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Tag: lawmakers

  • GOP lawmakers seek investigation of ‘unauthorized’ disclosure of their Air Force records

    GOP lawmakers seek investigation of ‘unauthorized’ disclosure of their Air Force records

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    The DOJ declined to comment. Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said “virtually all” of the 11 unapproved releases were made to the same third party “who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes.”

    The revelation follows the uproar over the disclosure of Indiana House GOP candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green’s military records after POLITICO reported on them in October. And it promises to intensify Republicans’ already keen interest in investigating whether other sitting members of Congress were affected — as well as the role that a Democratic-linked research firm played in the episode.

    The Air Force launched its audit after the disclosure of Green’s records, according to Stefanek.

    The Feb. 7 letter Bacon received from the Air Force names Abraham Payton of the research firm Due Diligence LLC as the person who “inappropriately requested copies of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment and benefits,” adding that Payton was already in possession of Bacon’s Social Security number. Payton is a former research director for the Democratic political group American Bridge.

    Both Bacon and Nunn are calling for an investigation into whether political opposition research turned into illegal activity.

    “I understand the evidence has been turned over to the Department of Justice and I expect those who break the law to be prosecuted,” Bacon said in a statement to POLITICO. “This was more than just ‘dirty tricks’ by Democrat operatives, but likely violations of the law.”

    Nunn also suggested that the disclosure of his records amounted to criminal activity.

    “The recent targeting of Members of Congress’s personnel military records [and] the breach of sensitive data … taken by political hacks isn’t only a violation of public trust — it’s criminal,” he said in a statement.

    How it began

    Bacon said the Air Force began looking into the matter in response to what happened to Green, who lost a battleground-district race in November to Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.).

    The Air Force publicly acknowledged the unauthorized release of Green’s records to “a third party,” though it did not specify whether that person was the same individual who provided them to POLITICO during the campaign.

    POLITICO was told by the person who gave it Green’s military records that they were obtained through a public records request. POLITICO reviewed the request for the records made by a third party, which sought a “publicly releasable/redacted copy of OMPF [Official Military Personnel File] per Freedom of Information Act statutes.” The requester identified the purpose of the request as relating to “benefits,” “employment” and “other.”

    POLITICO also reviewed the letter sent in response to the requester. A military employee responded with a password-protected version of the file with limited redactions. After publication, the Air Force said it erred in releasing the records and launched an investigation.

    Stefanek, the Air Force spokesperson, said in an October statement that a “preliminary” inquiry found Green’s “service record was released to a third party by a junior individual who didn’t follow proper procedures and obtain required consent.”

    After POLITICO’s initial reporting on Green’s Air Force records, Green responded that the material was “illegally” obtained. Her records referenced a sexual assault she experienced during her time in service.

    Green blamed Mrvan and his allies for the release. Mrvan’s campaign has denied any involvement, and a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told Fox News at the time that “we would never use anyone’s experience with sexual assault against them.”

    Green spokesperson Kevin Hansberger said in a statement last week that the release of her “and other Republicans’ personal records is reprehensible and illegal.”

    “There must be full transparency of the investigation and its findings. Those responsible for these illegal acts should face criminal charges and be held accountable for their actions,” Hansberger added.

    Hansberger reiterated Green’s previous argument that political opponents were behind the release of her records, saying that the incident shows that Democrats “will go to any lengths necessary, even breaking the law, to protect their interests.”

    DCCC did not return a request for comment on whether it received and used materials provided by Due Diligence Group during the 2022 midterms. According to Federal Election Commission records, the House Democratic campaign arm paid Due Diligence just over $110,000 between January 2021 and December 2022.

    Due Diligence’s website states that it uses “public records research to provide our clients with the knowledge and insights needed to drive strategic decision making.”

    It’s unclear whether Payton and Due Diligence were the only third-party entities that sought the service records.

    Stefanek, the Air Force spokesperson, said in a response to written questions: “Virtually all unauthorized disclosures were in response to a third party who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes through a process commonly used by other federal agencies to conduct employee background checks.”

    Due Diligence did not respond to requests for comment. Payton, whom POLITICO attempted to reach at an email address connected to Due Diligence, did not respond to a request for comment.

    Tracking the extent of the releases

    The Republican chairs of the House Oversight and Armed Services Committees publicly revealed last week that the Air Force had improperly released the records of 11 people to “a private research firm which allegedly misrepresented itself in order to obtain access.” That GOP letter also identified Due Diligence as the firm that obtained Green’s records.

    Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in their letter last week for the full list of people affected by improper records disclosures.

    The House GOP duo also sought details on any actions — “administrative or punitive” — taken against those involved in the unauthorized release, and whether any criminal referrals have taken place regarding the matter.

    “This news comes on the heels of a prior admission by the Air Force to having inappropriately released the [military personnel files] of former Republican Congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green to the very same research firm, Due Diligence Group,” Rogers and Comer wrote. “That disclosure served to revictimize a servicemember by releasing details about her sexual assault.”

    The House GOP committee chairs mentioned only Due Diligence in their letter, not Payton. Additionally, Nunn provided no further information regarding the notification he received of the unauthorized release.

    Rogers and Comer asked the Pentagon chief to provide further information by Feb. 27, arguing that “it is essential that the men and women of the Armed Forces trust their leadership’s ability to protect private personnel data from improper disclosure.”

    POLITICO contacted more than a dozen House Republican lawmakers and 2022 candidates who served in the Air Force to ask whether the military has notified them of an authorized disclosure similar to those experienced by Green, Bacon and Nunn. None replied in the affirmative.

    The releases of records occurred between October 2021 and October 2022, according to Air Force spokesperson Stefanek.

    “Department of the Air Force employees did not follow proper procedures requiring the member’s authorizing signature consenting to the release of information. There was no evidence of political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee,” Stefanek wrote.

    She added that the “Air Force takes full responsibility for releasing the personally identifiable information of these individuals. Records-release procedures have been improved by elevating the approval level for release of information to third parties and conducting intensified retraining for personnel who handle record requests.”

    The letter Bacon received from the Air Force’s Texas-based personnel center states that its investigation revealed “no criminal action or malicious intent” on the part of the military employee who released his information.

    Bacon, however, is pushing for more information on whether the DCCC or the Democratic-linked House Majority super PAC played any role in the military’s releases of the information.

    House Majority PAC said it had no relationship with Due Diligence during the 2022 campaign cycle and did not use the firm’s work in any activity on the Green-Mrvan race.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Mass protests in Israel as lawmakers prepare 1st vote on judicial overhaul

    Mass protests in Israel as lawmakers prepare 1st vote on judicial overhaul

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    Jersalem: Israeli protesters gathered outside the Parliament building in Jerusalem as Israel’s far-right government is pressing ahead with a controversial overhaul of the judicial system and ready to hold the first vote on two bills.

    A spokesperson with the Jerusalem district’s police told Xinhua news agency that “tens of thousands” of people attended several massive rallies in the city on Monday.

    Inside Parliament, lawmakers were preparing to hold the first vote on two bills aimed at curbing the Supreme Court’s oversight over legislation and increasing politicians’ influence over the court.

    The vote is the first stage of three rounds of votes, after which the bills will become law, kick-starting the government’s planned overhaul.

    One bill aims to alter the composition of the nine-member committee that appoints judges in a way that would limit the influence of legal professionals and grant the government an outright majority.

    If approved, the law would enable the government to choose judges.

    The other bill calls to eliminate the Supreme Court’s authority to invalidate basic laws passed by the Knesset, or the Parliament, even if they are unconstitutional.

    The bills are the first two in a series of bills pushed forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-religious and ultranationalist coalition government, which according to critics will undermine the democratic foundations of Israel.

    Netanyahu and his coalition partners argue that the plan aims to address the excessive influence of courts and legal advisers in lawmaking and decision-making.

    Many protesters arrived in Jerusalem in convoys from across the country, blocking major routes on their way.

    The protest started at dawn, with dozens of off-duty reserve soldiers rallying outside the home of Simcha Rothman, one of the leading lawmakers of the reform, in the settlement of Pnei Kedem.

    Similar demonstrations were held outside the homes of other members of the coalition across the country.

    A major concern of the protesters is that the reform will concentrate power in Netanyahu’s hands.

    Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, is facing trial over corruption charges and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has warned his involvement in proposed reform puts him in a conflict of interest.

    Earlier in the day, Netanyahu accused the protesters of “trampling democracy” and “not accepting the results of the election” during his speech at the Knesset.

    He said his coalition is open to a dialogue with critics of the reform but will press ahead with the planned votes in the Knesset.

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    #Mass #protests #Israel #lawmakers #prepare #1st #vote #judicial #overhaul

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • F-16s, longer-range missiles could help Ukraine beat Russia, U.S. general privately tells lawmakers

    F-16s, longer-range missiles could help Ukraine beat Russia, U.S. general privately tells lawmakers

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    The general’s answer goes further than previous public comments by top national security officials, who have said they haven’t ruled out sending fighter jets in the future, but also note that air defenses are the most urgent current need.

    Cavoli told the lawmakers at the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. and its allies should send the most advanced weapons they can part with to Ukraine. That included advanced aircraft, drones and missiles with ranges over 62 miles (100 kilometers), such as the Army Tactical Missile System. Those weapons would do a better job positioning Kyiv to repel Moscow’s troops, Cavoli said.

    The general, who serves as both the supreme allied commander for Europe and as head of U.S. European Command, argued that Ukraine needs more advanced weapons and equipment to “enhance the deep fight,” per one of five people. A second person said Cavoli believes the West should equip Ukraine to “reach further” into Russian positions within Ukraine’s border.

    A spokesperson for the general didn’t respond to a request for comment.

    The remarks come as the transatlantic debate on whether to provide Kyiv with advanced aircraft has intensified.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long called for fighter jets, arguing that Ukrainian pilots are skilled enough to train on Western-made warplanes and control the skies despite Russia’s air defenses. But President Joe Biden and some European leaders have so far rebuffed that request, saying that the provision of tanks and artillery are more important for the current phase of the war.

    That stance has frustrated advocates of providing Ukraine with whatever the U.S. can afford to hand over. “The F-16s are an absolute must,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. He accused the White House of being “slow on everything,” adding, “what you saw with the tanks is going to happen with the jets.”

    On Thursday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Biden urging him to send F-16s right away, POLITICO reported.

    Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who met with Cavoli and Ukrainian leaders in Munich, said he supports identifying Ukrainian pilots and maintenance crews and bringing them to the United States for training.

    “It is the right thing to do to come up with a plan to identify personnel to be trained, along with the maintainers and develop a syllabus” on how to operate and repair the complex fourth-generation fighter plane. Kelly was not one of the five people who confirmed that Cavoli discussed sending more advanced weapons.

    Kelly, a retired Navy pilot with combat experience, added that Ukrainians are interested in using the warplane to hit Russian air defense systems from far away, which would then allow other aircraft and drones to operate more freely across the country, particularly in the east and south where the fighting is concentrated.

    The British government promised to train Ukrainians on NATO-standard aircraft, but didn’t provide a timeline for when or if London would send those warplanes eastward.

    “The first step in being able to provide advanced aircrafts is to have soldiers or aviators who are capable of using them,” U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said last week while standing alongside Zelenskyy. “We need to make sure they are able to operate the aircraft they might eventually be using.”

    Both American and British officials continue to say that nothing is off the table.

    Slovakia, meanwhile, is in talks with Ukraine about sending MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. “The Ukrainian president asked me to deliver the MiGs. Now, because this official request has come, the process of negotiations can be started,” Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger said last week. “Our MiGs can save innocent lives in Ukraine.”

    Cavoli spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart this week about what other military aid Kyiv needs. Also this week, allies started training Ukrainian troops on Leopard 2 and other tanks that Germany in January approved to be sent.

    Any new, modern capability the Ukrainians receive will have a major impact on the fighting this year. Russian forces have stalled out in Donbas, launching costly attacks on Ukrainian lines that can be measured in feet rather than miles, and their poorly trained conscripts- and prisoners-turned-soldiers are struggling.

    “The Russians will try to launch an offensive” this spring, a NATO official said on the sidelines of the gathering. “I don’t know how effective they’re going to be. I don’t know how much different it’s going to look than what everything else has looked like. … I don’t know what else they can do.”

    That doesn’t mean the Ukrainians will have an easy go of it.

    “People need to be aware that this is going to be a long fight,” the official said. “This is a war. This is not a crisis. This is not some small incident somewhere that can be managed. This is not a skirmish. This is an all-out war.”

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    #F16s #longerrange #missiles #Ukraine #beat #Russia #U.S #general #privately #tells #lawmakers
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • DOJ won’t charge Gaetz in sex trafficking probe, lawmaker’s office says

    DOJ won’t charge Gaetz in sex trafficking probe, lawmaker’s office says

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    Gaetz’s congressional office on Wednesday also said that the DOJ confirmed to his attorneys that authorities have completed their probe and won’t charge Gaetz with any crime.

    The news was first reported by CNN. POLITICO reported in September that the DOJ’s investigation was winding down and that prosecutors weren’t likely to file charges against Gaetz.

    Officials at the DOJ declined to comment.

    Speaking Wednesday night on “System Update,” a program hosted on video platform Rumble by Glenn Greenwald, Gaetz said the DOJ’s decision isn’t a surprise but is certainly welcome.

    “While the two years haven’t been the most comfortable of my life, I have been very focused on my work here in Congress representing my constituents and never really looking past the task at hand,” Gaetz said.

    Federal prosecutors and the FBI began investigating Gaetz in late 2020 during the Trump administration over potential sex trafficking crimes related to allegations he’d paid women for sex and traveled overseas on at least one occasion to parties attended by teenagers who were not yet 18.

    Federal authorities also looked into whether Gaetz had obstructed justice due to a call Gaetz and the lawmaker’s girlfriend had with a witness. Exact details of that phone call are unknown.

    Gaetz repeatedly denied having sex with anyone who was underage.

    Gaetz has been a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and frequented appeared on conservative media to defend the president. His national profile grew even more this year when he was part of a group of conservative Republicans who refused to back GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker. In one notable moment, another Republican confronted Gaetz on the House floor and had to be held back by fellow members.

    The investigation into Gaetz came in the aftermath of federal authorities charging Joel Greenberg, a Florida county tax collector who once was close friends with Gaetz. Greenberg was sentenced in December to 11 years in prison.

    He had been charged initially with more than two dozen criminal counts, but in May 2021 he pled guilty to six — including sex trafficking and fraud — in exchange for his cooperation in multiple cases, including the probe in into Gaetz.

    Greenberg’s sentencing was delayed multiple times as he cooperated with authorities.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Biden’s about to have a Cabinet opening. Asian American lawmakers have a favorite.

    Biden’s about to have a Cabinet opening. Asian American lawmakers have a favorite.

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    This time, they’re hoping they can avoid a fight.

    “It’s the first administration in 20 years without an [Asian American Pacific Islander] Cabinet secretary … This is the first chance they have to diversify the Cabinet,” Duckworth said. “So I’m waiting to see. Hopefully they will nominate her or an AAPI.”

    The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is already weighing in and endorsed Su Wednesday. In a statement, the caucus members presented her potential nomination as an opportunity for Biden “to better realize the ‘most diverse Cabinet in history.’”

    Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who helped lead the Asian American caucus’ push for Su last time, called her a “no-brainer choice” for Biden.

    Walsh is the first of Biden’s Cabinet secretaries slated to leave, creating a high profile vacancy for a Senate-confirmed position that’s already spurring intense behind-the-scenes jockeying. With a 51-seat majority in the upper chamber, Democrats can confirm whomever Biden nominates without needing GOP votes.

    When it comes to GOP support, however, Su demonstrably lags Walsh, who got 18 Senate Republican votes when he was confirmed in March 2021. No Republicans voted to confirm Su to her current position, making her a likely more contentious pick if she’s tapped.

    Su’s proponents argue that she’s most qualified to take the reins at the department, especially given her tenure there. And they tout her years of experience in high-ranking labor positions in California, as well as her earlier work representing low-wage and immigrant workers — including at a Los Angeles legal aid organization.

    But during her confirmation hearing for deputy labor secretary, she faced questions about addressing fraud while she oversaw California’s unemployment insurance office, as well as her implementation of a controversial state law that redefined many gig workers as company employees.

    Three Asian Americans currently serve in Cabinet-level positions for Biden: Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Arati Prabhakar, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. But advocates for stronger Asian American representation emphasize that a Cabinet secretary role is different.

    “We want to acknowledge that the Biden administration, by almost every measure, has been fantastic when it comes to AAPI inclusion within his administration,” said Gregg Orton, national director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. “The one sort of glaring area for improvement is the fact that there isn’t an AAPI Cabinet secretary … This is a genuine opportunity to correct for that.”

    For now, the Biden administration isn’t commenting on a Labor Department successor. Asked Wednesday about a potential replacement for Walsh, Senior Liaison Erika Moritsugu told reporters that Walsh had been tweeting during Tuesday’s State of the Union — where he stayed back as the “designated survivor” — and added: “We don’t have a vacancy at this moment. Nothing further on that.”

    Su wouldn’t be the first Asian American woman to head up the Labor Department. Elaine Chao became the first female Asian American Cabinet secretary in 2001, leading the department for all eight years of George W. Bush’s administration. (Chao also later served as transportation secretary under former President Donald Trump.) Chris Lu, who was deputy labor secretary during President Barack Obama’s administration, was the first Asian American in the department’s number-two slot.

    Su is widely viewed as the frontrunner, and her supporters include union leaders like American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

    Another potential boost for Su: Biden may be reluctant to replace one white male secretary with another, given his administration’s stated commitment to diversity and the likelihood that such a move would rankle Senate Democrats. That amounts to a hurdle for union-friendly figures like Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and former Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), both of whose names were floated during the presidential transition in 2020 and who could get reconsidered now.

    In addition, Levin is angling to become ambassador to Haiti, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke candidly on condition of anonymity. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), a former labor lawyer, has also been floated for the Labor job, according to two different people familiar who also sought anonymity to speak candidly.

    Walsh’s resume was a major selling point ahead of his initial selection, and some want Biden to consider other union leaders for the job. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who would helm any confirmation hearing for Labor Secretary, named Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson or Clinton-era Labor Secretary Robert Reich as potential candidates he would support.

    But Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), both an Asian American caucus member and the top Democrat on the Education and Workforce Committee, said Su “would be good.”

    “She’s done well so far,” he added.

    Sarah Ferris and Eleanor Mueller contributed to this report.

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    #Bidens #Cabinet #opening #Asian #American #lawmakers #favorite
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • ‘Russia will lose war:’ Zelenskyy in historic address to UK lawmakers

    ‘Russia will lose war:’ Zelenskyy in historic address to UK lawmakers

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    London: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday predicted that Russia would lose the war against his country, and thanked the British people for their support from “Day One” since Moscow’s military offensive.

    “I stand before you on behalf of our brave soldiers who are right now under artillery fire,” Zelenskyy said in a rousing address to Parliament, during which he complimented the “strong British character”.

    Speaking of his country, Zelenskyy said Ukraine “will always come out on top of evil”.

    “This lies at the core of our, and also your, traditions,” he said ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

    “Russia will lose”, Zelenskyy in a historic address, wearing his trademark olive sweatshirt.

    This is his first visit to the UK since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

    “We know freedom will win, we know Russia will lose and the victory will change the world,” he declared in his address at Westminster Hall.

    To coincide with the visit, Sunak extended UK’s ongoing support to train Ukrainian fighter jet pilots and marines to help upskill their defensive capabilities.

    Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the surprise visit, not announced in advance due to security reasons, will also include an audience with King Charles III.

    According to UK government officials, the leaders will discuss a two-pronged approach to Britain’s support for Ukraine, starting with an immediate surge of military equipment to the country to help counter Russia’s “offensive” and reinforced by long-term support.

    “President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries,” Sunak said.

    “Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their territory. I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future,” he said.

    “It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come,” he said.

    Downing Street said the bolstered training offer will ensure Ukraine’s pilots are able to fly sophisticated North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standard fighter jets in the future.

    As part of that long-term capability investment, the UK will work with Ukraine and international allies to coordinate collective support to meet Ukraine’s defensive needs.

    A training programme for marines will be in addition to the recruit training programme already running in the UK, which has seen 10,000 Ukrainian troops brought to battle readiness in the last six months, and which will upskill a further 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year, officials said.

    The UK says it will continue to work with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and international community to scale the programme up in 2023.

    Last week, Ukrainian troops arrived in the UK to learn how to command Challenger 2 tanks, following the Sunak’s decision to send the main battle tanks to Ukraine.

    Under his expanded offer, Sunak will provide Ukraine with longer range capabilities aimed at disrupting Russia’s ability to “continually target Ukraine’s civilian and critical national infrastructure and help relieve pressure on Ukraine’s frontlines”.
    During the visit, Zelenskyy and his team will also meet Britain’s defence and security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Air Staff, to discuss the details of the training programme.

    Meanwhile, the UK announced further sanctions on Wednesday in response to Russia’s “continued bombardment of Ukraine, including the targeting of those who have helped [Russian President] Putin build his personal wealth, and companies who are profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine”.

    The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the latest package hits six entities providing military equipment such as drones for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as eight individuals and one entity connected to nefarious financial networks that help maintain wealth and power amongst Kremlin elites.

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    #Russia #lose #war #Zelenskyy #historic #address #lawmakers

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Biden urges GOP lawmakers to ‘finish the job’ and takes a few swipes at them too

    Biden urges GOP lawmakers to ‘finish the job’ and takes a few swipes at them too

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    It was a speech that underscored the stark dividing lines that have come to define this presidency, in which pleas for partisan differences to be set aside often clash against the realities of modern politics.

    “That’s always been my vision for our country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class, to unite the country,” Biden said. “We’ve been sent here to finish the job.”

    As he spoke, a symbol of the new fault lines in Washington appeared just over Biden’s left shoulder. He delivered last year’s State of the Union, and 2021’s address to Congress, with Nancy Pelosi seated behind him in her role as House speaker. On Tuesday, Republican Kevin McCarthy was in that perch, with his party having vowed to investigate Biden and his family and block much of his agenda.

    Despite the looming gridlock, Biden struck an optimistic tone and pointed to his robust slate of accomplishments from his first two years in office. He cited the nation’s “progress and resilience” on its path or recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Jan. 6 insurrection, declaring that while the nation “was bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.”

    “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” Biden said. “We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again.”

    He repeatedly urged the GOP lawmakers to help him “finish the job” – he used the phrase 12 times in total – in passing a series of bills popular with the American people.

    “To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Biden said.

    Even before speaking, Biden nodded across the aisle, singling out Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and needling McCarthy. “I don’t want to ruin your reputation but I look forward to working with you,” he said to the speaker.

    Biden painted himself as the adult in the room, a no-drama president who tried to reach across the aisle and restored a sense of normalcy to a Washington left reeling from four tumultuous years of Donald Trump. He made a renewed push on pieces of legislation — including an assault weapons ban, police reform and protections for abortion rights — that polling suggestions are broadly popular with the American people, including the independent and swing voters who usually decide elections.

    And while those are items Republicans are likely to oppose in the months ahead, aides felt confident in the approach. It was, they noted, a “unity agenda” similar to the approach that Biden took during his 2020 campaign, where he tried to avoid the daily political firestorms engulfing Trump, pledged to make politics less omnipresent in everyday life, all while allowing his Republican opponent to self-immolate.

    The updated version of that strategy — until the Republicans pick their 2024 standard bearer — is predicated on the ascendance of newly prominent faces in the Republican party, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). Another headline-grabbing Republican, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who faces a House Ethics probe and has been accused of lying about his entire resume, was seen milling about near the aisle.

    A year ago, Taylor Greene and Boebert heckled Biden during his speech, and photographs of their angry shouting went viral. Ahead of the speech, McCarthy urged his caucus to avoid repeating such a spectacle. But after Biden suggested that some Republicans wanted to gut Social Security and Medicare, GOP lawmakers erupted in protest. Taylor Greene was spotted standing and shouting at the president again. Later, other Republicans interrupted Biden to shout about the southern border.

    Biden has not yet declared his candidacy for re-election, but the State of the Union doubled as a soft launch for it. McCarthy also looms as a political foil. Though some of his criticisms of the GOP were implicit, Biden made direct calls in his speech for partisan politics to be set aside for two important priorities: lifting the federal debt ceiling and continuing to fund Ukraine in its defense against Russia. The new Speaker has already delivered his objections on both, setting up standoffs on issues that Biden has declared essential to the future of democracy at home and abroad.

    Biden spoke quickly and forcefully, though stumbling on occasion, as he delivered the 73-minute speech. He touted the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill and saluted the Republicans who supported it. For those in the GOP who didn’t, he zinged: “We’ll still fund your projects. And I’ll see you at the ground-breaking.”

    There are challenges on the horizon for Biden, including the war in Europe and a special counsel appointed to investigate his handling of classified documents. And Republicans have spent recent days savaging the Biden administration’s response to the Chinese spy balloon that floated in U.S. airspace and gearing up for a year of partisan investigations.

    Biden talked tough on China but made only a passing mention of the spy balloon that has dominated the national political discourse for a week, declaring, “As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did.”

    Any State of the Union is of the moment, reflecting a nation’s internal strife. A year ago, in the wake of a surge of violent crime, Biden emphatically declared, “We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them.”

    But on Tuesday, in the midst of a homeless crisis and the killing of a Black man at the hands of Memphis police, Biden’s tone shifted, calling for “more resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime; more community intervention programs; more investments in housing, education, and job training.”

    Biden vowed to veto any efforts to raise the price of prescription drugs, which his Inflation Reduction Act lowered for Medicare beneficiaries. He presented evidence of progress that’s been made in the last year on combating the opioid epidemic, lowering inflation, prioritizing mental health, aiding veterans and reviving his cancer “moonshot.” He pointed to the overwhelming bipartisan support last year for the PACT Act, which directs more healthcare resources to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in combat.

    He also pledged to utilize new technology to better track fentanyl smuggling at the southern border, singling out a New Hampshire father in the audience who lost his high school daughter to drug addiction. But that brought another uproar from Republicans, including a shout at Biden of “it’s your fault” about the fentanyl death.

    The State of the Union has been home to many lines intertwined with the identity of their speakers: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s defense of “four freedoms” ahead of World War II, Bill Clinton declaring “the era of big government is over” and George W. Bush condemning “the axis of evil” after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. It is unclear if Biden will reach those rhetorical heights, as hovering over the address will be something he won’t discuss at all: his possible 2024 re-election bid.

    The 80-year-old president has said he intends to stand for another term, though his official decision may still be more than a month away. He’ll hit the road this week for a post-speech barnstorming tour — with stops in Wisconsin and Florida — and will consider his political future by making more rounds of calls to his longtime allies, talking through themes and timing, pushed by a belief that he remains the one Democrat who could defeat Trump.

    Most close to Biden believe that, soon enough, an official campaign will begin in earnest.

    Eli Stokols contributed to this report.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Four Indian-American lawmakers appointed as members of key US House Committees

    Four Indian-American lawmakers appointed as members of key US House Committees

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    Washington: Four Indian-American lawmakers– Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera and Ro Khanna– have been appointed as members of key US House Committees, reflecting the growing influence of the community in American politics.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi was appointed on Wednesday (local time) to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

    “I’m grateful to Leader Jeffries for appointing me to serve as Ranking Member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Krishnamoorthi.

    Krishnamoorthi further stated that China poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American intellectual property.

    “I look forward to working with my colleagues in both parties on this committee to counteract the CCP’s escalating aggression and ensure that our nation is prepared to overcome the economic and security challenges that the CCP presents to our country,” said Krishnamoorthi.

    Another Indian-American Congressman Khanna has also been made a member of this new committee, formed in the 118th Congress by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the specific purpose of investigating and developing policy to address the United States’ economic, technological and security competition with the CCP.

    “I am honored to be appointed to the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Khanna. “I plan to use my seat on the committee to bring attention to our trade deficit with China while also working to address the security risk China poses to Taiwan.”

    “I take my role as the representative for the only majority Asian American community in the continental United States very seriously. We can be tough on the Chinese Communist Party while unequivocally condemning anti-Asian racism and the increase in hate crimes targeting the Asian American community,” said Khanna.

    Indian-American US Representative Pramila Jayapal has been named Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, making her the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.

    “As the first South Asian woman elected to the US House of Representatives and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens in Congress, I am honoured and humbled to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement,” Jayapal said in a press release.

    Jayapal is the first immigrant in recorded committee history to serve as either Ranking Member or Chair of this Subcommittee, the media release said.

    Calling it “extremely meaningful”, Jayapal said in the media release that she will now be in a position to better move the needle and recenter broken immigration system around dignity, humanity, and justice.

    The Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement will be chaired by Tom McClintock and has jurisdiction over immigration law and policy, naturalization, border security, refugee admissions, non-border immigration enforcement and other various issues.

    While Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera was appointed as a member of the influential US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for the 118th Congress.

    The Intelligence Committee is charged with providing oversight of the nation’s intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the National Security Agency (NSA) and military intelligence programmes.

    “I am honored to be appointed by Leader Jeffries to serve on the House Intelligence Committee, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and national security of the United States,” Bera said in the press release.

    He further said, “At a time of increased threats, both at home and abroad, I take seriously this new role and the responsibility entrusted to me to protect and defend American families.”

    Bera stressed that he looks forward to working with committee members to ensure that intelligence agencies of US operate effectively to keep the nation safe.

    “With my decade of experience working on critical national security issues, I look forward to working with Committee members from both sides of the aisle to ensure our intelligence agencies are operating effectively to keep our nation safe,” Bera further said.

    US Congressman Ami Bera also serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Ukraine can’t retake Crimea soon, Pentagon tells lawmakers in classified briefing

    Ukraine can’t retake Crimea soon, Pentagon tells lawmakers in classified briefing

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    russia us security talks explainer 59344

    The briefers included Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, and Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, director of operations on the Joint Staff.

    “We’re not going to comment on closed-door classified briefings nor will we talk about hypotheticals or speculate on potential future operations,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. “In terms of Ukraine’s ability to fight and take back sovereign territory, their remarkable performance in repulsing Russian aggression and continued adaptability on the battlefield speaks for itself.”

    A House Armed Services spokesperson declined to comment.

    The assessment from the briefers echoes what Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs chair, has alluded to in recent weeks.

    “I still maintain that for this year it would be very, very difficult to militarily eject the Russian forces from all –– every inch of Ukraine and occupied –– or Russian-occupied Ukraine,” he said during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Jan. 20. “That doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it’d be very, very difficult.”

    Russian forces have occupied Crimea since 2014, and the peninsula is bristling with air defenses and tens of thousands of troops. Many of those infantry forces are dug into fortified positions stretching hundreds of miles facing off against Ukrainian troops along the Dnipro River.

    The issue of retaking Crimea has been a contentious one for months, as American and European officials insist the peninsula is legally part of Ukraine, while often stopping short of fully equipping Kyiv to push into the area.

    One person familiar with the thinking in Kyiv said the Zelenskyy administration was “furious” with Milley’s remarks, as Ukraine prepares for major offensives this spring. Ukrainians also note that U.S. intelligence about their military abilities have consistently missed the mark throughout the nearly year-long war.

    Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Zelenskyy adviser Andriy Yermak rejected the idea of a Ukrainian victory without taking Crimea.

    “This is absolutely unacceptable,” Yermak said, adding that victory means restoring Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders “including Donbas and Crimea.”

    Ukraine has repeatedly asked for longer-range weapons, including rocket artillery and guided munitions fired by fighter planes and drones, to target Russian command-and-control centers and ammunition depots far behind the front lines in Crimea.

    After the U.S. gave Ukraine the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in the summer, Russia moved many of its most vulnerable assets out of its 50-mile range. The Biden administration continues to refuse to send missiles for the launcher that can reach 300 miles, which would put all of Crimea at risk.

    House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said in an interview Wednesday that the war “needs to end this summer,” placing urgency on the U.S. to rapidly supply Ukraine for a coming offensive and on Kyiv to forge a clearer outline of how the conflict ends.

    “There’s a school of thought … that Crimea’s got to be a part of it. Russia is never going to quit and give up Crimea,” said Rogers, who did not address the contents of the classified briefing his committee received last week. Vladimir “Putin has got to decide what he can leave with and claim victory.”

    “What is doable? And I don’t think that that’s agreed upon yet. So I think that there’s going to have to be some pressure from our government and NATO leaders with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy about what does victory look like,” Rogers added. “And I think that’s going to help us more than anything be able to drive Putin and Zelenskyy to the table to end this thing this summer.”

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Lawmakers codify abortion rights in state constitution, sending it to voters

    Lawmakers codify abortion rights in state constitution, sending it to voters

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    “Here in New York we will never let the extremist, anti-choice agenda to prevent anyone from accessing reproductive health care,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Tuesday at a rally near the state Capitol with abortion-rights activists.

    New York added stronger abortion rights into state law in 2019 and approved new laws last year to shield providers and patients from out-of-state litigation.

    But in the wake of the Roe vs. Wade decision, abortion rights advocates and some lawmakers pushed to enshrine the protections in the constitution as a way to make it harder to overturn by any future legislature.

    The amendment adds new protected classes to the constitution’s existing Equal Protection Clause, which prohibits discrimination based on a person’s race, color, creed or religion. It would also bar intentional government discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy.

    “We’re modernizing our constitution to recognize that all these categories of New Yorkers should have equal rights under the constitution to be protected from discrimination,” Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) said at a news conference. “Because guess what we’ve learned recently? The courts can change and suddenly protections you thought you had because some court cases aren’t there anymore.”

    Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the measure, and she proposed new laws in her State of the State address earlier this month that would allow pharmacists to directly prescribe contraceptive pills and increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for reproductive health providers.

    “I’m the first governor in the state of New York to ever have had a pregnancy, ever raise children, ever had to go through all the screaming,” Hochul, the first woman governor, said at the rally. “I know more than any governor before me of what it’s like to be a woman and whether someone else in Washington has the right to take away what I should be able to decide on my own.”

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    #Lawmakers #codify #abortion #rights #state #constitution #sending #voters
    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )