National Politics Archives

President Joe Biden on Thursday acknowledged in his strongest terms to date that filibuster reform will be necessary to pass key items like voting rights legislation and debt limit increases

Biden says he’s open to altering filibuster on voting rights

October 21, 2021 10:31 PM CNN Newsource

By Kevin Liptak and Kate Sullivan, CNN President Joe Biden said Thursday he would be open to altering the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation, but said attempting to do so now would hamper his ability to pass his economic agenda. CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Biden at a CNN town hall: “When it comes to

GOP Rep. Jim Banks lamented on the House floor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prevented him from serving on the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol on Thursday.

Liz Cheney calls out Jim Banks for falsely signing letter as the ranking member of January 6 committee

October 22, 2021 6:27 AM CNN

By Annie Grayer and Zachary Cohen, CNN GOP Rep. Jim Banks lamented on the House floor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prevented him from serving on the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol on Thursday. And yet, Banks sent a letter to at least one government agency falsely claiming that

The prospects for reaching a tentative agreement on President Joe Biden's sweeping social safety net package by the end of the week are increasingly dire with Democrats still haggling over critical details of what to include and how to pay for the President's signature legislation.

Democrats struggle to overcome sticking points as they try to close social safety net deal

October 21, 2021 7:06 PM CNN Newsource

By Lauren Fox, Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz, CNN The prospects for reaching a tentative agreement on President Joe Biden’s sweeping social safety net package by the end of the week are increasingly dire with Democrats still haggling over critical details of what to include and how to pay for the President’s signature legislation. The

Texas and Missouri sue Biden administration over its efforts to stop border wall construction

October 21, 2021 7:01 PM CNN Newsource

By Geneva Sands, CNN Texas and Missouri filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Biden administration for its efforts to stop wall construction projects at the US southern border. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, argues that President Joe Biden didn’t have the authority to refuse to spend funds

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met privately with US officials who were affected by Havana syndrome during his visit Thursday to the US Embassy in Bogotá

Blinken met with diplomats impacted by Havana syndrome in Bogotá

October 21, 2021 6:47 PM CNN Newsource

By Kylie Atwood, CNN Secretary of State Antony Blinken met privately with US officials who were affected by Havana syndrome during his visit Thursday to the US Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, according to a senior State Department official. “He heard their experiences and reiterated that the issue and their care is an absolute priority for

House votes to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for defying subpoena

October 21, 2021 6:09 PM CNN Newsource

By Clare Foran, Zachary Cohen and Ryan Nobles, CNN The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, one of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies, in criminal contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. The vote was 229-202. Nine

Watchdog finds Pentagon appropriately sidelined Trump appointee to key National Security Agency job after alleged security incidents

October 21, 2021 6:10 PM CNN Newsource

By Katie Bo Lillis, CNN Michael Ellis, who was installed as the top lawyer at the National Security Agency during President Donald Trump’s final days in office, was appropriately sidelined the day after his arrival at the agency based on a pair of security incidents that took place in early 2021, the Defense Department inspector

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Texas man who threatened lawmakers and tech executives online on January 6 to 14 months in prison

Toughest sentence yet handed down in January 6-related case for man who threatened lawmakers and tech executives

October 21, 2021 5:59 PM CNN Newsource

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Texas man who threatened lawmakers and tech executives online on January 6 to 14 months in prison, the toughest sentence yet for a US Capitol riot-related defendant. Troy Anthony Smocks, who was in Washington on the day of the attack but

Toughest sentence yet handed down in January 6-related case for man who threatened lawmakers and tech executives

October 21, 2021 5:59 PM CNN

By Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Texas man who threatened lawmakers and tech executives online on January 6 to 14 months in prison, the toughest sentence yet for a US Capitol riot-related defendant. Troy Anthony Smocks, who was in Washington on the day of the attack but

McCarthy ally warns GOP consultants they can’t work with Cheney

October 21, 2021 5:56 PM CNN Newsource

By Melanie Zanona, CNN Jeff Miller, a lobbyist and close ally of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, has warned GOP consultants in recent weeks that they can’t work for both McCarthy and Rep. Liz Cheney, a source confirmed to CNN, claiming she is working to undermine the House GOP’s efforts to win back the majority.

Liz Cheney calls out Jim Banks for falsely signing letter as the ranking member of January 6 committee

October 22, 2021 6:27 AM CNN Newsource

By Annie Grayer and Zachary Cohen, CNN GOP Rep. Jim Banks lamented on the House floor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prevented him from serving on the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol on Thursday. And yet, Banks sent a letter to at least one government agency falsely claiming that

The US suffered a setback in the race with China and Russia to develop hypersonic weapons when its latest test failed

Latest US military hypersonic test fails

October 21, 2021 11:07 PM CNN Newsource

By Oren Liebermann, CNN The US suffered a setback in the race with China and Russia to develop hypersonic weapons when its latest test failed, the Pentagon said in a statement Thursday. A booster stack, which is the rocket used to accelerate the projectile to hypersonic speeds, failed and the test of the projectile, the

Close to 200 Americans are still seeking to leave Afghanistan, State Department tells congressional staff

October 22, 2021 10:32 AM CNN

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN The State Department informed congressional staff Thursday that it is in touch with 363 US citizens in Afghanistan, 176 of whom want to leave, two sources familiar with the call told CNN. The figures presented on that call underscore the ongoing challenge faced by the Biden administration as Americans continue to

Major parts of the Democrats' plan to tax the rich are in jeopardy of falling out of their sweeping proposal to expand the nation's social safety net as negotiations continue.

‘Tax the rich’ plans at risk as Democrats’ talks drag on

October 21, 2021 5:15 PM CNN Newsource

By Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, CNN Major parts of the Democrats’ plan to tax the rich are in jeopardy of falling out of their sweeping proposal to expand the nation’s social safety net as negotiations continue. President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats’ longstanding push to make wealthy Americans — and corporations — “pay their

President Joe Biden is set to participate in a CNN town hall from Baltimore Thursday evening

Biden details Democratic talks as party tries to secure his sweeping agenda

October 21, 2021 10:50 PM CNN Newsource

By Maegan Vazquez, CNN President Joe Biden on Thursday provided new insight into his ongoing negotiations with Democrats, laying out in the most specific terms to date what will and won’t be included in a compromise budget measure that contains the bulk of his sweeping domestic agenda. The measure looks to expand the social safety

Drama on the House floor developed when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Reps. Jamie Raskin and Liz Cheney as the House was voting on the criminal contempt resolution against Steve Bannon.

Marjorie Taylor Greene confronts Liz Cheney and Jamie Raskin as tensions rise during contempt vote

October 22, 2021 9:15 AM CNN Newsource

By Annie Grayer, Kristin Wilson and Melanie Zanona, CNN Drama on the House floor developed when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Reps. Jamie Raskin and Liz Cheney as the House was voting on the criminal contempt resolution against Steve Bannon. The conversation with Greene devolved to “Jewish space lasers” and the Georgia Republican accusing Raskin,

The hard-line House Freedom Caucus is gearing up to elect a new leader to replace its current chairman Rep. Andy Biggs

House Freedom Caucus prepares to select its next leader

October 21, 2021 4:19 PM CNN Newsource

By Melanie Zanona The hard-line House Freedom Caucus is gearing up to elect a new leader to replace its current chairman Rep. Andy Biggs, who is term-limited at the end of this year, multiple sources told CNN. The conservative group has begun to discuss potential picks for the top post and is planning to hold

Takeaways from Merrick Garland’s hearing with the House Judiciary Committee

October 22, 2021 7:11 AM CNN Newsource

By Tierney Sneed The House Judiciary Committee, known for its combativeness, had the opportunity Thursday to question Attorney General Merrick Garland for the first time since he took his perch atop the Justice Department. Republicans repeatedly battered Garland with sensational claims that the department was treating parents like “domestic terrorists” with a recent memo outlining

Cheney goes after her own party in House debate on Bannon contempt resolution

October 21, 2021 3:55 PM CNN Newsource

By Annie Grayer and Clare Foran, CNN Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, who serves as the vice chair of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, on Thursday went after members of her own party for downplaying the riot and not believing in the panel’s mission. “There are people in

Nine House Republicans broke ranks Thursday to join all Democrats in voting to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

These are the 9 House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress

October 21, 2021 6:05 PM CNN Newsource

By Paul LeBlanc, CNN Nine House Republicans broke ranks Thursday to join all Democrats in voting to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. While Democrats didn’t need any GOP votes in order to refer the criminal contempt