Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter. The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers
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Last week, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky used part of his allotted time during the Senate confirmation hearing for Dr. Rachel Levine, President Joe Biden’s pick for assistant secretary of health and human services, to draw a comparison between genital mutilation and gender confirmation surgery. Dr. Levine, who previously served as Pennsylvania’s health secretary,
Continue Reading Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Japan and South Korea later this month, marking the first international trip by Biden Cabinet officials since President Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to a State Department official and a diplomat from the region. The trip, which will take place from March
Continue Reading Sitting on an empty stage at the White House Wednesday evening, President Joe Biden stared into a camera and made an appeal to House Democrats who, after passing his massive Covid-19 relief package, are worried it is now being watered down. “I know you’re all making some small compromises and I want to thank you,
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Sen. Ron Johnson seems to be relishing his place at the center of the controversies dominating Washington. For two months, the Wisconsin Republican has taken on everyone who blamed former President Donald Trump for inciting the deadly riot at the Capitol: Democrats, the mainstream media, even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He’s raised questions about
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The Senate is bracing for a marathon effort and a late night of voting on amendments before lawmakers take a final vote on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill — it’s just not yet clear exactly when that will take place. The chamber voted Thursday afternoon to open debate on the legislation, but
Continue Reading Senate Democrats on Thursday released their version of the Covid-19 relief bill before a marathon effort of late nights debating and voting over the next few days. Read the bill:
Continue Reading President Joe Biden‘s nominee to become the top policy official at the Pentagon, Colin Kahl, apologized to Republican senators for using “sometimes disrespectful” language in tweets criticizing several Trump administration defense policy decisions after he was grilled in his confirmation hearing on Thursday. The tweets were brought up during the hearing before the Senate Armed
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The Senate is bracing for a marathon effort and a late night of voting on amendments before lawmakers take a final vote on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill — it’s just not yet clear exactly when that will take place. The chamber voted Thursday afternoon to open debate on the legislation, but
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US Capitol Police have requested a two-month extension of National Guard troop support at the US Capitol which is now under review at the Department of Defense, according to two defense officials. Nearly 5,000 National Guard troops were previously scheduled to remain in Washington through March 12 after their initial deployment was extended, in part,
Continue Reading Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on Thursday outlined the administration’s efforts to vaccinate the nation’s veterans and other work to care for veterans amid the pandemic. Veterans, McDonough said, “have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.” More than 230,000 veterans in the VA’s care have been infected by Covid-19, with 10,605 deaths, but as
Continue Reading The Supreme Court ruled against an undocumented immigrant on Thursday who has been living in the United States for more than 25 years but faces deportation because of a misdemeanor conviction in state court. In a 5-3 opinion, penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court held that Clemente Pereida, who was born and raised in
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The Democratic-led House on Wednesday approved HR 1, a sweeping government, ethics and election bill that, among other things, would counter state-level Republican efforts to restrict voting access. Democrats describe the package as anti-corruption legislation that would expand voting access and improve accountability and transparency in Washington. Republicans, however, argue that the legislation limits political
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The Senate is negotiating how much to adjust the Democrats’ massive coronavirus relief package that passed the House last week. While the final Senate bill has not been released yet, lawmakers are expected to make two major changes — narrowing eligibility for the stimulus checks and nixing an increase in the federal minimum wage to
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Federal law enforcement is on high alert Thursday in the wake of an intelligence bulletin issued earlier this week about a group of violent militia extremists having discussed plans to take control of the US Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or around March 4 — a date when some conspiracy theorists believe former President
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Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré has briefed senior members of Congress on his independent review of security at the US Capitol and submitted draft recommendations for sweeping changes to bolster protections for lawmakers after the January 6 insurrection, two sources with direct knowledge of his findings told CNN. The review recommends establishing a quick reaction force
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President Joe Biden has agreed to a compromise with moderate Democrats to narrow the income eligibility for the next round of $1,400 stimulus checks that are included in a bill the Senate is expected to take up this week, a Democratic source told CNN Wednesday. That means 7 million fewer families will receive a partial
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The last three days have been a frantic rush to the finish line as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer faces his first big test to keep his caucus — a diverse coalition that includes the likes of West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders — in line to support the Covid-19 relief bill. The
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The Senate is negotiating how much to adjust the Democrats’ massive coronavirus relief package that passed the House last week. While the final Senate bill has not been released yet, lawmakers are expected to make two major changes — narrowing eligibility for the stimulus checks and nixing an increase in the federal minimum wage to
Continue Reading Lt. Gen. Russel Honore has shared his independent review of security at the US Capitol with Congress and submitted recommendations for sweeping changes to bolster protections for lawmakers after the January 6 insurrection, two sources with direct knowledge of his findings told CNN. The recommendations include those first reported by CNN last week, such as
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