Santos should consider resigning, veteran GOP lawmaker says
Even as the House GOP leadership keeps silent, a veteran Republican lawmaker said Sunday that George Santos should consider resigning after the congressman-elect from New York admitted to lying about his heritage, education and professional career. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, a former House Ways and Means chairman who has served in Congress for 25 years, told โFox News Sundayโ that Santos would have โto take some huge stepsโ to regain trust and respect in his district. Santos is set to be sworn in Tuesday when the new Congress begins.
news.yahoo.comU.S. Rep. Kevin Brady leaves Washington after 26 years of placing policymaking over headline-making
Brady condemned the divisiveness that has taken hold of American politics, saying social media is the biggest driver of the problem while applauding former President Donald Trump for his influence on the Republican party.
Republicans Wesley Hunt, Morgan Luttrell elected as Houstonโs newest members of Congress โ Houston Public Media
Hunt won Texasโ newly designed 38th Congressional district, drawn largely with him in mind, while Luttrell will succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady in Texasโ 8th Congressional District.
houstonpublicmedia.orgLower prices offer Americans slight reprieve from inflation
WASHINGTON (AP) โ Falling prices for gas, airline tickets and clothes gave Americans a little bit of relief last month, though overall inflation is still running at close to its highest level in four [San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comRussia sanctions vote delayed after White House intervention
The House delayed a vote on legislation to sanction Russia after the White House intervened to block a key provision of the bill โ roiling lawmakers from both parties, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Congress has consistently struggled to come together in its efforts to place economic pressure on Russia to try to force an end to its invasion of Ukraine.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeSenators in both parties failed to strike a
news.yahoo.comLessons from the freeze and power failure one year later (Feb. 15, 2022) โ Houston Public Media
We reflect on the anniversary of last yearโs freeze and massive and sustained power outages and discuss what -- if anything -- has been done to better prepare the Texas energy grid for such events.
houstonpublicmedia.orgNational GOP proxy war breaks out in crowded primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady
Morgan Luttrell is backed by former Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Houston and the top super PAC aligned with House GOP leadership. Christian Collins has the support of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the campaign arm of the House Freedom Caucus and some of the most ardent pro-Trump Republicans in the House, like U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Leak of billionaires' tax data draws GOP outcry over privacy
Republicans in Congress are alarmed by the leak of confidential IRS data to ProPublica that has enabled the investigative news organization to reveal that famous billionaires including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg paid little in U.S. income tax at times.
Fox News Anchor Wonders โWhoโs Rightโ on the โBig LieโโCheney or Trump?
Fox NewsWhat is the โBig Lieโ? Is it a former president and his allies claiming widespread voter fraud and a โstolenโ election? Or is it a Republican congresswoman calling those lies the โBig Lieโ? Whoโs to say, suggests one Fox News anchor, whose ostensible job it is to report the news.During Thursdayโs broadcast of America Reportsโone of Fox Newsโ โstraight newsโ programsโanchor John Roberts ended an interview with Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) by deploying a high-grade bothsidesism to ask him about House Republicansโ push to oust Rep. Liz Cheney. The Wyoming lawmaker is at risk of being forced from her leadership position because she insists on calling out former president Donald Trumpโs lies about the 2020 presidential election.Noting that Cheney survived an attempt to vote her out earlier this year, Roberts pointed out that Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)โa staunch Trump ally who supported his push to overturn last yearโs electionโhas the inside track to supplant Cheney.Brady, for his part, attempted to thread the needle and offer up some praise for Cheney, claiming she is a โfierce conservativeโ who has gained a โgreat deal of respectโ over her โvote of conscienceโ on impeachment. (Cheney was one of only 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.)The Fox anchor then decided to frame Trumpโs outright lies about widespread voter fraud as merely a โsharp disagreementโ with Cheney, suggesting this GOP feud is an unsettled issue that is still up for debate.โTrump says the โBig Lieโ was the result of the 2020 election. Liz Cheney says, no, the โBig Lieโ was suggesting the 2020 election was stolen. Between the two of them, who is right?โ Roberts asked the Texas congressman, who is retiring after this term.โIโll leave that dispute to them,โ Brady said, prompting a chuckle from Roberts.This was not the first time the Fox anchor has framed Trumpโs baseless election claims as nothing more than a difference of opinion between the ex-president and the Liz Cheneys of his own party.Earlier this week, during an interview with Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Roberts brought up Trumpโs claim that the โfraudulentโ election will now be known as the โBig Lieโ before contrasting it with Cheneyโs response that the โ2020 election was not stolenโ and the โBig Lieโ was the act of deploying those falsehoods.โWho of the two of them is right?โ Roberts wondered aloud.After Barrasso didnโt directly answer the questionโinstead stating that Biden is in the White House and the election was verifiedโRoberts again asked: โWas the 2020 election stolen or was it fought fairly?โ Fox News viewers may never know.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
news.yahoo.comFraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs
Fraud perpetrators, sometimes in China, Nigeria or Russia, buy stolen personal identifying information on the dark web and use it to flood state unemployment systems with bogus claims. In Ohio, weekly first-time unemployment claims have ranged from 17,000 to more than 40,000 during the pandemic. In July, officials said theyโd discovered a massive criminal enterprise that had stolen more than $500 million in unemployment benefits. Nearly 800,000 of the 1.4 million claims Ohio has received through this program have been tagged for potential fraud. President Joe Biden's administration is pledging to cut down on unemployment fraud even as it tries to extend benefits through September.
Democrats pushing Biden's COVID-19 bill through House panels
Republicans are attacking the Democrats $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package as too costly, economically damaging and overtly partisan. Weโre very proud of that,โ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters when asked if the overall House bill would include the minimum wage increase. Democratic leaders hope for House passage later this month, with Senate approval and a bill on Bidenโs desk by mid-March. Republicansโ amendments spotlighted what they see as political soft spots they can exploit. And while the GOP amendments were beaten back, they forced Democrats to take positions that could tee up GOP campaign ads for the 2022 elections.
Dems attempt to push through school funding, wage increase
The plan faces opposition from Republicans who want to tie new school funding to reopening. Biden's plan for $130 billion in school funding is in addition to more than $8 billion from previous relief packages. Stop ruining their futures and stop playing games.โScott countered that schools can't make changes needed to reopen safely unless they get the funding in Biden's plan. AdRepublicans also signaled a fight over standardized testing, backing a proposed change to prevent relief funding from being used on academic assessments. The $350 billion portion of the bill before the committee also includes Biden's plan to raise the minimum wage from $7.25, where is has been since 2009.
Texas Republicans call Bidenโs energy policy job-killing but energy expertโs outlook is less bleak
HOUSTON โ Several congressional Republicans met in Houston on Tuesday to decry President Joe Bidenโs energy policies, which they said will have a negative impact on Texas. The Republican leaders are referring to Bidenโs executive order aimed at tackling climate change. โYouโre destroying the Texas economy,โ said U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-District 2). AdHowever, if you ask University of Houston Chief Energy Officer Ramanan Krishnamoorti about the executive order, his outlook isnโt as bleak. โThis executive order, in my opinion, in the short term, is going to have very little impact on the energy industry in Houston,โ said Krishnamoorti.
Houston Twitter reacts to Biden, Harris inauguration
I'm knocking on wood as I type, but Wednesday's historic presidential inauguration ceremonies appear to have gone off without a hitch. Joe Biden is the president, and Kamala Harris โ the first Black woman of Asian descent to hold the office โ is vice president. On Twitter, Houston tweeters were letting their 280 characters fly. She's just not a physician, so now we get gibes like this:The First Lady is a doctor of education, specifically educational leadership. Send them my way on Twitter: @JayRJordan.
chron.comOpponents to $2,000 stimulus checks say they are not targeted. How that could be fixed
John Sommers II/Getty ImagesAs President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20, one of his first priorities is getting $2,000 stimulus checks approved. His message: "If the next round of stimulus checks goes out, they should be targeted to those who need it." The stimulus checks have largely been determined by past tax returns. Jeff Fusco | Getty ImagesThe first $1,200 stimulus checks took months to go out. Notably, it would not cost the government more money, Klein said.
cnbc.comTexas congressman Kevin Brady says heโs tested positive for COVID-19
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Twitter on Tuesday evening. Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, a high-ranking member of Texasโ congressional delegation, tested positive for the coronavirus. The first statewide elected official to publicly confirm a positive coronavirus test was Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann in May. Other state lawmakers, including Rep. Tony Tinderholt, Sen. Kel Seliger and outgoing House Speaker Dennis Bonnen have tested positive. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also tested positive in early December.
Congressman Kevin Brady tests positive for COVID-19 weeks after receiving first dose of Pfizer vaccine
HOUSTON โ Congressman Kevin Brady announced that he has tested positive for the coronavirus nearly two weeks after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. He said he received the recommended first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 18 and also tested negative for COVID-19 on New Yearโs Day. I just received my #COVID19 vaccine. The leadership of @realDonaldTrump and #OperationWarpSpeed made it possible to have this safe and effective vaccine in record time. pic.twitter.com/OaZ5SCP1dP โ Rep. Kevin Brady (@RepKevinBrady) December 18, 2020Brady said he begins treatment Wednesday and โshould be fine.โ
McConnell blocks vote on $2,000 checks, says Senate will โbegin a processโ to address issue
โThereโs one question left today: Do Senate Republicans join with the rest of America in supporting $2,000 checks?โ Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he made a motion to vote. The showdown over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year. Saying little, McConnell signaled an alternative approach to Trump's checks that may not divide his party so badly, but may result in no action at all. For now, the $600 checks are set to be delivered, along with other aid, among the largest rescue packages of its kind. Biden supports the $2,000 checks and said Tuesday the aid package is merely a โdown paymentโ on what he plans to deliver once in office.
House approves Trumpโs $2K checks, sending to GOP-led Senate
WASHINGTON โ The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trumpโs demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is highly uncertain. While Democrats favored bigger checks, Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law. The vote was a stunning turn of events from just days ago, when House Republicans blocked Trump's demands during a Christmas Eve session. The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins. Most House Republicans simply shrugged off Trump's push, 130 of them voting to reject the higher checks that would pile $467 billion in additional costs.
Trump ally McCarthy is reelected leader of House Republicans
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks about House Republicans and the election, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. House Republicans are โthe most united and energizedโ he's ever seen after their โhistoric political upset." McCarthy and his team are now among the remaining leaders from the tea party era, when House Republicans last controlled Congress. In the Trump era, House Republicansโ role receded as the White House often dominated the discussion and Republicans held the majority in the Senate. The House Republicans had to seek a waiver from the District of Columbia, which has restrictions on large gatherings.
Trump ally McCarthy is reelected leader of House Republicans
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks about House Republicans and the election, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. House Republicans are โthe most united and energizedโ he's ever seen after their โhistoric political upset." McCarthy and his team are now among the remaining leaders from the tea party era, when House Republicans last controlled Congress. In the Trump era, House Republicansโ role receded as the White House often dominated the discussion and Republicans held the majority in the Senate. The House Republicans had to seek a waiver from the District of Columbia, which has restrictions on large gatherings.
Biden, Trump supporters react to election results across the Houston area
HOUSTON โ There were rallies for both political sides throughout the Houston area on Saturday. While others werenโt quite ready to accept the election results with Joe Biden projected as President-elect. Iโm so excited about both President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,โ said supporter Gerald Womack. In Conroe, thousands came together to show their support for President Donald Trump and echoed his claims of fraud. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said she looked forward to working with Biden and hoped the president would agree to a peaceful transition of power.
New retirement bill has perks for seniors, student loan borrowers
A new bipartisan retirement bill has perks for seniors and savers shouldering student debt. The legislation, proposed by House lawmakers on Tuesday, would raise the age at which seniors must start drawing money from their 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts to 75. Under current law, savers must take these annual required minimum distributions beginning at age 72. The bill, dubbed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020, would also let businesses pay a 401(k) match to workers paying off student loans, even if those borrowers aren't saving in the company retirement plan. The Strong Retirement Act of 2020 comes on the heels of another bill, the Secure Act, that President Donald Trump signed into law late last year.
cnbc.comAudit likely gave congressional staff glimpse of Trump taxes
When JCT staffers disagree with the IRS on a decision, the review is typically kept open until the matter is resolved. Even acknowledging that Trump's taxes were before the panel is verboten. Representatives for the Trump Organization did not respond to messages for comment and confirmation that the Joint Tax Committee had reviewed Trump's taxes. Former JCT staffers would not comment on whether they remembered the dispute with Trump, citing confidentiality rules. Neal, the lead force behind a Democratic lawsuit to expose Trumpโs taxes, said the Timesโ reporting is proof that the documents should be given to Congress.
Congress shifts attention to overhauling small-business aid
Lawmakers are wrestling over whether to go big as Pelosi wants for the next relief bill or hit pause as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insists. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON Deadlocked over the next big coronavirus relief bill, Congress is shifting its attention to a more modest overhaul of small-business aid in hopes of helping employers reopen shops and survive the pandemic. Yet absent from the agenda is formal talks between congressional leaders on the next phase of the federal coronavirus response. Democrats have already pushed a $3 trillion-plus measure through the House, but negotiations with the GOP-controlled Senate and White House have yet to begin. Its something were looking at very carefully, said White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.
Waiting for your stimulus check? Here are a few things that might help you get it faster
But there are qualified people still waiting for their stimulus money. According to Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Bill Spencer, here are four things you can do that might help you get your stimulus money faster:Sign up for the stimulus programIf you havenโt already, go to the IRS payment portal and see if you qualify for a payment. Make sure you use direct depositIf you have a bank account, make sure you choose direct deposit for your payment. Youโre more likely to get your money faster than having a check sent in the mail. 2nd District - Rep. Dan Crenshaw7th District - Rep. Lizzie Fletcher8th District - Rep. Kevin Brady9th District - Rep. Al Green10th District - Rep. Mike McCaul14th District - Rep. Randy Weber18th District - Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee22nd District - Rep. Pete Olson29th District - Rep. Sylvia Garcia36th District - Rep. Brian Babin
GOP weighs jobless aid cuts as layoffs surpass 38 million
President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell huddled at the White House to discuss the issues. The flurry of activity comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed a new $3 trillion aid package through the House last week. The Senate, under McConnell, says there is no urgency to act, and senators are expected to reconsider more aid only in June. With the nation's death toll poised to hit 100,000 and layoffs surpassing 38 million, some lawmakers see a failure by Washington to act as untenable. He said conversations were happening at the highest levels at the White House.
GOP's Kevin Brady: Punishing businesses with higher taxes would hurt 'blue-collar' workers
Rep. Kevin Brady told CNBC on Friday that higher taxes and more regulations should not be put in place in response to the coronavirus economic crisis. Brady was chairman of the committee three years ago when Republicans controlled the House and Senate. They're going to be even more important going forward," Brady said Friday. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman told CNBC on Thursday that he believes the coronavirus crisis will likely change capitalism and lead to higher taxes. Brady told CNBC on Friday that he believes the post-crisis discussion must have "everything on the table."
cnbc.comThe historic $2 trillion CARES Act will be an economic lifeline for gig workers and freelancers
Jonathan Ernst | ReutersThe $2 trillion federal stimulus package signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday, March 27, will be a lifeline to many gig workers and freelancers. Known as the CARES Act, the law takes unprecedented steps in including the self-employed in the social safety net. It offers freelancers unemployment insurance, for which they generally don't qualify, on a large scale for the first time. But Espinal and other advocates for freelancers and the self-employed say it is imperative that economic aid arrive quickly for freelancers. MBO Partners, a firm in Herndon, Virginia, that provides back office services to independent workers and studies the independent workforce, has been talking with senior leaders at the U.S. Treasury and major U.S. banks to make sure that independent workers can access the resources available through the law, according to Gene Zaino, chairman of MBO Partners.
cnbc.comImpeachment in the rear view mirror: Partisan politics to continue?
U.S. Rep Garcia: Impeachment was the right thing to doIt is the height of the political season with political opposites entrenched in their own ideology. Many polls show that Americans were split in their opinions about the impeachment of President Trump. But Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, (D) 29th, says she has no regrets about her role as one of the impeachment managers bringing the case against President Trump during the Senate trial. This year the focus will be on โThe Empowerment of the Black Womanโ with special guests, actors Lynn Whitfield and Robin Givens. โ Theyโre going to speak on their behalf about the empowerment of African American women as it relates to entertainment.
Brady: Impeachment getting in the way of progress
KPRCHOUSTON - U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) represents the Eighth Congressional District in Southeast Texas and said his constituents are not focused on impeachment as a high priority. Brady said the impeachment inquiry takes away from potential progress and said the Democrats are wrong. "If you've got great evidence and you're running a fair process why do it in secret?" Brady talks about much more in this week's program and in this Newsmakers EXTRA video. More informationU.S. Rep Kevin Bradyhttps://kevinbrady.house.gov936-441-5700Twitter: @RepKevinBradyState Sen. Paul Bettencourthttp://bit.ly/34AULwu713-464-0282Twitter: @TeamBettencourtCopyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.
No more munchies; America's first cannabis cafe opens in California
A customer smokes at Lowell Farms, America's first official Cannabis Cafe offering farm-to-table dining and smoking of cannabis in West Hollywood, California, October 1, 2019. REUTERS/Mike BlakeAlmost two years after California began allowing sales of recreational cannabis, Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe opened its doors in trendy West Hollywood, offering farm-to-table cuisine alongside vaping, joints, bongs and prepackaged edibles. We are excited to be that flagship, that benchmark, to show people that a cannabis business isnt something that is scary, said general manager Kevin Brady. Californians have been enjoying cannabis-infused food in private homes and at dinner parties since the state began allowing sales of recreational cannabis in January 2018. But Lowell Cafe is the first to open of eight cafes or restaurants that were awarded licenses by West Hollywood for public consumption, and the first in the United States.
feeds.reuters.comUS Rep. Kevin Brady joins TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries to celebrate reopening of Magnolia clinic
Timika Simmons, CEO of TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries, addresses the crowd Aug. 9 during a soft reopening ceremony in Magnolia. Anna Lotz/Community Impact NewspaperTimika Simmons, CEO of TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries, addresses the crowd Aug. 9 during a soft reopening ceremony in Magnolia. Anna Lotz/Community Impact NewspaperU.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, joined TOMAGWA and the Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting and reopening ceremony of TOMAGWA's Magnolia clinic Aug. 9. Anna Lotz/Community Impact NewspaperU.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, joined TOMAGWA and the Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting and reopening ceremony of TOMAGWA's Magnolia clinic Aug. 9. We come to work every day, and we see people. RELATED Free immunizations offered Aug. 13-22 in Magnolia at TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries is offering free immunizations for children from Aug. 13-22 at its Magnolia clinic, according to an Aug.... >TOMAGWA Healthcare Ministries281-367-0747www.tomagwa.org
communityimpact.comThis Social Security rule cuts public workers' benefits. Politicians want to change that
Legislators on Capitol Hill are looking to change a Social Security rule that some say leaves public workers, including teachers, firefighters and police officers, in the lurch when it comes to their retirement income. Its mission: to replace the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision with a new formula that would protect individuals who have worked in jobs not covered by Social Security. "We start Social Security reform by making sure our teachers, firefighters and police receive the Social Security they have earned, just like every other American worker," he added. The rule means certain workers who are eligible for Social Security retirement or disability benefits, but who have also worked for employers who don't withhold Social Security taxes, receive reduced benefits. For example, it does not apply to workers who have 30 or more years of substantial earnings under Social Security.
cnbc.comThe IRS revamps its 'postcard-sized' tax return, drafts a new one for 2019
That postcard-sized tax return is about to get a little longer. The Internal Revenue Service has posted a draft of a new individual income tax return for 2019, updating the shortened form it had rolled out just last year. This is the second overhaul of the 1040 form since a revamp of the tax code went into effect at the beginning of 2018. Following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Treasury and IRS released the new "postcard" version, replacing forms 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ. Though the form itself wasn't quite postcard-sized, it was indeed shorter.
cnbc.comFeb. 24: Brady on sequester cuts
HOUSTON โ U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R- Texas), who represents the state's 8th Congressional District, joins Khambrel on this week's Houston Newsmakers and says he thinks the sequester is a good thing for the country. Brady is the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee in the House that advises President Barack Obama on economic policies to boost jobs. Khambrel also asks why, according to recent polls, Brady and his congressional colleagues are so disliked and what it will take to improve his approval rating. Also this week, the rapidly-changing East End of Houston and the role that community is playing in elevating our city's status in the United States and the world. Watch Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall Sunday at 10 a.m., right after Meet the Press with David Gregory.