Tag: US House of Representatives

Commentary: The Real Threat to American Democracy

RealClearWire
US Capitol

Heading into Election Day, we hear constantly that the presidential candidates are mortal threats to American democracy. Anxieties about Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, rampage at the U.S. Capitol and his declaration that he would act as “dictator for a day” are countered by Elon Musk’s warning that if Harris wins, “this will be the last election,” or alarms that Harris’ designs on overhauling the Supreme Court will lead to an end to the rule the law.

The very idea that our republic’s future hangs on the outcome of a single presidential contest, however, reveals the deeper, unacknowledged, underlying danger: a Congress incapable of performing its constitutional duties as our country’s lawmaking body and the guarantor of our representative democracy.

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Indiana Republican Reverses Course, Will Seek Another Term in Congress

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Rep. Victoria Spartz

Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana announced she will seek reelection in 2024 on Monday after previously deciding to retire.

Spartz announced just months after being reelected that she would not run for a third term in the lower chamber to spend more time at home with her family. Following a wave of GOP retirements in late 2023 and early 2024, Spartz reversed her decision and intends on filing for reelection, according to a statement from the congresswoman.

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Arizona House Speaker Toma Announces Run for Congress, Endorsed by Debbie Lesko

Just the News

by Charlotte Hazard   Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma announced Thursday his bid for the state’s eighth Congressional district, and already has an endorsement from current Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz. “Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Congress in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District,” Toma wrote on the social media platform X. “Our country is in trouble and Washington DC is a mess. If we, as conservatives, don’t get our act together, we will doom the country to another four years of Joe Biden.” After prayer and thoughtful talks with my wife and daughters, I have decided to run for Congress in CD8. Please read my statement below. pic.twitter.com/ANGCx5QNKB — Ben Toma (@RepBenToma) November 2, 2023 Toma currently serves in the Arizona state legislature in District 22 and serves as the Speaker of the House. “Just as I have led the Republican caucus in the Arizona State House, I will work tirelessly to unify our party in Congress and advance a conservative agenda to change the direction of our country,” he wrote. Lesko announced last month that she would not be running for reelection in the eighth district and threw her support behind Toma following his announcement. “I’m proud to endorse @RepBenToma,” Lesko wrote on X. “Ben Toma…

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Commentary: Lowering the Bar on the ‘New McCarthyism’

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“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” That seems to be Kevin McCarthy’s favorite mantra. Friday night, on the 15th vote for speaker of the House, he finally got his moist little palm around Nancy Pelosi’s still-warm gavel. Welcome to the new Republican-ish speaker of the House!

The contest was brutal, occasionally absurd, and the occasion of hilarity and consternation among the punditocracy on both the Right and the Left. The Left clucked their tongues about the “chaos” on view on the other side of the aisle. Some among the GOP agreed and wondered why “their side” could not govern as effectively as the Democrats. Would Nancy Pelosi have put up with this level of dissension among the Democratic rank and file? Others said, no, no, the 20 freedom caucus members (and others) holding up the inevitable were just giving the world a reality show, live-action look at how “democracy” (if not quite Our Democracy™) works and should work.

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Commentary: Republicans Can Thank the Federal Government’s Bungled 2020 Census for Their Razor-Thin House Majority

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Republicans will soon take control of the House of Representatives, but with a margin so narrow it may prove difficult to achieve their legislative and oversight objectives. That margin might have been larger, were it not for egregious errors made by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census.

Come January, House membership will consist of 213 Democrats and 222 Republicans. A party must hold 218 of those seats to control the House. Thus, Republicans will have only a four-seat majority. That extremely narrow majority means that GOP leadership can lose any vote on any issue if only four Republicans defect and the Democrats stay united in opposition.

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Commentary: The House GOP Majority Will Be at Least 221 Seats When All of the Counting is Done

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There are just a few more results coming in from the 2022 Congressional midterms, and with just one more race to call — Republican John Duarte is narrowly leading Democrat Adam Gray by just 593 votes in California’s 13th Congressional District — House Republicans will take the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives in January with either a 222 to 213 seat majority (nine seats) or a 221 to 214 seat majority (seven seats).

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Republicans Enter Final Stretch Acutely Aware They Must Deliver Big After Election Day

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Buoyed by rising popularity in the polls, Republican candidates for Congress are acutely aware their easiest job right now may be winning the midterm elections and that the harder work will be delivering afterwards — with Democrat Joe Biden still in the White House — on voters’ high expectations for fixing inflation, crime, insecure borders, the fentanyl crisis and crippling budget deficits.

From longtime lawmakers to first-time candidates, Republicans sounded consistent themes during a frank conversation with Just the News about what voters expect if they put the GOP in control of one or both chambers of Congress.

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Al Franken Endorses Liz Cheney, Quips It Will ‘Carry a Lot of Weight’ with Wyoming GOP

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Former Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken endorsed Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney for reelection ahead of the primary this week.

“I’ve decided to endorse @RepLizCheney for the Republican nomination for the House seat In Wyoming it’s my first time endorsing in a GOP primary. But I think Al Franken’s support will carry a lot of weight with WY Republicans,” the former senator wrote Saturday in a tweet that garnered more than 100,000 likes, 12,000 retweets and 14,000 comments.

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Andy Ogles Wins GOP Primary in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District

Tennessee Star Staff

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles easily won the Republican primary in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on Thursday.

The Associated Press called the race for Ogles at 10:30 pm central time. His two leading opponents, Beth Harwell, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, and retired Tennessee National Guard Brigadier General Kurt Winstead, conceded the race to Ogles shortly after 10 pm.

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Wyoming U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney Still Trails by Double Digits to Trump-Backed Challenger Harriet Hageman in Upcoming Republican Primary

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Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is trailing her Trump-endorsed GOP primary challenger by over 20 points, according to a poll released over the weekend.

Ahead of the Aug. 2 primary, challenger Harriet Hageman, a natural resources attorney, leads Cheney 52% to 30%, according to the Casper Star-Tribune poll.

No other Cheney challenger had more than 5% support and just 11% of voters were undecided.

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Commentary: This Is No Time for Bipartisanship

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“The Left, in revolutionary fashion, has waged a sustained and unapologetic attack on constitutional norms and long-held institutions—whenever it senses they no longer prove conducive to its own radical agendas.” So begins a trenchant commentary by Victor Davis Hanson on the repeated efforts of Democratic Party leadership to overthrow America’s constitutional republic. Hanson’s remarks stand in stark contrast to a famous interview given to Salon by Dana Perino in 2018, in which the former presidential press secretary was hailed as the “voice of reason.” Perino expressed disappointment that neither party “was talking civility” and considered her own party as much to blame for this incivility as the other one. 

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Congress Affirms Biden Electoral College Votes; Trump Agrees to ‘Orderly Transition’

The Center Square

A joint session of Congress, completing its work in the early morning hours of Thursday after lawmakers had been forced to flee their chambers by a violent invasion of the Capitol, affirmed that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.

The proceedings concluded shortly after 3:30 a.m. EST, drawing to a close an chaotic day in the nation’s house of laws that saw one person shot dead inside the building after some rioters breached its security during a massive rally to support President Trump.

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Commentary: The Most Important Week of the Century

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Three big things are happening this week that could decide America’s fate. First, a run-off election in Georgia on Tuesday for two U.S. Senate seats that will determine the balance of power in the Senate. Second, Congress meets for a joint session on Wednesday to formally count the votes of the electoral college. And third, Americans from across the country will rally in support of election integrity on Wednesday on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Here’s a quick look at all these moving parts and ways you can make a difference in the saving America from a Marxist-Socialist takeover.

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Congressional Leaders Receive at Least $1 Million in Pension Payouts Paid for by Taxpayers

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As the nation struggles with record high unemployment, extended job losses, continued statewide shutdowns, and crippling national debt, a new report reveals that congressional leaders will receive an estimated $1 million each in retirement payouts on top of their lifetime pensions, fully funded by taxpayers.

First published by Forbes, OpenTheBooks.com’s report, “Why Are Taxpayers Providing Public Pensions To Millionaire Members Of Congress?” compares the financial benefits that both top leaders in Congress receive.

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Kentucky Democrats Still Looking for the Winner in Last Week’s Primary

The Associated Press

One of Kentucky’s most unpredictable political races in years is headed toward the wire Tuesday, but it’s taking a full week after the June 23 primary to sort out a possible photo finish in the Democratic U.S. Senate contest.

Absentee ballots that stacked up amid the coronavirus pandemic have delayed the vote count in the neck-and-neck race between progressive candidate Charles Booker and establishment-backed Amy McGrath. Both are vying for the chance to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who coasted to victory in the GOP primary in his bid for a seventh term.

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Commentary: Seven Specific Policy Ideas for Republican Congressional Candidates

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Washington DC

This year, hundreds of Republican candidates for federal office will be on the ballot this fall, and many of them lack the resources to put together a strong policy team. While taxes, abortion, guns, school choice immigration, and defense are all very important issues, they have limited reach beyond the usual Republican voters. Here are seven policy ideas for House and Senate candidates who would like to expand their platform to try to appeal to more voters – without alienating key elements of the Republican base.

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The Tennessee Star Report Talks to ‘Point of View’s’ Chris Berg About the Tangled Web of Ilhan Omar’s Background

Julie Carr

  During a specific interview discussion Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy talked to good friend and host of Fargo, North Dakota’s Point of View about Ilhan Omar’s alleged illegal immigration into the United States and her questionable political affiliations associated with her background. Towards the end of the segment, the three men dissected whether or not there was enough speculation to pursue a DOJ or US Attorney General investigation into Omar’s past. They also noted that this issue could potentially be investigated at the federal level. Leahy: Our good friend Chris Berg who is the host of Point of View at the top television affiliate in Fargo, North Dakota caught that clip and sent it to us. And Chris, welcome to the Tennessee Star Report. Our story on that has over six thousand Facebook shares. Berg: (Chuckles) Thanks for having me Mike. Great to have you and happy Monday. Leahy: So tell us about Ilhan Omar. Ilhan was from Somalia. Came to the United States when she was twelve. Lived in Virginia for a couple of years.…

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Commentary: Congress Shirks Its Powers and Then Cries ‘Thief!’

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by Rachael Bovard   A bipartisan howling is coming from Congress about President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to build the border wall. And while hypocrisy in Washington is always in the water, on the question of immigration, there is enough of it to make your hair curl. Both Republicans and Democrats alike have rushed to condemn Trump for taking unilateral action. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) called Trump’s actions an “abuse of his constitutional oath and an affront to the separation of powers.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called it “a gross abuse of the power of the presidency.” Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he did not “believe declaring a national emergency is the right approach.” Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) called the move “unnecessary and unwise.” Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said the declaration was “not the preferred way to go.” It’s natural for the legislature to raise its hackles when the president subsumes some of its authority for himself. But what all of these statements fail to acknowledge is that the president is invoking authority that Congress slowly has been shirking and giving to the executive for years. Although they…

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Incoming House Members Prep for Dos and Don’ts on The Hill

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  Don’t hire someone you can’t fire, like the son of a campaign donor or the child of the mayor. No matter what you may have said during the campaign about changing Congress, hire enough Hill veterans to make the office run smoothly. And make sure the person answering the phone sounds like folks from back home. That’s only some of the advice headed for the historic class of House freshmen of both major political parties streaming into Washington this week for orientation on the nuts and bolts underpinning a job like none other. Under tight security, new members and their staffs pulled up in front of a hotel near the Capitol on Tuesday. A bank of cameras and a table marked ‘luggage drop-off” awaited their arrivals in the morning chill. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on,” said Rep.-elect Tim Burchett, Republican-Tennessee, a former member of the state legislature. “I figure that we’re the small fish in a very big pond right now.” They are a younger generation of lawmakers — including a record number of women — arriving flush with victory and optimism. The Democrats are ready to take on President Donald Trump in the biggest…

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Tennessee Right to Life Endorses Dr. Mark Green for Congress

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Mark Green

Tennessee Right to Life announced Tuesday it has endorsed Dr. Mark Green to represent the people of Tennessee’s 7th district in the US House of Representatives. “Mark Green understands the crucial importance of protecting human life and has devoted his public and professional life to the care of the weak and vulnerable. Tennessee Right to Life looks forward to continuing to work alongside Mark Green to affirm the dignity of every life,” the pro-life group’s  President Brian Harris said in a statement. The campaign said that with over 13,000 community health clinics that provide women’s services, Green believes “it’s past time to stop subsidizing Planned Parenthood—the nation’s largest abortion provider—with taxpayers’ money;” adding that – as one of only seven countries that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks – Green will lead the fight to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. “As a physician, I know firsthand that life begins at conception, and it’s our moral responsibility as humans to protect the most vulnerable among us. If elected to Congress, I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless as I have been in the State Senate. I’m honored to receive Tennessee Right to Life’s endorsement,” Dr. Green said.…

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GOP Lawmakers in House Pass $15 Billion Spending Rescission Package

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US Capitol

by Rachel del Guidice   The House of Representatives voted 210-206 Thursday night to claw back $15 billion in appropriated spending, making good on the lead of President Donald Trump, who submitted the rescission request last month. “The administration applauds today’s passage of H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives and urges the Senate to quickly act on the legislation,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement released after the House vote Thursday night. The measure cancels expired funding from the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, among other federal programs and will have a “$1 billion or so impact on the government’s budget deficit,” the Associated Press reported. It also includes over $4 billion in cuts to a loan program for boosting fuel-efficient, advanced-technology vehicles. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> Lawmakers who voted for the package said it was a significant step toward fiscal responsibility. I voted tonight on a $15B rescissions package, a bill that “de-obligates” unused funds from of a variety of programs. This is a fiscally responsible step forward in how we govern, and…

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Arizona’s Rep. Paul Gosar Introduces Appropriations Amendment to Hold Out-of-Control Federal Employee Responsible

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Paul Gosar

by Printus LeBlanc   The Holman Rule allows the House of Representatives to offer amendments to appropriations legislation that reduces the salary of a specific federal employee. The rule was created in 1876 but rescinded in 1983. The 115th Congress reinstated the rule hoping to trim the federal bureaucracy of bad actors. It looks like the perfect candidate for the Holman Rule has arrived. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has introduced Amendment #40 to H.R. 5895, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019. The amendment is asking to reduce the salary of the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Mark Gabriel, to $1. Since it is almost impossible to fire a government bureaucrat Congress is left with one option, the Holman Rule, and Mr. Gabriel has done more than enough to earn his $1 salary. ABC15 Phoenix, Arizona conducted an investigation and found millions in fraudulent spending, with David Biscobing reporting, “Credit card statements and receipts obtained by ABC15 highlight the high-dollar and extremely questionable purchases: An employee bought $2,933 of ammunition even though WAPA employees don’t have government-issued guns… There were thousands of dollars spent on specialized weapons gear, including multiple $1,200 rifle scopes… Dozens of handwritten receipts – some for thousands…

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Republican Candidate for Congress Bob Corlew Pans ‘Half-Baked’ Nashville Transit Plan

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On the last day of Early Voting ahead of the all-important May 1st Election Day, congressional hopeful Bob Corlew issued a statement panning the controversial $9 billion transit plan, comparing it to the disastrous government take-over of healthcare, Obamacare. “As a resident of Wilson County, I am well-aware of the traffic and congestion problems facing those in and around Nashville,” the former judge said. “The proposal in front of Davidson County voters does little to ease traffic and congestion, and is nothing more than a blank check for a half-baked plan that reminds me of Nancy Pelosi’s ‘we have to pass the bill to know what is in it.’” Corlew added: What we do know is that the proposal costs too much, ignores the needs of our region, and proposes use of an expensive and antiquated system to meet modern needs to ease traffic and congestion. The tax increases to pay for the proposal will burden workers and those on fixed incomes, and will stunt our region’s continued explosive growth. The residents of Davidson County and the residents of middle Tennessee should demand more from their leaders. There is no doubt that we should be investing to ease movement on…

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Congressional Candidate Dr. Mark Green Forms ‘Rural Task Force’

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State Senator and congressional hopeful Dr. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) announced Wednesday he is forming a rural task force for his congressional campaign to identify issues and suggest solutions for the unique challenges of living in rural Tennessee. Former DCS Commissioner Dr. Page Walley will lead the effort, and joining him will be elected officials, business leaders, and community leaders in the rural counties across the 7th congressional district. “As Tennessee continues to grow, our rural communities are facing serious challenges. Having grown up on a dirt road in a small rural town, I have seen those challenges firsthand and look forward to working with this task force to find solutions,” Dr. Green said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to have been asked to chair this task force addressing the special needs that our rural counties and communities are facing in the 7th District,” Dr. Walley added. “When Mark spoke with me about my original interest in considering a run for Congress, I shared that we cannot pass by the needs and hopes of our rural families and farmers. I am proud that he not only has this same, deep conviction but intends to make sure we lift up the voices and values…

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