Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed John Scott as the interim Attorney General following the impeachment of Ken Paxton by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Scott is a former Texas Secretary of State and Deputy Attorney General, and Abbott praised his decades of experience and expertise in litigation. The Senate will have the final say on whether or not Paxton is removed from office, but it is unclear when they will take up the issue.
Posts tagged as “the House of Representatives”
The House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday night on a bill that would cut federal spending by more than $1 trillion and raise the debt ceiling through the 2024 presidential election. The bill is expected to pass with support from both Republicans and Democrats, although there is opposition from both sides of the political spectrum. If the bill passes, it will be the first time in history that the U.S. has avoided a government debt default. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries need both parties to pass the bill in order to lift the debt ceiling a few days before the U.S. is expected to run out of money to pay its bills. Majority of the left wing of the Democratic Party is likely to vote no, arguing that the bill does not address underlying issues of inequality and poverty.
House Republicans passed a bill on the debt limit and spending cuts on Wednesday, but talks with the Biden administration are still ongoing and there are many areas of disagreement. The White House has proposed a plan to raise the debt limit and suspend it until the end of July, as well as a $1.7 trillion infrastructure package, both of which have been rejected by the GOP. The deadline for raising the debt limit is August 2nd, and if no agreement is reached, the US could default on its debt for the first time in history.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) has announced that the House of Representatives will vote on a motion to refer a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) to the House Ethics Committee. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has expressed a desire for the Ethics Committee to move quickly on the resolution, which seeks to expel Santos due to allegations of misconduct. The vote on the motion to refer the resolution is expected to take place Wednesday, with the decision of the Ethics Committee yet to be determined.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was indicted Wednesday on 13 federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives. He pleaded not guilty at a Long Island courthouse and was released on $500,000 bond. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) commented on the news, noting that Santos is innocent until proven guilty. The Justice Department is continuing to investigate the case and no further information has been released.
Montana judge rules against Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker, in her attempt to return to the statehouse House floor after being silenced and banished for admonishing Republican lawmakers. Zephyr's attorneys argued that her First Amendment rights were violated, but the judge ruled that the House of Representatives had the authority to control its proceedings. Zephyr has vowed to continue to fight for her rights and the rights of other transgender individuals in the state.
At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a "liar" and accused Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) of having a "sexual relationship with a Chinese spy" without offering any evidence. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the chair of the committee, barred Greene from speaking any further and plans to have a conversation with her about her comments and the expected decorum of the committee. The incident has sparked debate about the appropriateness of Greene's comments and what action, if any, will be taken against her.
Arizona House of Representatives voted to expel a first-term Republican representative, Liz Harris, after she invited a conspiracy theorist to testify at an election integrity hearing. The vote to expel Harris was bipartisan, with 46 representatives voting in favor and 13 voting against. Harris was removed from her elected position immediately, making this the first expulsion of a lawmaker since the state was admitted to the Union in 1912.