Tag: Sen. Josh Hawley

‘Serious Blow to Trust in Our Government’: Lawmakers Torch Wray, Mayorkas for Skipping Out on Hearing

Daily Caller News Foundation
Alejandro Mayorkas, Christopher Wray

Senate Republican and Democratic lawmakers joined together in a display of bipartisan condemnation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray after the two declined to testify on Thursday before the Senate on global threats facing the U.S. homeland.

Mayorkas and Wray requested to move the annually-scheduled Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing to a classified setting, which would have broken with 15 years of precedence according to Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, Chairman of the HSGAC.

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Secret Service Agents Placed on Leave After Trump Assassination Attempt

RealClearWire

Three weeks ago, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe angrily pushed back on senators’ calls to immediately fire or discipline key agents directly responsible for the security failures that led to the assassination attempt against former President Trump at last month’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Since that time, Secret Service leaders have placed several members of the Pittsburgh Field Office on administrative leave, according to three sources in the Secret Service community.

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Whistleblowers Claim Secret Service Provided ‘Loose’ Security, Assigned Inexperienced Staff Prior to Assassination Attempt at Trump Rally

Tom Pappert
Josh Hawley

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed on Friday that U.S. Secret Service whistleblowers approached his office to inform him the agency assigned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel who were not part of the Secret Service to protect former President Donald Trump during the Pennsylvania rally where he suffered an assassination attempt.

In addition to the claim about questionable staffing, Hawley wrote in his Friday letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that whistleblowers with “direct knowledge of the event” told his office the agency also treated Trump’s rally as “loose” security.

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The Senate’s ‘No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act’ Would Exclude Artificial Intelligence Developers’ Liability Under Section 230

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The Senate could soon take up a bipartisan bill defining the liability protections enjoyed by artificial intelligence-generated content, which could lead to considerable impacts on online speech and the development of AI technology.

Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal in June introduced the No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act, which would clarify that liability protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act do not apply to text and visual content created by artificial intelligence. Hawley may attempt to hold a vote on the bill in the coming weeks, his office told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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Commentary: The Biden Admin Doesn’t Care About Creating Jobs – They Even Say So

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Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the quiet part out loud last week. As the executive of our public lands agency, she does not believe that Americans need jobs because there are already so many jobs available. It’s better to lock up land, and lock down mining because who wants those jobs, when there are so many others?

Before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Haaland told Sen. Josh Hawley, “Senator, I know that there’s like 1.9 jobs for every American in the country right now. So, I know there’s a lot of jobs,” which was her explanation for canceling cobalt mining permits for Twin Metals Minnesota, an underground mine proposed for the northeastern part of the state. America won’t need those jobs, she was saying.

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DHS Heavily Redacted Disinformation Board Emails Despite Claiming Agency Had Nothing to Hide

Just the News

When the existence of the Disinformation Governance Board burst into public view, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there was nothing sinister to hide and claimed the office was rooted in “best practices.”

A year later, Mayorkas’ department is refusing to let Americans see most of the legal justifications and talking points it created to defend the now-disbanded board from “blowback,” FOIA documents showed.

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Missouri Senate Candidate Vicky Hartzler Scores Another Endorsement as Frontrunner Loses Momentum

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Missouri Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler scored another major endorsement in her bid to succeed Sen. Roy Blunt as polls show that the race’s frontrunner could be a risky general election candidate.

The Susan B. Anthony List endorsed Hartzler Tuesday, calling her an “unwavering pro-life champion” who is “Planned Parenthood’s worst nightmare.” It comes just days after Republican Sen. Josh Hawley also endorsed her over the rest of the crowded GOP field.

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Commentary: The Left’s Anti-Intellectual Problem

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Last week in the Atlantic, David Graham took aim at smart conservative politicians who play dumb. He declares at the beginning of his piece, “This is the age of smart politicians pretending to be stupid.” As evidence, he mainly cites Gov. Ron DeSantis, senatorial candidates J.D. Vance and Eric Greitens, and Sen. Josh Hawley.

Graham argues that these men belie their impressive degrees from Ivy League universities by aligning themselves with the populist conservative movement in some capacity. DeSantis does not brag about COVID booster shots, Vance is critical of China and globalism, and Greitens and Hawley have doubts about the 2020 election. Surely, according to Graham, these must be poses to win over Trump supporters, not sincere positions stemming from valid objections. There’s just no way such educated people would actually believe what they’re pushing.

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Sen. Hawley Wants the U.S. to Abandon Its Pledge to Let Ukraine Join NATO

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Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri called on President Joe Biden to abandon NATO’s pledge to accept Ukraine as a member of the organization.

“It is not clear that Ukraine’s accession would serve U.S. interests,” Hawley wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Indeed, deteriorating conditions in the global security environment caution otherwise.”

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Commentary: Sen. Hawley Pushes Stepped-Up Human Trafficking Reforms

RealClearWire

In a press conference last week that lasted nearly two hours, President Biden expressed frustration with efforts by the opposition party to thwart the more ambitious aspects of his policy agenda.

“Think about this: What are Republicans for?” Biden said defiantly. “What are they for? Name me one thing they’re for.” For instance, the president then asked, “What do you think their position on human rights is?”

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Conservative Tech Groups Slam Ex-Intelligence Officials for Defending Monopolies, Urge Passage of Antitrust Bills

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Two conservative tech advocacy groups sent a letter to House lawmakers criticizing former national security officials for attempting to prevent the passage of antitrust bills targeting Big Tech.

The letter, sent by the Internet Accountability Project (IAP) and the American Principles Project (APP) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy along with lawmakers responsible for overseeing antitrust legislation, urged Congress to pass six bills targeting major tech companies advanced beyond the House Judiciary Committee in June. The letter also criticized twelve former intelligence officials who sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy arguing against the passage of antitrust bills in mid-September.

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Sen. Josh Hawley Proposes Bill Holding Tech Companies Liable for Harm to Children

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Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill Thursday removing liability protections from tech platforms that harm children.

The bill would amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to strip liability protections from social media services that are found to have caused “bodily injury or harm to mental health” to users under the age of 16. This allows for users who suffer harm at the hands of social media companies to sue for damages.

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Sen. Josh Hawley Accuses Google of ‘Targeting Pregnancy Resources,’ Pro-Life Orgs ‘for Disfavor’

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Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called on Google Wednesday to explain its recent censorship of pro-life ads.

In a letter addressed to Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, Hawley called on Google to explain why ads placed by the pro-life organizations Live Action and Choose Life Marketing had been “seemingly censored.”

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Senate Unanimously Votes Against Defunding the Police

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The Senate early Wednesday unanimously approved an amendment to its proposed budget that opposed defunding the police.

The amendment, offered by Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, came during the Senate’s overnight vote-a-rama, a marathon session during consideration of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget where members can offer unlimited amendments. While the votes are non-binding, they can sometimes be politically tricky for senators as their colleagues force on-the-record positions on contentious issues.

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Hawley Amendment Suggests Giving Planned Parenthood’s Federal Funds to Adoption

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Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introduced an amendment Thursday that would transfer federal funds given to Planned Parenthood to federal adoption and maternal health programs instead.

“Instead of abusing obscure Senate rules and procedures to give handouts to their favored constituents, why don’t Democrats work across the aisle to help mothers and children in need,” Hawley asked. “If Democrats are serious about unifying the country, then now is the time to drop divisive, partisan agendas and come together on an issue that all Americans can agree with.”

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Sen. Hawley Wants TikTok Deal with Oracle Rejected, Says Move Allows for China’s Control Over the App

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Sen. Josh Hawley called on the Trump administration Monday to reject the partnership proposal Oracle reached with TikTok.

The Missouri Republican argued in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that the partnership won’t prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from controlling the app. Hawley said the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is responsible for approving or rejecting the deal, should reject anything other than a complete break from China.

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Sen. Blackburn Files Resolution to Update Senate Rules to Dismiss Democrats’ Delayed Impeachment Charges

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a resolution Monday to update Senate rules to allow a motion to dismiss articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for lack of prosecution. The resolution, which calls for immediate action on an impeachment, is available here. Blackburn tweeted, “Impeachment shouldn’t be playing out like an episode of House of Cards. If Pelosi fails to send the articles promptly over to the Senate, we should hold a vote to dismiss them and get on with our work. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring @Hawleymo’s impeachment rule change resolution.” Impeachment shouldn’t be playing out like an episode of House of Cards. If Pelosi fails to send the articles promptly over to the Senate, we should hold a vote to dismiss them and get on with our work. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring @Hawleymo’s impeachment rule change resolution. https://t.co/RCI0yPNDlo — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 6, 2020 Blackburn, in a press release, called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s attempt to prevent an impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate “unprecedented.” “After three years of searching for a reason to impeach this president, Democrats in the House cannot seem to find the time to send…

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Commentary: Confronting the Administrative State Is the Key to Shutting Down the Democrats’ Alternative Universe

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By now, only a person living in Alternate Universe One could fail to understand that the past three years have precisely nothing to do with Russian collusion or Ukraine corruption and everything to do with who makes decisions about American policy: the duly elected president of the United States or the administrative state. That is the struggle right now. The crux is a struggle between advocates of our constitutional republic and those who prefer government by an administrative state composed of unelected elites.

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Snapchat Serves as a ‘Child Predator’s Dream,’ Sen. Blackburn Tells Snap CEO While Demanding Answers on How it Protects Minors

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Monday wrote a letter urging the CEO of Snap, Evan Spiegel, to take action to protect children from sexual predators and being exposed to explicit adult content while using Snapchat. “In 2019, our children are living an unprecedented amount of their young lives online,” Blackburn said in a press release. “Snap must be transparent with users about the steps they take to ensure their application is used responsibly and not taken advantage of by those who wish to do innocent children harm.” Blackburn gave Spiegel a deadline of July 29 to respond to a list of questions. A Snapchat spokesperson told Roll Call that it has a zero tolerance policy to these concerns. “We’ve designed Snapchat with no browsable public profiles, and by default you can’t receive a message or share location with someone you haven’t added as a friend on the app. We work hard to detect, prevent and stop any abuse on our platform, and continue to work proactively with governments, law enforcement and best in class safety organizations to ensure that Snapchat continues to be a positive and safe environment,” said the spokesperson on Monday. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)…

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U.S. Reps. Green, Cuellar Introduce Legislation to Stop Chinese Military’s Acquisition of Sensitive American Technology

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) on Thursday introduced the bipartisan China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2019 in the U.S. House. The bill would stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish China for its predatory trade practices. Green tweeted, “I am proud to work on this bipartisan, bicameral bill with @RepCuellar and @SenHawleyPress to stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish #China for its predatory trade practices.” I am proud to work on this bipartisan, bicameral bill with @RepCuellar and @SenHawleyPress to stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish #China for its predatory trade practices. https://t.co/iX7WxpkYIH — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 27, 2019 In recent years, China has aggressively advanced its military capabilities through IP theft and exploitation of loopholes, Green said in a press release. The Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community have anxiously warned of China’s dangerous investments in U.S. firms working on facial-recognition, 3-D printing, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles to build up their warfighting capabilities. They have pushed U.S. companies into “pay-to-play” to operate in their country, requiring that they help their surveillance state and military or not participate in their market at…

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Report: Trump’s DOJ Prepares an Antitrust Investigation into Google’s Business Practice

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by Chris White   The Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust probe against Google’s search engine and business model, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night, citing people familiar with the issue. It would be the first such investigation since the Federal Trade Commission conducted a probe of Google but closed it in 2013 without taking action. The FTC and DOJ have discussed which agency would oversee a probe of the internet giant — the commission agreed to give DOJ officials jurisdiction, TheWSJ noted. The Trump administration is focusing its attention on Google’s business model related to the company’s search. Google and the DOJ have not responded to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Investigating Google was in some ways a long time in the making. Conservatives and liberals have become increasingly critical of big tech. Facebook was scrutinized after Russia used its platform to intervene in American politics. Lawmakers are also unsure about the companies assurances that they are careful handling private data. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for instance, proposed a bill in May that would essentially block tech companies from tracking people’s locations without direct…

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