It was one of House conservatives’ biggest demands: more representation on key committees and in senior roles. They got both, and they’re still bragging about it.
At a House Freedom Caucus fundraiser in Tennessee last month, the conservative group’s chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) boasted to donors about what it extracted from McCarthy. That included gaining the Homeland Security Committee gavel for a group member after securing Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) eventual chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee (he first served as the top Republican on the House Oversight panel).
Jordan’s position, Perry claimed at the event, was based on “leverage, too.” In reality, though, that position had long been expected given Jordan and McCarthy’s increasingly close relationship.
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), a member of the Freedom Caucus who was present at the event, now chairs the homeland security panel after the protracted speakership battle.
“Now we knew we were going to have a dog in the fight … we also knew the competition,” Perry said of the homeland chairmanship race – apparently referring to Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) — according to an audio recording obtained by POLITICO.
“And one of the conversations was: If that other person becomes the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, then you will not be speaker.”
While the GOP Steering Committee mostly decides panel chairs, the process is heavily influenced by the speaker. (Green’s position, as well as other competitive chair positions, were decided by the Steering panel after McCarthy’s election on the floor.) Green’s allies have argued that his win was more than just a tradeoff, saying it was a win-win given his resume and vision for the panel. A Crenshaw aide, responding to Perry’s words, called the apparent deal the “worst kept secret in Washington.”
Additionally, two of the GOP’s most conservative members — Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — were placed on the lower-profile but powerful Rules Committee. It was perhaps the most decentralizing move McCarthy made; the Rules panel decides exactly the way legislation comes to the House floor, empowering Roy and Massie to block certain bills or push for changes.
Conservatives gained more representation on other key committees, too. Two of the 20 holdout members landed on the Financial Services panel and two others got seats on Appropriations. And even Freedom Caucus members who were supportive of McCarthy landed on other top panels, like Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), who received a spot on Energy and Commerce.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress on Monday promised to provide electric scooters to every girl student of 18 years of age and above, as part of its ‘Hyderabad Youth Declaration’, a charter of commitments that the party would fulfil if it comes to power in the State Assembly elections that are to be held by the end of the year.
In what could be termed as a ‘mini manifesto’ before the Assembly polls expected to be held by December, the party released the declaration in the presence of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The party also said that the young men and women who laid down their lives during the first and final phases of the movement for Telangana as a separate state would be recognised as martyrs, and one of their family members would be given a government job besides Rs 25,000 monthly pension to the martyr’s mother or father or wife.
As many as two lakh government jobs would be filled in the first year of formation of the Congress Government, the party declared, even as it promised that unemployed youth would be given a Rs 4,000 payment per month until they get a job.
A Youth Commission would be set up and Rs 10 lakh interest-free loan would be provided to increase livelihood opportunities, the Congress said.
The party also promised that after forming the government, it would reimburse all fees to students and also backlog if any would be cleared. Quality education would be provided to the children of Police and Road Transport Corporation (RTC) personnel by setting up two universities for them in Hyderabad and Warangal.
Last year, the party had released the ‘Warangal Declaration’, announcing various doles to farmers as well.
The Congress has suffered setbacks in Telangana despite the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh acceding to the statehood demand in 2014.
In addition to losing the Legislative Assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, the Congress also fared badly in the Assembly bypolls and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election hels in the past few years.
Apart from this, the party has yielded ground to the BJP which has won two Assembly bypolls and the GHMC election impressively.
Aiming to resurrect its prospects in the state, the Congress has been reaching out to people in various ways.
While state party chief Revanth Reddy held a ‘padayatra’ after the conclusion of national leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka too has been on a ‘padayatra’ for the past 50 days.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
As Karnataka inches closer to voting for the next state government on May 10, the Congress party has promised to ban organisations that spread communal hatred in the state.
In its manifesto released on Tuesday, the Congress party leaders including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, state president D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah party’s national spokesperson Pawan Khera, senior leader P Chidambaram identified and compared Hindutva organisation Bajrang Dal in the same lengths to the banned Islamic organisation PFI (Popular Front of India).
On September 28, 2022, the BJP-led Central Government banned PFI for five years, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. They stated PFI had a secret agenda of radicalising certain sections of the society that posed a threat to India’s integrity, sovereignty and security.
The Congress party on Tuesday said if voted to power, it will take action against any individual, and organisations responsible for spreading communal hatred or promoting enmity between different communities.
The manifesto named ‘Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota’ (peaceful garden of all communities), states, “The Congress Party is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion. We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities.”
We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban… pic.twitter.com/oCHfTmi5zs
Karnataka will go to the Assembly elections on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.
VHP, BJP not happy
Reacting strongly over the comparison of Bajrang Dal with PFI, leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hindutva organisations Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) termed Congress’s manifesto as ‘unfortunate for the people of Karnataka’.
International joint general secretary of VHP Dr Surendra Jain posted a video saying that each and every Bajrang Dal worker works for India’s development and prosperity.
He alleged that the defamation of Bajrang Dal is a part of Congress’s conspiracy theory and the party has always supported PFI in the past. “Bajrang Dal has always stood against anti-India elements like PFI while remaining inside the perimeters of the Constitution,” Surendra Jain said.
#WATCH | It’s unfortunate that Congress today compared Bajrang Dal with anti-national and banned PFI. People of the country will not accept it. Bajrang Dal accepts this challenge and will answer it through all democratic ways: Dr Surendra Jain, Vishva Hindu Parishad pic.twitter.com/HsruovDCbP
BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya posted Jain’s video and tweeted, “Surendra Jain, International General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, tears into the Congress for equating Bajrang Dal with banned terror organisation PFI… Reminds Sonia Gandhi how she opposed a ban on, now banned, SIMI. The Congress, it seems, has decided to dig its grave.”
Surendra Jain, International General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, tears into the Congress for equating Bajrang Dal with banned terror organisation PFI… Reminds Sonia Gandhi how she opposed ban on, now banned, SIMI. The Congress, it seems, has decided to dig its grave. pic.twitter.com/Jxk8eRGYHf
Using #KannadigasWithModi as a hashtag, BJP Karnataka, on its official Twitter account, tweeted, “I’m fortunate to be at the birthplace of Shri Hanuman, but it also unfortunate to know that at the same time I’m here, the Congress has declared to ban the Bajrang Dal, who revere Bajrang Bali Hanuman, if they come to power: PM Shri @narendramodi.”
I’m fortunate to be at the birthplace of Shri Hanuman, but it also unfortunate to know that at the same time I’m here, the Congress has declared to ban the Bajrang Dal, who revere Bajrang Bali Hanuman, if they come to power: PM Shri @narendramodi#KannadigasWithModi
RSS leader Rupa Murthy tweeted, “Karnataka Congress has promised to ban BAJRANG DAL IN KARNATAKA if voted to power. What next? Mandate celebrations of Tippu Jayanti in every household. Jail those who wear Janeu? Ban Kumkuma and Kalava? If you still want to vote Congress to power in Karnataka, or if you simply want to abstain from voting, you too are a huge part of the problem! #FullSupportToBajrangDal.”
Karnataka Congress has promised to ban BAJRANG DAL IN KARNATAKA, if voted to power.
What next? Mandate celebrations of Tippu Jayanti in every house hold? Jail those who wear Janeu? Ban Kumkuma and Kalava?
If you still want to vote Congress to power in Karnataka, or if you…
Series: Citadel. Streaming on Amazon Prime. Two episodes up; four to come once a week from May 5.
Cast: Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Stanley Tucci. Created by: Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh and David Weil. Cinematographers: Newton Thomas Sigel and Michael Wood. IANS Rating: **
A good spy thriller has to have the two staple ingredients: a killer concept headed by a credible protagonist and an antagonist. That said, we are all assured that the cinematic value of espionage thrillers will never be lost.
Having offered some of the greatest action movies in cinema history, and giving us convoluted stories, smart plot twists, blasts, flare-ups and umpteen bangs, ideally, a spy thriller packs in so much as to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The American science-fiction television series “Citadel”, created by David Weil for Amazon Prime Video, with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers, and Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas playing “Citadel” agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh. With a heavy dose of action, chases and alluring leads, it promises a lot.
The opening sequence has Priyanka in a red dress looking every inch the sexy sassy spy one would hope for. Only this time, she appears far more confident — shall we say, starry? — as she negotiates several inconsistent turns that the scriptwriters have unimaginatively woven into overfilled-with-possibilities expansions.
As of now, only two of the six-part series are available for viewing and an episode every week will follow from May 5 onwards.
If the first two episodes that are streaming now are any indication, the rest of the periodic flow of thrills will include developments in different territories with more action and shifts justifying its universal appeal.
The 15 minutes of Priyanka’s Nadia Sinh and Mason Kane as agents of the global spy agency Citadel set the ball rolling on an innovatively advanced high-tech train. The two have a mission on their hands: to stop a man carrying a bag full of enriched uranium.
Taking orders from a far-off Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) they must get in on the act to stop their adversary Manticore. They succeed, or so it seems. Several fights amid an exchange of several languages later, one learns that Citadel has fallen and its agents’ memories have been wiped clean.
And guess what? Both Mason and Nadia are presumed dead. Some eight years later, the threat of Manticore rising looms large and Citadel agents must be brought back to lead dangerous lives in a surreal world where their life is often on the line.
By the way, all those who will put aside everything else to accommodate this thriller in their schedules, are in for disappointment, for Priyanka gets precisely 15 minutes of fame in the first episode. The rest of it focuses on Mason and his memory getting back to high speed action once again.
If the makers have outdone — or at least tried their best — to outshine Bond’s penchant for long battles with bad guys, there’s something miserably wanting: humour. The smooth and suave Bond taps into whatever everyone desires in life as he is an embodiment of what every man wants to be and what every woman wants in men.
Described as an “action-packed spy series with a compelling emotional centre” and “an expansive and ground-breaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series,” the show is neither spectacular, nor rivetingly engaging, save, perhaps, the camerawork zooming across the Italian Alps, India, Spain, and Mexico.
If you are expecting a rollercoaster ride full of bumps and highs, this one isn’t the one for you. Not so far. What we get to enjoy in the subsequent episodes is anybody’s guess.
Priyanka, who seems post “Quantico” to have sharpened the art of keeping herself bravely engaged in all kinds of covert operations, spying, transporting weapons and supplies, and helping people escape while all along adding martial art skills, is in perfect shape.
Mouthing dialogues in husky tones, she has left behind her desi accent that stood out in “Quantico”, the 2015 thriller series, and looks and acts like any other global citizen. Her poise and sureness is for everyone to admire and that alone should pave the way for other Indian female stars to head westwards.
Other than her, everyone else looks eager for more adventurous escapades to keep themselves going.
The series will include developments in different countries and languages. “The Family Man” duo Raj and DK have been signed to do the Indian adaptation featuring Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Moscow on Saturday said there would be a “harsh” reaction and consequences for Poland’s interests in Russia, after Polish authorities seized a building near Moscow’s embassy in Warsaw — a step Russia labeled “illegal.”
The building, used as a high school for the children of diplomats, belongs to the Warsaw city hall, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Łukasz Jasina told AFP, adding that authorities had acted on a bailiff’s order.
But Russia’s foreign ministry slammed the move as a “hostile” act in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and as an encroachment against Russian diplomatic property in Poland.
“Such an insolent step by Warsaw, which goes beyond the framework of civilized inter-state relations, will not remain without a harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polish interests in Russia,” the ministry added.
“Our opinion, which has been confirmed by the courts, is that this property belongs to the Polish state and was taken by Russia illegally,” the Polish foreign ministry’s Jasina told Reuters.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Bengaluru: The JD(S) on Thursday released its “Janata Pranalike” (People’s Manifesto) for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka promising to restore four percent reservation for Muslims, to “throw out” Amul and to save Nandini brand calling it Kannadiga’s identity, among various assurances.
The party led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has also assured to bring in a law reserving jobs for Kannadigas in the private sector, and has promised to provide free higher education for economically-weaker students.
Just ahead of the announcement of polls in Karnataka, the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had decided to scrap the four percent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota and to distribute it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The JD(S) in its manifesto has expressed its commitment to restore 4 percent reservation for Muslims.
The promise to protect and strengthen Nandini brand in the manifesto, comes following a controversy that had erupted after the Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul’s announcement recently, to enter the Karnataka market to supply its milk and curd. A section including opposition Congress and JD(S) had expressed apprehension that Nandini, the brand from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), could be merged with Amul, and had targeted the ruling BJP and Union Cooperative Minister Amit Shah for it. BJP had rejected the charge.
The manifesto was released by JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy, state president C M Ibrahim, and manifesto committee chief and MLC B M Farooq, among other leaders.
The JD(S), which positions itself as a party of farmers, has announced the “Raita Bandhu” scheme promising to provide Rs 2,000 to agricultural labour families every month. Also, girls who marry youths who are farmers will be given financial assistance of Rs two lakh.
Among the various other assurances given in JD(S) manifesto are Rs 6,000 for pregnant women for six months, loan waiver for ‘Stree Shakti’ self-help groups, pension for Anganwadi workers, Rs 2,000 per month for auto drivers, Rs 2,000 for registered private security guards, and up to Rs 25 lakh for treatment of rare diseases under CM relief fund.
In the irrigation sector, the party has listed out its plans such as: increase funds for the Upper Bhadra Project from existing Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore and also complete the project in the next four years; it also promised to complete the ‘Yettinahole’ project in four years.
Reviewing the National Pension Scheme, re-introduction of free bicycles for school children, electric scooters for girls studying in higher education, housing scheme for 30 lakh homeless, encouraging green energy, are among the other takeaways from the manifesto.
Kumaraswamy has said that the party will launch a separate manifesto for Bengaluru in the coming days.
Aiming to come to power on its own, the JD(S) has set a target of winning 123 out of total 224 Assembly seats.
BRUSSELS — Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday reassured President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Beijing would not add “fuel to the fire” of the war in Ukraine and insisted the time was ripe to “resolve the crisis politically.”
While Xi’s remarks — as reported by the state’s Xinhua news agency — made no specific reference to international fears that China could send arms to Russia’s invading forces in Ukraine, his words will be read as a signal that Beijing won’t give direct military assistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Xi was making his first call to Zelenskyy more than 400 days into the Russian war against Ukraine, and he suggested that Kyiv should pursue “political resolution” through dialogue — presumably with Russia — to bring peace to Europe.
For months, Xi had resisted pressure from the West — and pleas from Zelenskyy — for the two of them to have a direct chat. Instead, he held multiple meetings with the diplomatically isolated Putin, including in the Kremlin.
Wednesday’s call, which according to Ukrainian officials lasted an hour, could ease tension between China and the West over Beijing’s precarious position which has been largely in favor of Putin, analysts and diplomats say. But they also caution that this would not change Xi’s fundamental vision of a stronger relationship with Russia to fend off U.S. pressure, calling into question Beijing’s ability to broker peace satisfactory to both sides.
In Zelenskyy’s own words, the call with Xi served as a “powerful impetus” for their bilateral relationship.
“I had a long and meaningful phone call with [Chinese] President Xi Jinping,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.”
Xi, for his part, used the call to reject the West’s criticisms of China amid worries that Beijing was preparing to provide Moscow with weapons.
“China is neither the creator nor a party to the Ukraine crisis,” he said, as reported by state media Xinhua. “As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a responsible great power, we would not watch idly by, we would not add fuel to the fire, and above all we would not profiteer from this.”
The call came just days after China’s Ambassador to France Lu Shaye made an explosive remark during a TV interview saying former Soviet countries have no “effective status” in international law and disputed Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea, causing an international uproar and forcing Beijing to disavow him in an effort to mend ties with Europe.
Old splits, new bridges
One major difference, though, existed between the two.
Zelenskyy has been clear about the need for resistance to continue as Putin has shown no signs of easing the Kremlin’s military aggression, insisting that negotiations would not be possible while parts of Ukraine remain under Russian occupation.
Xi, however, said now would be the time for all sides to talk.
“Now [is the moment] to grasp the opportunity to resolve the crisis politically,” he said. “It’s hoped that all sides could make profound reflection from the Ukraine crisis, and jointly seek a way toward long-lasting peace in Europe through dialogue.”
Xi announced plans to send a special envoy to Ukraine to “conduct in-depth communication” on “politically resolving the Ukraine crisis.”
On the other hand, Beijing also accepted the request by Kyiv to send over a new ambassador. Pavlo Riabikin, former minister of strategic industries, was named in a Ukrainian presidential decree Wednesday to take over the ambassadorship left vacant for more than two years since Serhiy Kamyshev died of a heart attack.
Riabikin is expected to have smoother channels in Beijing, given that the chargé d’affaires, the second-in-command of the embassy, had been given limited access to the Chinese foreign ministry officials since the war began, according to two European diplomats with knowledge of the matter who spoke privately to discuss a sensitive topic.
‘Good news’ for Europe
Europe has piled pressure on China to act responsibly as a top U.N. member — and it reacted with cautious optimism to Xi’s call.
“Good news,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said in a tweet regarding Zelenskyy’s announcement of the call.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly hatched a plan with Beijing to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table this summer after his recent visit to Beijing — and his office claimed an assist for making the call happen.
“We encourage any dialogue that can contribute to a resolution of the conflict in accordance with the fundamental interests of Ukraine and international law,” an Elysée official told media in response to the call. “This was the message conveyed by [Macron] during his state visit to China, during which President Xi Jinping told the head of state of his intention to speak with President Zelenskyy.”
Chinese officials have also been emboldened by their success in brokering a recent deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, casting a keen eye on playing a role also between Israel and the Palestinians. For Chinese diplomats, this showed the appeal of Xi’s brand new “Global Security Strategy,” wooing third countries away from the U.S. orbit wherever possible.
One country, though, sounded less than enthusiastic about Xi’s latest moves.
“We believe that the problem is not a lack of good plans … [Kyiv’s] actual consent to negotiations is conditioned by ultimatums with knowingly unrealistic demands,” Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists, adding that she “noted” Beijing’s willingness to put in place a negotiation process.
Stuart Lau and Nicolas Camut reported from Brussels; Veronika Melkozerova reported from Kyiv; Clea Caulcutt reported from Paris.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Here’s our verdict, using the following scale: Kept his promise, in progress, stalled, broke his promise.
Combating Covid-19
GRADE: KEPT HIS PROMISE
What Biden pledged: “When I’m elected your president, I’m going to act, and I’m going to act on day one. Folks, we’re going to act to get this Covid under control. … I’m never going to raise the white flag and surrender. We’re going to beat this virus. We’re going to get it under control, I promise you.”
What he’s done: Biden rolled out a far-reaching plan to rein in the pandemic on his first day in office, prioritizing efforts to mass-vaccinate the country and spark a rapid economic recovery that saw significant initial success.
The administration suffered multiple setbacks in the following months — notably misjudging both Covid’s ability to evolve and Americans’ willingness to keep up the fight against a deadly virus. But Biden did manage to blunt the pandemic threat through multiple rounds of shots and treatments that have allowed most people to return to their pre-pandemic lives.
The White House is now poised to end the Covid national emergency in May, in what amounts to the symbolic end of the Covid crisis. Deaths from the virus are now down to their lowest point since the early days of the pandemic. Still, Biden’s inability to stamp out Covid more completely means he will face the ongoing threat of a resurgence.
Rebuilding the economy
GRADE: Kept HIS PROMISE
What Biden pledged: “We’re going to invest in infrastructure, clean energy and manufacturing, and so much more. We’ll create millions of good paying American jobs and get the job market back in the path to full employment.”
What he’s done: Biden presided over a swift economic recovery buoyed by bills he championed allocating billions of dollars in Covid aid, as well as major investments in manufacturing and infrastructure projects.
Three years after Covid shuttered much of the country, the unemployment rate is near 50-year lows, the economy has added tens of millions of jobs and wages are rising on average.
But high inflation through much of 2022 overshadowed those gains for many, denting Biden’s economic record and miring the administration for a time in debates over whether its stimulus efforts were too aggressive. The White House has since emphasized various cost-cutting initiatives aimed at balancing out rising prices, most notably winning reductions in certain prescription drug costs. The pace of inflation is now cooling, though not enough yet to fully alleviate concerns.
Ending gun violence
GRADE: STALLED
What Biden pledged: “No one needs an AR-15. … I promise you, I will get these weapons of war off the street again and out of our communities.”
What he’s done: Biden oversaw passage of the most comprehensive gun safety legislation in nearly three decades. The only problem: It fell well short of taking the kinds of decisive actions that he pledged to deliver on the campaign trail.
The gun safety law passed in June 2022 made only limited improvements to background checks and did nothing to restrict access to assault weapons. And despite Biden’s promise to ban those weapons in the aftermath of several mass shootings over the last year, he’s made no progress toward convincing Congress to act.
The White House in the interim has issued a range of executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence, but even Biden himself recently admitted he’s effectively powerless on the issue, saying he’s “gone the full extent of my executive authority to do, on my own, anything about guns.”
Restoring U.S. leadership abroad
GRADE: Kept HIS PROMISE
What Biden pledged: “As president, I will ensure that democracy is once again the watchword of U.S. foreign policy, not to launch some moral crusade, but because it’s in our enlightened self-interest. We have to restore our ability to rally the free world so we can once more make a stand upon new fields of action together to face new challenges.”
What he’s done: The Biden administration angered its allies and hurt its global credibility by botching the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which the Taliban reconquered in 2021. Barely six months later, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden formed a global coalition that has held together through more than a year of fighting, providing Ukraine with the aid necessary to defend its territory far more effectively than originally expected.
That alliance has shown signs of shakiness at times, but has never cracked, winning Biden praise both at home and abroad for rebuilding America’s reputation as a diplomatic force.
Yet that’s a job that will only grow more challenging as the war drags on and with no clear consensus on an endgame in sight. Biden must also repair the damage done by an embarrassing leak of classified documents that illustrated spying efforts on a handful of allies and concerns about the state of the war in Ukraine.
Strengthening voting rights
Grade: stalled
What Biden pledged: “One thing the Senate and the president can do right away is pass the bill to restore the Voting Rights Act. … If they don’t, I’ve been saying all along, it’s one of the first things I’ll do as president if elected. We can’t let the fundamental right to vote be denied.”
What he’s done: Biden’s attempts to muster momentum for legislation strengthening voting rights fell flat, even after he backed abolishing the filibuster to pass it.
The president later signed the Electoral Count Act, which clarified the counting and certification process for electoral votes, but the administration has made little major headway on an issue that Biden made a central element of his 2020 campaign.
Judging by Biden’s reelection announcement video, voting rights will play a prominent role in his 2024 run as well. But there’s little apparent ability to do much in the interim that would help make good on his initial pledge.
Protecting access to abortion
Grade: In progress
What Biden pledged: “We’re in a situation where I would codify Roe v. Wade as defined by Casey. It should be the law, and there’s no reason why, if the Supreme Court makes the judgment that everybody’s worried about with these appeals going to the Supreme Court, that in exchange, I would codify Roe v. Wade and Casey.”
What he’s done: The Supreme Court ended up making the judgment that Democrats were worried about, striking down the constitutional right to abortion. But though Biden has advocated codifying Roe v. Wade since then, he doesn’t have the votes to do it.
The White House has instead done as much as it believes it can do on its own, including unraveling Trump-era restrictions on family planning funding and taking steps to protect access to medication abortion and help women travel across state borders to obtain the procedure. It’s also defending against other lawsuits aimed at further restricting access to reproductive health.
But those threats are ongoing, and will continue to test Biden’s desire to balance safeguarding abortion access with his reluctance to take more drastic steps pushed by activists that he worries could further draw the administration into a protracted legal battle.
Expanding health care
Grade: KEPT his promise
What Biden pledged: “I’ll not only restore Obamacare, I’ll build on it. … I’m going to increase subsidies to lower your premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses, out-of-pocket spending, surprise billing. I’m going to lower prescription drugs by 60 percent, and that’s the truth.”
What he’s done: Biden followed through on multiple health care promises with the passage of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, expanding Obamacare subsidies and placing new restrictions on pharmaceutical prices.
Those provisions fell somewhat short of what Biden aspired to — placing an expiration date on the subsidy expansion and limiting a cap on insulin prices to only certain patients. But the IRA did also accomplish a longtime Democratic priority: Empowering Medicare to negotiate the cost of certain drugs.
Biden must still ensure those policies are effectively implemented. But taken together, they’re expected to make coverage more affordable and accessible for millions of people.
Overhauling immigration policies
GRADE: Broke his promise
What Biden pledged: “We’re going to restore our moral standing in the world and our historic role as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers, and those fleeing violence and persecution.”
What he’s done: In an approach that’s dismayed Democrats and immigration advocates, Biden maintained the strict Trump-era border policy known as Title 42 that has allowed the government to quickly expel migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The administration now plans to lift Title 42 next month, though there are few signs that Biden will significantly loosen his approach to immigration. A new policy rolled out earlier this year would largely prohibit migrants from applying for asylum at the southern border.
And though Biden rolled back some of former President Donald Trump’s most stringent immigration policies, his administration’s approach grew more restrictive after record numbers of migrants began arriving at the border. Biden has encouraged Congress to negotiate more comprehensive legislation to overhaul the immigration system, but there has been no progress toward accomplishing that.
Tackling climate change
GRADE: Kept his promise
What Biden pledged: “My time table for results is my first four years as president, the jobs that we’ll create, the investments we’ll make, and the irreversible steps we’ll take to mitigate and adapt to the climate change and put our nation on the road to net zero emissions no later than 2050.”
What he’s done: Biden is following through on his climate goals largely through a range of investments in the IRA designed to accelerate the nation’s transition toward clean energy.
Experts project the legislation could help cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by up to 42 percent by the end of the decade, compared to 2005 levels. Further regulatory changes that the administration plans to impose could help Biden meet his pledge of cutting total emissions in half by 2030. Biden also took unilateral steps requiring the federal government to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
But those are long-term projects, and will require the administration to implement all the new policies — and do it fast enough for them to have the necessary environmental impact to meet Biden’s timeline. There are also lingering questions over how the White House will juggle its climate ambitions with ongoing fossil fuel projects, after Biden broke a commitment to halt drilling on federal lands, most notably by approving the Willow oil and gas project in Alaska.
Expanding child and elder care access
Grade: Stalled
What Biden pledged: “My childcare plan is straightforward, straightforward. Every 3- and 4-year-old child will get access to free high quality preschool like students have here. And low- and middle-income families won’t spend more than 7 percent of their income on childcare for children under the age of five.”
What he’s done: The president’s vast plan to expand the “care economy” was cast aside during negotiations over the IRA and has yet to recover. Once a centerpiece of his vision for rebuilding the post-2020 economy, lawmakers axed policies to build out access to child-care and long-term care over concerns it would be too costly.
And despite Biden’s continued support for revisiting those efforts, there’s been no significant renewed push yet to get those policies through a divided Congress. Instead, Biden recently signed a series of executive orders directing federal agencies to try to make care more accessible.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hyderabad: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hyderabad, YSRTP chief Y S Sharmila demanded the fulfilment of long-pending bifurcation promises.
Appealing to the Prime Minister to announce funds for the state and various projects, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Telangana Party chief said, “It has been nine years but the bifurcation issues and promises have not been addressed to date.”
“The annual budgets of the NDA government don’t bother to cater sufficient funds to Telangana and its projects,” added Sharmila.
Sharmila tweeted, “We have been tirelessly fighting against Kaleshwaram project corruption. The BJP leaders themselves termed the project as an ATM for KCR but have not taken any action or initiated any investigation. We have complained to the CAG and CBI but of no use. We expect concrete steps in this regard, where you rise above your political interests.”
గల్లీ నుంచి ఢిల్లీ వరకు ‘కాళేశ్వరం KCRకు ATM’ అని BJP లీడర్లు బుకాయిస్తున్నారు కానీ ఎంక్వైరీ చేయడం లేదు.YSRTP కాళేశ్వరం అవినీతిపై ఢిల్లీకి వెళ్లి పోరాటం చేసింది. CAG,CBIకి ఫిర్యాదు చేసినా ఇంతవరకు చర్యలులేవు.మీ రాజకీయస్వార్థం కోసం తెలంగాణ ప్రజల సొమ్మును పణంగా పెట్టడం విచారకరం. 2/3
Taking a dig at the Telangana chief minister, Sharmila said, “We know KCR has no guts to question PM Modi on the pending projects and promises. His party’s fight is limited to social media and comments made in the farmhouse.”
“YSR Telangana Party committed to the wellbeing of Telangana will continue to question those who are responsible and accountable for the progress of the state,” added Sharmila.
Guwahati: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised free electricity and jobs if AAP came to power in Assam, while he accused the ruling of BJP of doing nothing but play “dirty politics” in the Northeastern state.
Aam Aadmi Party governments in Delhi and Punjab are giving free electricity to their states, and it will be the same in Assam, too, if the party forms government, Kejriwal said at a rally here.
He promised jobs for all unemployed youths of Assam if AAP is voted to power, adding that the party has given employment to 12 lakh people in Delhi in seven years, and 28,000 people in one year in Punjab.
Kejriwal also assured of providing piped water to all households of Guwahati within a year of the AAP forming government in the state.
“AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of Delhi. What has Himanta babu (Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) done for the state in seven years? Nothing, only dirty politics,” Kejriwal alleged.
On Sarma’s threat of suing him if he raised corruption charges against the BJP leader, Kejriwal said his Assam counterpart has not learnt the culture of people of the state, who accord a warm welcome to their guests.
“For two days, he has been threatening me that he will put me in jail. Am I a terrorist? I invite Himanta babu to come to my house in Delhi for tea. And if he can make time, also have a meal with me. I will show him around the city, the wonderful work we have done there,” Kejriwal said.
Sarma had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Kejriwal if the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the assembly.
Kejriwal had reportedly said in the Delhi Assembly that there are cases against Sarma.
Taking a swipe at the Assam CM over the recent Class 10 board exam paper leak, he said: “A government which cannot even keep the question papers safe, how will they run a state? In Delhi or Punjab, question papers never get leaked.”
“It has to be an insider job. Someone is selling the future of your children,” he claimed.
Raising the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic qualification, Kejriwal said only an educated person can ensure development of a country.
“In a poor country like ours, being illiterate or less educated is not a crime. We have no problem with that. But, the prime minister should be educated. If not, it is a dangerous thing,” Kejriwal maintained.
He asserted that demonetisation and the three farm laws that were later withdrawn are instances of Modi being “fooled” by his advisors.
“The manager of a company needs degrees to fit his role. The top manager’ of the country would also definitely require some degree,” he said.
The AAP chief’s comments came in the wake of the Gujarat High Court quashing a seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission (CIC), which had asked the Gujarat University to provide information on Modi’s degree to him.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, who was also present at the rally, said the country needs a “new engine” for growth.
“They (the BJP) keep talking about some double engine of growth. But, that is not needed. What is needed is a new engine’, one that runs with speed and more importantly remains on track,” he said, pointing towards Kejriwal.
He also accused the BJP government at the Centre of selling off public assets, attempting to stifle the opposition, and working for the benefit of select corporates.
“The country is being sold and we cannot even raise our voice or put up posters against it,” Mann said, apparently referring to police action in Delhi over posters demanding removal of the prime minister.
