Senator Vance Cosponsors Bipartisan Resolution Challenging Biden’s ESG Rule Politicizing Americans’ Retirement Plans

JD Vance

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) is joining a bipartisan challenge alongside 49 other U.S. Senators in opposition to President Biden’s new Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) rule, which politicizes the retirement assets of millions of Americans in order to support Biden’s ideological viewpoints rather than obtaining the highest returns for Americans.

“Joe Biden’s ESG investing rule is a brazen attempt to funnel Americans’ retirement savings toward far-left special interest groups,” Vance told The Ohio Star.

Read the full story

Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer Criticizes McConnell, NRSC After Walker Loss

Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) after Herschel Walker lost the Georgia Senate runoff. Shafer said the NRSC didn’t provide enough support, according to an internal Republican National Committee (RNC) email chain obtained by Politico.

“Tuesday was a tough day in Georgia. Herschel was massively outspent, maybe 3 to 1 in a four week period of time and still held his own,” Shafer said in an email sent the day after the election.

“We used our RNC transfer dollars for the ground game and were forced to raise money from entirely within the state for our critically important mail program. Two weeks out, we were $2.5 million short when I sent what was for me an embarrassing email begging the other state parties for help,” he said.

Read the full story

Virginia Sen. Warner and 20 Other Senators Announce Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, But Biden Says Democrats Still Need to Pass Separate, Larger Proposal

Mark Warner of Virginia

Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and other members of a bipartisan team of 21 senators announced an infrastructure plan that includes $579 billion in new spending over the next five years. President Joe Biden also announced his support for the deal on Thursday. Warner and Biden highlighted it as a win for bipartisanship. At the same time, Biden emphasized that he wouldn’t sign the bill without Democrats passing an additional larger infrastructure bill through reconciliation.

“This group of senators, and all the American people, can be proud today, because we’ve reaffirmed once again: we are the United States of America,” Biden said. “I know a lot of you in the press, particularly, doubt that unity is possible, that anything bipartisan is possible. It’s hard, but it’s necessary, and it can get done.”

Read the full story

Commentary: In America’s Right vs. Left Culture War, Choose the Biggest Weapons

President Donald Trump

by Jeffery Rendall   How would you have felt as a kid if your parents came to you and said, “We’re cancelling this summer’s vacation”? Chances are you wouldn’t have liked it very much. If that’s the case then you understand exactly how our United States senators feel right about now. Earlier this week Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally carried through on a threat and nixed the annual August recess, claiming Democrat stonewalling forced his hand. A prolonged summer work period is something conservatives have been advocating for years – if the legislative branch can’t/won’t get its business done Congress needs to expand its part-time calendar and get down to work. The senate might actually accomplish something this session – and they won’t suffer for it either. The Editors of the Washington Examiner wrote, “McConnell added that although there will still be a week at the beginning of August for senators to meet with constituents back home, they ‘should expect to remain in session in August to pass legislation, including appropriations bills, and to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.’ “Yes, McConnell’s move can be viewed as a shrewd, partisan political maneuver. It makes sense to keep all the senators in school…

Read the full story

How McConnell Canceling August Recess Hurts Vulnerable Senate Dems

Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor

by Robert Donachie   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday he is canceling three weeks of the planned August recess in order to pass legislation and confirm the president’s conservative judicial nominees. “Due to the historic obstruction by Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees, and the goal of passing appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year, the August recess has been canceled,” McConnell announced Tuesday in a statement. “Senators should expect to remain in session in August to pass legislation, including appropriations bills, and to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.” Senators are expected to return home for state work during the first week of August, but are being told to stay in Washington for the final three weeks of the month. There might be something else at play under McConnell’s sleeve. Having the entire Senate body in Washington while working ultimately ensures vulnerable Democrats up for reelection don’t have as much face-time with constituents heading into November. McConnell has said his focus for the midterms is picking up seats in states like Arizona, Nevada, Tennessee, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia and Florida. President Donald Trump won many of these states in 2016 (North Dakota, West Virginia, Indiana, Montana,…

Read the full story

McConnell Cancels Most of Senate’s August Recess

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is canceling all but one week of the Senate’s traditional August recess, apparently to keep Democrats off the campaign trail. Blaming what he called “historic obstruction” by Democrats, McConnell said Tuesday that“senators should expect to remain in session in August to pass legislation, including appropriations bills, and to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.” The lawmakers will get a vacation for the first week of August and will be expected to work the rest of the month. Many of his fellow Republicans pressured McConnell to cancel the recess, accusing Democrats of dragging their feet on spending bills and votes on Trump judicial nominees. But by keeping senators working, the Kentucky senator will keep Democrats from campaigning this summer. August is prime time for political candidates and a chance to meet voters at outdoor rallies, picnics, barbecues and county fairs. Twenty-six Senate seats currently held by Democrats are on the ballot in November, with just nine for the Republicans. Despite what appears to be McConnell’s cynical ploy, some Democrats welcomed the chance to stay in Washington. “Working through August gives us the perfect opportunity to tackle this pressing issue of health care,” Minority Leader…

Read the full story

Commentary: Can Republicans Resist Mass Political Suicide, or Can They Take ‘Yes’ For an Answer?

By CHQ Staff   In its blind failure to recognize its dire peril, Capitol Hill’s Republican establishment is beginning to look a lot like the unfortunate souls at Jonestown who “drank the Kool-Aid” and committed mass suicide as the authorities closed in on the cult at its remote compound in Guyana. However, in a rare moment of lucidity, Senator Lindsey Graham spelled out for CNN’s Dana Bash that failure to pass tax reform means political death for the GOP establishment: For every Republican senator, the fate of the party is in our hands, as well as that of the economy. The economy needs a tax cut, and the Republican Party needs to deliver. Yet, with this imperative two Republican Senators have already come out in opposition to the bill and between six and eight others have expressed reservations about the House-passed plan. Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) joins Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) in publicly rejecting the current version of the bill. According to reporting by The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda, the two senators are pushing for lawmakers to do more to help “pass-through” businesses whose income is taxed through the individual tax code. Pass-throughs can take the form of sole proprietorships and…

Read the full story

Commentary: Will Diane Black Go Along With McConnell Again to Raise the Debt Ceiling?

In 2011, Rep. Diane Black voted for the “Budget Control Act of 2011” which automatically increased the debt ceiling by $400 billion to $14.694 trillion and subsequently increased it by another $1.2 trillion via the “McConnell Mechanism.” This provision introduced by Sen. Mitch McConnell allowed Obama to request debt increases which could only be blocked by a joint resolution of disapproval passed by Congress. Any resolution, if passed, was still subject to the President’s veto which could only be over-riden by a two-thirds vote by Congress. Twice the Senate failed to block the debt increases allowed by the “McConnell Mechanism” which reportedly was intended to make Obama responsible for the debt limit increase. Intentionally or not though, it also effectively and unconstitutionally allowed the President to exercise the exclusive power of Congress under Article I, section 8, “to borrow money on the credit of the United States.” Now as Senate Majority Leader, McConnell is looking to raise the debt ceiling again. With regard to “Spending Cuts and Debt” Black’s website, which doesn’t seem to have been updated since President Trump was elected, states: In Congress, I have voted against every blank check to raise the federal debt ceiling. A decision to…

Read the full story