Senators clash with US prisons chief over transparency, seek fixes for problem-plagued agency
The director of the federal Bureau of Prisons was scolded Wednesday by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who say her lack of transparency is hampering their ability to help fix the agency, which has long been plagued by staffing shortages, chronic violence and other problems.
Iran deal tantalizingly close but US faces new hurdles
Last weekโs attack on author Salman Rushdie and the indictment of an Iranian national for plotting to murder former national security adviser John Bolton have given the Biden administration new headaches as it attempts to negotiate a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Texas massacre casts shadow over hearing for ATF pick
Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Bidenโs pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.
Iowa GOP open to non-Trump prospects as 2024 gets underway
Former President Donald Trumpโs persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the nomination process.
Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP darts
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.
Jackson pushes back at GOP critics, defends judicial record
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully defended her record as a federal judge Tuesday, pushing back on Republican assertions that she would be soft on crime and declaring she would rule as an โindependent juristโ if confirmed as the first Black woman on the high court.
Lawsuit: NRA illegally funded Trump, other GOP candidates
A federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.
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GOP 2024 contenders enter Iowa, wary of Trump's long shadow
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the West Side Conservative Club, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)DES MOINES, Iowa โ Ambitious Republicans are starting to make moves in Iowa, long a proving ground for future presidents. Pompeo's two-day Iowa trip leads an exceptionally early round of Iowa travel planned by U.S. senators, emerging as national GOP figures. Ecklund, Crawford County Republicans' communication director, has encountered Republicans โready to move onโ and โtired of the extreme controversyโ in a county Trump carried by more than 30 percentage points twice. ___This story has been corrected to show Ecklund is the Crawford County Republicans' communication director, not Crawford County Republicans' co-chair.
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Biden's Russia credentials questioned over European pipeline
(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ After years of Democratic accusations that former President Donald Trump was too soft on Russia, the Biden administration is facing Republican criticism of its approach to Moscow. The Biden administration rejects the criticism, saying it has been clear about penalties for companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that its goal is to bolster European energy security. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration believes the pipeline will harm European energy security, particularly for countries in Eastern and Central Europe like Ukraine and Poland, which the pipeline bypasses. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. The Biden administration suggests more sanctions may be coming.
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GOP senators criticize Pentagon nominee's 'partisan' tweets
FILE - This April 19, 2019 file photo shows a sign for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON โ The Biden administration's nominee for top Pentagon policy adviser was met with sharp criticism from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, including accusations that he has been too partisan. And a number of GOP senators said they were troubled by partisan tweets Kohl put out during Donald Trump's presidency and they would oppose his nomination. And he told the panel, โThis is not a political job, itโs a policy job ... Others, including the panel chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., sought commitments on improving Pentagon policies and relations with other countries that soured during Trump's tenure.
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Republicans test history in vote against pandemic relief
And for beleaguered Republicans coming off a disastrous election, it was their first step back to political power. Senate Republicans are expected to oppose a similar measure in the coming weeks, arguing that the bill is not focused enough on the pandemic. Polling suggests that an overwhelming majority of voters โ including a significant number of Republicans โ supports the Democrats' pandemic relief plan. AdWhether the minimum wage provision is included or not, Senate Republicans are expected to oppose the final package. 3 House Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
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NY Times says it needs culture change, better inclusion
FILE - This June 22, 2019, file photo shows the exterior of the New York Times building in New York. In a report to its employees in February 2021, The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK โ The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. A survey of employees didn't just uncover bad news; 95% of Times employees said they felt pride in working at the paper, and most have had positive experiences. โWe also believe it will make The Times a better place to work, for all of us.โ
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Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claims
Trump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. โI think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here weโll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." โIn opposition, when you donโt have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,โ Cotton said in an interview.
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HHS pick says pandemic is top job, but agenda is broader
โTo meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership," Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. AdAppearing before the Senate health committee, Becerra seconded President Joe Bidenโs goals of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days, increased coronavirus testing, ramped-up DNA mapping of the virus to track worrisome mutations and reopening schools and businesses. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, left no doubt that Becerra faces tough scrutiny. California took pride in viewing itself as the resistance to Trump, and Becerra embodied that ethos. AdLack of medical experience doesn't disqualify a nominee for HHS secretary, though it can be a plus.
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White House budget chief nominee apologizes for past tweets
Neera Tanden also admitted to spending โmany monthsโ removing past Twitter posts, saying, โI deleted tweets because I regretted them." He said that included Tanden calling Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton "a fraudโ and tweeting that โvampires have more heartโ than Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said Tanden had tweeted more over the past four years than even Trump did. Still, Senate discussion of Tanden's nomination is likely to center more on her past tweets than her budget priorities. Cotton has said they were โfilled with hate.โ Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn suggested previously that she'd face โcertainly a problematic pathโ to nomination.
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Veteran activists campaign for Biden's immigration reform
FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2020, file photo, demonstrators with the New York Immigration Coalition rally asking President-elect Joe Biden to prioritize immigration reform in New York. The multimillion-dollar #WeAreHome campaign was launched Monday by national groups including United We Dream and the United Farm Workers Foundation. The five groups chairing the campaign are paying for the effort with their own fundraising,โWe need an early breakthrough on immigration,โ said Praeli. The November survey of more than 110,000 voters showed 9 in 10 Biden voters and about half of Trump voters favored creating a way for people to legalize their status. Veteran civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, an activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers who now runs her own foundation, said the immigration reform push will benefit from the dramatic stories of children being separated from their parents under the Trump administration.
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GOP largely sides against holding Trump impeachment trial
In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. โYouโre asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?โ he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.
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Trump impeachment goes to Senate, testing his sway over GOP
Leahy will preside over former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. Republican senators are balancing the demands of deep-pocketed donors who are distancing themselves from Trump and voters who demand loyalty to him. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, is set to preside. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. If not, what is?โ Romney was the only Republican senator to vote for conviction when the Senate acquitted Trump in his first impeachment trial.
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Growing number of GOP senators oppose impeachment trial
(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON โ A growing number of Republican senators say they oppose holding an impeachment trial, a sign of the dimming chances that former President Donald Trump will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. โI think the trial is stupid, I think itโs counterproductive,โ said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a โpreponderance of opinionโ that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office.
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Senate confirms Biden 1st Cabinet pick as Democrats control
In a first vote, the Senate confirmed Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. The new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged colleagues to turn the spirit of the new presidentโs call for unity into action. The three Democrats complete a Senate narrowly split 50-50 between the parties, but giving Democrats the majority with Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to soon transmit to the Senate the House-passed article of impeachment against Trump, charged with incitement of insurrection, a step that will launch the Senate impeachment trial. Progressive and liberal Democrats are eager to do away with the filibuster to more quickly advance Bidenโs priorities, but not all rank-and-file Senate Democrats are on board.
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Biden's first Cabinet member to lead battered intel agencies
President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, giving President Joe Biden the first member of his Cabinet and placing the first woman in charge of the nearly two-decade old agency. In her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Haines made clear she intends to end the Trump administration's practice of pressuring officials to shape their analysis to the presidentโs liking. โWhen it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics โ ever,โ she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. โThe last four years have been hard on the intelligence community,โ said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after Democrats took the majority on Wednesday.
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Biden bets big on immigration changes in opening move
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)SAN DIEGO โ For the opening salvo of his presidency, few expected Joe Biden to be so far-reaching on immigration. He also extended temporary legal status to Liberians who fled civil war and the Ebola outbreak to June 2022. Former President Donald Trump's administration also took hundreds of other steps to enhance enforcement, limit eligibility for asylum and cut legal immigration. The survey of more than 110,000 voters in November showed 9 in 10 Biden voters but just about half of Trump voters were in favor of a path to legal status. Biden's bill calls for more technology at land crossings, airports and seaports and authorizes the Homeland Security secretary to consider other steps.
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Trump trial pending, McConnell calls it 'vote of conscience'
Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.
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Trump trial pending, McConnell calls it 'vote of conscience'
Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.
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'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. โWe need a Republican Party,โ Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
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'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. โWe need a Republican Party,โ Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
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Republicans recoil from Missouri Sen. Hawley after siege
โSupporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision Iโve ever made in my life,โ former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. โAssault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt,โ read the headline of the editorial. Hawley, who defeated Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018, was once celebrated by the Republican establishment as a rising star. Seated near Hawley, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney blasted those who objected to finalizing President-elect Joe Bidenโs election. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.
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'Great damage': Republicans recoil from Missouri Sen. Hawley
โSupporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision Iโve ever made in my life," former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. Soon Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were leading about 10 other senators in the effort โ notably not winning over Sens. With Hawley sitting near, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney blasted those who objected to finalizing President-elect Joe Bidenโs election. The student bar association at the University of Missouri law school, where Hawley taught, issued a statement calling for his resignation. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
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Senate GOP leader: Challenging Biden win threatens republic
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the House chamber for the Senate to consider objections to certify Electoral College votes, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. All 50 states have certified the electoral votes. Freshman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has said he will challenge Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia were all pivotal states that Biden carried on his way to his 306-232 Electoral College win. McConnell, 78, has been the Republican leader since 2007 and is the longest-serving Senate GOP leader in history.
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Republican Party faces defining moment under Trump's shadow
NEW YORK โ The Republican Party is facing a defining moment. But what comes next for the Republican Party is anything but clear. Trumpโs hold over his adopted party has been all but absolute in his time in office. If he does, the Republican Party could continue to shape itself in his image. โI believe he will have as much hold over the party as he wants to,โ said Alice Stewart, a Republican strategist who advised Cruz's 2016 campaign.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
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Biden largely mum on Trump's effort to reverse election
While some Democrats say Trump's actions merit new impeachment proceedings, Biden has been more circumspect. Bidenโs aides believe Americans outside Washington want to hear more about how the Biden presidency will help them and less about the partisan squabbling that has characterized the past four years of Trumpโs presidency. There was no widespread fraud in the election, which a range of election officials across the country, as well as Trumpโs former attorney general, William Barr, has confirmed. Indeed, by avoiding engaging with Trump, Biden is also hoping to maintain the opportunity for bipartisanship in the new Congress, which he's repeatedly emphasized will be key to his hopes of getting anything done. Jim Manley, a former longtime Senate Democratic leadership aide, said the party's failure to take on Trump's recent moves could set the tone for Bidenโs presidency and beyond.
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Washington braces for intense opening to a pivotal year
It begins on Tuesday with two runoff elections in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate. Biden's ability to easily set up his Cabinet and enact a legislative agenda hinges on Democrats capturing both seats. The focus shifts to Washington on Wednesday, where Congress is set to certify Biden's victory in the Electoral College. โAnyone who thought that Trump would cede control of the Republican Party post-an election loss is just dead wrong. Raffensberger rebuffed Trump's request and Biden's victory in Georgia โ and other states that propelled him to victory โ is not in doubt.
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Republicans condemn โschemeโ to undo election for Trump
Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials โ Republican as well as Democratic in state after state โ and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan โ have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results.
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Biden's Homeland Security pick faces questions on 2015 probe
Now, seven years later, Mayorkas is President-elect Joe Bidenโs groundbreaking nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and that since-completed investigation has emerged as a potential stumbling block. โThat brand of leadership isnโt good for agency culture or the security of our nation,โ the Iowa Republican told The Associated Press on Thursday. Itโs an important moment for Homeland Security, the third-largest Cabinet agency. It was also not unusual for members of Congress to contact the agency about the EB-5 program. But Kenneth Palinkas, a senior official with the employee union at CIS, said he was widely liked by workers.
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Biden's Homeland Security pick faces questions on 2015 probe
Now, seven years later, Mayorkas is President-elect Joe Bidenโs groundbreaking nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and that since-completed investigation has emerged as a potential stumbling block. โThat brand of leadership isnโt good for agency culture or the security of our nation,โ the Iowa Republican told The Associated Press on Thursday. Itโs an important moment for Homeland Security, the third-largest Cabinet agency. It was also not unusual for members of Congress to contact the agency about the EB-5 program. But Kenneth Palinkas, a senior official with the employee union at CIS, said he was widely liked by workers.
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Biden's transition contends with probe into son's finances
But news of the probe, which was revealed on Wednesday and scrutinizes some of Hunter Biden's Chinese business dealings and other transactions, caught most of his father's staffers by surprise. Most notably, the probe casts a spotlight on one of Bidenโs most important choices: his attorney general. And Biden aides believe that because other Hunter Biden stories have blown over, this will, too. Those were based in part on New York Post reporting on a laptop that supposedly once belonged to Hunter Biden and was abandoned at a Delaware repair shop. Hunter Biden, and his baby son, were right in the middle.
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Biden's transition contends with probe into son's finances
But news of the probe, which was revealed on Wednesday and scrutinizes some of Hunter Biden's Chinese business dealings and other transactions, caught most of his father's staffers by surprise. Most notably, the probe casts a spotlight on one of Bidenโs most important choices: his attorney general. And Biden aides believe that because other Hunter Biden stories have blown over, this will, too. โThe Biden family has been trading on Joe Bidenโs public office for fifty years. Those were based in part on New York Post reporting on a laptop that supposedly once belonged to Hunter Biden and was abandoned at a Delaware repair shop.
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Biden's pick to head OMB brings experience, Twitter enemies
Some progressives, meanwhile, see Tanden's nomination as a test of whether the left will challenge Biden, who ran as a moderate, over funding for social programs. Sanders has not commented publicly on Tanden's nomination, but other liberal senators including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have expressed their support. Friends and allies say that the fuss over her online persona is a distraction from her credentials and deep experience with large-scale policy making. Tanden, 50, has said her values reflect personal experience with the government programs she would play a key role in supporting. The first wave of Republican criticism of Tanden mentioned none of her professional or personal experience, instead focusing on her aggressive Twitter hand.
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GOP White House hopefuls wait to see what Trump does next
WASHINGTON โ When a party loses the White House, a new crop of presidential hopefuls typically begin moving quickly to lay the groundwork for a run in the next campaign. President Donald Trump's increasingly overt flirtations with running again in 2024 are freezing the potentially vast field of Republican candidates. GOP White House hopefuls are essentially left to watch what Trump does next instead of courting fundraisers, building networks and visiting early-voting states โ the usual campaign planning steps โ for fear of angering Trump and risking turning off his large and loyal base. That followed comments during a White House Christmas party this past week when Trump said, "Weโre trying to do another four years. His supporters argue that if Trump did run, Hogan would enjoy a near-open lane unlike the one crowded with Trump defenders.
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GOP objects to Biden nominees, a sign of what's to come
Under leader Mitch McConnell, the Republican senators will hold great sway in confirming Bidenโs nominees regardless of which party holds the majority after runoff elections in January. He scoffed at Republicans for complaining about Tandenโs penchant for sharp tweets after four years of Trumpโs endless Twitter barbs that GOP senators often tried to ignore. โAfter what all we went through over the past four years, I would expect that almost all of President-elect Bidenโs nominees would be widely acceptable,โ Schumer said from the Senate floor. Instead, he's letting other Senate Republicans, particularly those seen as having White House ambitions, make names for themselves. McConnell gave a nod toward what's ahead after GOP senators met Tuesday by conference call, forced to abandon their traditional sit-down lunches as the COVID-19 crisis surges and threatens to further disrupt the Capitol.