Son of Buffalo shooting victim to senators: ‘We’re angry. We’re mad as hell.’
Speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose mother, Ruth, was one of 10 people killed in the Buffalo, N.Y., massacre last month, conveyed the sadness and anger of his family and others who lost loved ones. Whitfield called on the committee to take action to battle white supremacy, which authorities believe motivated the attack, or step down to let others do something about it.
news.yahoo.comWhy ‘NOPEC’ Keeps Arising as a U.S. Answer to OPEC
For almost two decades, lawmakers in Washington have been pushing legislation that would rein in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Facing a near-certain presidential veto, the proposal has never crossed the finish line. Now, the legislation is getting a new look amid surging gasoline and oil prices.
washingtonpost.comTexas shooting is new test for Biden's long battle over guns
Joe Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, surveyed the collection of black, military-style rifles on display in the middle of the room as he denounced the sale of guns whose “only real function is to kill human beings at a ferocious pace.” The tragedy, which came less than two weeks after another mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, has refocused Biden's presidency on one of the greatest political challenges of his career — the long fight for gun control. Over the years, Biden has been intimately involved in the movement's most notable successes, such as the 1994 assault weapons ban, and its most troubling disappointments, including the failure to pass new legislation after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
news.yahoo.comWhy ‘NOPEC’ Keeps Arising as a U.S. Answer to OPEC
For almost two decades, lawmakers in Washington have been pushing legislation that would rein in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Facing a near-certain presidential veto, the proposal has never crossed the finish line. Now, the legislation is getting a new look amid surging gasoline and oil prices.
washingtonpost.comTexas massacre casts shadow over hearing for ATF pick
Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.
Why ‘NOPEC’ Keeps Arising as a U.S. Answer to OPEC
For almost two decades, lawmakers in Washington have been pushing legislation that would rein in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Facing a near-certain presidential veto, the proposal has never crossed the finish line. Now, the legislation is getting a new look amid surging gasoline and oil prices.
washingtonpost.comWhy ‘NOPEC’ Keeps Arising as a U.S. Answer to OPEC
For almost two decades, lawmakers in Washington have been pushing legislation that would rein in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Facing a near-certain presidential veto, the proposal has never crossed the finish line. Now, the legislation is getting a new look amid surging gasoline and oil prices.
washingtonpost.comSenate Judiciary Committee sets vote on Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic nomination
The committee announced Monday that it will meet on April 4 to vote on President Biden’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, moving the 51-year-old judge yet another step closer to becoming the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.
news.yahoo.comDemocrats urge Clarence Thomas to recuse himself after wife’s texts
Two Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on the Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from election-related cases after text messages from his wife, Ginni Thomas, emerged showing she had pushed the Trump White House to try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
washingtonpost.comGOP shoots down Supreme Court boycott
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are shooting down the idea of boycotting the panel's vote on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. "There's not going to be any boycott. There's zero, not one iota chance that we would boycott," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the committee.The idea of a committee boycott, which has floated around Capitol Hill for weeks, was spun up after 10 Republicans sent Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill...
news.yahoo.comJackson endures questioning with racial overtones from GOP senators
But as the first Black woman nominated to the high court, Jackson also bears certain burdens that have become evident during her confirmation hearings. References to Martin Luther King Jr. punctuated the preliminary comments from some GOP senators. On Tuesday, Jackson was asked by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) On March 22, Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson answered questions from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on interpreting the Equal Protection Clause. Jackson cited Jones and the project as part of a speech about the role of Black women in American history.
washingtonpost.comSen. Durbin said Republicans had used SCOTUS hearing to 'showcase talking points for the November election'
At the start of the third day of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., accused some Republicans on the committee of using their time on Tuesday to "showcase talking points for the November election." He later said the hearing had turned into "a testing ground for conspiracy theories and culture war theories."
news.yahoo.comSupreme Court Judge nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson shuts down Sen. Ted Cruz with logic and a look
It took one look for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to put Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) firmly in his place. After answering questions for hours from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the Supreme Court nominee gave a withering look to Cruz when he sought to cast doubt on her membership on the board of a liberal private school that proudly promotes “social justice.” The conservative senator ...
news.yahoo.comAgents with Homeland Security team to wear body cameras
Agents with an investigative unit of the Department of Homeland Security will wear body cameras for the first time as part of a six-month pilot program that will focus on the costs and benefits of using the technology in federal law enforcement.
The Latest: Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as 'self-promoters'
The Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest since the pandemic hit the country. Fauci told CNN it seemed like the Trump virus team was “fighting with each other rather than fighting the virus.”AdIn his statement, Trump says “Dr. Texas has administered more than 10 million vaccine doses. Jared Polis has announced that residents over age 16 will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting Friday. Ad___NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson says it’s agreed to provide up to 400 million doses of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to African countries, starting this summer.
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Democrats are vowing action on several of their top priorities in April, including strengthening hate crime laws to include Asian Americans and restoring voting rights protections to combat minority voter suppression. It would seek to restore elements of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, a decision that Democrats say left minority voters vulnerable to disenfranchisement. Democrats see it as a forceful response to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Republicans are strongly opposed to the voting rights bill, arguing that it would tilt elections toward Democrats and take control of elections away from the states. While strengthening background checks is broadly popular among the American public, Senate Republicans have said they oppose the two House bills.
Senate confirms Merrick Garland to be US attorney general
Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Garland will now inherit a Justice Department embattled by a turbulent era under Trump, who insisted that the attorney general and the department must be loyal to him personally, battering the department’s reputation. In the last month of Trump's presidency, Attorney General William Barr resigned after refuting Trump's false claims that widespread electoral fraud had led to his defeat. Ad“Let’s hope our incoming attorney general applies that no-nonsense approach to the serious challenges facing the Department of Justice and our nation,” McConnell said. “So I very much want to be the kind of attorney general that you’re saying I could become, and I’ll do my best to become that kind of attorney general.”___Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivers 1st opinion
FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2020 file photo, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett has delivered her first opinion. Barrett wrote for the court that certain draft documents do not have to be disclosed under FOIA. The 11-page opinion comes in the first case Barrett heard after joining the court in late October following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)WASHINGTON – Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered her first Supreme Court majority opinion Thursday, ruling against an environmental group that had sought access to government records.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
The Latest: FBI says probe of Capitol officer death ongoing
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on FBI Director Chris Wray's testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):12:30 p.m. The FBI director is declining to comment on the cause of the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed after responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and died the next day. FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday the agency is “not at a point” where it can disclose or confirm the cause of death. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY'S TESTIMONY ON THE CAPITOL INSURRECTION:FBI Director Chris Wray condemns the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as “domestic terrorism” as he defends the bureau’s handling of intelligence indicating the prospect for violence.
FBI director: No evidence of antifa, ‘fake’ Trump supporters in US Capitol attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Wray’s message to lawmakers was clear: The attack on the Capitol was domestic terrorism -- and it’s a growing problem. “We view the events of January 6 as domestic terrorism,” Wray said. “We have not seen evidence of that at this stage.”DURBIN: Do you have any evidence that the Capitol attack was organized by 'fake Trump protesters'? • 270,000+ digital media tips sent from public• 300+ arrested pic.twitter.com/dogXo1W7pJ — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 2, 2021More: FBI chief calls Jan. 6 ‘domestic terrorism,’ defends intel
Senate panel votes to advance Garland's nomination to be AG
Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general. The committee voted 15 to seven in favor of Garland's nomination at a meeting on Monday afternoon. The committee’s vote puts him on track for a quick confirmation, potentially within days. AdThe committee’s top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he also intends to support Garland’s nomination.
A look at Merrick Garland, the nominee for attorney general
Judge Merrick Garland, nominee to be Attorney General, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee for attorney general, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing on Monday. 1993-1997: Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division. KEY CASE: While at the Justice Department, Garland supervised the investigation into the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. AdKEY QUOTE FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL HEARING: “The president nominates the attorney general to be the lawyer, not for any individual, but for the people of the United States.”___This story was first published on Feb. 22, 2021.
Deal or no deal: Virus aid tests Biden 'work together' plea
He hung out in the Senate cloakroom chatting up legislators as vice president. But some of Biden’s courtship is also directed at members of his own party to make sure a deal gets done. As vice president, Biden was a trusted emissary to Capitol Hill for Obama, who had served just four years in the Senate. Lott said Biden was not someone he recalls as often being in the room when Senate leadership was trying to work out a deal on major bills. “There’s people who say you can’t work with the other side,” Biden said a year ago.
The Latest: Nancy Pelosi reelected speaker of the House
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The group of House and Senate Republicans are echoing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Democrat Nancy Pelosi was set to be reelected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years. Hawley specifically defended himself against criticism from GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania as he challenges that state’s election results. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is set to be reelected as House speaker by fellow Democrats, who retain the House majority but with the slimmest margin in 20 years.
GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory
“I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,” Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a state’s votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.
Missouri senator to contest Biden's Electoral College win
He has pushed Republican senators to pursue his unfounded charges even though the Electoral College this month cemented Biden’s 306-232 victory and multiple legal efforts to challenge the results have failed. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a state’s votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans have said they plan to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.