At a private fundraising event in California, President Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator, and implied that Xi was caught off guard by the U.S. military shooting down a Chinese surveillance balloon in February. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had just visited China for a rare diplomatic trip, in an attempt to ease tensions between the two countries. The meeting between Blinken and Xi was the first high-level diplomatic meeting between the two countries since President Biden took office, and the White House has said that the U.S. will continue to push for a more equitable relationship with China.
Posts tagged as “D-Calif.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., experienced more health complications than previously disclosed during her recovery from shingles, including encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The 89-year-old senator has been absent from Washington for nearly three months due to the virus, and has facial paralysis on the left side of her face as a side effect. She has not yet indicated whether she will seek re-election in 2022.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin has expressed outrage over the revelation that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has received gifts and luxury travel from a Republican donor, prompting a debate among Senate Democrats over the need for a hearing on Supreme Court ethics. However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to help Democrats temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee while she is ill, effectively blocking any hopes of pushing through judicial nominations.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has urged Americans to remain peaceful and respectful of the legal process in response to former President Donald Trump's potential indictment in a hush-money investigation in New York. He dismissed the investigation as politically motivated and said that President Trump does not believe he should be indicted. McCarthy's comments were a stark contrast to Trump's call to action, and instead urged Americans to not protest the potential indictment.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has been hospitalized with shingles and is receiving treatment in San Francisco. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who had a health scare earlier this year, is also on the path to recovery. Feinstein's office said she hopes to return to Washington soon and her constituents and colleagues are wishing her a speedy recovery.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., announced her retirement from the Senate after three decades in office and over 50 years in public service. She will remain in office until the end of next year and intends to accomplish as much as she can for California before her retirement. Feinstein had been under pressure from other Democrats in the state to make room for a younger generation of legislators, and she said she will continue to focus on preventing and combatting wildfires, addressing the needs of her constituents, and working on legislation to protect the environment and promote economic growth.
Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana has publicly opposed Speaker Kevin McCarthy's efforts to remove three Democrats from committees, signaling potential complications for the House GOP's efforts. McCarthy has the power to keep members off the Intelligence panel, but not the Foreign Affairs Committee, which is a standing committee. Spartz's opposition may be enough to sway the outcome of the dispute, which is expected to continue in the coming days.