President Biden and the White House have been vocal in their criticism of Republican senators Mike Lee, Rick Scott, and Ron Johnson over their proposals that could affect retirement and health care programs. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Scott's "Rescue America" plan, which proposed that all federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. The Republican senators have responded forcefully, accusing Biden of deceiving the public about where they stand, and the debate between the White House and Republican senators is likely to continue in the coming weeks.
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Congressman George Santos of New York has been caught in another lie, this time involving United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Santos falsely claimed that Sinema had consoled him after a tense exchange with Senator Mitt Romney, but Sinema's office has denied this. Santos has previously been embroiled in controversy for lying about major parts of his life story, and it remains to be seen if he will face any consequences for his false claims.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has agreed to apologize and pay $3.3 million in taxpayer money to four former staffers who accused him of bribery and abuse of office in 2020. The settlement does not resolve the ongoing FBI investigation into the accusations, and Paxton has denied them, calling them politically motivated. The agreement requires Paxton to apologize to the four former staffers and pay their legal fees in addition to the $3.3 million.
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.
On Thursday, the U.S. Air Force shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon, prompting a response from Beijing and a call from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to his Chinese counterpart. The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution condemning China for the incident, and China's Defense Ministry refused Austin's call for a general-to-general talk. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for not acting quickly enough, and the incident has further complicated the already tense relationship between the U.S. and China.
This article reports on the fatal shooting of Russell Heller, a Republican council member from Milford, NJ, in the parking lot of the PSE&G Central Division headquarters building. The shooter has been identified as Gary T. Curtis, a former employee of PSE&G, who was later found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This is the second attack in seven days in New Jersey resulting in the death of a local elected official.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has sent formal requests for documents to President Joe Biden's sons, Hunter and James Biden, and their business manager, as part of an investigation into any possible involvement by the president in their foreign business dealings. The letters seek documents and communications related to their financial conduct, particularly with individuals connected to the Chinese Communist Party. Chairman Comer is also investigating whether foreign entities sought to influence the president or his administration by providing financial benefits to his family members.
President Joe Biden will visit Florida on Thursday, a former swing state home to two potential Republican challengers in the 2024 election. Biden's visit follows his State of the Union address, in which he proposed to protect Social Security and Medicare, and will draw a contrast with Sen. Rick Scott's proposal to sunset all federal legislation every five years. It will also be watched to see how President Trump's hostility towards Gov. Ron DeSantis plays out in the Republican base.