Search Results for: trump corker

Sen. Bob Corker Praises Sen. Jeff Flake as a ‘True Conservative’

Wendy Wilson

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has released a statement praising U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election. Corker announced last month that he will not run again. As outspoken critics of President Trump, both Corker and Flake would have faced tough primary battles next year. “Jeff Flake continues to stay true to his principles and fight for what he believes is right,” Corker said. “He is a true conservative, an outstanding senator and a cherished friend. I look forward to serving with him for the remainder of our terms in the Senate and know he will continue to represent the people of Arizona incredibly well.” However, the problem for Flake is that many on the right no longer see him as a true conservative. Conservative blogger and radio host Erick Erickson summed it up in a piece Wednesday: Jeff Flake had a 100 percent lifetime Club for Growth record in the United States House of Representatives. He was a conservative’s conservative and stood up to the House GOP leadership. He used that reputation to catapult himself into the Senate with the backing of most every major conservative group. He towed a tough line on…

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Donald Trump Calls Meeting with Senate Republicans a ‘Love Fest’

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President Trump on Wednesday described his meeting with Republican senators the day before as a “love fest.” “The meeting with Republican Senators yesterday, outside of Flake and Corker, was a love fest with standing ovations and great ideas for USA!” Mr. Trump tweeted. Mr. Trump met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday for lunch to…

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America First Federation Calls on Mitch McConnell to Remove Bob Corker As Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on National Security Grounds

Tennessee Star Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — On Tuesday, the America First Federation (AFF) called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to remove Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on national security grounds. For good measure, Corker should resign entirely from the United States Senate, the conservative grassroots organization based in Tennessee says. “Senator Corker has decided to become the champion of his own myopic agenda, rather than the national security interests of the United States,” Mark Skoda, founder and chairman of AFF told The Tennessee Star. “Senator Corker’s erratic comments attacking President Trump are giving aid and comfort to our enemies around the world, and Majority Leader McConnell must act now to remove that national security threat from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee immediately,” Skoda said. “The people of Tennessee have rejected his rhetoric. I personally have continued to call into his offices to express my disgust but have been unable to get through to the Capital. Either Bob Corker is extremely popular and receiving congratulatory calls on his obstruction, or he is getting an earful from Tennessee voters who overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016. I suspect that latter rather than the former!” Skoda added “In light…

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Stephen Fincher Announces Campaign for U.S. Senate to Replace Bob Corker

Wendy Wilson

Stephen Fincher on Sunday formally announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). A West Tennessee farmer and small businessman, Fincher is a former congressman who recently served three consecutive terms before deciding in 2016 not to run again because of an illness in his family. Fincher will be competing for the Republican nomination against U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) and conservative activist Andy Ogles. Phil Bredesen, the Democratic former Tennessee governor and Nashville mayor, is also considering joining the race for Corker’s seat. Fincher portrays himself as a solid conservative, but grassroots conservative activists tell a different story. Earlier this month, when Fincher was on a listening tour of the state while considering running, Andy Roth, vice president of the Club for Growth, released a statement saying that “it’s worth reminding Tennessee what his true colors are.” “As I’m sure you saw, Fincher recently stated: ‘I think (Trump’s) policies are spot-on for what we need as a country.’ That’s pretty funny considering that when Fincher was in Congress he routinely joined with Democrats to support liberal special interests like voting for Obama’s green energy programs and supporting corporate welfare.  But his liberal leanings…

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Commentary: The D.C. Establishment Growing More Hysterical By the Day with President Trump

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by CHQ Staff   Just when we thought that Washington’s establishment elite couldn’t get any crazier along comes former George W. Bush aide and Washington Post token Republican Michael Gerson to snap us back to reality. Gerson’s column, “Republicans, it’s time to panic” asks “Is Trump psychologically and morally equipped to be president? And could his unfitness cause permanent damage to the country?” And then Gerson answers the question in the affirmative on the basis of anonymous leaks from a White House infested with Obama holdovers and President Trump’s recent very public and personal disagreements with retiring Republican Senator Bob Corker. The gist of Gerson’s attack is that President Trump is crazy, because he hurt poor little Bob Corker’s feelings. At the very end of Gerson’s column, our friends at Breitbart pointed out that the Post has embedded a video made by one of their staffers titled “How does the 25th amendment work?” The video’s caption reads: “The 25th Amendment sets forth a procedure for removing a president from office. Here’s how it’s enacted.” As the video explains, “Section IV of the amendment states that the Vice President and at least 13 of 24 cabinet members must agree to transfer…

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Senate Candidate Andy Ogles Calls on President Trump to Issue Executive Order Addressing Opioid Crisis

Tennessee Star Staff

Republican conservative U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles issued a statement Tuesday calling on President Donald Trump to issue an Executive Order addressing the opioid crises. Ogles is asking Trump to direct the Drug Enformcement Agency (DEA) and other federal agencies to use all available means to intensify the investigation and prosecution of those engaged in the reckless, illegal and dangerous over prescription and distribution of opioids. “Congress has tied the hands of our law enforcement officials as they seek to crack down on the illegal distribution of opioids, but with the law enforcement powers they retain they should aggressively pursue those who are fueling the opioid epidemic,” Ogles said in the statement. “I urge President Trump to issue an Executive Order directing the DEA and other federal law enforcement agencies to immediately intensify their investigations and prosecutions of those who are engaged in the illegal distribution of opioids to the fullest extent allowed by law,” the former head of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity noted, adding: While Congress tries to figure out how to clean up the legislative mess they have created, the Trump Administration needs to have an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to reducing the addictive…

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Andy Ogles Calls on Bob Corker to Resign as Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Tennessee Star Staff

Republican conservative U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles is calling on Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) to immediately step down from his Chairmanship of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Senator Corker’s reckless war of words with President Donald Trump has moved into increasingly dangerous territory as his latest outrageous attacks on the president undermine our national security and foreign policy,” Ogles said. “Corker’s statement that the president is setting the United States ‘on a path to World War III’ was completely irresponsible. His new claim that the president is ‘castrating’ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not only damages the ability of the president and his foreign policy team to defend American interests but also undermines his authority as Commander.” Ogles noted that it “is clear that Corker has lost the capacity to put America’s interests ahead of his petulant tantrums. If he wants to continue to attack the president he can do so, but he shouldn’t do it with the authority of and from the ‘bully pulpit’ provided to him as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” Corker has previously dismissed calls for him to resign from the U.S. Senate in the wake of his disparaging comments about President Trump.…

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Secretary of State Tillerson Punches Back When CNN Asks If He’d Been ‘Castrated’ as Bob Corker Claimed: ‘I Checked. I’m Fully Intact’

Tennessee Star Staff

If you’ve been paying attention to outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and President Donald Trump’s heated back and forth, you would know that Corker threw Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s name into the discussion. RELATED: Trump disputes Tillerson on North Korea: “Wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man” In an interview with…

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Steve Gill Commentary: When Will Trump Supporters Get Positions in Tennessee?

Tennessee Star Staff

President Donald Trump has filled key positions in his White House, as well as many top Cabinet positions, with political activists who didn’t support him in his presidential campaign. Some of those filling senior positions in the Trump Administration can even properly be classified as “Never Trumpers” who worked against him even after his nom-ination became inevitable. Adding to the problems facing the President as he seeks to implement his agenda are the huge number of Obama holdovers and career government bureaucrats who remain in positions where they work against his agenda while Trump political appointees languish in “holding” patterns. Unfortunately, the pattern of political appointments that do not reflect support for President Trump is not limited to Washington DC and the White House. The Presidential appointees nominated thus far from Tennessee are almost exclusively people who either actively opposed President Trump or are closely affiliated with those who aggressively sought to block him from office. The Trump base in Tennessee is sticking with him, with recent poling showing 86% approval for the President among Tennessee likely GOP primary voters. So, why is Trump not sticking to his base of supporters? Just this weekend, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) engaged in…

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Steve Bannon on Hannity: ‘If Bob Corker Has Any Honor, Any Decency, He Should Resign Immediately’

Tennessee Star Staff

Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity show on Monday, former White House chief strategist and Breitbart executive chairman Steve Bannon told host Sean Hannity “if Bob Corker has any honor, any decency, he should resign immediately.” Bannon was reacting to a series of reckless attacks made on President Trump by Senator Corker  (R-TN), the first coming in several Twitter exchanges with the president on Sunday morning, the others coming in an interview with the New York Times, which released the audio transcript of the conversation. “In a time of war, we have troops in Afghanistan, in the Northwest Pacific in Korea. We have a major problem,” Bannon said. “It could be like World War I. In the South China Sea, in the Persian Gulf – we have American lives at risk every day. He tweets on Sunday that it’s like the adult center and somebody didn’t have the morning shift. Then he has the audacity to go to The New York Times?” the former White House chief strategist asked rhetorically. “These people have no respect for the working men and women in the United States. I tell you what – Senator Corker is an absolute disgrace. And I agree with Jason…

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It’s Official: Marsha Blackburn Is Running for U.S. Senate to Replace Bob Corker

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Ending months of uncertainty, Representative Marsha Blackburn announced Thursday that she will seek to represent the Volunteer State in the US Senate in 2018. WSMV reported: Congressman Marsha Blackburn has announced she will be running for the U.S. Senate to fill the seat of Sen. Bob Corker. Blackburn’s office says her announcement comes after “several days of a sustained recruitment effort by grassroots Tennessee conservatives to persuade her to run.” Rep. Blackburn released an announcement video talking about why she is running: TRANSCRIPT: The United States Senate. It’s totally dysfunctional and it’s enough to drive you nuts. And that’s why I’ve decided to do something about it. I’m Marsha Blackburn. I’m a hard core, card carrying Tennessee conservative. I’m politically incorrect, and proud of it. So, let me just say it like it is: The fact that our Republican majority in the U.S. Senate can’t overturn Obamacare, or will not overturn Obamacare. It’s a disgrace. Too many Senate Republicans act like Democrats. Or worse. And that’s what we have to change. Here in Tennessee, I fought my own party to stop a massive, job killing, state income tax. And we stopped it. We won. I know the left calls me a…

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U.S. Rep. Diane Black Supports President Trump’s Tax Plan, Calling it ‘Pro-America’

Wendy Wilson

U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6), who is running for Tennessee governor, is supporting President Trump’s plan to fix the tax code, which was last updated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Black was recently endorsed in her gubernatorial bid by Reagan adviser Art Laffer. Laffer, who lives in Nashville, will serve as Black’s economic adviser for her gubernatorial campaign. In a statement last week, Black said: This is a truly historic opportunity for our country. The current tax system – last updated 30 years ago – forces taxpayers to pay astronomical rates and fill out complicated, unnecessary forms. Americans deserve better. Our goal from the beginning was to create a simpler, fairer and flatter system, and I believe we have done just that. This framework lowers taxes so Americans can keep more of their paychecks and families can spend less time filing papers. It will allow our own families in Tennessee to plan for the future with certainty that their hard-earned money will stay in their pockets. As a unified government, we worked with President Trump and the Senate to craft a framework benefitting every income level, especially the middle class. Our reform also delivers the lowest tax rates in modern history…

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Six GOP Senators Who Could Follow Corker into Retirement

Tennessee Star Staff

The surprise retirement of Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) may signal a rush to the exit door for other longtime establishment Republicans in the Senate. Several GOP members of the upper chamber — most of them advanced in age — have struggled to acclimate to the style and agenda of President Donald Trump. And some have drifted…

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Commentary: Are the Haslams the First Family of the Never Trumpers?

Tennessee Star Staff

There may be plenty of “Never Trumpers” on the Republican side of the aisle, with John Kasich and Jeb Bush immediately coming to mind, but no family can claim more current political power in the “Never Trumper” sphere than the Haslam family of Tennessee. The controversial NFL protests against the National Anthem and the American Flag have been embraced by Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the owners of the Cleveland Browns. Jimmy Haslam is Governor Bill Haslam’s older brother. The family owns Pilot-Flying J, the 14th largest privately owned company in the country. Jimmy Haslam is the company’s CEO. The Haslams have supported their players’ protests and issued a harsh statement speaking out against Trump’s comments where he called for NFL owners to fire any players or employees who take a knee or don’t stand at attention during the National Anthem. Statement from Dee and Jimmy Haslam pic.twitter.com/QvCmKPkKwc — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 24, 2017 “We must not let misguided, uninformed and divisive comments from the President or anyone else deter us from our efforts to unify,” the statement said in part. The Haslam family’s animosity towards President Trump is nothing new. During the 2016 Presidential election Governor Bill Haslam announced…

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Commentary: Corker Retirement Sends Shockwaves Through Tennessee Political Landscape

Tennessee Star Staff

U.S. Senator Bob Corker’s announcement Tuesday that he will not seek a third term next year has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Tennessee. With an open Governor’s race, at least two open U.S. House seats, and the likelihood of two dozen State House and Senate seats being open, spending in next year’s GOP Primary election season was already expected to approach $70 million. Now, that number may approach $80 million! The impact of the Corker announcement has already fueled speculation about who might run for his seat, and what impact that the decisions of potential Senate candidates could have on other races. Here is a quick rundown of some names already in the mix of discussion. 1. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R- TN-07). Marsha might not clear the field, but with over $3 million in her federal congressional account and strong con-servative credentials and name recognition courtesy of her many appearances on cable news networks, she would certainly give others pause if she gets into the race quickly. (If she hesitates, does Diane Black jump from the Governor’s race and with her personal funding advantage block Marsha from entering? That seems unlikely, unless Marsha hesitates for a while. Even…

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Lee Beaman Launches Super PAC to Raise $4 Million to Support Andy Ogles and Oppose Bob Corker in GOP Senate Primary

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

Middle Tennessee’s most recognized auto dealer has launched a Super PAC that intends to raise $4 million in a Super PAC for independent expenditures to support Andy Ogles and oppose Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) in the 2018 Republican U.S. Senate primary in Tennessee. “Ogles is the former state director of Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch’s network. He declared his candidacy last week, and his campaign on Tuesday announced the formation of the super PAC run by Lee Beaman, a Nashville Toyota dealer,” the Associated Press reported. Super PACs can take unlimited contributions from wealthy donors, but they may not coordinate with the campaigns. Corker has not yet announced whether he will seek a third term. Two people familiar with a White House discussion between the senator and president last week told The Associated Press that Trump urged Corker to run during the meeting. Beaman said he plans to raise $4 million to support Ogles, citing his support for tighter border security, repealing former President Barack Obama’s health care law and cutting taxes and regulation. News of the hefty financial resources about to be trained on Corker spread quickly throughout the Volunteer…

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Andy Ogles Announces Challenge to Bob Corker for U. S. Senate

Christina Botteri

  Long time conservative activist Andy Ogles announced Thursday he is launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). “In less than a year the Republican primary will give us an opportunity to make choices that will impact future generations of Tennesseans,” Ogles said in a statement. “Conservative leadership means more than making promises, it means keeping them.” Andy Ogles is perhaps best known at the leader of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a position he’s held since 2013. During his tenure as the state director, the grassroots army defeated Obamacare expansion twice, led the fight against Common Core and prevented multiple attempts to inflict so-called “Washington DC values” on Tennesseans. The volunteer organization worked to hold politicians accountable for bad votes, regardless of party affiliation. Unlike Senator Corker, who has repeatedly put himself at odds against President Trump and his policy goals, Ogles is aligning himself closely to the president’s ‘Drain the Swap’ message. “Over the past several months it has become increasingly clear that too many of our elected officials in Washington are failing our country, failing to fulfill their promises, and failing our future,” Ogles said. “Sadly, Republicans who promised to…

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REPORT: Senator Bob Corker Considering Retirement

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  Senator Bob Corker is considering retirement, according to a CNN report breaking this morning: Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the influential chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee who was once considered for a spot in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, is weighing whether to call it quits next year. Corker told CNN last week that he has not made a decision about his future, and appeared to confirm Trump’s tweet that he asked the President for political advice about whether to run for reelection. “As far as what am I going to do in the future, I’m still contemplating the future,” Corker said in an interview. “It’s a tremendous privilege to do what I do, and to weigh in on the big issues. … But I have not decided what I’m going to do in the future.” The junior Senator has been oddly quiet about any 2018 re-election run as possible candidates consider challenging him in the August primary, and investigations into some too-good-to-be-true stock trades develop. CNN continues: A source familiar with Corker’s thinking said the Republican is legitimately torn about whether to remain in the body another six years or to return to his roots in the business sector.…

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Hundreds in Nashville Protest President Trump’s Constitutional Decision to End DACA

Wendy Wilson

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Several hundred protesters marched along West End Avenue in Nashville late Tuesday afternoon to denounce President’s Trump decision to end DACA. “Up, up with liberation. Down, down with deportation,” chanted the marchers, as similar protests took place across the country. Meanwhile, Trump supporters who want tougher immigration enforcement and adherence to the Constitution praised the president for following through on a campaign promise. The Trump administration announced early Tuesday that it would phase out DACA, which offers young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and meet certain criteria the opportunity to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. Many recipients are now young adults. Former President Obama started the program in 2012 through an executive order, which critics called an unconstitutional exercise of power by the executive branch. Now it will be left up to Congress to decide what to do with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, will begin losing their permits in March unless Congress acts. Immigration activists are already lobbying Congress to save the program. Should Congress pass legislation to restore the DACA program before it ends six months from now,…

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President Trump’s Decision to End DACA Pleases Supporters, Outrages the Left

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is calling President Trump’s decision to phase out DACA “cruel and reckless,” but supporters are praising the move. The Trump Administration announced Tuesday morning that DACA recipients will lose their protected status starting in March unless Congress acts. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security explaining that DACA was not statutorily authorized and was therefore an unconstitutional exercise of discretion by the executive branch,” said a White House news release. The decision is being cheered by Americans who want tougher immigration enforcement, but activist groups like TIRRC are outraged. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program that was started by former President Obama through an executive order. It offers young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children a chance to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. “Over the past five years, the DACA program has been a lifeline for more than 8,300 Tennesseans, providing a sense of security and a chance to dream and invest in their future here,” said TIRRC in an online letter to supporters. “Caving to the demands of extremist attorneys general and white supremacists in…

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Flashback: CFA Statement on ‘FBI and SEC Investigation of Sen. Bob Corker’ in May 2016 May Suddenly Be Relevant Again

Tennessee Star Staff

    When President Trump punched back Friday on Twitter at Senator Bob Corker’s (R-TN) relentless criticisms as “outrageous,” it electrified the conservative base among Tennessee Republican primary voters who continue to be very supportive of the president. State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) are among those who may now be considering a challenge to Corker in the August 2018 primary. A Tennessee Star Poll conducted in June among likely Tennessee Republican primary voters showed that Corker was vulnerable. In a hypothetical one-on-one primary matchup with Blackburn, the two were in a statistical tie. The negative press Corker has received in Tennessee for his criticisms of President Trump may soon get worse. The SEC investigation of Sen. Corker and CBL, “A real-estate firm that has been a favored investment of Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker,” first reported by the Wall Street Journal in May 2016,  may soon come to a conclusion. No one knows what that investigation may conclude, but when news of the investigation was made public, it caused quite a stir. In fact, Ann Weiman, executive director of the Camapign for Accountability (CfA), a non profit watchdog organization that had called for the SEC investigation…

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Is a Mark Green Senate Primary Challenge to Bob Corker Back on the Table?

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  Senator Bob Corker was greeted Friday morning with another withering rebuke by President Trump, in response to a series of criticisms hailed at the President over the past ten days, for which Corker – who is up for re-election by Trump-friendly Tennesseans next year – staunchly “stands by.” Meanwhile, State Senator Mark Green’s (R-Clarksville) refusal to rule out a run against the struggling incumbent could signal a re-consideration to challenge Corker in the 2018 Republican primary. “I’ve already told Senator Corker my thoughts about his comments about the President and that’s as far as I intend to go at this point,” Green told Breitbart News Friday afternoon. Earlier this year State Senator Green was eyeing a run to replace the termed-out Governor Bill Haslam when the Trump Administration nominated him for Secretary of the Army. The move was met with the broad support of the Senate and wildly popular Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. However, after a sustained, two-pronged attack by leftist groups against Green’s nomination using inaccurate accounts of remarks he made having to do with the so-called “bathroom bill” and the threat of radical Islam to the American way of life, he withdrew his nomination. In early August, Green announced that he…

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Split on Trump’s Afghanistan Decision Along Partisan Lines

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Republican Sen. Bob Corker and Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann released statements in support of President Trump’s decision to keep troops in Afghanistan. Trump announced his decision Monday evening in a televised address. His decision is likely to disappoint some conservatives because he campaigned on pulling out of Afghanistan. “My original instinct was to pull out — and, historically, I like following my instincts,” Trump said in his address. “But all my life I’ve heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office.” Trump said that, as happened with the withdrawal from Iraq in 2011,  “a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill.” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the following in a statement: I had the opportunity to talk with Secretary Tillerson in advance of this evening’s address, and while I look forward to receiving additional details, I support the direction President Trump laid out tonight for the U.S. role in Afghanistan. While there are certainly substantial questions about whether Afghanistan has the capacity over time to provide stable governance to its people, this more focused…

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Vice President Mike Pence Visits Nashville, Thanks Tennesseans For Supporting President Trump

Wendy Wilson

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday personally thanked the Volunteer State for helping put President Trump in office. “We were counting on Tennessee last fall and Tennessee delivered,” Pence said during his keynote speech at the Tennessee Republican Party’s Statesmen’s Dinner. The annual fundraising event was held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam gave opening remarks. In November, Trump won 61 percent of the vote in Tennessee, taking all but three counties – Davidson, Shelby and Haywood. Pence in his speech also celebrated the news that broke Thursday about West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. Pence devoted most of his speech to praising Trump’s successes in office and his plans for the coming months. He said Trump is slashing more regulations than any other president in American history, and noted the president’s efforts to roll back progressive environmental policies, such as ending the “war on coal” and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Pence also lauded Trump for increasing defense spending, strengthening border protection and cracking down on gangs such as MS-13. In the area of foreign policy, Pence said other countries know that…

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Sen. Corker Votes To Repeal Obamacare, Sen. Alexander Votes No

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Tennessee’s Republican senators in Washington, D.C., were divided Wednesday on repealing significant portions of Obamacare. Sen. Bob Corker voted for a health care bill amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while Sen. Lamar Alexander voted against it. Put forward by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the amendment would have given lawmakers two years to develop a replacement plan. The Senate will now debate measures that won’t alter Obamacare as much as the amendment defeated Wednesday. Radio talk show host Phil Valentine speculated on his show Wednesday that Corker, considered a moderate by some conservatives, voted for repeal because he is up for election next year and knew the vote would play well with Tennessee voters. Corker has not said whether he will seek a third term. In a statement released before Wednesday’s vote, Corker said: As I have said before, I believe the best path forward is for Congress to repeal Obamacare after a reasonable transition period. This amendment would take us back to a level playing field where, by a date certain, all sides have incentive to work together to develop a health care replacement that would generate broad support and stand the test of time. I urge my…

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Senator Bob Corker Issues Statement Supporting Repeal of Obamacare

Tennessee Star Staff
Tenessee Star

On Thursday, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) issued a statement supporting full repeal of Obamacare: “After being involved in many discussions over the past several months with my colleagues and stakeholders across Tennessee, I believe the best path forward is for Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act after a reasonable transition period,” said Corker. “This takes us back to a level playing field where, by a date certain, all sides have incentive to work together to develop a health care replacement that can generate broad support and will stand the test of time. Regardless of how we move forward, it is my hope that our focus will be not only on coverage but also on lowering the actual cost of health care.” Corker participated in a lengthy meeting held by senators last night and also attended the lunch meeting held yesterday at the White House. Corker had previously opposed efforts to repeal Obamacare without having a complete alternative in place. Critics on the left criticized Corker’s change of heart, while conservatives, many of whom have fiercely criticized Corker in the past, applauded it. “Tennessee Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini and the U.S. Senate campaign of Democrat James Mackler were having…

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Senate Health Care Legislation Stalls, Corker and Alexander Were Still Mulling Bill

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

The Senate health care bill appeared to stall late Monday for lack of votes needed to pass. Last week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he was encouraged by the direction of the bill, while Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he had concerns about its effects on Tennesseans and was waiting to see a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The bill was to have been considered this week, but was delayed until at least next week to give Arizona Republican Senator John McCain time to recover from surgery to remove a blood clot. McCain’s presence was needed to advance the bill, which has faced growing opposition. Then news broke late Monday that the bill in its current form has been brought to a halt after more senators stepped forward to say they wouldn’t support it. That means leaders will need to revamp the bill or scrap health care legislation this year. Some senators are opposed to the bill because they say the proposed cuts to Medicaid are too steep, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says it keeps too much of Obamacare intact. Paul mounted a campaign to convince fellow Republicans that the bill is not a repeal as promised. The bill has…

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La Raza Affiliate Conexion Americas Stands ‘Indivisible’ Against Trump

Chris Alto

Despite trying to use hands-contorted-into-hearts to try and soften the radical opposition of the progressive left’s “Indivisible” campaign, Conexion Americas’ “Indivisible” organizing is no different than any of the other self-identified “Indivisible” groups that have formed to resist President Trump’s agenda for America. A number of left wing Nashville political figures, including Mayor Megan Barry, have posed for photos with Renata Soto, co-founder and director of Conexion Americas, displaying the “hands-contorted-into-hearts” sign. Last week, Conexion’s Gini Pupo-Walker, senior director of education policy and strategic growth, told The Tennessee Star that “[w]e didn’t know there would be other groups using the same word.” However, looking at Conexion’s twitter promotion of other “Indivisible”groups, the Indivisible Guide itself, and alignment by Conexion on key issues included in The Guide, strongly suggest otherwise. Conexion Americas director Soto has stated publicly that “[w]e at Conexion Americas have launched a campaign called #Indivisible” using a hashtag of a Twitter site which promotes the original Indivisible Guide and Indivisible groups scattered across the country. On December 10, 2016, Soto, issued a public invitation to join her Indivisible campaign. Four days later, a link to the Indivisible Guide, written by former Congressional staffers, was tweeted out. Angel Padilla an Indivisible Guide author, was an immigration policy consultant at National Council of La Raza (La Raza) in 2014. After leaving…

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Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander Silent on Federal Contractor Failing to Provide Services to Refugees Dumped in Murfreesboro

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

The same day that The Tennessee Star discovered complaints publicized on YouTube by the refugee service volunteers in Murfreesboro made against refugee resettlement contractor World Relief for failing to provide basic and essential services, both Sens. Alexander and Corker’s offices were contacted for comment. Sen. Corker’s office never responded and while Sen. Alexander’s media contact asked for and was given additional time to look into the matter before responding, days later no comment was ever received. During the March “Murfreesboro Muslim Youth” (MMY) meeting soliciting help for refugees brought to Rutherford County by World Relief, refugee service organizer Melissa Sohrabi started crying while detailing the contractor’s neglect and failure to provide even basic survival services to the refugees they placed in Murfreesboro: [the third family] had nothing but a mattress and sheets, no blankets. They didn’t know how to work the thermostat, they were freezing. They were scared and they were so relieved because Saffi knew their language. They had been there for several days with no contact with anyone. They did not know how to get in touch with their caseworker and with no language skills they didn’t know where to go or who to ask to even how to get help. We immediately…

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Six Potential Challengers to Bob Corker in the 2018 Tennessee U.S. Senate Republican Primary

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  With the new Tennessee Star polling data revealing significant vulnerabilities for Senator Bob Corker among likely Republican Primary voters, the speculation about potential opponents who may seek to exploit those vulnerabilities has increased dramatically. (Regardless of how many think about it, if more than one conservative challenger actually gets in the race they give it to Corker. And a successful race will almost certainly require a minimum of $7 million.) Who are these potential challengers? In alphabetical order: Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. Topping the wish list of many Tennessee conservatives is the Representative from Middle Tennessee’s 7th District. Having represented a wide swath of West Tennessee before redistricting she has a significant base of support in both Middle and West Tennessee, which was reflected in the cross tabs in The Tennessee Star Poll head-to-head poll with Corker. Blackburn won the Middle portion of the state outside the margin of error (43-38) and beat Corker handily in West Tennessee (49-36). Statewide the two were within the margin of error with Corker edging Blackburn 41-39. A Tennessean story that was widely repeated across the state and country reported that Blackburn has indicated that she will NOT run for the Senate in 2018.…

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State Rep. Andy Holt Considering Run For Bob Corker’s U.S. Senate Seat

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  State Rep. Andy Holt is considering running for Bob Corker’s U.S. Senate seat next year. Corker has not said yet whether he will seek a third term, but Holt believes that if Corker does run as expected, there should be “a more conservative option.” “Somebody’s got to do it,” Holt told The Tennessee Star on Thursday. And that somebody – or one of them – might be Holt, though he’s still in the early stages of deciding whether to enter the race. Corker is vulnerable, according to a new poll released by The Star and conducted by Triton Polling and Research. Only 41 percent of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters said Corker “deserves re-election.” Corker, who sometimes supports President Trump and is at other times critical, recently said Trump is “out of control” and the “White House is in a downward spiral.” The poll showed that only 20 percent of likely Republican primary voters agreed. Holt (R-Dresden) pointed to Corker’s key role in pushing former President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal through Congress as one reason why Corker must go. But he said a lot of the problems with Corker stem not from what he is doing, but what he’s not doing. Corker, along…

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Poll: Senator Bob Corker May Be In Trouble With Tennessee Republican Primary Voters

Tennessee Star Staff
Tenessee Star

  A new poll released by The Tennessee Star conducted of 1,007 likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee by Triton Polling and Research shows that Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) may have trouble winning the nomination of his own party in its August 2018 U.S. Senate primary. First elected to the United States Senate in 2006, the former mayor of Chattanooga is up for re-election to a third term in 2018. He has not yet said that he will seek re-election, but many political observers would be surprised if he opted not to run again. When asked “As of now, do you think Bob Corker deserves re-election or is it time to give someone else a chance? ” only 41.1 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee said he “deserves re-election.” An equal number, 41.6 percent, said “give someone else a chance.” There were not a great number who were undecided on this question–only 17.3 percent said “don’t know/not sure.” “An incumbent who falls below a 50 percent re-elect number should be wary, particularly when they have seen so much anti-incumbent turmoil in the electorate in recent years,” media consultant and political strategist Steve Gill tells The Tennessee Star. “But…

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New Poll Shows Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn Statistically Tied in Potential Tennessee U.S. Senate GOP Primary Matchup

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  A poll released by The Tennessee Star of 1,007 likely Tennessee Republican primary voters shows that Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is in a statistical tie with Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN 7) in a potential 2018 Republican primary matchup for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat. When asked “If the election was held today, and the candidates were Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn, who would you vote for U.S. Senator from Tennessee,” 41.4 percent of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters selected Corker while 38.6 percent selected Blackburn. The 2.8 percent differential between the two is within the poll’s 3.1 percent margin of error, thus making the race a statistical dead heat. The bad news for Corker is that Blackburn beats him in two of the Volunteer State’s three geographic regions. Among West Tennessee voters, Blackburn beats Corker soundly, 39 percent to 26 percent. Among Middle Tennessee voters, Blackburn beats Corker 43 percent to 38 percent. Only in his home region of East Tennessee does Corker beat Blackburn. There, he wins by a margin of 49 percent to 26 percent. Blackburn’s current district covers much of Middle Tennessee. Prior to redistricting after the 2010 election, however, the district stretched from Middle Tennessee…

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New Poll: Trump Approval Rating Sky High Among Likely GOP Primary Voters in Tennessee

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–A new poll released by The Tennessee Star on Tuesday conducted by Triton Polling and Research of 1,007 likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee shows that President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is sky high among Tennessee Republicans. When asked “How would you rate the job performance of President Donald Trump,” 86 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee said they approve of his job performance, while only 11 percent said they disapprove, a remarkable 75 percent margin of approval over disapproval. The vast majority of those likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee strongly approve of President Trump’s job performance: 63.9 percent Strongly Approve 22.6 percent Somewhat Approve 5.3 percent Somewhat Disapprove 6.3 percent Strongly Disapprove 1.9 percent Don’t Know/Are Unsure Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Haslam also has high job performance approval ratings among likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee, though slightly lower than President Trump’s and with less intensity of support. When asked “How would you rate the job performance of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam,” 74 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee said they approve of his job performance, while only 22 percent said they disapprove. 29.3 percent Strongly Approve 45.1 percent Somewhat Approve 15.1…

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Senator Bob Corker Repeats FAKE NEWS Narrative from Democrats and MSM, Calls for White House to ‘Bring Itself Under Control’

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee’s Senator Bob Corker is once again singing from the Democrats’ hymnal. The chorus Corker joined on Monday is delivering the perennial favorite line for 2017, “the White House is in chaos,” with a dash of the debunked FAKE NEWS from the Washington Post, “White House/Russia classified intel disclosure.” “Obviously they’re in a downward spiral right now and they’ve got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that’s happening,” Corker told Bloomberg News on Monday. Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur tweeted Corker’s additional statement that “The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order.”   BOB CORKER: "The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order. It's got to happen." — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 15, 2017 But, as radio talk show host Laura Ingraham noted, the Washington Post “source” for the allegation “didn’t talk to ANY U.S. official” in attendance at the meeting in question: WH source with direct knowledge just told me @washingtonpost didn't talk to ANY U.S. official at mtg w/ Lavrov. "It's Fake News" — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 15, 2017 and followed it up with Meaning of…

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BREAKING: Corker and Alexander Deliver as Republicans Break Filibuster, Clearing Way for Majority Vote on SCOTUS Nomination of Judge Gorsuch

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), the two Republicans whose final votes on breaking the threatened Democratic filibuster of the confirmation vote on President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee were uncertain as late as this morning, delivered for the president and their party on Thursday afternoon. “Senate Republicans used the “constitutional option” to change longstanding cloture rules around 12:30 pm Thursday, clearing the way for Judge Neil Gorsuch to receive a vote of the full Senate on his confirmation to the Supreme Court,” Breitbart News reports: Republicans resorted to the party-line 52-48 vote after weeks of wrangling over Gorsuch’s nomination in which Senate Democrats threatened the first partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee in American history. After the Democrats assembled the forty-one votes needed to prevent the end of debate under current rules, the constitutional option allowing cloture on a simple majority became the only remaining path to placing Gorsuch on the Court. Vice-President Mike Pence, who would have been needed to break a tie should any two Republicans have voted to maintain the 60-vote cloture rule, was not present for the vote, indicating Republican confidence their entire caucus would agree to the change. As…

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Alex Joyner, Living Proof of Existence of College Republicans, Helped With Trump’s Visit To Nashville

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Republicans on college campuses might be an endangered species, but there is evidence that they do in fact exist. Alex Joyner, a junior political science major at the University of Tennessee-Martin, jumped at the chance to help out with President Trump’s visit to Nashville on March 15, according to an article in the student newspaper The Pacer. Joyner, who is president of the UT Martin College Republicans and serves as state chairman for the Tennessee College Republicans, was contacted by someone with the Trump administration to see if he would like to volunteer as a driver in the presidential motorcade. After clearing a background check, he was assigned to escorting Tennessee’s U.S. Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to The Hermitage, where the president made a visit before his rally downtown. As they passed a pancake place, Joyner joked, “Y’all hungry, you want to stop?” to which Corker said in an aside to Alexander, “Well, senator, I see we have one with a personality!” Joyner said his respect for the president grew by seeing the thousands of people who turned out for a chance to hear Trump at his rally at the Municipal Auditorium. Not everyone was able to get…

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Mark Green and Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz Speak at 917 Society Constitution Celebration at Mar-a-Lago

Laura Baigert

PALM BEACH, Florida – U.S. Representatives Mark Green (R-TN-07) was the featured speaker and Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) was the special guest speaker at the 917 Society’s constitution celebration held at the Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday evening.

Both congressmen were greeted with enthusiastic standing ovations on their introductions to about 200 supporters of the 917 Society, about double the number of attendees in 2022, who gathered in the club’s grand ballroom for a gourmet dinner that followed a cocktail hour held poolside.

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Club for Growth-Affiliated Super PAC Launches $400K in TV and Radio Attack Ads Against Kurt Winstead and Beth Harwell in TN-5 Race

Aaron Gulbransen

On Friday, a Club for Growth-controlled federal super PAC, the School Freedom Fund PAC, launched a nearly $400,000 television and radio attack advertising blitz against Kurt Winstead and Beth Harwell in the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

The ads attack Winstead’s Democrat voter and donor history as well as Harwell’s endorsement in the 2018 Tennessee governor’s race from a teacher’s association that endorsed in both the Republican and Democrat primaries.

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Records Show TN-5 Candidate Kurt Winstead Donated to Democrat Candidates for Federal Office

Aaron Gulbransen
Gen. Kurt Winstead

Federal Election Commission records show that Tennessee Fifth Congressional District Republican primary candidate Kurt Winstead donated to federal Democrat candidates in addition to Republican ones.

Williamson County Election Commission records additionally show that Kurt Winstead voted in Democrat primaries in the past.

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The Star News Network’s Washington Correspondent Neil McCabe on the Kamikaze Suicide Mission of Liz Cheney

Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed The Star News Network Washington Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line to weigh in on the political futures of Liz Cheney, Anthony Bouchard, and Adam Kinzinger.

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‘That Is Not Leadership Position’: Pelosi Refuses to Back Effort to Remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from House

Admin

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that Democratic leadership won’t back the effort to remove Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House.

California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez introduced a resolution Friday to remove Greene from the House, saying the congresswoman “advocated violence against our peers, the Speaker and our government,” CNN reported. The resolution was backed by 72 House Democrats.

“I’m not gonna get into that,” Pelosi said. “Members are very unhappy about what happened here and they can express themselves the way they do. What Mr. Gomez did is his own view, and that is not leadership position.”

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Biden Calls Kamala Harris ‘President Harris’

Admin

President Joe Biden referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “President Harris” on Thursday.

“Now, when President Harris and I took a virtual tour of a vaccination center in Arizona not long ago, one of the nurses on that tour injecting people and giving vaccinations said that each shot was like administering a dose of hope,” Biden said during an announcement at the White House.

Biden previously appeared to forget Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s name during a March 8 speech over the nomination of two female Air Force generals.

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Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil W. McCabe Examines Mitch McConnell’s Political Game After Failed Impeachment

Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line to discuss Mitch McConnell’s strategies and waking up the Republican Party leadership.

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Rep. Swalwell Pushes for a ‘White Nationalism Task Force’

Admin

Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell on Monday called for “a white nationalism task force” at the Department of Justice.

“They’re going to need, I believe, at the Department of Justice, a white nationalism task force to make sure that they’re understanding at the earliest of ages how people are being radicalized, if there are in fact training camps,” Swalwell said on “MSNBC Live With Katy Tur.”

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Nearly 200,000 Flags Will Replace In-Person Crowds for Biden’s Inauguration

Admin

Almost 200,000 flags were planted on the National Mall before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, intended to replace those who can’t attend in-person, The Hill reported Tuesday.

The exhibition was illuminated Sunday eve and extends from the National Mall, Third Street to 13th Street in the city’s downtown, according to The Hill.

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Pelosi: Members of Congress May Need to be Prosecuted if They Helped Capitol Rioters

Admin

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that congressional members may have to be prosecuted if they helped the Capitol rioters.

“If in fact it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that,” Pelosi said during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Friday.

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Biden Says That His ‘Priority’ Will Be Minority and Women Owned Small Businesses

Admin

President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will make minority and women-owned small businesses their “priority,” his transition team tweeted Sunday.

“Our focus will be on small businesses on Main Street that aren’t wealthy and well-connected, that are facing real economic hardships through no fault of their own,” Biden said during the video.

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