Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff, is expected to depart the Biden administration in the coming weeks. His departure is the first of a series of staffing moves to come, and it is not yet clear who will replace him. Klain has been a key figure in Biden’s inner circle since the president took office, helping to manage the White House’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and shepherd Biden’s legislative agenda through Congress.
Posts tagged as “GOP”
The U.S. government is set to reach its statutory debt limit on Thursday, prompting the Treasury Department to take “extraordinary measures” to pay the bills. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, and it is now up to Congress to act in a timely manner to increase or suspend the debt limit in order to prevent default. The current debt limit showdown could define the tenure of the new GOP majority and the final two years of President Joe Biden’s term.
House Republicans have reinstated Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) to their respective committees, two years after Democrats stripped them of their assignments. The move is seen as a reward for the 21 House Republicans who initially blocked McCarthy from winning the speakership, and comes after a process that took 15 rounds of voting. Greene and Gosar are both staunch supporters of former President Donald Trump and critics of President Joe Biden.
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has been appointed to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Small Business Committee, despite facing multiple investigations and calls to resign from fellow Republicans. The House Republican Steering Committee, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, voted to give Santos the slots on the two lower-profile panels. Despite the controversy, House Republicans have decided to keep him on board, assigning him to two committees.
House Republicans are preparing to launch impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, while GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar have been installed on House panels by party leaders. The House Judiciary Committee is prepared to move ahead with formal proceedings if there appears to be a case against Mayorkas, and it is unclear how GOP moderates will react to the potential proceedings.
Solomon Peña, a failed New Mexico GOP candidate, has been arrested and charged with shooting at the homes of Democratic politicians. He allegedly conspired with and paid four men to carry out four shootings at the residences of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two state legislators in Albuquerque. Local Democratic leaders have condemned the shootings and the New Mexico Democratic Party has released a statement expressing their outrage. The investigation into the shootings is ongoing.
Matt Dolan, a Republican state senator and owner of the Cleveland Guardians, has announced his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. Senate race in Ohio, challenging Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Other Republicans looking at the race include Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno.
Indiana Rep. Jim Banks has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, seeking to fill the seat left open by outgoing Republican Sen. Mike Braun. Banks is a Navy veteran and conservative who has taken a stance on hot-button social issues, and is the first to enter what could be a crowded and competitive GOP primary for the open Senate seat. The primary election is scheduled for May 2022, and other prominent candidates who have expressed interest in the seat include Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and former Rep. Luke Messer.