Jan. 6 committee delays hearing schedule until July
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is pressing pause on its hearings for next week and picking them up again in July. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the committee, told reporters Wednesday that the committee would hold off on the two final hearings it had planned for…
news.yahoo.comDay 2 of the Jan. 6 hearings: Does Trump believe his own lies even in the face of evidence against him? – Houston Public Media
On this second day of the January 6 public hearings, we not only talk with a political science expert about President Trump's and his allies push to spread false claims of election fraud, we also address the psychological aspect of plausible deniability with the director of the UTMB-Galveston Crime and Prevention Center.
houstonpublicmedia.orgTrump shed campaign team for others willing to promote election fraud claims, aides testify
Trump 'became frustrated, and he replaced his campaign’s legal team,' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), who helped lead the presentation at Monday's hearing alongside Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
latimes.comJan. 6 Hearing Bombshell: Trump Knew He Lost
REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstAn apparently drunk Rudy Giuliani was key to convincing former President Donald Trump to throw the nation into chaos and simply declare victory on election night in 2020, drowning out the voices of some of Trump’s closest advisers who preferred that he await final results.That was just one of the bombshells from the Jan. 6 Committee’s second hearing on Monday, as members of the panel sought to answer a famous question from another case of presidential impropriety: What did
news.yahoo.comTwo Trump impeachment trials later, Rep. Zoe Lofgren will lead hearing on his Jan. 6 actions
Lofgren and the other members of the panel will continue to detail the execution of what has become known as "the Big Lie," arguing that Trump knew his claims of fraud in the 2020 election were false and propagated them anyway.
latimes.comJan. 6 committee sets prime-time hearing date for findings
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol will go public with its findings in a prime-time hearing next week, launching into what lawmakers hope will be one the most consequential oversight efforts in American history.
Democrats ramp up investigation into impact of disinformation on elections
The leaders of the House Oversight and Reform and House Administration committees sent letters on Wednesday to election officials in Florida, Arizona, Texas and Ohio — all Republican-led states — requesting the information while noting their concerns about new laws in the states affecting election administration.
washingtonpost.comEXPLAINER: How fake electors tried to throw result to Trump
State attorneys general and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol are digging deeper into the role that fake slates of electors played in the desperate effort by then-President Donald Trump to cling to power after his 2020 defeat.
A look at 8 lawmakers appointed to probe Jan. 6 attack
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is acting swiftly to launch a new investigation of the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, choosing a diverse slate of eight lawmakers — one from the opposing party — to serve on a select committee with subpoena power. Republicans have the chance to recommend five additional members, but it's unclear whether they will do so. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who could be called to testify about a conversation with former President Donald Trump as the attack unfolded, has not committed to any appointments.
news.yahoo.comHouse votes to remove Roger Taney bust, Confederate statues
The House voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would remove from the Capitol a bust of Roger Taney, the U.S. chief justice best known for an infamous pro-slavery decision, as well as statues of Jefferson Davis and others who served in the Confederacy. Democrats were unanimous in their support for the bill and were joined by 67 Republicans. Backers are hoping for a different outcome now that President Joe Biden is in the White House and Democrats control the Senate.
news.yahoo.comCapitol police chief defends response to 'criminal' rioters
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., stops to look at damage in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, after protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington, on Wednesday. ”Make no mistake: these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. D.C. police said Thursday that 68 people were arrested, while Capitol police said 14 were arrested, most for unlawful entry. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was “painfully obvious" that Capitol police “were not prepared” for what took place Wednesday.
Siege on Capitol renews talk of ousting Trump through 25th Amendment
The siege on the U.S Capitol by rioting supporters of President Trump has renewed talk of an extreme remedy: declaring that the president is unfit to do his job and removing him from office under the 25th Amendment. At that point, the vice president assumes the duties of the president. If the vice president and Cabinet members object, the matter then gets kicked over to Congress, which has 21 days to act. The Constitution makes it clear the vice president is next in line to the president. He worked out an informal arrangement with his vice president, Richard Nixon, in case he needed to temporarily cede power.
latimes.comLawmakers vow to investigate police after Capitol breach
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON – Lawmakers are vowing an investigation into how law enforcement handled Wednesday’s violent breach at the Capitol, questioning whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building. U.S. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. Three other people died after suffering “medical emergencies” related to the breach, said Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was “painfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared for today.
Trump administration turns to immigration as vote nears
And it added to charges from Trump critics that DHS and other agencies have become overtly politicized under this president. “Now, he’s trying to use the department to benefit himself electorally.”Few issues are as important to Trump's political base as immigration. But attention to the issue has ebbed in the 2020 race, as Trump has focused more on unrest in Democratic cities, leftist activists and other matters. Then Wolf followed up with the news conference to announce the enforcement operation — a fairly routine operation that resulted in a fairly low number of arrests. Trump has said Biden wants to abolish ICE and end deportations, but that's not correct.
Trump plans to slash refugee admissions to US to record low
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)SAN DIEGO – The Trump administration has proposed further slashing the number of refugees the United States accepts to a new record low in the coming year. It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to your state,” Trump told supporters. Trump froze refugee admissions in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, citing a need to protect American jobs as fallout from the coronavirus crashed the economy. Between 2017 and 2019, his wife, Ruta, was interviewed, vetted and approved to be admitted to the United States as a refugee. He hopes his wife will be among the refugees who make it to the United States in 2021.
Democrats propose sweeping bill to curb presidential abuses
WASHINGTON – House Democrats on Wednesday proposed a bill to curb presidential abuses, a pitch to voters weeks ahead of Election Day as they try to defeat President Donald Trump, capture the Senate from Republicans and keep their House majority. Each of the bill’s provisions is a response to actions by Trump or his administration that Democrats see as abuses of presidential power. It builds on an elections and ethics reform package the House passed soon after Democrats reclaimed the majority in 2019. Congress has yet to send to the president any legislation to try to curb foreign election interference after Russia meddled on several fronts in the 2016 presidential contest. “The degradation of our democracy over the past 3 1/2 years is not the work of the president alone,'' Schiff said.
Pelosi calls for removing Confederate statues from Capitol
WASHINGTON House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is demanding that statues of Confederate figures such as Jefferson Davis be removed from the U.S. Capitol. In a letter, Pelosi told a House-Senate committee with jurisdiction over the controversial topic that Confederate statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. Protesters decrying racism have targeted Confederate monuments in multiple cities, and some state officials are considering taking them down. Pelosi lacks the authority to order the removal of the 11 Capitol statues honoring Confederates but is urging the little-noticed Joint Committee on the Library to vote to remove them. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the library panel, called for an immediate vote to remove the statues.
Democrats scrap plans to vote this week on historic rule change to allow remote voting
Amid deep opposition from Republicans, House Democratic leaders on Wednesday scrapped plans to vote this week on a historic change to congressional rules that would have allowed lawmakers to vote remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. ), chairman of the House Rules Committee; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield); and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). Republicans are worried that the Democrats plan could open the door to allowing proxy or remote voting more often. If Maddow said you ought to give AOC your proxy vote, some people here would say, OK, Ill give AOC my proxy vote. Conversely, if [Fox host] Sean Hannity said go give [Rep.] Jim Jordan your proxy vote, youll be cheered for it by our crowd.
latimes.comFactbox: Here's the team arguing for Trump's removal in the Senate
Schiff spearheaded an investigation that featured testimony from U.S. officials about Trumps dealings with Ukraine, both in private and on national television. JERROLD NADLERThe House Judiciary Committee chairman, 72, has been a Trump antagonist since he opposed a Trump real estate development in Manhattan decades ago as a New York state assemblyman. Nadlers committee crafted the two articles of impeachment against Trump, which were approved by the House on Dec. 18. She began her Washington career as a House Judiciary Committee aide when it held impeachment hearings against Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, the first-term congresswoman knows the impeachment case.
feeds.reuters.comSenate approves impeachment trial rules, rejecting witnesses
The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump's impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose Trump's "trifecta" of offenses. But it ended near 2 a.m. Wednesday with Republicans easily approving the new trial rules largely on their terms. After one particularly bitter exchange, Roberts intervened, taking the rare step of admonishing both the Democratic House managers and the White House counsel to "remember where they are." Over and over, Republicans turned back Democratic amendments to subpoena documents from the White House, State Department, Defense Department and budget office. The turnaround was a swift lesson as White House wishes run into the reality of the Senate.
cnbc.comFactbox: Seven House Democrats to argue impeachment case against Trump in Senate
(Reuters) - Seven members of the House of Representatives will act as prosecutors in the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump, which begins in earnest on Tuesday. ADAM SCHIFF, lead managerThe House Intelligence Committee chairman, 59, has been a leading figure in the impeachment inquiry that preceded the House vote. JERROLD NADLERThe House Judiciary Committee chairman, 72, has been a Trump antagonist since he opposed a Trump real estate development in Manhattan decades ago as a New York state assemblyman. She began her Washington career as a House Judiciary Committee aide when it held impeachment hearings against Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, the first-term congresswoman knows the impeachment case.
feeds.reuters.comHere are the House impeachment managers and what they will do in Trump's Senate trial
Pelosi selected seven House Democrats to serve as impeachment managers, essentially acting as prosecutors during Trump's Senate trial. Seven managers were also appointed during the 1868 impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, for instance, while there were 13 Republican managers from the House Judiciary Committee Republicans in Bill Clinton's 1998 Senate trial. Here's what to know about the House managers in Trump's impeachment trial:Adam SchiffPelosi tapped the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to be the lead prosecutor in Trump's Senate trial. "I am humbled by the responsibility of serving as the lead House Manager in the Senate impeachment trial," the California congressman said in a statement. Jason CrowWhile some members were widely expected to be recruited to the team of House managers, Crow seems to have flown in under the radar.
cnbc.comWhat to know about the House impeachment managers
Although fewer managers will prosecute Mr. Trump, the group chosen by Pelosi is far more diverse. Here is what you need to know about the newly impeachment managers:Adam SchiffSchiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has perhaps been the most prominent member of Congress involved in the impeachment inquiry. Jerry NadlerJerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has served in the House since 1993, and he's among the House Democrats who was in Congress during Mr. Clinton's impeachment. Lofgren was a staffer on the House Judiciary Committee when the committee prepared articles for the impeachment of President Nixon. Elected to Congress in 1994, Lofgren was also a member of the Judiciary Committee during the impeachment of President Clinton.
cbsnews.com'Civics lesson' or 'sham trial?' Key moments in the U.S. House impeachment debate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bitterly divided U.S. House of Representatives engaged in an impeachment debate before historic votes on two charges accusing President Donald Trump of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. U.S. President Donald Trump exits the Oval Office as he departs for campaign travel to Michigan from the White House in Washington, U.S., December 18, 2019. PATRIOTS SHALL PREVAILRepublican Representative Clay Higgins warned that America is being severely injured by this betrayal, referring to the impeachment proceedings. HATREDRepublican Representative Chris Stewart, one of Trumps most emphatic defenders during the impeachment investigation, said Democrats despise Trump and his supporters. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats have afforded this president in this process, Loudermilk said.
feeds.reuters.comTwo Silicon Valley congresswomen propose a new federal agency to enforce online privacy rights
Two congresswomen from Silicon Valley introduced a new online privacy bill Tuesday that proposes creating a federal enforcement agency to protect privacy rights. Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren announced the Online Privacy Act as Congress has struggled to agree on specifics of privacy legislation which both sides largely agree is warranted. Eshoo and Lofgren's new bill proposes the creation of the Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) that would have the power to enforce privacy rights for users and make sure companies follow the law. It also requires opt-in consent for users' data to be used for machine learning or artificial intelligence algorithms. The pair thought, "if the representatives in Silicon Valley took a strong stand for privacy rights, then it would be meaningful for the rest of Congress.
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