The Senate has confirmed Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the nation's top military officer, in a move that is necessary to confirm Biden's nominees and ensure the Pentagon is adequately funded. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Wednesday night that the House will vote again on the $826.2 billion defense bill, and the House plans to move forward with the Department of Defense bill and then a number of other appropriation bills. It remains to be seen whether the House will be able to pass the defense bill and avert a government shutdown in 10 days.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has moved forward with confirming three senior military nominees who were blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), including Gen. Eric Smith for Marine Corps commandant. Tuberville had been holding up more than 300 military nominations due to his objections to the Pentagon’s policy on travel for abortion care, but he implemented a combination of procedural and political gymnastics to force the Senate to confirm Gen. Eric Smith’s promotion to Marine Corps commandant. Despite this small break in the logjam, hundreds of other lower-ranking military officials are still waiting for Senate approval.
Additionally, it is important to check the expiration date on the tests when they arrive to ensure they are still valid.
Ray Epps, a former Marine and Trump supporter, has pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He admitted to moving through police barriers and pushing a sign into officers, as well as saying "We're in the Capitol" and "We're taking this." Despite a widespread conspiracy theory that he was a federal agent, Epps has now admitted that he was a part of the mob and will face a sentencing hearing on Dec. 19.
The Federal Reserve held its meeting today to decide its next move on interest rates, leaving the main U.S. rate unchanged at 5.25% to 5.50%. This decision will have a major impact on consumers and businesses, with mortgage rates already at their highest levels in decades and credit card APRs at record highs. The Fed is confident that its series of rate hikes over the last 18 months will be enough to bring inflation under control, but it will be closely monitoring the economic situation in the coming months.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has changed the Senate's informal dress code to allow senators to wear whatever they want on the floor, which was highlighted when Senator John Fetterman presided over the Senate in shorts and no tie. Senator Susan Collins jokingly offered to wear a bikini to the Senate floor, but clarified she would not. The change is seen as a move to modernize the Senate and make it more inclusive and accessible.
A Texas sheriff's deputy was arrested after leaving his 2-month-old baby in a hot car for three hours, resulting in the infant being taken to the hospital in critical condition. The National Weather Service warns that temperatures inside of a car can reach up to 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature, and that leaving a window cracked does not make a difference. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying they are "committed to ensuring justice is served".
This article discusses President Joe Biden's new American Climate Corps program, which will employ over 20,000 young adults to help boost conservation and prevent catastrophic wildfires. The program is modeled after the New Deal-style programs of the 1930s and will provide a major green jobs training program. No details have been released yet on how the program will be funded or when it will be implemented.