GOP Lawmakers Introduce Bill That Would Bar Biden from Invoking a ‘National Climate Emergency’

Republican Texas Rep. August Pfluger and West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito introduced legislation Monday morning aiming to preempt any possible attempt by President Joe Biden to use emergency powers to circumvent congressional checks on his administration’s sweeping climate agenda.

“The Real Emergencies Act” would clarify that the president is unable to invoke emergency powers permitted by the National Emergencies Act, the Disaster Relief and Emergencies Act and the Public Health Service Act on the basis of a perceived climate change crisis. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other left-wing congressional lawmakers have called for Biden to declare a national climate emergency to further his administration’s aggressive climate agenda.

Read the full story

Pelosi’s Husband Buys $2 Million in Tesla Shares as Democrats Push Green Energy Handouts

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband purchased 2,500 shares of Tesla stock amid Democrats’ push for increased green energy spending.

Paul Pelosi, the Democratic House leader’s millionaire husband, purchased the tranche of Tesla stock on Thursday, when the company’s share price reached about $872 per share by the end of day, according to congressional filings published Monday. Pelosi bought the shares, worth roughly $2.18 million at the time, at a strike price of $500 per share.

Read the full story

Left-Wing Democrats Ask Biden to Cancel Oil Drilling on Federal Lands, Declare ‘Climate Emergency’

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), a group of 97 left wing lawmakers, urged President Joe Biden to declare a “climate emergency” and issue a series of bans on federal oil and gas leasing.

The requests were part of the CPC’s proposed agenda for executive action released Thursday that it would like to see the White House pursue moving forward. Democratic Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal is the caucus’ chair and Sen. Bernie Sanders is its sole member from the Senate.

Read the full story

Votes on Build Back Better, Infrastructure Bill Delayed as Democrats Scramble to Reach Agreement on Lowering Drug Costs

The House Rules Committee is no longer meeting Monday to markup Democrats’ spending package, meaning that the full House vote on it and the bipartisan infrastructure bill will be delayed past Tuesday, when Democratic leadership originally sought to pass the linked legislation.

An aide said Sunday that the committee would need “additional time to craft language and get final agreement with all parties involved,” telling Punchbowl News that “extensive progress” had been made, and that the House would vote “as early as possible this week.”

Read the full story

Experts Say Progressive Caucus’ Arrangement with Outside Charity Violates House Rules, though Punishment Is Unlikely

by Andrew Kerr   The United States recorded 71 new measles cases last week, a 13 percent increase as the country faces its second-worst outbreak of the disease in almost two decades, federal health officials said on Monday. But although the progressive caucus’s relationship with the outside charity group “seems like a clear violation of the rule,” there likely won’t be any consequences anytime soon, Acton Institute editor Joe Carter, who has researched congressional caucuses, told TheDCNF. “Article 1, section 5, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution says that, ‘Each House may … punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member,’” Carter said. “Based on previous history, the most severe punishment would likely be censure or reprimand of the leaders” of the progressive caucus. “But that isn’t likely to happen under Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi,” he continued. “The most that will happen – if any action is even taken – is that they will have to promise to do a better job of complying with the rules in the future.” The House Ethics Committee, House Administration Committee and House General Counsel all declined to comment for this story. CPCC Is Staffing Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair…

Read the full story

Republicans Unveil Tax Cuts Round Two On The Same Day Progressives Release Plan For Tax Increases

Steve Scalise

by Julia Cohen   House Republicans announced they are working on a second iteration of tax cuts on Tuesday, the same day the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced a proposal for raising taxes. “The tax cuts have been working incredibly well to get this economy moving, to create more jobs, to put more money in the pockets of hardworking families … we’re gonna continue building on that growth,” House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said during a Tuesday press conference. GOP Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman, went to the White House Monday to discuss a second round of tax cuts, Scalise said during the press conference. WATCH: The #TaxCutsandJobsAct has jump-started our economy, created more jobs, and put more money in the pockets of hard-working families. Americans are #BetterOffNow. And there's still more to come—#TaxCuts 2.0 ✂️ pic.twitter.com/9bigUUCtxi — Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) July 24, 2018 Brady released a listening session framework for the proposed round of tax cuts, which includes making the original individual and small business tax cuts permanent and new tax write-offs for startups, on Tuesday as well. “With this framework, we are taking the first step to change the culture in Washington D.C. where tax reform only happens…

Read the full story