Members phkrause Posted May 12, 2024 Author Members Posted May 12, 2024 Jordan's power play House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan is making stealthy, aggressive moves to position himself to replace Speaker Mike Johnson as party leader in 2025. Why it matters: Many GOP members doubt Johnson will keep the top job, whether or not the party holds the majority. Jordan is a top ally of former President Trump who would help keep the conference full-on MAGA. Jordan privately told colleagues what he would be doing differently than Johnson during the recent fight over foreign aid funding, multiple sources told Axios. The Ohio Republican has been noticed handing out more campaign checks to colleagues, multiple lawmakers told Axios. 👀 One GOP lawmaker told Axios that Jordan previously said it was "not his job" to help vulnerable members. His shift has raised his peers' eyebrows. Zoom in: Jordan is working to build relationships with moderate Republicans who would be a critical bloc of support. Jordan has hit the trail for a bevy of Republicans in recent months, including vulnerable Republicans and top allies of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. 😎 The fundraising and campaigning for members outside his conservative bubble is a key olive branch from Jordan. Cash helps court support from members, and many are still skeptical of Jordan's leadership bona fides. What's next: Many of Jordan's fellow Republicans think he's angling for the minority leader position as a stepping-stone to another future speaker bid. Jordan's speaker campaign fell flat last fall as 22 Republicans refused to vote for him on the House floor. At the time, Jordan sparked fury from moderates who said he actively worked to undermine House Majority Leader Steve Scalise's (R-La.) own speaker bid. Many of those defectors now think Jordan is undermining Johnson and are vowing to oppose him in future leadership races, sources told Axios. Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye told Axios that his boss is "focused on the important work he is doing as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, growing the majority and supporting Mike Johnson as the leader of our conference." ps:Even less would get done!! Blowback letdown Republican leaders are pivoting to resetting expectations among their more loyal members now that they've survived the first Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ouster attempt. Why it matters: There's massive pressure to punish Greene (R-Ga.) and the 10 other Republicans who voted to advance a Johnson ouster, including on-record suggestions they lose committee seats. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are some changes on a couple of committees after watching that motion to table vote," Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) told Politico. Ditto for changing the motion to vacate, which would protect Johnson from future attempts. "There is an extremely high level of interest," Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) told Politico. Reality check: "It's hard to have repercussions when you have a small majority," a senior Republican told Axios. Johnson has publicly expressed interest in future rule changes but acknowledged the difficulty of doing it midstream. "I don't think Johnson wants to escalate it in that way," Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) told Axios. "I think the best thing is just don't even bother talking about it. Stop giving [Greene] the purpose that she wants." Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 12, 2024 Author Members Posted May 12, 2024 🇮🇱 Inside Blinken's Israel report Palestinians flee the southern Gaza city of Rafah yesterday. Photo: Mohammed Salem/Reuters Secretary of State Tony Blinken is expected to submit to Congress as soon as today a highly critical report about Israel's conduct in Gaza, stopping short of concluding Israel has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons, three U.S. officials told Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: The report — assessing whether Israel complied with international law and restricted humanitarian aid to Gaza — sparked the most contentious internal debate in the State Department since Oct. 7. In recent months, the State Department has been engaged in an internal process to prepare the politically sensitive report required under a new national security memorandum issued in February by President Biden. The State Department is reviewing the use of weapons by Israel and six other countries engaged in different armed conflicts. If a country is determined to have violated international humanitarian law or impeded the delivery of U.S.-supported humanitarian aid, it could lead to suspension of U.S. military aid. 🔎 Zoom in: Three U.S. officials said Blinken's report will list a series of incidents that have taken place during the war in Gaza, and note that they raised serious concerns about violations of international law by Israel. The officials said it will describe the situation in "very critical terms," and mention that the State Department is still looking into several of those incidents. But Blinken will stop short of concluding that Israel has violated international law in the context of the national security memorandum. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15, 2024 Author Members Posted May 15, 2024 Split realities on Capitol Hill By Stephen Neukam Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Republicans and Democrats in Congress are telling radically different stories about the biggest threats to the American election system. Speaker Mike Johnson and top Trump allies spent last week trumpeting a bill that would prohibit noncitizens from voting in elections. On the other side of the Capitol this week, the Senate Intelligence Committee will hold a hearing on cyberthreats facing American election infrastructure and external disinformation campaigns. Zoom in: Republicans have continued to spread the conspiracy theory that noncitizen immigrants are influencing the outcomes of elections. Johnson suggested "that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections." Reality check: There is no evidence that such voting has ever happened on a significant scale, and the penalties for a noncitizen immigrant voting in a federal election are severe. Senate Democrats on the Intel Committee, led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), will take a different focus. Warner has said the U.S. is less prepared to protect elections this year than in 2020, and there is significant concern among lawmakers about the readiness of social media platforms to combat propaganda. After 2016, Democrats blamed disinformation from the Russian government for influencing the outcome of the contest. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15, 2024 Author Members Posted May 15, 2024 Top bipartisan senators By Stef W. Kight Data: The Lugar Center; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is the most bipartisan senator, according to the the Lugar Center's index for 2023, which takes into account bills sponsored or co-sponsored by members of both parties. Zoom in: Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) came in second for bipartisanship — reflective of the battleground state he represents. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is the only Republican vying for Senate leadership to make the list. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is one of just a handful of GOP senators to not endorse Trump. Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) are both facing serious GOP challengers this year. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15, 2024 Author Members Posted May 15, 2024 🏛️ Dems might not save speaker again Speaker Mike Johnson watches former President Trump speak outside his criminal trial in Manhattan yesterday. Photo: Justin Lane/Pool House Speaker Mike Johnson's appearance at former President Trump's criminal trial yesterday is dismaying the House Democrats who saved his job less than a week ago, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. A senior House Democrat told Axios: "It's pretty clear that our preset position [of saving Johnson] was a one-time circumstance because Ukraine funding was so critical." "We didn't want to put him in a position where he paid a price for doing the right thing ... But he could pay a price for doing the wrong thing," the lawmaker said. Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios: "Probably our patience will wear thin if he needs us." Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said the trial visit will "absolutely ... be part of the calculation" on future votes over the speakership. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) called the trip "frustrating" because "we wanted him here to run the peoples' business. ... This is not that." Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 15, 2024 Author Members Posted May 15, 2024 🗺️ Breaking: AI roadmap Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images A bipartisan group of senators led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer unveiled a sweeping report this morning that details how Congress should regulate AI, Axios' Ashley Gold reports. Why it matters: Getting AI bills passed before year-end is a bipartisan goal. But time is running out, with the election looming. Priorities include: Increasing funding for AI research and development. Examining legislation to improve the U.S. immigration system for high-skilled STEM workers. Passing a data privacy bill, though Schumer declined to endorse the leading proposal. 👀 P.S. After months in limbo, OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is officially leaving the company he co-founded. He voted to oust CEO Sam Altman last year. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 17, 2024 Author Members Posted May 17, 2024 GOP advances Garland contempt charges after White House exerts executive privilege over Biden audio WASHINGTON (AP) — Two House committees moved ahead Thursday with contempt charges against Attorney General Merrick Garland for refusing to turn over audio from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel, advancing the matter after the White House’s decision to block the release of the recording earlier in the day. https://apnews.com/article/biden-robert-hur-classified-documents-justice-department-edf67af3810ab877c7c195956b49b3a6? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 17, 2024 Author Members Posted May 17, 2024 🎤 House GOP's new floor "Standing back and standing by, Mr. President," Republican firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted this morning during former President Trump's latest day in Manhattan criminal court. Why it matters: Gaetz was one of nearly a dozen House Republicans who made up the conference's largest turnout yet at the trial, Axios' Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke report. Between the lines: Gaetz's phrasing harkened back to Trump's "stand back and stand by" in a 2020 debate. 🧮 State of play: The Republican lawmakers' focus on showing loyalty at the trial appears to have actively interfered with congressional business. Several of the Republican spectators sit on the House Oversight Committee, which delayed a planned markup today. One House Republican told Axios their colleagues "genuinely think this is a farce" but acknowledged they also "want to curry favor with Trump." A second GOP member referred to the trial as "The Apprentice 2024." Between the lines: Many attendees are likely trying to preserve their political standing back home or position themselves for a Trump administration gig, the first lawmaker said. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 18, 2024 Author Members Posted May 18, 2024 Cruz leverages Gaza pier Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) plans to leverage the humanitarian pier in Gaza as a way to put Democrats on the record over President Biden's approach to the Israel-Hamas war. Why it matters: Cruz is signaling that if Democrats don't vote for his military aid legislation, he will force a vote on the pier. The temporary floating pier was completed today and will be used to help deliver food to starving Palestinians in Gaza, the U.S. military said. Cruz wants to exploit divisions in the Democratic Party over Biden's decision to put a hold on 3,500 U.S. bombs that were bound for Israel. The White House has issued a veto threat on the House bill, which passed today. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said he doesn't plan to bring it up. Driving the news: Cruz plans to jam Schumer by introducing a War Powers Resolution to prevent the military from the "construction, maintenance and operation" of the Gaza pier, according to a copy of an email Cruz's office sent to Senate Republicans and obtained by Axios. Cruz's office argues that the resolution is privileged — and not subject to a 60-vote threshold — because the pier has been attacked twice, according to the email. The privileged status of the resolution allows it to be fast-tracked to the floor, setting up the possibility for a vote immediately after the Senate returns at the beginning of June. Cruz is also moving forward with a separate bill, the Assuring Resupply of Munitions Act of 2024 (ARM Act), that would forbid the administration from pausing weapons shipments to Israel. It's similar to the House bill but it would keep the mandate in place until a year after hostilities have ceased, according to Cruz's office. Read more Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 18, 2024 Author Members Posted May 18, 2024 Schumer's border cover Schumer will give the White House cover to use stricter immigration executive actions by resurrecting a bipartisan border bill for a vote likely next week, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The bill's failure would bolster the White House's standing to pull the trigger on similar, harsh restrictions using executive authorities — while blaming Senate Republicans for inaction. Republicans are expected to overwhelmingly vote against the bill, which would provide new tools to restrict access to asylum when border numbers surge. Schumer's renewed focus on the border is seen as a precursor to executive action by President Biden, multiple Democratic sources told Axios. The bottom line: Frontline congressional Democrats have been pounding the table for border legislation in Congress and action from the White House. Republicans have made the border the top issue in campaigns all across the country as the party tries to take back a majority in the Senate. Recent polling has found that immigration is one of — if not the — top issues for American voters this year. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 18, 2024 Author Members Posted May 18, 2024 Top bipartisan House members Data: The Lugar Center; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 19, 2024 Author Members Posted May 19, 2024 U.S. House rebukes Biden administration over pause in heavy bomb shipments to Israel WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed legislation Thursday rebuking President Joe Biden’s decision to withhold some military assistance from Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/16/u-s-house-rebukes-biden-administration-over-pause-in-heavy-bomb-shipments-to-israel/? ps:Seriously!! Are these the same people that held up funding for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the border for months?? U.S. House panel debates voting by noncitizens, which is already illegal WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. House Administration Committee argued at a Thursday hearing that there is a need for legislative action to bar noncitizens from voting in federal elections — even though voting by noncitizens in federal elections is extremely rare and already illegal. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/16/u-s-house-panel-debates-voting-by-noncitizens-which-is-already-illegal/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 19, 2024 Author Members Posted May 19, 2024 Congressional panel debates who should foot the bill for rebuilding Baltimore bridge Conservative members of Congress at a hearing on Wednesday raised questions about using federal dollars to pay for rebuilding a state tollway, as the head of the Federal Highway Administration reiterated that the Biden administration is seeking congressional approval to reimburse 100% of the costs of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/16/congressional-panel-debates-who-should-foot-the-bill-for-rebuilding-baltimore-bridge/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 19, 2024 Author Members Posted May 19, 2024 U.S. Senate GOP tries to block states from spending some of their COVID relief cash WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/16/u-s-senate-gop-tries-to-block-states-from-spending-some-of-their-covid-relief-cash/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 19, 2024 Author Members Posted May 19, 2024 "Dumpster fire" hearing spurs groans about Congress' new low House members in both parties are cringing at a turbulent Oversight Committee hearing that was bedeviled by members insulting each others' appearances, constant heckling and allegations of drinking. https://www.axios.com/2024/05/17/oversight-merrick-garland-contempt-hearing? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 19, 2024 Author Members Posted May 19, 2024 Trump, speaker plot 2025 Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Kevin Dietsch and Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson are talking at length about plans for next year — a strong signal that the former president sees Johnson as more than an interim caretaker. Why it matters: MAGA hardliners want Johnson gone next year. That would trigger a nasty leadership fight, whether or not House Republicans keep the majority, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke and Sophia Cai report. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has been quietly positioning himself to replace Johnson as party leader. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told Axios: "Everyone that's gonna be voting for President Trump hates Mike Johnson." 🔎 Behind the scenes: Trump and Johnson are aiming to avoid the legislative scramble of Trump's early days in the White House after his win in 2016, sources told Axios. The two have discussed budget priorities, and how congressional Republicans could help pass Trump's second-term agenda. They've discussed using budget reconciliation to get around the need for 60 Senate votes to pass legislation on their agenda — including energy and tax policy — if Republicans sweep the House, Senate and the White House. 👀 Between the lines: Johnson's style has helped him get away with some policy differences with Trump, people close to the two said. The speaker gives Trump ample heads-up when he plans to bring legislation to the floor, and walks Trump through his thinking when the two disagree. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 20, 2024 Author Members Posted May 20, 2024 House hearing fallout spills into 4th day Thursday's House Oversight Committee hearing is still making waves today after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) launched a personal attack at the personal appearance of her fellow lawmaker Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). Why it matters: People are becoming numb to congressional hearings, but this one touched a nerve. Greene remarked Thursday that Crockett was having trouble reading because of her "fake eyelashes," and Crockett replied with a critique of "bleach blonde, bad built, butch body." Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told CNN's "State of the Union" today that it's "absurd" for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to criticize his reaction to the hearing. The Pennsylvania Democrat said Friday the hearing made him want to apologize to "Jerry Springer Show" for previously comparing it to Congress. In response, Ocasio-Cortez suggested Fetterman had become a bully who "likely would not have stood up for your colleague and seem to be confused about racism and misogyny being a 'both sides' issue." Rep. Crockett, on "State of the Union" today, explained why she labeled Greene's comments on Thursday as racist: "MAGA has historically been on social media doing the things where they're saying, 'Oh, she's Black with lashes and nails and hair, and so she's ghetto. ... It is buying into a racist trope." Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 22, 2024 Author Members Posted May 22, 2024 GOP counters Democratic punch on border security Senate Republicans are trying to slip a political punch from Democrats on the border. Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) this week tried to put the GOP on the defensive by resurrecting a bipartisan border package. Reality check: Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) signaled yesterday he would not back the bill, and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) told Axios today that he was still considering how to vote. Republicans have put up a united front, with some conservatives who previously supported the bill saying they will vote against it this time. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said today that Democrats were only "appearing" to be doing something on the border because it is a political liability for the party in an election year. Zoom in: Republicans want to make the border issue hurt the most for the Democrats they are trying to unseat in November. That includes an ad hammering Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) for his record on not supporting a border wall and another slamming Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) for the "Biden-Baldwin border crisis." Republicans are circulating a list of 100 border-related bills that have been introduced by Senate Republicans this Congress. A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Axios that "Senate Democrats have spent decades supporting policies that led to the disaster at the southern border." The other side: Casey told Axios that "you prove your worth on an issue by how you vote, and they should vote for the bill." A Baldwin campaign spokesperson told Axios that the senator is "focused on solutions, not political games" and will "work with anyone" to secure the border. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Axios the Republican refusal to vote for the border package "shows that they're hypocrites." Read more Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 25, 2024 Author Members Posted May 25, 2024 Protests wear on House Dems By Andrew Solender Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Getty Images The progressive movement's intense, zero-sum focus on the war in Gaza since Oct. 7 is wearing on some of its Capitol Hill allies, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The tension played out this month when Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) floated a statement in support of pro-Palestinian campus protesters. The proposal, which has not been previously reported, faced pushback from several senior members of the caucus, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Axios. Ultimately, the statement did not go out. Zoom out: Raucous pro-Palestinian protests have, for many lawmakers, come to represent a nuisance that highlights chaos and conflict on their side. Others see legislative hobby horses they have long championed — such as health care or climate action — becoming overshadowed. Some progressive lawmakers fume they have taken many of the steps their grassroots allies have demanded only to still be heckled. The other side: One senior House progressive said left-wing groups "feel this is a way they can make a difference and save lives now" and "they know that might make it hard on Dems, but their job isn't to make it easy on us." Go deeper Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 25, 2024 Author Members Posted May 25, 2024 Capitol Hill's tense, chaotic day This morning: Capitol Police recovered two vials of blood sent to the Republican National Committee headquarters, just blocks from the Capitol building. This afternoon: The House floor ground to a halt for more than an hour after Rep. Jim McGovern (R-Mass.) said Trump is "on trial for covering up hush money payments to a porn star for political gain." The comments were eventually struck from the record. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 26, 2024 Author Members Posted May 26, 2024 🏛️ Dems in knots over Bibi invite Many House Democrats are engaged in a tortured calculus over whether or not to attend a potential address to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Why it matters: Relations between Netanyahu and Democratic lawmakers have soured considerably since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. Many Democrats don't want the speech to happen at all. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told Axios the speech "would be an enormously controversial, divisive thing." "There will be discomfort," Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) said of lawmakers' decision-making on whether to attend. Netanyahu's 2015 address to Congress — seen as a major snub of the Obama administration — was boycotted by dozens of Democrats. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 26, 2024 Author Members Posted May 26, 2024 Rick Scott declares his candidacy to lead Senate Republicans Rick Scott is throwing his hat in the ring to lead the Senate Republican Caucus. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/23/rick-scott-declares-his-candidacy-to-lead-senate-republicans/? Bipartisan border bill loses support, fails procedural vote in U.S. Senate WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate failed Thursday to advance a border security bill as both parties seek to hone their messages on immigration policy in the runup to November’s elections. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/23/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-in-u-s-senate/? Congress, campaigns engage in tug-of-war over gas prices as summer travel begins WASHINGTON — As Democrats continue to ramp up their push against the oil industry, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others on Thursday called out big oil companies and their executives for high gas prices heading into the heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/23/congress-campaigns-engage-in-tug-of-war-over-gas-prices-as-summer-travel-begins/? U.S. House panel votes to advance election bills targeting noncitizens, foreign money WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Administration Committee voted along party lines Thursday to advance two election-related bills to the House floor. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/23/u-s-house-panel-votes-to-advance-election-bills-targeting-noncitizens-foreign-money/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 27, 2024 Author Members Posted May 27, 2024 Trinity Test deadline By Russell Contreras Paul Pino, a Trinity Test downwinder from Carrizozo, N.M., protests outside the site as tourists travel to visit it. Photo: Courtesy of 47th State Films The Republican-controlled U.S. House has just a few days to vote on a bipartisan Senate bill that would expand compensation for victims of the Trinity Test — the world's first atomic explosion. Renewed interest in the Trinity Test stemming from last summer's Oscar-winning movie "Oppenheimer" helped draw attention to the Latino and Mescalero Apache residents who lived near the explosion. Why it matters: The federal law awarding financial reparations to people who lived downwind of nuclear testing sites will expire June 7. New Mexicans who were near the Trinity Test site aren't included. If the law isn't extended and expanded to include Trinity Test victims and those injured in uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, those victims may never be compensated for generations of health problems. The race to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a dramatic finish for downwinder activists in New Mexico, who have been trying to get Congress to act for decades. Zoom in: Intensive lobbying prompted Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) to push through bipartisan legislation in March. Hawley has become one of the most outspoken and emotional supporters. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) "understands and appreciates Sen. Hawley's position and is working closely with interested members and stakeholders to chart a path forward for the House," a Johnson spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 28, 2024 Author Members Posted May 28, 2024 As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients WASHINGTON — When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldn’t transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasn’t expecting congressional action to solve the problem. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/27/as-memorial-day-arrives-bill-unveiled-in-congress-to-assist-purple-heart-recipients/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
Members phkrause Posted May 28, 2024 Author Members Posted May 28, 2024 Forced sterilizations for people with disabilities decried by members of Congress WASHINGTON — Three members of Congress have introduced a resolution intended to bring attention to the experiences and challenges people with disabilities face when it comes to reproductive rights. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/25/forced-sterilizations-for-people-with-disabilities-decried-by-members-of-congress/? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60
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