President Joe Biden has fired J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, following a report of abuse of authority and misuse of taxpayer money. Blanton had been appointed by former President Donald Trump and was subject to bipartisan criticism for his alleged misdeeds. After doing due diligence, the President terminated Blanton at his direction.
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At Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Joe Biden accused Republicans of wanting to use "debt ceiling" negotiations to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare. In response, Democrats proposed a bill to increase Social Security benefits and fund them through taxes on the wealthy. The debate over Social Security and Medicare continues to be a contentious issue in Washington, with both sides proposing different solutions.
President Joe Biden has fired J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, following allegations of misuse of government resources and his absence during the January 6, 2021, insurrection. A scathing inspector general report found "administrative, ethical and policy violations" by Blanton, including abuse of government property and misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement official. The decision to terminate Blanton was made after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It is unclear who will replace Blanton as the Architect of the Capitol.
Key takeaways: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise expressed his frustration with President Joe Biden’s inaccurate claims about the GOP’s stance on Social Security and Medicare.…
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was assaulted in an elevator near the Capitol on Thursday morning, prompting a response from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and an increased focus on safety measures for members of Congress. The assailant, Christopher Hamlin, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, and Craig was able to escape the elevator after throwing a cup of hot coffee at him.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Sen. Rick Scott are in a feud over Scott's proposal to sunset popular benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security, with McConnell calling it a "bad idea" and not reflective of Republican priorities. McConnell and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have both stated that the proposal is not the Republican plan and would not have been included in their agenda even if they had won control of the chamber in November's midterm elections. Biden has been hitting Republicans hard on the subject, and McConnell and Scott's disagreement shows no signs of easing.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have been raised after the U.S. Air Force shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon on Friday. China has accused U.S. lawmakers of “political manipulation and hype” and refused a call from the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. U.S. lawmakers have accused China of using the balloon for espionage, while China has accused the U.S. of violating international norms and setting a dangerous precedent. The two countries are yet to reach a resolution, and will likely continue to discuss the incident in the coming days and weeks.
The House Oversight Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss political censorship on social media, during which Republican Congressman Byron Donalds displayed web addresses for nude photos of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. The photos had been removed from Twitter after the Biden campaign flagged them, and the incident has raised questions about the appropriateness of displaying such content in a congressional hearing. The hearing is part of a larger debate over links to nude photos of Hunter Biden, and its implications for the discussion about political censorship on social media.