U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz debunked a claim made by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that agents had found an “explosive” near the southern border in January, confirming that the object was actually a piece of a plastic water bottle. All of the Democrats on the panel opted to boycott the hearing, arguing that Republicans were using the field hearing to “score political points” and spread misinformation. The incident highlights the ongoing political tensions between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
Posts tagged as “a Democratic Party”
This Thursday, the Senate will hold a key procedural vote on a measure that would repeal the legal justifications used to attack Iraq in 1991 and 2003. The resolution is co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana, and if passed, it would be a major victory for those who have long sought to reassert Congress’s authority in military intervention abroad.
The Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest school district in Texas and one of the largest in the nation, will have its superintendent and board of education trustees replaced by a new board appointed by the state Commissioner of Education. This move has angered Democrats, and deepens a rift between Texas' largest city and state Republican leaders. It is unclear what changes the new board will make, who will be appointed, or what impact the takeover will have on the district's students and staff.
After two years without a permanent ambassador to India, the U.S. Senate has confirmed former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti for the role. Despite pushback from some Democrats due to allegations of sexual harassment and bullying by one of Garcetti's former aides, enough Republicans backed him to give the U.S. its first permanent ambassador to India under President Joe Biden. This confirmation is expected to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.
Fourteen Democratic governors have called on major pharmacy retail companies to clarify their plans to dispense mifepristone, a drug used for medication abortion, in response to recent media reports. This call has been met with opposition from a coalition of anti-abortion groups, who have requested a preliminary injunction to take mifepristone off the market nationwide. If access to mifepristone is halted, it could affect millions of individuals in states where medication abortion is lawfully dispensed. The issue of access to abortion medication has become increasingly politicized, and it remains to be seen how the pharmacy retail companies will respond.
The collapse of two key banks last week has sparked a debate over the 2018 decision to roll back Dodd-Frank protections, which was supported by 17 Senate Democrats. While some have argued that it was necessary to provide relief to community banks, others have argued that it has weakened the ability of regulators to protect consumers and has allowed banks to take on too much risk. The economic fallout from the collapse of the two key banks and the implications of the legislation will be important to consider in the coming weeks and months.
Congressman George Santos of New York has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, signaling his intention to run for reelection in 2024 despite facing ethics and criminal inquiries since his election. He has reportedly told advisers that he hopes to run again and tweeted, “I’m not leaving, I’m not hiding and I’m not backing down.” The filing of the statement of candidacy allows him to raise money for a potential campaign, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to secure the support of voters in his district and overcome the allegations against him.
Key takeaways: The Biden administration is taking steps to protect the economy and prevent a financial crisis similar to the one in 2008. The Treasury…