After a nearly three-month absence due to shingles, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is set to return to the Senate this week. Her presence is essential to the passage of important legislation, and her return is welcomed by both Democrats and Republicans alike. Feinstein has served in the Senate since 1992 and is the first woman to serve as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
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Eleven members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Dick Durbin, have requested that Harlan Crow, a Republican donor and real estate magnate, provide an itemized list of gifts and real estate transactions given to Supreme Court justices or their family members. The committee has requested that Crow provide the requested information by May 22, 2023 and has not yet received a response. This is part of the committee’s ongoing efforts to craft legislation strengthening the ethical rules and standards that apply to the Supreme Court.
President Joe Biden is meeting with the top four members of Congress to negotiate a resolution to the looming debt ceiling crisis. Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for raising the borrowing limit, while Democrats, including Mr. Biden, want to increase the debt limit without conditions. The White House has refused to negotiate over the debt ceiling itself, but both sides agree a resolution is essential to avoid the economic calamity of a default.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that if the White House is forced to cite the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling, it could lead to a "constitutional crisis". This week marks a defining challenge for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he attempts to strike a deal with President Biden to avert an unprecedented debt default. Yellen urged Congress to act quickly and responsibly to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a potential global economic crisis.
The White House has issued a veto threat against the Secure the Border Act of 2023, a bill proposed by House Republicans to address immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Office of Management and Budget said the bill would make elements of the immigration system worse, not better, and does very little to increase border security. The White House has urged Congress to reject the bill and instead focus on finding solutions that will actually increase border security and uphold the nation’s core values and international obligations.
Texas Representative Bryan Slaton resigned from office after an investigation found that he had engaged in sexual harassment and retaliation against a 19-year-old intern, as well as providing her with alcohol and demanding her silence. The House General Investigative Committee concluded that Slaton had violated House rules and the Republican Party of Texas chair Matt Rinaldi said Slaton resigned one day before the House was set to vote on expelling him. Slaton did not mention the investigation in his letter of resignation to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
The White House is taking action to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation's debt by targeting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other GOP House members in competitive districts. They are hoping to pass a bill that will benefit veterans and the economy, but it remains to be seen if the President's strategy will be successful. The proposed bill is a $2 trillion infrastructure plan funded by raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, while Republicans have proposed a $568 billion counteroffer.
Former President Donald Trump has declined his last chance to testify in a civil trial where longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll has accused him of raping her in a luxury department store dressing room in 1996. The jury has watched lengthy excerpts from an October videotaped deposition in which Trump vehemently denied the allegations, and Carroll is seeking compensatory and punitive damages totaling millions of dollars. The outcome of the trial could have a major impact on Trump's political future.