revelations of the moment — the reports that Russia may have paid bounties for the killing of U.S. troops, and the news that a U.S. attorney was ousted after investigating Trump cronies — are a reminder that Trump has found a gaping hole in our system.

If a president refuses to cooperate with congressional oversight in just about every conceivable way — and if that president has the near-total backing of a party that controls one chamber of Congress — any such scrutiny can basically be ground to a halt, with no repercussions.

But a group of House Democrats is now calling on its chamber to get a lot tougher in this regard. Continue reading.

House Republicans call Black Lives Matter protests ‘organized crime’

The House GOP wants to target the Black Lives Matter movement using anti-racketeering laws created to prosecute the Mafia.

Congressional Republicans from the House Freedom Caucus on Thursday held an event to attack the protest movement that has risen up against racism and police violence following the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his throat for more than 8 minutes while Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), chair of the caucus, called on federal prosecutors to utilize the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act against protesters. RICO was passed to in the 1970s, originally to target the Mafia.

“Our U.S. attorneys need to be prosecuting cases,” said Biggs. “We can look at RICO, the racketeering laws apply to many in this case. ” Continue reading.

House passes police reform bill that faces dead end in Senate

The Hill logoThe House on Thursday passed sweeping criminal justice reforms aimed at curbing the use of excessive force by law enforcement after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police one month ago.

The package was crafted exclusively by the majority Democrats — drawing howls of criticism from GOP leaders — and its passage was never in doubt, as Democrats of all stripes united in a 236 to 181 vote to send the measure to the Senate.

GOP Reps. Will Hurd (Texas), Fred Upton (Mich.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) bucked party lines and voted for the measure.  Continue reading.

House to pass sweeping police reform legislation

The Hill logoHouse Democrats are poised to pass historic police reforms on Thursday, setting the stage for a showdown with Republicans in the Senate where efforts to strike a bipartisan deal are dwindling.

A day after the Senate failed to advance a GOP-authored police reform bill, House Democrats will use passage of their legislation to pressure Republicans on the tougher changes they’re seeking to prevent excessive use of force by police nationwide.

George Floyd’s death on May 25 sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice that have put immense pressure on Congress to act. But with both parties digging in on their respective proposals a month after Floyd’s death, odds are decreasing that lawmakers will come to an agreement that can secure President Trump’s signature in an election year. Continue reading.

With a jab at Trump, Pelosi unveils new ‘Obamacare’ bill

WASHINGTON, DC — Flicking a dismissive jab at President Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a plan Wednesday to expand “Obamacare,” even as Trump’s administration is about to file arguments in a Supreme Court case to strike it down.

Pelosi announced an upcoming floor vote on her measure, setting up a debate that will juxtapose the Democrats’ top policy issue, Trump’s unrelenting efforts to dismantle Obama’s legacy, and the untamed coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, the Trump administration is expected to file papers with the Supreme Court arguing that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Pelosi wants her bill on the House floor Monday. Continue reading.

Democrats wrestle with how hard to go after Trump’s scandals

House Democrats have spent much of the year averting their gaze — and their most powerful investigative weapons — from a mounting list of President Donald Trump’s scandals. But new ones keep popping up whether they like it or not.

Now a debate is bubbling up inside the Democratic Caucus about just how aggressively to confront Trump’s latest alleged abuses, particularly just four months before an election in which the president has damaged himself with near-daily unforced errors and seen his standing slide in national polls. Democrats are also eager to avoid stomping on their own election year agenda.

The House has already deployed its strongest check on the president — impeachment — with no appetite among Democratic leadership or the rank and file to pursue the all-consuming process again, this time amid a global pandemic and national debate over police brutality and institutional racism. Continue reading.

Pelosi asks House committees to require masks, setting up clash with GOP holdouts

Washington Post logoMasks have become the norm inside the House of Representatives, where some politicians now embrace the novel coronavirus precaution with colorful odes to their home districts. But there are holdouts: A small group of Republican representatives who have consistently declined to wear face coverings in Congress.

Now, as nine states hit record highs for infections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is tightening the rules. Late Tuesday, she asked committee chairs to require masks at all hearings — and authorized the sergeant at arms to bar anyone who refuses to cover their face, according to a senior aide familiar with the request.

“This requirement will be enforced by the Sergeant at Arms and non-compliant Members will be denied entry,” the senior aide said in an email to The Washington Post. “Ultimately, Chairs will have the option of not recognizing Members in committee proceedings that fail to comply with the mask requirement.” Continue reading.

House GOP delays police reform bill

The Hill logoHouse Republicans are delaying legislation addressing police reforms after initially signaling that a GOP proposal would be introduced this week.

GOP sources confirmed that Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, does not plan to roll out a police reform package by Friday, despite telling GOP colleagues that his package would be unveiled by the end of the week.

One senior GOP aide said a House GOP package could be unveiled as soon as next week, but the situation remains fluid. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Republicans may want to wait and see if they can attach GOP amendments to a Democratic police reform package that will be marked up in his Judiciary panel next week. Continue reading.

Democrats drop controversial surveillance amendment

The Hill logoHouse Democratic leaders have dropped plans to vote on a controversial amendment aimed at blocking law enforcement from accessing Americans’ web browsing history that had threatened to scuttle a vote on reauthorizing three surveillance programs, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer‘s (D-Md.) office confirmed.

Support for the amendment, sponsored by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), has fractured over the last day, with progressive groups and lawmakers pulling support.

House lawmakers seeking the amendment initially pushed for language mirroring a measure offered by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Steve Daines(R-Mont.) in the Senate that would require a warrant anytime law enforcement wanted to access web browsing data. Continue reading.