#GOP downplays importance of budget with debt ceiling looming

#GOP downplays importance of budget with debt ceiling looming

House Republicans are deemphasizing the importance of a GOP budget in the context of debt-ceiling talks, signaling their blueprint might not even be finalized until after the conference figures out its moves on raising the federal government’s borrowing limit. It’s a significant shift for the GOP that comes after hard-line lawmakers during the 15-ballot Speaker’s…

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#House Democrats vent frustration after Biden reversal on COVID-19 emergency measure

#House Democrats vent frustration after Biden reversal on COVID-19 emergency measure

House Democrats are sounding off against the White House after President Biden indicated he’ll sign legislation to lift the national emergency declaration surrounding COVID-19 — a move that came less than two months after Democrats had opposed the same measure en masse at the administration’s request.  Almost 200 House Democrats had voted on Feb. 1 against the…

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#Progressive stars square off in California Senate primary

#Progressive stars square off in California Senate primary

Battle lines are forming between progressives as they look to take down the more establishment-aligned Rep. Adam Schiff in California’s Democratic Senate primary. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) was the latest high-profile progressive to weigh in on the race, endorsing Rep. Barbara Lee (D), who along with Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter (D) is seeking to…

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#Kirby: Tuberville’s hold on Pentagon nominees ‘could absolutely have an effect on military readiness’

#Kirby: Tuberville’s hold on Pentagon nominees ‘could absolutely have an effect on military readiness’

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on over 160 Pentagon nominees over abortion policies could have an impact on U.S. military readiness. “If it goes on too long, it could absolutely have an effect on military readiness around the world,” Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. Tuberville has held…

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#‘I just think you’re wrong’: Democrats, Schultz tangle in Starbucks union-busting hearing

#‘I just think you’re wrong’: Democrats, Schultz tangle in Starbucks union-busting hearing

Senators on Wednesday grilled former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz over widespread allegations of illegal union-busting tactics at the coffee chain under his leadership.  Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee questioned Schultz over his role in the company’s decision to fire pro-union baristas and close stores that unionized, among other efforts that…

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#Senate votes to repeal Iraq war authorizations

#Senate votes to repeal Iraq war authorizations

The Senate on Wednesday voted to repeal a pair of Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) with bipartisan support, taking a step toward closing the door on the Iraq War 20 years after it started.  Senators voted 66-30 to officially repeal the 1991 authorization for the Gulf War and the 2002 AUMF that opened…

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#Biden raises pressure on GOP to take action on guns

#Biden raises pressure on GOP to take action on guns

The White House is blaming Republicans in Congress for the lack of action on guns, turning up the heat on the GOP to address rampant gun violence while appealing to voters fed up with America’s epidemic of mass shootings.  President Biden is focusing his anger over the elementary school shooting in Nashville this week squarely…

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