TOM REED

Two New York Democrats have been ousted from the U.S. House in primary elections after redistricting shuffled congressional districts in one of the nation’s largest liberal states.

New York Congressman Tom Reed is resigning, leaving office more than seven months before the end of his term.

As political muscle goes, big doesn’t automatically translate to power.

The House Ethics committee is investigating sexual misconduct allegations involving Republican Rep. Tom Reed of New York.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, file photo, U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. In late February, Reed said he was seriously considering running for governor against Cuomo should the Democrat seek a fourth term next year. AdReed said in his statement Sunday that he would not seek any elective office in 2022. I was wrong, I am sorry, and I take full responsibility.”A former mayor of Corning, New York, Reed is co-chair of the House of Representatives' bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. AdHe voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump in January but voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election of Democrat Joe Biden.

“With the economic divide, I mean, I want to see a $15 minimum wage. Leading the charge is Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who unveiled $15 wage legislation this week with the backing of 37 Senate Democrats. The latest sign that a $15 minimum wage is popular with voters came in November, when more than 60% of voters in conservative-leaning Florida approved an amendment to the state’s Constitution that will raise the minimum wage there from $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. “The real way to appreciate this work is to raise the minimum wage to $15,” she said. Currently, 29 states and Washington, D.C., have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

The massive, catchall bill combines $900 billion in COVID-19 aid with a $1.4 trillion spending bill. A 1994 bill blocked prisoners from the program, but momentum has been growing to reverse the decision. For Republicans, the bill secures a longtime goal to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form that students fill out to determine their eligibility for federal financial aid. It would provide $23 billion to colleges and universities, the first federal virus aid since a virus package Congress approved in March. For K-12 schools, the bill provides $54.3 billion, with an additional $4.1 billion that governors can use on education.