Senate

The Senate passed a compromise gun saefty bill on Thursday in a 65-33 vote, marking a rare time that lawmakers of both parties responded to a wave of mass shootings with legislation. But the bill still falls short of what many gun reform advocates want, like a ban on assault weapons and a restriction on firearms purchases to those under the age of 21. Those proposals enjoy widespread public support, based on recent polls, but were a non-starter as a bipartisan group of senators worked out a compromise. The legislation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, would expand background checks for those 18 to 21, give incentives to states to pass “red flag” laws, and expand a federal law that bans domestic abusers from acquiring guns. The legislation also provides funds for school safety and for mental health. The bill now will go to the House, which is expected to vote on the legislation on Friday. President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign it. The senators, … [Read more...] about Senate Passes Bipartisan Gun Violence Bill; Legislation Expands Safety Measures But Falls Short Of Ban On Assault Weapons

The Senate voted Thursday to approve a bipartisan bill aimed at curtailing gun violence in the United States, marking the country’s first major legislative action on firearms in nearly three decades. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act aims to implement “enhanced” background checks on gun buyers between the ages of 18 to 21, funnel money to community mental health and safety programs, and further prohibit individuals convicted of domestic violence from purchasing guns. It also will encourage states to strengthen so-called “red flag” laws that allow authorities to seize firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. According to the Associated Press , 19 states and the District of Columbia already have red flag laws in place . The House will vote on the $13 billion package Friday, which coincidentally falls on the one month anniversary of the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead. … [Read more...] about Senate Passes Landmark Bipartisan Gun Bill, the Most Expansive Firearms Legislation in Decades

The Jan. 6 committee revealed on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump was “directly” involved in the illegal campaign to fabricate phony slates of electors in key swing states. So too was Rudy Giuliani. So too was John Eastman, who wrote the “coup memo” instructing former Vice President Mike Pence to stop the certification of the Electoral College. So too , apparently, was Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) — so much so that he wanted to subvert the will of his state’s own voters and hand-deliver fraudulent Wisconsin electors to Pence on Jan. 6. The committee displayed a text message from one of Johnson’s staffers, sent just minutes before Pence was set to certify the election, stating that the senator wanted to give Pence the fake electors from Wisconsin and Michigan. “Do not give that to him,” replied one of Pence’s staffers. Text messages showing that Ron Johnson wanted to hand deliver fake electors to Pence pic.twitter.com/irycfliZlG — Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2022 … [Read more...] about Sen. Ron Johnson Wanted to Hand Deliver Fake Electors to Pence on Jan. 6

The power of the Trump endorsement is waning and nowhere was it more apparent than last night’s Georgia Republican primary runoffs. The former president has struggled to translate his endorsements into victories for a GOP seeking electoral gains in the 2022 midterm elections. Trump’s endorsement has been a boon for some primary candidates — most notably J.D. Vance in Ohio — but it’s far from a golden ticket as the party works to find common ground between factions bitterly divided over the future of American conservatism. In Georgia, Trump-backed candidates floundered in their runoff elections. In GA-10, former Democratic state representative-turned Trump Republican Vernon Jones was trounced by Mike Collins, suffering a nearly 50-point loss. In GA-06, the Trump endorsement more than failed to pull Jake Evans across the finish line. He lost by more than 40 points to Rich McCormick. In Alabama’s Republican primary runoff, former lobbyist Katie Britt defeated … [Read more...] about Trump-Endorsed Candidates Can’t Stop Losing Primaries

Almost a month after a gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, legislators are finally on the cusp of a gun reform agreement. In a vote of 64-34 the U.S. Senate advanced a bipartisan bill aimed at implementing new, extremely modest gun legislation. The bill would enhance background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21 and remove guns from the possession of those who have committed domestic violence or pose an immediate danger to themselves and others. The bill does not in any way erode the existing rights of gun owners, nor does it prohibit 18-year-olds from purchasing high-powered rifles. It  instead focuses on curbing illegal gun sales and purchases, and providing funding for mental health and anti-violence programs. While the proposed legislation would provide important advancements in the need for stronger firearm regulation, it is still a far cry from the comprehensive reform needed to address … [Read more...] about Republicans Supporting Modest Gun Reform Are Under Fire From Trump and the Far Right

Federal agents served multiple subpoenas on Wednesday morning related to the investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. FBI officials confirmed to The Washington Post that law enforcement had contacted several individuals who agreed to participate in schemes by the Trump campaign to secure a slate of fake Electoral College electors in an effort to keep Trump in power despite his loss in the 2020 presidential election. FBI agents subpoenaed David Schaffer, Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, as well as Brad Carver, a Georgia lawyer who falsely attested to being a “duly elected and qualified” Electoral College elector. Carver is one of 16 signatories on a document now being investigated by the Department of Justice. Nevada’s 8 News Now reported later on Wednesday that authorities also seized the cell phone of Nevada Republican Chairman Michael McDonald as part of their investigation into the fake electors. In Dec. 2020, 8 News … [Read more...] about The FBI’s Investigation Into the Fake Trump Elector Scheme Is Heating Up

Robb Elementary, the school in Uvalde , Texas where a teenaged gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in May, will be razed, NBC News reports. Mayor Don McLaughlin said during a Uvalde Council meeting Tuesday that officials are planning to demolish the school. “My understanding — and I had this discussion with the superintendent — that school will be demolished,” he said. He added: “You can never ask a child to go back or a teacher to go back in that school ever.” McLaughlin did not specify when the demolition would take place. The news came the same day the Texas Department of Public Safety Director (DPS) Steve McCraw called the law enforcement response to the Uvalde school massacre an “abject failure.” His testimony during a state Senate committee hearing in Austin was the first time McCraw had publicly addressed the police response since a late May press conference . “There’s compelling evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary was … [Read more...] about Robb Elementary School to Be Demolished Following Uvalde Massacre

UPDATED, with latest: A number of lawmakers, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), sought presidential pardons after January 6th, according to testimony before the committee’s hearing on Thursday. “The only reason I know to ask for a pardon is you think you committed a crime,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). The committee showed text of a January 11 email in which Brooks seeking pardons to “every congressman and senator who vote to reject the electoral college vote submissions of Arizona and Pennsylvania.” Gaetz was included in Brooks’ request for a pardon. In videotaped testimony, Cassidy Hutchinson, aide to then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, talked of pardons sought by other lawmakers, including Andy Biggs, Scott Perry and Louie Gohmert. She said that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) “talked about congressional pardons, but he never asked me for one.” John McEntee, a Trump aide, said in a videotaped deposition that Gaetz had told him that he asked for a … [Read more...] about January 6th Hearing Highlights Evidence That Matt Gaetz, Other Lawmakers Sought Presidential Pardons After Capitol Attack

The Jan. 6 committee displayed a bombshell email on Thursday revealing that Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) emailed the White House five days after the attack on the Capitol asking for a pardon for himself and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), as well as “every Congressman and Senator who voted to reject the electoral college vote submissions of Arizona and Pennsylvania.” The blanket pardon would have preemptively exonerated the 147 Republicans who voted against the certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory in the event that wrongdoing was discovered in subsequent investigations. January 6th committee details a request from Mo Brooks on behalf of Matt Gaetz for a pardon, and discussions of a blanket pardon for all those involved. pic.twitter.com/UKR5GHEUan — nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) June 23, 2022 Rep. Brooks defended the request in a statement provided to Rolling Stone , citing a “concern Democrats would abuse the judicial system by … [Read more...] about GOP Rep. Asked for Trump to Pardon All 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attacked the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling overturning Roe V Wade. “There’s no point in saying good morning, because it certainly is not one,” Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill, as she called the ruling “cruel ” and “outrageous and heart-wrenching.” She also pointed to the fact that the court affirmed a constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon, but on Friday did not recognize that right for a woman to have an abortion . “The hypocrisy is raging, but the harm is endless,” Pelosi said. Other congressional leaders also weighed in. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that the ruling called Friday “one of the darkest days our country has ever seen. Millions upon millions of American women are having their rights taken from them by five unelected Justices on the extremist MAGA court.” On the opposite side, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has been integral to confirmation of a conservative … [Read more...] about Nancy Pelosi On Supreme Court Ruling Overturning Roe V Wade: “The Hypocrisy Is Raging, But The Harm Is Endless”