Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing an insurrection from hard-right Republicans, and the House is set to vote on a package of bills that includes $6 billion in aid to Ukraine and $6 billion in emergency FEMA funding. The Senate will begin voting Tuesday evening, but it is uncertain if the chamber can pass the bill before the Sunday deadline.
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Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota resigned on Tuesday following an outcry over his invitation of a World War II veteran, Yaroslav Hunka, to attend a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was later revealed that Hunka had fought for the Nazi military unit known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, causing outrage from members of the public and the Canadian government. Rota apologized for his “lapse in judgment” and resigned to “protect the dignity of the House of Commons”, sparking a debate in Canada over the proper way to recognize veterans of World War II and the need to ensure that those with Nazi ties are not honored.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of allowing Alabama to redraw its congressional maps with greater representation for Black voters. This could potentially send another Democrat to Congress, and is a victory for Black voters in Alabama who have long been underrepresented. The ruling orders Alabama to redraw its maps with an additional Black majority district or “something quite close to it”, and Secretary of State John Merrill has submitted three proposals to do so.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) held a press conference Monday to defend himself against mounting calls for his resignation due to federal corruption charges, asserting his innocence and asking for fairness in the court of public opinion. He expressed confidence that when all the facts are presented, he will be exonerated and remain New Jersey's senior senator. He also offered an explanation for the $480,000 in cash prosecutors said was found in his home.
President Joe Biden has announced plans to create the Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the White House, a victory for advocacy groups that have been pushing for this for years. The office will coordinate gun violence prevention measures across the federal government, and the President has urged Congress to take further action. The President remains committed to addressing the issue of gun violence in the United States.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is visiting Washington, D.C. to seek additional military aid to help fend off Russia’s invasion, but a key bloc of Republicans in the GOP-controlled lower chamber have expressed skepticism and sent a letter to the White House expressing their opposition to the request for $24 billion in additional funding. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have voiced their support for the Biden administration’s efforts, but the letter from the GOP lawmakers expresses their concern that the Biden administration has not provided sufficient answers to their questions. The letter states that the lawmakers will not support additional funding for Ukraine until they receive answers to their questions.
The Biden administration has announced an expansion of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Venezuelan migrants, allowing recent arrivals to apply for deportation protections and work permits. This move is in response to the growing number of people fleeing the South American country and elsewhere to arrive at the U.S. border with Mexico, as well as the request from cities struggling to house asylum-seekers. The TPS program was created to offer a temporary safe haven to migrants from countries facing humanitarian crises, and Venezuelans who arrived in the U.S. before March 2021 are eligible for the program.
Additionally, it is important to check the expiration date on the tests when they arrive to ensure they are still valid.